Your point being?
My point is it suggests hed spotted them earlier.
Very likely. Mazraani must have got used to being followed. Even if he didnt see anyone, hed assume they were there.
Meaning hed think these two were yours?
Possibly, said Komorowski dismissively. Thank you, Mr Pascoe. Sandy
But Pascoe wasnt done.
Then why the hell werent they? he demanded.
Sorry?
Why werent there any of your men around? OK, I gather youd managed to lose track of Mazraani earlier that day. Id have thought the obvious thing to do was put someone on watch outside his flat. At least thats the way wed have done it back in good old-fashioned Mid-Yorkshire CID, despite our staffing problems.
Komorowski put his hand to his mouth as though to inhibit an over-hasty reply and looked down at Pascoe with a speculative gaze. Presumably he was high enough up the pecking order on the Intelligence half of CAT to feel he didnt need to take crap from DCIs. Pascoe noticed with distaste that his fingernails were cracked and none too clean.
Commander Bloomfield twisted his long frame in his chair and smiled at Pascoe.
If I didnt know you were one of Andy Dalziels boys, I think Id have guessed, he said. Thing is, Peter, despite all this crisis talk, were desperately short of manpower here in CAT. Probably in real terms even shorter than you doubtless are in your good old-fashioned CID. Result: were continually re-assessing priorities. The chaps on Mazraani lost him. Procedure is report it in, return to base for reassignment. As for watching the flat, why waste men when weve got a bug inside? Soon as the tape was checked and we became aware there was activity, wed have had someone round there.
So when was the tape checked? asked Pascoe.
Bloomfield glanced at Komorowski.
Midnight that night, said the man.
So you sent a surveillance team round then?
Well, no, admitted Komorowski. Thered been no further activation of the tape after the CD finished playing, so it was assumed the flat was now empty.
While actually it was full of dead people, said Pascoe. And didnt whoever checked the tape out wonder who these two guyswhat did they call themselves?
Andre de Montbard and Archambaud de St Agnan, said Glenister, who was looking at Pascoe with the gentle smile of a mother proud of her prodigious son.
which to anyone but the brain-dead sound suspiciously like assumed namesdidnt he wonder who this pair were?
Komorowski now looked like a schoolteacher cornered by a smart-arse pupil.
Or, Pascoe went on relentlessly, did he make the same error as Mazraani and assume they were official, maybe because hed got used to working in an environment where the right hand doesnt always know what the left is doing?
A silence followed this question, and in Pascoes eyes answered it too.
Then Freeman spoke from behind him.
Lukasz, he said, if Pete heres quite finished
Pascoe glowered round at him. Teachers pet, he thought. Get your boss off the hook, earn brownie points.
He said, Im done. For now.
Thanks, said Freeman. Lukasz, these weird names the killer gaveor rather, the man we assume is the killer gavedo we have anything on them?
Yes, as a matter of fact we do, said Komorowski. But first I should draw your attention to an e-message every newspaper, TV news centre and news agency received two days ago. It read: It would appear that a new order of knighthood has been founded on earth.
He paused as if inviting identification.
When none came he said, Dont worry. Of the great intellects who run our press, only one recognized it, and that, curiously, was the sports editor of the Voice. He was intrigued enough to mention it to the papers Security correspondent, who passed it to us. We put it on file with a question mark. Now I think the question mark can be removed.
He paused again and Bloomfield said, In your own time, Lukasz.
Thank you, Bernie, said Komorowski, as if taking the remark at face value. In fact this is a translation of the opening words of St Bernard of Clairvauxs Liber ad milites Templi, written at the request of his friend, Hugh de Payens, to define, justify and encourage a new order of knights Hugh and a few others had just founded. These were the Knights Templar, whose initial function was to protect the many pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. Although the First Crusade had seen the establishment of new Christian states in the region, it was still a dangerous place for the unwary pilgrim, who provided an easy target both for religious zealots and for common thieves. Rapidly, however, the new Order outgrew its founding purpose and evolved into an independent fighting force dedicated to driving the infidels out of the Holy Land. Eventually it became so powerful that it had to be crushed by the very powers of Western Christendom whose values it was formed to defend. But it is its beginnings not its ending that concern us here.
He paused again and looked around as though anxious for approval.
Bloomfield said, Good, good. And your point, Lukasz?
Besides Hugh de Payens there were eight other founder members of the order, all French noblemen, said Komorowski. One is unknown, possibly Hugh Count of Champagne who was de Payens liege lord. Two are known only by their Christian names: Rossal and Gondamer. The names of the others are Payen de Montdidierincidentally, the fact that Payen here and its plural form in the name of the Orders founder look like medieval forms of modern paien, pagan, seems to be a coincidence.
Another pause, another glance around as if looking for comment or contradiction. There was none, unless an audible sigh from Bloomfield could be interpreted as either.
Now where was I? said Komorowski. Oh yes. Montdidier. Then there are two Geoffreys: de St Omer and Bisol. And finally, and for our present purpose, most significantly, there is a knight called Archambaud de St Agnan, and a future Grand Master of the Order whose name is Andre de Montbard.
2 a pale horse
Hugh de Payens was galloping his grey stallion across a wide green meadow under an ancient castles beetling walls. On either side ranks of armed men held their eager mounts under strict control, their restless hooves rising and falling on the same spot, their heaving breasts creating a dark ripple of muscle that ran as far as the eye could see. Cuirasses glinted in the bright summer sun, pennants bearing lions, bears, griffins and dragons, rampant, courant, couchant, fluttered above them, and high over all floated the broad banners which on a lily-white ground bore the symbol of their purpose and their faith, the red cross.
Then a little bell rang and in a trice the castle became an insubstantial ruin, the mounted men and their flags vanished, leaving the rider hacking gently along the edge of a field on a placid grey mare with nothing for company but a few uncurious cows.
He reined in, took out a mobile, accessed Messages and found a single capital X.
He erased it and urged his mount forward into a spinney of beech trees slimming into willow as he approached a narrow but deep and fast-moving stream. On its bank he came to a halt and slackened the rein so that the horse could crop the long grass.
He speed-dialled a number.
Bernard.
Hugh.
De Clairvaux.
De Payens.
Silence. He counted mentally.
one thousand two thousand three thousand
Dead on three seconds the other voice spoke.
Anything less, anything more, and he would have switched off, removed the SIM card, cut it in half with the pair of electrical wire strippers attached to his belt, and hurled the pieces and the phone into the stream.
Hugh, the loose end, theres been a suggestion it might not be so harmless as we thought. I wonder if it wouldnt be as well to tie it up. Discreetly, of course.
A moments silence then Hugh said, Im not sure I like the sound of that. Its not what were about.
Of course it isnt. But in the field sometimes the choice is between collateral damage and protecting our own. Or, lets not be mealy-mouthed, protecting ourselves.
Our structure protects us.
There are always links. You know me. Andre knows you. The Geoffreys know Andre.
I hope you trust my discretion. I trust Andre. And he says the Geoffreys are reliable.
Are they? From what you reported of Bisols reaction to Mill Street, I would have doubts.
Hes concerned about the injured policeman. Removing another as damage limitation isnt going to make him feel any better.
Properly done, no reason why he should ever know, is there? Look, I dont like this any more than you do, but I know how easily things can unravel. Ive already had to put one nosey policeman on a tight rein. The loose end in question seems to be accident prone, so it shouldnt be too difficult to remove him without arousing either suspicion or further agitating Bisols tender conscience. From what you say of him, I imagine Andre would take it in his stride. I leave it with you.
The phone went dead.
Hugh switched off. His patient horse, alert to signals, raised its head, then resumed cropping the grass as its rider made no movement but sat in thought for a while.
Finally he activated his phone once more, texted an X, and disconnected.
A few moments later the phone rang.
Hugh.
Andre.
De Payens.
De Montbard.
one thousand two thousand three thousand
Andre, how are you? Ive just been talking to Bernard. Theres a little job which sounds very much your cup of tea
3 kaffee-klatsch
Two days after Pascoe had gone west, Ellie Pascoe and Edgar Wield met outside the Arts Centre. Wield knew it wasnt by chance when Ellie, uncomfortable with deception, over-egged her look of surprised pleasure.
She wants to talk about Peter, he guessed, but is worried about looking disloyal.
How do, Ellie? he said before she could speak. Fancy a coffee at Hals?
He saw hed stolen her line, and shed been married to a detective long enough to work out why by the time they climbed up to the mezzanine café-bar in the Arts Centre.
With relief, because she hated masquerade, she took this as an invitation to cut straight to the chase as soon as theyd got their coffee.
Have you heard from Peter? she asked.
Aye.
And whats he say?
This and that, he answered vaguely. Have you not heard yourself?
Of course I have, she said indignantly. He rings me every night.
Every night seemed a large term for the two nights Pascoe had been away.
Rings me during the day, said Wield. Dont expect he misses me at night.
They smiled at each other like the old friends they were.
So whats he talk to you about? said Ellie.
That and this, repeated Wield. Work stuff. You know Pete. Thinks the place is going to fall apart if hes not there to keep an eye on things.
Ellie saw that he might have opened things up for her, but he had his loyalties too. This was her call.
She said, Im a bit worried about him, Wieldy. More than a bit. A hell of a lot. I think hes got really obsessive about this bomb investigation.
Came close to killing him, said Wield. Enough to make you both obsessive.
Meaning, how clears my own judgment here? interpreted Ellie. Wieldy, if you can put your hand on your heart and tell me hes fine, thatll do the trick for me.
He drank his coffee. His face was as unreadable as ever, but Ellie knew because shed known it from the start that she wasnt going to hear much for her comfort.
He said, Wish I could. But its not so odd that I cant. Being close to something like Mill Street doesnt just go away. I reckon it shook Pete up more than hell admit. Since it happened, hes definitely not been himself. Trouble is, from what Ive seen of him, what hes trying to be is Andy Dalziel. The way he deals with people, the way he talks, even, God help us, the way he walks, its like he feels hes got to fill in for Fat Andy. But likely youll have noticed?
I noticed something, said Ellie unhappily. But hes a great bottler-up. Stupid sod imagines hes protecting me and Rosie by clamping down the hatches. He said an odd thing when he went back to work that first time. He said he felt he had to, as if him not being there would lessen the chances of Andy recovering. A sort of sympathetic magic.
Very like, said Wield. Look, luv, I dont think you should worry too much. Either Andyll make it and well all get back to normal, or he wont, and well all get back to normal then too, only itll take a bit longer and normal will have changed.
Shed wanted honesty before comfort. This sounded to her reasonably close to the former and a long way short of the latter.
She said, I just wish he hadnt gone to Manchester. I suppose we should be grateful to Sandy Glenister for seeing how much it meant to him to stay involved, but I dont really see how he can be of any use to those CAT people across thereWhat?
Wield knew that in the innermost reaches of his mind he had grunted sceptically, but he was certain that nothing in his larynx had uttered even the ghost of an echo of that grunt. Also he had the kind of face which made the Rosetta Stone seem as easy to read as the back of a cornflake packet. Watch his left ear, advised Andy Dalziel. It doesnt help, but it means you dont have to look at the rest of his face.
Yet despite all this, perhaps because over the years he and Ellie Pascoe had got very close, and in matters relating to her family she was supersensitive, somehow the grunt had reached her ears telepathically.
I said nowt, he said.
She said nowt too, which made her point very effectively.
All right, he said, pushed another step towards honesty. I reckon maybe Mrs Glenister didnt take Pete with her team just so he could help pursue their investigations over there, she took him to make sure he wasnt sticking his nose in back here.