Stone wanted to open the doors of the sitting room of Marine House, stand on the balcony and smell the sea air again. The limousine had brought him from Claridge’s – he stood on the front steps and searched the street. There was nobody lurking outside his front door or across the road, but one day soon his paranoia told him there might be.
He poured a large whisky and took up what had become his favourite posture of reclining on a chaise longue in the sitting room. Stone drooled as he thought of his fistful of Panama dollars waiting in Nevis. And no authorities knew what he was doing; that added the edge for Stone. It made him satisfied; it perked him up, even though grabbing diamonds he was not sure would have any lasting meaning for him. His time was now short.
Stone sat in silence. Sweating again in the torrid heat of the Caribbean to collect diamonds was not something he could face again. For a moment Stone closed his eyes. He took another sip from his whisky, and he quickly knew he now had another job for Josh. And it was within an hour and a half after calling that Josh was knocking on the door of Marine House.
In the hallway, Stone stared him directly in the eye. But Josh did not look back. Josh had an air of being shifty, looking around, looking down at the floor as if he had something to hide. In the Reform Club just a few days ago, Stone had seen the same blazer with crumpled sleeves, a tie with food stains and ill-fitting shiny black shoes. And today, Stone could see that Josh had not shaved for several days – he had a stubble growth – he was growing a beard. It did not suit him; his face was not serious enough for the sophistication of a beard. Perhaps this Jackson family were really hard up.
Stone led him into the brightly lit kitchen, and he stood still in the middle of the room.
‘You did that little run to Leadenhall Market okay?’ Stone asked.
‘Yeah, he was waiting there. We went to the same school, but he’s a bit younger than me. We had a beer, but he didn’t want to stand and talk for too long.’
‘Did you get his name and telephone number?’
‘No, he said it was top secret. Undercover stuff about shares. In the City it wouldn’t be anything else. That’s just what they do there. And he wanted to get away back to his office.’
Stone quickly let it pass. Cutting Xavier out of the line for insider leaks was a good idea. A few years younger and his health restored, he would have pushed it. He poured coffee from a percolator and handed a cup to Josh.
‘I’ve got another job for you,’ Stone said.
‘I’ve got some time to spare, so what goes, Harry?’
‘Have you ever been to the Caribbean?’
‘We spend Christmas there. Done it for the past five years. Barbados. Mother likes it there. She says it’s the same as being at home but a bit warmer.’
‘No need to tell your mother about it, but could you go tomorrow?’
Josh looked at his watch as if time was running away.
‘Why not? Haven’t got much else to do tomorrow.’
‘A little island called Nevis. I want you to collect a parcel. I’ll pay economy class fares and an overnight if you need it.’
‘What’s in the parcel? Not drugs or nasties like that.’
‘No, this is okay stuff. But something valuable that needs to be collected quickly. And safely. Are you up for it?’ Stone asked.
He almost felt sorry for Josh, someone reduced to being an errand boy for him. And a mother with a title. It was wrong.
‘Give me the details, Harry. But can’t you stretch to paying club class? I don’t really travel at the back, and Mother always travels right at the front.’
‘No,’ Stone said sharply. ‘You upgrade if you want, and you pay. Got it?’
It took two minutes for Stone to write out the details of the American in Nevis. Josh did not need to know any more. Stone walked into the hallway; Josh followed, and Stone saw in the glint of his eyes that he was eager just to do something. This son of a titled Lady must live a poor, idle life.
‘Did your sister get the diamond I gave you?’
‘I haven’t seen her yet; she’s very busy and always around London with her friends doing something,’ Josh replied.
‘That’s exactly what you told me last time I asked. So get on with it please – call her and tell her you’ve got a diamond for her. When you’ve done that, we’ll talk about the hundred grand advance you asked for. You are trying to get Marine House for me, aren’t you? Don’t you remember?’ Stone kept his voice level low, but it was time to push Josh beyond his shifty response. He led Josh to the front door.
‘Harry, don’t worry – I will give it to her as soon as I’m back. Yeah, I’d like to talk about the hundred grand you promised, and I can deliver Marine House.’
Josh was being evasive. Stone had seen slipperiness before, and this time he was certain Josh was telling a downright lie. And so was his amazement that this man in front of him had been accused of sexual assault – he did not look big enough for that. In his febrile mind, Stone would not forget that, but for today, he would use Josh. He did not trust him; he might well walk away with more diamonds, but that would slowly draw him right in. Josh was becoming a pawn for Stone, a bargaining chip to get Marine House.
Quickly, he sent an email to the American woman in Nevis with the long, blonde hair. A man in a scruffy jacket was going to call to pick up the diamonds was all that was needed. On handover, she could draw down the balance of Panama dollars and send lab certs separately in the post.
He was now in a race; his money was growing; and Marine House would one day be his if he could fight this menacing illness eating away at him. But sitting alone, he naively had not understood that Claire could soon disrupt that thought.