The Loyal Servant Read Online Free PDF Page B

started back up. During the painfully slow ascent to the fourth floor, Caroline heard at least two exchanges speculating about the possible links between Martin Fox’s death and the resignation of the prime minister. As she’d lay awake for most of the night, Caroline had gone through all the permutations and combinations herself. But as much as she tried to force a connection, there really was nothing to tie the two events together. Martin Fox may have been a member of Duncan Oakley’s government, but they had never been close political allies. Caroline had always got the impression they tolerated one another for the sake of party unity. The theories she overheard in the lift were no more credible than the ones spouted by the overexcited callers to the radio phone-in she’d listened to while she made Ben his breakfast.
    Finally the doors opened onto the fourth floor and Caroline pushed her way out of the lift and into the academies section. As she passed her colleagues, heads turned and conversations stopped mid-sentence. She felt their gaze follow her all the way to her desk. She dropped her bag onto the floor, peeled off her jacket and slumped onto her chair. She waited a moment before glancing up. A few of her team smiled back at her and quickly looked away, while others made a show of studying intensely absorbing paperwork. She reached for her phone.
    ‘I didn’t expect to see you here today.’
    Caroline replaced the handset and looked up to see her line manager emerging from the kitchen, a packet of custard creams in one hand, a mug in the other. Pamela Reynolds hurried over to her, liquid slopping over the edge of her mug. Without waiting to be asked, she dragged a chair from a nearby desk. The hydraulic mechanism let out a short hiss of complaint as she sat down. She dumped her coffee and biscuits on the desk and leaned her head close to Caroline’s. She pulled a sympathetic face. ‘Are you sure you’re up to it?’ She rubbed her dimpled knuckles up and down Caroline’s arm. ‘Should you even be here?’
    Caroline glanced round the office again. ‘Does everyone know it was me who… who…’ She had to stop; she could feel her throat tightening.
    Pam nodded.
    ‘Who told you?’
    ‘I don’t remember – everyone was already talking about it when I got in.’
    Caroline cleared her throat, not wanting to risk speaking again.
    ‘Are you OK?’ Pam stuck out her bottom lip and tipped her head to one side. ‘You do look a bit peaked. Maybe you should go back home.’
    Caroline dragged over a pile of papers from her in tray. She started leafing through them. ‘Too much to do,’ she said.
    ‘But you’re probably in shock and you just don’t realise it. Trauma affects people in different ways. You should be taking it easy.’
    Caroline took a deep breath and said nothing. Pam leaned in even closer and gripped Caroline’s arm.
    ‘Was it awful?’ She lowered her voice. ‘You know – finding him like that?’
    Caroline stared at Pam, her mouth dropped open. She shook her head.
    ‘What?’ Pam said. ‘I’m only asking what everyone else is wondering.’
    Caroline said nothing. There was nothing she could say.
    Pam gathered up her biscuits and mug from the desk and stood up. ‘Well, you know where I am if you need to talk to someone.’ She pulled her mouth into the semblance of a smile. ‘I only want to help.’
    Caroline went back to sifting through her paperwork.
    Pam sniffed loudly and walked away. ‘Oh, I nearly forgot.’ She turned back again, losing more of her coffee over the side of the mug. ‘Jeremy wants to see you.’
    Caroline glanced at the glass-walled room at the other end of the office. It was empty. An image of Jeremy Prior pacing up and down the office dressed in his dinner suit forced its way into her mind. She blinked hard as if that might make it go away. ‘What about?’
    Pam shrugged. ‘He didn’t say. I should warn you though – he’s in a stinking mood.’
    She