“It’s me, Eddy,” Driscoll said. “Me and Jimmy. We want to meet up again, the sooner the better.”
“Tomorrow,” de Jersey said calmly. “There’s a pub by Robin Hood Gate in Richmond Park. See you both there at twelve.” He hung up confident. His team was coming together.
13
The public house chosen for the meeting was in Kingston, far enough from their homes for them not to be recognized, and full enough for them not to stand out. A large family-style dining room was next to the bar. The pub meals were home-cooked and cheap, the atmosphere friendly. Driscoll’s dog had accompanied the threesome.
They sat in a booth and ordered beer and sandwiches. They exchanged pleasantries as the drinks and food were put before them, then got down to business.
“It’s this fucking Sylvia Hewitt,” Wilcox said.
“She’s called us both at home.” Driscoll peered at his sandwich. He’d had stomach trouble for days and was apprehensive about eating.
“What’s she on about now?” de Jersey asked, sipping his pint. She hadn’t called him.
“Well, for one thing, I don’t like her having my private number,” Driscoll said.
“Goes for me too,” Wilcox said. “Rika’s on edge now. She thinks I’m having an affair with any woman who calls the house.” He gestured to de Jersey’s untouched plate. “You want yours?”
“No.” He pushed his plate forward. “Change your numbers.”
“The wife’s in the middle of organizing our daughter’s wedding; she’d go apeshit if we changed the number now. And this Hewitt bitch having my phone number is the least of our worries. She’s on to Philip Simmons,” Driscoll said.
This caught de Jersey off guard. “What?”
“She’ll be on to you. Any second.”
De Jersey placed his beer on the mat. “Shit.”
Wilcox took over. “You need to be careful. What if she discovers you went to New York? Airport security is tighter than it’s ever been. Do you think you can be identified?”
“I should be okay. Simmons only facilitated the house sale. When she can’t get hold of him, she’ll start pursuing other avenues to track down Moreno.” De Jersey tried to make light of a difficult situation, but he recognized a major headache in the works. “All anyone over there knows is that Simmons is a redheaded Canadian business adviser.”
“Listen,” Wilcox interjected. He stared at the beer mat in front of him, as if afraid to face de Jersey. “Tony and I still have some collateral. This Hewitt woman told us how much you lost, and we know how much cash those horses of yours eat up. Why don’t you get shot of the Hampton property and use the money until you get something worked out?”
“You can pay us later,” Driscoll chipped in.
“I have something worked out.”
There was a pause. Wilcox didn’t look up from the beer mat. Driscoll chewed a nail.
“A plan?” Driscoll said at last.
Wilcox wiped his mouth. “You’re not still on about the Crown Jewels. I mean, that was a gag, right?”
“It was no joke.”
“Sweet Jesus, he’s serious!” Driscoll said incredulously.
“It can work. It’ll take a lot of time and preparation. We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”
“Oh, we can’t, huh?”
“Just listen. The items we’re going to take will not be in the Tower. We’re going after the jewels the Queen wears for the Golden Jubilee. They’ll be taken off-site for preparation, and that’s where we’ll pick them up.”
“Where will they go?” asked Driscoll.
“Possibly to one of the jewelers in Hatton Garden,” de Jersey replied. “I’ll find out soon enough. I’ve been gathering the people we’ll need on our side. There’s an equerry, who was close to the Royal Family for years and knows the protocol. We need a substitute for the Queen, some motors, a lady-in-waiting, and two more heavies.”
Driscoll and Wilcox stared at him, speechless.
“We’ll need to get into the Royal household’s diary of events to figure out the security measures, and I’ll need to find myself a computer hacker.”
Driscoll’s dog yawned and shifted position under the table.
Wilcox broke the silence. “Say you get this organized and pull it off. How much do you think we’re looking at?”
“The Koh-i-noor Diamond should fetch us millions. Then there’s diamonds, rubies, pearls…”
“Fuck me,” Wilcox said, frowning.
“But until it’s firmed up, it’s just work in progress.”
Driscoll drained his beer. “What do you want from me?” he asked quietly.
“The name and address of the actress who does the TV ad for royal jelly.”
“What?” Wilcox was unsure he had heard right.
“Why not?” Driscoll said. “It’s just a few phone calls.”
“You line up the vehicles,” de Jersey said to Wilcox. “We need two Daimlers spruced up. Copy the badges, Royal coat of arms. But don’t leave traces. Spread the work. The automobiles must never be connected to any of us.” De Jersey drained his glass. “Another drink?” he asked casually.
Driscoll asked for tonic water.
“I’ll get this round, you paid for the last.” Wilcox headed for the bar.
“You feeling all right?” de Jersey asked Driscoll.
“My nerves are shot. I can’t take this all in. I didn’t come here to discuss a fucking heist, Eddy. I told you I wasn’t up for it. Him neither.” Driscoll jerked his head toward the bar.
De Jersey ignored what he had said. “Wait till you see the commercial. Then you’ll understand why I want the actress.”
“Fine, right, I’ll check it out.”
As Wilcox was returning with the drinks, Driscoll leaned in close to de Jersey. “What’s the time span we’re looking at?”
“It’ll be May. According to my contact, the crown fittings will be held three or four weeks before the Jubilee celebrations, which take place on the fourth of June,” de Jersey said, lighting a cigar. “So it looks like early May. From now on, contact me only on my cell phone-no calls to the house.”
“Hang on!” Wilcox said. “I only went to get a round and now you’re talking as if this is all agreed to. Good job I didn’t go for a slash too or I’d have no idea what was going on.”
De Jersey gave him a half smile. “It’s work in progress. Decision time is still way off. Right now I just need the pair of you to help me with the setting up. That’s all.”
Wilcox raised his glass to de Jersey. “It looks like early May then,” he said.
De Jersey glanced at them. “So it’s agreed. You’ll help me set it up?”
They nodded, and de Jersey raised his glass to both.
De Jersey and Driscoll walked into the park with the dog. They headed for a Toyota Estate belonging to Driscoll’s wife. After Driscoll opened the door for the dog to hop in, De Jersey watched him swing the door back and forth absentmindedly. “What’s up with you?” he asked. “You worried?”
“Well, for starters, you’re not on your toes. Not like you used to be. And this Hewitt woman could be trouble.” Driscoll closed the door. “Also, I worry about Jimmy. He’s doing too much coke. I’ve told him that to his face but-”
De Jersey put his arm around Driscoll’s shoulders. “I’ve never taken unnecessary risks with you or James and I’m not going to start now. If this caper looks like a no-win situation, or if one of you isn’t up to the job, I’ll be the first to pull out.”