Toliman by Richard Murphy

Author:Richard Murphy [Murphy, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-22T23:00:00+00:00

20. The Inspector

Daniel picked up the photograph. “Is that me, mummy?”

Leavold brought the picture closer. In it, a young baby was being held along by a strong, cheerful man with a moustache.

She shook her head, smiling as a distant recollection warmed her memory. “No, that’s mummy and grandpa.”

The boy started to sift through more pictures in the shoe box. His arms, thin and white like stripped willow busily fussing over every image.

There was a knock at the door and Leavold lazily made her way across the old cottage, under low beams and past wonky walls to a chunky oak door. The light blinded her a little and she had to squint to make out the silhouette of O’Toole cast against the autumn sky and the garden of roses.

“They let you out then?” she said, as he grabbed her in a warm hug, holding her for just a little longer than was required.

“They were never going to put me behind bars, Bridgette.”

He stepped inside and took off his coat, hung it next to the door and sat down on a chair. Across the room Daniel was playing with a dinosaur.

“Bit warm for a suit?” she said.

O’Toole looked like he had no idea what she was talking about, before smiling quickly and giving a nod. He leaned forward in his chair. “You must be Daniel?”

The little boy nodded and edged toward Leavold. “Mummy, can I go and play in the orchard?” She smiled and ruffled his hair and off he went.

“He’s such a beautiful boy,” said O’Toole. She watched how his eyes followed Daniel out of the room, almost with sadness. “How did they find him?”

She sat down and pressed her trousers, trying to straighten the chaos of her mind. “It was the compad I found at the terraforming station. The true nature of the plot against the monarchy goes well beyond Mars. But I found secret weapons stashes, hidden fleets of fighters and worst of all the illegal adoptions. Children being smuggled to Mars.”

Everything had happened so fast it was almost a blur, like some picture someone had left out in the rain. Being shot, found by the Dakran scientist, then the investigation into the communications satellite that Mars one had brought down with it.

“Incredible. Dastardly, even. Why Daniel though?”

She shrugged. “Maybe my position within PSI? Can you believe they wanted to make him into a spy? He wasn’t the only one. There were scores. Politicians kids, army officers…the list was long.”

“So many children abducted by the Mars agents. So many high-ranking people having their families pulled apart. But nobody ever connected the dots?”

“Until me.” She sat back, her gaze drifting through the window at the golden locks of Daniel’s hair bobbing amongst the trees outside.

“Until you.” They shared a look; but it wasn’t the same. She was happy, tired. He looked troubled. Almost, pitiful.

“What is it, O’Toole?” she said.

He swallowed, reached for a glass of water Daniel had left on the table and then changed his mind at the last second before setting his eyes upon her.

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