"Ripped By mstoll" "My darling daughter." "The most beautiful girl in the world!" "A marvellous necklace from Paris!" "The most expensive necklace." "Enjoy the party!" "What about austerity, Apo?" "This is austerity." "You should have seen our country five years ago." " Tomorrow is business?" " Mmm-hmm." "By the way, my Arab friend is concerned you can't deliver the material you promised." " I wouldn't worry about that, Apo." "It'll be fine." " I hope so." " Ah, Mr Barghati." " Sandy." "How good to see you." "Oh, my goodness!" "Oh, Lord!" "Oh, Lord, what's happening here?" "Que pasa?" "Que pasa?" "Dime que demonios pasa." "¿Qué pasa?" "Jesus!" "Roper, help me please." "Careful." "Elena." "Elena." "Elena!" "Elena!" "Elena!" "She must have been in so much pain." "Yeah, well, she's caused a lot of other people pain too." "I'll have to reschedule that meeting." "Still, the canapes were good." "What do you want to do about our Arab chum?" "Bring him out to the villa?" "I don't much like that." "It's too risky if someone's got a watch on him." "Invite him to the children's party." "There'll be lots of people there." "You can do your magic tricks, try and get them right." " Fix it up, will you?" " OK." "Sorry, darling." "That was a..." "I don't know what I was thinking." "That was a crass thing to say." "OK." "Let's go, dream boy." "Boo." "Come on." "To the left." "Up the stairs." "So the silly sod is insisting on 10%, and he's digging his heels in." " All right, we'll let him enjoy that for a week." "Mmm-hmm." "And then we'll take it away from him." "OK, that's fine." "Happy to go with that." "Ah, there he is." "Dans, you're on." "Thank you very much, sir, for rescuing me." "I hope you're feeling better." "You're very welcome." "All right, now scram." "See if you can catch us some mackerel for supper." "And take the dogs, will you?" "Go on, Charlie, go on." "You foul-smelling creature." " You'll call him, will you?" " Yeah, leave it with me." "I'll deal with it." "Don't waste any energy trying to sweet-talk him, just let him sweat." "All right." "All right, Frisky, no more interruptions, no one on the terrace." "What the hell is that noise?" "Uh, Javier's blowing leaves." "Tell him to knock it off, will you?" "Cease and desist." "How's the face?" "It's fine." "You'll be all right." "So, what do you want?" "I'd like to go back to the restaurant, if that's all right." "That's not what I meant." "What do you want from the world?" "I don't know." "I haven't got a plan." "I'm taking some time out." "Don't believe you." "You've never relaxed in your life." "If you say so." "Just sit down." "Everyone assumes that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth." "It's balls." "My father was an Oxfordshire auctioneer, taught me the price of everything." "But the drive to create all of this, that comes from me and me alone." "Where does it come from in you?" "I'm not sure I have what you describe." "OK, you patched me up." "I'm very grateful for that." "And now I'd like to go." "Corky can't make you out, you see." "Suspicious chap, Corks." "He's got bad vibes about you." "Why'd you kill that fellow in Devon?" "It's all over the wire." "We had to call the police." "No choice." "Be here any minute." "You are a cool cucumber, aren't you?" "He cheated me." "You didn't like that?" " No, I didn't." " Quite right." "The MacArthurs have confirmed for dinner." "So, that makes 12 tonight." "Or 13." "Come and tell us why you think this one's a bad apple, Corky." "Well, his references aren't too clever." "Luckily for you, although Jorge was so desperate for a sous-chef, he didn't bother to check them." "Did you fake them, Pine?" "I needed the job." "I needed it fast." "I didn't have time for formalities." "Where did you get the passport?" "I met a girl in Devon." "Didn't we all?" "Pretty little thing." "And who's Quince?" "Her ex." "He'd never been abroad." "He'd never had a passport." "So I took his name." "Taken a lot of names, haven't you?" "Makes a man wonder who you really are." "So, father killed in Belfast." "No close relationship with mother." "Married once, for six months, we can assume, not a triumph." "Two tours in Iraq." "Distinguished service." "And on return, what?" "Despair?" "Depression?" "And five years as a night owl in the hotel business." "What was that?" "Hibernation?" "Burying yourself alive?" "And then a sudden moment of madness." "Thieving, narcotics..." "Murder." "This is bloody chaos, Jonathan." "Do you even know who you are?" "Those two chaps you smashed up in the restaurant." "Did you know them?" "No." "Had they eaten there before?" "Do they look like they'd eaten there before?" "Ever sailed a boat for them?" "Is this some kind of interrogation?" "Let's pretend it is." "Did you cook for them?" "No." "The mussels were marvellous, by the way." "So you weren't the lookout guy, you didn't switch roles halfway through?" " No." " It's another one of Corky's little theories." "Listen, I haven't asked for anything, all right?" "I don't expect a reward," "I certainly don't appreciate this investigation into my personal life, and frankly I'm bored of your hospitality." "Maybe I'm not squeaky clean." "But nor, I suspect, are you and your little friend here, so maybe just leave it at that." " Little friend?" " I know." "Cha'mone!" " Where you going?" " I'm leaving." "What are you gonna do for a passport?" "I have a passport, in the name of Thomas Quince." "Where is it?" "Corky, sock him the bad news." "The passport's gone, old love." " Thomas Quince had to be shredded." " What are you talking about?" "It's no good getting in a paddy, my dear." "Your cover's blown sky-high." "Tom Quince is on every wanted list on God's earth." "Murder, theft, sadly, not buggery, but we'll work on that." "That was my passport." "That was mine!" "You're going to have to learn to be someone else, aren't you?" "I said no one in here!" "Sorry, baby, I didn't know." "Jesus!" "Sorry, my darling, I didn't know it was you." "It's actually good news." "Thomas is going to be staying for a while, till he's fighting fit again." "Oh." "That's great." "Do you want to come for a swim?" "Go on." "Corky can lend you some Speedos." "I'd like to." "Corky, we should put him in the fisherman's cottage at the end of the estate." "While we work out what to do with you." " All right, boss." " And what am I supposed to do until then?" "You could keep Dans company." "He was supposed to have a schoolfriend here for the holiday, but the bugger stood him up." "Mother doesn't approve of me." "One more thing." "I run a tight ship here." "You're right." "We do a little swashbuckling every now and then, but we play straight with each other." "Now you saved my boy, and I'm grateful." "But if you step out of line, I will make you howl for your mother." "What size feet have you got?" "Twelve." "Hmm." "Now, house rules." "No phones, no postcards to Devon dumplings." "No messages in a bottle." "The chief values privacy, as do we all." "All the way down to the beach, as far as you can go, then it's on the right." "Alternatively, fill your pockets with stones, walk into the sea, and keep going." "Anything?" "No." "Bloody hell, I hate this bit." "Off every tree you may freely eat." "Maids, serving wenches, cooks, typists, masseuses, even the lady that comes to clip the canary's claws." "But if you lay one hand on that precious fruit, then like the Belgians in the Congo, we'll chop it off." "And I don't mean the hand." "Señor Roper?" "Morning." "I was wondering if I might take Danny into town?" "What for?" "A change." "He likes you, doesn't he?" "I hope so." "I like him." "Frisky and Tabby will go with you." "Pine." "Thank you." "It's me." "They're on the move." "Do you always have this much company, Danny?" "Since the restaurant." " That's a bit boring, isn't it?" " Yeah." "Whee!" "It's OK." "It's all right." "Danny." "Yeah?" "What do you say to an ice cream?" " Yeah?" " Yeah." "Great." "Actually..." "Why don't you ask Frisky and Tabby if they want an ice cream as well, eh?" "OK." "Would you like an ice cream?" "Really?" " Would you?" " No." "They don't want one." " They don't want one?" " No." "They are very strange, aren't they, those two?" "Yeah, especially on a day like this." "Who wouldn't want an ice cream?" " What's your favourite flavour, Danny?" " Pistachio." "Uh, dos pistachos por favor." "Danny?" " Yeah?" " Do you know who's, erm, coming to the party on Sunday?" "It's a select group, around 25." "Erm, señor, por favor." "Sorry." "I need to hear the complete list." "All the names of all your ice creams." "Oh, gracias." "Sorry." "That's all right." "I think Sandy and Caroline will probably be there, won't they?" "I don't know who's coming." "You see, I've got this problem." "It's Major Corkoran." "I don't think he likes me very much." " Why not?" " I don't know." "But he's trying to find out everything he can about me." "All the way back to the time of the ancient Egyptians." "Mmm." "Muchas gracias." "Right." "Waiting's over." "We've got a spot of work to do, thank God." "So how often do you come here?" "Only in the summer." "Must be nice to see your dad, though?" "Do you play tennis with him?" "I have lessons with Luis." "Roper's not here much." "Well, I expect he works hard, eh?" "That's why he has such a big house." "Oh, I bet you've counted the rooms." "Twenty three." "There's three kitchens and the big office by the pool." "And there's Roper's secret study in his bedroom, but no one's allowed in there." "Except you, special guest?" "I'm not." "He calls it the citadel." "And there's one key." "And he hides it." "Do you know what's inside?" "He says it's full of peppermints." "Well, I'd lock it up too, if I were him." "Plus, there's an alarm." "They test it every day at 11." "You have to be really careful." "Why?" "This is where I cut my foot last year." "Roper made me stand in the sea for about half an hour, because of the salt." "Ever since his daughter killed herself, he comes here every day." "And that's not all." "Yesterday afternoon, he calls the hotline at the Madrid public prosecutor's office, says he has information regarding a world-class illegal arms deal." "Operator asks his name, he hangs up." "Assumption, a priest's advice only goes so far." " Gracias, padre." " Nada." "Mr Apostol." "Who are you?" "I'm your guardian angel, Mr Apostol." "I can't sleep." "Every night, I ask myself the same question..." "What I could have done?" "Now you're having a child..." "You can understand how I feel." "Yeah, I can, Juan." "But when you called the Madrid office, you had blood on your hands." "And I'm here to wash it off." "How?" "You know Richard Roper?" "Yes." "He's a friend." "Juan, he's not a friend." "He dragged you down and he dragged your daughter down, too." "If Roper wasn't in your life, I think she'd still be alive today." "I'm sorry." "Now God knows how you bear it." "I, I don't think I could." "Listen, I'm on the side of the angels." "We're good people." "We play it straight and we keep our promises, OK?" "But I need your help." "Do you know Lance Corkoran?" "Yes." "He's Dicky Roper's right-hand man." "Right." "Well, that's what needs to change." "Are you pink?" "Socialist, left wing, march of history, that sort of thing?" "Wouldn't bother me if you were." "It's another one of Corky's bugbears." "He seems to have a few." "Yeah." "Been in a lot of foxholes, me and Corky." "Once spent a week together in a police cell in Delhi." "Don't think I've ever laughed so much in my whole life." "Was he drinking then?" "Well, now, that is a deeply odd thing to say." "What business is it of yours how much he drinks?" "When my father was serving in Belfast... a sergeant in his platoon got drunk one night, told a local girl what the next day's operation was." "The man I loved most in the world was dead for five pints of lager and the promise of a quickie." "Right." "So you don't drink and you're not pink." "What are you?" "Me, I'm a free man." "Free to think, free to work." "Free to climb a mountain, or lie in bed all day eating peppermint creams, without any bugger telling me how." "Then I'm a free man." "Oh, that's the free part." "The man part's a little different." "You see, children grow up thinking the adult world is ordered, rational, fit for purpose." "It's crap." "Becoming a man is realising that it's all rotten." "Realising how to celebrate that rottenness, that's freedom." "Here we are." "Out we get." "Come on." "Chop, chop." "Let's go." "Mademoiselle." "Merci, monsieur." "Uh, Señor." "The bags, please." "Thank you so much." "Thank you so much for coming." "Have a wonderful day." "Carol, you look divine, as ever." "Sandy, sort of acceptable." "Apo, my dear old friend." "I'm so terribly sorry for your loss." "Thanks." "How are you?" "I can't even imagine." "Mr Barghati, thank you so much for coming." "Please come inside." "Let's see if we can feed and sustain you before we get down to business." "And did you get the sweater?" "Great." "Does it fit?" "Mmm." "OK." "Bye." "I'm so sorry to interrupt." "The guests are arriving and the party's gonna start soon." "The story begins in Egypt, four-and-a-half thousand years ago." "The ancient Egyptians invented this game." "This is literally the oldest trick in the book." "Now, we start with a ball." "We have one, two, three cups." "We turn one cup like that, one cup like that, one cup like that." "All right, now, I'm gonna take the ball, and I'm gonna place the ball in the cup." "Shake the cup, turn it over." "Right, now." "You've to watch very closely." "You have to watch the cups." "I'm going to move these two round like that, and this one round like that." "Everybody clear where the ball is now?" "Danny, where's the ball?" "You think the ball's here?" "No, Danny, the ball is in the middle." "You're not watching the cups, Danny." "Thomas is watching the cups, aren't you, Thomas?" "You're a gym bunny." "I am." "You're a cold gym bunny." "He can't stop his mouth, in every way." "Corky can get a little over-excited when he's drunk." "Yes, that is what Mr Barghati is worried about." "According to my friends, he has been shooting his mouth off, talking about things he should not." "Barghati doesn't want him involved." "Condition of the deal." "Thanks for that, Apo." "Come." "Come with me." "It's a funny thing to do." "If you want to piss..." "I am so sorry to interrupt." "But can I just borrow the old man for a second?" " Oh, of course." " Thank you." " Excuse me." " Bye.Bye." "I've just spoken to Apo." "He has..." "There you go, Danny." "Thomas." "For God's sake." "Roper, Thomas and I are gonna go for a little stroll." "All right, darling." "Frisky, Major Corkoran is here with some friends of Dorothy, that I would like to have escorted from the premises." "You and Tabby can make as much noise as you like, right?" "...If you need to relieve yourself, it's good to do it into a suitable perspective." "It's better than a urinal, isn't it?" "God's urinal, I call it." "Break it up, you're giving the boss indigestion with your buddies here." "Come on, lads, party's over." "Leave your drinks here." "Frisky, don't be too rough." "Who are all these people?" "How should I know?" "You're not curious?" "Why should I be?" "It's business." "Which is what?" "Buying and selling..." "Agricultural equipment." "Caro says Sandy tells her everything." "That'd drive me insane." "You shouldn't have seen me like that today, in my bedroom." "I'm sorry." "The door was open," " I thought you were dressed." " That's not what I meant." "I don't care who sees me naked." "I do care who sees me crying." "You tell no one you saw that, is that clear?" "Of course." "I'm going swimming." "Wanna come?" "Er, I don't think that would be wise." "There's no current." "That's not quite what I meant." "I know it wasn't." "There she goes." "Beyond the ha-ha!" "One day, Thomas, you'll live a little." "Er..." "Come." "Rex, do you have a minute?" "The Permanent Secretary would love to see you." "Erm, yes." " Was that a yes or a no?" " Mmm-hmm." "Rex, come in." " You know Geoffrey Dromgoole, of course," " Geoffrey." " And his team from the River." " Rex." "Barbara Vandon, from the American Embassy." "Rex Mayhew, my under secretary." " Good to see you, Rex." " Barbara, how are you?" " Rex, it's this Limpet thing." " Limpet?" "The Joel Steadman enforcement operation, with Angela Burr on side-saddle." "Yes, I know what Limpet is." "It's an enforcement case, nothing to do with Langley, or River House." "Well, it's what Barbara feels we ought to be discussing." "Rex, Langley has been completely railroaded on this." "Currently, we have a joint operation on foreign soil between two extremely fringe outfits." "They're chasing international arms in an area of the world that is..." "Way beyond their comprehension." "It's crazy." "I have to say I agree." "Limpet is operating in a highly incendiary region." "And I would hate to see that run out of control." "I mean, in my view, it should be placed under a purely Intelligence jurisdiction..." "Acting on a political brief." "But it's not my decision." "No, it's not." "I'm sure I don't need to remind you or your team that my recommendation, uh, accepted by the Permanent Secretary, was that River House was over-extended, and that enforcement agencies were urgently needed to prosecute any areas of international criminal activity" "that were, for whatever reason, slipping through the Intelligence net." "In that context, I find the actions of River House somewhat inimical to the new era of parliamentary accountability and transparency." "Does that answer your question?" " Why don't we leave it there for today?" " Thank you." "Have you got a moment?" "Ah, not much more than that." "Celia's cooking rabbit." "That's all it will take." "Good job in there." "Pressed all the right buttons, accountability, transparency." "I don't like being bullied." "Never have." "See, the thing is, I'm not sure that Limpet is quite the abject failure that Angela Burr would have us believe." "Really?" "So, the day that the Limpet case is ours, you get an uncle in Switzerland who has suffered an untimely death." "A rich uncle." "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." "You're in over your head, Rex." " Don't tell me..." " Don't answer now." "Think about it." "Enjoy the rabbit." " Morning." " Hi." " You're not swimming?" " Not in the mood." "I like you, Thomas." "You see everything and say nothing." "My husband is screwing our nanny." "What a cliché." "Jed said I should have hired an uglier girl." "But the agency only had stunners." "Could you do my back?" "Don't worry." "I don't want to sleep with you." "Why's he keeping you here?" " I don't know." " Grooming you, is he?" "For what?" "You just be careful." "Roper's planning a big arms deal to Apo's Lebanese friend." "Weapons from seven British and American companies." "Weapons no one should be trading in." "Roper's using a company called Tradepass to fence the deal." "He pretends it trades in agricultural equipment." "His investors pretend to believe him." "You can stop rubbing now." "Why are you telling me this?" "I just want to be honest with someone in this world." "Does Jed know?" "No." "Of course not." "Sandy screws everyone and tells me everything." "Roper is steadfastly faithful and tells Jed nothing." "Do you think I should tell her?" "Maybe." "If it's worry for your boy, forget it." "He knew what he was getting into." "Did he?" "So, you and Mr Burr..." "Making a go of it?" "Well, you know, like my mum says, "You make your bed, you die in it."" "No, Gordon's a decent man." "It's not his fault I'm not in love with him." "Listen." "Oh, Joel, let's not have that conversation." "Please." "Well, you can't deny the past." " The past is all it is." " It doesn't have to be." "Joel..." "You silly sod." "Hi, Corky." "Frisky." "Hey, Danny." "Thomas, have you seen my phone?" "I haven't." "Sorry." "Dad'll be cross." "Everyone's cross." "And Jed's not talking to Dad." "What's going on?" "I don't know." "I tell you what, why don't I come downstairs and read you a bedtime story, and we can look for your phone in the morning?" " Okay." " Yeah?" "Yeah." "What shall we read?" "Don't know." "Which one's your favourite?" "The Three Little Pigs." "Little Pigs?" "I can give you the Thomas version of Two Little Pigs." "What's that?" "That right there." "Punch that out." "Punch that out." "What is it?" "It's your boy." "Seven tractor firms." "Seven armament manufacturers." "Home sale with best friend, that's UK and US." "Buyer in Beirut via Worst Man." "Worst Man's Roper." "Roper's the middle man." " What's Tradepass?" " Not sure." "Must be a front organisation." "What I do know, though, is Roper's pressed the green light." "Right." "Hey, guys?" "Okay, so just put the cases by the taxi and then you can jump in." "Good girl." "Pop in. jump in." "Okay, put your seatbelts on, guys." "Okay." "Okay." "Here we go." "Get in the taxi, you bloody whore!" " Caroline..." "Caroline!" " You bitch!" "For Christ's sake, she's going, she's going." "She's go..." " Caro..." " Bitch!" " Whore!" " Caroline!" " Just shut up!" " All right." "Just shut up, Sandy, you shit!" "Do you like the show?" "Do you like the show, Dicky?" "Dicky Roper!" "See you later, guys." " Jed, darling..." " Don't even..." "Where is everybody?" " Monaco." " Oh." "Two days of meetings." "Things are ramping up." "And you're not, uh..." "You're not going too?" "Not me, no." "The girl was supposed to go, but she's blown him out." "I'm staying with her." "We're going riding instead." "Didn't she invite you?" "Oh, dear." "Very good." "Well, have a nice time." "I'll just be a minute." "What are you doing in here?" "I brought you some flowers." "Why didn't you give them to the maids?" " I have to change." " Close the door." "You can't be in here." "This is our bedroom." "What is that?" "I found it on the desktop." "You broke into his office and you spied on his papers." "You have to be more careful." "Darling, angel, sweet cheeks, everyone's starving." " He can't see you." " Get rid of him." "Are you decent?" " What's going on?" " Nothing." "I'm coming." "How was your trip?" "Noisy." "I hitched a ride on a C130." " Oh, fun." " How was yours?" "Fine, thank you." "Not sure why we had to make it." "Is there a reason we're doing this in person?" "Well, Halo is not too keen on intermediaries just now." "And yet he sent you?" "There's an enforcement operation called Limpet." "We have to keep our eyes on it." "Halo says you need to be careful." "I am always careful." "How far have they got?" "They've drawn a line between Langbourne and Apostol." " Jesus." " How did they manage that?" "Photograph of a meeting." "They after buyers or sellers?" "We don't know." "We assume both." "You can assure Halo that we have taken every precaution." "We have received intelligence of our own." "We are changing the guard." "Good." "How was your meeting?" "It was fine." " It was fine." " Don't be so bloody childish." "Look, Caro was upset." "She wanted to get back at Sandy, so she started spreading manure." "That's it." "End of story." "That's what it is?" "It's just a story?" "Jesus Jed, what the hell is the matter with you?" "Tell me why I should believe you." "Why shouldn't you believe me?" "When have I ever lied to you?" "Oh, you don't lie to me." "You're much too clever for that." "You just hide." "What?" "What do I hide?" "The truth, Roper." "What about your truth?" "What about the things you hide from me?" "I don't hide anything from you." "You have a child, Jed!" "You have a son." "Let's start with him." "Or don't you think he counts?" "How do you know that?" "We're not talking how, we're talking why." "Why would you hide that from me?" "That was not included in the brochure." "Screw your brochure, Roper." "You don't own me." "No one is entitled to know things about me that I don't want them to know." "Oh, but you're entitled to spy on my life?" "I can read a bloody bank statement." "I'm paying money to raise another man's kid." "I know that." "Now anyone listening to this phone call knows it too." "Apart from that, how was your day?" "On your feet, soldier." "Where the hell did he get that?" " Halo?" " Yeah." "They're back?" "Apparently so." "Chief wants to see you." "Not you." "Him." "Present for you." "On the table." " Thank you." " Told them to put visas in it, make it look scruffy." "Never trust a new passport, in my view." "Always go with the old 'uns." "Like third-world taxi drivers." "There's a reason they've survived." "Andrew Birch." "We liked the tree thing, thought we'd stick with that." "It's all official." "You are reborn." "Visas are real." "If you want to renew, do it at a consulate abroad, less risky." "What's up?" "I thought that was my, uh, present." "Well, it can be, if you do something for me." "Right." "Sandy, papers." "Mmm-hmm." "I'm going to need a witness." "Preferably Spanish, so they can't actually read the bloody thing." "I'll get Carlos." " Is he 18?" " Yeah." "Wait, what... what is this?" "What am I signing?" "Jesus, Pine, for a murderer on the run, you're pretty bloody picky." "I am giving you your own company." "Uh, look, I don't know anything about running a company." "Don't have to." "All you have to do is sign as Andrew Birch." "Why don't you practise a few signatures, get the feel of it?" "Andrew Birch." "B-I-R..." "C for Charlie." "H for Hotel." "Go on." "A manly one." "Go for a manly one." "Andrew Birch in a hurry." "Andrew Birch." "One more." "That's more like it." "There and there, and another one there." "Carlos, you write at the bottom." "Good lad." "Welcome to the family, Andrew." "Ripped By mstoll"