48 Hours - A City of London Thriller (39 page)

“
What are you suggesting?” Coombes asked.

“
Well, we could reach some kind of agreement, to save
ourselves and the courts a lot of inconvenience. Perhaps his
Lordship might plead guilty to a lesser charge, and the CPS could
be persuaded that my client was emotionally disturbed when he acted
as he did, trying to recover money he believed he had been entitled
to. We could then look at a suspended sentence, perhaps some
probation, and keep the whole thing off the front pages of the
tabloids.”

Coombes and Boniface whispered to one another as if
considering the offer, and Hickstead smiled. Boniface looked at
them and spoke.

“
We would have to consult with the two alleged victims, to ask
them if they could accept these terms because, although it isn’t
necessary, we don’t want any action taken against the
police.”

“
Unusual but entirely understandable,” Parsons replied
reasonably.

“
As a matter of fact, they are in the building at this very
moment. Perhaps we could bring them in?”

“
Absolutely not!” Parsons spluttered. “That is a disgraceful
suggestion. You are suggesting exposing my client to his accusers,
who will naturally assume his guilt!”

“
Oh, quiet down, Alan,” Lord Hickstead said. “I think I’m man
enough to face my accusers. I’ve been facing up to my opponents
since I was twelve. I say let them in, and we can see what they
have to say.” His smile was wider now.

Alan Parsons strongly advised his client against it, but he
was silenced by His Lordship.

***

I had never before seen Lord Hickstead in person, and when I
did it was not a pleasant experience. Despite his despicable
actions, and the pain he had inflicted on everyone, he sat smirking
beside his lawyer. Don Fisher was standing next to me, the very
model of restraint. I knew that Don would happily have squeezed the
life out of the peer, given the chance.

As rehearsed, the two policemen explained to us what a deal
meant and how it would be final. They concluded by saying that they
would proceed on all charges unless we said otherwise.

I was the first to speak, and although I was addressing the
policemen I was looking straight into Hickstead’s eyes. The man was
brimming with confidence.

“
Inspector, I have listened carefully to what you have
suggested, and it is my view that we should....” I hesitated. “We
should proceed on all charges, and seek the maximum penalty the
court could impose.”

Alan Parsons leaned over to Hickstead, whose face was now
blank, and whispered none too quietly.

“
Bloody hell, Arthur, I could see this coming a mile off. Why
couldn’t you? Why on earth would they agree?”

Don Fisher stepped forward. Looking at Hickstead, he said,
“Inspector, I agree with Mr Hammond. Criminals should have to face
the full consequences of their actions, especially when they are
scum eating bottom feeders.”

“
Inspector, really!” Parsons protested. “Get these men out of
the room at once.” We started to leave, and HIckstead stood up from
his chair, veins bulging on his neck and forehead.

“
You realise what this means,” he yelled angrily in our
direction. We continued walking and closed the door behind
us.

***

“
What does it mean, Lord Hickstead?” Boniface asked. Parsons
looked bemused, as if everyone in the room was in on a joke except
him.

“
Figure of speech, that’s all,” Hickstead replied in a surly
tone.

“
One of the reasons we had such a busy weekend is that
Lavender Fisher and Delia Conrad, Mr Hammond’s girlfriend, were
kidnapped on Saturday.” Boniface looked at Hickstead, who
maintained his poker face.

“
You can’t seriously be suggesting that my client is in any
way involved in that kidnapping? It’s simply absurd!” He said the
words, but Boniface could see fear in the lawyer’s eyes.

“
We don’t make any accusations, Alan, but if you watch this
perhaps you could tell me what we are meant to think.” He clicked
the remote control and they all turned to watch the
monitor.

A masked man appeared on the screen, threatening that the
hostages would die unless an agreement was reached with Lord
Hickstead by this evening. The camera then showed Lavender and Dee
chained to the table. Boniface switched it off.

“
My God!” Alan Parsons blurted out, but Hickstead remained
resolute.

“
I need some time with my client,” the lawyer said. “I want
all cameras and sound off. Understood?”

“
Of course,” Coombes agreed reasonably.

***

“
Arthur, what have you got yourself involved in?” Parsons
demanded, clearly flustered.

“
One of my less straitlaced friends may have become a little,
shall we say, overenthusiastic in an effort to protect me. But you
heard the threat the same as I did; unless there is an agreement,
the women die. I suggest we concentrate on reaching an agreement so
that these young women can be returned safely to their families.”
Lord Hickstead did not look at his lawyer once during the
exchange.

“
Arthur, I don’t see how we can expect an agreement when the
people involved are insistent that you be prosecuted to the
fullness of the law.”

This time Hickstead looked into the eyes of his lawyer as he
spoke. There was menace in his voice, and his face was
unreadable.

“
Alan, that is a negotiating position. We hold fast and call
their bluff. They will come around. We’ve only just started, and
you want to throw the towel in already.”

“
That video clip is extraordinarily prejudicial,” Parsons
pointed out. “That could send you to prison for life if it was
played to a jury.”

“
It never will be, Alan, trust me. It will be part of the
bargaining that will result in an agreement, and which will free
the two women.”

“
And if we don’t get an agreement, Arthur, what
then?”

“
Then I expect the women will die. That is what the video
said. After all, I have no control over those men.”

Parsons stared at him wide eyed. “That is a blatant lie! How
would they find out we’d got a deal, unless you tell them? You must
be able to contact them.” The lawyer sat back, waiting for the peer
to concede the point.

“
At last, Alan, you’re earning your fee. You asked a question
I hadn’t considered. I think I must say that I have been told to
send an email to an anonymous email address. That sounds plausible.
At least plausible enough to get across to those two morons that
their loved ones might die just so they can have the satisfaction
of seeing me being sent to an open prison for a couple of years.
We’ve wasted enough time. Get them back in.”

Alan Parsons sighed. He was beginning to wonder whether
absolutely everyone deserved the best defence they could
get.

***

The video in our room clicked back on. The client conference
had obviously concluded. The two policemen followed the protocols
again, naming the room occupants and stating the time.

Alan Parsons then spoke up. “Lord Hickstead denies any
involvement in the kidnapping. He was unaware of the abduction
until he saw that clip of video. He does acknowledge, however, that
there is a possibility that a misguided friend may have acted in
what they thought was his best interests. Now, having expressed his
outrage at what has been done in his name, he is even more eager to
reach a deal so that the women can be returned safely.”

“
Thank you, Mr Parsons,” Boniface replied. “If that turned out
to be true, then it would be very public spirited of his Lordship
to accept punishment just to save the life of two women he does not
know. Albeit he has been in possession of some extremely explicit
and unpleasant pictures of one of them.” He paused before turning
his gaze to Hickstead. “But, of course, everyone sitting around
this table knows that this is all crap. Your client is up to his
neck in blackmail, kidnapping and armed robbery. He may even be
responsible for one or more deaths. How am I going to persuade the
CPS to go for any sort of deal in those circumstances?”

Hickstead smiled nastily. “Because we have a common goal. I
want a deal, and you want the hostages back. This is a win-win
scenario. If the deal doesn’t happen, it becomes a lose-lose
scenario, where two women die unnecessarily and I take my chances
with a jury.”

Coombes stepped in, for the first time playing the good cop.
“Lord Hickstead, you may have crossed some lines but I cannot
believe that you would let two women die just because you had to
face a trial for a blackmail plot that you yourself
hatched.”

“
Just watch me!” Hickstead snapped.

“
Arthur, be quiet! Let me do the talking,” Parsons advised him
quickly. “This isn’t helping your cause one iota.” Hickstead fell
silent, and the lawyer sighed.

“
Might we have some drinks brought in? It might cool things
down a little.”

“
Of course. I’ll see to it.” Boniface excused himself, and the
tape was stopped. A minute later he was in our room, with an
audacious plan that he had cooked up with DCI Coombes during the
break. He told us what he had in mind.

“
Is that legal? Are you allowed to do that? It seems rather
underhand,” I said.

“
It’s borderline, but hey, when DCI Coombes joined the force
they were still slapping suspects with wet towels.” Boniface
smiled. “Timing is everything, remember.” The plan was already
underway.

***

Coombes was chatting amiably to Alan Parsons, recalling
previous cases where they had faced one another. Boniface entered,
and set down a tray of soft drinks and chilled water, both still
and sparkling. There were also the ubiquitous biscuits that were so
common in meetings. The chocolate ones and the cream filled ones
would be consumed, but the Rich Tea would be passed over for the
next meeting to ignore, as usual.

I looked at my watch. Any second now, I thought, and a moment
later there was a tap on the interview room door.

“
Enter,” Boniface shouted, without looking up.

A young girl entered the room. She was smartly attired in a
modest burgundy dress, trimmed with lace. She was wearing black
tights and was wearing smart black shoes with a low heel. Her hair
was tied back to show that her face was lightly made up.

I watched as Hickstead dropped his glass, spilling water over
himself and his lawyer.

“
Oops,” said the girl. “I’ll see if I can get a cloth for
that. Dad said you might need these papers, Inspector.”

Boniface took the papers from her with a smile. “Thank you,
Lavender. Don’t worry about the cloth, though. I have a fresh
handkerchief here. Close the door on the way out,
please.”

***

Alan Parsons railed at the two detectives for a full five
minutes as Hickstead sat looking blankly at the table. He looked
rather like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

“
Right, Alan. Your complaints have been registered on the
tape. Now, would you like to hear what kept us busy the rest of the
weekend?”

“
Go on,” the lawyer said wearily, knowing that nothing good
was to come from this summation.

Boniface explained the Europol operation and the part that the
Holloway family had played in the events. He explained that Van
Aart had been persuaded to become a prosecution witness to reduce
his own jail time, and that Van Aart had met with his Lordship in
Amsterdam.

He explained how an innocent woman lay in a hospital bed with
two bullet wounds, and five men lay dead in a morgue because
Hickstead wouldn’t face up to his crimes and tried to cover them up
by conspiring to commit even more serious crimes.

Hickstead and his lawyer were then shown a statement from a
man called Johnny, who said that the Holloways had been assisting
Van Aart’s men to recover a holdall and a painting from Lord
Hickstead’s safety deposit box at Citysafe. Johnny confessed to
kidnapping Lavender in order to give Lord Hickstead leverage over
Don Fisher, and he related the story of Dee Conrad’s trials at the
hands of the Dutch criminals.

By the time Boniface concluded with the facts that Lord
Hickstead’s fingerprints were found on the holdall and the
painting, Parsons had already given up hope of keeping his client
out of prison for the rest of his days.

***

“
You are joking, surely, Commissioner!” DCI Coombes was back
at his livid best. “This man has been charged with blackmail,
conspiracy to commit armed robbery and conspiracy to kidnap two
women. A banker, a philanthropist, an accountant and five other men
lie dead because of his direct and indirect actions.”

“
Coombes, please remember where you are,” the Commissioner
said by way of warning.

“
Well, obviously I’ve strayed into some banana republic where
politicians can do what the hell they like and just walk away!”
Coombes spluttered. Boniface grabbed his arm and looked into the
DCI’s face.