" Good work, good work, mate!" " Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" "Go!" "Inside." "Right goal, Majid!" "Brilliant." "Well done, Majid." "Get off of me!" "No, no!" "No!" "OK, lie there and shut the fuck up!" "No!" "Shit!" "Wasn't my fault." "He kicked me." " Oh, Christ!" " You wanted him dead, didn't you?" "The bullet's still in his head." "They can trace it, you arsehole, Elliott!" "How the hell do we get it out?" "What are you doing?" "Turn it off." "How are you tonight, Mercy?" "Louise." "I just picked up the wrong overall." "Good." "You?" "Fine as can be expected." "Considering we live in an oligarchy where man's vilest instincts are lauded and applauded." "A once-innocent paradise corrupted beyond recognition by mankind's foul ambition." "Yeah, I know what you mean." " Jimmy, it's Max." " I was about to call you." "It's a bit slow tonight." "Anything juicy for me?" " Rod Robinson." " Ageing rocker?" "Boring." "Not any more." "See you in 20 minutes." "Any chance we can rendezvous at my office in the future?" "The combination of blood and lager doesn't really do it for me." " Do you know anywhere else open?" " What have you got on Robinson?" " Kiddie porn." " Filthy bastard." "Payment is... there, under Nubicon." " Much?" " A grand, cash, but I need a favour." "Make it quick." "I can get this in the late editions." "I want my old job back." "You know the new editor over there." " Go on, put in a word for me." " Oh, Max." "People have got long memories." "You cost our paper a lot of money." "I don't have that kind of clout." "I'm sick of raking about in bins." "You're good at raking about in bins." "Anyway, what about your phobia?" "Be realistic, Max, fear of daylight is a slight handicap in any career, even journalism." "Oh, OK." "A big story could be about to break." "Bring whatever you find to me and only me." "And then I might help." "And I'm only doing this cos we're old mates." "Call it misplaced loyalty." "The Defence Secretary's having an affair, with an erotic dancer, a Slovenian girl." "They use a mews... in Holland Park." "There's the address." "I need dirt." "Oh, and I think he knows we're onto him, so the diplomatic branch might be hanging about." " Call me." " Not a problem." "Donald Hagan a senior member of the US Republican Party and a long-time close adviser to President Bush arrived in London today" "Mr Hagan is chairman of the Validus Group one of the biggest benefactors of the sharp increase in US military spending" "There is speculation that he is visiting the UK on a mission to try to influence the British government to make similar increases" "Thank s." " Keep the change." " Cheers, guv." "Trying to outsmart the trashmeister, are we?" "Pregnant?" "Is she pregnant?" "Where's the stick?" "Where is the stick?" "Is she or isn't she?" "Pugnus Dei?" "Private dance, please?" " It's £50, OK?" " Sure." "Did you get my cheese and pickle sandwich?" "Is tongue OK?" "Only joking." "Have you heard anything about a politician and a Slovenian girl, a dancer?" "No, but we had a couple of footballers in tonight." "That worth anything?" "No, I need to find out about this girl." "You don't know her?" " Why would I know her?" " Well, you're both dancers," " both from the same neck of the woods." " I'm from Albania, Max." "Albania, Slovenia, Shitholia, they're all the same, aren't they?" "Such a nasty bastard sometimes." "I need to know if she's married, how old, where she comes from, if she's up the duff, anything." " Up the what?" " With child, pregnant." " Tell 'em I'll make it worth their while, hm?" " OK." "Good." "Oh, shit." "See what you can do, yeah?" "You are joking." " Do you know the time?" " Sorry." "I got caught up in something." "Someone's rubbish is more important than your daughter?" "Could I just watch her sleeping?" "Please?" "I am only doing this because I know what you mean." "Anything stronger?" "Yeah, but you're not getting it." "Or have you stopped taking your medication?" "Did she like the book I sent?" "Yes." "The Assassination Of JFK, loves it." "Bit young for conspiracy theories." "She didn't need the bloody laptop either." " Well, that's for when she's older." " She needs the old Max back." "She needs her daddy back." "And I need my husband back." "You woke me up in the middle of the night." "At least you could listen to me." "You have a condition, you can't go out in daylight." "It's called phengophobia, or have you forgotten?" "And it won't get sorted until you admit it." "Look I..." "I've got to go." "Can I keep this?" "It's all yours." "Here..." "I'll come and see Martha at the weekend." "Only if you promise to see your therapist." "I know he's a pain." "But he can help you." "Don't worry, I'm getting myself back on track." "Yep, this is all perfectly normal!" "Have they identified the body can you tell me that?" "There'll be a statement tomorrow." "My inspector think s it look s like one of those honour killings." "They won't be happy until they've turned this place into Baghdad." "Oh, hello." "Um..." "I was wondering if I could have a word with you about your recent loss?" " Are you police?" " I'm a journalist, Max Raban." "I'm on your side." "I just want people to know what sort of man he was." "Please, please." "You want the truth to be printed, don't you?" "Let him in." "Thank you." "So what is it you want to know?" "The circumstances of Majid's death are a bit hazy." "He was decapitated." "That's all I know." "You want to know what kind of a person he was?" "Bright." "Was a student" "Said he'd be a millionaire before he's 30" "He had ambitions." "Have you any idea why this terrible thing happened to him?" " Was he mixed up in anything?" "Like what?" "Drugs, politics." "Did he have any beliefs that you didn't know about?" "He wasn't some fanatic." "He was..." "He was into football." "And girls." "Where are you from originally?" "Iran." "But Majid was British, he was born here." "Has he ever been to the Middle East?" "To some camp, you mean, where they train terrorists?" "He has never been out of the UK." "Don't speak to him any more." "Dad, he's already written his story." "He went out to play football." "Usually on a Tuesday night he'd be studying." "But he was filling in for his cousin Reza." "He couldn't make it, so Majid went instead." "That's the last we saw him." "He was a good boy." "And we loved him." "That's what you'll write." "That he was kind that he was loved" "Now please let us grieve in peace." "Jimmy, it's Max." "I've got the name of the headless torso." " The one they found today?" " Majid Danush." "There's a story here." "I'm going home." "I'm giving you the name before anyone else." "Use it, you halfwit." "You're supposed to be checking out a minister and his girlfriend" "I've got plenty of people to write about murders, you're my only bin man." " This may be linked." " Linked, how?" "I'm not sure yet." "I've a fax from the Defence Secretary's bin mentioning a headless man." "Let me follow it up." "No way." "I need something on the Slovenian girl." "Now." "Come on, Jimmy." "This is my chance to get back into the game." "Maybe my last chance." "You wanna follow it up, do it in your own time." "Know what they'll put on your grave?" "Here lies Jimmy No-Balls." "Hey!" " Watch it." " You got a problem with my mate?" "Cos I'm gonna burn you, you knob." " What?" "!" " Oi!" "Let's go!" "Get his wallet." " His wallet!" " He's got a gun!" "Shit, man." " Come on!" " He's got a gun, man!" " Go, go, go." " Run, run, run!" "Bastards." "Here, mate, check out his wallet and I'll take that." "I'll give you £50 for that phone and the wallet." "Pugnus Dei." "Latin..." "English, translate..." "God's fist." "OK..." "Call history..." "Daniel Cosgrave, Defence..." "Defence Concern." "Well, we're nearly there on our response to the defence cuts." "We'll open with "We must honour our commitment to our troops"" "followed with quotes from the military covenant." "We have to stress that it's our duty, it's our debt of honour." "Cosgrave." " Daniel Cosgrave?" " Yeah, who's this?" "I'm calling concerning Majid Danush." "Well, I don't know anyone called Majid Danush." "You must have the wrong Daniel Cosgrave" "Hang on hang on" "Um... the..." "Hagan Conference." "MPs from across the political parties including the Defence Secretary, Home Secretary and I'm waiting on the Chief of Defence Staff to get back to us." " Are we done?" " Yep." "Right." " Who's he?" " Wants to see Mr Cosgrave." "I told him he needs an appointment." "He's been sitting there for hours." "I'm afraid Mr Cosgrave's in meetings all day." "Can I help?" "Alice Ross, Policy Advisor." "Max Raban, journalist." "Oh." "You don't look like a journalist, Mr Raban." " Are you undercover?" " I had a late night." "So what is it you want?" "Information." "Well, we have a press kit you can have." "It explains who we are, what we do, what our aims are." "Would that help?" "I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth." "In a nutshell, we're a policy group, focused on national security." "We hope to promote sound policies, influence public opinion and remind this country that..." ""New Threats, New Visions. " Speaker, Donald Hagan." "Secretary Hagan?" "Special Adviser to Bush Senior and George W?" " Very impressed." " The best President America never had." "Oh." "Now chairman of the Validus Group, the biggest player in defence bar none." "Unfortunately the guest list is full." "Why would your organisation be talking to anti-terrorist officers concerning the death of Majid Danush?" "We're not." "The only contact we've had with the security services is with the diplomatic branch concerning Mr Hagan's visit." "Now, enjoyable as this conversation is, I have to get back to work." "Nice to meet you." "Get me the papers, please." "Yeah, well..." "Er..." "listen, I'll call you back later, yeah?" "OK." "Bye-bye." " Hi." "I'm sorry I'm late." " Hi." "Oh, let's..." "No." "Excuse me." "This glass is dirty." "Can I have another?" "I had a very bizarre conversation this evening." "Remember that wrong number mentioned the name Majid Danush?" " What are we talking about?" " The headless body found yesterday." "I had some journalist at the office asking questions." "About a headless body?" "What was this journalist's name?" "Max Raban." "I checked him out." "Some bleeding heart." "His reputation's mud." "Remember the Deputy PM bribes thing?" " That was him?" " Yeah, you know the type." "Opinions about everything from East Timor to Guatemala." "But never lifts a finger to help anyone." "Well, quite the opposite." "He dropped his source from the DPM's office right in it." "Helen McVay, remember?" " Poor woman hung herself." " I do, yeah." "Listen, I've got a meeting with Hagan, so I'd better skedaddle." "Is everything organised for tomorrow night?" "It has to be perfect, you know that?" "Are you joking?" "I haven't slept for week s." "So it doesn't look like we'll be able to see each other later." "Don't worry, I understand." "There's a bottle of Krug in the fridge with my name on it." "I really am sorry." "You don't have to be." "I'm not the type to beg a man to leave his wife." "I get the sex, she gets the washing." "Thank s for the name." "Wanna take a look?" " Ritual killing, my arse." " So what's this link?" "Only that the Defence Secretary seemed very interested in this and so are anti-terror." "They followed me." "Anti-terrorism followed you?" "My gut instinct says there's more to this." "It's not that odd that the Defence Office are interested." "The boy's Iranian." "What's it got to do with Defence Concern?" "Who cares?" "They're a bunch of fear-mongers sponsored by the arms industry." "They're constantly leaking stories about this threat or that threat." "Nearly as paranoid as you." "They're tied up with the Validus Group." "Their directorship look s like the invite list to Bush's inaugural ball." "So Validus is using Defence Concern to pressure the government into spending more on the military." "That's not illegal." "So what did you get on the girl?" "Does Pugnus Dei mean anything to you?" "It's Latin." "What did you get on the girl?" "OK, OK." "I'll check out the ID for you." "Just tell me what you've got." "She might be pregnant." "Ah, now, you see, that's a story." "Find out when she's due, will you?" "Mm, and forget about the Validus Group." "You are punching way above your weight, son." "Well, some people think that Oswald couldn't have done it on his own." "My own feeling is that the lone gunman theory doesn't hold water." "No?" "No." "Remember I told you about the magic bullet theory?" "Witnesses that were supposed to testify to the Warren Commission but died in strange circumstances." " Is that in the book?" " Oh, yeah, yeah." "It's all in the book." "And more." "Have you heard of a man named Sirhan Sirhan?" " No." " Well, I'll tell you about him tomorrow night." " Could I do a search on him?" " Yeah, but not tonight." "Come on, night-night." "Mwah." "Snuggle down." "Sirhan Sirhan?" "I'm thinking of having you sectioned." " I'm not joking." " Well, she likes history." "She likes Tracy Beaker." "Christ, she'll be having nightmares about Wolfie being assassinated by Rio." "She was genuinely interested." "Oh, you're her dad!" "She'll listen to anything you say." "Will you stop being such a selfish prick and talk to Trevor?" "If not him, somebody else." "But get yourself sorted." "Yeah, it's that simple, Carolyn." "It's that simple." "You can't just turn up like this, Max." "I don't do nights." "I don't do days." "To be honest, I don't know if I'm up to this." "Just had a horrendous fight with the other half." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "Enough about me." " How did my suggestion go?" " What suggestion?" "Baby steps." "Spending half an hour a day in daylight, building up to an hour." "Don't think I was listening when you said that." "I must have one of those voices that people just don't hear." "Well, I'm listening now but you're not being helpful." "OK, think about this." "A phobia is created by the unconscious as a protection mechanism." "What are you trying to protect yourself from?" "This phobia of daylight..." "started when you lost your job, right?" "Could it have something to do with the civil servant who killed herself, Helen McCray?" "Helen McVay." "It's nothing to do with that." "Repressed guilt can manifest itself in strange ways." "Take me." "I was a shambles when I left my first wife." "Started seeing a transsexual called Loretta." "Trevor, why is it we always end up talking about you?" "Bear with me, there is a point to this." "I refused to acknowledge my culpability in the collapse of my marriage." "It was..." "I don't have time for this, Trevor." "Well, if you won't listen, why do you come?" " Cos nobody else does nights." " Neither do I!" "Shit!" "Come on, come on." "No!" "Argh!" "You stick to looking through people's rubbish." "Do you understand?" "Argh!" " Hi." "Is Reza Danush around?" " Who, sorry?" "He's in the book and your number's on his answering machine." " You a journalist?" " Yes." "Then I haven't seen him." "Tell him I don't think his cousin's death was a ritual killing." "Tell him he can trust me." "Tell him if he wants to speak to me, I'll be next door playing snooker." "Thank s." "What do you want?" "I just wondered why the Defence Secretary's so interested in your cousin's death." " Is he?" " Well, you tell me." "I ask a couple of awkward questions about Majid, my flat's broken into, my computer's stolen." "That's standard intelligence-gathering activity." "I wouldn't know." "Majid didn't usually play football on a Tuesday, did he?" "He was standing in for you." "Mm-hm." "Now that I notice the likeness between you both and the fact that you're interested in politics but he wasn't," "I'm wondering, should it have been you?" "Did they kill him by mistake, Reza?" "Is that what happened?" "And if so, what makes you so important?" "Can we speak in the back room?" "I checked you out on the office computer." "You used to be a respected journalist, right?" "You're getting yourself involved in something you might regret." "If I told you what I know... what would you do with the information?" "I'll make sure it's on every front page in the country." "There is a list." "A list of people they want to disappear." "What people?" "People they consider a threat." "People they can't deport or control." "So they kill them." "Are you talking about some sort of death squad?" "Yes." "This list." "Where did it come from?" "I'm not sure." "But too many people holding the same views have met with accidents in the last year or two." "It can't be a coincidence." " Yes, it could." " Then why did someone approach me saying they had a video taken on a mobile phone, taken by the killers as a trophy?" "Proof of a death squad." "Have you seen this video?" "No." "I think I can get a copy on disc." "Why haven't they gone to Al Jazeera?" "Not interested in politics." "They want money." "As much as they can get." " Do you have that kind of money?" " I can get it." "I need to see the video." "Meet me here Thursday morning. 10am." "I should have a copy on disc by then." "We'd better go." "Hagan's already on his way." "I've briefed his people." "Nothing to worry about." " Presentable?" " Very." "Oh, you don't happen to have that file on the Iranian opposition groups, do you?" "Yeah, it's on the memory stick just there." "Not that one, the other." "The silver one." "Yeah." "Ladies and gentlemen," "Defence Concern is delighted to introduce one of the founding fathers of neo-conservatism, the only Secretary of Defence to have held the position under three different Presidents and now Chairman of the Validus Group, the largest private equity firm in the world." "Mr Donald Hagan." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you, Daniel." "Our mission at the Validus Group is to become the premier private equity firm in aerospace and defence." "In fact, I believe we should invest more in defence, profit or no profit." "Investing in the Validus Group means protecting your Christian democratic way of life." "Successful evening?" "Oh, Christ, you gave me a fright." "You told the security services about me, didn't you?" "I've had a very long and very tiring day, Mr Raban." "I have no idea what you're talking about." " Someone did." " Well, it wasn't me." "I don't appreciate the implication that I'm lying." "Especially from a man who makes a living rummaging in people's bins." "Educated at Roedean, first class degree in history and politics from Cambridge." "You could do better than Defence Concern." "Are you stalking me?" "Because I really don't have time for that." "I passionately believe in what Defence Concern stands for." "Perhaps if you had a brother risking his life in Afghanistan, you would too." "My flat has been ransacked and I got beaten up by a guy with Defence Concern's number on his mobile." "Your company has something to do with the death of Majid Danush." "And I'm going to find out what it is." "Good for you." " What happened?" " Don't know, mate, I think he jumped." "In North London a youg man who committed suicide today by jumping from a 9th-floor balcony has been named as Reza Danush" "The youg Asian man is believed to be the cousin of Majid Danush the British Iranian student whose headless body was discovered last week" "Whilst police are yet to make a formal statement it is believed that they are not linking the deaths nor are they treating Reza Danush's death as suspicious" "Shit." "Hello?" "Sorry I've not got back." "I've been up to my eyes." "What's up?" "Reza Danush committed suicide this morning." " I think he was murdered." " Why are you whispering?" "Breaking into his flat." "It's weird." "The phone's gone, there's no telly, no computer." "I've told you to forget about that story." "Now get out of there it's a crime scene" "He had important information to give me." "Why you?" "Had he never heard of John Pilger?" "Piss off." "Well, I'll get there as soon as I can." "It depends on traffic." "Bye." "Absolutely." "Yeah." "Oh, I thought you were meeting Hagan's people." "I am, but I seem to have lost my desk key." "Well, maybe you left it in the lock, I do that all the time." "I don't." "I can pop over on my way home, if you like." " That'd be great." " Yeah." "I don't get it." "They were all against our policy in Iraq and Iran." "Some held extreme views, some challenged the legality of the war." "So?" "Human rights campaigner putting together a file on abuse of civilians found dead." "Says here an overdose." "Saudi businessman suspected of funding pro-Islamic groups hangs himself." " Hangs himself?" " He had cancer, I wrote his obit." "Max, this is just a kid who sees a conspiracy in everything." " He didn't jump." " How do you know?" "He was paranoid." "Maybe he thought they were coming to get him." "Well, maybe they did." "This coming from the guy who think s Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are inside jobs." "You're rationalising the irrational again." "Cos the reality is randomness and you can't handle it." "It's a fake." "Whoever followed you wasn't anti-terror." " What?" " They've never heard of the guy." "If we print any of this, I'll be a laughing stock." " Reza said there's a disc of executions." " These are not executions." "They don't look like executions." "Hmm." "You've finally lost your fucking mind." "He didn't jump, Jimmy." "You're filling in the blank s again, Max." "Remember what happened the last time you did that?" "Meaning?" " Got a meeting, gotta go." " Meaning?" "This is not the first so-called source of yours that ended up dead." "I can't do this." "I'm not as brave as Helen was." "The government are not assassinating people and you know what, Max?" "Even if they were, most of our readers would think "good riddance"." "Speak to you later." "Happy birthday to you" "* Happy birthday to you" "* Happy birthday, dear Jamie" "* Happy birthday to you" "Hello, Max." "Never met a phengophobic." "Don't suppose there are a lot of you about." "And you are?" "Blake, anti-terror." "Forget about Danush, will you?" "I'm er... asking in the interests of national security." "I don't believe Majid Danush was a threat to national security." "Oh, really?" "Does Ml5 and Ml6 supply you with a constant stream of information?" "Hm?" "Do you have informants in terror cells around the world?" "When did you last liaise with the CIA or NSA?" "You haven't." "So what the fuck are you talking about?" "You killed the wrong cousin, didn't you?" "Now you want to cover it up." "He was a clean skin, a sleeper." "We were protecting our citizens." "By murdering him?" "Isn't that a dichotomy?" "A dichotomy, I can live with." "Bombs on the Piccadilly Line, I can't." "What is God's Fist, exactly?" "A covert hit squad?" "Could be your daughter that dies in a terrorist attack." " How far up does this go?" " You're not listening, Max." "You're gonna keep your mouth shut... and remember you're one of us." "Kill her." "You're just trying to scare me."