Smile of the Tiger.

7.

Dempsey, Harry and Rupert had stayed over at Hartley Hall, Harry spending most of the night comforting Lady Annabel.

At eight o'clock they were all gathered in the drawing room when the main house 'phone rang, Jonas answering it quickly before Wilson could.

"Cosgrove-Hartley" he said.

"Lord Jonas." said Hani, his voice sounding smooth and calm. "There's been a change of circumstance."

"What!?" replied Jonas, his tone immediately alerting the others that something was wrong. "What change of circumstance?"

"The details are unimportant." said Hani. "All you need to know is the price of your daughters freedom has just gone up to five million pounds."

Jonas went pale, then red, then exploded.

"What!?" he shouted. "We had a deal! What the hell is going on!?"

"As I have said, the details are irrelevant." replied Hani, conscious of the revolver pointing directly at his forehead. "How long before you can raise the money?"

Jonas had taken a series of deep breaths, the additional volume of air helping to clear his brain and control the shock of this new, unexpected twist.

"I'm not saying any more until you tell me exactly what has changed!" he fumed.

"Lord Jonas." replied Hani, calmly, the smile in his voice unmistakeable. "You are in no position to ask questions. We are simply talking about the sum of money required to effect the safe release of your daughter. Everything else remains the same, the photos, the investment - all of it is still in play. Now, how long!?"

"Do you really think I have that sum of money lying around!?" replied Jonas. "Until I speak to my accountant and my bank, I have no idea, right now, just how long it will take to raise five million pounds!"

At that revelation, Lady Annabel's legs gave way as she began to faint, Dempsey catching her before she fell and sitting her down, gently, in an armchair.

"Rupert." he said. "Get a glass of water."

As Rupert rushed out of the room, Hani was replying

"I will call you back at twelve noon." he said. "Be sure to have your answer ready and in the affirmative!"

The line went dead.

Rupert returned with a jug of water and an empty glass, Harry taking them off him and tending to Lady Annabel.

Dempsey looked at Jonas.

"Sir." he said. "I think it's about time we threw caution to the wind 'an got some of our guys in here to try and trace that next call. I don' think this place is bein' watched."

"I tend to agree with you, James." replied Jonas. "Go ahead and organise it. Use my private line in the office. It's the green telephone."

"Won't Special Branch be listening in, sir?" asked Rupert

"Yes, but they know SI-10 are here." replied Jonas. "The Commissioner has brought them all up to speed with what's been going on."

Dempsey disappeared into Jonas's office and put a call through to Chas, informing him of the latest developments and the urgent need to set up a phone trace.

"Ok Dempsey." replied Chas. "I'm on it. Expect the guys within the hour."

Back in the drawing room, he confirmed a team would be with them shortly and asked Jonas.

"How long will it take to raise that kind of money?"

"Probably no longer than a day or two." replied Jonas.

"In that case, tell 'em a week." suggested Dempsey. "We need to buy time."

"I don't think they'll believe that, James." said Jonas.

"Yeah they will." replied Dempsey. "We got the weekend to play with. I'm guessin' your influence won't hold up gettin' the money together, but these monkeys don' know that and it gives us two extra days."

After the two call girls, who had been entertaining Hani, had hurriedly left, they immediately returned to their usual haunts, one of which was the 'Pink Parrot', the pub that Harry had been working undercover in when she and Dempsey first met.

Winnie Simons happened to be in there the following lunchtime and called them over to her table where she was negotiating with a prospective client.

"'Ey! Rita, Gloria, over 'ere!" she called, pointing to two empty seats next to her.

"'Ello Winnie." said Rita. "'Ow's yer doin' gel?"

"Can't complain, luv." replied Winnie. "Got a gentleman 'ere wants two more gels to make up a party tonight. You up for it?"

"Yeah, sure. Usual rates?" asked Gloria, smiling at the guy.

"Yep. All nighters." said Winnie, rubbing her hand up and down the mans leg. "There yer go, mate. All sorted. See yer in 'ere at eight."

After the client had gone, Rita told Winnie about their close call at Hani's house.

"What? They had shooters 'an all!?" asked Winnie, always keen to hear juicy stories.

"Yeh!" said Gloria. "Proper tooled up they were. And French!"

"Froggies!?" exclaimed Winnie. "Bloody 'ell. Wonder what they wanted?"

"Dunno." answered Rita. "But me and Glo got outta there quick as yer like!"

"Yeah, somefink big was goin' down, I reckon." said Gloria.

"Too right." agreed Rita. "Fella we was with was all cool, but when those Frenchie buggers showed up he turned well nervous."

Winnie and Harry had developed a working relationship since she'd discovered Harry was a detective and, once back in her flat, put a call through to SI-10.

The message got to Harry at Hartley Hall, so she called Winnie back from Jonas's office.

"Winnie?" she said. "It's Harry."

"'Ello darlin'" replied Winnie. "'Ow's that hunky Yanka yours?"

"I'm marrying him." replied Harry, waiting for the explosion the other end.

"Whoo hooo! That's the best bleedin' news I've 'ad for weeks!" said Winnie. "Done the business then girl. Good on yer!"

"Yes, well, thanks Winnie." said Harry, laughing. "Anyway you called me. What's up?"

Winnie related Rita and Gloria's experiences to her.

"Where was this?" asked Harry, suddenly deadly serious.

"A gaff in Mayfair." answered Winnie. "It sounded a bit iffy, so thought I'd better tell yer 'bout it."

"Have you got an address?" asked Harry.

"Oh no, I didn't ask that, but I can get it for yer." replied Winnie. "I'm seein' the gels again tonight."

"Okay, do that would you please Winnie." instructed Harry. "And thanks."

"No probs 'Arry." replied Winnie. "'Ow soon do yer wanna know?"

"As soon as." said Harry.

"I'll call yer tonight then." confirmed Winnie. "Tera for now. Oh 'an give that Yank one for me will ya?"

"Consider it done!" replied Harry, chuckling as she replaced the receiver, then thinking. 'Chance'd be a fine thing at the moment'.

Once back in the drawing room, she got Dempsey's attention and nodded towards the door.

Once alone outside, she told him of her conversation with Winnie.

"'An you think there could be a connection with Arabella's kidnappin'?"

"I don't know, Dempsey." she replied. "But something's telling me to look further into it. Coincidence? A break? Could be, couldn't it?"

"Okay, far be it from me to question that intuition of yours." he replied, smiling. "Let's just see what the trace brings up. If we can't get the actual location, but Mayfair comes up as the area, then you may have somethin' honey"

He moved in closer to her, putting his arms round her waist and whispering. "I missed you last night, princess."

"I know, me too." she replied, quietly. "But Annabel was in such a state I couldn't leave her."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." he said, kissing her lips. "Just missed your body next to mine, that's all."

"That's all?" she questioned, her eyes betraying the pent up passion in her.

Before he could answer, they heard Wilson opening the main front door and broke away from each other, watching as the team, sent to arrange the 'phone trace, entered the hallway.

"In here." ordered Dempsey and showed them into the drawing room, where they set about wiring up various pieces of equipment. Once complete, Sergeant Baker, the team leader, instructed Jonas.

"We're going to need sixty seconds minimum." he said. "So you must try and keep him talking for that long at least. In fact the longer, the better."

"Yes Sergeant, I understand. I'll see what I can do next time." said Jonas, before glancing at his wife. "Annabel darling, I think you'd be better having a lie down."

"Yes alright Jonas." she replied, looking pale and drawn. "Rupert, would you escort me, please?"

"Of course." he replied and took her arm, walking her slowly out into the hallway and up to her bedroom.

At the house in Mayfair, Hani was about to make the call to Jonas, when he gently pushed Rene's gun away from him.

"Rene, a emporter votre arme." he said, smiling up at him. "Comprenez vous, mon ami?"

Rene stepped away from him, but didn't put away his gun as asked, just left it trained at Hani's forehead.

Hani shrugged and dialled Jonas's number.

Jonas answered.

"Cosgrove-Hartley."

"Lord Jonas." said Hani, smoothly. "I trust you can tell me how long it will take to raise the amount?"

"I want to speak to Arabella." replied Jonas, ignoring the question and playing for time as well as a genuine need to speak to his daughter.

"She's asleep." said Hani.

"I don't believe you!" snarled Jonas. "She was asleep last time and I let it go, but not this time. You get her on this 'phone now!"

Sixteen seconds had elapsed.

"I can assure you she is fine." soothed Hani. "It's not in our interests to have her any other way. This I have explained already."

"I don't care what you've explained before." shouted Jonas. "Unless you put her on this 'phone, no-one is getting paid!"

Twenty-eight seconds now.

"Okay, have it your own way." replied Hani. "I will call you back when we have woken her."

The dialling tone buzzed in Jonas's ear.

Only thirty-two seconds had passed.

"I'm sorry." said Jonas. "It didn't work. I thought they might have her there to talk to me but clearly not."

"Did you get anythin'?" Dempsey asked Sergeant Baker.

"No sir." he replied. "Simply not long enough."

With that the telephone rang again.

"Daddy?" came Arabella's tired voice.

"Arabella darling." said Jonas, emotion clearly apparent. "Are you being looked after?"

"Yes." she said, sounding completely out of it. "Are you here?"

"No darling, not yet, but soon." replied Jonas. "How are you feeling?"

"Very tired."

"That's enough." said Hani as he took the 'phone away from her. "Now, are you satisfied?"

"What are you doing to her!?" demanded Jonas. "She sounds unwell."

"We are simply sedating her." replied Hani. "It's for her own good. Otherwise she might become troublesome."

Twenty-one seconds.

"What are you giving her?" asked Jonas.

"Just a fairly strong dose of your common or garden sleeping draughts, that's all." said Hani. "Now, enough of this! How long before you can get our money?"

"A week." replied Jonas.

"A week? That's too long." said Hani. "Stop playing games, Lord Jonas! You get us the money by Tuesday or your daughter will disappear!"

Thirty-seven seconds now.

"I cannot raise five million pounds by Tuesday!" said Jonas. "It's impossible. Do you think I have it all to hand? It will take five working days and tomorrow it's the weekend. And if my daughter disappears you definitely won't see a penny!"

"And you'll be spread all over the newspapers!" retorted Hani. "You'll have lost your daughter, your reputation, your business and probably your wife too!"

"No-one will believe it!" replied Jonas.

"Trust me, they will! You have ten more minutes!"

The line went silent, just the dialling tone buzzing in his ear.

Fifty-eight seconds had gone by.

"Anythin' this time?" asked Dempsey.

"We've got a radius including Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair." replied Baker.

Dempsey glanced over to Harry, who nodded towards the door again.

Back in the hallway she said.

"Looks as though Winnie might have a lead for us then."

"When's she callin' you?"

"Later, she said." replied Harry. "We'll just have to wait for her to contact me."

Hearing the telephone ring again they went back into the drawing room.

"I'm telling you!" said Jonas. "I cannot get the money raised until Friday. Five working days from Monday."

"Thursday. Lord Jonas." replied Hani. "You still have the rest of today. I'm sure with your influence you will have our money by Thursday."

"And if I don't!?"

"Oh, you will, you most definitely will." said Hani. "I will call you at six in the evening."

"And how am I to deliver this money?" asked Jonas, trying to stall for time. "Five million pounds is an awful lot to be carrying around in a suitcase!"

"Those details will come later." replied Hani. "Just get the money! Goodbye!"

This call had only lasted twenty-seven seconds.

"Damn it!" swore Jonas. "Do you think he suspected we were trying to locate him?"

"I doubt it." replied Dempsey. "Guy like that? He'd take great pleasure in remindin' you just what a smartass he is. If he thought you were tracin' him he'd say so."

"Yes, good point James." replied Jonas.

"Look sir, there ain't much we can do right now, so Harry an' I are gonna split." said Dempsey. "We'll catch up with you later on, if that's okay."

Harry went up to Jonas and took his hand.

"Please don't worry too much, Jonas." she said, trying to offer reassurance. "I'm sure no harm will come to Arabella. You need to look after to Annabel. She's not taking this at all well."

"Yes, thank you Harriet." said Jonas. "Rupert's going to stay and I'll go up to Annabel now."

"We'll check in with you later." said Harry as she and Dempsey left the room.

When they got back to SI-10 a message was waiting for Harry from Winnie.

"Winnie?" she said. "You left me a message."

"Yeah 'Arry." replied Winnie. "I saw me mates again at lunchtime. Got the address of that gaff in Mayfair for yer."

"Oh brilliant Winnie." said Harry. "Okay fire away."

"14, Bruton Place, Mayfair."

"Thanks Winnie," said Harry, having scribbled the address down. "I owe you one."

"Make 'im tall, dark and 'ansome then." chuckled Winnie. "See ya girl."

"Ok Harry, let's check that address out." said Dempsey.

Thirty minutes later they were parked about fifty yards down the road from the Mayfair house.

And ten minutes later they were inside.