An hour later, a courier opened locker 134. Horrified, he scrabbled around for the missing bag and pulled out the sealed letter. The man’s face was deathly white; he was personally responsible for the bag and its contents. Now he had to explain the loss to his boss. His hands shook as he opened locker 138; it was also empty. He ran from the building and leapt into the waiting car. Everyone was panicking now. Should they run or face Malenkov’s wrath?
Back at the plush office in a Windsor mansion, the courier’s hand trembled as he passed the letter to Malenkov. The situation was clear to everyone in the room. There was no money and the courier knew he was in deep trouble. Delivering this letter was not the act of a guilty man, though that would not save him if Malenkov thought he was at fault.
Malenkov snatched up a paper knife and with a vicious, flowing movement, slit open the envelope. The courier stepped back from the desk, eyeing the flashing blade, as the same hand flicked the envelope away.
Malenkov read the short message and stiffened with rage as the content sank home. Pulling himself together, he spoke. “Do not discuss this incident amongst yourselves or with anyone, it has not happened. This letter apologizes for the failure to deliver the money.”
Without looking up, he quietly dismissed the courier and his colleagues.
This was the second time money had been intercepted; on both occasions, Yaakov Malenkov had explained away the failure to collect as a test of the system. He forbade any mention of it by any one, for security reasons.
After both thefts, he still delivered the drugs as though he had received payment. It was bad for his business to have distrust amongst loyal clients, or the slightest hint that he had been ripped off. He had set traps of course, but no one had been caught. Turning back to the letter, he read it again.
I took the money from three drops to get your attention.
I would like to meet you at the above address, at 11:45pm tonight. Come alone and I will explain my requirements and if agreeable to you, I will give back most of the cash.
Kind regards
D.I. Marsh
Malenkov picked up his phone and called Anatoly Kalinin, his second-in-command, to come and see him.
“Anatoly, I want you and seven men to take me to this address for 11:45pm tonight. We’ll go in two cars and must approach quietly and cautiously, prepared for trouble. I have to meet someone to discuss the collection of a considerable amount of cash. The person I am meeting will expect me to be alone. Make sure four of your men are in position in good time, so when I arrive in the second car, with you and two other men, I can be sure there is no trap waiting for me.”
“I understand Yaakov, I will organize it at once.”