Stone poured a whisky; his old confidence was coming back as he now had work to do. But what to do with Josh? There was something creepy about Josh; he had seen it in the way he slouched in his chair, the disdain in his eyes when he looked at his mother as they met in the stuffy Mayfair office. The Reform Club meeting just gave him a thin veneer of competence and respectability. Like a spoilt child not getting his own way, Stone suspected he was cheating on the family. And probably other people too.
But carrying a bag of cash? Could he be trusted?
He called Josh and the phone was answered after the second ring.
‘Do you know Leadenhall Market? It’s in the middle of London, in the City.’
‘Yeah, of course I do. I go to see my insurance friends at Lloyds right next door. The Jackson family has been a name for a long time on top syndicates of underwriters there. But profits have been a bit slim in the past few years. Yeah, and I always get a good lunch when I go there,’ Josh replied with a childish eagerness.
‘There’s a pub in the market called the Lamb Tavern. Josh, I want you to take an envelope there for me and give it to a guy, a tall man standing at the bar of the pub. Clean shaven, your age, light-grey suit and carrying a black briefcase. I want his name, where he works, and then give him the envelope and say it’s from Xavier. That’s important – have you got that?’
‘Harry, yeah. It’ll be good. So, when?’
‘Midday tomorrow. Collect the envelope from the concierge at Claridge’s. I’ll leave a couple of hundred with it for you. Is that okay?’
‘A small touch of pocket money. I’m always short. But who isn’t?’
‘What about the diamond? Remember your promise at the Reform Club? What did your sister say when you gave it to her?’
Josh hesitated as if he had not heard what Stone was talking about.
‘Harry, sorry, no, not yet. Haven’t had a chance to tie her down, but I haven’t forgotten.’
‘Time’s now getting short. But I’m still very interested to talk about Marine House, and I’d like to meet your sister.’
‘I can arrange that. But have you been able to find the hundred grand in cash that we talked about? That money will do the trick. It’ll deal the right cards for you.’
‘One step at a time, Josh. I’ll find it when I know I’m having a serious conversation, like making me the preferred buyer for Marine House.’
‘I could come to Brighton to collect it and give it to my sister when I give her the diamond.’
‘Have you told your mother about the money and the diamond?’
‘I don’t see Mother very often these days. She’s too busy playing bridge with her friends.’
‘You know what I want, and I know what you want. So we’ll talk again. But first you pick my envelope up, keep it carefully and let me know you’ve delivered it.’
After filling his whisky glass, Stone put £5,000 in £20 notes in a large envelope – he scribbled on the front “Mr Josh Jackson”, and he sealed it with tape. He walked down to the hotel foyer and left it with the concierge.
Stone’s tiredness from earlier that morning was ebbing. He began to feel a freshness, even growing excitement that Josh was now the pawn to lead him straight to the front door of Marine House.