Robin had suddenly decided on a change of plan.
It had occurred to him on the aircraft that, as he was going through Heathrow anyway, it would be a good idea to see if he could meet with Jim Farlow in central London. Robin had quite a lot to talk to Jim about, and some quite sensitive information to give him. It would be a whole lot more sensible, and certainly much safer, to hand over the details of the various accounts he wanted him to access, rather than send them by email.
It was quite late when his aircraft landed, so he immediately booked in to one of the airport hotels for the night. He rang the flat - Valya answered the phone - to explain that he wouldn’t be there until the next day after all. Then he rang Marian, as he said he would, just to make sure she had got to Montreux safely, and then, re-assured that she was all right, got hold of Jim at his home in Highgate.
He was surprised to get the call from Robin so late in the evening.
“I was expecting you to ring from Oxford tomorrow,” said Jim.
“Well, I’m still at Heathrow,” explained Robin. “I only landed a short time ago from Nairobi, and I’ve decided to stay here overnight in the hope that we might be able to meet up in the morning. Any chance, Jim?”
“As it happens, we could very well meet,” replied Farlow. “I’m on the overnight shift tomorrow, and don’t have to be at the bank until teatime.”
“That’s good news,” said Robin. “Where can we rendezvous?”
“Why don’t I come out to the airport?” suggested Jim. “I can get into town easily from there after our chat, and you can catch the coach to Oxford.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind coming out here?” asked Robin.
“Not a bit,” enthused Jim. “I like airports - always lots going on.”
“Right then,” agreed Robin. “Make it about twelve, and I’ll buy you lunch. This looks a bit of a grotty hotel, judging by the room I’m in, but the restaurant on the ground floor doesn’t look too bad.”
He gave Jim directions, and decided to try the restaurant himself, for a light evening meal. It was OK, after all. By now, he was tired, so he went to his room to turn in for the night. Not a patch on the Royal Plaza in Montreux, he thought, and envied Marian her luxury stay there. He wished he was with her, but he had a lot to do in England, so it really was sensible of her to suggest splitting up as they had. And with any luck, they would be together again in a couple of days. He resolved that, after breakfast, he would give her another ring, and then use his laptop computer to sort out the information he hoped Jim would be able to get for him. There was a lot of detail Jim wouldn’t need, and he could get together on one sheet of paper the framework of Jim’s research. It would save so much time if he could get into the encryption codes and find the passwords that Robin would need in order to access the vital accounts. Robin would keep the final details of those to himself.
They met in the foyer as planned, just before lunch, and headed for the bar for a quick something-or-other first.
“It seems ages since we last met,” said Jim, “although I suppose it really isn’t too long, and we have been able to keep in touch on the phone.”
“I’m glad we have been able to meet up again,” said Robin. “There’s a lot to tell you, and I thought it safer to brief you face-to-face rather than over the phone or by email.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Jim, “not least because I’ve got some pretty hot news for you, too. I’ve tracked down some of the banks used by Grudge’s old masters, and got all the gen. you will need to get access to their treasury.”
He fished an envelope from his inside pocket, and handed it to Robin.
“There are about four banks there, in different parts of the world, which is what Grudge told me you wanted. So far as I can see, all the corporation’s accounts are just about bursting at the seams, so you should be able to provide Sergei and his chums with a just settlement.”
“That is good news - well done!” enthused Robin. “At last we can really make some progress, and if you can do the same with these banks” - he handed over his list to Jim - “then we shall be well on the way to finishing the first part of this little exercise.”
“I’ll do my best,” replied Jim. “I’m just sorry that I shan’t be able to join you and your little team for the final phase, as that should be very interesting. I would love to be able to work with Grudge, but I really think I owe it to my mother to stay in a settled job, with a regular income. I think I’m what you’d call ‘risk averse’, and I really will be happier in a regular job rather than risk setting up on my own with you - although I’m sure you’ll make a go of it.”
“I really do understand that,” replied Robin.
“My poor old mother has taken a job as a dinner lady since Dad died. Not for the money, she says, but for the company as much as anything.”
Jim looked quite upset.
“It’s a pity we can’t work together,” said Robin sadly, “but perhaps one day things will change and you will be able to join the little company I’m setting up. Grudge has said he will be a consultant, and Rupert seems keen to join us as well.”
“Quite like old times,” said Jim. “But I did say I would help you with this phase of your charitable work, if I may call it that, and so I shall. I’ll get stuck into this lot tonight, and let you know how I get on.”
“It really is handy that you’re doing that particular job at the bank,” commented Robin. “We’d be lost without your help, and it would take ages to do what you’ve been able to do so quickly, as you know.”
“I have to say that I really am lucky,” admitted Jim, “and not just because I’m able to help you. But it’s a really interesting job, and it pays very well. I can give my mother quite a decent allowance and still manage to put some away for a rainy day.”
“I’m very glad,” said Robin. “I just hope our little enterprise goes well when we get it up and running. If not, we may all be coming to you for work at some time!”
“If I am able to get the information you want, how shall I get it to you?” asked Jim.
“I would rather have it one bank at a time, if that’s possible, rather than wait until you’ve been through all of them,” replied Robin. “I think I shall probably do my bit of the exercise from Oxford, where we’ve got the computers set up, so the sensible thing would be to meet, I suppose, rather than use the post or the telephone or the Internet. They aren’t nearly as secure as they should be, and we can’t afford to take any risks.”
“I agree,” said Jim. “And if you’re going to work from here rather than Africa or Switzerland, then we should be able to meet easily enough for me to pass on details by hand. It will be nice to be able to meet you again from time to time.”
As they settled at their table for lunch, Robin opened the envelope Jim had given him, and quickly scanned the contents.
“Good Lord!” he exclaimed. “One of the banks you have uncovered is also on the list I’ve just given you.”
“That’s quite a coincidence,” said Jim. “It’ll save a bit of time.”
“And allow me to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, although I shall need to take care. If I transfer too much from the same bank, even from different accounts, alarm bells might well start ringing.”
“They shouldn’t be able to trace you though, using the system you’ve devised.”
“I hope you’re right,” replied Robin. “Now, what shall we have? How about a steak?”
They chatted on over a leisurely lunch, during which Robin was able to brief Jim Farlow on all that had been going on since their last meeting. Eventually, he said, “I really must get that coach to Oxford, you know. I’m dying to know how our friend Sergei is getting on, and then I shall use the information you’ve given me to try to move some money into one or other of the Swiss accounts. I also want to see how Grudge is getting on developing our new encryption device, and if there’s time, perhaps give him a hand with it.”
“There’s no hurry for it, is there?” enquired Jim.
“Not really, but I want to have it ready as soon as possible in case too many alarm bells start ringing too soon at the banks.”
“But there’s plenty of work to do now you’ve opened the door, so to speak, before you close it again?” queried Jim.
“Yes, there is,” replied Robin. “Which is why I’m hoping you’ll be able to press on with all speed. The longer we leave this particular door open, as you put it, the more chance there is that we shall get caught out before we’ve finished.”
“I’ll do my best,” promised Jim. “I’ve already volunteered for more over-night shifts, when it’s quieter, on the grounds that I need the money now that my father has died. Which is not far from the truth, as it happens,” he added, sadly.
Jim headed for the Underground, and Robin went back to reception to pay his bill and collect his suitcase, before making for the Oxford coach.
***
Marian had been up early, although she wasn’t sure why. Probably because she hadn’t slept well, and she was sure she knew why that was. She didn’t like being without Robin.
It was a lovely morning, and the pale sun was streaming through the bedroom window of the Royal Plaza, so she got up, had a leisurely shower, and watched the news on CNN. She tidied the room a bit before she went down to breakfast, which was a buffet affair offering everything you could wish for. Well, nearly everything. Robin had complained last week that there were no kippers, so he had helped himself to smoked haddock instead. Usually, bacon and egg and everything that went with it was more than enough for him, but that day, it had to be kippers, and there weren’t any. At Oxford, she had managed to avoid his demands for kippers for breakfast, on the grounds that they smelt the place out however you cooked them, but at Oxford they hardly ever had time for anything other than a bit of toast and a cup of tea anyway. She wondered what he was having for breakfast this morning, at his Heathrow hotel.
Robin had thought it a bit of an odd question when he rang, to be asked what he’d had for breakfast, but otherwise Marian seemed to be in good spirits, and he promised to ring her again later.
Although Robin’s phone called cheered her up, Marian wasn’t really looking forward to her morning very much if she was honest. She wasn’t at all sure she was cut out for meeting rather severe-looking elderly Swiss bank managers on her own. But it had been her idea to save time by operating separately for a couple of days, so she had no real choice. She knew what she had to achieve, and had gone over it in her mind many times since Robin had left. It was simple enough; hand over the farmers list, and give a few instructions as to the future running of the account. No problem.
She had a slight worry that, as her meeting with Monsieur Gilbert was at eleven thirty, he might invite her to join him for lunch afterwards. She thought she probably wouldn’t. She had a busy schedule, she would say, with many other matters to attend to before Mr. Hood returned from his quick business trip to London. Terribly kind and all that, but no thank you.
With the morning to herself, she decided to walk to the station, where she knew she could get an English newspaper. It was a steep climb, but there were good views of the lake between the buildings on the way. On her return, she rang room service for a pot of coffee, and settled with her newspaper on the balcony in the sun until it was time to get ready for her visit to the bank.
At the appointed time, Monsieur Gilbert greeted her warmly, kissed her hand, ushered her into his office, and referred to her as Lady FitzWalter. She had a job not to giggle, but decided not to complicate matters by trying to explain. She would have a word with Robin later, although his ploy of casually mentioning her parents had obviously done the trick, and impressed the elderly manager.
She accepted his offer of coffee.
“Mr. Hood regrets that he is unable to meet you himself this morning,” she started, “but he has had to return to London, so asked me to represent him.”
“I quite understand,” replied M. Gilbert.
When his secretary brought in the pot of steaming coffee, the manager asked, “Would it be sensible for Marie-Louise to stay to take a few notes of our meeting?”
“By all means,” replied Marian. “It would be helpful if you could confirm our conversation in writing later, in any case, so that we have a record on paper.”
“Of course. So how can I help you this morning, madam?”
“First of all, I must give you this, for which I should like a signed receipt, please.” Marian handed over a sealed envelope, containing the names, addresses and banking details of the deposed farmers.
“This contains the personal details of some fifteen hundred deposed farmers, provided by the organisation we mentioned on our first visit. They do not have all the four thousand farmers registered with them, so, with only three exceptions, these people will be the only ones we shall be able to compensate.”
Monsieur Gilbert slit open the envelope, and briefly looked at the contents.
“File this safely afterwards, Marie Louise,” he instructed, passing it over to his secretary. “And prepare a letter of acknowledgement for my signature as soon as possible. It would be helpful for Lady FitzWalter to have that today.”
“Thank you,” said Marian. “Mr. Hood and I would be grateful if you could now start preparing to begin payments into the accounts for all these people, when we advise you that all the available funds have been passed to you. At that stage, no doubt, you will wish to consider an appropriate investment portfolio to provide the annuities we mentioned.”
“I have already been giving that some thought,” replied the manager, “although a final decision cannot be taken until we know the total amount on deposit. But you can be sure that we shall aim for the maximum return on your account.”
“With the minimum risk,” insisted Marian.
“Naturally,” replied Gilbert. “Once the annuity is set up, your clients will be guaranteed a fixed income each month, or annually if they prefer, to which we shall hopefully be able to add a small sum each year to account for interest and inflation.”
“That sounds very satisfactory,” said Marian.
“You mentioned, madam, three exceptions to the list you have provided me,” the manager reminded her.
Marian handed him another envelope.
“These are the details,” she said. “In respect of the three individuals mentioned here, we wish you to open separate, unrelated, accounts for each of them. The accounts should not be linked to any form of annuity, but should be interest-bearing. Once I have details of these accounts, I shall arrange for separate deposits to be placed into them. The individuals will manage their own accounts directly with you, probably through the Internet, and neither Mr. Hood nor I shall have any further part to play in their management or day-to-day running. Although the accounts will obviously be held in Swiss francs, it will be necessary for you to arrange draw-down facilities in other currencies, probably South African Rand, through either the Nedbank or the First National Bank in South Africa, or through Barclays or the Standard Chartered Bank.”
“All that can be arranged, of course,” replied the manager, “although I fear I shall need more information about these three gentlemen before I can open accounts in their names.”
“They should be numbered accounts, rather than named,” responded Marian. “But I anticipated that you would need the maximum possible detail about these people, so perhaps this will help.”
She handed over a third envelope, which contained copies of birth certificates, passports, utility bills, driving licences and ID cards in respect of Bwonqa Mbele and both Will Bartlett and his father.
Monsieur Gilbert thumbed through the contents, which had been counter-signed as authentic copies by Captain Jesus Conteh of the Zimbabwean Police, based in Bulawayo.
“You seem to have thought of everything,” commented M. Gilbert. “The authentication by Captain Conteh is particularly useful to me, in view of the strict Swiss laws about money laundering.”
“We had hoped so,” said Marian.
“I foresee no difficulty in meeting your wishes in relation to these three gentlemen,” promised Monsieur Gilbert, “although once again I fear I shall need to seek the approval of my board before finally giving you confirmation.”
“I anticipated that,” replied Marian.
“If you are still at the Royal Plaza, I shall contact you there by phone when I have established these three accounts. I hope also to be able to deliver to you there a letter confirming everything we have discussed this morning, although I hope you will tell me immediately if I have misunderstood any part of your instructions.”
“I am glad you are able to work so speedily,” said Marian, “as I shall probably be leaving Montreux for London in the next couple of days.”
“I shall do my best to finalise matters before you leave,” promised M. Gilbert. “I would suggest that once we have all these accounts and annuities in operation, you may like a monthly statement from us?”
“That would be useful,” confirmed Marian, “although by that stage we may well have signed over the day-to-day management of the accounts to Justice for Farmers, as you suggested.”
“I believe that would be sensible,” Gilbert nodded.
He looked at the gold watch that he removed from his waistcoat pocket.
“If there is no further business for us to discuss, madam, I wonder if you would care to join me for lunch? There is an excellent restaurant nearby, and it would be a great pleasure to have your company,” said Gilbert, thinking that it might also give him the chance to discover more about this mysterious, but very lucrative account that had come his way.
Marian looked at her new watch, recently bought by Robin on their trip to Geneva.
“That is very kind of you, Monsieur, and a very tempting offer, but I fear I really must get away. I have a busy schedule, and need to get into Geneva quite soon,” she said on the spur of the moment.
She hadn’t really thought what she would do this afternoon, but going to Geneva sounded a good idea and a good excuse. She would go shopping.
She went back to the hotel to change, and rang Oxford to see if Robin had arrived yet. He hadn’t, but Valya said she would make sure he rang her as soon as he got there. She walked back up the hill to the station, and soon caught a train into Geneva.
***
Grudge and Valya were busy on the computers when Robin arrived at the flat after his coach trip from Heathrow, to be greeted excitedly. Everyone started talking at once.
“The first thing to tell you,” said Valya, “is that your Marian has been on the phone to see if you had arrived safely. I said I’d get you to ring her as soon as you got here.”
“I’ll do that,” said Robin. “But what else is going on - she’s bound to ask?”
“Well,” said Grudge, “I’ve managed to work out what I think will be an equitable settlement for all my colleagues, based on their experience and the contribution they made to our American project. Since we don’t know how much we shall be able to recover, I’ve noted it in percentage terms as well as in cash terms, so that if we don’t raise the desired total sum, we shall know how much to provide each of them from what we do manage to raise.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” agree Robin. “I’ll take the list to the bank in Montreux when I get back there.”
“And when will that be?” asked Valya.
“Hopefully, I shall be able to get the evening flight to Geneva tomorrow - I booked a seat on it before I left Heathrow, in case I can get away, but I really want to know how we are getting on with the revised operating system before I finally decide.”
“I really need to talk to you about that,” said Grudge. “I think I’ve made good progress so far, but I’m almost coming to the conclusion that it would be better to produce a complete new system rather than patch up the one we have been able to compromise.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Robin.
“Well, the fact is,” explained Sergei Volkov, “that it was almost too easy for us to breach the system which we had produced in America. I now believe that the system my colleagues and I developed was basically flawed, and that we will now be able to develop a much more robust system for the world’s banks to use.”
“That’s very interesting!” exclaimed Robin Hood. “You mean that rather than patch up the existing system, which we can demonstrate can be compromised because we’ve done it, we offer them a complete replacement?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” agreed Grudge.
“It would certainly be vastly more profitable to us,” chipped in Valya.
“Yes, I suppose it would,” said Robin, thoughtfully.
“What I would like to do,” said Grudge to Robin, “is take you through what I have done so far, explaining the algorithms I’ve used and so on, and then perhaps you will see how I am thinking about future work.”
“Let’s do that now, if you’re free,” agreed Robin. “But what about the timescale involved? How much longer do you think it will take us to perfect an entirely new system, rather than patch up the old one?”
“If you can join me full time,” replied Grudge, “probably not that much longer. Much of the work has already been done, and much of the old system can be adapted. Having identified the flaws in the old system, it will not be difficult for us to get round them and to re-package the operating system as a new development. But you will see, my friend, as we work through what I have done so far.”
“I certainly can join you full-time on the project,” said Robin. “Indeed, I very much want to. Once I have been to the banks in Montreux again, most of my dealing with them can be done over the Internet. So, within, say, three days, I should be able to settle back here with you.”
Robin paused.
“In fact,” he said, “if I can get the first plane tomorrow instead of the last, I could save a day. Then you could brief me and we could get straight on with working together.”
“That’s a good idea,” agreed Grudge.
“It’s such a nuisance that I have to deliver your list personally, but I really don’t want to risk sending it over the Internet. I never feel it’s secure enough,” said Robin, with a laugh. “I’ll ring the airline now.”
“And then,” chided Valya, “you must phone Marian, and I will get something for our supper.”
Having managed to rebook his flight, Robin got hold of Marian immediately, and gave her all the news. As he suspected, she wanted to hear what had been going on, as well as needing to know that he had arrived safely in Oxford.
“I had my meeting with Monsieur Gilbert this morning,” she told him, “just before lunch, so he now has the list from Africa. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you, but everything seems to be OK.”
“Good,” said Robin. “I’m coming back sooner than I planned, I’m pleased to say. I’ve booked on the first flight to Geneva tomorrow morning,” he told her, “and I shall have with me the details I wanted from Grudge.”
“That’s great news. I’ve missed you terribly! Shall I arrange a meeting for you with Monsieur Renoir?” asked Marian.
“That would be helpful, if you could,” replied Robin, “about lunchtime, if that’s possible. Then we can catch the evening flight home. Could you try to book us seats on it?”
“I’ll do that now. Perhaps then we can settle for a few days in Oxford,” she pleaded. “I’m in Geneva at the moment - I had to get away from M. Gilbert’s offer of lunch, so business here seemed a good excuse! Now I have something to do as well as shopping, so I don’t feel so bad about my little fib!”
“Don’t bother coming out to the airport to meet me tomorrow,” said Robin. “I’ll see you at the Plaza, about mid-morning.”
“OK,” she said. “All news then. I can’t wait!”
“I’m hoping to move money tonight, by the way,” said Robin.
“I’ll let you know if I hear any reaction,” said Marian.
***
She did.
Quite soon after breakfast, she was asked to go to reception, where a gentleman was waiting to see her. It was M. Gilbert.
“Rather than ring you to confirm that the three additional accounts we discussed have been authorised and opened,” he said, “I thought I would call to tell you, so that I may also give you my record of yesterday’s meeting.”
He handed her an envelope.
“Please let me know if this does not accord with your recollection of our discussion,” he said.
“Thank you,” she replied. “It’s most kind of you to call, especially as Mr. Hood will be here later this morning, and we shall both be leaving again for London this evening. We shall be able to let you have our comments before we leave, I hope.”
“I notice that another very large deposit was made into this account overnight, as I am sure you are aware, although we have yet to confirm its source,” Monsieur Gilbert announced.
“There will be others,” said Marian sagely, ignoring his unasked question about the source of the deposit.
M. Gilbert cursed silently. He had hoped to elicit from Marian how such huge sums of money could be deposited, apparently from nowhere. He dared not pursue the matter, though, for fear of giving the lady the impression that the bank was not as efficient is it should be. But it was an extraordinary phenomena, the like of which he had never before experienced in all his years working for one of the finest and most secure of all the Swiss banks.
“If I can do anything more for either of you before you leave,” offered M. Gilbert, “please do not hesitate to get in touch.”
They shook hands solemnly, and parted good friends.
Across town, M. Renoir was also being told of a hefty cash deposit into Mr. Hood’s account.
“Where from?” he demanded.
“Yet to be determined,” replied his harassed accounts clerk.
“I suppose it’s real money, is it?” asked M. Renoir.
“Oh, yes, it’s OK,” replied the clerk. “It came through the clearing system, all right, but if I wanted to acknowledge its receipt, I wouldn’t be able to at the moment.”
“Tell security,” ordered the new business manager. “Mr. Hood is calling in to see me later, so I’ll see what I can find out - discreetly, of course.”
“Of course,” agreed the accounts clerk.
Robin Hood’s flight arrived at Geneva on time, and he was waiting for his train to Montreux when his father rang.
“I thought you should know right away,” he told Robin, “that Aunt Gladys has taken a turn for the worse. I’ve moved her into the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnham.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Robin. “What’s the prognosis?”
“Not good,” replied his father. “She’s probably only got about another three weeks or so, but on the other hand, it could be three months - you just never know.”
“In that case,” suggested Robin, “I suppose I should clear that money out of her account, and return it all to where I got it from in the first place.”
“That might be an idea,” replied his father. “It could save complications later, although what the bank will make of it, goodness knows!”
“Have you heard anything more from them?”
“Only a sort of courtesy call yesterday, to say they still hadn’t traced the missing million,” replied Robin’s father. “I told them their security system was rubbish, and that they should get in sorted. They weren’t amused!”
“OK - I’ll think about moving it all back to normal in the next day or so,” promised Robin. “That will really stir things, and it might be a good time to start suggesting a revised operating system for all of them. Gladys’s bank isn’t the only one at the moment having security problems of that sort!”
“How is the new development coming along?” Robin’s father enquired.
“Quite well, as a matter of fact,” replied Robin. “Marian and I will be back in Oxford tonight, I hope, and we then plan to stay put for a bit, if we can, to speed up the work.”
“Where are you now, as a matter of interest?”
“Geneva airport, and I must dash, my Montreux train’s just coming in. Give my love to Mum, and Gladys of course. I’ll keep in touch.”
Robin arrived at the Royal Plaza shortly after M. Gilbert had left. Marian was waiting for him in reception, and quickly briefed him on her visit to the bank.
“He’s opened the three special accounts you wanted,” she told her partner, “and has given me a letter confirming all the arrangements we asked him to make - it looks OK to me. You’ve only just missed him.”
They fell about laughing when Marian told Robin that M. Gilbert called her Lady FitzWalter.
“You really mustn’t do that again,” she told him. “I shall never know how I didn’t have a fit of the giggles!”
“I’ll put some money into those three accounts later - they can sit dormant for a while. There’s already quite a lot of cash moving about, and Jim hasn’t really started work yet on the African side of the operation,” explained Robin. “But it was a fortunate coincidence that the US Corporation and one of the Presid