Part   Three   "Sisters"

 
Thursday 6th April 2017
 

It was late on Wednesday night when Angela finally messaged everyone with the exciting news, but Tammy was fast asleep at the time so missed the social media frenzy that accompanies the arrival of a new life these days.

When she did comment on the birth of Jade Louise Hibbert, she was a long way down the list and wondered if that meant she didn't care? The problem was, she'd gone to bed early the previous evening and had ignored the various pings from her tablet. What didn't help was that Tanya and Tammy seemed to have drifted apart, she rarely spoke to John either. She decided she'd head down to the office early and suggested to Suzie she followed an hour or so later.

"Thanks, I will, Zara goes shopping on Thursdays so she'll drop me in town. Can we have a chat sometime about my hours, pay, pension, holidays and so on?"

"Yeah, I'll get my solicitor to draw up a contract, what's your feeling?"

"I'll do five days but not nine to five every day, how about eight to one including an hour for site visits?"

"So a thirty hour week?"

"Yes."

"Okay, it's a start. I'll check what your rights are and incorporate those into the contract."

"Cheers, Tammy."

In the first instance she'd actually ask her father's PA, Pru, to draw up a standard contract of employment then perhaps get one of the solicitors at Smith, Smith and Smith to check it. Now, how much to pay her?

The engineer was back by eight thirty to finish the job that should have taken one day, and was gone by ten after watching Tammy ride up and down to test the lift.

"Now, I've seen how you run up these stairs so you don't really need this!"

"No, but knowing my luck, the next customer through that door would; it's probably cheaper than a legal argument!"

She spent the rest of the mid morning arranging for contractors to paint and carpet a suite of offices she'd recently acquired. An electrician and plumber had been in over the past few days to check the systems out, with both advising only minor remedial work, which Tammy had pre-authorised. This was work that her sister could probably do, even with her eyes closed.

Suzie eventually arrived at eleven whilst Tammy was in the middle of a phone call and hissed when an empty coffee mug was waved in her direction. "Do it yourself!". Tammy, however, was still negotiating the days that her tame decorator was available.

"Look, I need it for next Monday?"

Suzie couldn't hear the other side of the call.

"Okay, Saturday and Sunday at time and a half, no more, and a bottle of malt if you finish the job to my satisfaction by five on Saturday."

Tammy put the phone down, satisfied. "I think I deserve that coffee, he told me he couldn't get in there before next Thursday so we'd lose a week. Now we can advertise it as available from Monday."

"What about the carpets?"

"He's coming Monday morning, we can take viewings from Monday lunchtime."

"So you booked the carpet fitter before the decorator?"

"Sometimes it works like that, Suzie, but a bottle of Scotch is worth it to get the earlier listing."

"Who'll pay for the Scotch?"

"I will, we can hardly put bribes through the books?"

"What if we call it entertainment, Tammy?"

"Somehow the tax man might disagree, but I'll order a half case from a local distillery so we can get a discount. Maybe I can be reimbursed through expenses."

"I don't remember doing it like this in accountancy school, or the agency?"

"Real life is always different to Government work."

"Do you still want that coffee?"

"Yep, please, Suzie."

"I heard from Angela just before I came down, Tanya had a normal birth so they're keeping her tonight and looking to discharge her tomorrow. Mother and baby are doing well, apparently."

"What about their wedding?"

"It seems they're not in a hurry now."

"But the babe has John's surname?"

"I think that shows commitment? When was the last time you actually talked to Tanya?"

"Umm, at New Year? Only seen her a few times since, in passing."

"So maybe, Tammy, you should speak to her before making assumptions? At one point you were like a sister to her!"

"I'll do that, do you think she'll be home tomorrow?"

"I doubt she'll want many visitors for a few days, and John has paternity leave so she won't be on her own at all. Drop her a text but don't try to interfere!"

"Okay, okay, where's that coffee?"

---

There hadn't been anything in that morning's paper about Claire Reeves but a quick look online brought up the story.

She showed Suzie the article.

"Tammy, are you sure this is about Claire Reeves?"

"Yes, a friend said she would be arrested. Unfortunately that also means we've been used as bait."

"Again?"

"Yep."

"So what now?"

"With the agency, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Look Suzie, you're out of the game right now but that might only be for a year or so, until True Freedom is flushed out of everywhere. If you went back now you'd still be tainted with the same stuff. In a year's time you can go back and they'll assume you were part of the sting."

"I didn't consider it that way?"

"No, you didn't, and it's only just becoming clear to me what's going on. If I was supposed to be out of the Service then would I still have my weapons, would we have a brand new secure phone?"

"So your position is secure?"

"I wouldn't claim that, intelligence is not a safe game to play, but I don't believe anyone senior in the Service is genuinely out to get me right now."

"So is this just the office for Smart Properties or perhaps another covert office for the Security Service? Estate agents and letting agents don't usually have a Glock and several hundred rounds of ammo in the safe?"

"No, it's a registered lettings agency and that's all we'll use it for. Mind you, I'll keep a few things here so they're not in the house anymore."

"Out of sight?"

"That's right, Dad thinks we're both out of the intelligence game."

"That's not completely true?"

"Maybe not, but he doesn't need to know that, neither does Mum, especially Mum."

"Won't he join the dots when he reads that article?"

"No, he wouldn't connect that woman with a terrorist group."

"Oh, okay. Here's your coffee, boss, but next time it's your turn!"

"Fair enough. What I don't understand is who the male is, the one in the article?"

"I have no idea, Suzie, and I don't think it's good to speculate. Why don't I go get us some lunch?"

"Sure, a cheese and onion roll? Maybe a cake?"

"Aren't you on a diet?"

"No, whatever gave you that idea?"

"You seemed to have a smaller portion at dinner last night."

"My appetite wasn't brilliant, so I asked Zara for a little less than normal."

"She got to you, Claire Reeves, didn't she?"

"Of course she did. Now, I am feeling a little hungry?"

"Sure, sis."

Tammy headed to Reids' Bakery, she didn't recognise the girl behind the counter but clearly the reverse wasn't true.

"You're Tammy?"

"Yes."

"I'm Kira, I have a commission to do a portrait of you but so far I've been working from photos. I wonder if you'd be willing to sit for me?"

"A painting? I've not heard anything about it."

"Oh, damn, I thought you knew? I'm so sorry."

"Well, who commissioned you?"

"The governing body at St Andrews, it's to hang outside the sixth form common room, I'm told. Oh, I really shouldn't say anything."

"If it's supposed to be a surprise, then I think you shouldn't have me sit?"

"I understand, but could I take a few photos? The ones I've been given are all from a year or two ago."

Tammy consented and was finally able to leave the bakery a few minutes later.

"What took you?" Asked Suzie.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe it."

"Try me?"

"Maybe later, after I've had a word with someone to confirm it's true."

Tammy suggested to Suzie that she walked around to one of their empty properties to make certain it was secure as there had been reports of trouble in that area overnight.

Tammy, meanwhile, unlocked the secure room and sat at the phone before calling John Smith.

"Ah, Miss Smart, I wondered if you would call?"

"I've sent Suzie out on an errand, I thought it was prudent to do so."

"It is, and thanks for telling me. On that subject, a large envelope will be on its way to your home marked for Suzie soon, there's a separate envelope marked for you."

"Is there anything to be concerned about?"

"No, but I hope it will help Suzie find some closure."

"Good, that woman hurt her."

"She was remanded to Holloway this morning."

"Thanks, now who is the guy who was also arrested?"

"You knew of him as Carl Templeton, not that he uses that name any more."

"I didn't think anything would stick?"

"Well, I can't tell you any more than that."

"Understood, thanks John."

"Anytime, Tammy."

She finished the call then checked her secure emails, but was interrupted by her personal mobile phone.

"Hi, there's a small pane of glass broken around the back of the premises, what do you want me to do?"

"Right Suzie, photograph it then call the glazing company, I'll text you the number. If you can, clean up any glass but don't take any risks."

"Okay, I had wondered if you just wanted me out of the way and if this was a fool's errand?"

"Not at all, there was some chatter on Facebook about broken windows so I wanted to make sure. I'll get that number to you."

"Do I have to wait here?"

"They should be with you in fifteen or twenty minutes, based on past performance, and might need access to the window from the inside."

"Fair enough."

Tammy ended the call and sent her sister the number, the broken window was a pain but at least Suzie was taking this seriously. She went back to her laptop but the link had timed out, she had to sign in again. A new email had arrived:

From: John Smith
To: Tamara Smart
Date: Thursday 6th April 2017 13:45
 
Tammy,
 
As you still have your laptop we've decided to send you the documents by email as time-frames have changed, both you and Suzie need to submit security questionnaires by next Monday. There's supporting documents and you both need to print, sign and return the declarations. Apart from the declarations, none of this is protectively marked until completed.
 
Sorry for the changes, but things have moved forward.
 
Regards, John

Tammy printed off the necessary items and forwarded the questionnaire link to Suzie's personal email. Why was Suzie being vetted? Why was Tammy herself being asked to go through the vetting process again? She tried to recall the last time, it had been almost a year earlier, but on that occasion everyone in Finance had been told to submit a new security questionnaire, completed online. That would have included Suzie, but still didn't answer why she had to do one now. Her mobile rang.

"I've got the glazier coming just after two, now what's this email?"

"Not over the phone Suzie."

"Yeah, I didn't think I had to do that anymore?"

"Look, we'll talk later."

Tammy wrote an email to Pru and asked her to draft a contract for Suzie as office manager, then gave her father a call.

"What do you know about a portrait?"

"Oh, hadn't I mentioned it?"

"Come on Dad, you know you haven't said a word."

"It's a surprise, at least it was."

"Well?"

"We have some new parent governors, mostly parents of sixth-form daughters, and they thought it was appropriate to hang a painting of the first Head Girl. I declared an interest and didn't take part in the discussion."

"Let me guess, Cathy raised it?"

"No, but she supported it and offered to use some of Elsie's legacy to pay for it."

"So did I get a choice?"

"Not really, it should be ready for the upper sixth's leaving day, we're planning an open day for the day before that."

"Date?"

"Thursday 28th June, a couple of months away!"

"But when were you going to tell me?"

"Probably about the time I told your mum?"

"Oh."

"You aren't the last to know!"

"Fair enough, do I get final approval?"

"Sorry, no. Anyway, how did you find out?"

"My training came in useful."

"I see. There's some mail for you, by the way."

"Thanks."

Suzie returned at three, carrying an invoice. "Thirty quid for boarding it up?"

"Yeah, sounds right, when can they fit a replacement pane?"

"Monday morning."

"Oh well, that'll be another forty or fifty quid no doubt."

"Is there a cheaper firm?"

"Yes, in Inverness, but they charge for the two hours it takes to get here. I'll only use them for large windows as they keep that size in stock, the local firm has to order it in."

"Okay, now what's this questionnaire?"

"My guess it's because I have equipment here?"

"What if I fail the vetting?"

"Don't you think John Smith would have said something by now?"

"True, Tammy, I really don't understand what they're doing?"

"Just sit down with the questionnaire when you get home and submit it as soon as you can. I have some paperwork too."

Tammy showed Suzie the sheet, it was a standard Official Secrets Act signing form, reminding the named individual that the act still applied even though their employment had ended. Suzie read and signed, Tammy double enveloped it. "Give it to Pru, she'll take it to the Post Office tomorrow."

"I'll do it now, then it's done and out of the way."

Suzie took her purse, in her mind she shouldn't use the company's petty cash for the postage. Tammy didn't agree with the argument but Suzie was an accountant by training.

Tammy's tablet pinged, it was full of notifications. The most important one was a draft contract for Suzie, there was an explanatory message:

From: Pru Campbell
To: Tammy Smart
Date: Thursday 6th April 2017 15:15
 
Hi Tammy, here's the one I used for Zara. Just insert the relevant bits but I've included what you told me. One thing to note, today is the start of the new tax year, so starting the contract today is fine but please don't backdate it unless you're prepared to sort out the tax and National Insurance yourself! Don't forget Suzie had a lump sum payment in the past few months, but that was within the last tax year.
 
Pru

Tax? Tammy knew very little about how that worked but Pru had been managing the Smart family accounts for about three years and that included arranging all the pay and tax affairs for the staff so her advice was important. Tammy decided to pay Suzie the same rate as Pru, which was a generous salary, pro rata for the hours Suzie wanted to do. There was also four weeks paid holiday a year, plus contributions to the Smart Pension Plan. Tammy suspected Suzie had invested some of her Security Service pay-off although a recent purchase had been made possible because of the lump sum payment.

Suzie was back ten minutes later. "There was a queue. Oh, I had a call, my moped arrives tomorrow but they couldn't give me a time so I need to be at home."

"Employed for one day and you ask for time off?!"

"Eh?"

Tammy showed her sister the annotated contract and explained Pru's advice, they agreed the terms so Tammy printed a finalised version. "Sign here! You can work on that questionnaire while you're waiting for the delivery, but don't let the folks see it!"

"Mum will be at work and Dad has a meeting tomorrow morning, like every Friday."

They spent an hour going through the diary for the next few weeks, including who would cover the Easter weekend and allocated scheduled work between them, Tammy made certain Suzie had all the relevant phone numbers programmed in her own phone.

"Good, I think we can shut for the day."

Tammy's mail, when she picked it up, included her Private Pilot Licence, she scanned it and sent it to her personal email address; she hadn't been in the air since the flight test and needed to make time.

She finally had time to check her notifications, Angela was on her way home, by train, and would be in for dinner. Tammy resolved to spend more time with her sisters; she hadn't been the best sibling for Angela and perhaps she could have supported Suzie more? If she followed this through and did better, she thought, then the future was looking good for the three Smart sisters.