The Shepherd File Read Free

funny little drawings.’
    ‘It was intriguing.’
    ‘Yes, I meant it to be. First of all, Joe, I’m not quite sure where I should begin. Policemen always tell me to begin at the beginning. Very sensible and all that, but in this case I am not sure what the beginning is or how far back it goes. It might be more convenient to start at the other end — at what happened to Shepherd not long before he died. Incidentally when did he die?’
    ‘He must have been in the river about three days, they say.’
    ‘That’s the doctors’ opinion?’
    ‘Yes.’
    Holmes nodded. ‘Three days ago. That’s right. That fits in. Three days ago Shepherd met a woman at Runnymede. Her name was Nina Lydoevna and she is a Russian agent. She is a second secretary at the Russian Embassy. She is also on Tirov’s staff.’
    Morrison’s eyebrows moved slightly. It was his only expression of surprise. He had heard of the formidable Colonel Tirov, who was head of the Russian intelligence service in London, but had not met him. Very few people had. But he had a reputation which was not undeserved.
    ‘Runnymede,’ said Morrison. ‘By the river. Yes. That would be about right. The body was found about five miles downstream in a backwater at Staines. So he’d been meeting the Russians, had he? I suppose the contacts were authorized?’
    ‘No.’
    Morrison’s eyebrows fairly shot up at that, ‘You mean he met this woman without the department knowing?’
    ‘Without them knowing and without their approval.’
    Morrison whistled. ‘Well I’m damned. That’s different. What on earth was he up to?’
    He was on sick leave,’ said Holmes. ‘He was supposed to have ulcers.’
    ‘Ulcers?' Morrison looked at Holmes and they both knew what was in the other’s mind. Morrison looked round for a telephone. There were three on Holmes’ desk.
    ‘Let’s hope they analysed the stomach,’ said Holmes. ‘The white phone,’ he said, ‘is the outside line.’
    It took some time to get the senior consultant who had carried out the autopsy, but when Morrison eventually got through to him the reply was instantly available. There was no evidence of any ulceration of the stomach in the dead man.
    ‘Then whatever happened at Runnymede,’ said Holmes cheerfully, ‘it looks as though Shepherd faked his sick leave. It looks as though he did it to have an unauthorized contact with a Russian agent. I thought as much, but it’s nice to have the medicos confirm one’s theories.’
    ‘It looks pretty grim,’ muttered Morrison. ‘Have we any idea what was behind it?’
    Holmes smiled. ‘I’ll come to that,’ he said. ‘I told you it was going to be a long session. Rut what do you think? Would you add murder to your list of probabilities? Or was it suicide in a fit of remorse after betraying State secrets? Don’t answer that, Joe, because I don’t know and you don’t know; but it looks, doesn’t it, as though it’s going to be a perfectly horrible case?’
     

CHAPTER TWO
    Bugs Pendlebury
     
    Morrison put down his pipe and opened his notebook at a fresh page. He took out his new pen, a present from his wife, and, having asked how it was spelt, wrote down the name of Nina Lydoevna. He added one or two queries and the lines of enquiry which suggested themselves. ‘We’ll check up on her,’ he said. He switched his thoughts to Shepherd. ‘About these ulcers — ?’
    Holmes looked at his watch. ‘If you’d like to wait,’ he said, ‘Lamb is coming over. There’ll have to be a good deal of co-ordination between you and MI5.’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘And the Foreign Office comes into it too,’ said Holmes and Morrison grimaced. ‘It can’t be helped,’ said Holmes, noticing the grimace. ‘Shepherd was working for them. The man concerned at the Foreign Office is Scott Elliot.’
    ‘I suppose he’s coming over too?’
    Holmes nodded.
    ‘Anybody else?’ Morrison spoke with some anxiety. The wider an investigation was spread the more