Triple Crown Read Free Page B

dawn to search the
premises and take blood samples for analysis.’
    ‘What did they find?’ I asked.
    ‘That the foal had been euthanised and the carcass cremated.’
    ‘Did the farm give a reason?’
    ‘They tried. Some hooey about the animal kicking out and breaking its leg. But the pit was still red-hot from the fire. They must have incinerated the poor thing through the
night.’
    ‘It could have been a coincidence,’ I said. ‘They do sometimes happen.’
    ‘If it were only those two I might agree but there have been more, like a fire that conveniently destroyed all the computers in the office of an illegal bookmaker hours before they were to
be seized.’
    ‘Arson?’
    Tony rolled his eyes. ‘Not that anyone could prove.’ ‘Have you had a leak inquiry?’ I asked.
    ‘Not officially. But the Director and I initiated a review of our internal and external communications. In the process, we covertly examined the email and phone records of all of our staff
who knew about the operations ahead of time, but it turned up nothing of any use.’
    ‘How many people knew about these operations beforehand?’
    ‘About twenty.’
    ‘Why so many?’
    ‘There are eight field agents in the horseracing team with a half a dozen backup support staff. Then there are three or four senior personnel, myself included, who would be fully briefed.
Plus the Director. All would know about an operation ahead of time. Most would be involved either in the planning or in the decision to give it the green light.’
    ‘That’s far too many,’ I said. ‘A true secret stops being secret when two people know it, let alone twenty. Planning should be done by only two or three key decision
makers, with those taking part in the raid briefed about the operation and told the target only immediately before the off, when it’s too late for the information to be leaked.’
    Tony looked down at his hands as if somewhat embarrassed.
    ‘We are a relatively new agency,’ he said. ‘We clearly still have much to learn.’
    ‘So you want me to come and teach your people how to do it,’ I said rather flippantly.
    ‘I suppose that would be nice eventually,’ Tony said seriously, ‘but what I really want you to do now is to come and find our mole.’
    ‘Why me?’ I asked.
    Tony and I were safely back in my office with the door firmly shut. Even so we kept our voices to a murmur.
    ‘A number of reasons,’ Tony said. ‘Mostly because you know what you’re doing and, because you are an outsider, you are above suspicion. I came to London specifically to
recruit you but I needed to be sure. Hence I’ve watched you closely over the past two weeks and I am sure you are the right man. You are determined and single-minded and, most
important, you are unflappable. Yesterday you demonstrated admirably that you can keep your head when all around are losing theirs, and that includes me.’
    ‘I try,’ I said.
    As an army intelligence officer in Afghanistan, it had been my task to acquire information from local tribal leaders, most of whom hated the Taliban only fractionally more than they hated the
British. Meetings were always fraught with danger, and a wrong word or action could result in an all-out shooting response. Keeping one’s head at all times was essential, metaphorically and
literally.
    ‘But surely there is someone else in another part of your organisation who is better placed to investigate the leak?’
    ‘I need someone who understands the racing industry.’
    ‘I know British racing,’ I said. ‘not American.’
    ‘No matter,’ Tony said. ‘I’ve realised during my stay that horseracing here is much the same as in the US and the potential for trying to beat the system is
identical.’
    ‘I’m not so sure,’ I said. I’d been to the United States before, on holiday, and everything had seemed very different – bigger, brasher and more ballsy.
    But Tony wasn’t giving up that easily.
    ‘Jeff, I need your