with another couple from the embassy. Charlie missed a shot at the net and without warning doubled up in agony. When he straightened, his expression had changed for ever. That pain would last until his death from liver cancer nine months later at his family home on the Black Isle in Scotland.
She looked around the room. Mermagen couldnât tell her anything, or wouldnât. Through the glass of the Pineapple House she could see Darsh Darshan sitting on a garden bench. He was staring ahead with his arms clamped round his chest. Glennyâs bodyguards stood at a distance.
âIâm surprised Darsh wasnât arrested,â she said.
âThe home secretary was very understanding: he put it down to grief. Darsh was always a rather overwrought character.â
âSurely you didnât know him at Oxford? It was just our crowd at New College that knew Darsh.â
âOf course I did,â he said.
âWhat did you think of the things he said in church â all that stuff about murder?â
âWell, you know Darsh was virtually in love with David.â
âBut what did he mean?â
His eyes moved to the home secretary. âHe was blaming them for Davidâs fall and therefore his being in High Castle and therefore his being in Colombia when a bomb goes off and kills him instead of some bloody union leader or whatever â logic that is surely not worthy of the man who invented the Darshan Curve.â
âWhat was David doing before he left government service, Oliver?â
âHe was head of the Joint Intelligence Committee; before that at COBRA â the Cabinet Office Briefing Room âAâ, mostly to do with energy, I gather but I donât fly at that altitude so I do not know the details of his jobs. He darted about giving a lot of people the benefit of his laser mind. You did know that he was thought likely to become cabinet secretary one day. All he needed on his CV was a big department to run. There was talk of the Ministry of Defence.â
âDarsh said he was
mortified
. What did he mean by that? Itâs an odd word to use â mortified.â
Mermagen pouted mystification and touched the handkerchief in his breast pocket. âBetter ask him. By the way, howâs your mother?â
âMy mother!â she said, astonished. âMy motherâs fine, thank you: why do you ask?â
âStill playing golf?â
âYes, between bridge and running the Faculty of Advocates In Edinburgh.â She remembered her parentsâ excruciating visit to Oxford, her disruptive father smirking in the wake of his rigid wife. Perversely the only student her mother had taken to was Mermagen, who had ingratiated himself by pretending an interest in womenâs golf.
âCan I ask
you
something?â Kate said. âDid anyone have a reason to kill Eyam? It was raised â well, hinted at â during the inquest.â
âKill David? What on earth for? Really, youâve been watching too much American television, Kate. What an absurd idea.â His arm swung out towards a tray of canapés that was just about in range. âI must say, Ingridâs done David proud with these caterers. Are you coming to the dinner tonight? No, of course not. How could anyone know youâd be here?â
Kate began to look for an escape. âWhoâs giving the dinner?â
âOrtelius. You know, Eden White, the head of Ortelius and much else besides.â
âEden White was a friend of Davidâs? I donât believe it. The information systems creep? That Eden White?â
âThe same but be careful, my dear Kate. Heâs a partner of mine, and heâs quite a power in the land â a friend of the prime ministerâs. Hardwired into the government. Immensely influential.â
âJesus, whatâs happened to this country? Eden White best friends with the prime minister.â
âThey were always