"Tina must have found it very stress-free in reconsideration to see that the Easter Bombers were set up to be clouted. From the viewpoint of, Tell me that how is your sweety girlfriend? could mean, Send me some more self-incriminating email." "Right," Sandra said. "Once Tina saw that the Easter Bombers were not real extremists, it couldn't have taken her so long to be examining the possibility that the Liquid Bombers were set up to be bashed. The unsophisticated theory, offensive though it may be to a trustworthy government worker, satisfies so many of the problems Tina kept asking herself, it would have been obligatory to take it seriously." "Issues such as?" Sandra prompted. "Such as Why didn't the police find more implicating proof? and Why did it take so many hearings to get so few imprisonments? and Why did the prosecutions draw so little media coverage? If the Liquid Bombers conspiracy was unfeasible by purpose, all these difficulties would be r

When Sandra awoke Tuesday morning, I was deskbound, writing a couple of letters. “Morning darling,” I said without looking up. "What's happening?" Sandra asked, still somewhat tired. "I had a very thought-provoking chat with Hector Nelson on the Tube. Shall I tell you about it while you appreciate your breakfast?" "Why not?" she answered and started pour milk over her cornflakes. “I didn’t hear you come in, by the way?” “No, you wouldn’t have.  I haven’t been home long.” I  took a few minutes to finish what I was writing, then sat back in my chair and resumed speaking. "Hector handed me names and addresses," I said, "of two woman he thinks we should contact. Both, in his words, are attractive young female performers. I stated to him I didn't think you'd object." Sandra smiled and kept eating her cereal. "I have just completed transcribing to them," I continued, "demanding consultations at thei

I poured a drink of brandy and handed it to our visitor. "Drink this and try to calm down," I said "It's delightful!" she said after her first sip. "Good, I'm glad you're liking it," I said, "now, please tell us about Tina." "The person all and sundry are talking about?" Helena Locke asked rhetorically. "I don't know her at all. She was the absolute reverse of all that has been alleged about her. It's been dreadful for each and every one of us but chiefly her family." She took another sip before continuing. "They're completely broken by this because it's not the true Tina at all. She was a lovely girl, with excellent sense of humour and, from the bottom of my heart, she was the most charming, sensitive, gorgeous person. Truly, she was one in a million. She was somebody who really had a sound judgment for life. She was very effortless as a person. Nothing was a bother to her; whether you asked her to call you a taxi or do a big deed, sh

"How much did you tell the Commissioner of Police?" I asked. "Janet Mason is in a very delicate position," Sandra said, "so I am cautious." "I realised as much," I said, "and that's why I asked." "I reminded her of the times she and her cohorts at Scotland Yard had messed things up and wanted me to save their skins. Not all the time, mind you, we only had the whole twenty-four hours. And I couldn't use the whole time chatting. In fact, I used up most of the time listening to her. Janet is not as happy at work as she once was, and not as indispensable, either. Once upon a time, the fact that she had no job title and no job description worked in her favour and she could make herself helpful in lots of ways, and in places, and there was no political restriction against any of them. She knew everybody and everything, and everyone came to him when they needed a bit of extra thinking done. Now, all her original team are gone, everything is compartmentalised, and sh

48 How long I hung there before Sandra screamed God only knows. But it had the right effect, as I held on with desperation, the performance immediately stopped, the lights went on, and the audience looked away from the stage and up towards me. My assailant had gone, but that didn't make the situation any easier. I hung on for dear life as theatre staff members came to my assistance, two male programme sellers pulling me to safety. I didn't stop to thank them, but I did ask them which way the assailant went. I gave chase, heading for the exit, taking the curving downward staircase to the door that led to the street. Out into the night, the crowds made finding my attacker almost impossible, but when I saw in the distance a man running in the direction of Charing Cross, I gave chase. He was twenty yards ahead of me, but I kept running, getting closer with every stride. Despite my age, I was reasonably fit, and I kept going. He dis