Raymond Benson - Doubleshot

—FELIX

Bond picked up the phone and dialed Detective Inspector Howard. He got one of the deputy inspectors, who said that Howard was in a meeting.

“Tell him it’s James Bond, and it’s urgent.”

He waited three minutes, then Howard came to the phone.

“Commander Bond?”

“Inspector Howard,” Bond said. “Sorry to interrupt your meeting but I have some information for you.”

“Yes?”

“Michael Clayton and Walter van Breeschooten are both Union members.”

“How do you know this?”

“I overheard them talking about it just a couple of hours ago.”

“You what?”

“I paid a visit to their office in Soho. I overheard them talking about a job that was going to occur tonight … and they definitely have ties to Le Gérant. I think you need to pick them up.”

He heard Howard sigh. “Commander Bond, to be frank, I don’t appreciate you taking this matter into your own hands. You spied on them without authorization.”

“It needed to be done. You were overlooking them.”

“Commander Bond, I have a mind to inform M about this. You’re out of order. Now, is there anything else?”

Bond decided against telling him about the plane tickets to Morocco.

“No. But I still suggest that you pay a visit to their office tonight.” He gave Howard the address.

“I’ll see what I can do. Now let us do our job, Commander.”

Howard rang off and left Bond holding the phone. He slammed it down and cursed aloud.

He paced the floor a minute, considering his options. Finally, he picked up the red phone and dialed Miss Moneypenny’s line. It was possible she had left for the day, but …

“Executive Director’s office.”

“Moneypenny, it’s James.”

“James! How are you? You’re in the building? At this hour?” Miss Moneypenny had long been an ally of Bond’s, through thick and thin. He could depend on her.

“I was just going to say the same thing about you. It’s past six.”

“This intelligence racket never stops, didn’t you know that, James? M’s got me looking into this Spaniard’s background. You know who I mean?”

“Espada?”

“That’s right. He’s stirring up trouble in Spain.”

“I know. You say M is in the office?”

“She’s here, but not for long. Why?”

“I’m coming up.” He hung up before Moneypenny could protest.

Five minutes later, he entered the outer office of M’s sanctuary. Moneypenny was standing at the filing cabinets, digging through folders. When she turned and saw Bond, her mouth opened.

“My God, James, where have you been?” she asked, concerned.

“Why?” he countered sarcastically.

“You look like you’ve been up for days. What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

“I’m fine. I … haven’t slept much lately. Didn’t shave this morning, that’s all.”

Bond strode toward M’s office.

“Wait, James, I don’t think—”

But he was already at the door, opening it. He gave a cursory knock and stuck his head in.

M was behind her desk, wearing reading glasses, intently poring over a tall stack of legal documents.

“Ma’am?”

She looked up and blinked. “Double-O Seven?”

“May I disturb you a minute?”

M gave a brief smile. “You already have. Come on in.” The smile dropped and her eyes widened when she got a good look at his appearance. He closed the door and sat down in the comfortable leather chair in front of the desk.

“How’s your leave going?” she asked with a slight hesitation in her voice.

“Fine, although I’m quite ready to come back to work,” he said.

“You look … tired.”

“I’m very restless, ma’am,” he slapped his hands on the arms of the chair in frustration. “You should know how inactivity is the worst thing for me. I need an assignment. I need to be on the Union case. Please, I’m asking you. I need the work.”

M leaned back in her chair. She obviously saw something in her top agent that disturbed her.

“What is it you’re not telling me?” she asked.

“I can’t keep away from the case,” he replied. “I’ve been doing some digging of my own.”

“Double-O Seven, you are not assigned to the—”

“I know, ma’am … please, hear me out.”

She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, indicating that he should go on.

“Helena Marksbury’s landlord, a man named Michael Clayton, is a Union member and is probably the man who recruited her. He’s a partner of a Dutch fellow, Walter van Breeschooten. Together they own some residential buildings, adult bookshops in Soho, and some nightclubs. They’re into some shady business, and in fact I think they have something planned for tonight.”

“Like what?”

“I have no idea. I think they’re planning to kill someone.”

“How do you know all this?” M asked. She wasn’t particularly impressed with the information, but was perturbed that Bond had knowledge of it.

“I overheard them this afternoon. I … happened to be near their office so I did some eavesdropping.”

“Double-O Seven, I must say that I don’t approve of this. The Metropolitan Police are handling the case. MI5 are involved as well.”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, I am quite prepared to pursue this alone, with or without your blessing.”

“You’re too emotionally involved in it!” she snapped. “I can see that from here.” She attempted a softer approach. “You look terrible, Double-O Seven. Are you getting enough rest? How’s that head of yours?”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that I look terrible today.”

“Well, you do. You look ill. What’s the matter?”

“I need an assignment!”

The intensity in Bond’s voice frightened M for the first time since she had known him. She waited a beat, then leaned forward and looked Bond in the eyes.

“James,” she said. “I care about you a great deal. We all do. You’re under a great deal of stress. We can all see it. You know what your medical report from June revealed. You’ve been ordered to get at least three months’ rest and this is only the first Tuesday in August. Now … I know you’re troubled about Miss Marksbury. I understand. I felt a great deal of guilt when Alfred was murdered. I’m sure that what you’re feeling is not at all dissimilar. Now I want you to go home, and get some rest. I don’t want you thinking about this. We have a team working on the Union night and day. MI5 and the Metropolitan Police have Miss Marksbury’s case. We must let them do their job.”

The sincerity in M’s voice calmed him down. Bond looked away from her, feeling ashamed of his behavior.

“All right,” he said.

“Good. Why don’t you come back in two weeks? Go back to your place in Jamaica for a while.”

Bond nodded grimly, stood up, and started to walk out of the office without another word.

“Double-O Seven?”

He stopped and looked back.

“It’s for your own good. Surely you know that.” He forced a smile, nodded, and left the room.

Damn her and everyone else!

He paced the floor of his little office as he mulled over what M had said. The events of the day had frightened and infuriated him, but he had no intention of giving up now.

Bond refused to believe that there was anything “wrong” with him. It was just not a possibility, he told himself. The blackouts—stress related, surely. But what about the hallucinations? The stress and headaches probably brought them on. That had to be it. Perhaps Dr. Feare could tell him more. He didn’t want to wait another day to see her. Bond thought that the best thing to do would be to track her down at The Ivy that night.