Rayner's involvement was kept secret by his superiors and by the Russian conspirators, who were eager to gain the glory themselves. Further weight to this new version of events is a copy of a memo sent between Rayner's two superiors in St Petersburg, John Scale and Stephen Alley, who were away at the time of the murder. The memo reads: "Although matters have not proceeded entirely to plan, our objective has clearly been achieved. Reaction to the demise of 'Dark Forces' [a codename for Rasputin] has been well received by all, although a few awkward questions have already been asked about wider involvement. Rayner is attending to loose ends and will no doubt brief you on your return."