Chapter 14

The next morning, Sunday December 22^nd, 1985, Andrew thought about the previous day as he ran round the Meadows. When he and Suzanne were together things seemed to click and although they had belaboured the talk in the morning it was also useful and necessary. But when they were together in bed it flowed naturally and there was no hiding it. The current issue was separate cities for the next 18 months. For them to really work at this and to give themselves a chance they needed to be together all the time. It would need to be survival until then. Andrew knew they would talk about this later this but he needed time to think about everything and felt talked out on the subject. That Sunday, reluctantly, he had to deal with his Grandma and the news about his parents.

It was shit. Pure and simple. It was awful to see an eighty year old elderly woman cry in front of him. Especially when he made her cry. There was no point in rehashing the previous Wednesday, he told her what had happened and she knew that this was something that was going to be all but impossible to come back from.

“Thank you telling me Andrew, and for making an effort. I am going to spare the rest of the family all the details, it will be known pretty quickly, probably from your parent’s own mouths. I will let everyone know that you will not be there and not to mention it. Hopefully we can get through the day without a bust up. But it will be terrible that you are not going to be there. Are you going to go to see your friends in Glasgow?”

White lie time, there was no way Andrew was going to tell her the truth, that he would be on his own for Christmas.

“Yes, I will be going through to Glasgow.”

Just not on that day. They finally moved past the family debacle and Grandma had unexpected news.

“Margaret Graves, your old librarian, says hello. I met her by chance this autumn on an outing through the church. She was there with her congregation and so we had an opportunity to talk. I meant to say to you on Wednesday but I didn’t remember.”

Andrew did remember that the two of them had gotten on well at the party two years earlier. He asked his Grandma to pass on his greetings to her in return. She was a nice lady who had been very good to him in his last four years at school. Suzanne was out when Andrew got back to the flat. Most of his time since he had returned from Helsinki had felt like a whole series of awkward conversations, with little time to relax and enjoy being in Edinburgh, except with Maggie and Tony. Even that evening could have been more of the same. He got a call inviting him round to Leslie and Julian’s place for dinner. No big deal but both sets of parents were going to be there and after all the drama with his own family Andrew didn’t need to deal with Mary Campbell on top of it. So he had bailed. Leslie was disappointed but understood, the awkwardness factor was going to be through the roof. Andrew told her he would see her on Tuesday and would like to chat to her then. He was conscious that he had been imposing himself on Maggie and Tony since his return, the result of them being the one couple that was guaranteed drama free. Dinner was going to be nothing more fancy than reheated leftovers from two or three days previously. He called and made the offer inviting them round and was surprised when they accepted. Maggie explained when they arrived.

“We have invited the families round for Christmas dinner, it is our first Christmas since we got married. Too many people, too much food to prepare, just too daunting. So a chance to get out for a few hours and not worry about food is perfect.”

As always with the two of them Andrew could not stay down. Maggie Brown was someone who just made life better, there was a natural exuberance to her. However shit the day, spending time with her cheered Andrew up. They were sitting in the living room having finished various leftovers, the plates on the coffee table.

“We were teasing each other about my Christmas present, our next shoot and we were thinking back over all the shoots we have done together. We didn’t want to cheat and check all the photographs but can you remember them all?”

Andrew thought and as he did so realised that there had been a lot.

“The first one was with you clothed, it was before my 16^th birthday, then there was my ‘birthday present’ shoot which was screwed up by Kenny and some other dickhead. Through the rest of 1981 and into the new year it was just the two of us, one on one, as I got more practice at dealing with a nude model. Then there was a gap before we started the outdoor shoots. Arthur’s Seat was the very first one, and one out at Peatdraught Bay.”

“That’s right. I can’t believe I had forgotten about Arthur’s Seat.”

“Then I photographed you with hubby one day and it was around that time that you started going out. You decided to stop when the two of you got serious, for what? Three months maybe? Then I became your personal photographer. We went outside again up to the quarry, beside the golf course. You were naked 20 feet away from guys teeing off.”

“That’s right, we did the quarry, Cramond Island and then Craigmillar Castle all close together. When was that? Summer of 1983?”

“Yes the summer before I headed to Cambridge. During that time we went down the coast, to Tantallon and Seacliff.”

“Yes, but you forgot two. We went out to the farm, farmer Monica on the tractor, remember? And I can’t believe you forgot about Blackford Hill. That was when things started to change between us.”

There had been a lot of shots but Tony was right, how could he forget Blackford Hill? Maggie took over.

“September and again in December were the two key months. We found out about your computer companies and the three of us settled into our current relationship. We went out to the train track by the airport and then that wonderful day on the beach from Local Hero. What was the old man’s name?”

It took a second to recall Roddy Morrison in Morar.

“I see what you mean about it being tough to keep track of all the shoots. Did we do anything else that break?”

They were all silent for a moment before Andrew grimaced.

“The oil.”

Nothing else needed to be said. Never to be repeated.

“Easter was when you started modelling wasn’t it?”

“For Hermès, yes. It was six or eight weeks earlier with the students in Cambridge.”

“And that same break we shot a lot didn’t we? The construction equipment and that wonderful shoot on Schiehallion.”

“It was the first fantasy shoot for Stacey as well.”

“That’s right, and then we met you in the middle of our boating holiday.”

All three of them smiled, the Norfolk Broads held a lot of memories.

“There were a couple of random shoots over the summer and then right before you went back south you did the shoot with Elspeth, yes?”

“Yes, and I think we did a couple of quick shoots in the studio but the autumn was all taken up with the businesses wasn’t it, I don’t think there was anything until I got back from Paris last Christmas.”

They all dredged through their memories.

“Yoga!”

Tony almost shouted it out. Again all three of them smiled at the memory.

“Modified camel, I remember. Dirty, dirty man.”

“I know, it is one of my best characteristics. You and I went to the Castle, I did another shoot with Elspeth and then we went up into the hills, beside the reservoir in the Ochils.”

“And then it was back in the Broads at the start of the summer and then shaving me at the end.”

When they reeled them off it was like a travelogue of a tour through Europe. Maggie was lying back against Tony.

“Do you have a favourite?”

Andrew thought through all the shoots.

“Even though I forgot it Blackford Hill was brilliant. The last time in the Broads. I liked it because you were so into it. You hardly wore clothes all day and you kept dragging Tony off to your stateroom.”

Maggie giggled.

“It was pretty selfish of us, listening to me in the throes of ecstasy all day, but that you could hear us just encouraged me. It can’t have been easy for you.”

“No, but I ran into Helena when I got back to College and lusts were definitely slaked.”

They all laughed. But then Andrew stopped.

“I can’t believe we have forgotten the best shoot. The gown.”

“The gown. Oh my god, I was so out of control that night.”

“That was the night Andrew photographed you with his shirt off. Remember he had to get dressed outside the back door of the studio.”

It wasn’t often that Maggie blushed but that was one of the moments.

“It was him talking, getting me to imagine I was in front of a class of hundreds, just wearing the gown, and not even that by the end. I don’t need any help with my dirty fantasies but that was insane.”

“Well Tuesday night is going to top that.”

Andrew smirked as they both smiled.

“In fact, I think you should be really wound up for the shoot. From when you fall asleep tonight until the start of the shoot, hands to yourselves. In fact Maggie, no hands at all.”

Tony started laughing as Maggie thought about it.

“I will get no sleep tonight with that threat.”

Maggie didn’t contradict him.

“I will be a fucking ticking time-bomb by the time we are in the studio.”

“I know, that is the brilliant thing. You are going to turn up already dialled up to 11 and we are just going to build from there.”

Maggie stood up, pulling first Tony and then Andrew to their feet. She pecked Andrew on the cheek.

“We were going to stay and just have a quiet night with you but since I am cut off in the morning I need some loving. Come on hubby.”

Turning back to Andrew Maggie looked at him with a dazzling smile.

“I have to wait for two days. Two days.”

Tony winked at Andrew as he left. Andrew tidied up the flat and couldn’t believe how much lighter his spirit felt after time with Maggie and Tony. It was incredibly important to have a worry-free friendship. A friendship with some very interesting aspects for sure, but it was drama free. And after the talks with Suzanne and even more the family, it was fantastic to sit and talk about all the times Maggie had posed naked for him. Suzanne came back after dinner from spending the day with her parents and the mood continued. The evening was spent watching TV and relaxing. Suzanne sensed that they should take a break from endless discussion and when they went to bed they fucked for a long time. Normal, vanilla sex without anything other than physical pleasure as their goal. Andrew fell asleep in a sticky disgusting bed but didn’t care. He held Suzanne in his arms and ignored everything else.

It was rare that Andrew had to shower before exercising but the consequences of their inertia from the night before meant he had to wash the worst of the excesses off him before going out for a run. When the two of them came back from the pool they dealt with the offending laundry before sitting and having breakfast. The phone rang unexpectedly early and Andrew discovered it was Brian Campbell all but demanding that they go out for dinner that night and catch up. Andrew agreed to meet him for dinner in the city that evening.

“He wasn’t taking no for an answer, was he?”

“No. I had dinner every week with him for four years. He more than anyone else is responsible for my business and financial education. I found and bought the house in London through Brian’s efforts. The first money I made with computers was from Brian. He talked and guided me through the process of setting up my first company. I would not be here today without everything that he did for me.”

“And he does not have his wife’s hang-ups, concerns?”

“No. He takes the opposite tack. Leslie, Julian and I have honoured Faith, her name and her memory and have made the best possible outcome from a terrible situation. That I got a reprieve the same day his youngest daughter found out she was dying, it is a terrible coincidence but that is all. Neither one of them is right, they have to feel and do what they think is right for them. The amazing thing is that Mary Campbell put up with me for all those years while harbouring these dark thoughts. I know that Brian and Leslie both feel very guilty about that. That is why I stayed away yesterday. I am in no rush to see Mary or be in her company. I think it will be horrendous for everyone. I will feel guilty because I imposed myself on the family and was thoughtless to her. She will feel guilty for still being angry at me after all these years. Nobody needs all that. I am meeting Mhairi and Grace after lunch and if you could drive me down then you can have the car for the rest of the day.”

After lunch Suzanne dropped Andrew off in the centre of the city and he was with Mhairi in her office. They were alone to start before Grace joined her.

“Before you ask Grace to join us there is one thing that you need to be aware of. Freya Moray has asked me to apply for Top Secret security clearance, the most rigorous and restricted of the secrecy classifications which means I will have to pass Positive Vetting. There will be official questions that you will need to answer, although it will be Creighton more than you probably. Anyway, I thought you should be aware so that you can respond when asked.”

“Positive Vetting? Okay I will draft a release for you to sign authorising us to respond to the authorities. Would you like one drafted for Creighton also?”

“Yes please.”

“Do you mind if we brief Grace about this? I am off on January 17^th and she will have to deal with this.”

He hadn’t really thought about that but it made sense. Grace tried not to react when she was told but Andrew could tell it had taken her by surprise.

“Mungo is going to sign off on everything that we send out in the firm’s name. But Grace will be the day-to-day contact for all of you. In this instance she will prepare all the documentation for Mungo’s review and signature.”

With that dealt with it was on to more prosaic matters. Grace was dealing with Iain Barrett the estate agent in London and had started the process to purchase the building at 39, Beak Street. It took much longer than anticipated but did get finalised in May of 1986. The second item was Andrew had two final forms to sign and then they expected him to be granted an explosives licence. This would allow him to use and handle explosives. There was a separate process for the secure storage of explosives which he was happy to deal with later. The final item, and the one that took up the most time, was engineering patents. This was a complicated process.

“When it comes to construction techniques, construction methods, new engineering designs there is not a consistent framework where we can say to you this will be granted and that will not. There are specialised patent lawyers, mostly in London, who help inventors deal with the Patent Office, draft the submission, things like that. From our review and talking to people who have dealt with the Patent Office, it can be a tortuous process. But hiring a patent lawyer is almost essential. The success rate of applications submitted without legal help is tiny. Less than 10% so I was told. Now this is all second hand but it was repeated across several conversations.”

Mhairi handed Andrew a typed sheet of paper.

“That lays out the fees that you would be charged. Patent protection lasts 20 years, so there are 20 years of fees. Then there are the initial lawyer fees on top of it. So that gives you an idea of how much money you will be spending to get this protection. And remember this is just Britain. There is a European Patent Office which will grant you protection there and a world patent organisation that you can also deal with to get worldwide protection, or at least in the developed world. They all cost money and then there is the cost of defending the patent. Because as sure as the sun rises in the morning someone is going to infringe if you come up with something unique and useful and then you will have to take them to court to recover damages. If you are not going to use the patent yourself or license it to others then you have to decide whether this is worth it.

“And on top of that there is section 22 of the Patent Act which allows the government to claim national security against an invention or potential patent and deny the granting of the patent. Given what you have talked about investigating there is a significant risk that the government will not grant the patent to you. So you have a lot to think about. The cost of patenting something, the degree to which it is able to be commercialised and the risk that it will be denied a patent for security reasons.”

There was a break as Mhairi waddled off to the toilet and Andrew thought about what she said. Cost was not the issue but the commercialisation of the idea or project was something to think about. Grace handed him several pages, a copy of the Patent Act, section 22. It was a comprehensive list of any and all things that could be classified as national security and most of them were obvious and common sense. But as he skimmed through it nothing jumped out at him that would capture construction techniques. He thanked Grace as Mhairi came back.

“You have a very good commercial sense Andrew and can recognise opportunities that others overlook or are not aware of yet. Do you think that there is something with your research interest?”

“I don’t know. All this research is done by governments normally so I don’t know if there is a way to make a business out of what I am interested in. Understanding the investment I would need to make both here in Britain but also around the world is part of that. Plus the risk factor of not being granted a patent in the first place. Lots of things for me to think about. No nice easy profitable answers but that is okay. I have worried about whether my interest is too niche for a long time. And even if I decided to go ahead it is not in the next year. This is useful background and information. Thank you.”

He wished Grace a Merry Christmas and she left them alone.

“Were you hoping for something more positive?”

“No, I just wanted an idea about the process which you have given me. It also crystallised some concerns about what I am focusing on. I have been concerned that it is too niche for a long time.”

“Andrew, what about what we talked about at the start of the meeting? Can you talk about that at all?”

“A little. There are three levels of clearance, Background, Secret and Top Secret. I assume most people in the Government get a background check, it is nothing more than checking your CV, well a little more but not much. My physics project at school was on the effective of explosives on different materials and then on top of that I asked about blast protection when I was at the CCF and Royal Engineer camps. This brought me to the attention of the authorities which meant I had been investigated. Maybe too strong but definitely looked over. So when I went for my Civil Service interview for the summer job I was questioned about my interest in explosives.”