Sepulchre Read Online Free Page A

Bill banning K & R organisations such as Shield, condemning them as an inducement to kidnap rather than a deterrent. He had removed their client's corpse from the scene of the shooting, leaving it by the roadside in another county to be discovered by others. Because of that, the two incidents hadn't been connected - at least, not by the public. The authorities on both sides of the border who had cooperated with Shield before on similar K & R operations, had turned a blind eye (although the Garda naturally hadn't been happy about the killings on their territory).
    'Here we are,' Mather said as the elevator glided to a smooth halt. The doors sighed open and the two men stepped out.
    They found themselves in another reception area, although this was far less impressive than that on ground-level, and much quieter. Through the windows to their right they could see a wide, open terrace, white tables and chairs placed all around, the building itself recessed here to provide a spectacular viewing platform over the southern half of London. It was empty of observers at the moment, the sun too feeble to take the chill from the breeze at that altitude.
    A few people sat inside, though, waiting in the beige loungers, while Magma staff wandered through, some carrying documents, others collecting the visitors and leading them off to second-stage lifts or into corridors branching from the lobby.
    The desk on this level was set into the wall and stationed by only two blue-uniformed men. A girl was standing by the counter talking to one of them. On seeing Mather and Halloran emerge from the lift she broke off conversation and hurried over.
    'Mr Charles Mather?' she asked, smiling engagingly.
    The older man raised a hand. 'And this is Mr Halloran,' he said indicating.
    'I'm Cora Redmile. Sir Victor sent me down to fetch you.' She shook hands with both men.
    She was slender, dark-haired, her eyes a muddy brown flecked with green. Mid or late-twenties, Halloran guessed. Her smile was mischievous as she looked at him.
    'I hope you enjoyed the journey up,' she said. 'Some visitors are quite unsettled by the time they reach the twelfth.'
    Halloran only smiled back, and for a moment, uncertainty flashed in her eyes.
    'Absolutely splendid, m'dear,' Mather answered. 'Marvellously clear day for spying the landscape. You should make people buy tickets.'
    The girl gave a short laugh. 'Compliments of Magma. If you come with me I'll take you to the eighteenth. Mr Quinn-Reece is waiting with Sir Victor.'
    'Up to the eyrie. Splendid.'
    Still smiling, the girl turned away and they followed her to the row of interior lifts.
    Inside and on their way, Mather said: 'You'd be Sir Victor's personal secretary, I take it.'
    'No, not Sir Victor's,' she replied, and made no further comment.
    'Ah,' murmured Mather, as if satisfied.
    Halloran leaned back against the wall, feeling the slight headiness of blood pressured by high speed. He caught the girl looking at him and she quickly averted her gaze.
    'My goodness,' said Mather. 'We're fairly shifting, aren't we?'
    'I can slow us down if you prefer,' Cora told him, anxiously reaching for a button on the console.
    'Not at all. I'm rather enjoying the experience.'
    She smiled at Mather's glee, her hand dropping back to her side. Once again, her gaze strayed to Halloran. In his dark tweed jacket, with its leather elbow patches, his check shirt and loose-knitted tie, he should have resembled a country squire; only he didn't. Far from it. And there was something about his eyes . . . lie looked like a man who could be cruel. Yet there was a quiet gentleness about him too. Cora was puzzled. And interested.
    -How many security men does the building have?'
    Halloran's question took her by surprise. There was a softness to his voice also, the slightest trace of an accent. West Country? No, Irish. With a name like Halloran it had to be.
    'Oh, I think Sir Victor has all those details ready for you,' she answered quickly, realising she