‘I don’t think she knows.’
‘Who is this?’
‘It’s me, Alderman.’
‘I told you not to phone me at the paper. The editor records all our calls.’
‘Ok, get outside and ring me back. I’ll be waiting.’
James put the phone down, stood up from his desk and looked around. Everyone else was busy working. The room was full of noise. No one had noticed his phone ring, but still he felt guilty receiving the call. He grabbed his jacket from his chair and made for the back stairs. Over halfway there, and beginning to relax, he heard the familiar threatening voice of the editor.
‘James, where the hell are you going? Haven’t you got a thousand words for me?’
‘Yeah, I sent them down already’ he said without turning.
‘James.’
Reluctantly he stopped walking, and turned slowly to face the editor.
‘Yes?’
The editor stared at him for a moment, shook his head and then said.
‘Nothing. I want you at your desk by the end of the day.’
James turned without replying and reached the door in a few steps. He hurried down the back stairs, pushed open the fire exit and turned on to the main road. Looking back up at his office windows to check no one was watching him, he then turned off the main road down an alley and into a private car park. There he took out his phone and dialled. It was answered after the first ring.
‘Alderman.’
‘It’s me.’
‘Everything ok? Does your editor suspect?’
‘No. Not yet. But never call me there again. Now, I’ve found out there are four female Russian spies operative in the UK. Zara–’
‘Wait a moment, James. I don’t think she knows.’
‘You don’t think she knows what?’
‘I’m not sure. But, listen. Why would he tell us there’s a woman? Why would he warn us, unless she didn’t know she was the next target?’
‘Maybe she can’t help herself. What does it matter?’
‘It matters because if she doesn’t know she’s a target, then maybe she doesn’t know him?’
‘What?’
'Maybe she’s not a spy at all. Maybe she and him have never met? Why else would he tell us about her, unless she was unaware of the danger she was in?’
‘Look, Alderman, I just spent four hours researching female Russian spies in the UK.’
‘Can you come to Covent Garden now?’
‘Yes.’
‘Our case might have just got a thousand times harder.’
‘Who is this?’
‘It’s me, Alderman.’
‘I told you not to phone me at the paper. The editor records all our calls.’
‘Ok, get outside and ring me back. I’ll be waiting.’
James put the phone down, stood up from his desk and looked around. Everyone else was busy working. The room was full of noise. No one had noticed his phone ring, but still he felt guilty receiving the call. He grabbed his jacket from his chair and made for the back stairs. Over halfway there, and beginning to relax, he heard the familiar threatening voice of the editor.
‘James, where the hell are you going? Haven’t you got a thousand words for me?’
‘Yeah, I sent them down already’ he said without turning.
‘James.’
Reluctantly he stopped walking, and turned slowly to face the editor.
‘Yes?’
The editor stared at him for a moment, shook his head and then said.
‘Nothing. I want you at your desk by the end of the day.’
James turned without replying and reached the door in a few steps. He hurried down the back stairs, pushed open the fire exit and turned on to the main road. Looking back up at his office windows to check no one was watching him, he then turned off the main road down an alley and into a private car park. There he took out his phone and dialled. It was answered after the first ring.
‘Alderman.’
‘It’s me.’
‘Everything ok? Does your editor suspect?’
‘No. Not yet. But never call me there again. Now, I’ve found out there are four female Russian spies operative in the UK. Zara–’
‘Wait a moment, James. I don’t think she knows.’
‘You don’t think she knows what?’
‘I’m not sure. But, listen. Why would he tell us there’s a woman? Why would he warn us, unless she didn’t know she was the next target?’
‘Maybe she can’t help herself. What does it matter?’
‘It matters because if she doesn’t know she’s a target, then maybe she doesn’t know him?’
‘What?’
'Maybe she’s not a spy at all. Maybe she and him have never met? Why else would he tell us about her, unless she was unaware of the danger she was in?’
‘Look, Alderman, I just spent four hours researching female Russian spies in the UK.’
‘Can you come to Covent Garden now?’
‘Yes.’
‘Our case might have just got a thousand times harder.’
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