‘I’d like you to explain it to me,’ invited Dean. For once the delivery wasn’t staccato: instead the words were measured, spelled out to prevent any misunderstanding. The worry bead spectacles moved through his fingers. ‘I told you quite clearly that I was assuming personal control.’
Peter Johnson laughed, dismissively, settling himself languidly in the chair opposite the other man. ‘A simple oversight. Until all this business blew up he was my responsibility. I set up the Watch Room link as part of the detailed briefing, which again if you remember you asked me to complete. I simply forgot to rescind it.’
‘Forgot, about something that’s assumed the importance that this has!’
The bloody Watch Room clerk had breached regulations, but in the circumstances he couldn’t use that as the reason for dismissing him, thought Johnson. He’d have to wait for a month or two and find some other cause. ‘Assumed an importance in what, the last three days? During which time I’ve been concerned specifically about that importance, rather than a system that’s practically automatic…’ Johnson allowed the patronizing smile. ‘We’re on the same side, aren’t we?’
The Director-General stopped playing with his glasses. ‘That’s an interesting question. Why don’t you answer it for me?’
Johnson felt the first bubble of unease. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I’m not sure that I do,’ said the shock-haired academic. ‘Because of the short time I’ve been here – and my background – I wasn’t even familiar with this out-of-hours contact procedure. With the security of our telephone system as a whole, in fact. I didn’t know, for instance, how many conversations are automatically recorded. Or that all outgoing and incoming telephone calls are logged. Would you like to tell me about that?’
Johnson shifted in the chair, no longer languid. He wasn’t going to damn himself out of his own mouth. ‘I’m not sure that I understand that, either.’
‘Our records show dated and timed telephone calls to the FBI headquarters in Washington from your office on a number of occasions during the past three months. There was one on the day we made the Moscow appointment, for instance. Another on the very day I did take over control. There are also several incoming calls logged to be from the Bureau Director: calls that did not reach me.’
Johnson felt the warmth rise through him, sweat actually pricking out on his back, and hoped it hadn’t reached his face. He shrugged, trying the dismissive laugh. ‘Of course I’ve spoken to Fenby! This is virtually a joint operation, isn’t it? I can only assume you weren’t available when he called.’
‘The times arc logged,’ reminded Dean. ‘I was available on every occasion.’
‘Then I’m afraid I can’t explain it.’
‘We are supposed to be on the same side,’ said Dean. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were talking to Fenby?’
Johnson blew his nose, using the gesture to mop the sweat gathering on his upper lip. ‘I don’t remember anything of consequence that made it necessary.’
‘University lecturers do need to remember,’ said Dean, intentionally mocking the other man’s earlier remarks. ‘I can remember, for instance, your telling the first full committee meeting after Muffin arrived in Moscow that the Americans had expressed gratitude…’ He paused. ‘Not to me they hadn’t. And then there was the intentional breaching of the containers at Pizhma. You announced that to the committee, before I’d had the chance.’
Johnson made an ineffectual waving motion with his hands. ‘I had a lot of dealings with Fenby, when we used the American special relationship to achieve the appointment to Moscow. They’ve simply continued…’ He tried the laugh again, ‘You make it all sound sinister.’
‘I am not the one who’s allowed things to appear sinister.’
Johnson’s hands fluttered again. ‘I don’t think I can respond to that.’
‘I don’t want you to. What I want you to do instead is make a decision, about your future. I will not tolerate resentment or ridiculous back-alley manoeuvrings. What we’re dealing with now is far too important for digressions like that. I will have a loyal team. If I don’t get it, I will create another one. Have I made myself clear?’
‘I think so,’ said Johnson. He knew his face was burning and there was nothing he could do about it. He did feel like a schoolboy found cheating at exams.
‘Then let me know your decision very soon.’ The magnitude of the Russian situation was far too great for the disruption of an enforced resignation, which in turn would have required a replacement, but Dean hoped he hadn’t made a mistake in not demanding the man’s departure. And demanding, too, to know what Johnson and Fenby were discussing during their telephone calls.
This time Natalia did check the back-up connection to the observation room, prepared if necessary to turn off the table-mounted recording system to entice Yatisyna into the promised revelations. Through the glass she saw Yatisyna had done his best with the prison issue. He’d rolled the trouser and sleeve cuffs up and left the fly open to tie the two ends into a supporting knot at his waist. The superfluous material actually formed a penis-like protrusion and as he sat down Yatisyna feigned masturbation with it and asked the big-busted wardress what she would like to do with it. The rehearsed girl jeered that she’d probably catch something groping through the fetid uniform even before she was infected by what he had between his legs. The sound was perfect. Yetisyna still looked foolish but with the adjustments to the overall was better able than before to play the mafiosi braggart. She attached particular significance to his not losing his temper at the wardress’ clumsy derision. She guessed he’d decided to cooperate and believed that what he had to tell would be sufficient to negotiate a prison sentence from which he could either escape or bribe his way to freedom.
Natalia listened and assessed everything with part of her mind still upon the meeting from which Charlie had been excluded. The American wasn’t sufficiently adept by himself. With Charlie at his side Kestler hadn’t appeared overawed by his surroundings but alone he’d hardly said anything, certainly not making sufficient contribution to justify his continued inclusion. She wasn’t sure how to read this new development. She still had their private link – more relieved now than ever that she’d established it – but she’d welcomed his presence at the open sessions, although not what had become the almost inevitable clashes with Aleksai. She was increasingly concluding, and wishing that she weren’t, that the fault was Aleksai’s. Determinedly she put aside what had already happened that day, thrusting her way along the connecting corridor to where Yatisyna waited.
He was in her chair again and actually grinned up when she entered. She made the impatient shooing away hand gesture without bothering to speak and the expression faltered. He got up as slowly as he had the previous day. As she sat she started the visibly placed recorder and said peremptorily, ‘Your message said you had something to say. So say it.’
‘There’s a lot to talk about first. You speak to the Federal Prosecutor?’
‘No,’ said Natalia, at once. ‘And you knew I wasn’t going to, until there was something to be discussed.’
He said, ‘That wasn’t very sensible,’ but Natalia thought the braggadocio flaked away, just slightly, at her rejection.
She gazed up at him from the table, unspeaking. His smell had become noticeably worse.
‘I don’t like being recorded.’
‘I don’t like being kept waiting.’
‘I want it off.’
It would be making a concession, which wasn’t good psychology, but she’d anticipated it. Natalia was surprised he didn’t suspect a back-up system. She reached out, snapping the machine off. ‘You’ve got two minutes.’
‘And them,’ said the man, jerking his head to the prison escorts.
Another concession, although she was prepared for that as well. ‘Leave us but stay directly outside.’