A Woman Involved

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‘Have you quite finished?’

‘No. You can go and get fucked, Carrington!’

Carrington enquired: ‘The whole Navy as well?’

‘Yes! Because not one of you bastards stood by me!’

Carrington said, ‘We haven’t got time to go over all that again, but let me say that I didn’t ruin your career, Jack – you did. You shouldn’t have been fooling around with a married woman. Indeed, I saved your bacon. You could have been court-martialled on the story we were given about that cocaine. Instead you were quietly retired.’

‘Because you believed my version?’

‘Of course. We wouldn’t let a man we believed guilty of such a serious offence walk free.’

‘Then if you believed me you should have stood by me! But, no. The Navy couldn’t stand a whiff of scandal. Oh dear me no, we can’t have the public saying there’s no smoke without fire, et cetera, can we? So, to save your precious image you sacrifice an innocent man!’

Carrington said, ‘If you play with fire you must expect to get your fingers burnt. And married women are fire. You can’t expect the Navy to pull you out of that soup. Now, we’ve got a very important job for you to do.’

Morgan wondered if he had heard right.

‘The Navy’s got a job for me?’

‘And it’s very urgent. So will you please be so kind as to accompany me back to Headquarters?’

Morgan almost wanted to laugh. ‘This moment? And what on earth makes the Navy think I’ll do a job for them?’

Carrington said: ‘I could hand you your Call-up papers. As a retired officer you’re still subject to call-up and the Naval Discipline Act.’

Morgan held out his hand angrily. ‘So? Hand me my Call-up papers.’

Carrington said crisply, ‘We want this to be unofficial.’

Morgan was completely taken aback.

‘Unofficial?’ he said. You mean, “Deniable”?’

‘Exactly.’

Morgan stared. Jesus Christ. ‘I repeat, what makes the Navy think I’ll do an unofficial and deniable job for them?’

‘Money,’ Carrington said.

Morgan could hardly believe this. He picked up his saw again. ‘Carrington, please tell the Navy to stick their money right up their arse.’

‘Big money, in this case.’

‘The Navy’s got a big arse. Particularly in its Captain of Submarines!’

‘You’re not coming?’

‘How very perspicacious.’

Carrington sighed. ‘Then I must tell you, Jack, that the Navy will reconsider legal proceedings in respect of that cocaine report.’ He added: ‘I’ll deny I ever said that.’

Morgan wondered if he had heard right.

‘Jesus Christ … Not only does the Navy submit to blackmail, it now practises blackmail! … Jesus Christ,’ he said again. ‘Now I’ve heard everything.’