Smile of the Tiger.
10.
Wednesday, December 2nd.
The arrangements for Rupert and Arabella's wedding over the weekend of December 19th and 20th had been ratcheted up considerably since the weekend, Lady Annabel, in particular, determined to make up for the time lost through Arabella's kidnapping.
Jonas had deliberately kept quiet about the dangerous situation involving death threats to them both, reasoning that it would serve little purpose if they knew, therefore putting his trust entirely in SI-10 to twart Hani Ahmadi and his ruthless cohorts sooner rather than later.
Dempsey and Harry, and in several instances, Rupert too, hadn't left Arabella's side when she needed to venture out on various errands and Lady Annabel, similarly, always had Josh Willows and Terry Stroud shadowing her every move, Jonas explaining that their presence was merely a necessary precaution.
Spikings had secured five million in forged fifty pound notes, which, to the naked eye, looked every inch like the real thing, the forger having been considered the best in the world before he was caught, convicted and locked up.
In Spikings's office, the money was now sitting in twelve standard size suitcases, four hundred thousand pounds in each, the maximum each case could take, together with a smaller one holding the remaining two hundred thousand pounds.
Dempsey and Harry, having left Hartley Hall the previous evening for home, had called in to look over the notes, mostly out of curiousity.
"May I?" he asked, Spikings nodding at him.
Grabbing the smaller case, he opened it and extracted a note.
He drew a fifty out of his wallet and compared it to the forgery.
"I can't tell the difference." he said, laying them down on the desk side by side, having held them up to the light to check the watermark and silver strip of foil. "So where's the catch?"
"Normally you'd see the difference by rubbing the forged note on a clean sheet of white paper." said Spikings. "If it doesn't smudge then it's fake. The ink used by the Royal Mint never dries completely, so if it did smudge it'd be real. But the forger in this case, managed to get his hands on the same ink, so when that particular test was applied, all the notes came up as real. It even passes the marker pen test."
"Clever cookie huh?" replied Dempsey, unable to hide a certain amount of grudging respect for the counterfeiter. "So how are these different then?"
"Weight." replied Spikings. "The fakes weigh more, simply because the paper the Mint use is unique. And it's so well guarded, there's never been a case where the paper has been stolen."
Dempsey picked both notes up and weighed them against each other.
"There ain't much in it." he said. "If ya hadn't told me Chief, I'd not know which is which."
"So there's a more than even chance these won't be discovered as false." said Harry, like Dempsey, admiring the handiwork.
They were remarkable copies.
"Indeed." replied Spikings. "My guess is that these villains aren't particularly up to speed with forged currency, seeing as they probably deal in the usual money making businesses, vice, gambling, drugs for instance."
"Yeah, well I go along with that up to a point, boss." said Dempsey. "At the end of the day, they still deal in money, so I guess they have to be sure it's the real thing."
"There's risk in everything, Dempsey." replied Spikings. "At least, as Harry says, there's more than an even chance these won't be spotted."
"I hear we've got Special Branch involved now." said Dempsey.
"Yes, to cover the airports and cross channel ferries." replied Spikings. "If Ahmadi is now in France then he and his gorillas should be planning on being here to collect the money. Special Branch have their descriptions so we may even nab them the minute they set foot on UK soil."
"That's supposing they don't use another team based here." said Harry. "And do we know how the money is being transferred."
"Not yet, Sergeant." replied Spikings. "But we will tomorrow when our Mister Ahmadi calls again."
Those instructions came through at noon, just Spikings and Jonas in his office, the others scattered through the Hall talking to Arabella and Annabel, deliberately keeping them occupied and diverting their attention to what was going down..
As had become the norm, Jonas didn't answer the telephone until Sergeant Baker had activated the trace, then nodded.
"Cosgove-Hartley." he said.
"Lord Jonas." said Hani, his tone friendly. "You have our money?"
"Yes."
"Ah good." gushed Hani. "How is it packed?"
"In twelve standard size suitcases, four hundred thousand pounds in each one plus a half size one with the final balance." replied Jonas.
"Fine. Do you know the NCP carpark on the Finchley Road, next to the multiplex cinema?"
"No." replied Jonas, attempting to string the conversation out. "Give me the instructions as to how to get there."
"Get a map!" retorted Hani harshly, then in calmer tones. "Now, tomorrow at noon, go to the very top. Come alone. You will be out in the open air. You will see a bright red Ford Escort van. It will be unlocked. Transfer the money to the van and leave. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly."
"Excellent." said Hani. "Nice doing business with you Lord Jonas. Oh and I don't have to remind you that if anyone tries to apprehend us, the penalty will be death to either your pretty daughter or your beautiful wife. Good day to you."
Forty-one seconds had passed, Baker shaking his head again.
"He's wise to us now." he said. "Sorry your lordship. But I think that call came from abroad, like the last one."
"Doesn't help much though does it." sighed Jonas, then turning to Spikings. "Are you familiar with this car park, Chief Superintendent?"
"Yes I know it." replied Spikings. "It's surrounded by high rise flats and office blocks. I'm afraid the possibility is they'll have a lookout, maybe a sniper, watching that roof for any signs of us. However, each case has a small transmitter hidden in the handle. We should be able to track the van. There's no point in us stopping it, as they'll probably be using a petty criminal as driver for a one-off fee."
"Yes I see." said Jonas. "We obviously want the organ grinders, not the monkeys."
"Er, yes." agreed Spikings, somewhat amused at Jonas's terminology. "I'll have my team stationed in their cars at various points, so we'll alternate shadowing the van. It'll be rendezvousing with another vehicle at some stage but whether that will contain our quarry is uncertain."
Meanwhile, Arabella and Rupert were grilling Harry.
"You seem very involved in all of this Harriet." said Rupert.
"I am Rupert." she replied. "You are friends of mine, James is my fiance, so it seemed natural for me to stay close to you all."
"But what about your work at the Museum?" asked Arabella. "Does the professor know what you're doing?"
"I've taken some time off." lied Harry. "I haven't used my holiday entitlement this year, so he was happy for me to have a month away, especially as we're close to Christmas."
"Oh I see." said Arabella. "Gosh, fancy spending your hols like this, what with me being kidnapped and everything."
"Yes, but it's nice to see what work James does." Harry continued. "At least I can appreciate the danger he faces - and the unsociable hours! Many police marriages break up because of a lack of understanding on the spouses part and the pressure on the husband to balance family with work. I don't intend to let that happen to us."
"Very commendable." said Rupert, sincerely. "You obviously have a strong bond, that's plain for all to see and you deserve every happiness, Harriet. And I like James a lot. There's something about him."
"He's jolly good looking." said Arabella, smiling at Harry. "Very sexy too."
"Oh yes?" said Rupert, looking at Arabella questioningly.
"Yes." replied Arabella, returning Rupert's gaze. "Oh don't be so jealous, darling. You're the one for me, you always have been and always will be."
Harry was relieved the subject had switched to these two star struck lovers, so excused herself.
"I think I'll just go and find him." she said and beat a not too obvious but a, nevertheless, hasty retreat.
She found him in the kitchen, helping himself to coffee.
"Hey tiger." he greeted. "Where've you been? Want some coffee?"
"Getting the third degree." she said, nodding and taking the steaming cup from him. "Arabella and Rupert decided to find out why I was so involved in all of this."
"What did you tell 'em."
"Oh, just that they were friends, I was on holiday and helping you out." she said.
"They believe it?"
"Yes, then Arabella mentioned how sexy you are." she said, sidling up to him so he could put his arm round her waist, then snuggling into him and kissing his lips before adding. "Rupert got jealous."
"Yeah?" questioned Dempsey. "'Bout me?"
"Yes." giggled Harry. "I felt quite proud."
"Proud?" he questioned again.
"Yes proud!" exclaimed Harry. "Goodness, you can be really slow on the uptake, Dempsey! Proud you're all mine, you dope!"
He decided to have a moments fun with her.
"Wow!" he said.
"Wow what?" she replied , looking up into his face, expecting she was the reason for the wow.
"Lady Arabella Cosgrove-Hartley fancies me." said Dempsey, looking all gooey eyed.
"What!?" she exclaimed again, staring at him, then trying to wriggle free. "Well, she's spoken for, so hard bloody luck!"
He turned her round to face him, putting his other arm round her waist so she couldn't move and looked into her angry eyes.
"And he's welcome to her, princess." he said, smiling. "'Cos I got you, an' no-one's gonna take you from me."
Her eyes softened, her lips parted slightly as he bent his head to kiss her and her body melted into his.
No man had ever had such an effect on her, anyone else she would have resisted and pulled away from - in fact, she wouldn't have reacted anything like she'd just done - if it had been anybody else.
It was instances like this that brought out the deep love she felt for him.
She flung her arms round his neck, pressing the centre of their bodies together, feeling his instant arousal, her breathing quickening in pace as her passion increased and wishing to God they were somewhere else.
Hearing voices, they quickly broke away from each other, Dempsey sitting down at the kitchen table with his coffee, Harry unable to stifle a giggle when she spotted the bulge in the front of his trousers as he did so.
Josh and Terry sauntered into the kitchen to refill their coffee cups.
"I dunno what you find so funny." whispered Dempsey. "But you're lookin' real flushed!"
"And you're definitely horny!" she whispered back, gesturing with her eyes to his crotch and putting a hand to her mouth to hide her amusement. "It's a real turn on."
"Shhhush!" said Dempsey. "You're makin' matters worse!"
"Good!" she whispered, from behind her hand. "We've unfinished business!"
"You two okay?" asked Josh, noticing them hunched over the kitchen table whispering to each other.
"Yeah, hi guys." said Dempsey, smiling up at them both. "Her ladyship okay?"
"Yeah, pretty good." replied Josh. "Seems to think things aren't quite right, but then gets busy with something else to do with the big wedding coming up."
"How's the Lady Arabella, Harry?" asked Terry.
"Only has eyes for her fiance." she replied, grinning at Dempsey, unseen by the others since they were behind her chair.
In Paris, Philipe de Cadenet was talking to a contact in London.
"So listen Benny." he said. "Are you clear what you have to do."
"Yeah Philipe." replied Benny. "Two of my guys will pick up the van, one driving, the other gettin' the dosh into bin bags, then we'll transfer to my car an' make for the coast. What time's the boat gonna be there?"
"Six." said Philipe.
"An' my cut's four 'undred grand."
"Oui monsieur." said Philipe. "The money's packed in suitcases, each one with four hundred thousand in. So just keep one back for yourself."
"Cool." replied Benny. "'Appy days mate. I won't let ya down."
Philipe cut the call and stared at Hani.
"Your debt should be cleared by tomorrow. You'd better pray it all goes to plan, mon ami."