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doubt. Let’s assume he is telling the truth and that this is
a serious investigation. We have no trace of him in any of our files, so we’d
better start believing his story until it’s disproved; he just might! be on to
something, and if he is, then it goes way above me. Tomorrow morning, Barry, I
want you back at the hospital with a fingerprint expert; take his prints in
case he is giving a false name, put them through the identification computer
right away and make sure you get a full written statement, signed. Then check
the Met files for any shooting incidents on 24 February he could have been
involved in. As soon as we can get him out, I want him in an ambulance showing
us where that luncheon took place. Push the hospital into agreeing to that
tomorrow morning, if possible. To date, he’s not under arrest or wanted for any
crime we know about, so don’t go too far, not that he strikes me as a man who
would know much about his rights.
    ‘Mark,’ Stames said, turning his head, ‘I want you to go back to the hospital immediately and
make sure the Met are there. If not, stay with Casefikis until they do arrive. In the morning, go round to the Golden Duck and check him
out. I’m going to make a provisional appointment for us to see the Director
tomorrow morning, at 10:00 am, which will give you enough time to report back to
me. And if, when we check the fingerprints through the identification computer,
nothing comes up at all, and the hotel and the restaurant exist, we may be in a
whole heap of trouble. If that’s the case, I’m not taking it one inch further
without the Director knowing. For the moment, I want nothing in writing. Don’t
hand in your official memorandum until tomorrow morning. Above all, don’t
mention that a senator could be involved to anybody - and that includes Grant Nanna . It’s possible tomorrow, after we have seen the
Director, that we will do no more than make a full report and hand the whole
thing over to the Secret Service. Don’t forget the clear division of
responsibility - the Secret Service guards the President, we cover federal
crime. If a senator is involved, it’s us; if the President’s involved, it’s
them. We’ll let the Director decide the finer points - I’m not getting involved
in Capitol Hill, that’s the Director’s baby, and with only seven days to play
with, we don’t have time to sit and discuss the academic niceties.’
    Stames picked up the red phone which put him straight through to the
Director’s office.
    ‘Nick Stames ,
WFO.’
    ‘Good evening,’ said a low, quiet voice.
Mrs McGregor, a dedicated servant of the Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, was still on duty. It was said that even Hoover had been slightly frightened of her.
    ‘Mrs McGregor, I’d like to make a
provisional appointment for myself and Special Agents Galvert and Andrews to see the
Director for fifteen minutes, if that’s possible. Anytime between 9:00 am and
11:00am tomorrow. It’s likely that after further investigation tonight and
early tomorrow, I won’t need to bother him.’
    Mrs McGregor consulted the Director’s desk
diary. ‘The Director is going to a meeting of police chiefs at eleven but he is
expected in the office at 8:30 and he has nothing marked in his diary before
eleven. I’ll pencil you in for 10:30, Mr Stames . Do
you want me to tell the Director what the subject of your discussion will be?’
    ‘I’d prefer not to.’
    Mrs McGregor never pressed or asked a
second question. She knew if Stames called, it was
important. He saw the Director ten times a year on a social basis, but only
three or four times a year on a professional basis, and he was not in the habit
of wasting the Director’s time.
    ‘Thank you, Mr Stames .
Ten thirty tomorrow morning, unless you cancel beforehand.’
    Nick put the phone down and looked at his
two men.
    ‘Okay, we’re fixed to see the Director at
10:30. Barry, why don’t you give me a lift home, then you