“I still don’t remember him,” de Jersey said.
“You might remember his mother, Margie, though. Gawd, she was a case. She’d go an’ collect her social dosh in the morning and lose it by the afternoon. Ronnie tried to stop her gambling, but every day she’d be in the shop, soon as the doors opened, shilling each way. She was a tough old boiler.” Driscoll waved his fork. “She was there when those heavies came in with the sledgehammer. Got herself under a table when it was all going down. All the while, the racing commentary was coming out over the Tannoy. As soon as they left the shop, up she pops and tells Ronnie he’s got to pay out on the bet she was about to place. She says it was a pound on the nose, a twenty-to-one outsider called Danny Daly.”
Wilcox got up. “Which is the bathroom?”
De Jersey pointed to a door close by. “There’s that one, or another one off the bedroom.”
Wilcox went into the bedroom and closed the door.
“What did my father say?”
“He says, ‘Mrs. Smedley, you haven’t put paper on a runner in here ever, but just for your bottle, I’ll pay out,’ and he did. He was some fella, your old man.”
De Jersey still had no recollection of mother or son.
Wilcox returned. “Has he finished, or is he just drawing breath?”
Driscoll gave him the finger.
De Jersey passed the cheese board. Wilcox poured more champagne and returned to his seat. They continued to chat about old times. Finally Driscoll pushed aside his plate. “Our luck ran out, though. This latest venture has done me over good.”
De Jersey started to clear the dishes. “Let me explain how we lost our cash. You must know by now that the Internet crash has affected a lot of people even worse than us. Lots of companies have gone down. Ours was just one of many.”
“I spoke to that bloke at Lyons’s office, and he said that if we could contact this fella Alex Moreno he might be able to salvage something,” said Driscoll.
“Not a hope in hell,” de Jersey replied. “Leadingleisurewear has been liquidated, and Alex Moreno, the managing director, has disappeared.”
Driscoll banged the table with the flat of his hand. “I’d like to get him by his scrawny neck and throttle him.”
“He’s been trying to form another company.”
“The little shit,” Wilcox blurted out while de Jersey opened another bottle of champagne.
“I’ve done what I could,” de Jersey replied.
“You’ve been over there and seen this Moreno guy?” Wilcox asked, surprised. De Jersey remained silent. “I’m not bleating, Colonel, but I’m only just keeping my head above water right now. I’m going to have to sell my homes, my cars… I’ve got six kids, four bloody ex-wives. I’d like some kind of retribution from this arrogant son of a bitch.”
De Jersey blew a smoke ring above his head. “Moreno is taken care of. He had property in East Hampton. We should get at least twelve million for it, hopefully more, and he had a lease on an apartment worth a couple of million. I’ll split it three ways as usual, but it can’t be touched until we’re sure it can’t be traced, maybe in six to eight months’ time. Moreno himself is not a factor anymore.” De Jersey gave each man a cold-eyed stare. “He’s out of the loop. I’ve taken care of him. Understand me?”
They knew then that Moreno was dead, and not to press for details. After a strange, depressed silence, de Jersey went to the bathroom to wash and comb his hair. He was leaving shortly to collect his in-laws from their shopping expedition at Harrods, but he needed at least another hour with Wilcox and Driscoll.
He returned to his guests. “I’ve been thinking of something we could do. It’s-”
Driscoll was the first to interrupt. “Eddy, listen, I don’t want to hear. I’m too old. I’ve got responsibilities. I can’t go back to what I was like in the old days. I almost didn’t show up here this afternoon, because I reckoned you’d have arranged some kind of business to get us out of this mess-but nothing illegal, not for me. I can’t, I’m sorry.”
De Jersey reached out and touched his hand. “That’s okay.” Wilcox was staring at the table. “What about you, Jimmy?”
“Same goes for me. I reckon I’ve lost my nerve. I just don’t have the bottle for it anymore, and if, like you said, we’re in line for a few mill from the sale of the Moreno property, that’s… that’s enough for me.”
“I forget how old I am sometimes, and it was a crazy idea anyway,” de Jersey said. “You’re right. We’ll leave our separate ways, see each other again when we’re on walkers.”
De Jersey started to count. He reckoned that when he got to ten Wilcox would want to know more, but he was wrong: it was Driscoll.
“So come on, then. Just ’cause we’re not players doesn’t mean we’re not curious. What caper were you gonna line up for us?”
De Jersey faced them. “No, you’re right. Better if we just walk away now.”
Wilcox couldn’t meet his eyes. De Jersey continued, “No hard feelings. Now or ever. They broke the mold when they made you two.”
Driscoll said, “If we don’t come in, will you go it alone, whatever it is?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. But now I have to go collect my in-laws.”
“It’s not as if you can’t trust us. Why don’t you just run it by us?” Driscoll said stubbornly. “You know whatever you say to us won’t go any further.”
De Jersey put on his hat. “Not this time.”
“Come on, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter,” Driscoll said, smiling.
“There’s a first time for everything, Tony,” de Jersey said.
Wilcox glanced at Driscoll, and their eyes met. They both wanted to know what deal they had just turned down.
“You let us decide, Colonel, that’s fair, isn’t it?” Driscoll said.
After a long pause, de Jersey returned to the table. He took off his hat. “You forced my hand.”
Both men waited, and de Jersey seemed to relish the moment. “I want to steal the Crown Jewels.”
“Not the ones in the Tower of London?” Driscoll asked, incredulously.
“The very same.”
“The fucking Crown Jewels!” Wilcox let out a loud laugh.
“He’s having us on.” Driscoll grinned.
De Jersey twisted his hat around on his hand. “It’ll take months of preparation. I’ve not formulated the details as yet, or picked out the people I’ll need.”
“You’re gonna break into the Tower of London?” Wilcox said.
De Jersey put on his hat and pulled the rim to the angle he liked. He walked to the door and unlocked it. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, considering our past connections. See you.”
“Edward!” Wilcox flew to the door. “Don’t do this. I’ve been grateful to you more times than I can remember, but this… You can’t expect us to take you seriously! This isn’t a serious gig, is it?”
Driscoll joined them at the door. “Like James just said, I owe you for everything and I won’t ever forget what you or your old man did for me, but no way am I going to feel guilty for turning this caper down. So come clean. Admit it’s a big joke.”
“No joke,” de Jersey said. “When I get the money from Moreno’s properties, you’ll get your cut.” He gave them a long, cold stare. They moved away from the door, and he opened it again.
“I have to go-I’m taking the in-laws for dinner at San Lorenzo. They’ll be waiting for me outside Harrods.” He closed the door silently behind him and walked down the thickly carpeted corridor. He passed the elevator and headed down the stairs. He didn’t feel let down, just foolish for believing that the three could pick up where they had left off. That was his mistake. Too many years had passed.
Still in the hotel room, Wilcox chopped a line on the table. He offered one to Driscoll.
“Not for me. Gives me a runny nose.”
Wilcox sniffed, then tapped the rolled banknote on the table.