He put up his umbrella and walked toward Victoria Station, where he caught a bus to Kilburn. He sat upstairs in a front seat, deep in thought, watching the rain pelting down. He calculated that, apart from the obvious, they were in good shape all round with more than eleven weeks to go. He stared out of the window at the traffic snarled up alongside Hyde Park. Just as the bus drew up by the Park Lane underground garage, he noticed the Eye Spy security company housed in an elegant corner shop across from the old Playboy Club. It was not the shop, however, that had caught de Jersey’s interest but the figure of a young man leaving it. It was the salesman from the security exhibition in Birmingham. The bus jolted forward, and de Jersey watched him walk down Park Lane toward the Dorchester Hotel.
De Jersey jumped off the bus as it idled and made it safely to the pavement, just a few yards up from the Grosvenor House Hotel. He put up his umbrella and walked back briskly in the direction of the Dorchester.
“I am so sorry,” he exclaimed, as he caught the young man with the edge of his umbrella.
“It’s okay.”
He was about to walk on when de Jersey said, “Wait a minute, we’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“I don’t think so.”
“No, I never forget a face. You were on the Interlace Security stand at the Birmingham exhibition.”
“You’re right.” But the puzzled expression on his face meant that he didn’t recall de Jersey.
“Philip Simmons,” he said.
“Oh, yes.” He obviously still had no recollection.
“Are you working in London now?”
“Erm, not as yet.”
He seemed eager to continue down Park Lane and was obviously uneasy as de Jersey walked alongside him.
“Is there an exhibition on? I still haven’t contracted a security company for my new business.”
“I’m just here for the day, going back on the four o’clock train.”
“I’m going to have a bite to eat at the Grosvenor House’s coffee shop. Do you have time to join me? We could perhaps continue our discussion.”
The young man hesitated and glanced at his wristwatch. “No, thank you. I should get to the station.”
“Nonsense. You have plenty of time. Join me, please. As I said, I really would like to continue our conversation.”
Gridley looked at de Jersey. “Are you picking me up or something? If you are you’ve got it wrong. Excuse me.”
“Dear God! I’ve never been accused of that before.” De Jersey laughed. “I assure you, I simply wish to talk to you about my business, and I’m certain you have plenty of time to catch your train. We could have a glass of wine or coffee, whichever you prefer.”
“Thank you,” Gridley said. “I’m sorry if I seem crass, but… Oh, why not? My train isn’t until four.”
They sat at a window table, and de Jersey took charge, ordering a bottle of Merlot. The young man seemed awkward in the elegant surroundings. They had both removed their wet coats, and the cloakroom attendant had taken de Jersey’s umbrella. Gridley was wearing the same cheap suit he’d had on the last time de Jersey met him.
“Mr. Simmons,” he said, “I think I had better tell you that I’m not going to be working for the company for much longer. My father retired last week. After he’d gone they gave me a month’s notice. I think they only kept me on because of him, so I came up here to look for work.”
“Any success?”
“Not as yet. At the end of this week, when my notice is up, I’ll come back and have a really good scout around.”
“Well, I wish you every success. We never did get to finish the conversation we started in the bar at the exhibition. That man who interrupted us, he seemed to be giving you a bit of a dressing-down.”
Gridley sipped his wine. “I don’t remember. They’ve been daily occurrences, the dressing-downs.” He drained his glass, and de Jersey refilled it. “Thank you. This is part of my problem,” he said, tapping the glass. “I have been a bit hungover a few times but…” He tailed off and stared into his glass.
De Jersey could feel the adrenaline pumping. He knew he had to take this opportunity very carefully. First he intended to lull Gridley into a false sense of security. He would then dangle a carrot the young man would be unable to refuse. He suggested they order lunch, his treat, and Gridley agreed.
They finished lunch, having discussed the progress of the building works on his fictional jewelery-shop premises. By this time Gridley had consumed most of the wine and de Jersey had ordered another bottle.
Then he went for it. “You know they had another robbery in Bond Street, and Gucci’s warehouse was also done over? Did you read about it?”
“Yes.” Gridley nodded. “They should have used Interlace. It would never have happened. I mean, although they’re making me redundant, I reckon they really are the best company. You don’t get contracts like we have for not being top of the ladder.”
“Exactly, which is why I am so pleased to bump into you this morning.”
“But I’ll be an official job seeker next week, so if you decide to go with our security system, I won’t get the salesman’s bonus.”
De Jersey topped up his own glass. “I don’t think that’s fair. You sold the company to me. I shall insist you get it. How’s that?”
“Well, I obviously appreciate it, but as I won’t be employed there I doubt if it could be arranged.”
“Well, then, I’ll do it on a personal basis. How about that?”
There ensued another fifteen minutes of discussion on how de Jersey could pay the bonus to Gridley directly. Then he went for the kill. “I would pay you more than the bonus if you could let me see how the D’Ancona security works. I don’t think that company has ever been robbed. I know they lost a diamond recently, but that was just one stone.”
“It was worth a couple of million, though.” Gridley glanced at his watch.
“But their safe houses have never been breached, and it would be a major plus for me to have an insight into how they have been so successful. And since your company, or your ex-company, drew up their plans…”
“That would be impossible,” Malcolm said.
“But not if they didn’t know. Just make me a copy. Could you do that?”
“I really couldn’t. Besides, they’d probably know it was me.”
“All I want is to be sure my business is as well protected as possible, and Interlace would get the work. I could pay you five thousand for your trouble. I’d also make sure you got the bonus. I don’t think they could possibly have any ill feelings toward you. On the contrary, they should offer you a better position instead of firing you.”
He still had not bitten and was now checking for his train ticket. He had consumed almost the entire second bottle of wine.
“I might even be able to help you get another position. Are you planning to continue working for-”
“Mr. Simmons, I have to be honest with you. The type of work I was doing bored the pants off me. I was only working there because of my father, and I have no idea what I want to do next. I’m sort of looking around but… I’ve recently split up with my girlfriend. She’s gone to live in Australia, and it’s really cut me up. And when I said to you before that I had been rather hungover occasionally, that was putting it mildly. A couple of times I was three sheets to the wind, so I can’t really blame them for firing me. I was probably a bit sozzled when you came to the exhibition.”
He looked morose and fished in his suit pocket for a packet of cigarettes. “Can we smoke in here?”
“Go ahead, unless you’d prefer a cigar.”