Chapter 20
Sunday, April 25th. 8:47 am.
‘Breakfast in bed is in order, don’t you think.’ said Nicole as she placed a tray on the bedside table, giving Hartley time to come round and sit himself up.
‘To what do I owe this honour?’ a tad surprised.
‘With what you’ve been through lately, and after having that bust up last night in the golf club, I just thought you might be in need of a bit of TLC.’
Hartley gently rubbed his eyes with his left hand, as he manoeuvred up into a more upright position, using his right.
‘How’s that.’ said Nicole as she placed the tray across his lap.
‘Two rashers of bacon, two eggs, two sausages, fried bread and a cup of coffee.’
‘What. No black pudding?’
‘Don’t start. Just be grateful you’ve got that.’ she remarked, wearing a grin.
‘I didn’t mean anything by that. I suppose I’m just a bit taken aback that you’ve gone to all this trouble. What are you after? Not more money is it.’
‘No need for that,’ she replied, ‘I was only trying to make you feel a bit better. After all, it’s not been easy for either of us.’
Realising he may have been a touch out of order, Hartley made his apologies, and got stuck into his breakfast.
Nicole left him to enjoy his treat, and made her way down to the kitchen.
She was just about to start doing the dishes and tidying round, when her mobile sounded.
She glanced over at it lying on the dining table, ‘Shit,’ muttered Nicole quietly as she looked at the caller display, ‘what’s he doing, ringing at this time.’
Having grabbed the phone, she slipped through the patio doors and into the garden, so as not to be overheard by her husband.
‘What do you want?’ she whispered, ‘don’t you realise it’s only ten past nine on a Sunday morning, and my husband’s at home.’
‘I needed to speak to you rather urgently.’
‘What can be so important that you take the chance of Hartley answering my phone?’
‘But he doesn’t walk round carrying your mobile, does he?’
‘No, but if I’m somewhere else in the house, or outside in the garden, and its just lying around, he’ll answer it.’
‘Oops,’ he replied, sarcastically, ‘I didn’t realise you were that stupid. Especially as you’re up to your neck in this fuckin’ robbery. I do hope you’ve not forgot that we, yes we, stole that diamond from your nearest and dearest.’
‘Ok, ok,’ she was feeling a little tetchy with his comments, which made her look like she’d been reprimanded, ‘what is it that you want, anyway.’
‘I managed to get hold of Chan Lee last night, and he’s come up with a possible solution to our problem.’
‘Go on.’
‘He recons that he can get hold of twenty million quid’s worth of smaller diamonds, which would easily fit into a briefcase. Then all we have to do is sort out an exchange.’
‘Fuck that?’ rebuffed Nicole.
‘Why?’ Alf replied. ‘All we’d have to do is sell the diamonds. And lets be honest, there’s nobody on the planet, in a better position to do that than you.’
‘Hang on a minute.’ Nicole didn’t sound at all happy.
‘What’s stopping him filling the briefcase with fake gemstones? You know – paste made to look like diamonds. He clears off with the Appleford and we’re lumbered with a case full of crap.’
‘Just a minute.’ Alf needed a moment to think. ‘You’re in the diamond trade. Surely you can tell the difference between real ones and fake. Can’t you?’
‘Oh yes,’ she replied, ‘I can tell the difference. But I’m not an appraiser. I can’t determine the value of the individual gems. It takes someone with Harley’s experience to do that.’
‘Shit.’ answered Alf. ‘Is there no one you can think of who could help us out.’ He paused, then continued. ‘What about one of Hartley’s colleagues. Surely with your usual persuasive methods, you could get one of his mates to do us a favour.’
‘To risky.’ she answered. ‘No you’ll have to try and persuade him to do a bank transfer. That’s the safest way.’
‘So you want me to ring him back then?’ said Alf.
‘Did you not mention the offshore possibility when you rang him the first time?’
‘No. He sounded that confident that the smaller diamond switch would work, I didn’t bother.’
‘Well yes, ring him back and make the suggestion. Then let me know what he says.’
They ended the call.
Nicole scurried back into the kitchen and started to do the dishes, and only just in time. No sooner had she washed up, which only consisted of a couple of side plates, two glasses, two cups and a few spoons. She was about to start drying, when Hartley walked in carrying his breakfast tray.
‘Thanks, that was great.’ he sounded pleasantly gratified. ‘I might let you do me breakfast in bed every Sunday morning, I could get used to it.’
‘I don’t think so,’ she replied, ‘that was a one off treat because of everything you’ve been through. But you never know. You could always do the same for me, next weekend.’
The rest of the day seemed to drag. Fortunately Hartley decided that as it was a pleasant sunny day, he might as well give the car a clean. He would usually take it to the car wash and pay them to do it, but whilst the weather was fine, he thought he’d give it a go; at least he’d be out in the fresh air.
However, Nicole’s thoughts were so preoccupied with how Chan Lee would take to the suggestion of a bank transfer.
Was the offer of smaller gems, simply a ploy to get hold of the Appleford without paying full price for it? With men like him anything and everything is possible. They had to be extremely careful. He couldn’t be trusted. Chan Lee would know every trick in the book, and plenty others that weren’t.
Sunday, April 25th. 7:15 pm.
Nicole’s mobile rang as she was sat in the lounge glancing through a copy of Cosmopolitan, and Hartley was watching some wildlife documentary. And almost without looking, she had a fair idea who the caller might be.
She looked at the caller display, and immediately knew that she was right in her assumptions. This meant she’d have to blagg her way through it, and surreptitiously make it sound that it was somebody else.
‘Hello Eve, how’s it going.’
Straight away Alf knew that there was somebody else with her, and it was going to be difficult for them to talk freely. So he cut straight to the chase, and didn’t mince his words.
As quietly as he could, he said.
‘I gave Chan Lee a ring, and he says that he’d be happy doing a bank transfer. But he was a bit suspicious, as to how a bloke like me could have an offshore account. Clearly I don’t come across as being a secret eccentric millionaire.’
As Alf was speaking, Nicole started walking out of the lounge and mouthed to Hartley that it was Eve. He just shook his head and carried on watching the television.
‘So what did you tell him.’
‘I said that it was an accomplice of mine who held the account.’
‘Did you tell him who I am?’
‘No way.’ Alf replied. ‘If he knew that you were a jeweller’s wife, it could cause all sorts of crap. He’d probably want to drop the price. No. The less he knows the better.’
‘So, when and where do we do the transfer? It’ll have to be in a public place, so that he doesn’t try and do a runner with the gem, before the money goes through.’
‘Just a thought,’ said Alf, ‘do you think he’ll twig who you are when he sees your name on the account. After all, I would imagine he’d know all the names of the jewellers in London, being in the game he’s in.’
‘Not a chance.’ she laughed. ‘Chan Lee might know about Grangers Jewellers, but he won’t have heard of Nicole Woodcock.’
‘Who’s she?’
‘It’s me you pillock. I use my married name on some accounts, and my maiden name on others. I don’t want my nearest and dearest knowing about all my ill-gotten gains, now do I?’
‘Right. Well I told him that I’d give him a ring tomorrow morning, once I’d spoken with you, and we can make all the arrangements then. So I’ll let you know all about it once its sorted.’
They ended the call.