Authors: William David
“I don't exactly know. It is somewhere in Pill, but I don't have an address, or for that matter a name. He was however driving a very distinctive car. A 1935 soft top MG sports in British racing green. I can give you the registration num
ber. It is my car. I lent it to
him when he stayed with me a few days ago.”
“I think that is all for now, said Fleet. “Do you have anything else David?” she said looking at Lloyd.
“No, not for the moment except to remind you
Mr
Lever to let us know immediately if you hear from your brother.”
“I am sure he will do that,” responded Withers, “similarly I hope that we can rely on you to keep us informed on progress in your investigations.”
With that Lloyd escorted us downstairs to the reception desk and bade us farewell. Back up stairs he caught up with Fleet.
“Well, what do you make of that Boss. Do you believe it, and do you believe we have been told all of it?”
“I am not sure on either account, but I think something is going on. Make sure you get the alert out on Adrian Lever and on that car, I suspect his brother might be right that something has happened to him.”
CHAPTER 28
Adrian came round lying on a bed in a semi dark room. He was handcuffed and the handcuffs were linked by another set of handcuffs to the bedpost. He felt really groggy, and soon dropped unconscious again.
When he came round, the room was in almost total darkness, and it seemed that outside the window blinds it was dark, so he had obviously been out for a few hours. He yelled out, but nobody responded. As he l
ay there listening he could hear
no noise, no traffic, no people noises. Nobody around.
They had taken h
is watch, shoes, belt, and coat.
A
fter what seemed like several hours he heard the crunch of tyres on gravel accompanied by the glare of headlights flashing across the window. The sound of a door opening, some subdued conversation, and then the sound of footsteps on bare floorboards coming closer. The door opened and a flood of light splashed across the room temporarily blinding him as the overhead light was switched on.
“Well
Mr
Lever, are you comfortable,
”
said a gaunt lo
oking guy with a southern drawl?
“I could do with the toilet.”
The guy who had spoken turned and said “Reg, undo him, and take him to the bathroom, but manacle his ankles before you do.”
Five minutes later he was back in the room and handcuffed to the bed again.
“Who are you?” he asked. “What do you want?”
“Oh
come on L
ever, don't lets play that game. You know why you are here and why we want you.”
“Are you Groucho?”
There was a slight hesitation before he answered, “Groucho? Who do you mean?”
“The person you told my brother that I should call.”
“Never heard of a man called Groucho.”
Adrian shrugged; they were not going to admit anything. “So what happens now?”
“It's not my decision as to what happens to you now but I suspect you will be going on a little air trip; that decision will be made by others and until we are told, you will stay here with us. Reg will get you some food, but don't try anything funny or you will regret it.” With that they both left the room.
There was a whispered conversation in the room next door. “Look here Mac, I’m not going to stay here and babysit this guy; it’s not my job.”
Mac slowly turned and looked at him. “Reg, I don't think you are in a position to argue. This job has not exactly gone smoothly and some people are looking to you for that. If I were you I would keep my mouth shut and do what is needed until the job is finished.”
“The stuff ups were not my fault,” whined Reg. “Dawson gave us no real heads up on what this case was all about. Anyway where do I get food from?”
“There's a MacDonald’s a mile down the road, try that,
and bring
back
a burger and fries
for me with some drinks.”
CHAPTER 29
Dave Withers, Alec, and I had adjourned across the road for a coffee and a quick parley.
“Well I think that went as well as can be expected,” said Dave.
“Thanks for joining us,” I said. “Do you think they can help?”
“Well they can help trying to find your brother if he really has gone missing. Don't forget that photo they asked for. Look I have to get going, keep in touch with me and I will let you know if I hear anything.”
That left Alec and I sitting musing over our coffees. “You have been very quiet Alec. What do you think we should do now?”
“Well apart from your brother, I don't think much has changed, and hopefully he has just been delayed somewhere.”
“I hope you are right but I don't think you are. Oh! It is so frustrating, is there nothing I can do?”
“Well let’s walk back to the office and see if anything is waiting for us there.”
Back at the office everything was frustratingly normal and I retired to my office with the door shut to think. I just couldn't sit and do nothing! Who could help us? What about that guy at the MoD who came and visited us, Gordon Stewart was his name. I could call him.
I found his card and called the number on it. It went to an operator or secretary who said Gordon Stewart was not available at the moment but she would take a message.
I then called Naismith. He was not available.
May as well go home, I was not doing any good here.
As I opened the house door the
‘‘‘phone
was ringing. It was inspector Lloyd.
“We have found your car,” he said. “You’re not going to like this, it had been dumped in to the Feeder canal so it is probably severely damaged. There is no sign of your brother.”
“This means that he has been kidnapped, doesn't it?”
“It looks as though that might be the case,' said Lloyd. “I have spoken to the Boss and she has agreed to our making a TV appeal and that will go out on the 7 o'clock news tonight. I need that photo!”
“I will get it now, do you have an email address I can send it to?”
“If you have my card use the address on there.”
“OK,” I said and hung up.
I quickly sorted out a couple of recent shots of Adrian from the album on my computer and emailed them to Lloyd.
Then Naismith called back. “
Mr
Lever you called me?”
“Inspector Naismith, you have been showing a lot of interest in my brother. Do you know he is now missing?”
“No, I had not heard that,” said Naismith.
“Well he is and there is a public appeal for information on his whereabouts about to go out on TV.”
“Indeed,” said Naismith, “what makes you think anything is wrong, maybe he just does not want to be found? That has been my experience with him over the past week or two.”
“Look Inspector, don't lets beat about the bush. My frustration is that I don't have any contact with the people that have done this so I can't talk to them. They need to know that if any harm comes to Adrian then the information they don't want revealed will be published around the world and they cannot stop that regardless of what happens to Adrian, or me, for that matter. That is not an idle threat, both Adrian and I have pretty strong computer expertise so you can take it that the set up to reveal the information is watertight.”
“Look, I don't see how this involves me, you have obviously talked to the police, what more can I do.”
“I think you might know who has done this so I want you to get the message back to them.”
“
Mr
Lever, I am a straight forward policeman and we do not engage in kidnapping, I assure you that I know nothing of this so I don't see how I can help you.”
My mobile bleeped. I had a text message from Gordon Stewart to call him on a different number. “I have to go now, please pass on my message,” I said and hung up. I walked out in to the garden and called Stewart.
“
Mr
Lever how pleasant to hear from you, what can I do for you?”
“I'm looking for some help, and thought you might be able to give me some guidance, can we meet, I could be in London in a couple of hours.”
“Yes, we could meet, is there a company security issue you need help with?”
“Kind of,” I replied.
“Well I am in Oxford, do you know the Randolph hotel in the middle of Oxford?
“You mean the one which formed the location for a lot of the
scenes in the Morse TV drama
?”
“Yes that one, meet me in the bar at 7pm.”
I looked at my watch, “I can just about make that,” I said and hung up.
The house is only 4 miles from the M4 to London so I was quickly well on the way. The traffic on the final leg in to Oxford would determine whether I got there for 7pm. I parked in a local mu
lti-storey
car park, after having gone round the one-way system twice in error and walked in to the bar of
the Randolph a few minutes before
7 o’clock. Stewart was standing at the bar and after shaking hands and refusing
his offer of
a drink but ordering coffee, I
looked across and
saw the news starting on the TV in the corner.
“Let's watch this,” I said. “It will explain my problem.” I got the barman to turn up the volume and we wondered over to sit down near the set. After a few minutes a photo of Adrian appeared on the screen with the news that police were seeking the help of the public to find a young man, Adrian Lever, whom they have reason to believe may have been kidnapped, etc.
“That is your brother?” Said Stewart. “I'm sorry to learn what is happening, but how can I help?”
“I think you have connections in to the security services and I believe that it is the security services either directly or in conjunction with the CIA or other American Services who have organised his kidnap.”
“That is an incredible accusation
Mr
Lever. I am also afraid that you are mistaken, I do not have any connections of that nature, why would I?”
“Look I am desperate, they have kidnapped him to stop him revealing some images he ha
cked from a US government website
. I am worried he may now just disappear.”
“You have been reading too many fiction novels,
Mr
Lever. Things like that don't happen in real life in this country.”
“I think there is enough evidence circulating, even if much of it is from unofficial sources, to make such suspicions potentially credible. The frustrating thing is that I don't know who they are so I can't talk to them. They need to know that if any harm comes to Adrian then the information they don't want revealed will be published around the world and they won't be able to stop that regardless of what happens to us. I thought you might be able to give that message to the right people in the system.”
“
Mr
Lever, you have a good imagination, I don't have connections with such people even if they exist.”
“Do you know of a Peter Asimov, a company called Mendip Finance, and a company called Dalrymple.”
“I have heard of Peter Asimov, as have most people who read the business news, and you know that I am aware that Mendip Finance have made overtures to buy your company. Dalrymple is an American competitor of yours who would dearly love to get MoD business. Are you saying they are in anyway connected with the disappearance of your brother?”
“It appears that they may be connected to some violent attacks on me and threats to my colleagues in recent weeks.”
“That sounds incredible, do you have evidence?”
“The evidence is tenuous but my gut-feel is that it is true.”
“Gut-feel
Mr
Lever! Surely you should have something more than 'gut-feel' to make such an accusation?”
“Do you know an Inspector Naismith? I believe he is in Special Branch.”
“
Mr
Lever, as I keep telling you I have no connection with the security services or police so I don't know him.”
I sighed.
“
Well it appears I may have wasted your time.”
“Look
Mr
Lever, it is not surprising that the stress of your brother disappearing might lead you to jump to some wild conclusions, but that I would suggest, is what they are. I am sorry I cannot help more. I have a friend in Special Branch and will talk to him, but I don't hold out much hope that I can help. I have to go, I am sorry if you feel your journey up here was wasted.” With that he got up, we shook hands and I left.
Perhaps he is right I thought as I walked back to my car. Maybe I am letting my imagination run away with me! But no! I did not imagine the beatings, the car 'accident', the disappearance of Adrian, etc. No, this has to be followed through aggressively. I drove more sedately back to Bristol and home. It then occurred to me. Where was Jason, I had 'lost' him this morning and he was probably feeling put out that I had not been in touch. I called him, he was back at the house, and I told him I would be home shortly.