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At seven thirty on Tuesday I phoned Carter. It sounded as if there was a meeting in progress in the background. ‘Chief Inspector, I’m sorry to call you so early, but you know how pressed I am. Please will you tell me how to contact Parsons, Sandra’s last husband. I don’t know him, but I know you’ve interviewed him. I think he might be sympathetic to my cause and, if he’s suspicious, can I tell him to call you for verification?’
Carter grunted and said someone would call me back with the details. In five minutes they did, and at eight, when Parsons was likely dipping soldiers into his boiled egg before catching the train, I phoned him. He agreed to meet me as soon as I could reach the City. Although he didn’t yet know what I wanted, he sounded pleased to help. With no Tina to feed or use as a sounding board for my troubles, I left straight away.
I loathe the Underground. I always feel like one of five hundred sheep crammed together on a truck on their way to the abattoir, but it is the quickest way to get around London. I bought Alan Parsons a coffee and a croissant in a café near St Paul’s Cathedral. I explained the situation in simple terms, telling him only as much as he needed to know, but he was cagey. ‘Look,’ I said, ‘I can understand that this appears to you like a bare faced con, but please phone Chief Inspector Carter, I believe you have his card, and he’ll confirm that my need is genuine and very urgent. And, because of the urgency, please tell me right now if you won’t help.’
He was a tall, heavy, well dressed man with thick, black framed glasses. He looked pleasant and honest but was obviously wary of me. ‘It’s not that I won’t help,’ he replied, ‘There’s nothing I would like to see more than that bitch given her just rewards. And I would do anything to help, as long as I’m able to be there in court and she can see me laughing as she’s taken down! Trouble is that she left me with so little that I really cannot help. When I came out of that divorce with nothing, I borrowed what I could to set myself up again. Friends helped and I’m eternally grateful to them. It’s funny actually. That time, which was most traumatic for me, has made me into a better person. Previously I would have told you to sort your own problems out, but now I can understand and empathise with your situation. I would really like to help you, but the trouble is that I’m still paying off my debts. Look, I earn good money, and I’ll be fine in a year, back on top, but now ... I have to honour my commitments first. Do you understand?’
‘Perfectly, Alan, and I respect that. It’s how I would handle it. Thanks for your time anyway, and when we get to court, I’ll be sure to let you know.’
‘If there’s anything else I can do, information, material assistance, anything except money, please ask.’
‘Actually, there is. Can you provide me with a private telephone for a lengthy international call? I have someone else that might well help, but he won’t be available until about twelve, our time. I’ll happily pay for the call, but I can’t use my mobile, it’s compromised.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘Of course, no problem there. Walk with me to my office so you know where to go, and then come back before twelve. There’ll be no need to pay, we use our lines on overseas calls all the time. Besides, I’m the boss,’ he laughed.
In spite of his support, I felt flattened. I still had not sourced the ransom, and it was half way through day two. If the next call didn’t produce results, then I’d be forced to go back to the bank.
––––––––
The phone rang and went on ringing while I fidgeted anxiously, willing him to pick it up. I was in an empty office with nothing around to distract me, not even a window. Eventually a breathless voice said, ‘Hola?’
‘Felipe, it’s me, Alastair.’
‘Alastair! Mi amigo, my friend, how you?’ The delight in his voice was so typical. It lifted my spirits immediately.
‘Felipe, have you time to talk? I have a very serious problem and I need help.’
‘Sure, no problem, talk.’
‘Felipe, first please understand that this has nothing to do with what you told me. There is no connection, and whether you help me or not, will not change what I promised. You owe me nothing.’ I went on to explain what had happened, giving more detail than necessary, but that didn’t matter. There would be no repercussions from Chile. I decided to ask for anything he could find up to the full amount.
‘Alastair, that is a lot of money. That is one and a half billion pesos!’
‘I know, but I’m desperate.’
‘My God! Okay, listen, you lucky, my uncle is staying in my house, we having a party tomorrow for my sister. Is her birthday. I ask him to talk to you, I get him now. Please wait.’ There was silence, then I heard voices in the background, getting closer.
Mario Montano greeted me warmly. I explained my problem over again while he listened in silence. Eventually he said, ‘Alastair, this is terrible. My deepest sympathy. I feel for you and your fiancée. Of course I will help. You have done so much for my company, and what are friends for? You can give your bank details to Felipe in a moment. When I have them I will instruct my bank in Singapore to transfer the funds to you, but it may take a day or two. Do not worry.’
‘Mario, I don’t have adequate words to express my thanks.’ Relief virtually drowned me, I was almost tearful with emotion. Giles would have lent me that sort of money without a question. Juliet didn’t have anything like a sum of that nature of course, but if she did, I knew she would lend it to me, even now in her present mood. Mario on the other hand, this man who really did not know me that well, not as Giles or Juliet did, was putting his trust in me because he believed I was a good person that needed help. I was touched, to put it mildly. ‘You will get the money back,’ I said.
‘I trust you, Alastair.’
I misunderstood him. ‘You will get your money back,’ I repeated, ‘I promise. If we recover the ransom, it’ll be quick, but if the money is lost, then I’ll sell my house and farm to repay you. In the meantime I’ll raise the balance, but all that will take a little while. What you are giving me now is time, time to secure Juliet’s release.’
‘It is not the money, Alastair. Money is only money, it comes and it goes. Sure, the amount you ask for is very big, but still it is only money. What I value most is trust, and if trust is broken then a man’s faith is destroyed. It is a great blow to the emotions, and then next time you want to trust another person it will be a little less, which is a great sadness for humankind.’
‘You can trust me, Mario, I promise. Whatever happens, I will repay you.’
‘Enough, my young friend. When are you coming back here?’
‘Just as soon as this is all over. I’m sorry it has got in the way of our programme, but you understand. I hope to bring Juliet with me, so she can thank you.’
‘I like that, I like it when pretty girls come to see me,’ he laughed and handed the phone back to Felipe.
‘Gracias Felipe, muchas gracias,’ I said before putting down the handset.
––––––––
On Thursday morning I checked my balance, but the money had not yet reached my account. With nothing sensible to do, I drove to Oxford to look at Giles. To my surprise they let me into his room, although a staff nurse came with me and stood back watching. Carter must have cleared it, which gave me a measure of confidence that at least the police were no longer seeing me as a risk to Giles’ life. He lay there, his head swathed in bandages with monitor leads from his chest to the screen behind him. He was breathing through a ventilator as a precaution, the nurse informed me, although he could probably do so without its assistance. His helplessness was quite depressing, and I felt a resurge of anger at Sandra and Wiggins.
The nurse was a middle aged, mousy haired woman in whose weary eyes all the trauma and sickness she had witnessed was reflected. Although she must have been toughened by the experience of trying so hard for all those she could not save in her years of caring, her compassion for those currently under her wing was not diminished. ‘It could be weeks before we see any improvement,’ she said.
I nodded, ‘Thank you for doing what you’ve done and what I know you’ll carry on doing.’ She gave me a tired smile as she ushered me out of the door.
The next morning I was on tenterhooks as to whether the money would arrive. It was not visible with an on-line check of my account, but maybe it was in the pipe somewhere. There was just twenty four hours before I should receive instructions as to where to leave the ransom, and if I didn’t have it ... what then? I phoned Smythe, the manager, to try and secure his cooperation. With that sum coming into my account, he should be a touch more cooperative than before.
Which he was, confirming that a transaction was imminent. I told him that I had to withdraw the sum in cash in used notes before close of business. He promised that he would personally see that the money was issued to me and would hold the bank open late in order to facilitate the withdrawal. Smythe was as good as his word, and I had the plain wrapped parcel of cash in my grasp by six o’clock that evening. I put it in a blue holdall I had taken with me and left the bank with a huge sense of relief. With the ease with which that had gone, it was obvious that Carter must have had a word with him, and therefore the delay might have been due to the notes being marked for future tracing.
My phone rang when I reached home. A heavily disguised voice asked if I had the money. ‘Yes,’ I grudgingly replied, ‘but I want to know that she’s alive before I hand it over.’
There was a short silence, then the same croaking voice snapped, ‘Say his name, quick.’
‘Alastair!’ Juliet cried out, and was immediately cut off. Alive! She was alive, there was still hope. Her voice had been forceful, not weakened by captivity or abuse, but defiant and challenging, she was spirited and fighting. Good old Jules!
‘Your instructions tomorrow,’ the voice growled, and the call was cut.
