Hunter Hunted by Jack Gatland (best value ebook reader .TXT) 📗

on the TV,’ Farringdon leaned forward, lowering his voice. ‘I’m guessing this is about him?’

‘In a way,’ Anjli admitted. ‘It’s also about the death of Kendis Taylor.’

‘I saw that too,’ Farringdon replied, picking up and taking a sip of his own drink. ‘Met her a couple of times when I was in Westminster. Never pegged her for a terrorist. I’m guessing she wasn’t?’

‘That’s what we’re trying to work out,’ Bullman replied cautiously. ‘As you can imagine, there are many people out there who want to push that narrative.’

Farringdon nodded at this. ‘And therefore you’re here.’

‘You worked in Westminster for decades,’ Anjli leaned closer to meet Farringdon now. ‘Your memory is incredible. I was hoping you could answer some questions about the Star Chamber.’

That was not the question that Anthony Farringdon was expecting. He thought for a moment and then leaned back.

‘Charles Baker,’ he mused. ‘You’re looking at him as a suspect?’

‘Why would you think that?’ Bullman asked. Farringdon shifted in his seat as he counted off on his fingers.

‘Current Chamber is Malcolm Gladwell, Conservative, Tamara Banks, also Conservative, Jerry Robinson, a known Ulster Democrat, Labour’s Norman Shipman and Baker. I know that because when he was selected last year, the Lib Dems threw a fit about how it was overweighted on the right wing while they didn’t have a say. That said, it was more a whine about the lack of seats they now had, as the spot he took was because of one of their golden boy MPs losing theirs.’

‘I thought it wasn’t about politics,’ Anjli said. Farringdon smiled.

‘It’s not supposed to be, but everything is,’ he said. ‘They’re like a secret Privy Council. They work in the shadows and they have complete deniability. In the eighties they were a bit of a black bag organisation and removed more dissidents to Thatcher than MI5 did. Recently they’ve been more linked to disinformation on campaigns like Remain, Me Too, Black Lives Matter, that sort of thing, mainly as with the UDP and Tories holding four of the five seats, they have a bit of a monopoly.’

‘How does it work?’ Bullman was writing in her notebook. ‘Is it just them?’

‘Christ no, that’d be chaos,’ Farringdon admitted. ‘They have aides and teams that provide them with what they need, and then they decide based on the evidence. Once done, they pass it down the wire. Usually to the Security Service.’

‘What if it directly contradicts a Government policy?’

‘Then they use non-Governmental contractors,’ Farringdon sipped at his drink again, glancing around the room. ‘To be honest, everyone’s a little concerned about it right now. Tamara joined three months back, Baker last year. That means that for the next four years they’ve got a voice. Robinson has another year or so and Shipman is in his last five months; the moment he goes, Gladwell takes over as longest server and Chairperson. They’ll be unstoppable, no matter who replaces him.’

Anjli looked to Bullman at this, but the older DCI was emotionless.

‘Why would they decide to discredit Kendis?’ she said. Farringdon shrugged.

‘She’s not the first one they’d done this to,’ he replied. ‘There’s been a lot of journos over the years that have been discredited because of these buggers.’

‘Would they have killed her?’ Bullman finally looked up from the notebook. Farringdon shook his head.

‘They might be more right wing than usual, but none of them have the spine for murder,’ he considered. ‘They’d try everything before something like that happened. And I can’t see Baker deliberately pushing to remove your man Declan right now unless he’d been given something explosive.’

‘Why?’

‘Because he’s too closely linked to him. The Devington fallout hasn’t reached the courts yet. I saw Taylor’s piece in The Guardian, talking about Andy Mac, so discrediting her is a good idea, but that’s not the same.’

‘Hypothetically, how would you have done it?’ Bullman asked. Farringdon laughed.

‘I’d fake a terrorist folder on her and leak it,’ he said. ‘Pretty much what they did.’

‘And the attack on Monroe? Could that have been them?’

‘Unlikely,’ Farringdon waved to a server for the bill. ‘But not impossible.’

‘Are Rattlestone connected to the Star Chamber?’ Anjli enquired. Farringdon lowered his voice again.

‘They’re connected to everything,’ he whispered. ‘And I seriously suggest you steer the widest berth that you can there.’ He checked his watch. ‘I’m sorry, I really need to move soon. I have a dinner appointment.’

Anjli and Bullman rose. ‘Thank you for your time,’ Bullman said as she once more shook Farringdon’s hand.

‘If it means anything, I don’t think your man’s a terrorist,’ Farringdon finished as he shook Anjli’s hand. ‘I saw him when he came here. He’s a zealot.’

‘Zealot?’ Bullman paused. ‘As in a fanatic?’

Farringdon nodded. ‘But not in the way you’re thinking,’ he said. ‘He’s fanatical about the law. Of justice. You could see it when he spoke, just like his father did. He sees a crime and he’ll do whatever it takes to solve it. Someone like that, he’s a straight arrow.’

He paused.

‘One last thing,’ he added. ‘Charles Baker. He might be a bugger, but he’s not one of the worst ones. Check his voting record; he’s quite centrist for the Tories. But he’s not leader material.’

‘Why do you say that?’ Bullman asked.

‘He has a nickname amongst the Westminster staff,’ Farringdon explained. ‘King John. People think it’s because they’re likening him to a ruler, even a rather bad one like John, but it isn’t. You ever see Robin Hood? The Disney one with the foxes?’

Anjli and Bullman both nodded, so Farringdon continued.

‘In that film, King John is a Lion, but he’s useless. Completely enthralled to his adviser, Sir Hiss.’

‘You’re saying Baker has this nickname because of his adviser?’

Farringdon shrugged. ‘Let’s just say Will Harrison has many of the properties of a sneaky over-controlling snake and leave it at that. And to be honest, considering the little shit’s pedigree, I’m surprised he’s not an MP himself.’

And with the conversation ended, and more to consider, Anjli and Bullman left Anthony Farringdon to his dinner date.

Walking back onto the street, Bullman looked