Isla had been killed, while James had escaped. Worse, nobody within MI5 had known that there was a CIA team working in Aero City, who had not only worked out that Boris, Isla and James were agents for British intelligence, but obtained clear video evidence showing Denis Obidin being murdered in cold blood.
*
James was relieved to finally know the truth – at least most of it – but he still had a queasy feeling in his gut. Ewart had known the facts for several days, some for as long as a week; but he’d kept him in the dark and even gone so far as to warn him that his CHERUB career might be over.
James was right at the bottom of his stack when he came to a final batch of Ewart’s handwritten notes.
‘Appointments,’ James yelled, with the kind of euphoria that can only come after four brain-numbing hours of speed reading.
‘What’s up, doc?’ Dana asked.
‘The most important piece of paper would be right at the bottom, wouldn’t it?’ James said as he held it out for Dana to see. ‘Remember the two people on that list who weren’t dead? It looks like Ewart has appointments with both of them tomorrow. The first one is at nine-thirty, with our journalist friend, Jason McLoud. Then he’s going to lunch with the mysterious Sarah Thomas.’
‘So now we know where he’s going,’ Dana said. ‘But we still don’t know what he’s up to. This looks like a pretty thorough investigation for a man staging a cover-up, though.’
‘I agree,’ James said. ‘But I’ve been getting stick from half the kids on campus, I’ve been lying awake every night feeling sick to my stomach and all because Ewart hasn’t had the decency to tell me that he knows I’m innocent. There’s got to be something fishy going on.’
‘It’s certainly freaky,’ Dana nodded. ‘But what does Ewart stand to gain?’
‘Money I guess,’ James shrugged. ‘The Hiltons are billionaires and Sebastian could end up becoming intelligence minister, maybe even Prime Minister, some day. If Ewart helps the Hiltons out, his lifestyle could become a lot more pleasant.’
‘And you think Zara’s in on it too?’
James wasn’t comfortable with that aspect of the situation. Zara had always been one of his favourite people on campus. ‘Dunno,’ he said. ‘Maybe … but, for all we know, Ewart’s planning to up and run off with a stripper or something.’
‘On the other hand, maybe he’s just being cautious and waiting until he’s completely sure about his facts.’
‘But why lie to me?’ James insisted. ‘The video evidence clears me, one hundred per cent. Why make me go through an extra week of torture? I’ve never liked Ewart and I’m prepared to bet my right nut that he’s up to something.’
‘There’s only one way we can really be sure,’ Dana said.
‘What’s that?’
‘We know where Ewart’s going to be at nine-thirty tomorrow morning. We can follow him around and see what he’s up to and who he’s working with.’
‘That’s risky,’ James said warily.
Dana laughed as she looked around the room at the piles of top-secret documents. ‘And this isn’t … ? McLoud’s house is only about an hour’s drive from here. I’ll go and put the papers back in mission preparation now. If anyone stops me, I’ll say that I lost a ring when I was cleaning earlier. We’ll grab a few hours’ sleep, then we’ll get up early, sneak down to reception, nab some equipment and steal the keys to one of the pool cars.’
‘I can hardly believe you’re prepared to go out on a limb for me, Dana,’ James smiled. ‘I’ve got a girlfriend two doors down the hall. I begged her for help and she spent the night watching soaps instead.’
‘A friend in need,’ Dana smiled back. ‘Besides, you’re a nice guy, James. And I don’t just mean nice; I mean nice-nice.’
James was suddenly aware that Dana was standing close. She’d spent the whole night helping him, taking a massive risk in return for nothing and now she was saying that she was attracted to him.
The circumstances would have made it hard not to kiss Dana if she’d been a three-eyed monster with pickled onion breath. But she wasn’t. James had always been attracted to her, but he’d never acted on it, or even really thought about it. He’d been going out with Kerry since before he’d got to know Dana and besides, Dana was an older girl. Boys on campus usually hit on girls their own age or younger.