The Bell Ringers Read Online Free Page B

minister’s spokesman issued a statement saying that all those who worked with Mr Eyam were shocked and saddened by his death. Although he left Downing Street two years ago, he was still remembered fondly by the prime minister’s staff for his acuteness and originality of mind. He had made a great contribution to John Temple’s administration, particularly, it is understood, at the prime minister’s side during international negotiations. The coroner, Roy Clarke, paid tribute to Mr Eyam’s exceptional qualities and recorded a verdict of unlawful killing by persons unknown.’
    They watched in silence as the film of the explosion was run. When it was over Temple sucked air through his teeth and shook his head. ‘Can you get that back for me?’
    â€˜What? You want the explosion again?’ asked Cannon.
    â€˜No, just the report, not the explosion.’
    Cannon selected instant replay from a menu on the right of the screen. The woman began her report again. Halfway through Temple jerked forward. ‘Stop it now!’ The frame froze with the woman’s handreaching up again to her hair. ‘No, go back a little.’ The prime minister peered at the screen. Cannon did likewise.
    â€˜What is it?’
    â€˜Peter Kilmartin is there on the court steps! What’s he doing at the inquest?’
    â€˜I’ve no idea,’ said Cannon. ‘You want me to have it copied?’
    â€˜No, that’s fine,’ he replied and leaned over to write on a pad that was on the desk. ‘What about the funeral?’ He tore the page out and folded it in four.
    â€˜It’s next week. The home secretary will represent you. He knew Eyam well and I gather he may be asked to give an address – a stepmother is organising things.’
    â€˜We should be there.’ One of the famous prime ministerial pauses ensued. His index finger rubbed the unusually deep philtrum, the indentation above his lip. ‘Seen the early editions?’ he said eventually. ‘Any adverse coverage on the web?’
    â€˜They’re taking it at face value. There’s no hint of anything sinister, apart from the barbarous act. The film is sensational – it speaks for itself.’
    â€˜Good . . . yes . . . that’s good . . . we would not want it said that . . .’
    â€˜That there was something untoward?’ offered Cannon. ‘No. There’s nothing like that.’
    â€˜Yes, well, we’re not Russia – the British government doesn’t behave like that. We don’t have people dispatched.’
    â€˜No. Quite. Actually the papers are full of news about some toxic red algae that has appeared in the reservoirs. That looks the most worrying of all the stories.’
    â€˜Still, I’m interested in what he was doing in Cartagena.’
    â€˜A holiday it seems.’
    â€˜In Colombia? It doesn’t seem very likely. Eyam was a man for the opera houses of Europe, the great libraries and museums of the world. He failed us, but he did not lose his culture. I mean . . . Colombia?’
    â€˜Yet he had a lot of obscure passions,’ said Cannon.
    â€˜The point, Philip, is that it wasn’t
known
he was in Colombia and, given the difficulties surrounding his departure from government, itshould have been known. A failure in the system perhaps, or were his plans intentionally obscured? Colombia is after all not a place associated with legitimate activity, is it? And David Eyam was, as I understand it, still regarded as a problem.’
    Cannon kept quiet: he had no interest in things that were unlikely to reach the headlines. David Eyam was old news and had long ceased to be of any concern to him. His ejection from government had occurred without publicity and barely any fuss at Number Ten and in the necessary focus of Cannon’s professional life the film from Colombia was little more than a brief diversion from the algae problem. The next day a