3
‘JUST MAKE SURE you finish the job this time,’ Don Pedro Martinez almost shouted. ‘It shouldn’t prove too difficult,’ he added as he sat forward in his chair. ‘I was able to stroll into the hospital unchallenged yesterday morning, and at night it ought to be a whole lot easier.’
‘How do you want him disposed of?’ asked Karl, matter-of-factly.
‘Cut his throat,’ said Martinez. ‘All you’ll need is a white coat, a stethoscope and a surgeon’s knife. Just make sure it’s sharp.’
‘Might not be wise to slit the boy’s throat,’ suggested Karl. ‘Better to suffocate him with a pillow and let them assume he died as a result of his injuries.’
‘No. I want the Clifton boy to suffer a slow and painful death. In fact, the slower the better.’
‘I understand how you feel, boss, but we don’t need to give that detective any more reason to reopen his inquiries.’
Martinez looked disappointed. ‘All right then, suffocate him,’ he said reluctantly. ‘But make sure it lasts for as long as possible.’
‘Do you want me to involve Diego and Luis?’
‘No. But I want them to attend the funeral, as Sebastian’s friends, so they can report back. I want to hear that they suffered every bit as much as I did when I first realized it wasn’t Bruno who’d survived.’
‘But what about—’
The phone on Don Pedro’s desk began to ring. He grabbed it. ‘Yes?’
‘There’s a Colonel Scott-Hopkins on the line,’ said his secretary. ‘He wants to discuss a personal matter with you. Says it’s urgent.’
All four of them had rearranged their diaries so they could be at the Cabinet office in Downing Street by nine the following morning.
Sir Alan Redmayne, the cabinet secretary, had cancelled his meeting with M. Chauvel, the French Ambassador, with whom he’d planned to discuss the implications of Charles de Gaulle’s possible return to the Elysée Palace.
Sir Giles Barrington MP would not be attending the weekly shadow cabinet meeting because, as he explained to Mr Gaitskell, the Leader of the Opposition, an urgent family problem had arisen.
Harry Clifton wouldn’t be signing copies of his latest book, Blood is Thicker than Water, at Hatchards in Piccadilly. He’d signed a hundred copies in advance to try to placate the manager, who couldn’t hide his disappointment, especially after he’d learnt that Harry would top the bestseller list on Sunday.
Emma Barrington had postponed a meeting with Ross Buchanan to discuss the chairman’s ideas for the building of a new luxury liner that, if the board backed him, would become part of the Barrington shipping line.
The four of them took their seats around an oval table in the cabinet secretary’s office.
‘It was good of you to see us at such short notice,’ said Giles from the far end of the table. Sir Alan nodded. ‘But I’m sure you can appreciate that Mr and Mrs Clifton are worried that their son’s life might still be in danger.’
‘I share their anxiety,’ said Redmayne, ‘and allow me to say how sorry I was to learn of your son’s accident, Mrs Clifton. Not least because I feel partly to blame for what happened. However, let me assure you that I have not been idle. Over the weekend I spoke to Mr Owen, Chief Inspector Miles, and the local coroner. They couldn’t have been more cooperative. And I have to agree with Miles, there just isn’t enough evidence to prove that Don Pedro Martinez was in any way involved in the accident.’ Emma’s look of exasperation caused Sir Alan to quickly add, ‘Nevertheless, proof and not being in any doubt are often two very different animals, and after learning that Martinez wasn’t aware that his son was in the car at the time, I concluded that he just might consider striking again, however irrational that might seem.’
‘An eye for an eye,’ said Harry.
‘You could be right,’ said the cabinet secretary. ‘He clearly hasn’t forgiven us for what he sees as stealing eight million pounds of his money, even if it was all counterfeit, and although he may not yet have worked out that the government was behind the operation, there’s no doubt that he believes your son was personally responsible for what took place in Southampton and I am only sorry that, at the time, I did not take your understandable concern seriously enough.’
‘I’m at least grateful for that,’ said Emma. ‘But it’s not you who is continually wondering when and where Martinez will strike next. And anyone can stroll in and out of that hospital as easily as if it were a bus station.’
‘I can’t disagree,’ said Redmayne. ‘I did so myself yesterday afternoon.’ This revelation caused a momentary silence that allowed him to continue. ‘However, you can be assured, Mrs Clifton, that this time I’ve taken the necessary steps to make sure that your son is no longer in any danger.’
‘Can you share with Mr and Mrs Clifton the reason for your confidence?’ asked Giles.
‘No, Sir Giles, I cannot.’
‘Why not?’ demanded Emma.
‘Because on this occasion I had to involve the home secretary as well as the secretary of state for defence, so I am therefore bound by Privy Council confidentiality.’
‘What sort of mumbo jumbo is that?’ demanded Emma. ‘Try not to forget that we’re talking about my son’s life.’
‘Should any of this ever become public,’ said Giles, turning to his sister, ‘even in fifty years’ time, it will be important to show that neither you nor Harry was aware that ministers of the Crown were involved.’
‘I am grateful, Sir Giles,’ said the cabinet secretary.
‘I can just about stomach these pompous coded messages you two keep passing to each other,’ said Harry, ‘as long as I can be assured that my son’s life is no longer in danger, because if anything else were to happen to Sebastian, Sir Alan, there would only be one person to blame.’
‘I accept your admonition, Mr Clifton. However, I am able to confirm that Martinez no longer poses a threat to Sebastian or any other member of your family. Frankly, I’ve bent the rules to breaking point to make sure that it’s literally more than Martinez’s life is worth.’
Harry still looked sceptical, and although Giles seemed to accept Sir Alan’s word, he realized that he would have to become prime minister before the cabinet secretary would reveal the reason for his confidence, and perhaps not even then.
‘However,’ continued Sir Alan, ‘one mustn’t forget that Martinez is an unscrupulous and treacherous man, and I have no doubt he will still want to seek some form of revenge. And as long as he abides by the letter of the law, there’s not much any of us can do about it.’
‘At least we’ll be prepared this time,’ said Emma, only too aware what the cabinet secretary was getting at.