29th March
The interview room at Bovington camp did not fit my TV based expectations of a place where interrogations might take place. It was freshly painted in light, pastel colours, had a nice carpet, a low, modern, wooden table and two comfortable armchairs.
A large mirror was set into one wall. This was the one way screen through which those in the adjacent office could watch the activity in the interview room.
Etienne again checked that I could hear him through my concealed earpiece. I then left him, Joan and Helen in the adjacent office and entered the interview room.
I closed the door behind me.
Leadbetter sat silently in one of the chairs and did not look up as I entered.
I sat down in the vacant chair.
‘Hello, Christian,’ I said.
‘I am not worthy to be in your presence, Master,’ he responded.
‘You have an important role to play in helping me,’ I continued in a gentle, measured tone.
‘I will do anything for you, Master,’ he answered.
I heard Etienne’s voice through the earpiece: ‘Reassure him and show a personal interest in him.’
‘I’m very pleased that you want to help me,’ I said. ‘You are a very good man, and you will be rewarded for all your valuable contributions to my cause.’
Etienne commented: ‘Good. Ask him about ARK.’
‘Tell me about ARK,’ I said.
‘ARK exists to make sure that powerful, mystical secrets are kept within the Christian Church so they cannot be used for other than God’s work.’
‘Why was ARK so interested in Sam Collins?’
‘Sam had discovered a way to predict the future – the secret that he passed on to you. ARK wants exclusive control of that technique.’
Etienne again intervened: ‘Ask him about the members of ARK.’
‘Tell me more about the members of ARK.’
‘I only ever talked to Bishop Hunter. I never knew the identities of any other members of ARK. They operate on a need-to-know basis in order to maintain security.’
‘Did you know who was in overall charge of ARK?’
‘I gathered that the ultimate person in charge was known as Arkangel, but I know nothing about him.’
I could once more hear Etienne’s voice: ‘He isn’t saying anything that we don’t already know, Swan. Let’s leave it there for now.’
‘You’ve already been very helpful, Christian,’ I said. ‘I now want you to stay here on the camp and await further instructions.’
‘Yes, Master,’ said Leadbetter as I rose to leave the room. ‘Did Sam Collins not tell you anything about Arkangel?’
‘Did Sam Collins know Arkangel?’ I said, turning back towards Leadbetter.
‘When I first went to see Hunter at Wimborne, two years ago, Hunter was with another man in the library when I arrived. Just before I entered, I heard the other man say to Hunter that he would ask Sam Collins to talk to Arkangel because Sam Collins knew Arkangel.’
‘Who was that other man, Christian?’
‘I never saw him,’ Leadbetter replied. ‘I went back down the stairs because I didn’t want them to see me and think I’d been deliberately eavesdropping.’