Saving Tara Goodwin (Mystery Book 1) Page 18

  ‘Well that was interesting, and you’re a very inventive lover, so did you enjoy it?’

  He let his myriad thoughts of Tara drift away as he began to fondle her soft breasts.

  ‘Yes, but I suppose I always knew I would. With you, I mean.’

  Angela smiled, ‘So that’s something else we have in common.’

  Playing with him, her intricate thoughts began to drift on to other things.

  ‘But leaving that aside, did you manage to discover anything today?’

  ‘Not much, except why it was possible to compromise the file undetected.’

  Staring into the darkness, she suddenly snatched herself up and looked down to him.

  ‘Really ..? So soon … Good lord … So how was it done?’

  ‘Oh, it was quite easy really, if you choose the right time of day, and the right month.’

  He told her of Monty’s explanation of the light refraction, the ceiling rose and the maintenance crew’s sighting of the camera to cabinet, all coupled together with the dark monitors and the bored security guards.

  ‘That’s amazing, but what I don’t understand, is why it hasn’t been noticed before, let’s face it, it’s been there long enough.’

  ‘Yeah, but that’s half the trouble, things tend to get accepted for what they are, and over a long period of time, the status quo ends up being the accepted standard.’

  She kissed him, ‘Very true, and then some clever bastards like Sheverill and Goodwin come along and exploit the situation. Well one of them has paid the price so far.’

  He frowned, and really should have thought things through before he spoke, but didn’t.

  ‘Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about Tara, I’m sure she’s in the clear.’

  Angela stiffened, ‘I see. So it’s Tara now, is it?’

  Frank cursed his stupidity when he heard that edge of jealousy come into her voice.

  ‘Yeah, but that’s just her name and I’ve been with her all day, that’s all.’

  Angela leant down and bit his cheek, ‘So you have, my darling boy. So you have.’

  Gazing at him, her piercing brown eyes began to search his for a lie.

  ‘So why didn’t you screw her? You could have done ... and from what I’ve heard, our little miss from MI5 will spread her legs for anyone in power. So why didn’t you?’

  ‘I’ve already told you. I wanted to be with you, not with some silly young girl.’

  She bit his cheek again, but gently this time, her smile becoming satisfied.

  ‘Right answer, you clever boy, but you won’t be bothered with her for much longer.’

  ‘Oh? And why’s that?’

  ‘Because, my darling boy, she’s the first on mother’s Tarantula list. Snip, snip, snip.’

  His chest tighten. So there was even less time than he’d hoped for.

  Angela smiled in the darkness, ‘And so, do you fancy anyone yet, for the file?’

  Frank was thinking of Tara in the hands of those scumbags, Daniels and Coogan.

  ‘What? Oh ... the file. Well I guess there are two or three possibilities.’

  ‘Two or three? My goodness, you have been busy.’

  ‘Well I thought I’d better do something, I didn’t want to come back and find my dinner spread all over the garden path.’

  ‘Oh god, I’d forgotten about that. Are you hungry?

  ‘No, but next time, try trusting me before you jump to all the wrong conclusions.’

  ‘Alright, that’s fair, I’ll try to remember.’

  She fell into thought.

  ‘Frank, I know it’s late, but time is very important now and I need to know the names of those three people, and of course, why you’re so interested in them.’

  ‘Fair enough. Well to start with, there’s Anderton, and as he’s the clerk of works he obviously has some explaining to do, and then I fancy Hillsdown, the chief of police.’

  ‘Hillsdown? So what’s wrong with him?’

  ‘Oh, just his social habits.’

  ‘I see. Well if you say so - but you said, three possibilities.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m getting a gut feeling about Dudley.’

  ‘Ambrose Dudley ..? But how on earth can you possibly suspect him?’

  ‘Well. When I signed out at Thornley reception, I noticed that Dudley had signed in twice, Thursday evening and again on Friday, so the milkman syndrome is bothering me.’

  She looked puzzled, ‘The milkman syndrome? And just what the hell is that?’

  Frank smiled, ‘Well some years ago in Ireland, I was in a pub.’

  ‘You amaze me.’

  He gave her a sideways look, ‘Do you want to hear this or not?’

  ‘It sounds absolutely riveting, but do go on.’

  ‘Yeah. Well I overheard a conversation about a milkman who never took a day off and everyone naturally thought he was crazy, until the day he broke his leg and someone else had to do his round.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘Well from that day on, the dairy had twenty or so people, who were not on the books, phoning up and asking why their milk, eggs, potatoes and cream, hadn’t been delivered.’

  Angela gave him a blank look, but suddenly smiled when she realised.

  ‘He had a scam going.’

  ‘Exactly, and very nice it was for a milkman. So when everyone was charging around loading the delivery trucks, he just took extra of this and that for his private customers and collected a nice little tax-free wage packet every week, but of course, there lies the rub.’

  She sat up straight, ‘It only worked, if he was always at work.’

  And Ambrose Dudley had a strict routine of staying in his apartment Thursday night for the busy day on Friday, so why did he sign in to his apartment again on Friday evening?

  Jumping out of bed she slipped into her nightdress.

  ‘If you’re right about this, we could have him, the man inside.’

  ‘What man inside?’

  Leaning over, she gave him a quick kiss and hurried around the bed to the door.

  ‘It’s a long story, but don’t worry about that, I’ll explain later.’

  ‘Explain what?’

  ‘About the Sanderson file, it could hold a clue to the people behind this mess, and if we’re lucky, we might just get it back.’

  ‘Back from where?’

  ‘Oh for goodness sake. Now look, someone has blocked the file with a password, and obviously because it’s bloody dangerous to them, but now, and thanks to you, we might find the name of the wretched person who placed it there.’

  Frank watched the eerie moonlit shadows drift silently across the ceiling as Angela scampered barefoot down the ancient staircase, and somehow he just knew another death was on its way, and it was all because of him, and the milkman.

  Flicking on the light, she hurried over to the desk, and picking up the red phone, put in a direct call to the manor house.

  A man’s sleepy voice came on the line, ‘Hello. Thornley reception.’

  ‘Security? This is Angela. Now listen carefully, I want you to check the book and see if Mr Ambrose Dudley was on station during Friday night.’

  There was a moment’s silence, ‘Yes ma’am, he was. Mr Dudley signed in at six pm and stayed overnight in his apartment.’

  Her heart jumped, ‘Excellent. Now put me through to the computer room.’

  Angela drummed her fingertips impatiently on the desk until a voice came on the line.

  ‘Hello? Computer section, who’s calling please?’

  ‘This is Angela. Who am I speaking to?’

  ‘Simon, ma’am, Simon Harris. So how can I help you?’

  ‘Simon Harris? Oh yes, I remember, we met last summer in Blackwell’s book shop.

  Now Simon, listen, there’s something very important I want you to do for me.’

  ‘Yes ma’am, of course. So what is it?’

  ‘Simon, I want you to enter Merlin.’

  He caught his breath, and sitting back,
looked up to the clock.

  It was the middle of the night, so why was she phoning now and asking him to commit the eighth most deadly sin, and then he remembered the investigation.

  Oh shit. This must be a security check.

  ‘I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t, not without authority.’

  ‘But Simon, I’m giving you authority.’

  There was a long pause, ‘Well I’m sorry, but I can’t enter without written authority.’

  ‘I see. Then tell me, when is your contract due for renewal?’

  ‘It’s this month, ma’am, September.’

  ‘Is it really, and do you remember who signs your security profile?’

  ‘Yes ma’am. You do, ma’am.’

  ‘And I will if you’re a good boy, and you don’t have to worry, it’s not as if I’m asking you to download the Queen’s file, all I need is something basic, so there’s no harm done, is there, Simon.’

  ‘No ma’am, not if you say so.’

  ‘Good boy. Well go on then, enter Merlin.’

  ‘But ma’am, I’ll have to log on with my personal ID, my access will be recorded.’

  ‘No it won’t, Simon, not if you do as I say. Now first enter with your ID, then go to Tools and select Delete Enquiry Option and you’ll see that Merlin asks for a two part secrecy password.’

  ‘Yes ma’am, I have that now.’

  ‘Good, now first enter DECEIT and then enter LUTHER.’

  There was a moments silence before Simon came back to her, his voice now excited.

  ‘I think I’m in, ma’am.’

  ‘Excellent, and now do this.’

  ‘Put the computer room access list on the screen for Friday evening and see if there’s a record of Mr Dudley’s swipe going in. Now that isn’t difficult, is it?’

  ‘No ma’am.’

  Simon hesitated for just a second, and as his fingers flew over the keyboard the list came up on the screen, and clicking down, he stopped and checked.

  ‘I have it, ma’am, and yes, Mr Dudley did swipe in, but at midnight precisely.’

  Angela thought, How clever - borderline to Saturday.

  ‘Now read the entries before and after his entry.’

  ‘Well before, was technician number 8, he’s logged as leaving for refreshment, and after is technician number 25, and he’s logged as being relieved by Mr Dudley.’

  ‘Oh really. So are you saying Mr Dudley was alone in the computer section at that time and with open access to Merlin?’

  ‘Yes ma’am.’

  ‘And how long was he alone?’

  ‘Exactly twelve minutes, ma’am.’

  Angela felt the buzz of exhilaration. Her adversary might be clever, but she was better, and she was just about to tell Simon to delete the enquiry when her intuition jolted.

  If her adversary had taken the dangerous gamble of coercing Dudley into entering Merlin, what else might he have done?

  ‘Oh Simon.’

  ‘Yes ma’am.’

  ‘Before you delete, there’s something else you can do for me.’

  Simon’s voice sounded on edge, ‘And what would that be, ma’am?’

  ‘Relax, Simon, I only want you to ask Merlin to contact the Minotaur.’

  Simon froze as his career, his future and his world all began to tumble into free fall, because although the Minotaur was known to exist, it was also the most taboo subject.

  ‘The Minotaur? Oh ma’am, I couldn’t possibly do that.’

  She gazed down to the shine of her fingernails.

  ‘I see. Oh well, if that’s your decision I have no choice but to respect your wishes, even though it’s perfectly clear you give no respect to mine, therefore I shall bring this conversation to an end, and in view of your disregard for my authority, you leave me with no choice but to inform the investigating officers, you entered Merlin without authority.’

  A silence came on the line, just so heavy and desperate it could almost be heard.

  ‘Well actually, ma’am, I think I would like to help - but I don’t know how.’

  Angela smiled, ‘Oh Simon, you’re such a worrier, because once you’ve transferred, Cardinal’s net is highly interactive, although I will expect complete amnesia later.’

  ‘Yes ma’am.’

  ‘Good, so first we must transfer.’

  ‘Transfer?’

  ‘But of course, how else can we connect.’

  ‘Oh, right.’

  ‘Well you’re already in the Merlin wizard, so go to Tools, click Options and tell me what you see.’

  Simon’s fingers worked quickly, but he shrugged, ‘It just looks normal.’

  ‘Good, that’s the intention. Now look down to the foot of the communications box, do you see a loose hyphen, all on its own?’

  ‘Oh yes. So there is.’

  ‘Then double click on it, but Simon, be careful, it’s a Cardinal gateway and you won’t be very popular if you activate a negative Firewall. Now what do you see?’

  ‘Well there’s just a list of options.’

  ‘Correct. So click on, Card dot Sat Com, and tell me what you see.’

  ‘There’s a password request.’

  ‘That’s right. So now type, Com 40, and hit the return.’

  There was a short silence while Simon’s fingers worked the keyboard.

  ‘Come on Simon, what do you see now?’

  ‘Well ma’am, it’s quite fantastic really, I can see a virtual solar system.’

  ‘Good. You now have access to Cardinal’s router, so all you have to do now is request an audience with his majesty, The Minotaur.’

  ‘But how, ma’am?’

  ‘Oh, it’s easy enough. So how good is your Greek Mythology?’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘Never mind. It’s similar to sending an email, with a few add on security features, so just follow my instructions carefully. Can you see the Minotaur’s icon, an M with a red arrow wrapped around it?’

  ‘Yes ma’am.’

  ‘Okay, double click on it and you’ll see a password request in ever changing colours, now wait until it turns blood red, and type CERBERUS and click enter.’

  ‘Very well, ma’am.’

  Angela rapped her fingertips on the desk, ‘Aren’t you in yet, Simon?’

  ‘I’m not sure, there are three question marks now.’

  ‘Good, now wait until they merge, and type, Pasiphae dot Artemis, and click enter.’

  Simon watched as the three question marks turned into snakes and entwined together to form a single question mark, and as his fingers flew over the keyboard, a labyrinth appeared on the screen, and in the centre was the bronzed figure of a man, but his head was of a bull’s and he seemed angry, looking and searching all the time, turning first one way and then the other.

  ‘Well Simon, what have you got now?’

  ‘I’m not sure, ma’am, it looks like a man in a maze but he’s got the head of a bull.’

  ‘Excellent. Now carefully click on his penis.’

  ‘His … Yes ma’am.’

  ‘What do you see now?’

  ‘He’s fighting a man. Ah, the bull’s dead, and now there’s a name, Theseus.’

  ‘Good boy, Simon, you’re in. Now carefully click on the T of Theseus, and type, QUESTION. Any entry denied? and click enter.’

  ‘Yes ma’am.’

  ‘So? Come on Simon, what have you got?’

  ‘Well there’s only one line, and it reads, Entry denied Saturday @ 0008.’

  Angela ran up the stairs, her adrenaline bursting, and although it seemed almost impossible just a few hours ago, the game had more or less levelled up again. Smiling, she let her nightdress fall and slipped into bed.

  ‘Well who’s a clever boy then?’

  He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know, ‘So is Dudley the man?’

  ‘He certainly is, my darling boy, and now I’ll have him for breakfast.’

  She thoughtfully stroked his hair, ‘It’s funny, we make a good
team, you and I.’

  ‘Yeah. So what happens now?’

  Roaming her hand inquisitively down over his body, she began to play with him.

  ‘Well tomorrow, you must make that naughty man confess to a password he’s used.’

  Frank gave her a questioning look, but before he could speak, she kissed him on the lips.

  ‘But don’t worry about that now, just relax, I’ll explain everything in the morning, and when you’ve made him talk, I’ll snip him. It’s teamwork. See?’

  1 7

  Tara slowly came awake and waited for the same old nightmares to relive themselves, but nothing came today and she was surprised. Where were the monsters?

  She remembered being so frightened in the tavern, but Mr Lewis seemed to understand, and promised, if he could, things would be better from now on.

  But could she cope with something new? And what would she do?

  She had never made a personal decision in her life. She’d never been allowed to.

  Everything had been decided by Uncle Freddie and his housekeeper, Jennifer Stacey.

  When to go to sleep, when to wake and what to do, and although Stacey had given her a classical education, her main interest had always been teaching her how to please men.

  It had been quite horrible, but worst of all, it had become normal in her life.

  Normal to sit and listen as Stacey described in sometimes horribly embarrassing detail what was expected of her in return for her privileged life with Uncle Freddie.

  And now, here she was, standing all alone at the most important crossroads in her life, but with absolutely no idea of how to step over into a private new world of her own.

  Taking a deep breath, she searched the cupboards and found two rubbish bags, and returning to that terrible room of secrets, filled the bags with the horrible clothes till all that remained was her Chinese dress, the little black one, the grey suit, one pair of shoes and one set of underwear.

  Dragging the bags out, she left them in the hall and pushed the door tightly closed.

  So was it over? Could it really be over, because Uncle Freddie was wonderfully dead and with Mr Lewis to help her, the others would surely stay away, wouldn’t they?

  It was going to be alright. Wasn’t it?

  Walking out to the balcony, she looked over the estate and spoke in a hushed voice.