The Dragon and the Needle Read Online Free PDF Page A

it.
    ‘There’s no need to talk to Dr Clifford like that!’
    ‘But it’s true, Minister.’
    Mike immediately drilled Morris harshly. ‘Do you know the hours we put in?’
    ‘No more than mine.’
    ‘I doubt that. Are you really concerned with health?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘I heard you fought bitterly against pay rises for nurses.’
    ‘Correct.’
    ‘And researchers.’
    ‘Right.’
    ‘Your own salary pushes six figures a year, not including expenses.’
    ‘I don’t see what that has to do with …’
    ‘Gentlemen!’ The Minister shouted the word impatiently. ‘Please! Fighting with each other will get us nowhere!’
    Mike spoke calmly, ‘I couldn’t agree more.’ He ignored the set, expressionless face of the Secretary. ‘Whatever has happened, or is happening, in terms of murders, assassinations … at this moment in time we should be working on finding Professor Dorman’s killer.’
    ‘Absolutely!’ the Minister concurred.
    ‘Why was Dorman coming to see you?’
    ‘He told me on the telephone that he was on to something.’
    ‘Were any papers found in his car?’
    ‘No.’
    They discussed the situation a while longer. The conversation was serious but it led nowhere. Mike said he would go to Dorman’s Park Crescent office in the morning. Perhaps he could follow a lead from there.
    Now, back in his flat, he held the empty wine glass in his hand. Would some revolutionary organisation claim they had killed Dorman? Certainly terrorism had come back into the news since the crisis in Hong Kong had ruptured into open strife.
    Hong Kong! Former British Crown Colony, leased to Great Britain in 1898 for 99 years, occupied by Japan on Christmas Eve 1941 and restored to the British after the Second World War. The year 1997 had passed. The years that followed were difficult ones for Western democracies. They had to choose between direct confrontation with the ‘New China’ and its nuclear weapons, or with Japan, totally rearmed by the USA, but unwilling to wage war on its behalf in Asia. It was nomere academic choice. They had to choose between these two major world powers. The United States of Europe and Russia had long since made peace with each other.
    Mike frowned at his thoughts and then remembered Dorman’s wife. God, how she must be suffering. He must call her. But on the way to the telephone he hesitated. Perhaps she was struggling in an effort to overcome her grief. Speaking to her at this moment would only intensify those feelings. Yet he might be able to help. He went quickly to his desk, but it took many minutes before the line to her was finally free.
    ‘Hello, Mary,’ he said. ‘It’s Mike.’
    Mary Dorman’s voice was full of sadness but strong. ‘Thank God you’ve phoned, Mike. I was going to call you any moment.’
    He cut in with, ‘You know, don’t you, that no stone will be left unturned to …’ His search for words was thankfully stopped abruptly by Mary’s voice interrupting him.
    ‘Stuart was so fond of you, Mike,’ she said. ‘You’ve got to carry on his work, haven’t you.’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘Did he tell you about Eleanor Johnson?’
    ‘Stuart mentioned her to me,’ Mike said.
    ‘I’m not sure who she is exactly, but he wanted you to meet her.’
    ‘Yes,’ Mike said, ‘but we must be careful. We can’t be certain of anyone, can we?’
    Mary suddenly lost any restraint she might have had. She shouted down the line to Mike. ‘Certain! Certain! Bloody hell, Mike, what is there to be certain about! Only that they’ve now killed Stuart, my darling Stuart!’ She could no longer control her emotions. ‘I’ve been going through hell these past few weeks, Mike. He knew they were after him, the police knew, but nothing was done!’
    ‘Who was after him? And why?’ Mike’s mind was full of concern.
    ‘I don’t know,’ Mary moaned. ‘I don’t know!’
    ‘Mary, I’m coming over to you, right now!’ Mike said.
    ‘No.’ Mary spoke slowly and