Bernard Samson 8 - Hope by Len Deighton

Author:Len Deighton
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 1995-11-28T18:30:00+00:00

‘I might have to remind you of that, Bernard.’

‘I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Cindy.’

‘You’d shop your own mother if she stood in the way of you finding out something you really wanted to know.’ Fiona laughed in that sincere and friendly way that married couples do laugh when they have said something to their partner that they really mean. When her smile faded she said: ‘This morning there was a “resources” meeting. There are going to be big cut-backs, Bernard.’

‘They are always talking about cut-backs and it winds up with a memo asking everyone to save the paper clips on their incoming mail.’

‘Not this time. Even people on permanent contract are not safe. Central Funding have set aside separate money for severance pay.’

‘I’m not on a permanent contract,’ I said flippantly.

‘I can’t argue with them on your behalf, darling. You understand that don’t you?’

‘No of course not. It would look bad if friends or family argued on behalf of someone it was expedient to get rid of. The only people who can legitimately argue on my behalf are my enemies.’

‘Dicky isn’t your enemy.’

‘Who said anything about Dicky?’

‘That shooting at the Campden Hill flat… VERDI was killed. The inquiry exonerated you and Werner, but losing such a promising source leaves a bad impression.’ She paused. ‘You want it straight, don’t you? You don’t want me to baby you along?’

‘No, don’t baby me along, Fi.’

She ignored the bitter tone in my voice and said: ‘Nothing is decided yet, but all senior staff will be asked to submit a list of people they…’

‘They want to get rid of.’

‘Yes, and if that won’t provide savings enough, they will start listing the necessary cuts… so many grade threes, so many grade fives and so on. Bret says there may be constitutional implications. He said it might be beyond the government’s lawful powers to demand big cuts in the nation’s security services without consulting Parliament and getting all-party consent.’

‘Good old Bret. He’s a flag-waver, isn’t he?’ I got to my feet and patted the stopper on the whisky bottle to be sure it was tightly plugged. I wasn’t enjoying this conversation.

‘You’ll be all right Bernard.’

‘I’ve got no contract; no pension plan; no tenure; no severance pay, no rights at all. I’d be the cheapest employee to get rid of. Even the doorman has a trade union to back him if he appeals to a tribunal for unfair dismissal. They could push me out of the door at a minute’s notice.’

‘At least I will be able to tell you what’s happening and when, darling. It won’t just come out of the blue like that.’

‘I’m not going to stay awake all night worrying,’ I said. ‘There’s nothing I can do about keeping my job, so screw them.’

She came close to me and I held her. She was still wearing her big soft fur coat and my fingers disappeared. With uncharacteristic spontaneity, she put her hand to the back of my head and kissed me with unusual verve. Holding me tight she said: ‘There is something you can do: stop fighting Dicky.

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