Page 92 of Traitors Gate

‘But I’m his wife.’

‘I know, ma’am, but them’s my orders.’

28 MINUTES

When Harris reached the front of the queue, he handed his passport to the flight attendant, who seemed to take forever checking the photograph; or was he overreacting?

‘Thank you, Mr Robinson,’ she said after scanning hisboarding pass. He wondered how long it would take him to get used to his new name.

He headed down the stairs and out onto the tarmac. Another flight attendant was standing at the top of the aircraft steps, checking passengers’ boarding passes. Was that normal?

22 MINUTES

Collins got off the tube at Westminster, made his way up the escalator and out of the station to see Mr Faulkner standing below Big Ben. He crossed the road and handed over the Tower of London carrier bag to his boss in a seamless relay without a word passing between them. He then began walking towards Knightsbridge, keeping only to side roads, on his way back to Cadogan Place. An escape route he’d honed to perfection during the past week.

21 MINUTES

Booth Watson sat behind his desk, attempting to read a brief while waiting for the phone to ring, expecting Miles to confirm he’d been arrested. Minutes seemed to take longer than sixty seconds as his third coffee went cold.

Even if Miles had succeeded in stealing the crown, he’d already warned him that if he was arrested, it would be almost impossible to get him out on bail.

‘I don’t want to get out on bail,’ Miles had explained, without explaining.

20 MINUTES

‘I’m grateful to you for agreeing to assist us with our inquiries, Lady Faber,’ said William as he sat down next to Jackie, ‘and am sorry you were held up at the gate.’

‘That turns out to be the least of my husband’s problems,’ the Governor’s wife responded.

‘May I begin by asking you when you left the Tower this morning?’

‘It must have been around twenty past eight,’ she replied. ‘I was driving the children to school as they have to be in assembly by eight forty-five.’

‘Did you know the password?’ asked Jackie.

‘Yes, my husband told me just before I left. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to return to the lodgings.’

‘Did you tell anyone else the password?’

‘Certainly not. But as I was leaving the Tower, the young woman on the entrance gate asked me if I knew it.’

‘And did you tell her?’

‘No I did not, but my youngest blurted out “Colonel Blood”,’ said Lady Faber. ‘I’m so sorry. I should never have …’

‘Don’t blame yourself, ma’am,’ said William. ‘I was given a dozen clues but chose to ignore every one of them even though they were staring me in the face.’

‘Do you know the name of the young woman, by any chance?’ asked Jackie.

‘Penny, but I don’t know her surname.’

William jumped up and headed for the door.

‘Is my husband going to lose his job?’ she asked, trying not to sound desperate.

‘If he does,’ said Jackie, ‘he’ll be joining a large club.’

18 MINUTES

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