Man on Fire by Humphrey Hawksley

Author:Humphrey Hawksley [Humphrey Hawksley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2021-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

The Prime Minister plucked the photographs of Yumatov off the table. He handed Lucas the one taken in the Japanese restaurant in Dresden. ‘This is Nevrosky?’

‘Yes, sir,’ said Lucas. ‘The other is Michio Kato, heir to the Ariga empire. The Katos are a wealthy family whose political influence has grown alongside the rise of Japanese nationalism. Nevrosky is a Dresden businessman. Fingers in many pies in the old Soviet bloc.’

‘Where is Nevrosky now?’

‘Neither at his main residence nor in his office.’

‘We need to get the Service onto it and work with the Germans. Discreetly.’

Bridget England glanced at Stephanie who said, ‘Bridget has come up with something.’

‘Then spit it out, Bridget,’ instructed Slater.

‘A number of companies based in Saxony and Bavaria have been using a London company, Future Forecasting, to help them gain local influence through elections. The targets have been football clubs, trade unions, charities, anything – it seems – that needs an election to its board. This company specializes in data harvesting and neuromarketing, in getting inside the minds of voters, and made its name here with Brexit. It has clients all over Europe, Catalonia, Estonia, Scotland. The common strand is that it targets areas that are vulnerable to extremism. The owner is Stephen Case, a hi-tech whizz kid, who boasts he will never work on an election he can’t win.’

Slater’s gaze stayed sharp on England while he summoned across a staffer. ‘David, check we’ve never used this company, either the party or the government. If we have, make sure the press office has an explanation.’ He turned back. ‘Sorry. I call it bud-nipping: stopping shit before the sewage tank breaks. Bridget, please, go on.’

‘Only to say, sir, that Stephen Case is now turning down contracts in those same areas. We’re still trying to find out why.’

‘Is Nevrosky a client?’

‘Not directly, sir. But there’s a political pattern and we’re still checking.’

‘Good,’ said Slater. ‘Now, how does the Ariga corporation fit into all this?’

‘Japan is more opaque, sir,’ said Stephanie, glancing across for Lucas to pick up.

Lucas said, ‘The Kato family is heavily entwined with Japanese politics and believes the country should never have lost the Pacific War. Unlike here and back home, organized crime is embedded in Japan’s institutions. There is no strict prohibition to being a member of a crime syndicate. The police have files on tens of thousands of members. There is no red line dividing that from legal commercial and political activity. The Kato family founded Ariga, which is a pivotal force within the Yakuza network.’

Slater studied the photograph with a frown. ‘I’ll need more before confronting the Japanese government. We’ve lost so much leverage because of bloody Brexit.’

‘Ariga was raising funds for the Uelen project over the same period that the U-235 was there,’ said Lucas.

‘I’ll need a smoking gun.’ Slater picked up the second photograph. ‘Steph, you say we have a name for this blur of a man behind the window?’

‘He is Lord Brenning of Knettishall,’ said Bridget England. ‘He was elevated as a cross-bench peer because of his knowledge of space defense.

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