The Invisible Assassin by Jim Eldridge Read Free Book Online

the open air, and unless the table we were sitting at was bugged . . .’
    ‘Directional microphones,’ said Parsons. ‘State-of-the-art surveillance equipment. Parabolic mics. You can pick up a conversation in the open air from fifty metres. Even further with the latest technology.’
    Lauren looked shocked. She shook her head. ‘But how would anyone know that we were worth bugging?’
    ‘Because of what happened to me this morning, getting kicked out of the department,’ said Jake. ‘It was me they were bugging, waiting to see who I contacted. And I contacted you.’ He gave an apologetic sigh. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into this. Well . . . I did, but I didn’t think it would lead to this. I’m really sorry.’
    ‘I’m not,’ said Lauren.
    Jake looked at her in surprise.
    ‘But . . .’ he began. Lauren didn’t let him finish.
    ‘I’ve always wanted to write a book about the Order of Malichea. This is all about what you could call “lost sciences”. Science books that the Order hid hundreds of years ago because the sciences in them were deemed “dangerous” by the powers that be. As far as I knew, all the evidence about the Order of Malichea and their lost sciences was circumstantial, stories with some evidence to back them up, but nothing tangible. Nothing solid. This is solid.’
    Jake frowned, puzzled.
    ‘I don’t get you,’ he said.
    ‘The event that happened in Bedfordshire, the building worker turning into something weird,’ said Lauren ‘You saw that.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Jake. ‘I swear I did.’
    ‘The attempts by this boss of yours . . .’
    ‘Gareth Findlay-Weston.’ Jake nodded.
    ‘. . . by him to persuade you it was all a hallucination. And now this burglary, my laptop and my notes on the Order of Malichea being taken as a warning. It means there is hard evidence, and someone’s got it, and they don’t want it being known about as real instead of just some . . . weird stuff.’
    ‘You’re jumping to a bit of a conclusion,’ said Parsons doubtfully.
    ‘I am – a logical conclusion,’ said Lauren.
    ‘A circumstantial conclusion,’ challenged Parsons.
    Good, thought Jake. Please argue between you.
    ‘I know what’s happened so far points to that, but there could be another explanation which we’re missing, because we don’t have all the information,’ insisted Parsons. ‘And there’s another thing . . .’ and he began to look around, concerned. ‘We’ve just agreed that it’s likely your conversation outside the British Library was bugged. So what’s the betting the same people are listening to us at this very moment?’
    Lauren and Jake exchanged concerned looks. Parsons was right. Then Lauren’s expression changed to one of angry determination. It was an expression Jake recognised all too well. It was the expression she’d had on her face when she’d told him he could go to hell after she’d found him with the bridesmaid.
    ‘Then we’re going to change that,’ she said. She stood up. ‘Come on.’
    ‘Where are we going?’ asked Parsons.
    ‘Where we can talk without being overheard.’

Chapter 8
    As Jake and Parsons followed Lauren across the pedestrian bridge over the Thames towards Embankment Station they kept a resolute silence, to Jake’s great frustration. Where are we going? he thought. Surely it wouldn’t do any harm for her to at least tell me where we’re heading. We’re walking on a bridge over the Thames; no one can pick up what we say here. Unless we had a parabolic microphone trained on us from a boat on the Thames. What were the chances of that?
    Every chance, realised Jake gloomily. These people tried to kill me, they’ve taken Lauren’s laptop. They can get everywhere and do anything.
    He kept silent, along with the other two, and just followed them. From the Embankment they caught a train to Baron’s Court. Outside the station Lauren hailed a taxi.
    ‘It’s only a short distance from here,’ she