The Mary Russell Companion (29 page)

From the
Times of London
announcements column, 9 May 1992:

LADY BEEKEEPER  Searching

for her partner? She might try the

home of lost causes.

Billy—you saw Holmes’
Times
notice this am? Off to Oxford in haste tho’ (thanks to the Americans) won’t be at my own house. You could try St Hilda’s—one of the young dons is Professor Ledger’s great niece. Great-great? Or St Michael at the North Gate.

R.

Miss R—tried to reach you by phone but no answer at the flat and that ladies’ hotel hadn’t seen you. I’ve rung to the college, but in case you get one of these notes that I’m going to drop about the city, ring me immediately and I’ll take you up to Oxford myself—I have a flash new motor that’ll make you green with envy, we’ll be there in no time. It may be a matter of grannies and eggs, but it didn’t sound to me like you were taking into account that the
Times
advert may be a ruse, and you could be in danger.

Wm

MARY RUSSELL

CARE OF ST HILDAS COLLEGE OXFORD

RUSSELL I AM AT THE OXFORD DIGS OF THE GREAT NEPHEW OF OUR MONACLED [sic] FRIEND STOP SEEMS I HAVE HAD TO PULL OUT VARIOUS STOPS TO CONVINCE HER MAJESTYS WATCHDOGS NOT TO PUT MY WIFE IN THE TOWER FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE EMPIRE STOP YOU ARE EXPECTED FOR TEA STOP UNFORTUNATELY THE SAME COOK REIGNS THUS BRING SCONES FROM COVERED MARKET OR RISK ANOTHER BROKEN TOOTH STOP HOLMES

10th morning–The Sunday bells in


Oxford, like no others!

Dear Billy, thank you for your concern but the advert was in fact from Holmes, whom I have (finally!) retrieved from the household of a titled mutual friend (whose name I shall not commit to paper) who happened (coincidences do occur!) to be in Kew as Holmes passed across towards the taxi rank. They got into conversation & Holmes asked him about the political repercussions of my memoirs. And as men do, they decided to pursue their conversation over various libations, in London and then in Oxford. We are currently engaged in vigorous discussion concerning their proposed (slightly farcical and marginally offensive) solution to the situation, but I wanted you to rest easy and know that all is well, that the solution requires merely a trip to #10 to soothe ruffled feathers, and that we have seen no signs of the Americans.

Russell

WILLIAM MUDD INVESTIGATIONS

Dear Mrs Hudson,

Yes, I have heard from Mrs Holmes to say that they are in Oxford for a few days with a friend. I can’t think why she didn’t write to you, perhaps she did and the boy lost it again. But if I were you I wouldn’t object to them not being in Sussex, since her reference to “vigorous discussion” between the two of them has overtones of rug-scorching, paint-blistering temper on both sides. You’d think that at their age, they’d have calmed down a bit.

If I hear further, I’ll let you know.

Yrs, Wm Mudd

Clipping from the
Times of London
, May 7 1992:

MI6 chief named as secrecy is lifted

BY MICHAEL EVANS, DEFENCE CORRESPONDENT

MI6, Britain’s secret intelligence service, is to be put on a statutory footing for the first time, as part of the prime minister’s plan to be more open about an organisation whose existence has not been officially acknowledged.

Underlining the new mood of openness, John Major referred to Sir Colin McColl as the present head of MI6. He has never been named officially. Earlier this year, the Home Office named Stella Rimington as the new head of MI5, the domestic security service.

The naming of the heads of MI5 and MI6 brings Britain into line with other countries including Russia, which have not been so coy about their intelligence chiefs.

Robert Gates, the American CIA director, appears before Congress and on television. Russia’s two intelligence chiefs were named on their appointment.

Official recognition of MI6, to be enshrined in legislation later this year, follows the implementation of the Security Service Act 1989, which put MI5 on a statutory basis for the first time. Under the act, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith was appointed an independent watchdog of MI5, responsible for monitoring warrants issued to the security service for entering homes or business premises.

The proposed law covering MI6 is expected to include a similar watchdog arrangement. However, as Mr Major made clear yesterday, details of MI6 operations will remain secret. MI6 officers are based in British embassies abroad and gather intelligence for the government’s foreign, defence, security and economic policies.

Sir Colin McColl, who took over as head of MI6, or “C”, from Sir Christopher Curwen in 1989, is to retire at 60 in September.

Oleg Gordievsky, above, the former KGB head of political intelligence in London, yesterday cast off his usual disguise and appeared on television without his beard for the first time. Mr Gordievsky, who became a British agent, paid tribute to Sir Colin. He said: “He is not just nice, he is a brilliant man, extremely intelligent and a distinguished civil servant. The KGB has a very high opinion of him.”

19 May 1992

Dear Ms King,

I enclose the attached with the trunk of my memoirs, that you might understand something of its history. The Goodman case shook the Intelligence community 68 years ago. As these varied correspondences show, its effects still reverberate through the corridors of power. Thus, I would strongly urge upon you the solution offered by the Oxford friend referred to in the communications: that this volume be published as fiction. Personally (although our current Prime Minister would disagree) I suspect any readers of my memoirs will be too intelligent to fall for the ruse.

It rankles, to imagine my autobiography being published as mere entertainment, however I agree that in this one case, the world may not be ready for the truth about Mycroft’s organisation.  And if I may make a further suggestion? A whimsical title might be only appropriate. Something along the lines of,
The Green Man
, perhaps?

Yours,

MRH

Interview III

A Twitter Interview

The following “Twinterview” originally appeared as the afterward to
A Study in Sherlock
, “stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes”, edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Laurie R. King.  It forms the transcript of a 2011 conversation via Twitter between Klinger (whose Twitter address is
@lklinger
) and Mary Russell
(@mary_russell
), and is conducted within the usual limitations of 140 characters per exchange.