"Is she alright darling?" Audrey asked Richard as he came into the drawing room.
"Yes I think she's just glad to be home"
Mrs Poo had been back for an hour now and they had explained to her what had happened in the last 48 hours. She wasn't happy about Frank being there but she understood it was the safest option at the moment.
Looking at his watch Richard realised he just had time to go to the estate office before dinner "I'm just going to get some papers from the estate office darling, don't worry I'll be back before dinner" he bent down to kiss her then left.
As Richard got closer to the door to the farm managers office he heard someone talking on the phone. It sounded like Frank, but what was he doing in there. He wanted to believe the best of Frank but his gut instinct was not to trust him, eventually his Curiosity got the better of him, he got as close to the door as he dared and listened.
"No Bedrich knows nothing...it won't hurt his business will it...even if it does he'll be fine, the wife has money of her own...just like his father, to kind...no not yet, I'm still looking...I've got to go before they come looking for me"
Richard darted down the hall and out the door hurrying back to the manor before Frank could see him. He was furious with himself, he should have known Frank was up to no good. he'd had a bad feeling about him but the idea of getting to know his fathers brother had blinded him.
He had to tell Audrey what he had heard then they could workout together what was going on and who they could trust.
When he got back to the manor Richard decided the safest place to talk would be their bedroom, once inside he told her what he had heard frank say on the phone.
Audrey shook her head "I'm sorry darling I never should have suggested he stay here"
Richard reached for her hand "You were only thinking of me Audrey but now we have to work out what to do. I don't think Major Craig knows anything about this, can we trust him do you think"
"Don't worry Richard, I checked him out with some of Uncle Grevel's contacts they said he was completely trustworthy"
"Right so we should tell him what we know, he may be able to shed some light on this"
"What do you think he was looking for?" Audrey asked him
"Well it has to be something to do with Cavendish, he said something about harming my business, maybe a document of some kind but I can't think of anything that would be harmful to me"
Audrey thought for a moment "No it sounds like it's something that happened years ago. What about those new premises you were looking at, could it be something to do with that? Frank went awfully quiet when you mentioned it the other day"
Richard sighed "I suppose it could be, I...wait, when the builders went in they found an old safe, they said it was locked but I had them bring it here. I thought maybe we could use it in the estate office if we could get it open. Maybe just maybe there is something in there."
"But why would your uncle be connected to that, it's a very big coincidence"
"Because darling the site was an old Army office. What if whatever Frank was supposed to steal for the Russians all those years ago is in there"
Audrey stood up "We need to talk to Major Craig without Frank around"
"I could take him on a tour of the manor while you talk to Major Craig out on the estate?" She suggested
Richard shook his head "No darling I don't want to leave you alone with him, he might be dangerous"
"Well then we'll both take the Major out and Brabinger will keep an eye on Frank and don't worry darling Brabinger was in the army he knows how to look after himself"
Unfortunately the bedroom was not the safest place to talk and unbeknownst to Richard and Audrey, Frank was by the door listening.
Knowing they were on to him he knew he had to get the document and then make a run for it. Now he knew the safe was in Richard's study he only needed a few minutes to get it open and then he could sneak out. Frank hid in the corridor when he saw them leave then made his way down to the study.
He found the safe in the corner and within a few minutes he had it open. There it was, the piece of paper that would save his life and possibly hurt his nephew.
He took a moment to glance over it. It was a letter from a polish army officer to the head of British Intelligence explaining the circumstances of a massacre during the war. It named him Syzmon Polouvicka as well as several others as people who had received money from the Russians to help hush it up.
He had never told his brother what he had done but he was sure Lazlo knew there was something wrong. If anyone found out that Richard was the nephew of someone who had helped cover up the deaths of these people he would be ruined, no one would do business with him.
But if he didn't give this to the Russians they would kill him. He was sick of playing the Russians against the Americans and the Americans against the British, this had to end now.
Just outside Perrigrins Folly Richard and Audrey were talking to Major Craig.
"Well Sir Richard I can't say I'm surprised, I thought he may be up to something my colleagues in America contacted me yesterday they believed he was trying to steal something for the Russians. It seems he's been playing us all for years"
"So what happens next Major?" Audrey asked
The Major scratched his head "We can't let him find out that we're on to him, we need to find the document before he does and then we can sort him out later,"
"So we carry on as normal?" Richard asked the Major
"Exactly, I will take a look at this safe and hopefully once we have whatever is in their we can put an end to this"
"What about the people after him are they still a threat to us?" Richard asked
"I would say even more so now Sir, especially if he's been playing them off against one another we don't even know if it's the KGB it could be the Russian mafia"
Suddenly several gun shots rang out and Major Craig dropped to the ground. Richard pushed Audrey down covering her body with his.
He turned his head to look at the Major, he wasn't moving. They had to get to cover if they stood any chance. Quickly he checked on Audrey.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes darling I'm fine, what about the Major?"
Richard again looked at the Major "He's been hit, i don't know how bad"
Another barrage of shots rang out hitting the ground just in front of them. Before they could try to get to cover a man appeared in front of them a gun in his hand pointing it at them.
"On your feet Mr DeVere, you to Mrs DeVere" the man said as he waved the gun at them.
Richard stood then helped Audrey to her feet.
"What do you want" Richard asked the man
"I want Syzmon and the document he has and you will give them to me now" The man replied
"I don't know what document you mean" Richard said
"The ones from the safe in your study Mr DeVere, the safe that is now empty"
Richard was shocked, the safe had been locked when they left the manor, the only reason it would be empty was if Frank had got to it first and retrieved whatever was inside "But that can't be, the safe was locked and I don't have a key"
The man chuckled "Well it seems I'm not the only one your Uncle has double crossed"
Another man came up behind Richard and Audrey, pushing Richard out of the way he pulled Audrey over to the man with the gun.
She struggled against the mans hold calling Richard's name "No, let me go, Richard, darling"
The man grabbed Audrey, wrapping his forearm around her neck, pressing the gun to her temple.
Richard was sure his heart stopped beating when he saw the man holding Audrey.
"No, I'm begging you please just let my wife go and I'll help you find him" Richard pleaded
"Oh you're begging me are you" the man laughed
"Yes, please I'll do anything just let her go" Richard begged
The man moved the gun from Audrey's temple to point at Richard "Go on then beg, get down on your knees and beg for her life"
Not missing a beat Richard got down on his knees "I'm begging you please"
"You see my lady even the most powerful of men can be brought to their knees" he said to Audrey now aiming the gun at Richard's head.
Seeing that the man had every intention of pulling the trigger Audrey had had enough, she would not let this man hurt her husband, quickly she grabbed his arm and bit him as hard as she could.
"Ow you bitch" he said letting go of her, she ran over to Richard who was now on his feet.
He cupped her face in his hands "Are you alright darling"
"I'm fine" she nodded wrapping her arms around his waist.
Before he made it to the end of the drive Frank heard gunshots and then another round of shots. This wasn't normal shooting for the countryside this was automatic weapons fire. It must be the Russians he thought, they had got tired of waiting and had come for the document themselves.
He couldn't let them hurt Bedrich, it was time he stopped running away. He followed the sounds of gunfire and loud shouting finding Bedrich and his wife being held at gunpoint.
Richard pushed Audrey behind him, trying to shield her from being shot. She held onto him from behind praying they would both get out of this alive.
Frank walked around the side of the Folly to stand next to Richard and Audrey "Don't do it Uri, I'm the one you want not them"
"It's not about you anymore old man, you should have given it to me the first time now it's to late, I want you to suffer"
Uri aimed the gun at Richard and fired.