Chapter 25
Tuesday, April 27th. 9:14 am.
After a not very restful night, they got up and breakfasted as usual. Mostly in silence.
Then, after travelling to the shop in separate cars, Nicole knowing she would need to go and see Alf as soon as it was convenient. There was no way she could afford to be limited to using Hartley’s BMW.
Tuesday was always an unpredictable day.
One week they could be rushed off their feet, and the next dead.
Today was a bit more on the steady side.
And because of the unpredictability Hartley had only got Becky working, he’d given Victoria the day off. He’d no intention of paying two wages, if they were having a quiet day.
As well as taking every Sunday off, they each had another day off during the week, one of their own choosing. Both being married with children, they would sometimes prefer a different days off each week, depending on what was going on with their families. It seemed to work well for everyone. So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Nicole had deliberately set her mobile to silent vibrate. The last thing she wanted was for Hartley to hear it going off when Alf decided to ring. Which was going to happen sooner or later.
It had just turned 11:30 when she felt her phone start to vibrate. It wasn’t constant which indicated that she’d received a text message rather than a phone call.
‘I’m just nipping to the loo.’ she whispered to Hartley, who was busy going through some invoices.
As soon as she’d locked herself in the cubicle Nicole glanced at the message.
‘Ring me.’
Knowing that it wasn’t a good idea to make a call where she was, just in case Becky needed to use the bathroom whilst she was in conversation, she decided to return a text.
‘A bit inconvenient at the moment, but I’ll ring as soon as I get the chance.’
After flushing the toilet to make it sound like it had been used, then, as she was about to leave, her phone pinged again.
‘Chan Lee’s been in touch, and he needs to get the deal sorted quickly. He says that he’s had an offer for the gem that he can’t refuse, but the deal has to be done before Friday, otherwise the offer will be withdrawn. This means he has to have the Appleford in his hand on Thursday at the latest. So we need to get a move on.’
‘I’ll get back to you soon.’ she text back.
Tuesday, April 27th. 12:45pm.
‘What time is Becky going for lunch?’ Nicole asked.
‘Probably at one. Why?’ Hartley replied.
‘I need to go out later. If that’s OK.’ She was attempting to seem accommodating, but he wasn’t buying into her deceptions.
‘Who is it today? Eve, Beth, or is it somebody I’ve never even heard of yet?’
‘No need for sarcasm. I just want to nip out for a couple of hours. Is there a problem with that?’ She wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation. She needed to go and see Alf. And that was that.
‘Just wait until Becky comes back,’ Hartley replied, ‘and then you can shoot of.’
‘Will you be coming back here?’ he continued. ‘Or will you be going straight back home, once you’re done with whoever?’
‘Not sure.’ said Nicole. ‘It all depends on whether or not Beth’s managed to sort her problems out. They’re serious issues, and rather personal, that’s why I can’t tell you what they are.’
‘At least I know who it is. Thanks for that.’ Hartley grinned. ‘But I’m not really interested in other people’s troubles; I’ve got enough of my own.’
‘Why, what troubles have you got?’ she said defensively, ‘you’ve got everything you want, and more besides.’
‘No,’ he replied flippantly, ‘what I’ve got is a wife who disappears on a regular basis, and I’ve no idea from one hour to the next, when I’ll see her again.’
‘I’m off for lunch.’ said Becky as she popped her head through the opening in the office door.
‘Thanks,’ said Hartley, ‘see you later.’
‘You alright taking care of the shop for an hour?’ he glanced over at Nicole.
‘Of course I am.’ she replied as she headed through into the sales area, without any further comment.
During Becky’s absence Hartley stayed in the office with his paperwork. It was probably his best option. If they were in the same room together, there could well be another confrontation. And neither of them was in the mood for that.
Tuesday, April 27th. 2:10pm.
On Becky’s return Nicole couldn’t wait to get away. All she wanted was to discover how and when they were going to get this deal sorted.
After letting her husband know that she was leaving, Nicole headed straight to the house where Alf was hiding out. But not before calling at the off-licence and picking up a four pack of Fosters. With the way things were developing she thought that Alf might benefit from a few cans of lager.
She let herself in.
‘Alf?’ Nicole shouted.
‘In here.’ his voice clearly coming from the kitchen.
Alf was sitting at the table nursing what looked like a cold cup of coffee.
‘Here, I think these might be a bit tastier.’
‘Bloody hell, not half.’
He unclipped a can from the plastic ring binder, and without even offering Nicole one, walked over and put the rest in the fridge.
‘Have you heard anything more from Chan Lee?’ she queried.
‘Have I just.’ he replied as he gulped his first mouthful down, and carried on slurping. It didn’t touch the sides.
‘That sounds ominous.’
It was like he’d never had a can of lager for years. He’d drunk at least two thirds of the can before answering.
‘He rang again not long after we’d been texting, and he says that if the diamond is not in his hands by tomorrow night, he’s coming for it.’
‘How can he do that when he doesn’t know where you are?’
‘That’s what I said, and he replied that he has ways and means that we know nothing about.’
‘He’s bluffing.’ Nicole replied with a very unconvincing half laugh.
‘I very much doubt that.’ said Alf. ‘He’s seen the wanted poster in the Post Office, and said that if I didn’t do exactly as he says, then I’d be better off giving myself up to the Police. Because if he gets hold of me first, he’ll make me suffer. And my life won’t be worth living. A life sentence would be a much better option. Less painful.’
‘We don’t have any option but comply with his request,’ said Nicole, ‘and sell him the Appleford as soon as possible. But come on, that’s exactly what we want anyway.’
‘I’m glad you see it that way.’ Alf sighed.
‘I’ll get in touch with Benny.’ she continued, ‘Because the way I see it, you are as good as dead or banged up if you show your face outside and things start to go tits up. So it’s going to have to be me and Benny that meet up with Chan Lee and complete the transaction.’
Alf wasn’t exactly overjoyed with the way that Nicole was looking at the situation. ‘I hope you don’t think that you two are going to get hold of the Appleford. Sell it. And then make of with my share. Do you?’
‘Don’t be a daft bastard all your life,’ remarked Nicole sarcastically, ‘at least take one day off. Even if you were there, I could still do that. Which, just for the record, I won’t. You seem to be forgetting that the cash is being transferred into my account on Grand Cayman. So if I had a mind to, I could cut both you and Benny out, and keep it all to myself.’
‘If you try…’ Alf started to respond angrily, but Nicole interrupted.
‘Oh Alf, shut the fuck up. I’ve just told you that I won’t be doing anything like that. All I want to do is exactly the same as you. We need to get this deal done. So how are we going to do it?’
Alf’s face changed from anger to a reluctant acceptance of the situation. He either went along with what Chan Lee, Nicole and Benny decided, or he would definitely be up shit creek without the proverbial paddle.
‘Right then.’ he said. ‘I suppose using Benny is our only option.’
There was a moments silence as the two of them thought things through.
‘You and Benny have to go the AMT coffee shop in Euston Station tomorrow morning, and meet Chan Lee. Take your laptop. He will transfer the twenty million pounds into your account. Once it’s cleared you give him the gem.’
‘So you’re going to trust me with the Appleford then?’ she smiled.
‘I don’t have any fuckin’ choice. Do I?’
‘Come on. You don’t seriously think I’d double-cross you, do you? Especially the way we are with each other, and after the number of times you’ve shagged me, and the way I keep asking for more. Don’t forget, I’m married to Hartley, and he doesn’t do it for me, the way that you do.’
‘OK. Maybe not.’
‘Right then,’ said a thoughtful Nicole, ‘I’ll get in touch with Benny and explain the situation. You get hold of Chan Lee and make the arrangements for sometime tomorrow morning. And as soon as were done, I think it would be best for all of us if you disappeared for a while.’
‘And where the fuck am I supposed to go?’ Alf replied. ‘My face is more than likely plastered in every Post Office in the country by now.’
‘Don’t worry,’ she said, ‘we’ll sort something out. Let’s just get Chan Lee off your back first, and get hold of the cash. Then we’ll see about getting you to a safe house.’
Alf understandably wasn’t a very happy man, when Nicole remarked.
‘Have you got the Appleford? So that I can let Chan Lee have it, the minute the cash has been transferred?’
‘I don’t like this.’ he replied. ‘I give you the gem. The money gets put into your offshore account. You and Benny do a runner. I’m fucked.’
‘I told you earlier, stop being a daft bastard.’ remarked Nicole. ‘Do you really think that Benny will leave his wife and kids and run off with me? I - don’t - think - so. And do you think that I’m going to leave Hartley and the life I’ve already got, just for the sake of a few more millions. No - way.’
After a moments silence, Alf said.
‘That’s something which has always puzzled me. Why are you doing this, when you’re already a multimillionaire?’
‘Fun.’ she replied, ‘Just for the buzz.’
Alf sat there shaking his head and frowning.
‘Here I am doing it because there’s nothing else I can do to make both ends meet, and you’re doing it just for fun. There’s no justice.’
‘There will be if you get a tug,’ she laughed, ‘or Chan Lee doesn’t get that rock and he sends his thugs after you. Will that be enough justice for you?’ Nicole paused. ‘Oh yes, and don’t forget. It was you that roped me into this robbery in the first place, so you’ve only yourself to blame.’
A disgruntled Alf stood up and walked over to the kitchen cupboards. Opened one of the base unit doors, and lifted out a biscuit tin. Flipped the lid, and tipped out the Appleford rock, wrapped up in a protective cloth.
‘You’ve got a twenty million pound gem hidden in a fuckin’ biscuit tin. Is that where you kept it in that flat of yours?’
‘Why not. Would you look in there for a diamond worth millions?’
‘Probably not.’ she grinned at his audacity.