Day of Reckoning

Dillon said to Helen Black, 'Dear me, if this little caper goes through, he'll still be legally a part of it, am I right?' 'Absolutely.'

'What kind of sentence would he pull?'

'Minimum of ten years.'

Amber was sweating now. 'Look, for God's sake.' 'No, for your sake,' Salter said.

There was a pause, and then Helen Black said, 'If you help us in the matter, you'll be released within the next few days and put on a plane back to Barbados.'

'And if you don't, it's back to the shower at Wandsworth,' Dillon said.

Frazer had done a particularly nasty stretch at Wandsworth a couple of years earlier, and he had no desire to repeat it. He loved Charlie, but… Charlie could take care of himself.

'Okay.' Amber took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. 'Give me a drink.' Helen Black nodded to Miller, who went to the sideboard and poured a large Scotch. Amber swallowed it down. 'Okay, what do you want to know?'

On the other side of the mirror, Ferguson stood with Hannah, Blake and Billy. A good start,' he said.

'Depends on your point of view, sir,' Hannah said. 'Well, my point is getting a result. I'm like a lot of people these days, Superintendent, sick of the bad guys getting away with it, as our American cousins would say. War is war, and this is a kind of war. If you're not happy, go back to the office.'

'There's no need for that, sir.'

'I hope not.'

In the interview room, Salter said, 'All right, Amber. Manchester Charlie Ford, you, Connie and Val are going to hit the White Diamond Company for Jack Fox. We know you've already cut open the grille gate in the tunnel from the river.'

Amber was shocked. 'How do you know that?'

'We know everything, old son.'

Dillon leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. Helen took up the story. 'The gate is open, you go up the tunnel, smash a hole through an old Victorian brick wall and you're into the basement of the White Diamond Company.'

'Only what we can't understand, old son, is how you're supposed to do the job,' Salter said. 'I mean, all that security, all those alarms.'

Amber didn't reply, and Dillon said, 'It's a waste of time, Sergeant Major. Ship him up to Wandsworth and charge him with conspiracy.'

As you say, sir,' Helen Black said.

Amber said, 'No, for God's sake, I'll tell you. Give me another drink,' which Miller did. Amber swallowed it down just like the other. 'Okay, what do you want to know?'

'First of all, the security man?'

'No problem. He takes over at six o'clock from the other guy. Always gets coffee and a big box of sandwiches from the takeaway at the end of the street. There's a girl there who Charlie knows. She's going to put a couple of pills in the coffee. They take a while to act, but when they do, he's out for three or four hours.'

'But the security system?' Helen Black said.

'That's Connie Briggs. He's a genius at electronics. He's got hold of this thing called a Howler. When you switch it on, it screws up all electronic systems in a given area. TV video security, gate locks, vaults, the lot.'

'My God,' Helen Black said. 'I can't believe it.'

'Of course!' Dillon said. 'Oh, what an ass I am! I've seen those things. They work, believe me.' He turned to Amber. 'So it is tomorrow night?'

Amber nodded. 'Seven o'clock. It's got to be early because of the tide.'

'Will Fox be there?' Dillon asked.

'No way. It's all down to us and the Jagos.'

The door opened and Ferguson came in, trailed by Billy, Hannah and Blake Johnson. 'Thank you, Sergeant Major,' the Brigadier said. 'Take him out and keep him secure.'

Black and Miller took Amber Frazer between them, and Blake said, 'Well, now we know.'

'The only trouble is, Fox isn't taking part,' Hannah said.

'Well, he wouldn't,' Dillon told her. 'He's too careful to get directly involved in a caper like this. We have to settle for foiling the robbery and banging up the lot of them, including the Jagos. The end result will still be that Fox loses his hope of a big killing with those diamonds.'

'His last hope,' Blake said.

'Exactly.' Dillon nodded. 'So how do we handle it?'

Harry Salter said, 'I've been thinking. My Joe, Joe Baxter, when he was doing a five stretch at Armle Prison in Leeds, did a learning programme. Did welding, all that stuff. You know, oxy-acetylene.'

'So what are you suggesting?' Ferguson asked.

'Well, it would run something like this, Brigadier,' and Harry Salter told him.

They all listened, and Ferguson burst into laughter. 'My God, that's the best thing I've heard in years.'

14

The following day, Fox was having a light lunch in the Piano Bar at the Dorchester, tagliatelle alla panna, noodles in a cream and ham sauce, just the way he liked it. The waiter poured him a glass of Krug, and Falcone came down the stairs.

'I've been to the Colosseum, Signore. Mori has laid off most of the staff. He's kept on Rossi and Cameci.'

'I know. That damn Ferguson. Any word from Ford?' 'No, Signore.'

'Today's the day, Aldo. Make or break time.'

More than you know, Falcone thought.

Manchester Charlie Ford had expected Amber for lunch, and when he failed to turn up he tried Amber's mobile. When it rang at Holland Park, Helen Black nodded, Miller stood behind and Amber answered.

'Hey, where are you?' Charlie demanded.

'Sorry, Charlie,' Amber mumbled. 'I've got a terrible toothache. I've only just managed to find a dentist who could give me an appointment.'

'You poor sod. Okay, I'll see you this evening.'

'I don't know, Charlie. This thing could knock me out of commission.'

There was a brief silence. 'Well, I suppose we can manage if we have to. Me, Tony and Harold. But be here if you can, okay, Amber?'

'I'll do my best, Charlie.'

'Well, you do that, darling. Stay well.'

Amber switched off the phone and looked at Helen Black. 'Was that okay?'

'You should be on stage, Amber.'

For some strange reason, he perked up. 'You really think so?'

Absolutely. Much better than prison. Maybe you shouldn't go back to Barbados. Maybe you should get an education grant and try the London Theatre School.'

There was a final meeting at Fox's suite at the Dorchester: the Jagos, Ford, Briggs and French. Falcone and Russo stood by, and Fox nodded to Russo, who got a bottle of champagne from the basket and thumbed off the cork. He filled glasses all around.

Fox raised his and toasted the others. 'To the big one. They'll all have to sit up and take notice.' He turned to Ford. 'Everything okay?'

'Amber isn't up to snuff. He's got some sort of tooth infection. He rang me up from the dentist.'

'We don't need the black,' Tony Jago said. 'We can manage. Enough of us as it is.'

'You know best.' Fox nodded.

Tony said, 'So you're sure you're not joining us?'

'Don't be silly. That tunnel would be rather crowded.'

'But you don't mind joining us to share out the loot.'

Falcone, leaning against the wall, straightened, but Harold took charge. 'You shut your mouth,' he said to his brother, 'or I'll give you a slapping.' He turned to Fox. 'Look, I'm sorry. He's young.'

'Well, we all were once,' Jack told him and smiled. 'Come on, another glass of bubbly, and then, as I believe the Irish say, "God bless the good work."'

It was six o'clock that evening when Hannah answered her doorbell and found Dillon on the step.

'Ferguson expects us at his place to wait out what's happening. I've got the Daimler.'

'I'll get my coat.'

She was out in a few minutes, he opened the rear door for her, and she climbed in behind the driver. Dillon leaned in through the open window and tapped the driver on the shoulder.