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Both Katherine and I beamed with happiness when we walked in the front door of our recently purchased and much larger residence.It was big enough for both our children to eventually have their own room.And, as with Quint, my wife had seen to every decorating detail.
“Perfect,” I said, kissing first Katherine, then Kennedy, and finally Quint.“Our life is simply perfect.”
8
GEORGE
“It isn’t like Mrs.Udele not to pick up,” said Wilder after placing a call to Z’s secretary.
“It is the middle of the night, Wild,” Wren pointed out.
“In my day, those who worked at SIS were expected to answer calls regardless of the time of day or night.”
Wren looked over at me and rolled her eyes.I stifled a chuckle.Wilder had been, at one time, interim director general of MI5.He’d also been offered the job of MI6 chief, which he turned down.It was his “in my day” comment that made me smile, given the man wasn’t yet forty years old.
I returned to my task of piecing together the details of Puck’s career and found some of the parallels to Z’s interesting.Both had attended Oxford University and studied the combined major of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, or PPE.Each had been offered jobs at MI5 prior to graduation.
The two men rose through the ranks at a similar pace, and given it was anticipated Pinch would leave his role as DG and take over as MI6 chief, it would’ve been a foregone conclusion that Puck would’ve been offered the job he was vacating.
He was given his code name after a brief stint as a professional hockey player.His father and grandfather had also played the sport at a professional level.
He’d lost his mother at a young age, and his father had passed away a year after his son started working for MI5.He had no siblings.It wasn’t unusual for those like Puck and me—so-called orphans—to choose to work in intelligence.I wasn’t aware of any official data on it, but I wasn’t surprised when I met agents who’d lost both parents and were only children.
“I hadn’t realized Puck and Seshat were at Oxford at the same time,” Wren commented.
Neither had I.“Do you think they knew each other?”I asked.
Pinch looked over at me.“They did.”He had a sheepish expression, as if he realized he should’ve shared that earlier.“I’ll, um, forward the interview notes.”
“Are you talking about Seshat’s interview?”Wren asked, then smiled.“Never mind.You’re one step ahead of me.”He’d sent the same email to both of us, containing notes from his conversation with her as well as Z’s with Puck.
Reading over them, nothing in particular jumped out at me as being inconsistent with what I’d learned of Puck’s career.That the notes were Z’s, though, almost undid me.I could hear his voice in every comment he wrote.It made sense he would’ve interviewed Puck.Back then, he was the head of MI5 in the same way Pinch was now.
I rested my chin in my hand.If Puck hadn’t disappeared a year ago, I would’ve said he was one of the top agents employed by SIS.So much so, I was beginning to doubt he’d abducted Z.It just didn’t make sense.Even if he’d gone to work for AMPS, like Seshat had, why Z?There were other people who made far more sense.Nemesis would’ve been at the top of the list, given she was the commander of the UN Coalition leading the charge against AMPS.
Any one ofthe task force leaders—Ares, Cayman, Poseidon, Zeppelin, or Magnet—would be next on my list of most likely to be abducted.
I stood, walked over to Pinch, and took the empty seat beside him.“Approaching five hours without a ransom request.”
He nodded.“I’ve run down the entire list of those currently or formerly employed by SIS who are or were granted clearance above Security Check.All are present and accounted for, with the sole exception of Puck.”
“If he is working for AMPS, Z makes little sense as a target.”
“Agreed.”
“Do you think Puck is aware Seshat is dead?”I asked.
“If he’s not, his inability to make contact with her could be a motive to involve Z.Although I’d consider it a stretch.”
However unlikely this theory was, if it was accurate, God knew how Puck would react once Z informed him of her demise.
“I’d suggest you get some rest, but I doubt you’d listen.”
“Not a bloody chance in hell, Pinch.”
“Understood.”
“I feel as though I’ve reached a dead-end with Puck.Nothing adds up, nothing makes sense.In looking at his history, I couldn’t profile him as a risk of any kind.Even with the deaths of Beak and Vulcan, his behavior—disappearing—is so out of character.”
