The End Game, page 4
‘No,’ he said.
Caton could tell Gorlay was lying, and it was clear from the look on Carter’s face that he wasn’t alone in thinking all three of them were hiding something.
‘So,’ Caton began, ‘someone, who just happens to know how important your servers are to your company, and where they are located, causes a fire that destroys two of them, and you have no idea what that person’s motive might be, or his or her identity?’
‘It’s a mystery,’ said Gorlay.
‘Like one of your games?’
Gorlay shrugged.
‘Okay,‘ Caton said. ‘Let’s see if we can help. Is there anyone who might wish to harm your company?’
‘I can’t think who,’ Gorlay said. He turned to his senior artist. ‘What about you, Louie?’
Ellish shrugged unconvincingly. ‘Me neither.’
‘What about CDC?’ Nuan suggested.
That prompted a sharp intake of breath from her CEO.
Caton stared at him. ‘CDC?’ he said.
Gorlay’s response was reluctant. ‘Castlefield Digital Creations. They’re just another gaming company like ours. One of over twenty in Manchester alone.’
‘And how might they benefit from damaging your server units?’
‘They’ve been trying to buy us out,’ Nuan Lau responded. ‘They’ve been very persistent.’
‘Really?’ Caton said. ‘Why might that be?’
‘Because we have six high-profile and very profitable games.’ Gorlay said ‘If they were able to add them to their portfolio, it would make them a major player. Then the big boys might come sniffing and make them an offer they can’t refuse.’
‘Or big girls,’ Lau said.
‘What are they offering you?’ Caton asked.
The two men looked at each other.
‘That’s confidential company information,’ Gorlay said. ‘It might give someone a competitive advantage.’
Caton smiled. ‘I wasn’t aware that Greater Manchester Police are into video game production,’ he said. ‘Nor are we known for industrial espionage.’
Gorlay remained tight-lipped.
‘We could always check with Companies House,’ Caton said.
Gorlay shook his head. ‘That won’t give you the answer you’re looking for,’ he said.
Caton leaned forward. ‘Which is?’
Gorlay surrendered. ‘Two and a half times our annual sales revenue.’
‘Which comes to?’
There was a long pause.
‘Fifteen point three million pounds.’
Carter couldn’t help himself. ‘For video games?’
‘Believe me, that’s small fry compared with what the big companies are making,’ Gorlay told him.
‘And the industry multiple for takeovers is actually three times sales and revenue,’ Louie Ellish chipped in.
‘And we have above average market traction and growth, a highly sustainable competitive advantage, and the market is growing exponentially,’ Nuan Lau added.
‘Couldn’t you just take the money and then start up under a new name with some new games?’ Carter said.
Gorlay groaned.
‘Any such agreement,’ Nuan Lau said, ‘would include a binding agreement to cease operating in the same market in a competitive manner for at least two years. Standard practice.’
‘Besides, this is our baby,’ Gorlay pointed out. ‘There is no way we’re giving up now.’
‘Apart from this rival firm, CDC, does anyone else come to mind?’ Caton asked.
None of them responded. Nuan Lau was looking at the floor, and Louie Ellish had given his CEO a brief sideways glance before staring at a spot on the ceiling.
Caton lost patience with them. ‘You’re behaving like children,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t need to remind you of the gravity of this attack on your business. Never mind the damage – someone could have died. Who’s to say that next time they won’t?’
Nuan Lau raised her head and stared at each of her colleagues in turn. ‘We should tell them,’ she said.
Caton sat back. ‘Tell me what?’
‘She’s right, Jake,’ Ellish said, ‘If this is a Level One sanction, God knows what’s coming next.’
‘Sanction?’ Caton said. ‘Are you saying this is about extortion?’
‘Yeah,’ Gorlay finally admitted. ‘We’re being blackmailed.’
‘Extortion.’ Caton told him. ‘Not blackmail, extortion.’
Gorlay bristled. ‘Same difference, surely?’
‘Not in a legal sense,’ Caton replied. ‘Although both involve threats or require a specific course of action in order to obtain money, only extortion involves threats of physical violence against a person or persons, or destruction of their property. Blackmail uses the threat to expose secrets or knowledge that might harm the intended victim or someone close to them.’
Gorlay raised both hands, less in surrender than in irritation. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘We’re being extorted.’
Here was someone, Caton decided, whose inflated ego was such that he was quick to take offence, and even quicker to give offence to others. He could see a line of potential suspects reaching around the block.
‘Finally, we’re getting somewhere,’ he said. ‘It’s time you told us what the hell is going on.’
Chapter 10
The two detectives put on their forensic gloves as the envelope, sheet of paper, mobile phone, and the images from Nuan Lau’s phone were set out on the coffee table in front of them.
‘How many of you have handled the package and its contents?’ Caton asked.
‘All of us,’ Nuan Lau replied.
‘Then we’ll need your fingerprints and DNA swabs,’ he told them.
‘Is that really necessary?’ Gorlay asked.
‘Only if you want us to catch whoever is doing this,’ Caton replied.
He and Carter took their time examining the evidence before them, ending with the screenshots of the text messages.
‘The terminology used strikes me as unusual,’ Caton said. ‘“Boss”, “bad manners”, “levels” and “sanctions”?’
‘They’re common terms used within the gaming community,’ Lau told him.
‘So this could be a gamer, or a designer of games?’
Gorlay scowled. ‘Obviously,’ he muttered.
‘Or someone who knows how to Google?’ Carter said.
‘What else does it tell you about the person who sent these?’ Caton asked.
‘That he’s out to hurt our business, obviously,’ Gorlay said.
‘Or she, or they,’ Nuan Lau added.
‘That he . . . or she . . . has a thing about in-game purchases?’ Louie Ellish suggested.
‘Unless that’s just a cover?’ Lau said.
Gorlay snorted.
‘Well, there’s nothing else in it for he, she, they, it or them, is there?’ he said. ‘Not if the money is going to this charity.’
‘Have you heard of a charity called . . . ’ Caton checked his notes. ‘. . . End In-Game Purchases?’
‘Oh yeah,’ Gorlay replied, ‘this one is a bloody pain. It only started campaigning to put a stop to in-game gambling and purchases a couple of years ago, but they’re gaining ground.’
‘There’s no mention of gambling in these messages,’ Caton pointed out.
Louie Ellish sat forward. ‘The thing is,’ he said. ‘we don’t have any gambling within our games, and we actively discourage people from doing so.’
‘We agreed when we started the company, no gambling,’ Nuan Lau added. ‘It’s against our ethics.’
‘So why do you think you’re being targeted?’
‘Million-dollar question,’ Gorlay said.
‘Or two hundred thousand quid in our case,’ Ellish pointed out, ‘and that’s only for for starters.’
‘I assume that the three of you have discussed how you intend to respond to these demands?’ Caton said.
‘We’re not paying, if that’s what you mean!’ Gorlay responded. ‘And we won’t be issuing any statements or stopping any in-game purchases. Besides, there’s no point now your lot are involved.’
‘Good,’ Caton told him. ‘Our advice is to never give in to ransom demands. Even if you do, there’s no guarantee that the perpetrators won’t come back for more, or still carry out their threats. And, taking a wider perspective, giving in may embolden them to target other companies.’
Gorlay stood up. ‘I don’t give a shit about other companies. I want to know what we’re supposed to do now, and how you’re going to protect us, and our business?’
Caton refused to be provoked. ‘Keep us informed of every communication,’ he said. ‘Record any calls on your mobiles. I’ll see if we can arrange twenty-four-hour surveillance on this building. Ring 999 immediately if you have any reason to fear for your personal safety. I’m going to arrange for one of my colleagues to take each of you through a risk assessment that will include your personal routines and the security of your homes: their accessibility, locks, alarm systems, CCTV coverage, and so on. In the meantime, DCI Carter will need to speak with each of you separately.’
Gorlay bristled. ‘Are you suggesting that one of us could be involved?’
‘Not at all,’ Caton said. ‘This is routine procedure in a case of extortion. The more we know about each of you and your company, the sooner we’ll be able to find out who’s behind those messages, and the attack on your servers.
‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check with the Fire Service Investigation team and our crime scene manager.’ He stood up. ‘Try not to worry. We’ll deal with this.’
‘Easy for you to say!’ Gorlay responded.
Caton gestured for Nick to join him. The two of them moved out of earshot.
‘I suggest you start with Lau,’ he said. ‘Of the three of them, she’s been the most forthcoming.’
‘That was my instinct,’ Carter agreed. ‘Let’s hope she’s even more enlightening when she’s not got Gorlay watching her every move.’
Chapter 11
‘Ms Lau. Why don’t you start by telling me a little about yourself,’ Carter began, ‘and how you came to be working here?’
Ignoring the carafe of water and the glasses on the table, she took a sip from her flask.
‘I came to Manchester to study at the university. It has a highly esteemed computer science department. Did you know that it’s also the birthplace of computer science?’
Carter did.
‘Alan Turing,’ he said.
‘Alan Mathison Turing,’ she corrected.
‘And where did you come from?’ he asked, instantly regretting the ambiguity of the question. ‘I mean . . .’
He needn’t have bothered.
‘Swindon,’ she replied, without a flicker. ‘My parents adopted me when I was two years old.’
‘Right,’ he said. ‘And when did you meet Mr Gorlay and Mr Ellish?’
‘They were also studying computer science here in Manchester. Jake was in my year, Louie a year behind. We all developed an interest in the development of computer-generated video games.’
‘And whose idea was it to work together?’
‘Jake and Louie decided to start up the company. They approached me because they were aware of my programming expertise.’
It was said as a matter of fact, without affectation or modesty.
‘That must have taken some investment?’ Carter said.
‘We were fortunate. Jake’s father lent him twenty thousand pounds; mine lent me five thousand pounds. It was enough to get us started. Within two years, we had repaid them with interest.’
‘And Mr Ellish? Did he contribute anything?’
There was a hint of surprise in her eyes.
‘His expertise – that was priceless.’
She began to unscrew the top of her flask again. Carter used the time to gather his thoughts. He waited until he had her full attention.
‘Are you happy here?’ he asked.
She seemed surprised by the question.
‘Happy? This is where I do my work. It provides me with challenge and intellectual stimulation. I’m thankful when my endeavours are deemed successful. I don’t come here to be happy.’
Carter wondered if anything ever made her happy. And what on earth she could do with the considerable sums of money she was making that might bring a smile to her face.
‘But you’re not unhappy here?’
‘I am neither happy nor unhappy,’ she replied. ‘I do my work to the best of my ability, and then I go home.’
‘And where is home exactly?’
‘I live in an apartment overlooking New Islington Marina. I’ve been there for over six years.’
Carter looked up from his notes. ‘Really? Detective Chief Inspector Caton used to live there. You must have been neighbours.’
‘I don’t recall having ever seen him,’ she said.
‘And do you live alone?’
‘Yes, and no.’
‘Yes, and no?’
‘I have a partner. She lives with her son on a converted coal barge on the marina. Sometimes she comes to stay in my apartment when her son is visiting his father.’
‘What’s their marital status, your partner and her son’s father?’
Carter was prepared for her to be affronted. She was not.
‘They were divorced two years ago, before she and I met.’
‘And what are the names of your partner and her son?’
‘Thelma Dundas and Langston Dundas. Langston is ten years old, and profoundly deaf. It’s the result of an acquired congenital recessive gene inherited from his father.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Carter said.
‘There’s no need to be sorry, detective inspector,’ she responded. ‘Langston is a very bright and happy boy. His abilities are many and more than compensate for his deafness.’
Carter was about to say he was glad to hear it, but he’d already had two put-downs and wasn’t eager for another. ‘What does Ms Dundas do for a living?’ he asked.
‘She works for the Manchester University Library Service. We met when I was searching for a scholarly article on fifth-generation advanced game design. Thelma showed me where I could refill my flask with filtered water. We got talking.’
Carter wondered who had initiated the conversation, and how exactly that had gone. Lau didn’t strike him as a social animal.
‘When we discovered,’ she continued, ‘that we both lived at the marina, she invited me to visit her barge, and to meet Langston. He was named after Langston Hughes, the poet, social activist, and playwright who was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance . . .’ She checked to see if Carter knew what she was talking about and realised that he did not. ‘. . . A flowering of black intellectual, literary and artistic life that took place in the nineteen-twenties.’
She made it sound like a quote from Wikipedia. Carter decided it was time to wrap this up.
‘Ms Lau,’ he said, ‘do you have any suspicion about who might be behind this attack on your company?’
For the first time, her gaze faltered. She looked down at her flask as though surprised to see it there and began to unscrew the lid. As she took a series of small sips, Carter’s interest grew. She was playing for time.
‘Ms Lau,’ he said, ‘Nuan, if there’s something we should know, you must tell us. Forget about any loyalty you may feel you owe to others. This is already an extremely worrying situation. If we don’t quickly get on top of it, your colleagues, their families, even your partner and her son, could find themselves in grave danger.’
The mention of her partner and her son did the trick. She stopped what she was doing and looked directly at him.
‘There’s something I think I should tell you. It’s to do with Jake.’
‘Go on,’ he said.
‘I think he may be cheating on his partner.’
‘And what makes you think that?’
‘He has a history with women. Jake is wealthy and personable. I’m told he can be very charming. He also enjoys the good life, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It is understandable that many women find him attractive.’
She paused. Carter held his breath and waited.
‘However,’ she said, ‘he’s had many relationships, some very short, some long, and it’s not unusual for him to have more than one at the same time. He’s also very tactile. I don’t think he can help himself when it comes to women.’
‘And how do you know all this?’ Carter asked.
‘I overhear them talking, him and Louie. He confides in Louie. It’s a male thing, I think.’
Carter nodded. ‘Bragging.’
‘Sharing conquests,’ she qualified. ‘When they become aware that I’m in the vicinity, they quickly change the conversation. Also, we get calls here at the office. Sometimes when everyone else is out and I’m working alone, I answer the phone. These women give their names. Leave messages asking for Mr Gorlay to call them back. Even confirm that they’ll be at such and such a place, at such and such a time. When I tell Jake, I get the impression that he’s annoyed that I took the call.’
‘And you believe that his partner . . .?’
‘Becky. Becky Kerson.’
‘Becky . . . is aware of these liaisons?’
She nodded. ‘I think so. She’s been calling the office more frequently, asking for Jake. It’s clear that she has no idea where he is, and that upsets her. She’s even started dropping into the office when she’s in Manchester, which she never did before. She smiled a lot at the start of their relationship, but not now.’
At best it was circumstantial, though thought-provoking.
‘Do they live together? Mr Gorlay and Ms Kerson?’
She nodded solemnly. ‘In a big house in Cheshire.’
Before Carter had time to ask anything more, she added something that further sparked his interest.
‘Jake also has an apartment here in Manchester. In the Northern Quarter.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. He says it’s so he can carry on working if he needs to, and get into the office early in the morning. Or if he and Becky have had a late night in Manchester, they can sleep there rather than have to drive home.’
