Casanova (18 page)

‘What did you think of the house?’ I asked.

‘I knew it would be like that. Missouri is a coward.’

‘How does it affect your plan?’

She shrugged. ‘The house may not matter,’ she said. ‘Surveillance is difficult. We need good intelligence. We’ll have to organise and relocate to a hotel in Macau. It will happen there. Keep going.’ I’d pulled off my t-shirt and stopped. ‘Take your trousers off,’ she said.

Xing was looking at me expectantly. All she had still on was her underwear. I took off my cargos. ‘What kind of intelligence?’ I said.

‘Routines, protection, we need specific details; and then we’ll need a safe location. You know how it works.’

She’d finished her strip and so had I. She came to me. Her hands went onto my body. ‘We’re going to need help,’ I said.

‘Meriwether hasn’t approved the plan yet,’ she said. ‘There’s Jemima, he can help.’ She pushed herself against me and kissed my face. ‘Stop thinking about it and concentrate,’ she said. By way of encouragement, she dropped her hands below my waist. I put my hands onto her body. Her skin was warm and soft. I felt the caveman return.

We ordered room service. Xing wanted to stay in bed. ‘I don’t think the waiting has ever been so easy,’ she said. It wasn’t difficult to agree with her. A five star hotel, food brought on a silver platter and eastern delights aplenty. I might have still felt like a soldier but I was experiencing a very different lifestyle. I shouldn’t have had any complaints but still, something about the situation made me wonder whether it was right. I’d never suffered with a conscience and I didn’t think I was developing one. It couldn’t be that. Morality was for Sunday school teachers and the righteous few, determined to make a pulpit and give the puritan values a voice. Meriwether wanted the money back. That was my job. I would focus on that. I would get the money back. Still there was something. As Xing kissed me with lips that tasted of satay I questioned was there anything I wouldn’t do. Her fingers pushed a piece of chicken, covered with the peanut sauce, into my mouth and followed it with a second kiss. I knew what the answer was. At least I thought I did.

The phone call came from Charlotte.

‘I’m at Heathrow,’ she said. ‘Two police officers have just arrested Casanova.’

‘Arrested is better than dead.’ I said.

I thought of Xing’s prophecy and wondered how close Casanova was to his expiry date.

‘He went to the toilet and when he came out they were waiting.’ She paused. ‘What do you mean better than dead?’

‘He might have heart failure,’ I said. ‘We could be checking his fingers and toes.’

‘...his fingers and toes,’ Charlotte repeated. ‘Why, do you know something?’

‘Well, Billy...’ I said. Billy was the nickname we used for Bradshaw. ‘...Billy gave me an ST. It was Casanova.’

‘When did Billy give you the ST?’

‘It was the day after the ball,’ I said.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

I didn’t answer.

‘Did you tell Bazzer?’

‘No, I didn’t tell anyone. I was waiting to see what happened.’

‘How did Billy want you to do it?’

‘He posted me an explosive device and suggested I place it under Casanova’s car.’

I heard Charlotte breathe in. ‘Billy may get impatient, or someone else might. I’ll check at VX to see what I can find out. I’ll have to consider this. It’s very serious.’

‘Does Bazzer know the police have him?’ I asked.

‘Yes, I called him first,’ she said.

‘What did he say?’

Charlotte replied in her best Meriwether voice, ‘exactly what we expected, my dear. Let’s keep an eye on events, shall we?’

‘Are you going to tell him about the ST?’

‘I’ll find out more about it first. Anyway, Bazzer may already know, he often does.’

‘Don’t worry; you should have told me, but I don’t think it matters.’ She paused and then said, ‘So tell me, how goes the great eastern treasure hunt?’

‘We’re waiting for the green light from Bazzer,’ I said.

‘How’s Jackie?’ she asked.

I kept my voice neutral and said, ‘Looking forward to the reward.’

‘I’ll be in touch.’

Charlotte ended the call.

Xing was watching me. She was sitting on the bed, naked, with her feet crossed and her knees pulled up to her chin.

‘The police have arrested Casanova,’ she said. ‘It may be harder for someone to kill him now.’

She was right. I didn’t reply.

‘That still leaves him, me and whoever killed the girl in Soho,’ she said.

I lifted my head in a gesture of questioning.

‘The connection,’ she said, ‘everyone with a connection back to Macau is dead except for him, me and whoever killed the girl in Soho.’

She was right again. I continued to stare at her.

‘Who killed the girl in Soho?’ she asked.

I gave the question my full concentration. Despite that, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

A little while later Meriwether called.

‘You’ve heard the news,’ he said. His voice sounded like a BBC radio presenter from the nineteen forties.

‘Yes, C called me,’ I said.

‘Mmm, well, it is what we expected. We’ll monitor the situation. There’s nothing we can do immediately.’

I didn’t respond.

‘Now then,’ said Meriwether, ‘the great eastern treasure hunt. C called it that and I rather like it. She has a way with these sorts of things, don’t you agree?’

‘Yes,’ I said, ‘she does.’

‘Good, now listen, I’ve been considering Jackie’s idea for finding the treasure. It’s a little unsophisticated, not really cricket but there,
needs must when the Devil drives
and all that.’

It sounded like we had the green light.

‘Progress with her plan, one step at a time, and we’ll see where it takes us. I’ve spoken to Jemima and told him to make contact with you. I’ve put him at your disposal. We’ll arrange further resources when you require them.’ Meriwether paused. Something he didn’t often do. ‘I would like to know why Billy issued the ST on Casanova, wouldn’t you.’

‘He wouldn’t tell me,’ I said.

‘No, he never does. He probably didn’t know himself. It may have been a senior command without explanation. Oh, well, let’s concentrate on the treasure, that’s our prize.’

I ended the call and Xing was watching me as usual.

‘He agrees, the green light,’ she said.

‘Yes,’ I said, ‘he agrees the green light.’

‘Good, we will start straight away. The first thing to do is to relocate to Macau today. We must be there all the time. Going in and out on the ferry is too dangerous. What help do we have?’

‘Jemima now, other help when we need it,’ I said.

She pulled a face. ‘We will have to work hard,’ she said. She got out of bed. ‘Let’s pack, we must make a start.’

I received another call. It was Little Miss Marple.

‘I have news concerning the suspect, William Chester,’ said DS Hannah Foley in her best police voice.

‘What is it?’ I asked.

‘We’ve arrested him,’ she said. ‘We picked him up at Heathrow.’

‘That’s good news,’ I said.

‘Yes, I’m looking forward to questioning him.’

‘Yes, I’m sure.’

‘He’s my only suspect so I’m hoping for a confession. If it came with a decent motive and good forensics I could be down the pub before you know it.’

‘Yeah, let’s hope so,’ I said.

‘Well, it’s not really likely,’ she said. Her voice lowered. ‘I don’t know he definitely did it, it could have been someone else.’

‘Yes, it could,’ I said.

We ended the call. She didn’t mention anything about a drink this time. Perhaps she was too preoccupied with thoughts of cornering her prime suspect that she had forgotten her appetite for a little Interpol romance, at least for now.

‘Who was that?’ Xing asked.

‘It was just the police officer investigating the killing of the girl in Soho.’

‘Do the police know who did it?’

‘No, they think it was Casanova. Now they’ve arrested him they’re hoping for a confession and quick end to the case.’

‘He didn’t do it,’ she said. ‘I hope he doesn’t tell them what happened in Switzerland.’ Xing threw my rucksack on the bed. I hoped that too but I didn’t say so.

‘Start packing,’ she said.

‘In one minute,’ I said. ‘I’ve just got to make a call.’ That call was to ‘Billy’ Bradshaw.

‘Hello,’ he said in a friendly voice, ‘you’re using a K106. I’d have thought after Tenerife you’d be put off them for life.’

‘Have you heard?’

‘Yes, I’ve heard.’

‘Did he do it?’ I asked. ‘Is that the reason for the ST?’

‘I’ve got no idea whether he did it and I don’t know the reason for the ST.’

‘Who gave the instruction for the ST?’

‘It came through one of the normal secure channels, completely legitimate; I don’t know who sent it.’

‘What about the explosives?’

‘That was a specific request sent with the authorisation.’

Bradshaw wasn’t helping. If he did know anything, he wasn’t telling. Meriwether was probably right; nobody told Billy what he didn’t need to know.

‘I’m ready to go,’ Xing said.

‘Give me a minute,’ I said.

‘When can you do the ST?’ Billy asked.

‘Not yet,’ I said. ‘I’m away on company business.’

‘What’s Meriwether got you doing?’ he asked.

‘It’s a treasure hunt,’ I said.

‘Make sure it’s not a mulberry bush,’ he warned.

‘...a mulberry bush,’ I repeated.

‘Yes, you know, here we go round the mulberry bush.’

Xing gave me her hurry-up look.

‘...a mulberry bush,’ I said again.

Bradshaw didn’t respond. He ended the call before I could say anything more.

Xing was staring at me.

‘What’s a mulberry bush?’ she asked.

We followed our usual precautions and left the suite with care. Downstairs, at the wide desk, the smiley girl gave me a receipted bill. She had already taken the money on my card. Xing watched. She pushed her back against the marble pillar. Inside her coat, she held her hand ready just in case.

I passed through the double glass doors. I felt Xing’s free hand touch my back. I scanned ahead, one side, then the other. I saw taxis, doormen, bellboys, guests and a big saloon. It was a big Mercedes saloon. It must have been the colour. I dropped low; the Glock was in my hand. Xing moved with synchronised speed. She was beside me. Her Glock pushed forward. Her eyes followed mine. For a moment, I thought it was Missouri. The Mercedes passed by. The danger didn’t exist. I stood. People were staring. Xing straightened. We put the guns away and hurried off.