8th July
Jenny finished her one kilometre run on the gym cross trainer.
‘You’re really fit,’ said the fitness consultant that had been assigned to her. ‘You’ve hardly broken into a sweat.’
‘I usually do a run in the morning and in the evening,’ Jenny replied. ‘I’ll be getting even more exercise looking for a flat over the next few days.’
The trainer paused, not wanting to ask intrusive, personal questions.
‘I’ve split up with my partner,’ Jenny continued. ‘I’m in B and B at the moment.’ She looked at the trainer. ‘You told me you lived around here, Fred, do you know if there are any flats available?’
Fred Wycombe paused to think. He lived in a large Georgian house that had been converted into three flats. He lived in one, and he let the other two. One was vacant.
Jenny seemed like a nice girl. In the hour that Fred and she had been devising her personal fitness programme, she had chatted about her life. He now knew more about her than he had known about many of his tenants.
To simply offer her first refusal on the vacant property would save all the bother of advertising and interviewing. After all, he needed the money now, and in just over three months, there would probably be no prospective tenants left on the planet to let to.’
‘How long would you want the flat for?’ he asked her.
‘At least a year, I would think,’ Jenny replied. ‘I’m starting my new job at the local library on Monday, and I wouldn’t plan to move on for at least a year – whatever that job’s like.’
‘I rent some flats.’ Fred made a decision to take the opportunity. ‘I’ve got one vacant. Would you like to look at it?’
~*~*~*~*~
Duck had been amazed how MI5 were able to create new identities for agents and place them in locations in a way that made them indistinguishable from anyone else.
For example, with the help of operatives known to be loyal to Theta, Jenny had become a librarian who had just returned from a period of voluntary work abroad. She had split up with her partner on her return to England and was looking for a flat.
Research had shown that Fred Wycombe, the Meadowcote bomber and WAR operative, let flats and had a current vacancy. After that, it was just a matter of Jenny joining the gym at which Fred was employed as a fitness instructor.
Duck, meanwhile, had become the insurance salesman who had been Jenny’s ex-partner.
‘He was very pleased to let the flat to me,’ said Jenny when she got back to the hotel in which they were staying.
‘Is he looking for more than just the rent?’ Duck asked.
‘Do I detect a note of jealousy?’ Jenny replied. ‘I don’t think so, she continued. ‘I just think he wants to let quickly.’
‘Of course – he’ll be thinking it’s a three month let,’ said Duck, reminded of the asteroid.
‘That’s obviously going to be the main thing on his mind,’ Jenny replied.
‘We could have a reconciliation, and I could move in,’ Duck suggested.
‘That’s not a good idea,’ Jenny replied. ‘If he knows you, then you won’t be able to follow him.’