Читать книгу Death Run - Jack Higgins, Justin Richards - Страница 9

6

It was evening by the time they got back to the hotel.

“You go up to the room and get packed,” Dad told Rich and Jade as they reached the small lounge bar. “We leave tomorrow, so we might as well be ready.”

“And what are you going to do?” Jade asked. “Just off to smuggle some double agent out of the country?”

Dad forced a laugh. “No. But I am going to call Ardman and give him a piece of my mind.”

“And warn him about this Tiger bloke?” Rich asked.

Dad nodded. “I expect he already knows. But yes, I’ll pass on Ralph’s warning.” He pulled out his mobile.

“You going to phone from down here?” Jade wondered.

“It’s impossible to get a drink when you want one, so I think it’s the best place if you don’t want to be overheard.”

“Meaning you don’t want us to overhear,” Rich said.

“You’re welcome to stay and listen.” He was already dialling.

“Let’s go and pack,” Jade said.

Dad gave them a wave as he spoke into the phone. “This is Chance. Can you have Mr Ardman call me back on this number with maximum encryption… Yes, it is rather urgent.”

The hotel manager arrived and offered Chance a drink while he was waiting for his call. The manager was a stooped, middle-aged man with slicked back hair that was obviously dyed as well as oiled. He poured a double whisky and dropped in two ice cubes that Chance didn’t want.

The phone rang as Chance took a sip of the whisky. He held the mobile up for the manager to see. “Private,” he said simply.

The manager nodded. He was about to leave, then as an afterthought put the bottle of whisky on the table beside Chance.

Chance turned away slightly as he answered the call. “Chance here…” He waved his appreciation at the manager’s disappearing back. “Yeah, I did say it was urgent. I thought you’d like to know that the Mafia and the Krejikistan underworld, and probably Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all, know about what happened at Mont Passat.” Chance explained about his meeting with Ralph and Scevola.

They talked through the implications of Chance’s meeting with Ralph for several minutes. Chance asked: “So, any reason to think the Tiger might be looking for us, apart from what I’ve been told here?”

“None so far,” Ardman’s measured, slightly plummy tones answered. He sounded cautious rather than angry at the events Chance had described. “It’s a possibility. We always knew that.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“You didn’t need to know.”

“So, what do I need to know, if not that a sadistic criminal mastermind is looking for me.”

“He’s looking for the Banker, not you.” Ardman pointed out. “And the good news is that his ability to find you has been severely curtailed since he can’t get at most of his money. Unfortunately,” he went on, “neither can we. But that’s something for me to worry about.”

“The Banker not coming up with the goods?”

“The Banker is being most helpful. But it seems that he doesn’t actually know the account numbers and pass codes we need to get at the funds. The Treasury is all set to freeze the accounts and the United Nations has a special committee that can agree to seize the funds on an international basis. And now I have to tell them that we can’t find the money.”

“But how can that be? The Banker—”

“The Banker has so many cut-outs and security measures and failsafes he makes MI5 look like a show home.”

“So how do you get the account details?” Chance asked.

“We’re working on that. There is a way. But the Banker wants to be absolutely sure he is completely safe before he tells us. So at the moment I have him secure and looked after. He’s starting his new life. We’ve arranged to make sure he feels comfortable that there’s help within reach. But you can believe me – the Tiger isn’t going to find him.”

“Yes, well, I expect I don’t need to know,” Chance said. “Come to that, I don’t want to know. And, as you say, meanwhile the money’s going nowhere, so there’s no rush. Not unless the Tiger—”

Ardman cut him off. “Never mind about the Tiger. I think we’ve blunted his claws, at least for now. You enjoy the rest of your holiday. You’re back tomorrow, is that right?”

“That’s right. Then straight down to Cleeveholme for the start of term.”

“I had your stuff shipped to the cottage from your London flat,” Ardman said. “You’ll be quite comfortable there. Do you good to have a break, and the children will appreciate you being nearby. I got the distinct impression they didn’t want to go to a boarding school.”

“At least with me in the village they can live at the cottage instead of in the school. And if I do need to go away, I reckon I can persuade them to stay for a night or two.”

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Not for a while. You’re on extended leave, I won’t be calling you back in until I’m sure you’re settled and everything is working out.”

“Thanks,” Chance said. “But what’s the catch?”

“You’re no use to me if your heart and mind are on other matters. And it’ll give you the opportunity to get your breath back after Krejikistan and Mont Passat. Sort out your family life.”

Chance raised his eyebrows. “I’d better make a start then,” he said, ending the call before Ardman could change his mind.

It didn’t take Jade and Rich long to pack their things. Apart from clothes they’d not brought much – a few books and music players.

They had separate rooms, opposite each other across a narrow corridor. Dad’s room was next to Rich’s. As they sorted their stuff, they left the doors open so they could talk. There were very few guests at the hotel apart from themselves, and the floor they were on only had one other room.

“Looking forward to school?” Rich asked.

“Get real.”

“I am. Looking forward to it, I mean.”

“Yeah, right. Course you are.”

“I am,” Rich insisted. He left his rucksack leaning against the little wardrobe in his room and went over to join Jade. “Really. I think it’ll be good. You and me together, a new start. And living in a village, that sounds neat.”

“It sounds boring.” Jade sat down on her bed. “A village? What’s there to do in a village? So far as I can tell there’s our cottage and the school and that’s about it.”

“There’ll be things on at school, though,” Rich said. “They do that at posh private schools – loads of clubs and after school stuff.”

Jade grunted. “Posh. Like we’ll fit in.”

“I doubt if it’s really posh,” Rich said. He sat down beside her on the bed. “People with money. That’s not the same thing.”

“We’re not rich either.”

“So, no one will know.”

“We will.”

“Do we care?” Rich asked her.

Jade smiled at that. “No,” she said. “No, we don’t. A school’s a school and kids are kids and we’ll make friends and have a good time. And live at home – you, me and…” Her smile turned into a frown. “And Dad.”

“He’s all right.”

“I know.” Jade sighed. “But just when I think he’s being honest with us and we’re getting somewhere, he pulls a stunt like at the casino.”

Rich nodded. “Yeah. But you know, I was thinking – that’s his job. I mean, if he was, I don’t know, a car salesman, we’d be upset because we go on holiday and he tries to sell a car to any bloke he meets who seems interested. If he was a writer, he’d be forever scribbling rubbish in some notebook.”

Jade considered this. “I guess we’re lucky he’s not a taxidermist,” she said.

Rich laughed. “If he was, we could tell him to get stuffed.”

A car arrived for them the next morning. It was the same black limo that Rich had been bundled into the day before. But now its bonnet was scratched and dented. One of the headlights was cracked, like the face of Rich’s watch.

“Compliments of Ralph,” the driver told them. It was one of the men who had chased them. “He apologises for not coming in person, but he is rather busy. He will meet you at the airport.”