Page 96 of Traitors Gate

‘Like what?’ replied Paul calmly. ‘Because if the crown hasn’t been returned to the Tower by this evening, I’ll spend the rest of my days making sure you and your criminal friends end up in jail for the rest of your lives.’

‘If the crown hasn’t been returned to the Tower by this evening,’ said Lamont, getting up from his chair, ‘I suspect you won’t even have the authority to issue a parking ticket. So I suggest you both bugger off.’

Paul didn’t budge as Lamont clenched a fist and began to walk slowly towards him. Suddenly the door opened and Lamont’s wife walked in carrying a tray of coffee and biscuits which she placed on the table between them.

‘Just in case either of you change your mind,’ she said, giving them both a warm smile.

7 MINUTES

‘Mr Collins?’ enquired William when the door was eventually opened, having travelled from the Tower to Knightsbridge in record time with the help of a police siren. Collins nodded. ‘My name is Chief Superintendent Warwick and this is my colleague, Sergeant Pankhurst.’

‘I know who you are,’ said Collins, just as it began to rain.

‘We’d like to have a private word with you, sir. May we come in?’

‘No, you may not,’ said Collins, ‘unless of course you have a search warrant?’

‘So you were expecting us,’ said William. This time Collins didn’t nod. ‘We simply wanted to know where you were this morning?’

‘I was polishing the silver, which I do every Tuesday morning.’

‘And where was Mr Faulkner at the time?’ asked Rebecca.

‘He had an appointment with his lawyer at the Old Bailey. Mr Booth Watson, as I’m sure you know.’

‘And after that?’ said William. ‘The Tower of London by any chance?’

‘No. I think you’ll find that after speaking to your father, he set off in the opposite direction. If I had to guess, he should have reached the Palace of Westminster by now. If you hurry, Chief Superintendent, you might just catch him.’

Before William could ask anything else, Collins slammed the door in his face.

‘I could always arrest him, sir,’ said Rebecca. ‘Take him down to the station and interview him on tape?’

‘A waste of time,’ said William, ‘because that’s exactly what he wants us to do. Faulkner’s thought this whole operation through to the last minute. I can even tell you where he is right now.’

‘Where?’ asked Rebecca, genuinely puzzled.

‘Standing outside the Sovereign’s Entrance to the House of Lords waiting for us.’

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Because I’m his intended victim. It was never about the crown. It was always about me.’ William took a mobile phone out of his pocket and dialled the Met’s main control room.

Rebecca was none the wiser.

6 MINUTES

A flight attendant pulled the heavy aircraft door closed, but Harris still didn’t feel in the clear.

‘The cabin crew will now demonstrate the safety measures on this aircraft,’ said the captain, ‘and I would ask all passengers to pay careful attention to the instructions, even if you are a frequent flyer.’

Harris didn’t pay attention but continued to stare out of the cabin window. Would a police car suddenly appear on the tarmac, race past them, order the plane to stop and return to its stand?

5 MINUTES

Miles stood outside the Sovereign’s Entrance of the House of Lords waiting impatiently. Every time a police car shot by, he was tempted to wave, but surely it couldn’t be much longer before they spotted him. After all, he was carrying a Tower of London shopping bag displaying a picture of the crown. What more could they want?

4 MINUTES