Grandma's Footsteps (audio story)

***Grandma's Footsteps*** was the second story in the audio anthology *The High Frontier 2*, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Katharine Armitage.

## Synopsis

Kenzy enlists the help of an old friend on Earth to follow a trail that could lead to the unmasking of the leader of the Collective. On the Moon, Nathan and Devis are dealing with a series of accidents that don't look very accidental - and that will force Devis to reveal a secret.

## Plot

Russell Wolfe from Wolfe International is addressing a board of people, claiming that the company has had a great quarter, thus enabling the company to increase its charitable giving. He tells them that the Dundlin Foundation has given word of three other companies that have matched their donation. He invites Alice Okoro into the room, who informs them of a new three tier log in procedure to all computers. An employee named Angela pipes up saying she can barely remember one, but is silenced by Wolfe. Given the option to learn to adapt, or to resign, Angela gives in. Okoro continues to state that along with a password and pin, they will install a biometric assessment. With no further questions, the employees are allowed to leave. Wolfe asks Okoro to get something from a filing cabinet and bring it to him. Upon opening the box, she finds out that Wolfe has given her a necklace, with alexandrite, rubies and freshwater pearls. They then kiss. He promises her - once again - that this time their relationship will become public. She then asks why his personal accountant is nicknamed "Grandma". He eases her worries saying that Grandma sorts out the numbers so that he can free himself up. When Wolfe departs, she then rings up someone and informs them of a "change of plan", expressing that they need to bring forward their plans.

In the ISPF office, Spring grants Kenzy a moment of his time. Kenzy informs him that another accident has occurred in "the new section", and that it was bad enough for him to be transported Earthside. Spring is concerned as it's the sixth incident this month. Kenzy then moves onto her real reason for visiting. She notes that the Collective isn't dealing in cash like the old days, and states that they must be using the same methods that they do. Kenzy wants to bring in her old mate Anya Selby, a private investigator who specialises in forensic accounting. She states that Selby had recently been keeping an eye out for her, and had spotted some figures that didn't make sense. Spring allows Kenzy to go Earthside to follow up.

Spring then catches up with Devis who is arguing with a coffee machine. Spring asks why he's on a break rather than looking up the medical records of those recently injured, which causes Devis to snap at him. Spring warns him and Devis apologises, resuming his duties. Meanwhile on Earth, Kenzy and Selby are catching up over a cup of tea. Selby hands Kenzy a data drive, which Kenzy calls "old school". She gives Kenzy the password "beta three alpha charlie" and tells her to remember it well. Selby explains that her job is to uncover what money people *actually* have, rather than what they claim to have. One such person is businessman Carl Rogerson, who Selby explains has undisclosed sources of income. She explains that his business is registered very locally: Suite 3B, 12 Wood Street - the building across the road from the café they're sitting in. She also tells Kenzy that building has three hundred and seven businesses registered to that tiny suite. She shows Kenzy the name of a personal who apparently owns one of the businesses - Georgio Alvarez. Selby's not surprised that Kenzy finds it familiar. Alvarez was a gangster whose body was recently fished out of a river. When she called in a favour, it found a rumour that Alvarez was linked to the Collective. She concludes that everyone on the list is a business owner who earns less than the average wage, yet has flashy cars, large houses and spends money liberally. The two of them head on over to Suite 3B.

In the office, Devis calls Spring to tell him he has the medical records. Devis explains that the accidents don't look too accidental, with four people having their hands trapped in airlock doors. Spring asks about the latest victim - Liam Patterson, a canteen worker with three broken fingers. Devis states he apparently trapped his hand in an oven door. Spring is confused to hear that he was placed on the morning shuttle to Earth despite being on pain meds, which would make a person physically unfit to travel. Devis tells him that none of the medics recall clearing Patterson for flight. Devis refutes the possibilty that any of the medical staff could have taken a bribe, especially his old pal Sandra. Devis shiftily ends the conversation around her, and Spring instructs him to head over to Patterson's quarters to see if there are clues as to how he really got his injuries.

They enter the apartment but are confused to find it full of computer terminals. Selby explains that a business address is just a postcode. It isn't meant for the business itself. What doesn't make sense is that these "struggling businesses" could easily register their addresses at their home addresses, yet they all register it at Suite 3B where they struggle to pay the rent. Upon hearing someone approaching, they hide in the storeroom. After taking a photograph, the person leaves. Kenzy is shocked to have recognised her - Alice Okoro. Kenzy puts two and two together, remembering how Okoro appears at half of the Collective cases they've investigated. Kenzy explains that she saw Okoro pick up a piece of paper, take a photo, and put it back. Kenzy grabs the paper and reads it aloud: "Grandma", followed by a load of random numbers and letters. Selby takes her own picture, convinced it's a code that she can crack. Selby tells Kenzy that the rent is being paid to Nekare Contractors.

Spring calls Devis, whose search through Patterson's quarters have revealed nothing. Devis notes how nothing seems to be missing, which is strange for someone intent on travelling, suggesting a hurry. He even left his blood pressure medication behind. Devis then pulls out a card for Nekare Contractors and shows it to Spring. He asks Box for information, and Box informs him that they are building contractors based in Hertfordshire, who build large-scale projects on Earth, but who have recently moved out into space. Spring asks Devis to bring the card to the office so he can take a closer look.

On Earth, Kenzy and Selby are heading for the Nekare offices. Kenzy intends to speak to their accountant, Jane Ewing. The two of them theorise that the rent is actually payments to Nekare, who in turn use their business as a front to send the money on to somewhere else. Selby approves of this theory, stating that their outgoings don't make sense. Selby notes that Nekare raked in a huge amount in May, making Kenzy recall how back in May, the Collective seized control of the Red Core. Upon theorising whether the May payment could have been the transfer of the Red Core's money, Selby reckons she might be reaching a bit. Kenzy is intent on comparing other financial incomings to see if it matches anything else on the Collective's timeline. Kenzy becomes very excited.

A very tired Devis enters the office and hands over the business card. Spring seems to find the name Nekare familiar, and notes a series of numbers and letters written on the card: "2J073R5". Devis goes pale, and acts shift for the second time. Spring asks if he's okay. He shrugs it off and snaps again before apologising. He says his mum's not doing well, and he can't stop thinking about what Paul recently went through. Spring convinces Devis to return to his quarters and get some rest. It then dawns on him where he knows the name Nekare.

Kenzy and Selby walk into the very modern Nekare building. They head up to the reception and tell the receptionist that they have a meeting with the accountant Jane Ewing. They're then sent up to the twelfth floor. Outside her office, they overhear a familiar voice from the distance - Alice Okoro. She appears to be having an argument regarding "Grandma". They rush into a room to hide from her, and Kenzy decides to ditch the accountant and follow Okoro. In his quarters, Devis turns his screen on and enters the password from the card. He quickly turns off the display and calls his sister Joan Devis, who isn't at home. He leaves a message where he desperately tells her he's been more of an idiot than usual. Realising that there's nothing she can do, he deletes the message.

Kenzy and Selby are following Alice Okoro to the middle of nowhere in their car. Okoro turns into a building site. As Selby pulls into the layby to give them good vision, Kenzy answers a call from Spring. Spring has Kenzy's list and he states that some of the names have flagged possible links with the Collective. As for the payment dates, Spring states that's harder to say as their dates are only estimates. When Spring wonders aloud who may be in charge of the Collective, Kenzy recalls to him their Okoro sightings. She explains that they've followed her after they caught her threatening the accountant at Nekare, which makese Spring very concerned. Spring explains that they've also come across that company. During the call, Okoro has entered and left a shipping container. Allowing her to drive off, Kenzy is intent on checking the container. Spring leaves her to it. Selby informs Kenzy that the site is owned by Nekare Contractors. Selby explain that this is a tried and tested money laundering technique - get awarded a building contract by a corrupt councillor, put orders through for non-existent workers and equipment, allowing the money to get syphoned off to the real boss. Selby claims that she can't access their systems without a specialised terminal, a password, a pin and biometric signature. They head towards to the container.

Inside the container, Selby claims they've stumbled across "rubbish". Kenzy doesn't think so. Kenzy explains that the scrap metal inside the container is stamped with a satellite serial number, probably from illegal salvage. She recalls a previous case where the Collective forced their way into an illegal salvage operation aboard the Icarus station. Kenzy realises that she could be able to link some of the serial numbers with those from that particular case. She takes pictures. Somebody calls out, asking if there is anyone there. They both rush the guy and shove him into the container. They jam a hammer through the handle to hold him. They then rush back to the car. Kenzy acknowledges that it's probably time to get the local authorities involved, and promises to leave Selby's name out of it. Selby hands her one last piece of paper with a code: "Bravo Golf Echo Three". She cryptically state that she hopes Kenzy won't need it. Selby says she's unable to explain further. Selby plans to try to pretend to be a prospective client of Nekare to gain access to their offices after dropping Kenzy off at a police station. Kenzy tells her to take care.

Colin knocks on Spring's door. He knocks again but hears something alarming from down the corridor. He rushes down and turns it into an official crimescene, asking everyone to leave. He also asks for someone to find the Coordinator. Elsewhere, Selby answers a call from Kenzy, who tells her that the police found the shipping container empty, not only of its occupant, but also of its content. Selby tells her that she's managed to get into a Nekare computer. She asks about a new Outpost on the Moon called Serigala Base. To Kenzy's surprise, Selby informs her that the contract for the Base has gone to Nekare. Selby tells her that she's already on her way to the Moon as they speak, as that's where the servers are located.

Spring meets Devis in the corridor, who explains that it's supposed to be a malfunctioning automated forklift, crushing the female victim against the wall. But Devis further explains that these forklifts have safety features that know when people are around. They both agree that this forklift must have had its programming altered, making this another murder. Devis reveals that the victim is his old friend Sandra, the medical clerk. Spring gives him his condolences. Devis insists he talks to him, saying that there's more to tell. Back at the office, Devis explains that Sandra was a gambling buddy. Spring admits it isn't illegal to gamble on the Moon but it shocked that a virtual casino using the Moonbase computer systems should have been made aware to him. Spring asks Box to scan for the ghost network that hosts the casino. Devis explains that not only had Sandra lost a great deal, but he himself has already lost his pay for the next three months. Spring is taken aback.

Devis explains that he had a recent change of heart about the secrecy surrounding the casino when he found a link between it and the recent speight of accidents. He explains that the numbers found on the Nekare card in Pattinson's room were a log-in for the casino. Spring suggests that maybe new loans are dished out to those on Moonbase who are in the red, for certain favours, such as potentially Sandra allowing Pattinson to fly after his accident rather than stay on Moonbase. Devis states that he's been offered a similar loan but he told them to stuff it. Box chimes in that the scrambled IP address hosting the casino goes back to a location in Hertfordshire: Suite 3B, 12 Wood Street, owned by Nekare Contractors. Spring says they'll wait until after hours then Devis will show him how to access the casino.

Kenzy is on a shuttle, an hour from the Moon, when Selby calls her to inform her that she's at Serigala Base, and already in their computers. Kenzy tells her that she's needs to be careful. Selby states that the base is underneath a dome, which means you don't require spacesuits. There also coded messages from Grandma, giving instructions. Kenzy wonders if they've found the leader of the Collective. At that, the line cuts off. Back on the Moon, Devis logs Spring into Canavar Casino. Spring is surprised to see that the wheel isn't virtual but a real wheel, accompanied by a TV of 24 hour news to prove it's live. They notice that Sandra's username has been crossed out, as if someone knows she's dead. They see other usernames that are crossed out.

Kenzy fails to connect to Selby. She tries to reach Spring who goes straight to voicemail. She leaves a message catching him up with Serigala Base, located near the Grimaldi crater. Spring is in the ISPF office demanding the engineers remove the ghost network. Devis walks in and tells Spring that the main shareholder in Nekare is Alice Okoro. Box then plays him the message from Kenzy. Spring and Devis rush to the Serigala. Kenzy records what she's seeing as a voicemail just in case anything happens. She's in the main office at Serigala Base. She claims there are no people but lots of CCTV, and also that Selby is supposed to be there. She then sees Alice Okoro on one of the monitors. Kenzy states that she's going to find her and arrest her.

Kenzy explains to Spring's voicemail that they've built a dome with atmosphere, which is strange for an empty building site. She approaches a tunnel dug into the rock. Inside the tunnel is Anya's body, shot once through the head. Anya's hard drive has been smashed into pieces and left beside her body. Kenzy warns that she's armed as Alice Okoro approaches. Okoro responds that she's also armed. Inside their Moon Rover, Devis notes that the intercom struggles this far out. Okoro is disappointed when Kenzy attempts to pin Anya's murder onto her. Kenzy asks Okoro how long she's worked for the Collective, but Okoro answers that she works for Wolfe International. They both create reasons why each other murdered Anya. Okoro blatantly laughs at Kenzy, stating that she hired Anya to investigate corruption within Wolfe International. Okoro states that they should accept that they're both telling the truth and should hunt for the real killer.

As they reach the dome, Spring and Devis take off their helmets. Unable to open the door, they turn to Box who tells them that the whole base is currently on lockdown. Okoro explains that Nekare is a subsiduary of Wolfe International, and that she was at their headquarters as part of her research. She explains that she was at Suite 3B because Grandma kept appearing in all of the paperwork, and she wanted to find out who it was. She further explains that she took the investigation into her own hands because she thought it would get too dangerous for Anya. Kenzy realises what the second code given to her by Anya was for. Anya had posssibly forseen this exact event and Kenzy reckons this code is the passcode for Okoro's own investigation files. If this is true, Kenzy would be able to trust Okoro. Upon reading aloud the same passcode, they both agree to put their guns away. Kenzy then has a brainwave and locates Anya's torch, claiming it could contain her back-up hard drive.

Devis asks the computer to play back the CCTV from thirty minutes ago. They witness Anya getting into the tunnel, then another person getting close to her, followed by Kenzy and Okoro. Okoro meanwhile passes the downloaded files from the hard drive to Kenzy, showing the background checks Anya did on her. Kenzy laughs as she finds background checks done on her too. Okoro explains that she hired Anya to find something with Grandma that could convince Russell Wolfe to ditch the system. She explains that the necklace given to her caused her to check how it was bought. She found a connection to Nekare and that started her investigation into them. As they are about to work out Grandma's identity, they reach for their guns as someone approaches.

Devis locates footage of the Moon Rover that bought the other person to the Base. Spring notices the Wolf logo on the side of it. Spring then realises the connections right in front of his eyes - nekare, serigala and canavar are all separate languages meaning 'wolf'. Russell Wolfe walks in, seemingly confused, causing Okoro to say he's safe. But Kenzy isn't sure and keeps her gun raised. Russell states that he heard someone else, who would be "well gone" by now. Okoro goes to call for back-up while Russell remains with Kenzy. Kenzy tells Russell that someone called "Grandma" phoned Anya shortly before she was murdered, and Kenzy tells Russell that she's going to call it. The phone rings from Russell's pocket who explains that "Grandma is always the wolf in disguise". He pulls out his gun before Kenzy can raise hers. He instructs her to put the gun, data drive, the computer and her phone on the ground. Kenzy attempts to arrest Wolfe for the murders of numerous people.

There's then a sudden power failure, allowing Kenzy to flee. Shooting his gun after her, Wolfe tells her that no power failure can save her. She temporarily blinds him with Anya's torch in the pitch-black room. She uses this to grab him, forcing him to drop his weapon. She arrests him. Before Devis, Spring and Alice, Russell denies admitting he's Grandma, claiming it's a set-up and asking Okoro to trust him. As Devis arrests Okoro for her part, with the backing of Spring, but Kenzy tries to stop them. They refuse to listen to her, and take them both away.

## Cast

* Commander Nathan Spring / Box - David Calder
* Colin Devis - Trevor Cooper
* Pal Kenzy - Linda Newton
* Alice Okoro - Lynsey Murrell
* Anya Selby - Laura Rollins
* Russell Wolfe - Wilf Scolding

## References

* Kenzy scoffs at Selby's data drive, calling it "old school".
* Sandra from Medical is an old and trusted friend of Devis'. Her official title is 'medical clerk'.
* The Collective took over The Red Core "last May".
* GRNDM is the reference code used by Nekare to reference payments to Grandma.
* The Serigala Base is an Outpost on Moon, located near the Grimaldi crater.

## Notes

* 'Nekare' comes from the Benegali for 'wolf'.
* Serigala Base could be named after the Indonesian word 'serigala', meaning 'wolf', a possible link to Wolfe Industries.
* Canavar Casino could be named after the Azerbaijani word 'canavar' meaning 'wolf'.

## Continuity

* Devis seems to be having troubles with a coffee machine. This isn't the first time a drinks machine has given the ISPF trouble. Devis previously put Paul Bailey in charge of a vandalised drinks machine in Area Seven. (AUDIO: *Death in the Desert*)
* Kenzy recalls how the Collective took over the Red Core back in May. (AUDIO: *Hostile Takeover*)
* Devis claims his mother isn't doing too well and worries about her, especially after the murder of Paul's mum back in Liverpool. (AUDIO: *Old Flame, New Fire*)
* Kenzy and Selby stumble across probably illegal salvage from satellites. The Collective had previously worked with the Red Core to illegally salvage debris from debris fields aboard the Icarus station. (AUDIO: *Hostile Takeover*)
* Kenzy goes to arrest Russell Wolfe for the murders of Anya Selby, as well as involvement in multiple murders such as Mark Robinson and Kathy Marshall on the Icarus station, (AUDIO: *Hostile Takeover*) Patricia Bailey, (AUDIO: *Old Flame, New Fire*) and Jacob Depard. (AUDIO: *Hostile Takeover*)