The Main chance

11

Doubenkian's mobile buzzed. He looked at Max, answered it cautiously. `Dunfield, sales director, speaking.

The voice which spoke to him was again horribly distorted. They were using some kind of instrument: it wag impoggible to tell whether it was a man or a woman, which irked him. `Bella Main has died suddenly.' `Good. How did that happen?' `Also Tweed has arrived at Hengistbury with Paula Grey. He brought with him Robert Newman, Harry Butler and a man called Marler.' `You did my Newman?' Doubenkian enquired.

He swore. His informant had gone off the line. He was disturbed, looked round the interior of the cottage for a hammer. Knowing what he wanted, Max handed him the hammer he always kept for these occasions.

They had driven with Max behind the wheel from the second base in Norfolk that day. They were now ensconced in an isolated cottage, owned by Doubenkian, situated well outside Leaminster, also located within fifteen miles of Hengistbury Manor, just outside the edge of The Forest. Max expected they would soon be moving on.

He watched as Doubenkian, his back to him, removed his dark glasses and replaced them with a protective pair. On a large wooden table he then proceeded to smash the mobile phone to pieces.

Substituting his dark glasses for the protective version, he turned round to Max. `Isn't that going a bit far?' Max suggested. 'Once you have used a mobile you destroy the SIM card, then select from your collection a fresh one.' `The report regarding Hengistbury is good – and bad. You know that Bella Main controlled the Main Chance Bank. She mistakenly refused to sell it to me. She is dead.' `Murdered?' Max asked. `My anonymous informant didn't say. Now we have to wait and see who inherits.' `Who might that be?' `Either Marshal Main or Warner Chance.' `And supposing, whichever one it is, also refuses to sell?'

Doubenkian smiled, a horribly sadistic smile. 'Then we use the Vienna method. You remember the bank the owner first refused to sell? Then I had his offspring kidnapped and he agreed to sell immediately – without any reference to the police.' `I still don't see how you would handle the situation.' `Simple, my dear Max. If it's Marshal we kidnap his daughter, Lavinia. If it's Warner Chance we kidnap either his son, Leo, or his daughter, Crystal. Whichever it is, we tell the father his child's right hand, cut off at the wrist, will be delivered by courier. Carefully wrapped, of course. We must do the civilized thing' He grinned. `I can't do that sort of thing,' Max said firmly. `You really are soft-hearted. That worries me sometimes. So I'll call in Jacques, the French butcher in Paris. It makes no difference to him whether the meat he is slicing up is dead or alive.'

Max, revolted, changed the subject. 'I still don't know why, once used, you destroy a mobile and use a fresh one.' `Because of the terrorist threat, the British GCHQ is now monitoring calls at random. One call, recorded, does not arouse their suspicions. More than one might wake them up. So I use a different number each time. My informant has a list of the numbers in sequence. Which is why you need never fear a tough grilling at Scotland Yard:

Max fetched a dustpan and brush, began scooping up the pieces of the smashed mobile phone. He was stopped in his tracks by Doubenkian's next order. `Your next job is to kill Robert Newman, who is staying at Hengistbury.' `Why Newman? He's an international news reporter. Don't see the point,' Max protested.

Which is why I'm where I am and you are where you are,' Calouste sneered. 'He is now one of Tweed's key team members, but every now and again he writes a big article. It is syndicated all over the world. The moment he finds out I am involved he'll write another sensational article – so then all my plans to control Britain through capturing the main financial centres will be ruined. I want him dead. Preferably due to an apparent accident. But dead however you manage it. He's staying at Hengistbury.' `I'll get down there in the morning.'