" Shirley forgave him .sx It's an old Islamic custom , the relatives can choose their own retribution .sx She decided to go for the money .sx Very practical .sx " .sx They'd reached the door .sx " Is this for real , Harry ?sx " .sx He reached into his jacket pocket and took out an airline ticket .sx " Would I tell a lie ?sx " .sx She kissed him gently on the cheek .sx " Probably .sx " .sx Harry switched off the lights , put his hand on the door lever and pulled it open .sx The headlights were dazzling .sx Angela shielded her eyes .sx There wasn't one set of lights :sx there were half a dozen .sx Behind them , in the darkened warehouse , Paul emerged from the glass-windowed foreman's office , Betacam on his shoulder , red indicator light flashing on and off to show he was still turning over .sx Angela looked at Harry , then at the cars .sx Two silhouetted figures were walking towards them :sx Roger Carlisle on the left , Chief Inspector Norman Calloway on the right .sx " You bastard !sx " Angela screamed .sx 27 " MANGAN , " SAID HARRY .sx " Where's Mangan ?sx " .sx " Across the road in hospitality , " said Roger .sx " Waiting for Ben .sx " .sx " How long before he gets here ?sx " .sx Roger checked his watch .sx " Twenty-five minutes .sx " .sx The deputy Director of News and Current Affairs was sharing a drink with Robert Kettle and Tim Green in room B29 , a plush dungeon along the corridor from the video-tape suite whose wall of heavy curtains concealed not a window but a blank concrete wall .sx He looked up and smiled as Roger and Harry came through the door .sx " You hanging around for the kill , Harry ?sx " he asked .sx " We all are .sx " Harry went across to the drinks trolley and poured himself a whisky .sx " The thing that interests me , Tony , is how much they pay you .sx " .sx Mangan smiled .sx " What , the BBC ?sx " .sx " No , the government .sx " .sx The smile was gone .sx " What are you talking about ?sx " .sx " The security services , Tony old chap. Those nice boys with the OBEs who take people like you out to lunch and invite you to do a little something for Queen and country .sx The State within the State .sx " .sx " He's drunk , " Mangan told Tim and Robert .sx " Not yet , " said Harry .sx " Is this true , Tony ?sx " asked Roger .sx " Is what true ?sx " .sx " That you work for the security services .sx " .sx " Of course not .sx " .sx Harry looked at the clock .sx Ben was due in fifteen minutes .sx " Don't be daft , Rog - he works on the need to know principal .sx He hasn't told his brain yet .sx " .sx " Need to know what ?sx " asked Mangan .sx " That Ben Webb killed Jo O'Brien , " said Harry .sx " Any fool could have figured that Terry's trial was a farce if they'd bothered to think about it .sx Only the police didn't bother to think , it's not what they're good at .sx They had a corpse and a prime suspect and pressure for a fast conviction .sx But your friends in Whitehall aren't fools .sx They had their eyes on Latchkey already - a left-wing charity with political connections , staffed by promiscuous homosexuals - why wouldn't they ?sx Three for the price of one .sx Jo may even have been on their payroll all along .sx And they had their eye on young Ben , too :sx bright young lad with political ambitions , you never know , may get somewhere some day .sx They knew Ben had been making noises to Willie Walpole about the state of Latchkey's accounts .sx So when Jo's found dead after a fight , they have another suspect , just as promising as Terry and twice as interesting .sx What's more Ben didn't have an alibi :sx he played a game of squash , had supper with friends and then went home to an empty bed , because Angela was off at a concert in Croydon .sx Or so he thought .sx " .sx " You're mad , " said Tony .sx Tim and Robert were watching him , gob-smacked .sx " For most of this week I've wondered if I am .sx I didn't use to believe all this State-within-a-State stuff either .sx But the heavy brigade convinced me .sx " .sx " Keep talking , " said Tim .sx " There isn't a lot more to say .sx Except that for the past eight years Tony's friends have been under the impression that Ben Webb was a murderer .sx And rather than do the decent thing they've sat on their little secret , waiting until the day when Ben became a power in the land .sx Which he now is , I suspect with a little unnoticed help along the way .sx He might well have made it anyway , if a little less smoothly - he's a bright boy , with a sharp eye for the main chance .sx Personally , I don't happen to think much of him as a politician , I think he's a slick opportunist :sx optimism , and honesty happen to be marketable commodities at the moment , so that's what Ben sets himself up as .sx In a different climate he'd be just as likely to sell himself as Mr Shrewd or Mr Technocrat or Mr Call-A-Spade-A-Spade .sx But that's something the punters have to suss out for themselves .sx Big stakes .sx And then poor old Pete Pattichis gets it into his head to start digging around , and muggins here sets all the fire alarms off ringing people up asking them about the Latchkey business .sx That's when the Heavy Mob came on board .sx All they wanted to know initially was what was in the bag Pete was handing me , whether he had the missing diary .sx But when that screwed up , things started to get more drastic .sx Up to and including driving a truck at me on the M6 .sx Failing to rub out Kapowski was a minor detail .sx The big fuck-up was that Ben Webb didn't kill O'Brien in the first place .sx His wife did .sx " .sx He checked his watch again .sx Less than ten minutes to go .sx " Did Ben know ?sx " asked Tim .sx " I suspect not .sx The first he was meant to know about it was after the election , when the men in grey suits would present themselves and reveal they knew his little secret .sx A spook's dream :sx a senior politician with a guilty past shared only by the forces of Law and Order , which is how I imagine those dinosaurs see themselves .sx " .sx Mangan got up .sx His face had gone white , whether through fear or anger Harry still had no idea .sx " Your play , Tony , " said Roger .sx But he was already halfway to the door .sx The others were still watching him when the phone in the corner rang .sx Ben Webb was in reception .sx " You going to tell him ?sx " asked Tim .sx " Not yet , " said Roger .sx " Let him do the show first .sx " .sx Harry and Miranda watched the programme upstairs in the Not Proven office .sx Harry perched on the edge of the conference table , Miranda slumped in the chair behind Phyllis' desk .sx They were both too tired and tense to talk much .sx After the opening titles , Tim Green came on the screen , and started into his introduction .sx Harry leaned forward , waiting for the camera to cut to Ben , waiting to see his expression .sx " In a moment , " said Tim , " I'll be talking to the deputy Leader of the Labour party .sx .. " .sx And there was Ben , looking authoritative but unstuffy in a grey wool suit .sx Harry relaxed and lit a cigarette .sx " Who's going to tell him ?sx " asked Miranda .sx " I am , " said Harry .sx " Has to be me .sx " .sx He stood up and walked across the office and pulled up a chair beside her .sx " Thanks .sx " .sx " For what ?sx " asked Miranda .sx " For trusting me .sx " .sx " Trusting you ?sx What on earth makes you think I trust you , Harry ?sx " .sx Harry sighed .sx " OK , for staying on the story .sx " .sx " I told you , Harry , I'm doing it for the money .sx What do you do it for ?sx " .sx " Habit , I suspect .sx " .sx She gave him a tired smile .sx " Are you going to keep doing it ?sx " .sx " I thought we weren't going to try and change each other's habits .sx " .sx " I'm not , I'm just curious .sx " .sx " Then the answer is , probably .sx And you ?sx " .sx " I haven't decided yet .sx " .sx " About us , or about the job ?sx " .sx " You .sx I don't give a fig about the job .sx " .sx " I don't suppose you'd be tempted by a few days away from it all ?sx " .sx " Like where ?sx " .sx " North Cyprus .sx I still have the tickets .sx " .sx Miranda looked up at the screen .sx Ben Webb was in Handsworth , glad-handing Sikhs .sx " How about Birmingham ?sx " .sx " You serious ?sx " .sx " Absolutely .sx I've never been to Birmingham .sx " .sx Ben handled the interview with Tim Green like a pro :sx confident , witty , unflappable .sx Harry and Miranda waited until it was almost over , then took the lift down to reception .sx " Do you want to be in on this ?sx " asked Harry .sx Miranda shook her head .sx " I'm going home , Harry .sx I'll see you later .sx " .sx Across the foyer Ben's driver was sitting reading the evening paper .sx " How you doing , Harry .sx " .sx " Not great , to be honest .sx " .sx As soon as the interview was over Roger Carlisle collected Ben from the studio floor .sx " Have you time for a drink , Ben ?sx " .sx Ben looked at Sam Dickinson , who had joined them .sx " Up to you , Ben .sx " .sx " Not tonight , thanks Roger .sx " .sx Ben's detective was there now too , and Roger led the entourage out into the circular corridor that rings the inside of the building , through the double doors and out into reception .sx " Hallo , Ben , " said Harry .sx " Harry !sx " A double-fisted handshake :sx looking down Harry could see how raw and blistered Ben's hands were after two weeks pumping flesh .sx " I didn't know you were in tonight .sx Were you happy with your film ?sx " .sx " Ben , I need to talk to you in private .sx " .sx " What , now ?sx Just the two of us ?sx " .sx Harry looked at Roger .sx Roger gave him a nod .sx " Three .sx " .sx " Is this really important ?sx " .sx " Yes , " said Roger .sx Ben shrugged his shoulders .sx " OK .sx Where ?sx " .sx Harry didn't want to go back down to the hospitality room , which would by now be full of production staff finishing off the left-over claret while they waited for their taxis home .sx " Do you mind fresh air ?sx " .sx " How long are we going to be ?sx " .sx " Not long , " said Harry .sx It was a soft night , a warm damp breeze blowing from the south-west .sx They walked out down the ramp into the car park , away from the floodlights that illuminated the front of the building .sx " This place used to be a Chinese Garden , do you know that ?sx " asked Ben .sx " Some Victorian eccentric built it for his own amusement .sx I've met people who grew up here in the fifties , the great game for kids was to break in at night and go swimming in the lake .sx They must have demolished it to make way for the BBC .sx " .sx Half way down a line of parked cars Ben stopped and leaned back against the side of a Range Rover , hands in pockets .sx " So what's the great secret , boys ?sx " .sx Harry looked around to make sure they were alone .sx " The police arrested Angela two hours ago for the murder of Jo O'Brien .sx " .sx Ben looked straight at Harry .sx " For what ?sx " .sx " For Jo's murder .sx It also looks as though she shot Willie Walpole .sx " .sx Ben was shaking his head .sx " This is a joke , isn't it ?sx " .sx A hundred yards to their left the audience from a game show was pouring out into the night , making its way towards a line of parked coaches , ready for the long trip home to Coventry or Southampton .sx " I'm afraid not , " said Roger .sx And then Harry told Ben the whole story , as simply and directly as he could .sx The politician stood in silence , running his fingers through his hair .sx In the distance the detective stood at the top of the ramp , watching them .sx " Where is she now ?sx " asked Ben when Harry had finished .sx " Shepherd's Bush Police Station , " said Roger .sx " I'm sorry , Ben , " Harry said quietly .sx Ben reached across and put his hand on Harry's shoulder .sx Harry didn't much like the man , but he felt for him now .sx He also suspected that Angela had been right , Ben did love her in his own way .sx " I'm sorry too , Harry .sx " .sx Above and behind them a commissionarie came out through the reception doors , eyes straining in the darkness .sx " Mr Carlisle or Mr Kapowski out there anywhere ?sx " .sx " Over here , " Roger shouted back .sx " Chairman's on the phone for you .sx " .sx " Tell him we're in a meeting , " Harry joined in .sx " Don't worry , I'll take it , " said Roger , and started off up the ramp towards the building .sx Ben was staring at the wall behind Harry's head .sx " What are you going to do ?sx " Harry asked him .sx Ben's eyes came back into focus .sx