The Fire Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

with a rare good humour to his apologies. However as the call ended she had said: ‘It’ll cost you!’ He knew she wasn’t joking.
    Replacing the phone in his pocket, McRae observed Grim zigzagging his way towards him
    â€˜I’m done with the buildings for now,’ he panted. ‘It’s looking good. Want me to get on with the machinery or have you done it already?’
    â€˜Not even started, my friend, so feel free. I’m still trying to get some idea of the bloody stock numbers. Actually, I don’t think they have too much in the way of plant anyway. Mind you, there could be a fair bit of smoke damage in the admin block, even though it seems intact.’
    â€˜You’re not wrong,’ responded Grim. ‘I’ve already been through it. Nothing has been totally destroyed but all the computers have been knackered. There will be fuck all salvageable, I reckon. Incidentally, the ‘canteen’ is just about bearable as a dry meeting room, if we need to bring old George in for a few questions later.’
    â€˜Great, but what I’m more bothered about right now is getting forensic in. We are talking millions here. Can you get onto Balfour and see how soon he can get down?’
    With this value of loss, it would be essential to get forensic consultants involved. It was a no-brainer. Normally McRae would contact the insurer first to seek approval, but CFG would absolutely insist on someone being engaged here, he was certain. As he thought about it McRae realised that CFG would almost certainly engage someone else, one of the major international forensic companies, but McRae had total confidence in Steve Balfour of Balfour-Grange. As a small, keen-as-mustard, independent practice, he knew that Balfour would do everything himself. There would be no delegation of certain mundane aspects of the investigation to junior members of staff, which so often happened with the larger companies. No, Steve, he was decided, was the man.
    He hesitated, as he noticed Grim staring at him. Already, the little man had acquired a patina of soot on his face and his eyes were gleaming.
    â€˜Yes, I know what you’re thinking, but Steve won’t let us down and I really don’t want to report back, in any way, before we’ve got all our ducks in a row.’
    Grim shook his head sorrowfully as his eyebrows rose. ‘You’re taking a hell of a chance, Drew.’
    â€˜I know,’ he replied, quietly, ‘but the way I see it, if we get back to them now and give ‘em a reserve of umpteen million, we’ll be off this case before we even get started – and that much is certain! This way, so long as we take all the right steps and get our feet a little bit under the table, it might be easier for them to stick with us than twist.’
    Cairns looked dubious. ‘Phew, I really don’t know. It might be smarter to put them fully in the picture now and take our chances.’
    â€˜Yes,’ responded McRae, patiently, ‘but the trouble is that it could come across as if we are nervous of handling a large loss. You know how these guys work, the slightest sniff of some decision that head office might not like and they’ll be saying, ‘Sorry about the mistake, let’s have your bill. The Big Three are taking over tomorrow.’ You know that’s true.’
    Grim gazed into space a moment before eventually sighing, somewhat theatrically and saying, ‘Okay, okay, it’s your call, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
    McRae needed no warning, the potential politics of this case had been absorbing him from the second he had picked up the Hellenic file. In some inner recess of his mind he was fully conscious that he was taking chances, but… needs must.
    â€˜Okay, let’s give this another half hour and meet in the canteen at...’ he glanced at his watch, ‘say, six? You can tell me then how soon Balfour can get