Pod Insights British Scandal The Salisbury Poisonings | Glass Houses | 1 About this episode A Russian spy torn between loyalty and freedom. A secret deal with MI6. And, years later, in Salisbury, England, a deadly Soviet-era nerve agent turns a quiet afternoon into an international crisis. This is the story of Sergei Skripal: the double agent who betrayed Russia and lived to face Vladimir Putin's vengeance.
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Transcript 8,150 words · 12 speakers
Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Alice Levine? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
0:13 Alice Levine? Bit of a weird one, Matt. The powers that be have got in touch and they want us to fill out this kind of psychological assessment, if that's cool with you.
0:21 Matt Forde? Um, I guess so. It sounds a bit weird.
0:23 Alice Levine? I know, I've done mine. Have you ever done a Rorschach test?
0:25 Matt Forde? No.
0:26 Alice Levine? It's kind of like an ink blot test and you sort of just say what you see.
0:30 Matt Forde? Okay.
0:31 Alice Levine? Um, so that's the first one.
0:34 Matt Forde? Um, Cornish pasty.
0:38 Alice Levine? Okay.
0:39 Matt Forde? That's what it looks like.
0:40 Alice Levine? And that one.
0:44 Matt Forde? My mum.
0:45 Alice Levine? Wow.
0:46 Matt Forde? It really looks like her.
0:47 Alice Levine? I've never met her. Yeah, okay.
0:50 Alice Levine? And finally, that one.
0:52 Matt Forde? Um, oh, that looks like the darkness that exists within us all, a howling void at the centre of humanity where, I guess, our consciousness should be. Something fundamentally dark.
1:07 Alice Levine? Right.
1:08 Matt Forde? I don't really feel like I've given you anything there. I felt like three silly answers. Do you think I've passed?
1:13 Alice Levine? I'm just gonna send them to HR.
1:19 Alice Levine? March the 4th, 2018, 4:15pm. The Maltings Shopping Precinct. Sergeant Tracy Holloway sits in her patrol car, surveying the slush-covered streets. Her partner, PC Collins, has just returned with provisions, and she's warming her hands on a piping hot steak bake when her radio fizzes into life.
1:41 Speaker 02 Officers to attend an incident at Riverside Park. Two people collapsed. Urgent assistance required. Over.
1:49 Alice Levine? Dropping her pastry, Holloway picks up.
1:52 Matt Forde? See, that was her first mistake.
1:53 Alice Levine? (laughing).
1:55 Matt Forde? You treat these things with care. This is a steak bake. You can't respond to an urgent call over the radio if you've scorched your palate.
2:02 Alice Levine? It's piping hot, baby girl.
2:06 Speaker 02 This is Sierra 4 Echo, headed there now.
2:10 Alice Levine? Collins kicks the car into gear. Sirens blaring, they mount the pavement at speed along the River Avon towpath, sending geese and ducks flying. Across the park, Holloway spots a small crowd clustered round a bench.
2:24 Speaker 02 There, pull over.
2:26 Alice Levine? Collins swerves onto the grass. Holloway hops from the car and dashes towards the scene.
2:33 Speaker 02 Suspects, one male, mid-sixties, one female, early thirties. Both unresponsive. Ambulance required ASAP, over.
2:41 Alice Levine? Clicking off, her eyes dart to the man's mouth. It's starting to foam.
2:46 Speaker 02 Get back, get back now!
2:49 Alice Levine? The crowd shrieks as the man's whole body convulses, spewing up a jet of toxic vomit. She's seen this many times with fentanyl overdoses. But on closer inspection, she notes something curious about the man's appearance. Boxer's physique, clean clothes, neatly trimmed hair. He doesn't fit the typical profile of an addict at all.
3:15 Alice Levine? She slips on a latex glove.
3:17 Speaker 02 Sir, can you hear me? I'm just gonna put my hand inside your pocket, okay?
3:22 Alice Levine? She reaches into his jacket for ID, slips out a small leather wallet. It's stuffed with scratch cards. A receipt for lunch at the nearby Zizi's just half an hour ago. And a driving licence.
3:37 Speaker 02 I need someone to run a name for me. Sergey Skripal. That's Sierra Kilo Romeo, India Papa Alpha Lima.
3:46 Matt Forde? The phonetic alphabet is so cool.
3:48 Alice Levine? Beautiful.
3:48 Matt Forde? Anyone who grew up watching The Bill, phonetic alphabet was just such a big part of our childhood.
3:54 Alice Levine? You learnt the phonetic alphabet before you learnt the alphabet. Spell cat for us, Matt. We can sound it out, yeah?
4:01 Matt Forde? Charlie Alpha Tango.
4:05 Alice Levine? As she waits for a response, Collins hands her a passport plucked from the woman's handbag. Russian. Yulia Skripal. Presumably, his daughter.
4:14 Speaker 02 Is that Christie Miller Road?
4:18 Alice Levine? She checks the man's licence. Yes.
4:20 Speaker 02 This is a do not stop. Repeat, this is a do not stop.
4:26 Alice Levine? Holloway shoots a look at Collins, whose widening eyes stare back at her. MI6! Before she can reply, a wall of sirens erupts behind them. They spin round to see an ambulance hurtling over the grass, and two further police cars belting up the tow pack. Overhead, the air judders as a helicopter starts its descent. Then Holloway feels an elbow jab into her back. She turns to see a figure, dressed head to toe in green rubber. A thick, tinted visor hiding his face, as he shunts her aside to drape yellow and black tape around the bench. Then two more rubber men arrive, a white tent folded under their arms.
5:10 Alice Levine? A shiver courses up Holloway's spine, as she realises what's unfolding. This isn't an overdose. This is a chemical attack. And if she doesn't get the public out of this park, and the perimeter secured now, there's no telling who might be exposed. Or just how far this could spread.
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6:47 Alice Levine? From Wondry, I'm Alice Levine.
6:49 Matt Forde? And I'm Matt Ford.
6:50 Alice Levine? And this is British Scandal, the show where we bring you the murkier stories that ever happened on these odd little isles.
6:57 Matt Forde? British scandals come in many shapes and sizes. Some are about money, some are about sex. They're all about power.
7:04 Alice Levine? But when we look at scandals a bit closer, they turn out to be stranger, wilder, just plain weirder than we remember.
7:11 Matt Forde? So we're journeying back to ask who's to blame for what happened.
7:14 Alice Levine? And when the dust settled, did anything really change?
7:28 Alice Levine? So Matt, in British Scandal, I think that we have some fairly regular haunts. You'll often find us in the corridors of Westminster, hanging around at Belmarsh, loitering at the Old Bailey. But in my mind, I don't know if you'll agree, it is the small towns of Britain where the heart of British Scandal really lies. You know, you've got your Canoe Cons, you see it in Carrow. You've got Liz Truss and Swaffham, do you know what I mean?
7:50 Matt Forde? I do know what you mean.
7:52 Alice Levine? So, that said, what do you picture when I say Wiltshire?
7:57 Matt Forde? Quintessential England. The beautiful, rolling chock downs, the sights of ancient worship, whether it's the magnificent Druid Standing Stones at Stonehenge or one of our earliest cathedrals. It is a place where you can touch and feel a great nation's history unfolding in the landscape before you. Salisbury Cathedral has the best preserved surviving copy of the Magna Carta, for God's sake. If you want Britain, this is it.
8:25 Alice Levine? I actually feel like I've tapped into your specialist subject.
8:28 Matt Forde? I could hear land of hope and glory rising behind me as I said that.
8:31 Alice Levine? Everything that you've mentioned is exactly why the events of 2018 were all the more shocking. Not only was Salisbury home to the Magna Carta, it was home to a Russian double agent. A Russian double agent who had royally pissed off Vladimir Putin.
8:47 Matt Forde? So we're doing the Salisbury poisonings. This is the Scrip House. I've been wanting to do this for years since we did one of our earliest series on Litvinenko.
8:55 Alice Levine? You got a taste for poisoning way back then. So for a bit of background, in 2018, Salisbury was the scene of a botched assassination attempt using a deadly military-grade nerve agent. An attack on British soil that some saw as an attack on Britain itself. And the ripples that spread from that picturesque park in Salisbury reached as far as Westminster, Washington and the Kremlin. This is a scandal that essentially exposed the terrifying reach of state-sponsored violence and it ignited a diplomatic firestorm we are still feeling today.
9:28 Matt Forde? And who can forget, it was a huge free PR campaign for Salisbury Cathedral and its 123-metre spire.
9:37 Alice Levine? It really was, and that may come up. This is episode one, Glass Houses.
9:47 Alice Levine? Twenty-six years earlier, December 1992. GRU headquarters, Moscow. Sergei Skripal stands at the foot of the glittering grey building. The office complex of Russia's military intelligence unit, the GRU, the Glass House.
10:07 Alice Levine? He stares up at the flag whipping around in the winter wind. Stripes of white, blue and red wave where the hammer and sickle once did. And it makes him sick to see. It's been one year since the Soviet Union collapsed and Boris Yeltsin swept to power. The communist revolution lies in ruin. Sergei has served his homeland all his life. This is a complete betrayal of everything the Union stood for. Which is why he's on his way to quit. Feeling a rush of righteous purpose, he marches into the building, straight to the door of his commanding officer.
10:48 Speaker 02 Colonel Skripal, please, take a seat.
10:51 Alice Levine? Sergey remains standing, his nerves alight. He's rehearsed this moment in his head a hundred times. But now he's here, he realizes he's never dared say the words out loud.
11:04 Speaker 02 Skripal, is something the matter?
11:07 Alice Levine? He thinks back to his first day of training, when recruits were made to watch footage of what happens to defectors. Sergey still recalls the sight of one soldier strapped to a gurney. He shuts his eyes, breathes, tries to picture his family instead.
11:24 Speaker 02 I wish to tender my resignation.
11:28 Alice Levine? The general tilts his head, narrows his gaze.
11:32 Speaker 02 There is no resigning from the GRU, you know this.
11:36 Alice Levine? Sergey swallows as the general stands and paces towards him.
11:41 Speaker 02 My position has become untenable. Sir, the economy is in freefall. My wage no longer supports my family. If I do not find work that pays, we will be out on the street.
11:52 Alice Levine? But the general cuts in.
11:54 Speaker 02 Let me remind you, Colonel. You swore an oath to serve your country. The way you are talking, Colonel. Perhaps I ought to send you somewhere.
12:06 Alice Levine? A sharp sweat pricks at Sergey's neck, his mind flashing with thoughts of the Gulag.
12:12 Matt Forde? Okay, let's take Siberia off the table. Can I just take all Gulags off the table, wherever they are?
12:18 Alice Levine? The general turns, steps towards a map hanging on the wall.
12:22 Speaker 02 With the Iron Curtain down, foreign agents are crucial to our modern intelligence operation. We need spies, Colonel, eyes and ears, out in the field.
12:33 Alice Levine? A smile plays on the general's lips.
12:36 Speaker 02 I cannot let you quit. But maybe I could relocate you to Spain.
12:44 Matt Forde? Yes, deal.
12:47 Alice Levine? Sergey stumbles, shakes his head, convinced he's misheard. Relocate? Leave Russia? A few years ago, he'd never have imagined that possible, much less desirable. This last year, though, he's dreamed of nothing else. He and his family have watched as others have fled to the West, built new lives. But his job has always kept them chained to Moscow. Sergey steps up to the map, a whole world of possibility opening up before him. He takes his finger and taps it on the capital. "Very well, comrade. How about Madrid?"
13:37 Alice Levine? Four years later, summer 1996. El Corazon Flamenco Bar, Madrid. Sergey sits back and smiles at his wife, Ludmilla, as she sips her sangria, at his teenage son, Sasha, furtively eyeing up the local girls, and at his young daughter, Julia, bouncing in her seat to the music. The beautiful balmy evening causes him to reflect contentedly about how his family is thriving here in Spain. Sergey's reverie is swiftly dashed when the waiter brings the bill. Sergey gulps at the total. Yeltsin and his coterie of oligarchs have crashed the Russian economy even harder.
14:19 Alice Levine? Sergey's government paychecks, which were always sporadic, are now practically nonexistent. He's been trying to get a few side gigs off the ground, business interests to supplement his income. But his Spanish is poor and the locals are flaky. He needs something dependable to provide for his family long term. Which is why he's agreed to this dinner meeting tonight with a British businessman. A tanned, neatly manicured hand reaches across the table and plucks the bill from him.
14:52 Speaker 02 Allow me.
14:53 Alice Levine? Instinctively, Sergey tries to snatch it back, but Sebastian waves him away.
14:58 Speaker 02 Please, I insist, consider it a redistribution of wealth.
15:04 Alice Levine? Sergey lets go, smiles graciously.
15:08 Speaker 02 That is extremely kind of you. Not at all. It's kind of you to invite me to dine with your delightful family.
15:16 Alice Levine? He watches Sebastian pull a stack of notes from his pocket, peeling them off one by one for the waiter, adding a generous tip. Nothing at all like the greedy Western bogeymen Sergey had been brought up to despise.
15:29 Speaker 02 Right then, Sergey. How about you and I retire to the bar for a nightcap? Talk turkey.
15:36 Alice Levine? Sergey stands, squeezing Ludmilla's shoulder as he passes.
15:42 Speaker 02 Vodka, a Rioja, please.
15:45 Alice Levine? Sebastian raises his eyebrows approvingly and orders too.
15:49 Speaker 02 So what line are you in, Sergey? I work for the embassy, a diplomatic attaché.
15:55 Alice Levine? A smirk plays about Sebastian's lips.
15:58 Speaker 02 Oh, come on, Sergey. I'm not stupid.
16:02 Alice Levine? The hairs on Sergey's arms prickle, afraid his cover has been compromised.
16:07 Speaker 02 What's your real line? You a steel guy? Oil? I'm told there's a killing to be made in Russian oil right now. I'm afraid I have no interest in helping that pig Yeltsin sell off any more of Russia's resources. But I think there is money to be made in Russia. Importing wine.
16:26 Alice Levine? Sergey lifts his glass, stares into the inky purple.
16:31 Speaker 02 Spanish wine has been a revelation to me. We Russians have mastered music.
16:36 Alice Levine? Art, but wine?
16:39 Matt Forde? He's got a point.
16:40 Alice Levine? It's not up there, is it?
16:42 Matt Forde? I've never gone for dinner and said, "Have you got any Russian wines?"
16:45 Alice Levine? He grimaces theatrically. Sebastian laughs.
16:49 Speaker 02 Ha! No one ever went broke betting on Russians' love of booze.
16:54 Alice Levine? To his amazement, Sergey sees Sebastian actually considering the prospect. Under his seat, he loosely crosses his fingers. Sergey needs this to come good. If it doesn't, he has no idea what he's going to do, or what he's going to tell Ludmilla and the kids.
17:12 Speaker 02 All right, Sergey, if you're serious, I think you might have something here.
17:20 Alice Levine? A swelling sensation spreads through Sergey's chest. A smile breaks across his face. He can't believe it. Finally, a proper business partner. It's a surreal feeling, getting into bed with the kind of capitalist monster he spent his whole life fighting. And he's surprised to find, it isn't a bad one. So he grasps Sebastian's hand and shakes.
17:51 Alice Levine? Two weeks later, El Retiro Park, Madrid. Sebastian leans against the payphone as his boss continues to chew his ear off.
18:01 Speaker 02 And now I've got this expense request for 10 dozen cases of Spanish wine. We didn't send you to Madrid for a piss-up, Sebastian. You're supposed to be working.
18:10 Alice Levine? Sebastian wipes his brow. The midday heat is absolutely stifling.
18:15 Speaker 02 I am. I promise, it's legitimate. I've got this guy on the hook. He's the real deal, I'm sure of it. I just need a little more time to... You've had time. Reel him in, or we let you go.
18:30 Matt Forde? I knew something was up, and I cannot believe that Sergey, a trained Russian intelligence operative, has been so uncynical about meeting a decadent Western pig who just wants to throw money at his silly wine idea.
18:46 Alice Levine? I totally know what you mean, and I do feel like he should be more discerning and have much more of a defence built up. However, everybody that got out of Russia that was in a kind of similar position to Sergey was sort of doing this. You know, this was your opportunity to have a side hustle, make some money. And so there were these interactions. Some of them legit, maybe some of them with an ulterior motive. Sebastian looks down at his watch. He's late. Weaving through the crowds, he heads to the meeting spot in the centre of the park. There's a guy sat patiently on the bench by the boating lake, as Sebastian expected. But instead of approaching him, Sebastian holds back, hovers in his eyeline,
19:31 Alice Levine? waiting to be called. Sebastian, good to see you again. Sebastian turns. The next two minutes are going to be absolutely crucial.
19:43 Speaker 02 Sergey, hi. Um, thanks for meeting me. Sorry I'm late. I, I, uh...
19:51 Alice Levine? He lets his voice drift off as he sits next to Sergey, then sighs.
19:57 Speaker 02 Sergey, I don't quite know how to tell you this, but I made a few inquiries with some associates over in Moscow, and...
20:06 Alice Levine? Sebastian leans in, lets Sergey come to him.
20:10 Speaker 02 When were you going to tell me about your ties to the mafia?
20:13 Alice Levine? He feels the bench rock as Sergey bolts back, confusion all over his face. Sebastian's hit the nerve he was aiming for. It's a lie, of course, but this routine never fails.
20:27 Speaker 02 I don't need the people I work with to be angels, Sergey. But bloody hell, the mafia. Sorry. I'm out.
20:36 Alice Levine? He stands, starts to walk away. Sebastian, wait.
20:41 Alice Levine? He stops. I don't know who is telling you these things, but I am not mafia. Please, sit. Sebastian stalls for a second longer, then slides back into his seat. I did, for a time, work in the military.
21:00 Speaker 02 Your military?
21:03 Alice Levine? Technically, yes, but...
21:05 Speaker 02 Soviet military. Jesus Christ, Sergey. I'd rather work with the mob.
21:13 Alice Levine? Sebastian starts to stride off again, and is thrilled to feel Sergey lurching after him. Okay, okay, I will give you the truth. Sebastian acts like he's still planning to leave, but the desperation in Sergey's voice keeps him fixed to the spot. I tried to quit. They stationed me out here instead. And now, I have been cut loose. They no longer pay me. Sergey looks down at his lap. Please, you met my family. I am just looking for an opportunity for them. It's all Sebastian can do not to punch the air.
21:50 Matt Forde? Yeah, don't do that.
21:52 Alice Levine? Yes! Sorry, that's about something else.
21:55 Matt Forde? Just think about all that Ryoka.
21:57 Alice Levine? This is even better than he dared hope. An undercover military man disillusioned with Yeltsin, in dire need of money. Now more than ever, Sebastian is convinced Sergey is the man he wants to be in business with. And he's certain his boss will think the same.
22:22 Alice Levine? Two minutes later, Sergey can feel himself starting to sweat through his suit. When Sebastian called him here to meet, he'd expected to be discussing export tariffs, not getting grilled on his past. So, what are you? KGB? Sergey wipes his hands on his thighs. No, KGB no longer exists. I... Sebastian cuts him off. GRU then? Sergey loosens his collar. Look, this is all in the past. I will tell you my whole life story when we have made our first sale, I swear. But this is what I am wanting to leave behind. There's silence. Sergey sees Sebastian's back straighten,
23:06 Alice Levine? and he worries his brusque Russian manner may have offended. But then Sebastian reaches into his pocket and pulls out an ornament, a small stained glass model of an old English cottage, dangling from a string. Thatched roof, window boxes, ivy climbing the walls. Sergey stares at it, glistening. Amused.
23:30 Speaker 02 I have a secret to share too.
23:33 Alice Levine? Sebastian offers him the ornament. Sergey takes it delicately.
23:37 Speaker 02 The truth is, I am not a businessman at all, Sergey.
23:43 Speaker 02 But I do have a proposition for you.
23:45 Alice Levine? Sergey blinks, struggling to follow.
23:48 Speaker 02 I work for British Intelligence, MI6, and we're looking for someone to help us get to grips with the new power structures in Yeltsin's Russia.
23:57 Alice Levine? Sergey feels his sweat turn cold. A spy?
24:01 Speaker 02 We need someone on the inside to keep us updated on the changing moods within the corridors of power.
24:08 Alice Levine? He shakes his head, flustered.
24:09 Speaker 02 No, I am not an inside man. I am thousands of miles away from Moscow. I have not set foot in any of those corridors in years.
24:18 Alice Levine? But Sebastian doesn't seem deterred.
24:21 Speaker 02 Don't be mistaken, Colonel. I've done my homework. I know exactly who you are. Naturally, we would pay you. A monthly retainer of three thousand pounds, laundered through our wine business. Plus five thousand pounds per meeting. Meetings like this one. If you're interested.
24:46 Matt Forde? Could we meet every day?
24:49 Matt Forde? And can we agree that the meetings are an hour and there is no small talk? It's all business.
24:54 Alice Levine? How are the kids? Shh, no, no, no.
24:56 Matt Forde? Fifty-nine minutes left, mate.
25:00 Alice Levine? Sergey's eyes bulge at those figures. The retainer alone is multiple times his salary. His senses start swimming. What Sebastian is suggesting here is treason. If Sergey is caught even entertaining this idea, they'll throw him in jail. And that's just for starters. But still, he can't shake the temptation. It's not just the money. This could also be his chance to help avenge the Soviet Union, to undermine that crook Yeltsin. Sergey feels his eyes returning to his gift, the small, spinning cottage on a string.
25:41 Speaker 02 Why this trinket?
25:43 Alice Levine? Sebastian smiles.
25:45 Speaker 02 There's a saying in English. An Englishman's home is his castle. If you want, MI6 will be your home. We can protect you.
25:57 Alice Levine? Sergey stares at it. He likes the saying, and Sergey is assured by Sebastian's promise. But what he sees in this sparkling little ornament is his endgame. A proper escape for him and his family. Away from their squalid apartment in Moscow, away from the GRU-rented villa here. This house is a way to finally cut himself free from the tendrils of the failing Russian state. This is the glass house he wants. He's going to join MI6.
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28:30 Alice Levine? September 1998, Sunday afternoon, Madrid. Sergei sits up from the sofa at the sound of his daughter Yulia banding into the living room, showing off the clothes she just bought with her new weekly allowance. As she spins around in a pink halter top, Sergei considers just how much she's grown since leaving Moscow. She's becoming a young woman, and it fills his heart to see. Yulia runs off to change into her next outfit as Sergei hears the phone ring. Hello? His back stiffens at the voice that replies.
29:05 Speaker 02 Colonel Skripal, Command wishes to see you. A matter most urgent.
29:11 Alice Levine? It has been months since HQ last called him, and never before on his home phone. Sergei looks at the digital clock on his new VCR. What time?
29:23 Speaker 02 First thing tomorrow.
29:26 Alice Levine? A creeping sense of dread begins to wrap itself around him. Where?
29:31 Speaker 02 Here, in Moscow.
29:33 Alice Levine? His heart spikes. But I am in Madrid. I couldn't possibly... The general interrupts.
29:40 Speaker 02 You are booked on the overnight flight.
29:44 Alice Levine? A pit opens in Sergey's stomach as he looks over to see Yulia dancing around in her new jeans. A cold realization falls over him.
29:55 Alice Levine? He's being tested. Of course, comrade. See you tomorrow.
30:06 Alice Levine? Fourteen sleepless hours later, Sergey's footsteps echo across the cold marble floor of the glasshouse. It's the first time he's stepped foot in the imposing Soviet-era building in nearly six years. Taking a seat in the director's office, he feels his flesh fidget under his skin.
30:27 Alice Levine? But outwardly, he remains perfectly still.
30:31 Speaker 02 Colonel Skripal, thank you for joining us at such short notice. Tell us, how have you found Madrid?
30:38 Alice Levine? Sergey has been trained to never lie in interrogation, only to tell necessary truths. It has been a challenge, comrade, but a rewarding one. The director nods.
30:52 Speaker 02 How does it compare to Moscow?
30:55 Alice Levine? Sergey maintains his steely poise, even though his insides are going like a milk churn. Russia is my home. Nothing can ever replace it.
31:05 Speaker 02 It is pleasing to hear you say so, Colonel. Or rather, Colonel-General.
31:13 Speaker 02 You're being promoted to Director of Personnel.
31:19 Alice Levine? Blood rushes to Sergey's head, almost causing him to faint with relief.
31:24 Speaker 02 "Here in Moscow, effective immediately."
31:28 Alice Levine? The words hit him like a sledgehammer. His mouth falls open in horror.
31:33 Speaker 02 "You seem shocked, comrade."
31:35 Alice Levine? Sergey is shocked. He doesn't want to return to Moscow. But then Sergey realizes what this means. Working right in the heart of Russian intelligence will elevate his standing within MI6. He can use this new position to cut himself a better deal with the British, make himself invaluable, earn some serious money, and expedite his escape plan.
32:01 Alice Levine? Sergey's solemnity breaks into a smile.
32:04 Speaker 02 "Forgive me, comrade. I was not expecting such a great honour. Thank you. I accept."
32:17 Alice Levine? Nine months later, the Glass House, Moscow. Sergey stares at the file on his desk in disbelief. Then, up at the door in front of him. It's a jar. Bolting across his office, he puts his eye up to the crack, peers out into the harshly lit hallway. And when he's sure the coast is crystal clear, presses gently, listening for the click of the latch. He looks up at the clock. It's 4pm. He's meeting with his commanding officer at 5, to discuss the file in front of him. The Field Agent Directory. A highly classified list of every foreign spy on the GRU payroll. Since moving back to Moscow,
33:02 Alice Levine? Sergey has been wary of contacting MI6. Surveillance at the Glass House is increasingly sophisticated, and the risk of his cover being blown grows every day. But now he's hit the motherload. With this file, he could unmask Russia's entire intelligence network. He just needs to keep his nerve and find a way to sneak this damned document past the guards at the front of the building.
33:32 Alice Levine? Question, why doesn't he have one of those spy devices? Which is the kind of long rectangular cameras that slide out that you see in a spy film?
33:40 Matt Forde? Yeah, or like shoes that have knives inside them, or laser sight.
33:44 Alice Levine? Or pens that do more things than normal pens do. He glances up at the door again, his pulse quickening. Sergey slings his briefcase onto the desk.
33:57 Alice Levine? Searching in vain for a pocket big enough to hide a file this thick. But there's nothing. Then his eye catches something. He pushes back his chair, reaches to the lowest drawer of his desk, and retrieves his old field kit. He rummages through the gadgets. The belt buckle camera.
34:18 Matt Forde? You called it!
34:19 Alice Levine? I knew it!
34:20 Matt Forde? And I was being sarcastic!
34:23 Alice Levine? The fountain pen microphone. Come on!
34:25 Matt Forde? They've got it all!
34:27 Alice Levine? Before settling on a tiny vial of liquid.
34:30 Matt Forde? Not a time to drink, mate.
34:31 Alice Levine? From his briefcase, he takes the book he's been reading. Tolstoy's classic Anna Karenina. Carefully, he opens it on his desk, balances the directory on his lap, and dips his pen in the liquid. His hands shaking, he copies the first entry into the book's margin. Then stops. Watches the wet ink soak into the page and disappear completely.
34:58 Alice Levine? Sergey's heart leaps. His invisible ink still works.
35:03 Matt Forde? They really do use invisible ink?
35:05 Alice Levine? I had a fun fax, which I think we've talked about on this show before. The kids' version of file of fax. And it had a little insert that you could put in, which was how to become a spy. So all of this, this is already up here. Don't worry, I know all this stuff.
35:18 Matt Forde? You're basically fully qualified.
35:20 Alice Levine? I'm ready to go. I'm just waiting for the call up.
35:22 Matt Forde? Be a heck of a ruse, wouldn't it, for a foreign intelligence agency to embed an operative firstly at Radio 1, then in a Global Smash podcast?
35:35 Alice Levine? Emboldened, he starts frantically scribbling further lines, and soon hits a pleasing rhythm, falling almost into a fugue state, entranced by the sound of his pen scratching page after page, until a voice snaps him back.
35:51 Speaker 02 General, what are you doing?
35:54 Alice Levine? Sergey jolts up in his seat, slams the book shut, his veins turning to ice to see his commander stood in the doorway.
36:02 Speaker 02 Are you out of your mind?
36:04 Alice Levine? Panics swooshes round his body, his commander's gaze fixed on the book.
36:09 Speaker 02 Defeating Tolstoy? You wish to rot in a gulag, comrade?
36:13 Alice Levine? His commander gives a sly smile. Sergey humors him, laughing, while palming the ink pot into his pocket.
36:21 Speaker 02 Ha, just notes. My wife and I have book club tonight.
36:27 Alice Levine? A mass of nerves, Sergey stands slowly, slipping the directory from his lap into the lower drawer of his desk, shutting it with his shin as he stands.
36:37 Speaker 02 Come, we talk on the way to my car.
36:39 Alice Levine? Under the eye of his commander, Sergey packs Anna Karenina into his briefcase, the scent of the chemicals still tickling his nose.
36:48 Matt Forde? It should be odorless as well.
36:50 Alice Levine? Surely.
36:51 Matt Forde? Should be undetectable in any way.
36:53 Alice Levine? Yeah, it's no good if it's invisible on the page but absolutely rancid smelling.
36:57 Matt Forde? Problem with invisible ink is, it reeks.
36:59 Alice Levine? Of lies.
37:03 Alice Levine? Invisible ink is all he can smell as the two ride down in the lift together, as they stop for inspection at the security checkpoint and cross the car park in the cold evening air. To Sergey, the stench is overpowering and incriminating. He's sure someone is bound to spot it.
37:25 Alice Levine? But as he waves his commander off in his blue Lada Riva, it's clear no one has. Sergey almost collapses on the spot with relief. Somehow, he's just smuggled some of the GRU's most sensitive intel out of the glass house. Now all he needs is a way to get it out of Moscow and over to Madrid.
37:54 Alice Levine? Two weeks later, Plaza Mayor, Madrid. Sebastian skips between the sightseers and street sellers of the city's centre square, searching for Cafe Rosa. After almost a year of agonising radio silence, Agent Skripal has finally surfaced, and called for a meeting. As Sergey's case officer, Sebastian has been fighting constantly with his bosses to keep him on retainer. The top brass has been itching to relocate the funds to other, more talkative defectors. He's really had to stick his neck out for Sergey, so is relieved his loyalty's paid off. But as Sebastian approaches the cafe, and scans the customers sat out on the pavement,
38:38 Alice Levine? he sees something's wrong. There's no sign of Sergey, only Sergey's wife, wearing huge sunglasses. He approaches, cautiously. Ludmilla, lovely to see you again. Where is Sergey? Is he joining us? Ludmilla frowns. He did not tell you? Sebastian frowns in return. No, he just told me to meet here. Is everything okay? A knot starts to form in his stomach. Sergey has been detained, in Moscow. Sebastian lurches forward, knocking the table. Detained? That is the word. He is unable to have holiday.
39:22 Alice Levine? Security measure, for a new job. Sergey is very important general now. But he asked I give you these. Sebastian tries to steady his nerves, as she places a dog-eared paperback on the table. He takes it. Anna Karenina. Gingerly, he flicks through it, but sees nothing. No pen marks, no code, just Russian type. Is this, um, all he's given me? Ludmilla looks crestfallen. I'm sorry, I told him it was strange gift, but he insisted you would take much from it. He said there is great deal of wisdom to find in original Russian. That old classics always best. Sebastian furrows his brow,
40:08 Alice Levine? picks the book back up, holds it up to the light, but still sees nothing. Then he realises. The old classics. He dives up out of his chair. Ludmilla, it's perfect. Thanks Sergey for me. Throwing 2000 pesetas onto the table, he leaves and runs all the way to his office. 10 minutes later, he places the book down on his desk, heads to a cabinet filled with equipment. Taking a ball of cotton wool in tongs, he soaks it in a clear chemical, squeezes off the excess, then lightly brushes it across the page. It takes a second, but Sebastian's eyes grow wide
40:51 Alice Levine? as he sees faint markings unfurling along the margins. He tries the next page, and the same thing happens. His whole body begins to vibrate with excitement. As he brushes page after page, more and more intel keeps spilling out. It's names, numbers and addresses. Top-level classified information.
41:18 Alice Levine? Sergey hasn't just come good. He's exceeded every expectation that he or his bosses ever had.
41:27 Alice Levine? Sebastian holds in his hands everything MI6 needs to start dismantling Russia's international spy network. It's a hell of a job, but that's exactly what he's going to start doing.
41:49 Alice Levine? Four years later, March 2004, Moscow. Vladimir Putin grabs his security guard by the lapels, yanks him forward. Twisting his wrists, he lifts the guard clean off the ground, then hurls him straight over his shoulder. The guard sails through the air, falling hard to the floor. Putin spins, drops to one knee, then brings his clenched fist straight down on the guard's chest, stopping a centimetre above his sternum. Putin stares hard into the guard's eyes. The guard stares back, winded and wheezing. Then Putin hears a voice behind him.
42:31 Speaker 02 Excuse me, Mr. President.
42:33 Alice Levine? Putin spins again to see General Nikolai Petrushchev, head of the Federal Security Service, hovering over him. He scowls. Everyone knows judo practice is not to be disturbed. Putin returns to his partner, ready to spar again. But Petrushchev remains.
42:51 Speaker 02 It is most urgent, sir.
42:54 Alice Levine? Putin clenches his jaw. One day off, that's all he asked for. But even that, it seems, is too much.
43:03 Matt Forde? Love that he's doing judo on his day off.
43:04 Alice Levine? Just kicking back.
43:06 Matt Forde? Sit in the garden, Vlad. Chill out, put a wash on.
43:10 Alice Levine? In the locker room, a large screen shows the lunchtime news, a special report on voting irregularities in yesterday's national elections. Putin jerks his head up, a snarl on his lips. He turns to his entourage.
43:25 Speaker 02 What is this filth?
43:28 Alice Levine? A panicked lackey rushes to the screen, starts mashing the buttons until the TV retunes to Russia One. A huge portrait of Putin fills the screen, a caption uncritically celebrating his landslide 72% vote share. Calm returns to Putin. He sits, smiles, unknots his honorary black belt.
43:51 Speaker 02 Congratulations once again, Mr. President. So this is the urgent matter? You interrupt me at my dojo to kiss my ass?
43:59 Alice Levine? Petrushchev looks to the door, then drops his voice.
44:03 Speaker 02 Mr. President, there is a serious security situation developing at the glasshouse. It appears British intelligence has learned the identities of a number of undercover GRU agents.
44:17 Alice Levine? Putin tugs off his trousers moodily.
44:20 Matt Forde? You don't want to be in that changing room. There are certain guys that will cover themselves up with a towel. There are others that kind of strut about.
44:28 Alice Levine? I think he's leg on the bench, towel between the legs. It or it or that motion, you know, the back and forth.
44:33 Matt Forde? Don't use the hairspray for that, mate.
44:36 Speaker 02 What number? Two? Three?
44:40 Alice Levine? Petrushchev clears his throat.
44:43 Speaker 02 Um, three hundred, sir.
44:46 Alice Levine? A flash of fury roars through Putin. He rises from the bench like a bear. What? How is this possible? I want to know which rat did this! He whips his trousers down at the ground with a snap.
45:02 Speaker 02 It is hard to identify. The leak is historic. Dates back many years. Under Yeltsin's watch.
45:08 Matt Forde? But sir, can you just cover yourself? I don't know where to look. Um, Mr. President. It's just very confusing for me.
45:14 Alice Levine? What a swingin'. Putin lashes out, kicking his locker. But secretly pleased to know it was his predecessor who dropped the ball.
45:23 Speaker 02 But we have a lead. A GRU man who was stationed out in Madrid. Known to make deals on the side of his official duties. Leveraging his position to make extra money.
45:36 Alice Levine? Putin grabs a towel, slings it over his shoulder. Then stop wasting my time! You know what to do! He dismisses Petrushchev and heads for the shower. But then pauses. Putin realizes he can't risk any confusion over this matter. Not with Russian security at stake.
45:54 Speaker 02 General. It is imperative we find this leaker and make him an example. Rats breed more rats. Then you are overrun.
46:08 Alice Levine? As he talks, Putin feels his anger clarify.
46:12 Speaker 02 When you find him, you let him know. He talks now, or he talks never again.
46:28 Speaker 06 You stepped out for your morning jog. Except it's not your usual morning jog. You started listening to an epic sci-fi book on Audible. Thirty chapters later, you've accidentally run a half marathon. You lost track of how far you've run, somewhere just past the city limits. You can't stop. You have to find out what happens next.
46:47 Speaker 06 Then it's over. The universe seems bigger. You feel different. You feel like you have no idea where you are. Audible. Stories that speak to you. Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. His coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible. Stories that speak to you.
47:37 Alice Levine? September 2004. MI6 headquarters, Foxall Cross, London. Sebastian hears a file slap down on his desk. He looks up to see a colleague looming over him. A grave expression on his face. He picks it up cautiously. A Russian agent, just been ID'd in a military hospital in Moscow by his wife. Body's in a horrible state. The file falls open in Sebastian's hands to an autopsy photo. One of ours. Sebastian sees a dead man's neck dotted with black-purple spots. Obvious finger marks. A sickly scent creeps over him. Guy was based in Madrid.
48:18 Alice Levine? His blood runs cold as he flips the page to see a grisly photo of the corpse's hand. Its fingers roughly hacked off at the knuckle. Stumps of fat, tissue, and bone in horrifying close-up. Ragged cut suggests he was alive when they came off. But Sebastian is no longer listening. With his pulse rushing in his ears, he turns the page once more and sees the lifeless face of the agent.
48:47 Alice Levine? Relief floods his body. It isn't Sergey. It's some other poor bastard.
48:54 Alice Levine? But that's no cause to celebrate. This mutilation is intended as a message. A warning to other agents. Putin knows there's a mole. And he's cleaning house. Sebastian grabs up the file and heads to a secure line.
49:12 Alice Levine? Twenty minutes later, a phone pressed to his ear. He finally hears Sergey's voice.
49:18 Speaker 02 You should not be calling.
49:19 Alice Levine? Sebastian steadies his nerves. We're pulling you. Moscow is no longer safe. Your colleague in Madrid is dead and there's no telling what he might have let slip. We have no choice but to assume you've been compromised. There's silence over the crackling line.
49:37 Speaker 02 Impossible. I trained with these men. I will know when they suspect me.
49:42 Alice Levine? Sebastian can feel his heart rate rising. Sergey, do not be a hero. You've given us more than enough. Let us bring you in. The crackling seems to intensify. The delay is interminable.
49:57 Speaker 02 Yet, if I leave Moscow now, they will be suspicious. It will bring attention to my family. I need to stay until the heat dies down.
50:08 Alice Levine? Sebastian runs a shaking hand through his hair.
50:12 Alice Levine? Sergey, please. I'm sparing you the details of what happened to the body. I... But Sergey interrupts.
50:19 Speaker 02 Do not call again.
50:22 Alice Levine? The line goes dead. Sebastian pulls the phone from his ear. Stares at it. He cannot sit idly by and leave him at the mercy of Putin's forces. Sergey is MI6's most valuable Russian asset and Sebastian's responsibility. He will not let him die. He's going to have to pull every string he can to make sure he gets to Sergey before Putin does.
50:58 Alice Levine? December 2004, the Skripal's apartment, Moscow. Sergey is clattering around his bedroom, pulling open all the drawers. He can't believe he's forgotten where he put it.
51:11 Matt Forde? Surely spies know where they leave stuff.
51:14 Alice Levine? Haven't you just got one drawer with all of your fake identities in? Your invisible ink, your little mini-camera, etc.
51:20 Matt Forde? Those sunglasses that have mirrors in so you can see who's coming from behind.
51:24 Alice Levine? From the kitchen, he hears Ludmilla calling through.
51:27 Speaker 02 Darling, what are you doing in there?
51:30 Alice Levine? Sergey hollers back.
51:31 Speaker 02 Nothing, beloved, just looking for something.
51:34 Alice Levine? He gets to his hands and knees, sticks his head under the bed. The dust causes his nose to tickle. He yanks an old suitcase out, clicks open the locks, lifts the lid, and there it is. His 22 pistol.
51:49 Matt Forde? Oh yes, that's the other thing you need: invisible ink, special glasses, guns.
51:54 Alice Levine? He picks it up, feels the weight of it in his palm, checks the safety, and pulls back the slide. Still smooth. Then he picks up a piece of paper it was sat on: his gun licence. This is what he was after. It expires this weekend, so he has to get it renewed. He can't risk a single blemish on his record. He replaces the gun in the suitcase, shoves it back under the bed, and slips the licence into his pocket.
52:24 Speaker 02 I'm just heading out.
52:26 Alice Levine? Seventeen floors down, Sergey steps out onto the street, the bitter cold biting through his jacket. He rubs his hands and walks forward, but he's barely taken ten steps before he notices a shadow across the street. Sergey subtly turns his head, spots a man across the road making a strange, discreet gesture to a nearby doorway. He glances around, but when he turns back, the man has vanished. A short spike of adrenaline hits him: his back straightens. Alert.
53:01 Alice Levine? Sergey picks up his pace. He takes a sharp right down a side street, then another. He darts into a tobacconist's, feigns an interest in the newspapers and snacks, while keeping half an eye on the door. After a few minutes, with no one having passed, Sergey re-emerges onto an empty street. He looks left, he looks right, starts to feel himself relaxed, curses himself for being paranoid. He's just about to step out to cross the road, when he hears a screech of tyres. A blue van comes skidding round the corner, pulling to a halt right in front of him. Sergey's feet freeze to the spot. He pulls his fists from his pockets.
53:44 Alice Levine? But as he goes to fight the masked men racing towards him, he feels his jacket go up and over his head. He's thrust into darkness. His arms trapped above him, flailing. He feels his feet leave the ground, three sets of hands grabbing his body, his legs, his hips, his arms. He lashes and bucks, trying to set himself free, but it's no use.
54:10 Alice Levine? Seconds later, his back slams against the inside of the van. He slumps to the floor. The door slides shut, the lock clicks, and Sergey wriggles out from his jacket. It's dark, he's alone. Briefly, he wonders if this is the work of MI6, staging a kidnap to extract him against his will. But that thought vanishes almost as soon as it arrived, when out of the darkness, a face appears at his shoulder, and a thick, Russian accent mutters in his ear. "We've got you now, traitor."
54:55 Speaker 07 I'm Gemma Whelan, and in the new season of The Spy Who, we tell the story of the original femme fatale, The Spy Who Was Mata Hari. A famous dancer turned World War I secret agent, accused of seducing Allied officers to uncover their plans. But was she a temptress, or a scapegoat for French failures? Follow The Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of The Spy Who Was Mata Hari, early and at free on Audible.
55:25 Speaker 08 Hi, I'm Kenya Barris.
55:26 Speaker 09 And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.
55:32 Speaker 08 We're bringing you fresh, new conversations from guests like Anderson Paak, David Zedars, Ryan Howard, Rich O, Amy Sheldon, and many more.
55:39 Speaker 09 Sign up for a free trial to Audible to listen to season two in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
55:49 Alice Levine? From Wondery and Samas dot audio, this is the first episode in our series, The Salisbury Poisonings.
55:55 Matt Forde? A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatizations are based on historical research.
56:02 Alice Levine? If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read The Scribble Files by Mark Urban, Spy Swap by Nigel West, or you can read Bellingcat's Investigations Into the Poisoning of the Scribbles at bellingcat.com.
56:14 Matt Forde? If you've got a scandal you'd like us to cover, get in touch. [email protected] .
56:20 Alice Levine? British Scandal is hosted by me, Alice Levine.
56:22 Matt Forde? And me, Matt Ford.
56:23 Alice Levine? Written by Chris Lockery. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor is James Maniac. Sound design by Rich Evans. Our engineer is Jai Williams. For Samastat, our producer is Regzey Bernard. Our assistant producer is Louise Mason. Our senior producers are Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitzina. For Wondery, our senior producer is Theodora Leludis, and our senior managing producer is Rachel Sibley. Executive producers for Wondery are Estelle Doyle, Chris Bourne, and Marshall Louis.
57:02 Speaker 10 Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happen in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately, he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived thereafter him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should, digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody... be once answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things that come back to haunt us.
57:47 Speaker 10 For the best bingeable series, like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
58:02 Speaker 11 By 1779, Benedict Arnold had sacrificed more for the revolution than almost any other man in America. One of George Washington's most effective commanders, he had nearly lost a leg in the Second Battle of Saratoga. But in return, Arnold believed he had been humiliated by Congress and cheated of his glory by lesser men, so he decided to make them pay. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US history: presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on his comrades in the Continental Army and secretly defects to the British. With the help of his wife, he plots to hand over the most important colonial fortress
58:46 Speaker 11 to the enemy and doom the revolution he once served. Follow American Scandal wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
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