Slough House

London Rules / C14

Chapter 14

Book 5 Part Two 8190 words POV: Shirley Dander, J.K. Coe, Diana Taverner

Summary

At Slough House, Shirley Dander searches Lamb’s desk for a gun, is caught by J.K. Coe, and takes Marcus’s loaded Glock from a shoebox in a locked drawer. Coe argues the cell will not attack the Abbey but Abbotsfield, which holds its own memorial service at the same time with several news crews present, and the two drive three and a half hours to Derbyshire. In the van, Chris accelerates past the village sign, An tells Shin to give the order, and they drive at the church. Coe sees the van knock an unarmed police officer into a wall and open fire on the street; he picks up a fallen rifle and walks towards a gunman sheltering behind Ho’s car. Inside the church, Shirley is nearly crushed by the panicking congregation, turns the key in the door to keep them from the guns, and then faces a young gunman at the far end of the aisle, talking him into handing over his weapon. Afterwards, Diana Taverner visits Lamb and runs through his staff’s offences; Lamb shows her the document, proves it was declassified nineteen years ago by Charles Partner, and describes Operation Shopping List, naming Claude Whelan as its architect. In exchange for his people and Molly Doran he hands Taverner First Desk. Taverner asks Catherine Standish whether Lamb ever told her how Partner really died.

Beats

  • C14S01 · Shirley Dander — Shirley Dander is searching Lamb’s desk when J.K. Coe catches her, and she takes Marcus’s loaded Glock from a shoebox in the locked bottom drawer. Coe argues the cell will hit Abbotsfield rather than the Abbey, village cricket against a test match, and offers her the choice of coming. She goes; they drive three and a half hours, swapping at the two-hour mark, and arrive to police, news crews and flowers. She enters the church, and the shooting starts.
  • C14S02 · Chris — Chris sees the Abbotsfield sign and accelerates, overruling Shin’s hiss to drive normally while An approves. Shin’s shirt is sprayed with Danny’s blood and worse, and he wonders what will follow the victory the Supreme Leader will see. An says there will be cameras, that they will take the church where the congregation is gathered, and that they will seize attention for all time. A police officer steps out and waves them down.
  • C14S03 · J.K. Coe — J.K. Coe sees the van coming and thinks this is not good. It clips the unarmed police officer into a cottage wall, sideswipes a parked car, and its rear doors open on automatic fire that drops a journalist. An officer’s rifle fire hits the rear door, and a khaki figure shoots him. Coe picks up the fallen rifle, is told to put it down, then walks to the corner where a gunman shelters behind Roderick Ho’s car, closing the range.
  • C14S04 · Shirley Dander — Shirley Dander is at the church door when the windows shatter and the hymn becomes hysteria. She turns the key and takes it, to keep the congregation from running out into the guns, and is crushed against the door as the crowd becomes a mob; she takes a blow to the nose and believes she will die. The vicar’s handbell quiets the panic, and a young gunman appears at the end of the aisle. Shirley draws Marcus’s gun and talks him into handing it over.
  • C14S05 · Diana Taverner — Diana Taverner climbs to Lamb’s office and runs through his staff: Coe’s point-blank killing of a gunman, Dander’s unauthorised weapon, Cartwright and Coe caught on CCTV in Slough the night Gimball died, and Ho’s treachery. Lamb produces the document, shows it was declassified nineteen years ago by Charles Partner, and describes Operation Shopping List, naming Claude Whelan as its architect. In exchange he asks for his people and Molly Doran. Taverner agrees, then tells Catherine Standish that Lamb murdered Partner.
  • C14S06 · Narrator — Dusk seeps through Slough House, gathering what the day left behind: Shirley Dander’s words back to zero after snorting coke, Louisa Guy’s scent, River Cartwright’s one-word telephone call and his recognition that Lamb’s protection lasts only while he is a slow horse. In Catherine Standish’s room it remembers Taverner’s account of Partner’s murder and finds the room empty, Catherine gone. In Lamb’s office there is nothing to find. Night falls, and Slough House slumbers, snores, and mostly waits.

People

  • Jackson Lamb — head of Slough House; he trades the Shopping List story for his staff’s survival, then has a coughing fit.
  • Shirley Dander — slow horse who takes Marcus’s Glock to Abbotsfield and disarms the church gunman.
  • JK Coe — slow horse who predicts the second attack and shoots a gunman at Abbotsfield.
  • Marcus Longridge — the dead colleague whose loaded Glock Shirley takes from Lamb’s drawer.
  • Roderick Ho — absent slow horse, accused of treachery; his car is used for the drive and shot up at Abbotsfield.
  • Louisa Guy — slow horse at the Abbey who telephones Shirley.
  • River Cartwright — slow horse at the Abbey who takes a one-word call and resolves not to resign himself.
  • Chris — cell driver, shot dead by two armed officers at Abbotsfield.
  • Shin — cell commander who enters the church and surrenders his weapon to Shirley.
  • An — cell member who directs the attack on the church.
  • Danny — dead cell member whose blood is on Shin’s shirt.
  • Diana Taverner — Second Desk; she confronts Lamb, takes First Desk and tells Catherine Standish the truth about Partner.
  • Catherine Standish — slow horse who is told Lamb murdered Charles Partner, and is gone by dusk.
  • Claude Whelan — named as the officer who set up Operation Shopping List twenty years before.
  • Charles Partner — former First Desk who authorised the declassification; Lamb murdered him in his bath.
  • Dennis Gimball — the MP Coe killed, and the reason Coe expects to be charged.
  • Molly Doran — named as one of three people who know about Shopping List, and the reason Lamb bargains.
  • Sid Baker — the caller River wonders about after a one-word call that cuts out.

Places

  • Slough House — Lamb’s office, the slow horses’ rooms and the staircase Taverner climbs.
  • Abbotsfield — the Derbyshire village holding its own memorial service, with the church, main street and cottages.
  • Westminster Abbey — the Abbey, where Louisa and River are, and where the main service is held.
  • Regent’s Park — the Park, referred to as the place where nobody is listening to Coe.

Lines worth keeping

“It’s Marcus’s gun” — Shirley Dander, Shirley, caught searching Lamb’s desk by Coe.

“Because basically, they’re village cricket. And the Abbey’s a test match.” — J.K. Coe, Coe explaining why the cell will go back to Abbotsfield.

“I shot up the sky” — Shin, the gunman in the church, cornered by Shirley’s gun.

“What I always want, Diana. I want to be left alone.” — Jackson Lamb, Lamb naming his price for the Shopping List story.

“So you’ll do as I say and smile while doing it. Just like any other professional.” — Jackson Lamb, Lamb telling Taverner what the information buys him.

“Did Lamb ever tell you how Charles Partner really died?” — Diana Taverner, Taverner’s question to Catherine Standish as she enters her office.

Threads

  • Plants: Catherine Standish learns Lamb murdered Charles Partner and leaves her room; her whereabouts are unknown at the close.; Coe’s motive for going to Abbotsfield: something on his side of the ledger over Gimball.; Taverner’s warning that she does not like being dictated to, and that Lamb should bear it in mind.; Whelan named as the architect of Shopping List, leaving First Desk open to Taverner.; Shirley’s wrap of coke, and her words back to zero.; River’s one-word call, and the possibility that the caller was Sid.; Lamb’s coughing fit as Taverner leaves.
  • Payoffs: The document Ho stole is shown to have been declassified nineteen years ago, so Ho is not a traitor.; Coe’s theory that the cell would return to Abbotsfield is proved right, and Shirley’s borrowed gun is used.; Shin’s wild shooting at Abbotsfield, raised against him by Danny, is confirmed by his own words.; Charles Partner’s suicide is revealed to have been Lamb’s sanctioned murder.; Taverner’s earlier intention to deal with Slough House is carried out face to face.
  • Continuity: The drive to Abbotsfield takes three and a half hours, with the drivers swapping at the two-hour mark.; Marcus’s Glock is loaded; Lamb’s Heckler and Koch stays in the shoebox.; Shirley’s nose bleeds and her ear is taped with Sellotape; Coe’s chin has dried blood on it.; The church gunman was wounded before entering and is dead on arrival at hospital, so no prisoner is taken.; Chris is killed by two armed officers; a police officer’s throat is shot away; a journalist is hit.; The document was declassified nineteen years ago and signed off by Charles Partner as First Desk.; Only Lamb, Taverner and Molly Doran know about Shopping List so far.; Taverner agrees to record Gimball’s death as an accident.

Characters

Places