A Fatal Game by Nicholas Searle

Author:Nicholas Searle
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241354407
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2018-09-13T16:00:00+00:00

11

They sat in the Masouds’ comfortable lounge. The minibus was parked at the rear of the house and Chris was on his mobile phone in the hall explaining, in tones that were quiet but unmistakably those of the supplicant, what had happened.

‘Please. We don’t want the police to be involved,’ Mrs Masoud had repeated when they reached the house.

‘I’ll try to get this straightened out discreetly,’ said Chris.

Mrs Masoud made sweet tea and disappeared upstairs with her husband to change from their creased and dirty clothes.

When they returned, Jake asked, ‘Are you all right?’

‘We’ll have to be,’ said Mr Masoud. ‘We have to be at the inquiry when it reconvenes,’ he added almost plaintively.

‘I know,’ said Jake. ‘But these people …’

‘What?’

‘It’s all so unfortunate.’

There was a pause.

‘It was you, then,’ said Mr Masoud quietly.

‘Yes,’ he replied.

‘The man behind the screen.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘What for?’ He looked genuinely perplexed.

‘For everything.’

‘Ah yes.’ Mr Masoud appraised him for a long while. ‘Why do you do what you do?’

‘I, I …’

‘I don’t mean to be aggressive. I’m curious. It’s a strange profession.’

‘Over time you forget how strange. You think it’s normal. You lose your perspective. It makes sense when you’re inside.’ He looked at his cup. ‘I liked the idea of doing something worthwhile. Something purposeful. I liked the idea of the thrill, I suppose. And the notion of secrets. The real answer is more prosaic. I applied for a lot of things when I came back from travelling after university. It was the best option at the time. But …’

‘Yes?’

‘We shouldn’t be talking about this. Not with what just happened to you.’

‘No, I’m interested. Has it given you what you were looking for?’

‘No. The excitement is just terror, in small segments, surrounded by a lot of routine. You feel elated when you do something well. Secrets can be depressing, too. You learn things about the world, people you previously respected, that disillusion you. Half the time you’re being lied to and the other half you’re unable to use what you’ve learned. I wanted to do something with meaning …’ He became silent. ‘What about your family? How are you coping?’

‘We’re not,’ said Mrs Masoud firmly. ‘But that’s to be expected.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Thank you.’

‘The inquiry. Is it …?’

‘Helping? Not really.’

‘It’s not what we expected,’ said Mr Masoud. ‘We thought we’d get closer to the truth. We thought we’d find the answer.’

‘Perhaps there is no answer,’ said Mrs Masoud. ‘Perhaps that is the answer.’

‘You must feel anger.’

‘We do,’ she replied. ‘Not as much anger as sorrow, but we do.’

‘Then you must want those responsible for it all identified.’

‘Those responsible blew themselves up along with the others in the railway station. Do you feel responsible?’

‘I do.’

‘It’s right that you should. You people aren’t supposed to let this kind of thing happen, especially when you know all about it.’

‘If we had known all about it …’ Jake pointed out.

Mr Masoud stared at him with an intensity Jake could not divine. He imagined it must be loathing. Mr Masoud said, ‘We’re looking for a resolution.

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