THE THESEUS PARADOX: The stunning breakthrough thriller based on real events, from the Scotland Yard detective turned author. by David Videcette

fear. For a brief moment she looked scared, lost and incredibly young again. It reminded him of when they’d first met at University. Her eyes today, they were the same innocent ones that he had known back then – the ones that looked at things not knowing how they worked. This was not the confident and in-control, career Claire.
    ‘There are links to one of Wasim’s contacts. We think Wasim was one of the recipients of the coded messages. He was at a training camp in Pakistan with several key people. Everyone in this particular group was taught how to make a new type of explosive at the camp. It’s like nothing we’ve seen before. The trainers at the camps – they’ve learned from the Crevice operation that we can track orders of precursor materials like fertiliser. So their tactics and bomb ingredients – they’ve evolved…’ She went silent for a brief moment. ‘There are others involved. Something is going on. I’m worried… It’s moving way too slowly on our side.’
    Claire trailed off and looked away. Eye contact with him had ceased for the time being. He guessed that this signified the end of the information feed.
    ‘Why are you telling me this now, Claire? You think I haven’t been saying this exact same stuff since Operation Crevice?’
    Jake felt a mixture of arrogance and bewilderment. He had been pushing this with senior management for the last few months. They just would not listen. He was constantly being told that ‘the Service should lead’ and ‘if they say the job is dead, it’s dead’. Clearly he had been on the right track. But management was still telling him he hadn’t got enough for a criminal investigation.
    Jake’s eyes narrowed as something else dawned on him. ‘But al-Iraqi was arrested in May? Two months ago! You’ve known about these coded communications for two months?’
    ‘No!’ Claire shot back. ‘I found this out yesterday! I’m telling you today! Look. You need to take a look at this.’
    Claire glanced around quickly to check there was no one in the street before surreptitiously palming him a piece of paper. ‘Let me know if the police know anything about this number and address, will you? Please? As a personal favour to me?’ She sounded desperate, pleading.
    It was the first time Claire had ever asked him directly for information. The moment wasn’t lost on him. The Security Service already had access to police-intelligence databases and the HOLMES system, but she was explicitly asking what he knew.
    ‘I need to get back,’ said Claire.
    ‘What? You’re going back now?’ Jake laughed, thinking she was joking.
    ‘Yes, I have work to do,’ she said, as she looked squarely into his eyes. There was no smile. She was serious.
    ‘That’s it? You came all that way just to tell me that? And you’re not even staying for some breakfast?’ he joked back to hide his annoyance.
    She was silent and turned to stare dead ahead out of the windscreen.
    Jake realised it was pointless to argue.
    At that precise moment, he knew he didn’t have the words to change her mind.
    Jake pushed the BMW’s gear stick into the drive position and the pair retraced the short distance in silence. At the station, Claire looked at him earnestly before leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. Without a word she got out and walked away to hunt for a return train to London.
    Jake sat in his car at the taxi rank with the engine running. He could hear the honking horns from the taxi drivers, telling him to move off their patch, but he ignored them.
    Her voice echoed in his head. ‘There are others involved.’
    She’d travelled all that way just to tell him that? Ask him that? Give him that piece of paper? It made no sense. Why?
    Was it that sensitive that she didn’t want to transmit the information any other way? Jake knew that was how the bad guys worked. Messages and letters were passed down from al-Qaeda command; a network of contacts ensured the messages were delivered