Part Nineteen   "Unexpected"

 

Tammy's Tales Book 6
 

 
Friday 2nd October (Continued)
 

Tammy was about to leave Caithness Marine when the secure phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Tammy? Can you find the key?"

This meant opening the safe, something she hadn't intended to do. Tammy fumbled the combination twice before managing to extract the encryption device.

"Ok, Jenny, we're secure."

"Good, firstly about your report, you're heading down the wrong line of enquiry."

"It looked reasonable to me?"

"Sure, but the young Breton is not the son of Yves Breton."

"How can you be sure?"

"The boy and his father were killed in Aix-en-Provence yesterday."

"Oh."

"I guess you haven't read today's paper or intel briefings?"

"I hadn't had a chance."

"I've rejected your report and sent it back to you for revision before anyone else saw it."

"Well, thanks, but where do we go from here?"

"Firstly, get up to date. Secondly, your kid Breton is not who he claims to be."

"So I got the right boy for the wrong reason?"

"Yes, but you can't put that in your report. The kid's name is Claude Benoir and he's the son of a French criminal. The boy's uncle was an old boy in the eighties."

"What's the connection, Jenny?"

"Benoir's father, Xavier Benoir was being investigated by the O'Shaughnessys for participation in international sports doping."

"But they were killed after term started."

"Claude's had a place for nearly a year but his identity has been carefully managed, his father renamed him Claude Breton in the full knowledge that the real boy Breton wouldn't be seen outside of France so no-one would expect to find him in a Scottish school."

"So it's a conspiracy within a conspiracy, Jenny?"

"I'd like to think it as a conspiracy within a poor joke."

"Right, do you think Martina Gore has been placed there to monitor Claude?"

"Yes, Xavier Benoir is very hard to track down but will maintain contact with his son."

"I'm bugging Martina, should I arrange to bug Claude as well?"

"Maybe, Tammy, but I really don't think you can go snooping around an eleven year old boy's shared dorm room without raising some suspicion."

"True. What about Claude's mother?"

"She was killed by a rival several years ago when the whole family was targeted, that's what caused Xavier to go into hiding."

"Is it simply that everyone wants Xavier's location and Claude is the best way to obtain it?"

"At present, yes, but it's not the only avenue of research."

"Fair enough."

"I've been listening to the recordings, by the way, nice move putting Martina with the new girl, Ellie's been interrogating Martina about her family, schooling, holidays and so on."

"But I only bugged Martina's room, they couldn't have been in there all the time?"

"It seems they swapped the talc as Martina didn't like the lavender but Ellie had Rose."

"One of the bugs was in the talc, the other's in the pot pourri. I hadn't thought any of the girls would swap?"

"Girls swap things all the time, you won't have experienced that."

"Okay, Angela has swapped a top with me once."

"And neither of you have experienced living in a female dorm. It would be useful, however, to place a bug in their bags."

"Both?"

"For completeness, Tammy."

"They're in different years so they don't have the same classes and Ellie can't use the sixth form common room."

"Fair enough, I'd still like one in Martina's bag though."

"I'll see what I can do. I need to check on Ellie, I left her in the wax chamber."

"Can you see what Ellie says and write that up later today?"

"I'll try, otherwise it'll be tomorrow."

"Okay, now have you heard from Hilary?"

"Not since eight-ish yesterday morning."

"Her phone is off and I'm getting concerned."

"Where does she live?"

"She's not there and, sorry, you don't need to know. If she contacts you, please call me?"

"Okay, but you're getting me worried."

"It could be nothing."

"Sure."

Tammy finished the call and removed the key, locking it away. She logged off her terminal and made her way out of the building. She found Ellie in a chair being tended by Sandy.

"That wasn't too bad, Tammy."

"Joanne?"

"She was fine, I seem to have a high pain threshold, at least that's what she said."

"Did she offer the full works?"

"No, just three quarter legs and my arms. It seems the Brazilian can wait for my scars to heal."

Tammy wondered, this was not the same Ellie as yesterday morning who was afraid to be overheard discussing the female body. Maybe Martina had done much more than offer clothing advice?

"How long are you going to be, Sandy?"

"Another five minutes, there's not much I can do until it grows a bit. A few hints next time maybe?"

Tammy waited, Ellie actually took nearly half an hour as a decision was made to do her nails and Ellie's ears gained a pair of gold studs.

"I need to get you back up to school in time for lunch."

"Oh, I'd hoped we could lunch out?"

"Sorry, but lunch for me today is probably a cheese roll over a hot computer keyboard!"

Tammy instantly regretted that statement.

"Well, I could probably manage the same, do you have an office near here?"

"Yes, but I'm not allowed to take anyone in, sorry, I don't make the rules as it's not my office."

Ellie was plainly wanting more information, which Tammy wasn't really willing to give.

"Oh. Who is it then, MI5?"

"No, a research agency. Look, if you don't want me to run you back to school then you'll have t find your own way back. Sorry."

Ellie just shrugged her shoulders so Tammy bade farewell to Sandy and Joanne before walking out. She took a circuitous route back to the office via the bakery, checking that she hadn't been followed.

Back upstairs she took the secure phone's key out of the safe, just in case it was needed, then logged in to read the last few days' intelligence reports. It seemed Jenny had added Tammy to a few more report feeds so there were now ten bulletins a day covering finance, UK threats, Western EU threats, Eastern EU etc etc. She did find references to the Breton family, killed as they ate in a café in Aix.

Jenny had asked for any information from Ellie but that was not to be, not today anyway.

She edited her report on Martina and removed all the supposition and guesswork. It was now an interim report that depended on new information being forthcoming.

It was nearly two hours before she was ready to leave, mentally exhausted. She was surprised to find Ellie stood waiting near the outside security door.

"So this is where you went?"

"Yes. Caithness Marine."

"What do you do?"

"I help, it's an internship that supports my degree course but the work is commercially sensitive."

"So you're not some spy?"

"Don't be silly."

"Sandy seems to think so."

"Sandy says alot, take a pinch of salt with some of it. What exactly did she say?"

"That some of her clients are suspicious of you."

"That doesn't mean the same thing, anyway it's probably because I'm a nineteen year old who's directing a musical and owns several properties."

"Director?"

"Yes, we're doing 'Guys & Dolls' in December at the local theatre, there's a rehearsal on Saturday morning in the theatre if you want to join the company, we're looking for one or two understudies."

"I've never acted before, apart from primary school."

"Okay, be there at ten if you want to. I'm going home now, would you like a lift?"

"Please, and I'm sorry for earlier."

Tammy drove and managed to steer the conversation around to Martina and the other girls. There wasn't anything new but it was clear the relationship could produce information in due course. Tammy didn't stay at the school and was pulling out of the gates when her phone rang.

"Hilary, where have you been?"

"Sorry, I had to go off-grid for twenty four hours. Jenny tells me you've been busy."

"We're getting closer to what Martina is doing."

"Or not, she could be a complete innocent? Good idea pairing her with Ellie."

"I guess you've been listening in again?"

"I just caught the last couple of minutes but I've read your reports."

Tammy wasn't far from Dunbankin and wanted to get indoors, coursework beckoned. She was saved by another phone ringing at Hilary's end.

 
Saturday 3rd October
 

The rehearsal went well but there was no sign of Ellie or any of the other new lower sixth joining in. Nevertheless everyone in the existing cast showed up and it was clear that they had been learning lines and lyrics. The band had also been rehearsing and were tight.

Tammy was starting to enjoy herself and only had to make a few corrections as they went through the scenes from the first act.

There was no time to hang around as Cathy had crept in just before the rehearsal ended.

"Can we talk somewhere?"

"Lunch?"

"Sure, Tammy, how about that new Italian place?"

"Tammy guessed Cathy didn't want to be overheard so agreed. They parked in the town carpark and walked the short distance to the place. There were a few couples and one family in there, making just enough noise to drown out any conversation the two girls would have. They ordered a salad each, with water, not the most expensive menu items by a long way.

"What is it, Cathy?"

"Elsie and Helen arrived back last night and we're all invited there for dinner tonight."

"Okay a bit unexpected, but you could have told me that in a text message?"

"Elsie is going to interrogate me about David's murder and will want to take over."

"That's typical Elsie."

"Well, my solicitor has explicitly told me not to involve anyone who had a connection to Yvonne."

"That's easy for her to say it, but much harder in real life. For example, what about me?"

"You were involved from the beginning so have to be in the loop, but Elsie can't be."

"So you want me to help you against Elsie?"

"Yes, please Tammy."

"You're playing with fire there, Cathy, she'll become involved one way or another. She's your mother and she'll want to protect you."

"Then why did she side with Yvonne all those times, why did she arrange for that bitch to work at your school?"

Cathy was raising her voice, forgetting where she was. There was a cough from a waiter as he arrived with their drinks. "Your salads will be just a few minutes."

Cathy sipped her iced water, trying to calm herself. Tammy just waited.

"I'm sorry, Tammy, it's all getting too much."

"It'll be over soon, when's the inquest?"

"Two weeks, on the nineteenth. It's in Wick."

"Same as for Angela's father."

"My solicitor thinks we can deal with the probate a week after the inquest, although there's a matter of the will to be resolved."

"Oh?"

"Yvonne claims there's a newer will than the one I kept in Elsie's safe."

"She tried the same against Joan. The Procurator Fiscal ruled it invalid."

"We'll try to have it excluded but I don't think we can use that as evidence."

"Probably not, but do ask your solicitor to check."

A waiter was approaching with two plates and a jug of dressing. "Buon appetito."

***

Tammy left the restaurant feeling that she hadn't done enough to support Cathy, but it was dangerous to align herself against Elsie. Anyway, dinner meant dressing up and that meant a new frock.

She was not surprised to find Joan in Sarah's shop on the same mission.

"You too, mum?"

"I see you received the summons?"

"Cathy just told me, how formal is it?"

"Elsie said informal but ...."

".... but we'd best not take any chances. Co-ordinate?"

"No, Angela's doing her own thing and didn't feel like buying a new dress."

"Fair enough."

The pair went through the racks until they both arrived at a deep blue maxi dress. It would have suited either, but neither took it. Tammy ended up with a red cocktail dress while Joan went for a black and gold maxi with split sides.

"Dad's eyes will pop out!"

"That's the idea, but don't tell him!"

"Sure, mum."

What surprised Tammy was that Martina was working in the shop.

"When did you start here?"

"Today, I asked last Saturday as apparently the usual girl is involved at the theatre?"

"That's Lori."

"Oh, I hope I won't get into trouble?"

"No, and she took the job from me."

Sarah handled Joan's purchases, there was a shawl as well, while Martina processed Tammy's card. Tammy got her phone out as soon as the transaction was complete.

"Oh, Hi Sandy, I need my hair done, sort of now!"

"Half an hour, there's a gap. Just a simple cut, right?"

"Yes, half an hour. Can you fit mum in as well?"

"I'll try, bye."

The pair went for a coffee in the lounge bar of the Castletown Hotel, just to pass the time. Tammy was now annoyed with Elsie, all these arrangements were having to be made with almost no planning.

Looking around the lounge, she recognised a few people but there were a few obvious tourists too. Then she spotted Martina's parents.