Page 48 - double revenge 3.

extremely intelligent. I can assure you she was never put in any danger and this search for Warner
was a one off.’

Barker’s news took me by surprise but it probably answered why Anne had been such a mixture of
emotions just before she died. I felt rather proud of her.

‘If you’re ready we’ll go next door. Thomas should be set up by now.’

‘OK. I’ve got my breath back.’

We moved into the Chapel where there was now a video player and a TV monitor. Barker and I sat
but Barker instructed Thomas to wait.

‘I told you Anne initiated this enquiry when she received an intercept from GCHQ. The intercept
was clearly a shakedown, an attempt at blackmail. We knew the person being blackmailed was with

the security services but we had no idea who that was. One of our Assists in New York, an ex con
named Mick Hagley, traced Warner and discovered who Warner was blackmailing, no idea how he
did it. He signalled Anne that Warner had arranged a meeting in a pub.

Anne had no idea what Warner looked like, of course. She and Thomas staked out the pub and this
is the video. The sound is from the microphone on the camera so what you hear is from within the
room. OK Thomas.’

When the picture appeared, I tried not to show surprise. The meeting had been arranged in the
Bricklayers. My brain was racing trying to fathom why Warner had chosen this particular pub to
make contact with whoever he was blackmailing, that is if he chose the venue. It turned things on
their head. If Warner was meeting the blackmail victim here then he wasn’t blackmailing someone
in MI^ but someone in the CIA.

The camera was focussed on the Pub entrance and showed many people entering together. Most
of those who arrived were in groups; obviously they worked in the same department or were
friends. Not many arrived alone. I wondered if Barker had recognised Mex. Whatever this video
showed I was determined to remain non committal.

The microphone then picked up the two tone horns of an approaching emergency vehicle, an
ambulance. Two paramedics got out, removed a stretcher from the rear of the ambulance and
wheeled the stretcher down the alleyway where I knew was the entrance to the snug.

Eight minutes later the paramedics reappeared wheeling the stretcher which clearly now contained
a person. Anne’s voice could be heard on the tape.

‘Get a close up of the stretcher Thomas. Damn we can’t see the face. I am going down, keep
filming!’