Slough House

London Rules / C02

Chapter 2

Book 5 Part One 5962 words POV: Claude Whelan, Jackson Lamb, Louisa Guy

Summary

Claude Whelan is at Number Ten with the Prime Minister, who quotes Dodie Gimball’s column, says democracy is the biggest threat Parliament faces, and warns that Dennis Gimball may rejoin the party and take his job, and that Whelan will fall with him unless the Abbotsfield killers are caught. Whelan argues against door-to-door searches in areas with a high Muslim population. The corridor outside falls silent as officials read their phones, and they step out to rolling news of another attack. In Slough House, Jackson Lamb tells his team they are not part of the manhunt, then hears from Shirley Dander, Catherine Standish and Louisa Guy that someone tried to run Ho over with a silver Honda; he dismisses it as a badly executed three-point turn. Diana Taverner tells Whelan there are fourteen dead in the new bombing, with no useful CCTV and a single pipe bomb that leaves no clear pattern, and they discuss Dennis Gimball and Zafar Jaffrey, whom Whelan orders rechecked using the Dogs. Whelan also asks for security checks ahead of a memorial service at the Abbey. In the kitchen, Shirley asks Louisa to help watch Ho; Louisa doubts the hit and warns her about going behind Lamb’s back. River shows them footage of a pipe bomb thrown into the penguin enclosure at Dobsey Park near Chester, where fourteen penguins died, and Louisa and River agree to join Shirley’s watch.

Beats

  • C02S01 · Claude Whelan — Claude Whelan met the Prime Minister in a cubbyhole at Number Ten, where the PM quoted Dodie Gimball’s column, called democracy the biggest threat Parliament faced, and warned that Dennis Gimball might rejoin the party and take his job, with Whelan’s own survival tied to the manhunt. Whelan defended his refusal to order door-to-door searches. Then the corridor went quiet as officials read their phones, and they stepped out to news footage of another attack.
  • C02S02 · Jackson Lamb — Jackson Lamb gathered his team in his office to tell them they were not part of the manhunt, mocked Coe, River and Louisa in turn, and brushed aside Louisa’s offer of backup. Shirley Dander, Catherine Standish and Louisa Guy stayed behind to report that someone had tried to run Ho over with a silver Honda on Fann Street. Lamb refused to take it seriously and sent them back to their desks. Catherine corrected his devil’s avocado to advocate on her way out.
  • C02S03 · Claude Whelan — Diana Taverner told Whelan there were fourteen dead in the new attack, that the CCTV was chaotic and useless, and that a single pipe bomb left no profile and might or might not belong to the Abbotsfield crew. Whelan asked what the Service held on Dennis Gimball, then about Zafar Jaffrey, whom the PM had raised; Taverner said Jaffrey looked clean but agreed to recheck him with the Dogs. Whelan also ordered checks for a memorial service at the Abbey in two days.
  • C02S04 · Louisa Guy — Louisa Guy made tea in the kitchen while Shirley Dander insisted the car had been an attempted hit and asked for help watching Ho’s back; Louisa doubted it, said she would not want to be Shirley when Lamb found out, and argued that nobody was targeting them. River then called them to his desk to watch amateur footage of a pipe bomb thrown into the penguin enclosure at Dobsey Park near Chester, where fourteen penguins died. Louisa mentioned Shirley’s plan, and when River asked, she agreed to join it.

People

  • Claude Whelan — First Desk at Regent’s Park, backed by the PM and under attack from the Gimballs; he orders the Jaffrey recheck and the Abbey security checks.
  • Dodie Gimball — Columnist and Dennis Gimball’s wife; the PM quotes her column attacking the Security Services, and she writes twice weekly.
  • Dennis Gimball — MP and referendum campaigner who has indicated he might rejoin his old party and wants the PM’s job.
  • Jackson Lamb — Runs Slough House; he convenes the meeting, dismisses the Ho incident, and refuses to allocate resources to it.
  • River Cartwright — Slow horse at the meeting; he finds the Dobsey Park footage and agrees to help watch Ho.
  • Catherine Standish — Slow horse who presses Lamb to take the attempt on Ho seriously and corrects him on his way out.
  • JK Coe — Slow horse at the meeting; Lamb asks his name and mocks his panic attacks.
  • Louisa Guy — Slow horse who offers the team’s backup, then agrees to help watch Ho.
  • Shirley Dander — Slow horse who reports the car and proposes watching Ho’s back.
  • Diana Taverner — Second Desk, called Lady Di; she briefs Whelan, agrees to check Gimball’s file and to recheck Zafar Jaffrey.
  • Claire — Whelan’s wife, who telephones him about the bombing and whose photograph stands on his desk.
  • Zafar Jaffrey — Politician the PM has heard rumours about; Whelan orders a fresh look at him.
  • Marcus Longridge — Dead colleague remembered by Louisa and Shirley when Slough House was last in the crosshairs.
  • Min Harper — Dead colleague Louisa remembers having nobody to talk to about.
  • Roderick Ho — The slow horse someone tried to run over; absent from the meeting and unaware of the attempt.

Places

  • Slough House — Where Lamb holds his meeting and where the team watches the footage.
  • Regent’s Park — The Service’s headquarters, described by Lamb as the bright shiny building.
  • Westminster Abbey — Where a service for civilian casualties of war is to be held in two days.
  • Abbotsfield — The village where twelve died, now a byword, whose killers are still at large.

Lines worth keeping

“The biggest threat Parliament faces is democracy.” — the PM, The Prime Minister on the referendum and its consequences.

“It’s been brought to my attention that you arsewipes are not happy bunnies.” — Jackson Lamb, Lamb opens his departmental meeting.

“Someone tried to run Ho over.” — Shirley Dander, Shirley tells Lamb what she saw at lunchtime.

“It was almost certainly nothing.” — Jackson Lamb, Lamb’s verdict on the attempt on Ho’s life.

“Some bastard lobbed a pipe bomb into the penguin enclosure at Dobsey Park. That’s near Chester.” — River Cartwright, River shows Louisa and Shirley the video.

“Penguins were funny on land, ballet dancers underwater, but mostly mince once you applied brute physics.” — Narrator, The aftermath of the bombing at Dobsey Park.

Threads

  • Plants: A memorial service at the Abbey in two days, with high-profile attendance, requiring security checks.; Zafar Jaffrey to be rechecked by the Dogs, at the PM’s prompting as much as Whelan’s.; The PM’s hundred per cent backing, which ties Whelan’s future to closure on Abbotsfield.; Shirley, Louisa and River planning to watch Ho after hours, behind Lamb’s back.; The new bombing’s lack of a pattern, which Taverner says leaves a hole in any profile.
  • Payoffs: Lamb’s meeting takes up the attempt on Ho reported at the end of the previous chapter.; The news alert that silences the Number Ten corridor is the bombing whose footage River later finds.
  • Continuity: Fourteen dead in the new attack, from a single pipe bomb; twelve dead at Abbotsfield.; Shirley saw a silver Honda on Fann Street and got no plate.; Whelan’s wife is called Claire; her photograph sits on his desk and he straightens it twice.; Taverner says that six months ago Whelan would have been shocked at the idea of digging for dirt on Gimball.

Characters

Places