What You Ask For

What You Ask For…

Martyn Taylor

Published by Martyn Taylor at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Martyn Taylor

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Iceline

Control: Escape

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter One.

Josie Burke stepped out on to the terrace overlooking the formal garden and spotted Bill Jardine standing on the neatly raked path admiring the roses. The blue grey cloud of smoke from his briar pipe curled around his head and blew away on the breeze. Michael Spear stepped through the open French Windows behind her. Thank You Josie, I think I can find him from here.

Josie stepped aside and watched the tall figure stride down the path and pull the smartphone from his pocket. Jardine straightened with a dead headed rose in his hand and talked around the stem of the pipe. Michael, I wasn’t expecting you this afternoon.

That makes two of us handling the unexpected. He pushed the phone toward his old friend, I take it this wasn’t on the list of expectations either?

Jardine dropped the rose on the path and slipped the pipe from his mouth. Sorry, not following you.

The video, YouTube, my daughter and your secretary?

Oh that. Jardine bit his lip. He knew exactly what Michael Spear meant, You’re right, that wasn’t on the list.

It’s on my list now, and it is certainly on Vivienne’s.

Jardine’s jaw dropped. Ah Vivienne; that was something I hadn’t quite …

Never mind, the details of your considerations aren’t that important now. He had the phone pushed towards Jardine.

I don’t need to see it Michael, I have already.

Oh good. The look on his face was confused, unsure whether is friend was taking this with the degree of seriousness that he ought.

Jardine lifted his foot and knocked the pipe out against the heel of his shoe and then blew through the stem to clear the bowl. He tucked the pipe into his pocket. Come inside and talk me through it from your side.

I’d much rather talk it through from yours.

Either way, we’ll do it inside shall we? Jardine glanced towards the terrace and saw Josie step out of the French windows again. She stepped aside as he steered Spear through the windows and into a chair facing the leather topped desk. Jardine sat down in his chair and leaned back. You want to hear it from my side?

Michael Spear relaxed slightly and slipped the phone on to the desk. Josie waited a couple of yards away, hovering between the French Windows and the door from the office into the Grange.

Michael, can we offer you anything? Bill Jardine unloaded his pipe and tobacco pouch onto the desk top and stacked them neatly on the right hand side.

Coffee, thank you, black and strong, given that anything alcoholic is out of the question.

Josie glanced at Jardine who nodded and she slipped out of the room with the order for coffee for two. The door closed and Jardine counted five seconds under his breath, giving her a chance to get clear of the door. Purely out of habit, Josie as his PA was privy to most of the secrets, and she featured in the video that had Michael Spear, and the lovely Vivienne, steamed up.

Michael Spear sat quietly, calming himself down and Jardine retrieved his pipe from the corner of the desk and began turning it in his fingers, minutely examining the stem and the charred edges of the briar bowl.

Are you really still smoking that bloody thing, and the same disgusting stable sweepings you always used to burn?

Yes to both, although the stable sweepings as you put it aren’t always as easy to come by.

Not even living out here, miles from anywhere?

Not even out here, most of or horsepower runs on petrol not grass, he put the pipe down again, alright, spit it out, and don’t worry if Josie arrives with the coffee. You and Vivienne are both angry and you want to know how your daughter came to be covered in mud and hosed down in the stable yard along with my PA?

In a nutshell, yes, although Vivienne didn’t use the word angry, she was disappointed.

That’s very gracious of her. Jardine smiled.

Not really Bill, to disappoint Vivienne is to be cast out beyond the pale.

I shouldn’t have far to go then, I’m almost on the outer reaches of the universe here.

That has been noted, that you never travel to the city for pleasure, only business.

True, it suits me that way, and the air is more convivial out here, you should try it more often, slip away for the weekend both of you and stay here, you can hide amongst the other guests.

The idea was to hide my daughter away out here, for the time being, until she had grown a little older and wiser, and hanging around with your people, which incidentally she was very much in favour of, and Vivienne wasn’t. We thought it would help

I appreciate that, but the video, there really wasn’t anything to it,

Go on; tell me the old whole story. Michael Spear sat back and locked his fingers together, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and peering over his steepled digits. Jardine noted the paternal frown creasing his forehead and rested his arms on the desk. You know the agreement we had, I was to pull Jessica away from Vivienne’s social circuit for a while, and I’m sure all three of you had your own reasons to explain why,

Vivienne and I certainly did.

And I’m not going to waste time exploring any of that rubbish, but the gist of it was that whatever excuses you made for yourself, Jessica simply managed to get what she wanted; parental permission to hang around at the Grange.

So she would tell you!

She didn’t have to tell me anything of the sort, that was her plan, and it worked.

Nonsense, Vivienne would never agree to that, she knows Jessica too well.

Are you certain?

Michael Spear sat up, Are you suggesting that we don’t know our own daughter?

Not at all, merely offering the conjecture that there is more to her than you are aware of.

Michael Spear turned his head at the sound of the door opening and Josie breezed in with the coffee and set the tray down on the edge of the desk.

Thanks Josie, I’ll take care of it now, Jardine leaned forward and lifted the thermos jug.

Thanks, anything else before I go? She straightened and twitched the collar of her blouse.

No that’s all, thank you. Jardine poured the coffee as Josie closed the door behind her.

Spear took the cup and sat back. Bill, get back to the point, the video. It is not doing me any good having that sort of idea about my daughter floating around the internet, leaving aside the inclusion of your very attractive PA.

They do make quite a pair don’t they, Jardine sipped his coffee, and I sympathise.

Sympathy is not what I’m looking for, Jessica was despatched to the Grange for her own best interests, and in the vain hope that it would work out whatever wilfulness might be present and she could…

Follow a pre-determined path laid down by Vivienne and yourself?

Spear frowned, I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but a paternal hand at the helm of a young and inexperienced life is often helpful.

And how did you react to the paternal hand on the helm of your life at her age?

That’s another story…

Maybe, but it has relevance here.

Not at the moment it doesn’t, so, give me the whole story. He sipped the coffee.

There really is no story, not from this end. Josie and Jess were working.

Working!

Yes, working, they were on a team project at Ten Acre wood.

And who exactly was around at the time?

This is beginning to sound inquisitional.

Good, Michael spear leaned forward, then I might get to the bottom of the situation before tea and I can be back in London in time for supper.

Jardine put down his cup, and china rattled in the saucer. London isn’t that far from Oxford, and that’s less than ten miles away, you should have plenty of time.

You don’t have to fight your way through traffic every night, you live on site.

Jardine shifted in the seat and watched his friend, catching the slide show of emotions flicking across his face. Fair, anyway, back to the point, the Grange was pretty empty, we we’re shifting from a special event back to our normal working, and some of the staff were spending time building their own team…

And the girls ended up covered in mud?

Not just the girls.

Spear held his hands up. OK, get Jessica, I’ll take her home.

A moment ago you said London, why the sudden change, Cambridge is off the track to London from here?

I can change my mind, and I have. I think it best that Jessica comes back with me tonight.

There’s no need, she has the weekend off, so she’ll be home tomorrow night anyway, you can talk things through with her then and she can return to work on Monday.

What do you mean work?

How long as she been a member of your staff?

Jardine picked up his pipe and sat back in the chair, flipped open the tobacco pouch and worked the shreds of Balkan tobacco into the bowl, tamping it down with his thumb. He sucked on the pipe stem for a few seconds, testing the air flow through the packed bowl. He put the pipe down. Do you remember the discussion we had about moving Jessica away from the bright lights, away from temptation?

You make me sound like some Victorian tyrant.

I wouldn’t put it that way, but you do have certain notoriety around town, and that does make her…attractive?

Attractive, alright, I’ll wait until she comes home for the weekend, maybe letting her loose on the bright lights will calm things down a bit.

"Might not be a good idea, the video, remember, somebody took it and then posted it.

Spear sat up in the chair. You think there might be something behind this?

Can’t say, you’d have to discuss that elsewhere, I’m on the edge of things out here. Jardine grabbed a post it note and scribbled a phone number, Malcolm Baker, I think he went back to regular police work, that’s the number I have for him.

Michael Spear took the paper. Thanks, I’ll find him; Sally will probably know where he is.

Sally Winterton is a valuable asset; I would have liked to poach her for a job here.

Try it and you’ll have war, and not from me. I’m sure she’s in league with Vivienne half the time.

Michael we’re drifting off topic again.

Sorry, but I’m not getting this, is there something about this video thing that is passing my radar?

It’s not showing on mine either, and to answer your question. Jessica or Jess as she is known amongst her colleagues has been working here almost from the day she arrived.

She kept that quiet, really quiet, I had no idea.

She doesn’t work off Grange, she’s part of the activity staff, and that’s how the video came about. Jardine poured another coffee from the jug and sipped it, tasting the temperature. It was hot enough to enjoy. The regular customers find her mixing it with the rest and I’ve noticed one or two raised eyebrows.

You’re right, the first inkling I had of this came from a conversation at the Golf Club.

Jardine put down the coffee and flicked the switch on the intercom. Josie, check the bookings over the last six weeks, cross reference with the social data. Any links with Michael Spear’s Golf Club, the name of the club is on file somewhere.

Give me a couple of minutes, her voice crackled through the speaker.

Jardine let the switch go and scratched his head, she probably won’t find anything, I don’t recall any of your old members turning up.

It doesn’t matter if they did, the word would have gone around anyway, and the evidence would have thumped on to my desk at some point. He waved his coffee cup, I’ll have another shot of that before I go. He pushed the cup and saucer across the desk and Jardine poured. Spear pulled back his cuff and checked the Tag Heur around his wrist. Just time for one, and then I really must be going.

Spear’s dark green Jaguar was parked outside the front door of the Grange and ten minutes later he clipped his seat belt on as Jardine leaned over the driver’s window. The engine grumbled gently under the bonnet. By the way, where is Jessica at the moment?

Jardine shook his head, straightened and glanced at the Grange and down the drive, he scratched his chin thoughtfully. Not certain, if she’s on rota for activities then anywhere in the grounds, otherwise, down at the stables working with George Smith on Technical stuff.

Jessica, technical; and doing what exactly?

If she couldn’t handle the techy stuff she wouldn’t be here, she’s a damn good grease monkey.

Spear rolled his eyes. I have heard enough for today; please don’t tell Vivienne, she complains about the cost of the manicures. He dropped the handbrake.

Jardine stepped back. Bye Michael, drive safely.

Bye William. The window slid up and the car pulled down the drive, disappeared into the trees around the Porter’s lodge, curiously named King’s Shilling, and turned out on to the open road.

Josie Burke appeared at Jardine’s shoulder. Do you still want the data?

Jardine turned and noticed the afternoon sunlight catching the tints in her auburn hair, highlights echoed in the golden flashes in her pupils. They looked greener this afternoon. Sorry Josie, miles away for a minute. Did you find anything?

Nothing much, I can’t find a recent connection between golf club and bookings here for anyone in Michael’s circle.

OK, leave it for now, it probably doesn’t matter. He walked up the steps and in through the front door. The heavy double oak swung easily and opened into an entrance hall dominated by a broad staircase rising through the first two floors of the house. Built from an Elizabethan core the Grange had gone through two hundred and fifty years of private development in the hands of the same family until death and taxes came knocking for their dues.

Bill Jardine had taken it on at a turning point in his life and now, ten years down the line had it running to his satisfaction. Team building and networking on the surface, and like all still waters, with darker currents moving underneath. Josie was half a step behind him when the door closed. The house was quiet at the moment, they bookings were slightly down and rooms were empty, and the current occupants were out and about. He drifted towards his office at the back of the house, down the gap beside the stairs and Josie followed. Jardine went back to his desk and Josie began shifting the coffee tray.

Leave it; I need a couple of things. Find Steel and Jessica and bring them here, and will you join us?

Fresh coffee?

Alright, yes, ring through to the kitchen and get them to send something. Sandwiches and nibbles, I’m sure Steel will appreciate it.

He’s still out, his party isn’t due back until, she glanced at the clock ticking soundly on the mantelpiece, for at least another hour; five, maybe five thirty. The hands nudged five past four and the tick of the mechanism popped the silence.

Ok, leave it until Steel gets back, give him chance to clean up and we’ll meet here at six, and have the kitchen send food up for ten past.

Josie gathered up the tray and cleared it from the office. Buzz if there’s anything else?

I’ll do that, thank you.

She stopped by the door, turning with the tray in her hands and the door already open. About that video, I’m sorry if it’s caused any trouble between you and Mister Spear.

Forget it Josie, you had no control over what happened, but there might be something we can learn from it. It hasn’t caused any bother, and frankly I’m not sure Michael knows how to react to it.

Thank you, I’ll see you at six. She smiled and Jardine waved her gently on her way.

Go on; get on with whatever you need to do. Jardine closed the door behind her and with his briar tucked in the palm of his hand stepped back through the French Windows. His secateurs were still beside the rose bush where he had left them.

Now, where was I? He picked them up, tucked the unlit pipe into a corner of his mouth and resumed his traverse of the formal garden, dead heading roses as he went.

*****

Chapter Two

Bill Jardine was still out on the terrace overlooking the formal garden behind the Grange when Steel came in off the field. He watched the familiar silhouette in a group of six on the skyline beside Ten Acre wood and walk across the parkland running down the slope to the Grange. The party split by the bridge over the Ha-ha and Steel crossed over into the garden. The paintball spattered combats made him look bulkier than his broad six-foot frame and what part of his face was visible above the beard and below the hairline was liberally streaked with camo-cream. Jardine took the moment to light his pipe and draw the flame into the bowl before expelling a breath of grey smoke into the flower scented air.

Steel manoeuvred his way through the network of paths and climbed the steps on to the terrace beside the seat where Jardine enjoyed his favourite vice; nicely tamped bowl of Balkan Sobranie tobacco on a summer afternoon with the breeze in his hair and the sun on his face.

Steel blocked out the sun for a moment. You wanted a chat Boss?

Jardine noticed the ragged edge of the beard on his right cheek and the faintly visible scar tissue across his cheek where the camo-cream hadn’t reached; he checked his watch, No rush, I’d set the meet for six in the office, still twenty minutes away.

Right I’ll clean up, see you back here in twenty?

Fine, if you bump into Jess on your way, remind her will you?

Steel waved an acknowledgment and went inside, slipping through Jardine’s office into the front office where Josie worked. He caught her with her feet on the corner of the desk and the laptop perched on her knee. Is that an approved method of working with IT equipment?

Get lost Steel, it works for me.

Does me good too,

She noticed his line of sight and twitched her skirt down below the knee. Stop it, behave yourself.

OK, how about dinner, off Grange, say eight thirty?

Depends, on what Jardine has to say at six.

You in on it too? Steel perched on a corner of the desk and Josie swung her feet down and slid the laptop across the desk.

Michael Spear’s been here about the video, I think the Boss has it under control, but there’s always an unpredictable element around here.

That element wouldn’t be Jessica would it?

It might, our dinner date may have to be another time, and you can have a rain check.

Sure?

Any time. She stood up and kissed him on the mouth, absolutely.

Right, I’m off to clean up, you’re not free for the next twenty minutes are you?

No, I’m not available to scrub your back, or any other element of your anatomy. She smiled, not right now anyway, I’m supposed to be working.

Steel lifted his arm and appeared to sniff his own armpit. I think I’d better get clean. Josie bundled him through the door and steered him towards the stairs. Out and stop being gross; go scrub, and I’ll see you later.

She watched him climb the stairs to the turn on the first floor and then went back into her office. She picked up the internal phone and dialled the kitchens, checking the order for the buffet.

The buffet was laid out on a sideboard when Jardine came inside from the garden and left his secateurs by the window. The clock ticked through six o’clock and the door and Steel walked into the room. Jardine pointed to a settee close to the window and Steel sat down. A matching pair, buttoned leather and firm without being uncomfortable, faced each other across a rectangular coffee table. Steel settled into the creaking leather. Jardine stood by the French Windows and blew the smoke from his pipe through the open panel. Did it go well?

This afternoon, very, Pete Harrison, Spear’s security head shed has a good team; they gave us a decent run.

You knew they would?

Steel nodded, fair guess, after the shindig with the Sandpiper UAV, I thought they would be close.

So, when Michael asks me how they fared I can give him a good report?

Steel got up from the settee and stood by the window, opposite Jardine and watched the garden. For my money, they are good, and you can tell him that but they’re not the target for tonight are they?

Of course, they’re not, I’m just asking out of idle curiosity. I’ve asked Jessica to join us, because I want her take on what Michael might be thinking…

Or what her mother has in mind, I don’t think she was happy with the suggestion that Jess come out here in the first place.

She had other ideas.

Get thee to a nunnery?

Not quite, but I follow your drift. Seriously, do you think there could be anything about this that we might have to worry about?

Get Smithy to have a good look at it, check the faces on the video with anyone on our records, facial recognition might give us an idea of who was around when the video was shot; check that out and we might find something useful.

Is that a suggestion that we might have an enemy of Michael Spear amongst our guest list?

Steel stuck his hands in his pockets and stepped out of the door, he breathed the evening air into his lungs. With all due respect to an old friend of yours, he didn’t reach his current social and financial position without crushing his fair share of toes. I would be surprised if there was a month went by that we didn’t have someone who might like to stick him where it hurts.

Ok, I’ll accept that, just for the sake of argument, so how do we handle this?

Steel turned on his heel, hands still in his pockets, and his chin dropped. You are asking me?

Why not, I value your opinion, and you generally show a good grasp of a situation.

Ok, check the video for faces, particularly anyone that resembles our special visitors, you know the ones, who really shouldn’t be seen anywhere near here.

Jardine was refilling his pipe from the pouch, packing the leaf with is thumb. He put the loaded pipe in his jacket pocket.

All this is incidental; the video is worrying you; isn’t it?

Yes!

Good, now tell me why?

I don’t know. Jardine spread his hands, really, I don’t. I have a strange feeling in my guts, I long ago learned to trust, but there seems to be nothing to justify the feeling or acting on it.

The ten-thousand-dollar question is would I trust your instincts, if you asked me too?

See what I mean, you’re working along the same lines.

Almost, but I have just thought of something else. The video, I think we should see what it reveals about here, anything that might be useful should anyone come calling.

"No, I can’t go