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More camera people moved around。 Veritable banks of potted plants blazed red and gold。 To the left； open opulently…gleaming double doors led into an entertaining and boardroom area impressive enough for a major industry of self…importance。 On the right； more double doors led to Yorkshire's own new office； not； from what I could see； a place of paperwork。 Polished wood gleamed。 Plants galore。 A tray of bottles and glasses。
I retreated down the unvarnished nitty…gritty fire…stairs until I was back on the working…office floor； standing there indecisively； wondering if the measurers still barred my purpose。
I heard voices； growing louder and stopping on the other side of the door。 I was prepared to go into a busy…employee routine； but it appeared they preferred the lift to the stairs。 The lifting machinery whirred on the other side of the stairwell； the voices moved into the lift and diminished to zero。 I couldn't tell whether they'd gone up or down； and I was concerned only that they'd all gone up and not left one behind。
There was no point in waiting。 I opened the fire…door； stepped onto the carpet and looked left and right towards Mrs Dove's domain。
I had the whole office floor to myself。
Great。
Mrs Dove's door was locked twice： an old…looking mortise and a new knob with a keyhole in the centre。 These were locks I liked。 There could be no nasty surprises like bolts or chains or wedges on the inside： also the emphatic statement of two locks probably meant that there were things of worth to guard。
The mortise lock took a whole minute； with the ghost of my old master breathing disapprovingly down my neck。 The modern lock took twenty seconds of delicate probing。 One had to 'feel' one's way through。 False fingers for that； as for much else； were useless。
Once inside Mrs Dove's office I spent time relocking the door so that anyone outside trying it for security would find it as it should be。 If anyone came in with keys； I would have warning enough to hide。
Mrs Dove's cote was large and fortable with a wide desk； several of the Scandinavian…design armchairs and grainy blowup black and white photographs of racing horses round the walls。 Along one side there were the routine office machines …Fax； copier and large print…out calculator； and； on the desk； a puter； shrouded for the weekend in a fitted cover。 There were multiple filing cabinets and a tall white…painted and as I discovered locked cupboard。
Mrs Dove had a window with louvered blinds and a distant view of the Mersey。 Mrs Dove's office was managing director stuff。
I had only a vague idea of what I was looking for。 The audited accounts I'd seen in panies House seemed not to match the actual state of affairs at Frodsham。 The audit did； of course； refer to a year gone by； to the first with Owen Yorkshire in charge； but the fragile bottom…line profit； as shown； would not suggest or justify expensive publicity campaigns or televised receptions for the notables of Liverpool。
The old French adage 'look for the lady' was a century out of date； my old teacher had said。 In modern times it should be 'look for the money'； and； shortly before he died； he had amended that to 'follow the paper'。 Shady or doubtful transactions； he said； always left a paper trail。 Even in the age of puters； he'd insisted that paper showed the way； and over and over again I'd proved him right。
The paper in Mrs Dove's office was all tidied away in the many filing cabinets； which were locked。
Most filing cabinets； like these； locked all drawers simultaneously with a notched vertical rod out of sight within the right…hand front corner； operated by a single key at the top。 Turning the key raised the rod； allowing all the drawers to open。 I wasn't bad at opening filing cabinets。
The trouble was that Topline Foods had little to hide； or at least not at first sight。 Pounds of paper referred to orders and invoices for ining supplies； pounds more to sales； pounds more to the expenses of running an industry； from insurance to wages； to electricity to general maintenance。
The filing cabinets took too long and were a waste of time。 What they offered was the entirely respectable basis of next year's audit。
I locked them all again and； after investigating the desk drawers themselves； which held only stationery； took the cover off the puter and switched it on； pressing the buttons for 'List Files'； and 'Enter'。 Scrolls of file names appeared and I tried one at random： 'Aintree'。
Onto the screen came details of the lunch given the day before the Grand National； the guest list； the menu； a summary of the speeches and a list of the coverage given to the occasion in the press。
Nothing I could find seemed any more secret。 I switched off； replaced the cover and turned my lock…pickers to the tall white cupboard。
The feeling of time running out； however irrational； shortened my breath and made me hurry。 I always envied the supersleuths in films who put their hands on the right papers in the first ten seconds and； this time； I didn't know if the right paper even existed。
It turned out to be primarily not a paper but a second puter。
Inside the white cupboard； inside a drop…down desk arrangement in there； I came across a second keyboard and a second screen。 I switched the puter on and nothing happened； which wasn't astounding as I found an electric lead lying alongside； disconnected。 I plugged it into the puter and tried again； and with a grumble or two the machine became ready for business。
I pressed 'List Files' again； and this time found myself looking not at individual subjects； but at 'Directories'； each of which contained file names such as 'Formula A'。
What I had e across were the more private records； the electronic files； some very secret； some not。
In quick succession I highlighted the 'Directories' and brought them to the screen until one baldly listed 'Quint'： but no amount of button…pressing got me any further。
Think。
The reason I couldn't get the Quint information onto the screen must be because it wasn't in the puter。
OK？ OK。 So where was it？
On the shelf above the puter stood a row of box…files； numbers 1 to 9； but not one labelled Quint。
I lifted down Number 1 and looked inside。 There were several letters filed in there； also a blue puter floppy disk in a clear cover。 According to the letters； box…file No。 1 referred to loans made to Topline Foods； loans not repaid on the due date。 There was also a mention of 'sweeteners' and 'quid pro quos'。 I fed the floppy disk into the drive slot in the puter body and got no further than a single unhelpful word on the screen： PASSWORD？
Password？ Heaven knew。 I looked into the box…files one by one and came to 'Quint' in No。 6。 There were three floppies in there； not one。
I fed in the first。
PASSWORD？
Second and third disks…PASSWORD？
Bugger； I thought。
Searching for anything helpful I lifted down a heavy white cardboard box； like a double…height shoebox； that filled the rest of the box…file shelf。 In there was a row of big black high…impact plastic protective coverings。 I picked out one and unlatched its fastening； and found inside it a video