Grace immediately opened the attachment. It showed, as Sir Tommy said, the duty roster for that day, and the shift hours of the Royal Protection Officers.
He focused on Jon Smoke’s. Then zoomed in on it. And then zoomed in again.
Was it his imagination, or was the background a faintly different colour to the other names on the roster?
He tried to zoom further in, but the name and background became increasingly blurred.
He thought for a moment, then typed an email to James Stather at the Surrey and Sussex Police Forensic Recovery Unit.
James, hope all’s good. I’ve been sent this roster via email, showing Royal Protection Officers on duty on Monday Nov 20th — when Sir Peregrine Greaves, Private Secretary to Their Majesties, The King and Queen, was shot. I’m particularly interested in one of the names on this roster, Jon Smoke. I have a feeling, from trying to zoom in on it, that it may have been tampered with — by which I mean it is a false entry. I know you have highly sophisticated kit — could you, as a matter of extreme urgency, have your Imaging team run this through to see if they can tell whether the entire roster looks genuine or it if has been tampered with? Call me if you want any further information. In the meantime, I will obtain the original document. Best, Roy Grace.
Then he sent it.
93
Wednesday 29 November 2023
Grace, fed up with endless supermarket sandwiches, had started making himself a healthy lunch box. At a quarter past one, he popped open the lid and peered at the contents. A tuna, cucumber, tomato and avocado salad in one compartment, cottage cheese in another, a slice of buttered wholemeal sourdough in the third. In the fourth he found two Lindor chocolates — his guilty pleasure — added, without him knowing, by Cleo.
He smiled. It was the first time he had smiled in a while, he realized. And there was very little to smile about right now, as he read the email James Stather had just sent him. A little over an hour after his request to the Forensics expert.
Roy, the Imaging team have had a good look at this. Can’t say for sure — not enough to stand up in a court of law — but it looks to them as if there’s been some surreptitious editing going on. Of course if they had the original, they would be able to tell with more certainty.
Grace replied to Stather that he should have the original tomorrow and thanked him. No sooner had he done that when an email from Sir Tommy pinged in. It confirmed that Rose Cadoret would be working on the restoration of the contents of the Indian Room all tomorrow. He also confirmed that Lorraine McKnight would be available to speak to Roy’s team. He might be tied up himself in meetings with the damned building contractors, but the Deputy Master, Matthew Corbin, would give him all the help he might need. It would be helpful if Roy could give him an ETA.
Grace thought about that long and hard before composing his reply.
Sir Tommy, there appears to be a possible anomaly with the copy of the rota you sent me. I need to see the original, not a photocopy or facsimile — who would I obtain that from? I will aim to come in to see Rose Cadoret at approximately 11 a.m. tomorrow — will be arriving by road.
The Master replied almost immediately.
I will inform Deputy Master Matthew Corbin and Rose Cadoret to expect you for 11 a.m. tomorrow. If you arrive at the front gates, the guards will notify Matthew who will come out to meet you. He will direct you to a parking area and will then take you to Rose. Meantime, I’ll arrange for her to have the original roster for Monday Nov 20th, which she will give you. Their Majesties would appreciate an update from you, but unfortunately they’re not in London tomorrow — but perhaps we can set something up soon? All best and apologies if I don’t see you personally tomorrow, but call me if you need anything. Tommy.
Grace typed back a brief thank-you.
94
Wednesday 29 November 2023
Just after 4 p.m., Shannon Kendall phoned Roy Grace. ‘Roy,’ she said, as he answered. ‘I’ve got more information on Jon Smoke.’
‘Tell me?’ Roy said, full of energy.
‘He has a Bitcoin account with the cybercurrency exchange, Coinbase. So far all I’ve been able to ascertain, with Emily Denyer’s assistance, is that in July he made a deposit of a substantial cash amount, which was converted into Bitcoins.’
‘What amount are we talking about, Shannon?’
‘Three hundred and forty-three thousand pounds.’
He was silent for a moment. ‘That seems quite a chunk of change for a police constable, even with London weighting.’ He said it with a wry smile. ‘Any idea where the money might have come from? An inheritance, a compensation payout?’
‘Possibly. Or a big win at a casino. Sale of his house? Except Emily’s checked on that one and he rents a one-bed apartment in Clapham. Then you have to question why he would put it into Bitcoins? Could be to speculate on the currency, but I’m thinking there’s another reason.’
‘Which is?’
‘Cybercurrencies like Bitcoin are used by criminals to hide money. It’s taken two days to find this — and I know my way around like very few other people.’
‘Where do you think this amount of money might have come from? Is he dealing drugs?’
‘That would be a pretty big drug deal, Roy. Not impossible. But here’s the interesting thing. Using the portals I’ve opened, Emily has discovered two other deposits of an identical amount, three hundred and forty-three thousand pounds, made into Bitcoins through Coinbase, on exactly the same day this year. July the fifteenth, 2023.’
‘By whom, Shannon?’
‘So far we’ve identified one depositor, but not the second. We’re working on that. But the first is our friend, Rose Cadoret.’
‘Their Majesties pay big bonuses to people working in the Royal Household, do they?’ Grace said.
‘Yeah, right.’
‘Good work. What else can you tell me? Any thoughts on who the third person might be?’
‘Not yet. But Emily Denyer has identified a recent very substantial deposit into Sir Jason Finch’s personal bank account — almost three quarters of a million pounds.’
‘Three quarters of a million pounds?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you know the source?’
‘I’m working on it.’
Ending the call, Grace sat reflecting on what he had just heard. Jon Smoke and Rose Cadoret both receiving huge, identical amounts of cash. He was thinking about Sir Peregrine’s coded diary entries.
Was Sir Jason Finch the third conspirator? Smoke and Cadoret had deposits to date totalling over a million pounds each. And Shannon reckoned these were just the latest in a series of deposits. Did these three all have their snouts in the royal trough?
In his experience there were people who killed business partners, loved ones and total strangers for a lot smaller amounts of money than this.
He called Glenn Branson. ‘Polish your shoes, put on your least offensive suit and quietest tie — and bring your best handcuffs with you. We’re going to Buck House in the morning.’
‘Awwww, not the Palace again, you social gadfly, you. Living it up with your royal buddies?’
‘If you’re defrosting your fridge tomorrow, don’t worry, I’ll take Norman Potting.’
‘The fridge can wait until Friday.’