The Catch by Mick Herron

Author:Mick Herron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2019-12-04T20:26:37+00:00

To say that the business with Hannah Weiss, when he’d found himself handling an agent who was spying on the Park rather than for it, still rankled with Richard Pynne was tantamount to suggesting that Tom might remain a little pissed off with Jerry. Before and after snaps of his career resembled those you’d get of a seventies kids’ TV presenter pre- and post-Yewtree, and if he hadn’t been exiled from the Park—assigned to Slough House, the spook equivalent of Devil’s Island—he was persona non grata on the Hub, which was where the power plays went down and where he’d assumed his future would be spent. Richard had been Lady Di’s go-to boy; she’d been grooming him for bigger things. So he’d foreseen a numbered desk there: a Second, at least. Instead, he was now taking up space in the press liaison office. Which meant that, sitting on a visitors’ bench in the Park’s central lobby as Diana Taverner approached, it was hard not to feel bitter about what might have been.

But hard, too, not to quell the spark of hope lately ignited. He’d fallen from grace but here he was all the same, chosen for an op, and who’d have had the sign-off on that but Lady Di herself? So maybe he’d done his penance, and was ready to be welcomed back into the fold.

“Richard.”

“Ma’am.”

“What have you got?”

He’d hoped for a how’s it going?, a good to see you. But he could manage the business tone as well as anyone.

He said, “Bachelor’s made contact.”

“You’re sure?”

“I tagged his collar. We know exactly where he is. And Manors’s phone is in the same room. A café on Monmouth Street.”

“Good.”

She’d never been lavish with her praise, exactly, but the monosyllable sounded niggardly to his ears nevertheless.

“And how did Entwhistle do?”

Entwhistle, who’d introduced himself to Bachelor as Edward, was ex-army and now one of the Dogs, the Service’s internal police. A lot of recruitment was done from the armed forces. It was possible they enjoyed the prospect of coming the heavy with those known to the army as “the funny buggers.”

“About how you’d expect,” Richard told her. This didn’t appear to be detailed enough, so he added, “He put the wind up Bachelor all right. But I could have done that myself.”

“Of course you could.”

“It’s not like it would have been an uphill—”

“Richard, you’re not without your talents, evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. But you’re not hard-man material. I’m not saying you don’t have the bulk. It’s more that you lack the . . . gravitas.”

“Ma’am.”

“Entwhistle played his part, you played yours. I’m grateful for the assistance. I hope it didn’t drag you away from anything important?”

Ha bloody ha.

“Then thank you.”

She turned to go.

“Ma’am?”

“What is it?”

“Something you should know. Bachelor recognised me. My name, anyway. Entwhistle said too much, so Bachelor knows who I am.”

She half turned back. “Yes, Richard. We wanted him to know who you are. Why do you think you were chosen for the job? Now, do carry on.”

And then

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