Cold Comfort (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 5)

“We have had good reason to belie

ve that you have overstepped the boundaries of your office, Dunnicliffe. You are sticking your nose into things that don’t concern you, and it has upset a lot of people.”

“Ah, so investigating the kidnap of several innocent young women in the counties is sticking my nose in, is it? How could the disappearance of those young ladies make any difference to you or your friend, Raymondson? Do you have something to tell me, Argent? What are you working on at present, eh?” Sir Hugo lifted one brow and levelled a cold look on the man opposite. “It is highly unusual of anybody who holds an office such as yours to approach me in this way. I have been doing this job for nigh on ten years or so now and have never had such an unusual incident occur before. Why would you have your feathers all ruffled about a perfectly normal investigation into the criminals behind the disappearance of innocent young women?”

Sir Hugo was aware of the Secretary of War quietly entering his office as he spoke but didn’t take his eyes off Argent.

“You are stepping on toes,” Argent snapped. “I demand you stop this investigation at once.”

“I cannot do that. It is my job to step on toes,” Sir Hugo warned.

“You are stepping out of the realms of your position, Dunnicliffe. I demand you stop this foolish investigation at once, do you hear? At once!” Argent demanded shrilly.

“I warn you now that I shall do nothing to put any of my men in danger, and I shall most definitely not stop this investigation. There is no good reason for you to make enquiries into my investigations, especially the Smidgley brothers, and that is why you are here, isn’t it? Unless your – connection – to their criminal activities risks your claim to innocence then you have no reason to have any concerns about what we in the Star Elite investigate, how, when, or why, now is there?” While he spoke, Sir Hugo half expected the Secretary of War to interrupt him and support the bilious little Argent. It was telling that the Secretary of War didn’t speak, but merely stood just inside the room listening to what was being said. Thankfully, Argent hadn’t noticed him enter, and therefore spoke with just the same usual arrogance Sir Hugo had come to expect from the man.

“Be careful about whose toes you tread on, Dunnicliffe, or I shall have you out of your position faster than you can blink,” Argent growled.

“Are you warning me to drop my investigation into multiple kidnaps which have led to several murders?” Sir Hugo asked, his voice rife with astonishment.

“If I have to.”

“Now, why would you want to do that? What are you so worried I will find, eh?” Sir Hugo demanded. “Unless you are up to your necks in the Smidgley crimes I can see no reason why you should concern yourself.”

“Leave the Smidgley brothers alone. They have contacts who can get you out of office should anything happen to me. I warn you now, Dunnicliffe, there will be no good come from you trying to bring them to justice,” Argent warned.

Sir Hugo smirked. “I am afraid that my duties require me to continue with my investigation regardless of what people in authority think. That is the realm of the law I work for, you see? Nobody can stop me working on an investigation into any crime. That is the power I have been invested with, and it is a legally binding one, I am afraid. Not even you can break it – unless you are prepared to change the law, that is, which even I know you don’t have the power to do. The authority of my position has been created specifically to stop people in authority from engaging in corruption and doing whatever they want to thwart justice being served. There is nothing you can do about it. I shall have to take your, er, warning into account, Argent. Don’t go anywhere, will you?”

With that, Sir Hugo slid a pile of letters across the desk toward him and began to read, effectively dismissing the squat little man. Argent’s temper bloomed at being so summarily dismissed.

“I shall have you out of your job, Dunnicliffe. You just see if I don’t,” Argent hissed.

“I suggest you go home, Argent, but don’t try to leave the country,” Sir Hugo warned.

“Are you threatening to arrest me?” Argent demanded.

“I am going to have to invite you to see me, formally of course, for questioning,” Sir Hugo warned. He peered over the top of his spectacles at Argent and watched the man go still. “I think a few questions have to be asked about your – connections – with our main suspects. The Smidgleys will face justice for their crimes, and so will everyone who has been helping them.”

It was then that Atticus Potter stepped further into the room. When Argent heard the rustling of the man’s clothing, he whirled around and blinked owlishly at the latest arrival. His narrowed gaze then slid accusingly to Sir Hugo. Wisely, Argent didn’t offer any further threats or insults. Instead, he warily nodded his head at the influential man while he paled alarmingly.

“Sir, I didn’t realise you were here,” Argent gushed.

“So I hear,” Atticus drawled with a heavy frown. “Trying to influence my men, are you, Argent?”

“Trying to stop me investigating the Smidgley brothers,” Sir Hugo informed his boss.

He knew that he had two extremely influential men in his office, both of whom had the ear of people who ran the country. What Sir Hugo needed to know was whether his boss was up to his neck in what the Smidgleys were up to as well. If he was, Sir Hugo knew he was going to lose his job, for the time being at least.

As he waited, Sir Hugo found himself feeling nothing more than sad. His time in the Star Elite had taught him a lot. It had brought together a band of soldiers, of fighting men who had all served time in the war, who had developed skills the War Office had made good use of. Those men had fought together, shared life and death experiences in some of the worst conditions, and had grown into an invincible fighting force who had swiftly earnt a reputation for being the best at getting results. But they were just men. As far as the hierarchy of the War Office, and men like Argent were concerned, the Star Elite were expendable. It was painfully obvious to Sir Hugo that if the Secretary of War was involved in the Smidgley’s crimes in some way, the whole Star Elite, those brave and wonderful fighting men, could be disbanded by an arrogant little man who had more connections than intelligence.

“And with whose authority do you work, Argent?” Atticus Potter, the Secretary of War, asked.

“Yours apparently,” Sir Hugo growled before Argent could speak. “Am I to divulge the details of my investigation to him so he can tell his friends? I warn you now that you are going to put a lot of men’s lives at risk if you do.”

“I have never given Argent authority to obtain information about the Star Elite’s activities on my behalf. I already know what you are doing. What of it, eh, Argent? What in the world possessed you to even try?” Atticus demanded.

“He wants to protect the Smidgley brothers,” Sir Hugo drawled. “There can be no other reason.”

“Oh? Really, Argent? I thought you had already been warned to keep your distance from those two.”