“And why did you do so sooner than planned?”

“The thing with the foreign minister came to light, however dimly, and I did it to show him I would not allow my service to be a dumping ground for the incompetent and, in Roger’s case, the disagreeable.”

“That’s two reasons for Roger to be disgruntled.”

“Correct. I ordered him watched because I thought he was angry enough to look for a way to retaliate.”

“Quite right,” Stone said.

Felicity’s phone chimed, and she read a rather long message. “There is a connection between Roger and Simon Garr,” she said. “On Roger’s first night at Dartmouth, Simon tried to bugger him, and Roger gave him a bloody nose. After that, feelings were tense between them, and there was at least one successful attempt by Roger to blackmail Simon into getting him a promotion.”

“So they hated each other?” Stone asked.

“Apparently so.”

“And that could be the motive for Roger to shoot Simon in the head? An awful lot of time had passed, had it not?”

“Yes, but they both worked at the Admiralty at one time and would have had contact there, perhaps creating other opportunities for the engendering of ill will between them.”

“I believe I’m beginning to get the idea,” Stone said.

“What idea? Why would the Russians care if there was ill will between two retired flag officers?”

“Practice,” Stone said.

“Practice? What are you talking about?”

“They wanted to see if Roger would assassinate someone, and, for insurance, they chose somebody for whom he already had ill feelings, to give him impetus. It was a practice run, and Roger passed the test.”

“I don’t understand. Practice for what?”

“Another assassination?” Stone suggested.

“All right,” Felicity replied, “that’s bizarre, but it makes a kind of sense.”

“Also,” Stone said, “if Roger is caught and charged with Simon’s murder—or, after murdering someone else—he has a motive for the killings that would not seem to involve the Russians. They can just step back and allow him to take the heat.”

“Go on.”

“I don’t know where else to go,” Stone said.

“If you’re right,” Felicity said, “then all we have to do is figure out who the Russians want assassinated next.”

“Any thoughts on that subject?” Stone asked.

“Christ, I don’t know: the prime minister? The foreign minister?”

“Somebody important,” Stone said. “I’m thinking, you.”

Felicity blanched. “He wouldn’t dare,” she said.

“Remember whose car was the target at Station Two?” Stone asked.

52

Stone waited until afternoon before phoning Lance.

“Yes, Stone?”

“Scramble.”

“Scrambled.”

“Felicity and I had dinner and thoroughly explored the why and wherefore of Brigadier Roger Fife-Simpson.”

“I’m sure that’s not all you explored,” Lance said.

Stone ignored that. “Follow this line for a moment,” he said. “Roger leaves MI-6 by popular request, and he is disgruntled.”

“Got that.”