Screen Savers

Chapter 54

The marines’ chopper landed at the Rotterdam police barracks from which the operation had begun four long hours earlier. As soon as he was reunited with his cellphone, Miles called his accountant and had him check with Lugano.

The return call came in less that five minutes. He stared at me as it came to an end, then stripped a fiver from a roll of cash in his pocket and handed it over. ‘The money’s been moved,’ he said. ‘How the hell did you know?’

‘I just guessed. Do you know where it’s gone?’

‘The Swiss won’t say; nor will they say how the account was activated. It would take a year and a court order to find out.’

‘Don’t worry,’ I assured him. ‘I’ll get it back for you.’

‘Oz, I’m not worried. I’ve got Dawn back, and like the soldier boy said earlier, once this story breaks, it’ll be worth fifty million in extra box office takings. You know what? I’m going to change the end again, and have you and me go in underwater, like we did today only without the marines. Forget it; let the bastard go.’

I think I looked at him as if he was daft. ‘No way, Jo-fucking-se! If this was a bit personal before, it’s really personal now.’

‘Okay,’ Miles grunted. ‘If you’re dead set on taking it further, I’ll stay on board.’

‘Thanks, but you just concentrate on looking after Dawn. You’ve got a movie to finish, then other things to look forward to. I’ll be there for work on Monday morning, but before then I’ve got to tie this business off.’

Finally, he was persuaded; he and Dawn went off at once to shower and change into fresh clothes for the flight home; but I dressed quickly and collared Ardley once again.

I found him explaining what had happened to Henke de Witt, the Dutch army captain who had smoothed the way for our operation. At first, I had been surprised that his side had been prepared to allow a British operation in their waters, but I’d realised quickly that if it had gone south, and the fourth most famous person and/or his wife had been killed during the action, they would have been more than happy to let our lot carry the can.

‘How good are your relations with your police?’ I asked de Witt.

‘Excellent,’ he replied at once. ‘We’re a small country; all our services inter-relate. Why?’

‘Because I reckon I can nail the kidnapper. To do that, I need some information. Then I need a lift to Schiphol Airport, and someone to open doors for me when I get there.’

‘I can do all that.’

‘You really think you can find Donn?’ Ardley asked.

‘If he hasn’t shot the craw already — no, even if he has — I’m bloody certain I can find him. You got that news blackout in place?’

He nodded. ‘Henke and I have got you another twenty-four hours, here and in the UK; that’s the max, though.’

‘It’s all I’ll need.’ I reached into my jacket and took out a photograph, then handed it to the Netherlander. ‘That’s our target, Captain, and this is what we need to know. .’