The Truth Emerges

The discovery of listening devices in Jessica's house had made our covert operation vulnerable to exposure.

Opinions varied as to what our next move should be. It was suggested that we abandon the enterprise altogether but that to do so we needed to formulate an exit strategy to mitigate our failure and avoid ending up with egg on our faces.
Being the instigator of the surveillance, I was convinced there was still a lot of mileage in continuing with the observation and that it would eventually bear fruit.
All we had to do was to change tactics.

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It is not unusual for the secret service to monitor its own agents who are suspected of passing classified information to a foreign power or may be contemplating to defect to an enemy country. The case of the Cambridge five, in wartime, taught us a lesson that will be difficult to forget.

Even now, in relative peacetime, we are always vigilant in case of transgressions.

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Our target was not a fully fledged member of our organisation but a feisty young female by the name of Jessica Mazziarello who I had interviewed when she applied to join us at the tender age of 18.

I had been impressed by her demeanour and the candour with which she answered the probing questions put to her. In describing her sexual exploits she had been nonchalant and at times a bit too graphic; so much so that I began to feel aroused.
She must have sensed it as her behaviour became a tad more audacious.

Reasoning that perhaps she had a proclivity for exaggeration, I regained my composure and concentrated on her academic achievements which were excellent.
A clever and competent girl who knew how to take care of herself, especially as she had a brown belt in judo.

My positive recommendation initiated the vetting procedure that caused a chain reaction.

Activities and backgrounds of friends and relatives were thoroughly investigated and gradually certain circumstantial evidence emerged that indicated that not everything was as clear-cut as we had thought. Continuous surveillance was deemed necessary.

 
Her parentage was the first to be scrutinised. She was the daughter of Justin and Francesca Mazziarello both deceased. The fortune she had inherited had been accumulated by her grandfather, an Italian immigrant who had been suspected to have been a Mafioso even though it was never proved.

 
Her uncle Jeremy was squeaky clean with no criminal records; he was a man of independent means with only a penchant for good food and attractive women, one of whom – a Swiss widow – he had married.

She too was investigated through Interpol whose records revealed that, following an autopsy, rumours had circulated regarding her involvement in the sudden death of her husband Hugo.

Jealousy had raised its ugly head to besmirch her reputation but she was vindicated as all charges were soon dismissed.

Jessica's other connections, and there were quite a few, still remained to be assessed.

© Luigi Pagano 2020

1) https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/incident-porttofino 2) https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/top-secret 3) https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/being-positive 4) https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/chalet-bottom-garden 5) https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/my-name-gideon  6)https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/long-wait