Page 33 of Next in Line

‘And what is that question?’

‘When did you first realize that Mr Miles Faulkner was still alive?’

‘He’d bluff and prevaricate,’ said Sir Julian, ‘and claim he didn’t know until after Faulkner had been arrested, and he was as surprised as any of us.’

‘BW’s well capable of ditching Faulkner,’ said Grace, ‘if it means saving his own skin.’

‘But how will he explain what he was doing at Faulkner’s home outside Barcelona on the day he was arrested?’ asked Claire.

‘Representing the interests of his client, Mrs Faulkner, by making an inventory of her late husband’s possessions,’ suggested Sir Julian.

‘But what if the court requested to see Booth Watson’s diary as evidence?’ came back Clare.

‘You can be sure that BW keeps at least two diaries,’ said Sir Julian. ‘But if you’re so clever, perhaps you can tell mehow Booth Watson is going to get Faulkner to sign an agreement that ensures his client spends the next fourteen years in jail?’

‘That’s been puzzling both of us,’ admitted Clare. ‘I’d certainly like to be a fly on the wall when BW next visits Faulkner in prison.’

‘There’s another question that’s even more intriguing,’ said Grace. ‘Why does Booth Watson want Faulkner to spend the next fourteen years in jail?’

‘Because he knows where the bodies are buried, would be my guess,’ said Sir Julian.

‘The bodies?’

‘Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Manet, Picasso, Hockney …’

CHAPTER 13

BOOTHWATSON KNEW IT WOULDbe a question of careful timing if he hoped to pull it off. He’d have to keep one eye on the clock to make sure it was 10.56 before he made his move.

He entered the lawyer’s glass domain at one minute past ten, sat down opposite his client and smiled, before placing his Gladstone bag on the floor next to his chair.

‘Good morning, Miles. Shall we start with the good news?’ He bent down, took out the first contract and pushed it across the table for his client to consider. ‘I’m confident this agreement will ensure that Christina won’t cause you any trouble in future. But you should still go over it carefully, and don’t hesitate to query anything you’re not sure about.’

Faulkner put his glasses on and began to read the document line by line. The occasional nod or smile, while Booth Watson kept his eye on the clock. But he couldn’t make the minute hand move any faster.

When Faulkner turned to the last page, a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

‘I couldn’t have asked for much more,’ he said. ‘That’s assuming Lamont has been fully briefed on what’s expected of him when our toyboy reappears with the suitcases?’

‘The moment they’ve been handed over to Lamont, he’ll bring them straight to my chambers.’

‘What if Lamont decides not to show up? He could then live the rest of his life in luxury, while I’d have to spend a fortune trying to track him down.’

‘I already have a back-up following him to cover that eventuality.’

‘You can’t trust anyone nowadays,’ commented Miles. ‘Least of all a bent ex-copper with a history of backing losers, whether they’re nags or fillies.’ He quickly changed tack. ‘What about the more important contract, which will determine if I’ll get to enjoy the before life again?’

Booth Watson glanced at the clock on the wall: 10.25. He’d hoped there would be several more questions before he had to move on.

‘It’s important,’ he emphasized, replacing the first contract with another, ‘that you read this contract even more carefully, as the rest of your life depends on it.’

Faulkner looked at a document that had been typed up on Crown Prosecution headed paper, which Booth Watson had slipped into his bag during a visit to their offices on Petty France earlier in the week.

‘I can’t believe the CPS has agreed to such favourable terms,’ he said long before he reached the last page.

‘I allowed the director to read my opening speech to the jury,’ said Booth Watson. ‘It helped to concentrate his mind on the alternatives.’

‘You seem to have covered everything, BW,’ said Faulkner, checking the last paragraph once again.

---