Page 105 of Traitors Gate

‘Baker Street!’ said Rebecca, still staring at a map of the Circle line.

‘What about Baker Street?’ asked the Hawk.

‘It’s nine stops on the Circle line and would have taken them about twenty minutes.’

‘Hidden in plain sight,’ said the Hawk. He picked up his phone and started to dial.

CHAPTER 27

‘NORTHCLIFFEHOUSE,’ SAID A CHEERFULvoice. ‘How may I help you?’

‘I’d like to speak to the editor of theDaily Mail.’

‘Who shall I say is calling?’

‘Booth Watson QC.’ He emphasized the QC.

‘Hold please. I’ll try his line.’

Booth Watson glanced down at his yellow pad and checked his script while he waited, and waited, and waited …

‘Good afternoon, Mr Booth Watson, Paul Dacre. How can I help?’

‘Good afternoon, Mr Dacre. I have an exclusive for you, but before I tell you the details, I need to be sure it will never be traced back to me.’

‘That goes without saying,’ replied Dacre.

‘This morning at the State Opening of Parliament …’

• • •

‘Colonel Blood was a notorious seventeenth-century scoundrel and the only person who’s ever attempted to steal the Crown Jewels.’

‘But he failed,’ said Artemisia, loud enough for everyone to hear.

‘However,’ continued the tour guide, ‘he might have succeeded if the jewel keeper’s son, a soldier on leave from fighting in Flanders, hadn’t arrived back …’

‘Just in time,’ said Peter as Ross’s mobile phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

‘… at the same time as the robbery was taking place.’

Ross checked the number on the screen and realized he had no choice but to answer it.

‘… While Blood was running out of the Jewel House with the crown under his cloak …’ Ross let go of Jojo’s hand and turned away ‘… Talbot Edwards, a captain of the Guard, was walking towards the Martin Tower when he heard the words—’

‘Stop, thief!’ said Artemisia.

‘Stop, thief!’ repeated Peter.

Ross touched the green button and said, ‘Sir.’

‘Now listen, Inspector,’ said the Hawk, ‘and listen carefully, because you’re no longer on leave.’

• • •

‘Right,’ said the Hawk after he’d put the phone down. ‘We’re only going to get one chance so we can’t afford any more cock-ups. William, I want you to go straight to the Tower and brief the Governor. Warn him that the editor of theMailis likely to phone him at any moment. Advise him not to take the call under any circumstances, but of course thedecision is his. However, don’t under any circumstances tell him what we’re up to, the less he knows the better. Meanwhile, Paul, Jackie and Rebecca will join Ross as quickly as possible. You’ll find him standing outside Baker Street tube station next to the statue of Sherlock Holmes. And be sure to take that with you,’ he added, pointing at the false crown. ‘By the time you get downstairs, I’ll have a squad car waiting for you. Paul, the moment you arrive, make sure you hand over the crown to Inspector Hogan and follow his instructions.’

Paul leant forward, picked up the crown and placed it back in its box while Jackie held open the Tower of London bag so he could lower it carefully inside. Rebecca was the first to leave the room and was repeatedly jabbing the lift button as Paul and Jackie followed her out of the commander’s office.

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