“Congratulations, Samantha. There are very few reporters who can say they brought down a prime minister. Unfortunately, you didn’t get the entire story.” He slid a bank statement across the countertop. It was from BVI Bank in the British Virgin Islands. The name of the account was something called LMR Overseas. “Do you recognize those initials?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
“LMR Overseas is an anonymous shell company owned by Lord Michael Radcliff. If you review the account activity, you will see that LMR Overseas received a ten-million-pound payment from a company called Driftwood Holdings just forty-eight hours after Radcliff resigned in disgrace.”
“Is the timing significant?”
“I’d say so. You see, Samantha, the beneficial owner of Driftwood Holdings is none other than Valentin Federov.”
“That’s not possible,” she whispered.
“You’re holding the proof in your hand.”
She scrutinized the document carefully. “But how can you be sure that Lord Michael Radcliff is actually the beneficial owner of LMR Overseas? Or that Federov controls Driftwood Holdings?”
Gabriel nudged several more documents across the counter. “These are from the law firm that created and administers both of those shell companies. They prove that the real owners are Lord Radcliff and Valentin Federov.”
Samantha looked at the letterhead on the first document. “Harris Weber & Company?”
“It’s registered in the British Virgin Islands as well, but those documents came from the firm’s Monaco office.” Gabriel handed her an external flash drive. “So did these. You’ll need a team of experienced investigative reporters to help you review all the material.”
“How much is there?”
“Three point two terabytes.”
“Bloody hell! Who’s the source?”
“We received assistance from someone close to the firm. That’s all I can say.”
“We?”
Gabriel glanced at the Scandinavian-looking woman. “My associate and I.”
“Does she have a name?”
“Not one that’s relevant to these proceedings.”
Samantha pointed toward the man with bright blue eyes. “What about him?”
“Marlowe is his name.”
“What does he do for a living?”
“He’s a business consultant. His wife runs an art gallery in St. James’s.”
“Is that so?” Samantha cast her eyes over the documents arrayed before her. “Let me see if I understand this correctly. Lord Michael Radcliff, treasurer of the Conservative Party, accepts a one-million-pound contribution from a pro-Kremlin Russian businessman that leads to his own resignation and the resignation of Prime Minister Hillary Edwards. And then Lord Radcliff receives a ten-million-pound payment from the selfsame Russian businessman?”
“Correct.”
“Why?”
“For helping Hugh Graves become prime minister.” Gabriel managed to smile. “Why else?”
“I was manipulated into publishing that story? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Of course.”
“For what reason?”
Another document came gliding across the countertop. It was a memorandum from the directors of the Secret Intelligence Service and MI5, addressed to Prime Minister Edwards.
“I heard rumors of this,” said Samantha. “But I was never able to prove its existence.”
“I suggest you ring the foreign secretary. Evidently, he was quite keen on the proposal. So was the chancellor.”
“And Graves?”
“What do you think?”
“I think Hugh and his lovely wife, Lucinda, probably thought it was a dreadful idea.”
“Graves was definitely opposed to the new regulations. As for his lovely wife . . .”
“Is she involved in this somehow?”
“You should probably put that question to the person who told you about the Federov contribution.”
“I don’t know who the source was.”
