The Invisible Assassin (5 page)

‘You think there might be some kind of connection?’ asked Jake hopefully. ‘Between this order and what I saw?’

‘What you
may
have seen,’ corrected Lauren. ‘Although the thing that makes me think there might be a connection is the business of the fairy ring.’

Jake frowned at her, checking to see if she was winding him up in some way, but she didn’t appear to be making a joke.

‘The fairy ring?’ he queried.

‘It’s said the Order of Malichea hid their whole library,’ she said. ‘They didn’t want it to fall into the hands of the establishment, where it could be destroyed. And, to make sure that no one dug it up accidentally, the books were spread around the whole country and buried in places that were rumoured to be holy, or haunted, or sacred, or cursed.’

‘Places where no one was likely to dig,’ said Jake. ‘Like a so-called fairy ring.’

‘Exactly.’ Lauren nodded. She looked at her watch and stood up. ‘I’ve got to go.’

‘I thought you said you were free the rest of the day,’ blurted out Jake helplessly, then shut up.

Lauren looked awkward. ‘I’m meeting someone,’ she said. There was a pause, then she added, ‘Actually, I’m seeing someone these days.’

‘Robert the rugby player?’ asked Jake, doing his best to appear casual.

Lauren glared at him, her eyes blazing angrily.

‘You idiot!’ she snapped. ‘Robert is my cousin! He and I have played together since we were about two years old! He is also very happily engaged to a good friend of mine and getting married this year!’

Jake dropped his eyes, shamefaced.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘So you should be!’

There was a pause, then Lauren added, ‘If you must know, the man I’m seeing is another student at the university. He’s a third year. Very intelligent. Very mature.’

Mentally, Jake kicked himself. Robert was her cousin! And because of what he thought was going on, he’d messed up big time. And now, he’d lost her to some mature Brainiac!

‘I’m . . . glad for you,’ he said, forcing the words out and doing his best to smile. To break the awkward pause that followed, he asked, ‘So, this stuff you’ve got on the Order of Malichea . . .’

Lauren nodded.

‘It’s on my laptop. I’ll email it to you. Is your email address still the same?’

Jake nodded, but said hopefully, ‘Or we could always meet up . . .’

‘No, I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’ll email it you,’ said Lauren. ‘I’ll do it later today.’

‘OK,’ said Jake. He got up. They stood looking at one another, awkwardly, and then Jake leant forward and planted a chaste kiss on Lauren’s cheek.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly.

‘So am I,’ she said.

Then she turned and walked away. Jake sat down again and watched her go. With you, you take my heart, he thought numbly.

Chapter 6

Jake spent the rest of the afternoon in a bit of a daze. He went to a gallery, but he couldn’t remember what he saw. He went to the South Bank, where there was a free concert happening, but if anyone had asked him afterwards who or even what had been playing, he wouldn’t have been able to say. All he could think of was the fact that Robert had been Lauren’s cousin, her childhood playpal, and he’d screwed it up. Lauren flicking her fingers through Robert’s hair and laughing, claiming she was looking for nits. Of course! That’s what kids did! It had been real family affection between them. That’s why Robert had called on him and threatened him. Not because he wanted Lauren for himself, but to protect Lauren. Jake had been such an idiot! No, not just an idiot! A Grade A Oscar-Winning Idiot.

By early evening, Jake was feeling so depressed he could almost describe it as suicidal. But what would be the point of that? It wouldn’t get Lauren back. He wondered if it was the effects of the gas making him feel like this. But then he remembered there hadn’t been any gas, despite what Gareth and the doctor had told him. He
knew
there hadn’t been any gas. And this business of the Order of Malichea seemed to make the whole thing even clearer. There was a cover-up going on. And someone had tried to push him under a train!

Oh God, don’t start on that direction! he groaned to himself. Not another conspiracy! ‘Aliens ate my brother!’ ‘All World Leaders are Lizards!’

But there
was
something going on. Malichea. Sigma. The construction worker. And someone
had
tried to push him under the train. Jake was sure it was not just coincidence that it had happened after Gareth had spotted him in the archive library.

Jake thought about what Lauren had told him about this Order of Malichea hiding their library in places that were rumoured to be holy, or haunted, or sacred, or cursed. Like a fairy ring. Was it really possible . . . ?

His mobile rang. He checked the number on the screen. It was Lauren! Hastily, he made the connection.

‘Hi,’ he said, smiling to himself. She was calling him!

‘It’s Lauren!’ said Lauren, and she sounded seriously angry, and the smile vanished from Jake’s face as he wondered what he could have said or done to upset her. But then she said, ‘I’ve been burgled!’

‘What?’ said Jake, his mind in a whirl. His first thought was one of relief that she wasn’t angry at him over what had happened, but her next words put an end to that feeling of relief.

‘Who have you been talking to about me?’ she demanded.

‘What?’ stumbled Jake. ‘No one? Why?’

‘Because they took my laptop! And my notepads with my notes!’

‘What notes?’

‘All of them. Including my notes on the Order of Malichea! Why would anyone do that?’

‘I don’t know,’ stammered Jake.

‘Because they knew what you were asking me!’ said Lauren accusingly. ‘You must have told someone!’

‘I swear, I haven’t told anyone!’ insisted Jake. ‘I only picked up the word Malichea this morning for the first time, at my department. The only person I mentioned it to was the librarian in the archives library . . .’

And immediately afterwards, Gareth turned up in the library, thought Jake. Gareth, who never ventures below the third floor. Gareth, who if he wants anything from the archives sends a minion to get it.

‘Jake . . . !’ came Lauren’s voice. ‘Are you still there?’

‘Yes,’ said Jake. ‘Lauren, I don’t think we should say anything more over the phone right now. There’s something going on.’

‘And you think my burglary’s proof of it?’

‘Yes. I think it could well be.’

There was a pause, and Jake could hear Lauren talking, but muffled, and someone more distant replying. She wasn’t alone.

‘Lauren . . .’ he began.

‘Wait a minute,’ she said.

There was more talking at the other end of the phone, too muffled for him to hear, then she said, ‘The South Bank. One of the benches near the Festival Hall by the bridge.’

‘Got it,’ he said. ‘When?’

‘An hour. We’ll see you there.’

‘We?’ he queried.

‘After this, I’m not coming to see you on my own. If you’re right, I’m going to need protection.’

With that she hung up. Jake wondered who she would be bringing with her. She’d said ‘protection’. That suggested Robert, that huge hulking rugby player cousin of hers. The big question was: who had burgled Lauren’s flat? Circumstances pointed to Gareth being involved in some way. But why? And why take the stuff on the Order of Malichea?

Chapter 7

Jake sat on the bench on the South Bank in front of the Festival Hall and looked at the familiar landmarks along the Thames. The tower of the OXO building. The Savoy. The three bridges nearby spanning the Thames: the ancient rusted metal of the Hungerford railway bridge; the gleaming new shininess of the footbridge, and, further away to his right, the white stone walls of Waterloo Bridge. He remembered times when he and Lauren had sat here at this very spot, watching the lights sparkling on the waters of the Thames. Those had been the early days of their relationship, when they had been so happy together.

He shook his head to shake the image out of his mind. Stop thinking of her like that. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, and he half rose, half turned, and there she was, as beautiful as ever. But the man with her wasn’t Robert the rugby player. He was much smaller. Thinner, with a wisp of a moustache, and in his early twenties.

‘Jake, this is Carl Parsons.’

Of course. The new boyfriend. The Mature Brainiac.

Jake stood up and shook Parsons’s hand, though something inside him wanted to crush it. He was surprised at how firm the handshake was, coming from such a weedy-looking individual.

‘I’ve told Carl the story you told me,’ said Lauren as they both joined Jake sitting down on the bench. ‘About the building worker turning into something.’

‘Yes.’ Parsons nodded. ‘Intriguing.’

‘Carl’s in the same department as me, studying Theoretical Sciences,’ explained Lauren.

Jake couldn’t resist thinking sarcastically:
He’s
your protection? Aloud, he said, ‘Did you report the burglary to the police?’

‘Of course,’ said Lauren. ‘Waste of time though. They’re convinced it was just some junkies breaking in looking for money for drugs.’

‘And taking your information on the Order of Malichea instead?’ commented Jake.

‘They homed in on Lauren’s laptop,’ said Parsons. ‘They said laptops were a prime target. Easily portable.’

‘And the notes you said they took?’ asked Jake.

Lauren shook her head.

‘I don’t think they even bothered to write that down,’ she said. ‘They concentrated on the laptop and a CD player the burglars also took. For them that was proof it was just junkies.’

‘A CD player?’ queried Jake.

‘Obvious cover,’ said Parsons. ‘If they’d really been junkies they’d have taken the TV as well.’

‘Maybe it was too big?’ suggested Jake.

‘So, you believe what the police say?’ asked Lauren.

Jake shook his head.

‘No,’ he said. ‘Your notes being taken is the crucial pointer. They want to eliminate everything about the Order of Malichea completely, make sure you have nothing.’

‘But that’s stupid!’ exploded Lauren angrily. ‘Stuff about the Order is all over the internet! All anyone’s got to do is a Google search and it’s there!’

Jake frowned. He wished he’d thought of that before. But there was still one puzzle, if what Lauren said was true: why was the information on his department’s search engine restricted to Level 4 security and above? The answer had to be: because the information in the department’s archives was more detailed than anything anyone would find on the internet.

‘I think they’re trying to scare you off,’ said Parsons.

They both looked at him.

‘It’s logical when you think about it,’ Parsons continued. ‘The information you had about the Order is on the internet . . .’

‘Not all of it,’ interrupted Lauren. ‘Basic stuff, the history of the Order, that sort of thing, but some of my research came from other sources. Old books, libraries . . .’

‘And you could get hold of it again,’ persisted Parsons. ‘And whoever these people were know that. So I think this is a message, and a not very subtle one, warning you to keep out of this.’

‘Why?’ asked Lauren. ‘Why send
me
that message and not Jake? He’s the one poking his nose in.’

‘They already sent me a message of sorts,’ said Jake. ‘Someone tried to kill me.’

‘What?’ Lauren looked at Jake, disbelief on her face. ‘Oh, come on . . . !’

‘No, I’m serious,’ said Jake hastily. ‘Someone tried to push me under a train this morning at Victoria.’

‘The platform must have just been crowded,’ said Lauren. ‘People always push.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ agreed Jake. ‘But someone definitely pushed me, not just a little push, but a hard push. And they did it twice.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘I must admit, I still wasn’t completely convinced it wasn’t just some accident, or some lunatic, until you told me about your burglary.’

Lauren and Parsons exchanged looks. Then Parsons said, ‘I know it sounds far-fetched, but there have been instances of the government shutting people up by arranging accidents.’

Jake looked at Parsons in surprise. This was support from a very unexpected quarter.

‘But why would they burgle my flat?’ asked Lauren.

‘Because you know about the Order of Malichea,’ said Parsons. ‘Jake doesn’t. It’s a warning. They don’t want you helping him to find out more.’

‘Why should they think I would help him?’

‘You already were,’ pointed out Parsons. ‘You said to Jake you’d email him the information you had about the Order, remember? You told me so.’

‘Yes, but I only told you and Jake,’ said Lauren. ‘So how would they know that?’

‘Bugs,’ said Jake. ‘Eavesdropping equipment. Telephone taps.’

Parsons nodded. ‘That’s quite possible,’ he said.