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Back The Dead Line
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. By the Same Author
  3. Dedication Page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Also Available by Holly Watt
  87. The Hunt and the Kill

‘I trod carefully, I promise,’ he said. ‘But I’ve got a mate who has a good line into the Dhaka High Commission. He won’t say a word to anyone, I guarantee it.’

Casey didn’t ask, didn’t need to know.

‘Anyway, my pal said they had a changeover of high commissioners, just a few months ago,’ Luke went on. ‘Sir William Cavendish, the old high commissioner, was a peach, by all accounts. Much loved by all. He’s retired to a Greek island, or something. The newly arrived ambo is most correct. Very much believes in dotting the Is and crossing the Ts, and everything else by the book.’

‘Doesn’t sound like your mate likes him.’

‘You guess right. But my buddy also reckons the new high commissioner is clean. Too saintly for words. Dull as ditchwater, were his precise words.’

‘How about the deputies?’

‘That’s what my mate suggested. He says the new high commissioner is running things on such a tight rein that it would be hard to get anything past him. But he said all sorts of alarm bells were ringing about the last deputy out there. Gabriel Bantham.’

‘Never heard of him.’

‘You know how low-profile they are, the Foreign Office lot. You never hear about them until they’re right at the top of the tree. But apparently Bantham had been flagged up quietly as being a bit too sharp for his own good.’

‘How?’

‘Nothing too dodgy,’ Luke said. ‘Getting swept off for very ritzy weekends by a company that wanted an introduction to, say, a Foreign Office minister. A lifestyle that was just a bit too grand for a Foreign Office salary.’

Casey felt her interest flare, a shiver in her spine.

‘Might be family money?’

‘Not, apparently.’

‘He get caught?’

‘Not quite,’ said Luke. ‘My mate reckons the old high commissioner, Sir William, didn’t want to drop him in it. Cavendish just wanted a quiet life, towards the end of his career. So Bantham’s next move was a step sideways to Washington. That’s where he is now.’

The huge British embassy on Massachusetts Avenue, thought Casey. A long way from the backwaters of Dhaka.

‘Could there have been anyone else organising passports through the Dhaka outpost?’

‘It’s not a big mission, the Bangladeshi operation,’ said Luke. ‘Not exactly a focus for the Foreign Office, is it, Dhaka? But I don’t think you could hand out several passports in a row without one of the main officials knowing.’

‘And your friend hadn’t heard of passports being doled out?’

‘I didn’t get that specific. Do you want me to go back to him?’

‘No,’ said Casey slowly. ‘Not yet. But he’s sure Bantham is the guy?’

‘He said that he would put his house on it.’

‘OK,’ said Casey thoughtfully.

Now she summarised the conversation quickly.

‘Right,’ Miranda decided. ‘It looks like you and Hessa are going to DC.’

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