Page 58 - double revenge 3.

I left my car in Fulham and took a cab to Vauxhall Cross, I needed to speak to Fred Callaway more
than ever.

Fred was the archetypical nerd with pens sticking out of his top pocket, thick lens glasses and a
jacket with patches in the elbow that he wore from the first time I met him, more than ten years
ago. There was nobody, however, with as much encyclopaedic knowledge of Russia and the ex
Soviet Satellites. He was also the shyest person ever.

‘Bryant,’ he almost whispered, ‘what are you doing here?’

‘Hello Fred. I’m working on something that I believe Anne was also working on before she died, I
just wondered if she had said anything to you about what it involved?’

‘No, she never mentioned anything. In fact she had been told she must not mention anything to me
or to you specifically.’

‘Was that Barker?’

‘It might even have been higher.’

‘Really?’

I walked over to the door that separated the two offices.

‘No, please don’t open it. I keep it closed now.’ Fred sounded very upset.

‘I’m sorry, I just wanted to see her office, get the feel of her again seeing her possessions.’

‘It’s empty. When I came into work the morning after she died her office had been totally cleared.’

‘Did you ever get the feeling she might be in danger?’

Fred came closer.

‘Was it not an accident?’

He was really whispering now. I shook my head.

‘Did you know she had to get assistance from special ops?’ he asked.

‘You mean the camera surveillance?’

‘No, I mean the second occasion. She requested back up and a tail for someone she was going to
meet. I don’t think she realised I was in the office. I think asking for backup she must have believed
she might be in danger. The following morning I learned she was dead.’

‘Is there anything else you can tell me?’

Fred looked around the room as though frightened we were being secretly filmed and shook his
head. ‘No, and I really am truly sorry Bryant I miss her to hell!’

‘Thanks Fred, so do I.’

*****