She took his hand.
‘No. That’s exactly why I’m sitting up trying to use my tiny mind. I’m not having you take that risk. I mean that.’
Morgan sat back. God, he didn’t want that risk, either. He tried to hang on tight to the happiness, to the lovely feelings he had woken up with, he did not want to think any further about what would happen if today went wrong.
‘Those are your options, Anna. Before the day’s out we may have to decide on one. But we’re crossing our bridges before we come to them.’ He held a finger out at her. ‘Let’s get one thing straight in your mind … Today you are walking into your bank. To open a deposit box which is in your name … To get whatever you goddam want out of it. You’re in America, the Land of the Free. Not all the Queen’s horses can legally stop you. And I consider it very, very unlikely they would have the audacity to try …’ He paused. ‘Now, we’re going to walk into that bank this morning bold as brass, with Makepeace to look after us, and he’s one of the best karate men the Royal Navy’s ever known. I don’t think we need him but we’re very well prepared …’ He shook his finger at her: ‘Confidence. That’s the attitude today, Anna. We’ll reconsider the options when the time comes. Got that?’
She looked at him.
‘Got it,’ she said.
23
It was 6.15 am when the train pulled into the station in New Jersey, one hour from New York.
It was cold, and they had only summer clothing. Morgan got out at one end of the carriage, Anna at the other. She set off down the long platform, shivering. Morgan followed, carrying the handgrip, feeling very conspicuous in shirtsleeves. There were only a few other people leaving the train. He glanced over his shoulder. There was nobody.
Anna hurried through the ticket hall, out into the early morning. There was a taxi rank. She hurried to the first vehicle. Morgan looked about. Nobody was paying attention. He hurried over to the taxi and climbed in beside her.
‘You folks gonna catch your death like that,’ the driver said. ‘Where to?’
‘Somewhere we can get coffee. Then, in an hour’s time, come back and drive us to Manhattan.’
‘To where? … I’m sorry, Mister, I don’t go interstate.’
Morgan held out a fifty-dollar bill.
‘What’s on the meter, plus this.’
At nine that morning the taxi dropped them outside Macey’s department store in New York, very pleased with his fifty bucks. ‘Have a nice day!’
It was bitterly cold. People were hurrying to work, wrapped up. Morgan and Anna hurried into the big store. The sudden warmth inside was a relief.
He said: ‘Wig and hairdye. And just enough clothes to look respectable. Meet me back here in forty-five minutes.’ He turned and hurried away.
He went to the public telephones. He looked in the yellow pages for multi-storey car parks. He made notes.
Then he went to the floral department. He ordered roses to be delivered to Mr and Mrs Denton at the Royalton Hotel, 44 West 44th Street. He wrote on the card: Welcome to New York! How about a drink at our old haunt (Pete’s Tavern, 3rd Avenue near Union Square) at eleven am?
He sealed the card in the envelope. ‘Will that go immediately?’
‘Immediately, sir. Have a nice day.’
‘You too.’ He hurried away to the men’s department.
He bought a cheap raincoat, a navy-blue blazer, three shirts, vests, socks, underpants, a tie, trousers and shoes. It took him twenty-five minutes. He went to the changing rooms and put the new gear on. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was still not used to having black hair. He stuffed his old clothes into his shopping bag. Then he went to the stationery department and bought three identical street maps of Manhattan, a notebook and a bottle of glue.
He went to meet Anna.
He was early. He had to force himself not to pace. He went to the cosmetic counter and took great interest in Helena Rubinstein’s fine products. ‘Just browsing, for my wife,’ he said to the salesgirl. And he thought: Wife. That’s a lovely word. He looked up and his wife was coming towards him, wan and beautiful and smiling brightly. She wore a fawn raincoat over a blouse and skirt and no-nonsense walking shoes, and she took his breath away. She was as beautiful with black hair as she had been with blonde. He took her arm.
He led her back to the telephones. He pulled out the note he had made in Fort Lauderdale. He dialled. It rang only twice. ‘Brew and Burger.’
Morgan handed the receiver to Anna. She said, ‘I’m meeting somebody there about now. A tall man with blue eyes, called Douglas. Have you got such a gentleman?’
‘I’ll have a look …’
A minute passed.
‘Hullo!’ Makepeace shouted.
Anna said slowly: ‘I’ve booked us a room at the Royalton Hotel, forty-four West Forty-fourth street. Mr and Mrs Denton.’
She hung up. Morgan felt limp with relief. Anna said, ‘Do you think they could have tapped that call?’
‘Possible. If they managed to tap our calls yesterday, they’d know we were meeting at the Brew and Burger. But even if they’re following him right now to the Royalton Hotel, they don’t know about the flowers.’ He looked feverishly at the list he had made of things they had to do.
He got the telephone directory again. He telephoned Thomas Cook and made some airline reservations. Then he telephoned a store that sold medical equipment, and reserved one wheelchair. Then he called a car-hire firm, and ordered a car, with driver, to fetch them immediately.
Ten minutes later the car arrived outside Macey’s. ‘Where to, sir?’
‘First, somewhere we can get passport photographs taken quickly. Then …’ He produced one of the maps he had bought. ‘To the World Trade Center. From there, to this multi-storeyed car park I’ve marked on the map. Slowly.’ He explained: ‘I’m a movie producer. I’m looking for suitable streets to film a car-chase scene.’
Pete’s Tavern is an old-fashioned New York bar, with dark ceilings and wooden booths and red-checked tablecloths. They sat where they could see the door. The young man called Spider Webster sat alone in another booth.
‘You don’t know?’ Morgan said to Makepeace. ‘Did you look?’
‘I mean,’ Makepeace said earnestly, ‘I didn’t see anybody suspicious.’
‘Was there anybody in the hotel foyer?’
‘A few people. I left Spider in the foyer. I checked in, and went up to the room. Saw the flowers. Read your message, and left. Nice room,’ he added. ‘Could have done with a sleep, got none on the plane.’
‘Did you leave your bags in the room?’
‘No, Spider’s got the bags, I’m not stupid. When I got the flowers I figured the room was just a dead-letter box.’
‘When you left, were the same people in the foyer?’
‘Spider says no. We got a taxi straight away.’
‘Did anybody follow you out of the hotel and get a taxi?’
‘No. But there’s another quite big hotel across the street, and taxis were leaving there all the time.’
‘Did you watch through the rear window?’
‘Of course. But the streets are full of taxis. Told mine to go to Grand Central Station, seen it in the movies. We got out, walked round the station a bit, then got another cab and came here. Got out two blocks away, walked the rest. I did the right things. I thought,’ Makepeace complained, ‘this was “perfectly legal”?’
‘It is. Did you get the blank passports?’
‘Got them.’ Makepeace was a tall man with a surprised, triangular face. ‘From Danziger. You owe five hundred pounds.’
‘Danziger knows they’re for me?’
‘No,’ Makepeace sighed. ‘You owe me five hundred nicker. And the rest,’ he added.
Morgan said: ‘Danziger? I don’t trust that man. Did he know you were coming to join me?’
‘Of course not,’ Makepeace said plaintively ‘– I know about professional secrecy. All he knows is I left London in a hurry and neede
d two blanks. He had them hand-delivered to me at the airport. I had to use Danziger, he’s the only guy who can lay his hands on everything in a hurry.’
Morgan sighed grimly. ‘You steer clear of Danziger. You’ll get a bad reputation. And this guy you’ve brought, Webster’ – he nodded down the bar ‘– is he safe?’
‘Perfectly. Ex-SAS.’
‘Why did he leave the SAS?’
‘Usual reason. Money.’
‘And what’s he costing me?’
‘Same as me,’ Makepeace said. Two thousand up front, plus five hundred a day. Plus expenses.’
‘Jesus. You don’t come cheap, do you?’
‘It’s okay,’ Anna said.
‘It’s cheap,’ Makepeace said indignantly. ‘That’s special rates, for a friend. You should see what Danziger charges.’
‘All right.’ Morgan sighed. ‘Call Webster over.’
Webster came and sat down in the booth with them. He was a shy, smallish young man, with a ferrety face and a crew cut.
Morgan said: ‘This morning, we are all going to Anna’s bank. Where she has a safety-deposit box. Now, as we leave that bank, it is your job – and mine – to bodyguard her.’
Makepeace said, ‘What’s she going to take out of the box?’
‘Never mind. But it’s hers. And it’s important.’
Makepeace blinked. ‘Who’re we bodyguarding her against?’
‘Against anybody who tries to rob her.’
‘I haven’t got a shooter – couldn’t take one on the plane.’
‘Of course not. I’ve got one for you.’ He carefully slipped the dead pilot’s pistol from his pocket. ‘Smith and Wesson. Loaded.’ He held up a finger: ‘But you only use that as a very last resort – otherwise it’s unarmed combat. And they won’t shoot at us. They’ll only try to strong-arm us into a waiting car. We fight them off and run to our own waiting car. Which you,’ he added, ‘are about to rent from Hertz. We drive away like hell, and shake them off.’
Makepeace said worriedly, ‘Who are these guys?’
‘Never mind. I tell you if and when you need to know.’
Makepeace blinked. ‘And where do we drive to?’
‘I have a route, which I’ll outline very carefully. But first let me point out that it is very likely that there will be nobody waiting to rob us outside that bank. In which case –’ he spread his hands – ‘we drive away without a care in the world, and your job is probably over, Dougie. If we’ve been lucky and got what we want from the bank, you fly home to sunny England.’
Makepeace was all rapt attention. He said hoarsely: ‘But if you haven’t been so lucky?’
This was the bridge they did not want to cross until they got to it. Anna hunched forward, her hands clasped. Morgan said:
‘Then your job is only just beginning, Douglas. Then you,’ he pointed his cigarette at Makepeace, ‘probably have to jump on a plane to Paris. Spider stays with Anna and me to ride shotgun.’ He paused, ‘In Paris there are plenty of small aircraft for hire. You rent us a plane. Anna, Spider and I arrive in Paris the next day. From Washington. We’re hoping like hell this won’t happen but I booked the seats this morning, in case.’ He paused. ‘You arrange for somebody to meet us at Paris airport. With a rented car. With a chauffeur’s cap on his head, so I can spot him easily. He drives us to the airfield, where you are waiting with the light aircraft. And you fly us to some private airstrip in Switzerland. Without, of course, going through immigration control.’
Makepeace was grappling with all this.
‘Switzerland?’ he complained – ‘What do we do in Switzerland?’
‘But you must work out a good route from Paris airport to this airfield where you’re waiting, so the driver can shake off anybody following us. And a system whereby we can change cars to confuse them. That means you’ll have to get two more of your SAS pals over from England to help. Maybe three. To drive, and do whatever muscle-work is necessary.’
‘Do they come to Switzerland with us?’
‘They must be prepared to do so.’ He held up a finger. ‘The same money as you’re getting. Not a penny more.’
Makepeace stared at him worriedly.
‘Paris? …’ he complained. ‘But I don’t know Paris. I don’t even polly-voo the lingo, hopeless I was at school. Now, Amsterdam I know, and they all speak English in Amsterdam – but Paris? …’
Morgan looked at him, thinking.
‘This may be a good idea.’ He turned to Anna. ‘There’s a public telephone outside the toilets. Phone a travel agency. Not Thomas Cook’s. See if you can book us on a flight Paris to Amsterdam tomorrow night.’
‘Why don’t we fly direct to Amsterdam from America?’
‘If we’re spotted at Washington airport, boarding the flight for Paris, they’ll be expecting us to emerge from Paris airport. But we won’t emerge. We’ll go to the transit lounge, and board the flight to Amsterdam. They won’t be expecting us in Amsterdam.’
‘What name do I reserve the seats in?’
‘The same names as we’re putting on the blank passports. Armstrong. Spider’s ticket will have to be in his real name, Webster.’
Anna left the booth. Morgan sat quiet a minute, thinking. Then said to Makepeace: ‘So you can organize everything in Amsterdam. And, do you know of private airfields in Switzerland?’
Makepeace’s brow furrowed.
‘Switzerland’s easy. All those valleys. I can find out like that.’ He snapped his fingers.’ Where in Switzerland do you want to go?’
‘And,’ Morgan said, ‘we need a car waiting at that airstrip in Switzerland. And a hotel room reserved.’
‘Where?’ Makepeace demanded.
‘And from the hotel room we go to another bank.’
‘Another bank? …’
Anna came back to the table. She nodded at Morgan.
‘Where in Switzerland are we going?’ Makepeace demanded plaintively ‘– where’s this other bank?’
‘You’ll be told when you need to know it. It may never happen. We’ll know this afternoon. But if it does, you’ve got the same job in Switzerland. Bodyguard us as we leave the bank. And provide a getaway car. Shake off anybody following us. Drive us back to the airfield. And fly us out.’
‘Where to?’
‘I’ll decide that closer to the time. Then,’ he ended, ‘your job’s over. Anna and I are on our own again.’ He sighed deeply. ‘But, again, it’s very likely there will not be anybody trying to pounce on us outside the bank in Switzerland, if we have been successful in covering our tracks. And even if they spot us at Amsterdam airport, you’ll shake them off. Won’t you?’
Makepeace shifted unhappily. ‘Who are these guys?’
‘Won’t you?’
Makepeace’s furrowed brow.
‘Sure I can shake them off. I know Amsterdam. And I can figure out a plan for Switzerland. But New York? I’ve never been here – all these one-way streets. You need a professional getaway driver for New York.’
‘Where the hell do I get one? From the Mafia? I don’t know a soul in New York, Douglas.’
‘Danziger does, he’d arrange it, he’s the best in the business.’
Morgan snorted. ‘I don’t trust Danziger! Forget it. Now, that’s the plan. Are you in? Or out?’
Makepeace blinked. ‘In,’ he muttered.
‘Spider?’
‘In,’ Spider said.
Morgan sat back. It was still unreal. ‘All right.’ He pulled out two folded street maps of New York. ‘One for you, one for Spider. You’re going to Hertz to rent a car. And Spider’s going to Avis to rent another one. They must be different colours. Got that?’
‘Got it,’ Makepeace said unhappily.
‘Spider first drives to this address.’ He handed him a note. ‘And picks up a wheelchair I’ve ordered. Then he drives to a multi-storeyed car park. I’ve marked it on the map. He leaves the car in there and then joins us in your car. And the four of us spend until two o�
�clock this afternoon driving carefully along the route I’ve marked. From the bank, onwards. Over and over. Until you’re familiar with the lights and the landmarks. Right?’
‘Right,’ Makepeace said worriedly.
‘And remember they drive on the right, here, Makepeace.’
‘Right,’ Makepeace said miserably. ‘On the right.’
24
The twin silver towers of the World Trade Center reared up into the cold, grey November sky, lights twinkling mistily.
On the ground floor stands the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, its portals guarded by two big iron lions, imperialistically recumbent. Across the side-road is a post office building, with parking reserved for official vehicles.
It was just after two o’clock when Spider dropped them off, half a block from the bank. Spider drove on, to the official parking area outside the post office.
They walked up the busy sidewalk, Anna and Makepeace in front, Morgan five paces behind them, his shoulders hunched against the cold, his eyes darting. This was it. He might have done a great job so far, but if the British or the Russians knew about Max’s banks, they would be watching this one now. And all his hair-raising work would be for nothing. He just prayed that that microfilm was in this deposit box, that tonight they could drink champagne and start living happily ever after … They turned the corner, and there were the lions guarding the bank’s entrance, thirty yards ahead. Anna walked resolutely, Makepeace gangling beside her. They turned into the portals. Makepeace pushed the door open.
Morgan’s eyes swept the street. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to them. He walked into the bank.
It was a small banking hall, with armchairs, and only about five customers. Anna walked to the enquiries counter. Makepeace sat down in an armchair. He picked up a brochure and pretended to read. He looked over the top of it, through the windows, at the street.
Anna turned from the enquiries counter. She walked through a doorway, to an elevator. Morgan followed her.
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