End of Spies by Alex Gerlis (best free ereader txt) 📗

common in tall men, along with a miserable expression, he was the kind of person one had to resist the urge to tell to cheer up.

As one of MI5’s specialist accountants, he’d been investigating the two business accounts of Bourne and Sons and the personal accounts of Bourne and Ridgeway. That morning, just a matter of hours before Prince had been summoned by Gilbey, he had followed Prince into his office looking almost excited.

‘Mind if I pull up a chair?’

He noisily dragged one across the floor and sat slightly closer than Prince felt comfortable with. Despite the heaters being on, and everyone else in shirtsleeves, Slater was wearing a heavy suit and a thick pullover. Prince couldn’t help noticing that his nose had a perpetual drop hanging from the end of it, which he occasionally wiped with the cuff of his shirt.

‘I think we may have a development.’ He coughed and laid some curled sheets of paper on the desk.

Prince glanced at them and told Slater it might be easier if he explained.

‘You remember that our examination of the various bank accounts – business and personal – associated with Bourne and Sons was not fruitful? Well, we have been keeping an eye on all four accounts, and the people with whom we liaise in those banks know to contact us as a matter of urgency if any approach is made from their clients or if there are any unusual transactions.’ Slater paused and coughed noisily before pulling a large handkerchief from his top pocket.

‘The London clearing banks have to adhere to wartime regulations, which are still in force. For cash withdrawals over twenty pounds, one full working day’s notice is required in writing, along with the name of the person who will be making the withdrawal. That person is required to bring their national identity card and further proof of identity. For withdrawals over fifty pounds, the requirement is for three working days’ notice. However, there is an exception to the latter requirement…’ Slater shifted his chair even closer to Prince and licked his thumb prior to turning over one of the sheets of paper. ‘If the withdrawal is to be made from the main branch of a bank in the City of London, then only one day’s notice is required, whatever the sum.

‘Last Thursday, the main branch of Martins Bank in Lombard Street was informed that a Miss Myrtle Carter would be making a withdrawal of one hundred pounds in cash from the Bourne and Sons account the following day. Unfortunately, by the time we were informed of this, that withdrawal had already been made. As a consequence, we contacted the Midland Bank, who hold the other Bourne and Sons account, and instructed them to be especially alert to that account. Just fifteen minutes ago, I received a telephone call from our contact at the bank to say that a request had been received for a Miss Myrtle Carter to withdraw the sum of one hundred pounds in cash from their Threadneedle Street branch tomorrow.’

Slater looked pleased with himself and leaned back in a manner inviting a gesture of gratitude from Prince.

‘No other details – like this woman’s address?’

Slater shook his head. ‘Looks like the ball’s in your court, Mr Prince.’

Fortunately Bartholomew was in the office and they began to make plans. Bartholomew would have a team watch the Midland Bank in Threadneedle Street and arrest the woman once she had withdrawn the cash. He’d make sure every exit was covered. He’d even have people behind the counter.

Prince went to the records department in the basement and asked them to check on a Miss Myrtle Carter. A friendly woman with a Welsh accent told him she’d recently reorganised all the watch lists and they now had a centralised record of all the names on those lists. ‘When I took over, there were more than two dozen separate lists, would you believe: lists of people wanted by the police, deserters from the armed forces, people who’d applied to travel abroad now that it’s possible, political extremists… It was utter chaos, my love. Those individual watch lists still exist, but what I’ve done is create an alphabetical list of names of everyone on them. It’s been invaluable. We’ve even spotted people on as many as three different watch lists! It’s made the work of this section so much more efficient, but naturally my senior officer has taken all the credit. Now then, what did you say her name is?’

It took her less than a minute to find Myrtle Carter on her centralised list, along with a reference to where to find her in the original watch list.

‘Here we are: Carter, Myrtle – she’s applied for a permit to travel by ferry to France, accompanied by a Mr Harold Hamilton, both of them with an address in Bayswater. Looks like my system works a treat, eh, my love? Try and make sure I get some credit.’

But when Prince returned to his desk, there was the message to call Tom Gilbey and then the summons to St James’s.

Pop in for a chat would you Richard – later this morning perhaps?

Prince was persuaded to return to MI5 that afternoon while arrangements were made to fly him out the following day. In the time he’d been away at MI6, Bartholomew had made progress, and now they were in Hugh Harper’s office and Sir Roland Pearson had joined them. Bartholomew spoke first.

‘The address in Bayswater is a large house with a dozen or so bedsits. No sign of either a Myrtle Carter or a Harold Hamilton: they’ve never been there as far as we can tell, nor do they receive mail there. It’s what we call a postbox, which means it was probably used solely for the purpose of providing an address for registering their national identity cards. Once these came through, their contact in the house would have moved on. It’s not used as a safe house or as a place to receive messages.