Authors: Eva Hudson
Tags: #Westminster, #scandal, #Murder, #DfES, #Government, #academies scandal, #British political thriller, #academies programme, #labour, #crime fiction, #DfE, #Thriller, #Department for Education, #whistleblower, #prime minister, #Evening News, #Catford, #tories, #academy, #London, #DCSF, #Education
The Loyal Servant (40 page)
Caroline sank down onto the side of the bath.
‘Assuming it is you listening to this, and given how much you hate jazz – you really don’t know what you’re missing – I’m guessing that you’ve only made it all the way to track five because you’re indulging in some mawkish act of remembrance. And if that is the case then I suppose something rather terminal has happened to me.’ He took a deep breath and exhaled. ‘Which is a sobering thought, I can tell you.’
The CD played silently for a few seconds. Caroline jumped up and closed the bathroom door.
Martin Fox cleared his throat again. ‘So… assuming the worst, that means William King is trying to manoeuvre himself to the very top. He has some extremely powerful friends – but you must know that by now. I’ve left special instructions with my solicitor. In the event of…’ Another pause. ‘My death… he is to provide you with all the evidence I have amassed over the years. Enough to stop King in his tracks and very probably send him to prison. Along with Fred Larson, his wife Valerie, his son Freddie and Barry Flowers. Oh and your favourite and mine… Jeremy Prior. But I’m telling you things you already know. It must be tedious for you.’ He let out another slow breath. ‘The actual reason for this intrusion into an otherwise perfect collection of modern jazz classics is more personal than that. Not something I want you to discover sitting in a solicitor’s office in Waterloo.’
Caroline lowered herself onto the side of the bath again and held her breath.
‘I just want to let you know how much you mean to me.’
She jumped up and hit the pause button, aware that Dan was in the room next door. She turned the volume right down and hit
play
again, leaning her head close to the speaker.
‘And I’m not talking about the night in the Marriott. I’ve probably already apologised for that more times than you needed to hear anyway. I think we both regret what happened… I promised myself I wouldn’t apologise again… By now you no doubt know more about my…
private life
than I’d previously disclosed. I expect you’ve met Sam. I do hope she’s coping OK.
‘I didn’t set out to keep secrets from you, but given how much information I’ve been withholding for the past 30 years, I suppose I’ve felt more secure keeping my worlds entirely separate.’ He paused again. ‘What I’m trying to say in my desperately ham-fisted way, is that I hope you have valued our friendship as much as I have. You’re a beautiful woman, Caroline, and I hope your husband reminds you of that fact every day. He’s a lucky man.’
Caroline reached for the pause button again, trying hard to control the building pressure in her chest. She opened the window wider and took a few deep breaths before she felt able to continue. She leaned close to the speaker and restarted the CD. Seconds of silence played before Martin Fox spoke again.
‘If you’re listening to this CD-ROM via a computer, you’ll no doubt be wondering why I’ve copied all of the evidence I’ve given to my solicitor onto this disc. Overly cautious, perhaps, but I see this as a worst-case scenario insurance policy.’
Again Caroline paused the disc. She swallowed. Evidence?
You wonderful man, thank you, thank you, thank you.
She restarted the CD, trying very hard to concentrate and to resist punching the air.
‘It’s possible – perhaps even likely – that King’s sphere of influence is even greater than I suspect and he has somehow managed to intercept and destroy all the other evidence I have prepared. If that is the case, then under no circumstances should you trust the police.’ He swallowed noisily. ‘There are a handful of journalists I still trust. In the first instance try Paul Richardson at the
Guardian
. Failing that, you should make contact with Angela Tate at the
Evening News
.’
Caroline let out a long breath. She watched the LCD counter tick through seconds of nothing except the sound of Martin Fox breathing. Finally he cleared his throat.
‘The other thing I need to do is apologise. I’ve written a letter to Stephen Cole’s parents trying to explain. By the time I found him in the pool it was too late – there was nothing I could do to save him.’ Another pause. ‘Nevertheless, I could have told his parents what happened. Instead I let Fred Larson
deal
with the situation and kept quiet about it just like everyone else. But make no mistake; no matter how he may try to extricate himself from blame, William King was responsible for Stephen’s death. He forced so many drugs on him he may as well have held the poor boy’s head under the water.’
Caroline stopped the CD. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Immediately the black and white image of William King and Rachael Oakley staring open mouthed at the pale corpse lying next to the pool flashed into her mind. Somewhere in that pile of photographs there must have been a picture of Martin doing exactly the same thing. He’d been a part of the conspiracy all along. Surely that made him as guilty as King. How could he have stayed quiet for so many years?
Caroline stuck her head through the open window and gulped down cool air in an attempt to control the nausea rising in her stomach.
How could he
?
She stared up at the starry sky. Moments ago she’d had an overwhelming urge to scoop up the CD and hug it to her chest. Now she wasn’t sure she could go on listening to it. The sob she’d been trying to trap in her chest finally escaped and she could do nothing to hold back the tears.
All this time
.
She really hadn’t known him at all.
After a few moments she turned back to the blinking LCD counter and pressed the play button once again. Her hand was shaking.
‘I’ve felt so ashamed, Caroline. Not just because of what happened 30 years ago – I am ashamed of the silence I have kept ever since. I’ve watched King’s progress over the years and after each new victory I vowed it would be his last. But still I stood back and did nothing.’ He blew out a noisy breath. ‘Exposing King means exposing myself and I have been too afraid to confront that truth.
‘As you’re listening to this, it can only mean my hand has been forced and I’ve taken the final step I’ve resisted for so many years. I expect King must have coerced Duncan Oakley into resigning and replaced him as PM. King simply cannot be allowed to continue. I have to stop him, yet I know I cannot survive the personal humiliation that will inevitably follow.’
Caroline continued to stare at the counter on the stereo, unable to take her eyes off it as the seconds passed.
‘I’m so sorry, Caroline. By now you’ve had the chance to read the note I left with my solicitor trying to explain my actions. I hope that’s helped you understand why I made this decision. Why I felt taking such a dramatic step was my only option. You may see it as the coward’s way out, but believe me, it will take all the courage I can muster to commit the final act.’
More seconds of silence followed.
‘I’m so sorry I have disappointed you.’
The CD finally stopped playing. Caroline removed the disc from the stereo and put it back in its protective case. She grabbed a handful of toilet paper, dabbed her damp cheeks and blew her nose. She checked her face in the mirror and wiped away the smudges of mascara from under her eyes.
Disappointed? You have no idea
.
She took a deep breath and unlocked the bathroom door, the sick feeling in her stomach finally subsiding. She stepped carefully down the stairs, clutching the CD tightly in her hand. When she reached the hall she stood outside the living room for a moment and tried to compose herself, willing her heartbeat to slow. After another deep breath she pushed open the door.
‘Get your coat, Angela,’ she said. ‘We’ve got a government to bring down.’
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my early readers, Angela, Linsay and Annabelle for pointing out all the things I was too close to see; and all those at Lucy Cavendish College for spotting the potential in this story, especially Sophie Hannah, Professor Janet Todd and Beverley Yorke.
A big thank you to all of my former colleagues at the Department for Education – my years in Sanctuary Buildings were truly inspirational.
Finally, enormous thanks for FC's editorial guidance. I couldn’t have done it without you.
THE LOYAL SERVANT
Version 1.02
First published 2011
Copyright © Eva Hudson 2011
Eva Hudson has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright owner.
About the author
Eva Hudson has always led a double life. She has combined a respectable career in local and central government – including eight years at the Department for Education where her first novel,
The Loyal Servant
, is set – with creative projects that would have surprised her former colleagues.
She’s been a singer, dotcom entrepreneur, digital artist, and now writer.
The Loyal Servant
is set in Eva’s old office in Westminster and features an ordinary civil servant, and mother of three, who is thrown into a world of political scandal and corruption after she discovers the schools minister dead at his desk. Her decision to blow the whistle not only puts her career in jeopardy, but threatens the safety of her family.
The Loyal Servant
won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize from Cambridge University. The novel was also shortlisted for ITV's People's Novelist Award.
Eva Hudson grew up in south London and now lives on the south coast. Find out more about Eva at
www.evahudson.com
and follow her on Twitter @eva_hudson.
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