A Prisoner of Birth (69 page)

"It is, my darling," Danny replied as he took her in his arms.

A man sitting in a car on the opposite side of the road continued to take photographs.

"Mr. Moncrieff?"

"Who is this?"

"My name is Spencer Craig. I'm a barrister, and I have a proposition to put to you."

"And what might that be, Mr. Craig?"

"If I were able to restore your fortune, your rightful fortune, what would that be worth to you?"

"Name your price."

"Twenty-five percent."

"That sounds a bit steep."

"To give you back your estate in Scotland, to kick out the present occupant of your house in The Boltons, to restore the full amount paid for your grandfather's stamp collection, not to mention ownership of a luxury penthouse in London, which I suspect you don't even know about, and to reclaim your bank accounts in Geneva and London? No, I don't think that's particularly steep, Mr. Moncrieff. In fact, it's quite reasonable when the alternative is a hundred percent of nothing."

"But how could this be possible?"

"Once you've signed a contract, Mr. Moncrieff, your father's fortune will be restored to you."

"And there will be no fees or hidden charges?" asked Hugo suspiciously.

"No fees or hidden charges," promised Craig. "In fact, I'll throw in a little bonus, which I suspect will even please Mrs. Moncrieff."

"And what's that?"

"You sign my contract, and by this time next week she'll be Lady Moncrieff."

"D
ID YOU GET
a photo of his leg?" asked Craig.

"Not yet," replied Payne.

"Let me know the moment you do."

"Hold on," said Payne. "He's coming out of the house."

"With his driver?" asked Craig.

"No, with the woman who went inside yesterday afternoon."

"Describe her."

"Late twenties, five foot eight, slim, brown hair, great legs. They're both getting into the back of the car."

"Stay with them," said Craig, "and keep me briefed on where they go." He put the phone down, turned on his computer and pulled up a photo of Beth Wilson, not surprised that she fitted the description. However, he was surprised that Cartwright was willing to take such a risk. Did he now believe that he was invincible?

Once Payne had taken a photograph of Cartwright's left leg, Craig would make an appointment to see Detective Sergeant Fuller. He would then stand aside and let the policeman take all the credit for capturing an escaped murderer and his accomplice.

Big Al dropped Danny outside the entrance to the university. After Beth
had given him a kiss, he jumped out of the car and ran up the steps and into the building.

All his plans had been blown away with one kiss, followed by a night with no sleep. When the sun rose the following morning, Danny knew that he could no longer live a life that didn't include Beth, even if it meant leaving the country and having to live abroad.

Craig slipped out of the court while the jury were considering their verdict. He stood on the steps of the Old Bailey and phoned Payne on his mobile.

"Where did they end up?" he asked.

"Cartwright was dropped off at London University. He's doing a Business Studies degree there."

"But Moncrieff already has a degree in English."

"True, but don't forget that when Cartwright was at Belmarsh he took A levels in maths and business studies."

"Another small mistake that he's assumed no one would pick up," said Craig. "So where did the driver take the girl after he'd dropped Cartwright off?"

"They headed for the East End and—"

"Twenty-seven Bacon Road, Bow," said Craig.

"How did you know?"

"It's the home of Beth Wilson, Cartwright's girlfriend—she was with him that night in the alley, don't you remember?"

"How could I forget," snapped Payne.

"Did you manage to get a photograph of her?" asked Craig, ignoring the little outburst.

"Several."

"Good, but I still need a shot of Cartwright's left leg just above the knee before I can pay a visit to Detective Sergeant Fuller." Craig checked his watch. "I'd better get back to court. The jury shouldn't take too long to find my client guilty. Where are you at the moment?"

"Outside twenty-seven Bacon Road."

"Stay well out of sight," said Craig. "That woman would recognize you at a hundred paces. I'll call you as soon as the court rises."

During his lunch break, Danny decided to take a walk and grab a sandwich before he attended Professor Mori's lecture. He tried to recall the six theories of Adam Smith in case the professor's hovering finger ended up pointing at him. He failed to notice the man sitting on a bench on the other side of the road, a camera by his side.

Craig dialed Payne on his mobile moments after the court had risen.

"She didn't leave the house for over an hour," said Payne, and when she came out, she was carrying a large suitcase."

"Where did she go?" asked Craig.

"She was driven to her office at Mason Street in the City."

"And did she take the suitcase with her?"

"No, she left it in the boot of the car."

"So she intends to stay at The Boltons for at least another night."

"Looks that way. Or do you think they're planning to skip the country?" asked Payne.

"They're unlikely to consider doing that until after his final meeting with his probation officer on Thursday morning, when he will have completed his license."

"Which means we've only got another three days to gather all the evidence we need," said Payne.

"So what's he been up to this afternoon?"

"He left the university at four, and was driven back to The Boltons. He went into the house, but the driver left again straight away. I followed him in case he was picking up the girl."

"And was he?"

"Yes. He collected her from work and drove her back to the house."

"And the suitcase?"

"He carried it inside."

"Perhaps she thinks it's safe for her to move in now. Did he go for a run?"

"If he did," said Payne, "it must have been while I was following the girl."

"Don't bother with her tomorrow," said Craig. "From now on concentrate on Cartwright, because if we're going to flush him out, only one thing matters."

"The photograph," said Payne. "But what if he doesn't go for a run in the morning?"

"All the more reason to ignore the girl and stick with him," said Craig. "Meanwhile, I'll bring Larry up to date."

"Is he doing anything to earn his keep?"

"Not a lot," said Craig. "But we can't afford to antagonize him while he's still living with his sister."

Craig was shaving when the phone rang. He cursed.

"They left the house together again."

"So he didn't go for a run this morning?"

"Not unless it was before five
A.M
. I'll call again if there's any change in his routine."

Craig flicked the phone closed and continued to shave. He cut himself. He cursed again.