waited tensely. His Permanent Secretary, Sir Richard Morris, was on his way to see him. There was a rapid knock on his door and a junior secretary entered. The Minister looked up at her and said, ‘Show Sir Richard straight in when he arrives.’
‘Yes, sir.’ The young girl liked her boss but didn’t like the way he looked at this moment. ‘And can I get you a drink?’ she added, concern in her voice.
‘That’s a good idea. Yes, please. The usual.’
She went over to the drinks cabinet and poured out a stiff Scotch and soda. As he took it from her he said, ‘Thank you. You’ve heard the news, of course?’
‘Yes, sir. It’s terrible. Such a super man.’
‘Yes, he was.’
‘Can I get you anything else?’
‘No, thanks, that’s fine.’
He began to pull himself together after she had gone. He wondered what effect Dorman’s death would have on the rest of the Cabinet. The PM would be devastated! A murder hadtaken place on a London street and that alone was bad enough, after all the efforts to contain terrorism; efforts that had begun to show positive results. But for the murdered man to be the one so closely involved with the attempt to unravel ENDS, that was the sort of disaster that could bring down the government!
Five minutes later, Sir Richard Morris was walking towards the Minister’s desk. They shook hands as the civil servant said fiercely, ‘It’s a hideous crime! You know all the facts, Minister?’
‘Yes. Come, sit down. Tell me what the Foreign Office and for that matter, the Home Office, are doing about it.’
‘The usual. All airports and seaports have been alerted, though there isn’t much to go on.’
‘Any idea what was in Dorman’s briefcase?’
‘Apparently nothing of any worth.’
‘How do you know?’
‘His secretary packed his papers herself. There was nothing private, no secret correspondence in it, according to her.’
‘Thank God for that.’ The Minister paused and went on, ‘Though who knows? He might have added to it himself.’
‘Possibly.’
‘Does anyone know what was in his mind … in terms of a new approach?’
‘No, though it’s established that one of his colleagues, Dr Mike Clifford, has been working very closely with him.’
‘Where’s he?’
‘He’s at Sussex University today. He’s been contacted and is on his way back to London. We hope he will continue Dorman’s work.’
‘Anything else?’
‘In my judgement, Minister, it has been a brilliantly coordinated assassination. Whether or not it signals a change in direction remains to be seen.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, perhaps the FO or the Home Office will come up with something. But it could be that the mystery deaths are to be replaced by more direct methods.’
‘You mean open terrorism again?’
‘Right.’
‘That’s not very likely, Sir Richard. As long as they, whoever “they” are, can create the impression of natural death, there’s not much point in using violent and unsubtle forms of murder, is there?’
‘No, I suppose not. But why violently murder someone like Dorman?’
‘Because, Sir Richard, he reckoned he’d stumbled on to something of great importance. He was on his way to tell me about it.’
‘I see. And “they” found out that Dorman was on to something?’
‘Yes.’
‘But how did “they” find that out?’
‘That’s a good question. But that’s not our department, is it?’
‘No. But meanwhile we’ve got our own briefs, haven’t we, direct from the PM. I was wondering if …’
The Minister interrupted, ‘You’re not concerned with wondering, Sir Richard. As you said, we have our own briefs and we’ll stick to them.’
The antipathy between civil servant and professional politician was surfacing, as it often does, and neither side was willing to give an inch.
‘I must object, Minister! I think the time has come to rethink the whole problem.’ The senior civil servant opened his briefcase, brought out a
‘Yes, sir.’ The young girl liked her boss but didn’t like the way he looked at this moment. ‘And can I get you a drink?’ she added, concern in her voice.
‘That’s a good idea. Yes, please. The usual.’
She went over to the drinks cabinet and poured out a stiff Scotch and soda. As he took it from her he said, ‘Thank you. You’ve heard the news, of course?’
‘Yes, sir. It’s terrible. Such a super man.’
‘Yes, he was.’
‘Can I get you anything else?’
‘No, thanks, that’s fine.’
He began to pull himself together after she had gone. He wondered what effect Dorman’s death would have on the rest of the Cabinet. The PM would be devastated! A murder hadtaken place on a London street and that alone was bad enough, after all the efforts to contain terrorism; efforts that had begun to show positive results. But for the murdered man to be the one so closely involved with the attempt to unravel ENDS, that was the sort of disaster that could bring down the government!
Five minutes later, Sir Richard Morris was walking towards the Minister’s desk. They shook hands as the civil servant said fiercely, ‘It’s a hideous crime! You know all the facts, Minister?’
‘Yes. Come, sit down. Tell me what the Foreign Office and for that matter, the Home Office, are doing about it.’
‘The usual. All airports and seaports have been alerted, though there isn’t much to go on.’
‘Any idea what was in Dorman’s briefcase?’
‘Apparently nothing of any worth.’
‘How do you know?’
‘His secretary packed his papers herself. There was nothing private, no secret correspondence in it, according to her.’
‘Thank God for that.’ The Minister paused and went on, ‘Though who knows? He might have added to it himself.’
‘Possibly.’
‘Does anyone know what was in his mind … in terms of a new approach?’
‘No, though it’s established that one of his colleagues, Dr Mike Clifford, has been working very closely with him.’
‘Where’s he?’
‘He’s at Sussex University today. He’s been contacted and is on his way back to London. We hope he will continue Dorman’s work.’
‘Anything else?’
‘In my judgement, Minister, it has been a brilliantly coordinated assassination. Whether or not it signals a change in direction remains to be seen.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, perhaps the FO or the Home Office will come up with something. But it could be that the mystery deaths are to be replaced by more direct methods.’
‘You mean open terrorism again?’
‘Right.’
‘That’s not very likely, Sir Richard. As long as they, whoever “they” are, can create the impression of natural death, there’s not much point in using violent and unsubtle forms of murder, is there?’
‘No, I suppose not. But why violently murder someone like Dorman?’
‘Because, Sir Richard, he reckoned he’d stumbled on to something of great importance. He was on his way to tell me about it.’
‘I see. And “they” found out that Dorman was on to something?’
‘Yes.’
‘But how did “they” find that out?’
‘That’s a good question. But that’s not our department, is it?’
‘No. But meanwhile we’ve got our own briefs, haven’t we, direct from the PM. I was wondering if …’
The Minister interrupted, ‘You’re not concerned with wondering, Sir Richard. As you said, we have our own briefs and we’ll stick to them.’
The antipathy between civil servant and professional politician was surfacing, as it often does, and neither side was willing to give an inch.
‘I must object, Minister! I think the time has come to rethink the whole problem.’ The senior civil servant opened his briefcase, brought out a
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