Grenville smiled as Carole laid out the plan. Grenville listened and eventually with tears in his eyes said, “You two are amazing.”
Hugo and Carole were both smiling and Carole eventually said, “Easy, really.”
Grenville eventually said, “Please explain it all again to me again.”
Smiling, Carole said, “Of course, Grenville. The first thing was we found nothing wrong with Grace getting into the hospital, after all a lady of her age will be easy. Alice will ring the ambulance and make sure she is taken to the correct hospital, and see her safely admitted, then she will ring Tom with the floor and room details that Grace is in.”
“Why does it have to be that hospital?” asked Grenville.
“Because it is the one closest to the Thames,” said Hugo, smiling.
Carole continued, “In the mean time you will ring from the hospital, to let Miss Somerville know Grace is in hospital, near death and wants to explain before she dies about her long-lost son.”
“How do I get into the hospital and pass as a doctor to make the call?” asked Grenville.
Smiling, Carole said, “Funny you should say that, but I have just spoken to Sara, and Sara and your mother will come to town to do some shopping with you for the baby and while you are out shopping. Sara will have a sudden pain, and of course the closest hospital will be St Thomas’.”
Grenville looked shocked. Holding up her hands, Carole said, “Grenville, don’t look so worried. She will be fine and only in for a few minutes, but long enough for you to ring Miss Somerville and pass on Grace’s message to her.”
“It needs to be from St Thomas’,” said Hugo.
“Why?” asked Grenville, looking puzzled.
Smiling, Carole said, “MI5 are not stupid and will monitor all calls coming in to their Director, so it must be from the hospital to make the call look credible. Alice will follow Miss Somerville and her security detail to the hospital and ring Tom once she has arrived, so Tom can get into place. We are convinced Miss Somerville has never told a living soul about having a child and being a mother. She will of course be most eager to enter the room alone to see Grace, and know what information she has about her long lost son. After all, she still would rather keep it a secret, if I have judged Miss Somerville correctly.”
“Where Tom will be waiting,” smiled Hugo, interrupting Carole.
Carole continued. “The next step is to get Tom safely away. We suggest that Tom is waiting in the room with Grace when Miss Somerville enters. I am sure Tom can pose as a doctor, after all someone in a white coat in a hospital is rarely scrutinised too closely. Once Tom has killed Miss Somerville, then Grace can pull the assistance cord to summon a nurse, who will obviously see Miss Somerville lying on the floor and will summon help. This of course will have her security detail come running as well, and in the confusion Tom can slip out of the room, down the back stairs and out of the hospital.”
Grenville smiled and nodded. Carole continued, “Hugo here has purchased an old speed boat and will have it tied up at the Thames embankment opposite the hospital, where someone will be waiting to speed Tom out to the open sea where it will meet up with the Red Star. As you know we have had the Red Star on our books for some time now and now it is at Milton Haven getting loaded. I have spoken to Captain Sharapova and he will sail a day earlier to make the rendezvous,” said Hugo, smiling.
“I think I know who will pilot the speedboat,” said Grenville, smiling.
“Oh, please tell?” asked Carole, smiling.
Grenville said, “Alice Mitchell.”
“Really,” said Hugo, looking surprised.
“Yes,” said Grenville. “Tom and Alice are quite close now, and I am sure I can convince her,” smiled Grenville.
“all ready ahead of you,” said Carole, “I have already spoken to Alice and she has agreed.”
“Blimey,” was all Grenville could say.
“I think she has fallen in love with your Tom,” said Carole, laughing.
“How did you work that out?” asked Grenville.
“Us women know these things,” said Carole smiling as she looked at Hugo who had gone red. “All you need to do is to convince Tom to take her with him.”
“I can try,” said Grenville.
“Men, what are you like.”
“And everyone has agreed to this?” asked Grenville.
“Of course,” said Carole and Hugo in unison. Grenville looked stunned once again. The plan was brilliant, and worked out in every detail. He could find no fault with it, and the most amazing thing was everyone was involved and everyone accepted their part they had to play without any questions. Grenville stood with his eyes full of tears and hugged Carole and Hugo, and was unable to speak as he left the bubble.
Next day Tom answered the door and was surprised to see only Grenville standing there. “Hello,” said Tom, looking surprised.
“I know, only me,” said a smiling Grenville.
Tom went red as Grenville followed him into the flat. Tom asked, “Time for a coffee?”
“Of course, old man,” replied Grenville. After Tom, had made the coffee and they were both sitting in the lounge Grenville smiled and said, “Just popped in to give you the final plan.”
Tom sat and stared at Grenville as he explained the plan and afterwards all Tom could say was, “Wow, that sounds brilliant.”
Smiling, Grenville said, “Hugo and Carole came up with the plan.”
“Sounds a pretty good plan to me,” smiled Tom.
“But…” said Tom.
Grenville held up his hand and said, “Tom, everything is in place and everyone knows the risks, but they are doing it out of love.” Tom lowered his head before Grenville went on, “These last few weeks have brought back so many memories of our time together, it’s made me feel positively young again.”
“You getting soppy on me, old man?” said Tom, smiling at Grenville.
“Properly am,” said Grenville, smiling. “Can I ask a question, Tom?”
“Of course, Duke, ask away.”
“Once you have killed Somerville, what next for Tom Backer?”
Tom stood and paced the room, eventually turning to Grenville and saying, “To tell you the truth I have never really given it much thought.”
Smiling, Grenville said, “I thought you had not. Well, to my reckoning you have a few options.”
“Really? Please tell, old wise one,” said Tom, laughing.
“Well, you can go back to Belize and fade away into the sunset never to be heard of again, you can return to Russia and go back to your old life with your uncle and the family, or you can make a fresh start with someone new who has fallen in love with you, and you can spend the rest of your life having a second chance at happiness,” said Grenville. “Anyway,” said Grenville, standing, “just wanted you to know you had options. Listen, Tom, be safe and take care, and remember I am always here for you.”
“I know Duke, you were one of the reasons I had the fortitude to carry on all these years.”
“Now who is getting soppy.”
Both laughing, they hugged and both had tears in their eyes.
“Need to go,” said Grenville. “Just a few minor details to put into place and make sure the timings are all coordinated and everyone is ready to go,” smiled Grenville. “Just wait for the call from Alice, to set the plan in motion.”
“Then it is all up to me,” said Tom, smiling.
Just as Grenville closed the flat door on Tom he said, “I want you to promise me something, Tom.”
“Anything,” said Tom.
“Think on what I said and do the right thing by Alice,” said Grenville softly as he closed the flat door.
As Newton drove along, with Grenville, Sara and Sofia, Sara suddenly said, “Newton can you be a love and pull into the nearest hospital, I have a pain.”
Smiling, Newton said, “Of course, your Grace,” turning left towards the Thames. No one commented on the fact that Newton had passed
a hospital three hundred yards from their current location. After twenty minutes, Newton pulled up at St Thomas’ Hospital, and Grenville, Sara and Sofia entered the hospital while Newton waited outside in the VIP parking space.
Sofia went straight to the reception desk and said, “I am the mother of the Duke and Duchess of Hampshire, and my daughter-in-law, the Duchess, is eight months pregnant and is having some pains.” The nurse quickly picked up the phone and rang a number, and in minutes a doctor and a nurse arrived. “Good,” said Sofia. As she explained this to the doctor, the nurse had gotten a wheelchair, and sat Sara down in it and Grenville tried not to laugh at Sara who was playing her part to perfection.
They all followed the doctor into a side corridor and down into a nurses’ station with a set of double doors. The doctor said, “Please wait here, your Grace, while we examine your wife.” Grenville nodded. The doctor smiled at Sofia and knew she was not going to wait; as they went, Sofia winked at Grenville as the doors closed behind them.
Grenville looked around, smiled and went to the nurses’ station, picked up the phone and dialled the number for MI5 and once it was connected said, “Please may I speak to Julie Somerville.”
“Regarding?” said the voice.
“I am Doctor Randall from St Thomas’ Hospital, it is about a friend of hers, a Miss Grace Backer,” said Grenville.
Grenville waited for a minute then the phone clicked and the voice said, “Doctor Randall, how may I help you?”
Grenville said, “We had an elderly lady admitted called Grace Backer and she wanted me to give you a message.”
“Get on with it, doctor,” said the voice, sounding impatient.
“Sorry,” said Grenville. “Had to write this bit down,” Grenville said, crunching a piece of paper near the handset. Grenville continued, “She asked me if I can contact a Julie Somerville at MI5 and tell her before I die, I want to see her and tell her about her son, sorry, don’t know if it makes any sense, but that’s the message.”
“No, makes perfect sense, thank you for ringing, Doctor.”
As the line went dead, Grenville replaced the handset his end and said, “You are most welcome, Director Somerville.”
Just then the doors opened and the doctor returned with a smiling Sofia and Sara. The doctor said, “Nothing to worry about, your Grace, all is well, bit of wind probably.”
Grenville tried not to laugh but said, “Thank you, most kind, doctor,” as he shook the doctor’s hand.
Back in the car, Sara turned to Grenville and said, “Now that piece of play acting is out of the way you can take us all to lunch.”
Smiling, Grenville said, “If you please, Newton.”
Smiling, Newton said, “Of course, your Grace,” as he moved away from the hospital.
Grenville stood on the embankment of the Thames having despatched Newton in the Rolls to collect Grace from hospital and take her home. The sun had disappeared and a dark cloud had descended, plus it had just started to lightly rain. Grenville slowly removed a glove, placed his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a mini pair of binoculars, and scanned the Thames estuary. He picked up the small speed boat heading towards the open sea, unable to make out the two figures clearly. One was a woman by the hair blowing behind her and the figure next to her stood rigid. Grenville gave a small laugh, and on impulse, he raised his hand in salute. Grenville left the hand hanging for a few moments then dropped it back down; he knew he had fulfilled his promise made all those years ago, to his best friend. He had finally helped him lay his ghosts to rest. He wished now Tom could start to live again and find happiness. Grenville knew he had done all he could to achieve this, but for now he had his own concerns. Smiling, Grenville placed the mini binoculars back in his pocket, replaced his glove, clapped his hand and thought, hope Newton is not too long.
Grenville spotted Newton and smiled. Newton pulled up next to Grenville and Grenville climbed in next to Grace. After closing the door and before Newton had pulled away, Grenville said, “How you feeling, Grace?”
“Much better, my dear,” replied Grace, smiling.
After a long pause, Grenville said, “Do you think he will ask her to go with him?”
Grace replied, “Well, we’ve done everything to make it happen,” which made Grenville laugh.
“You are right there, old thing,” replied Grenville. After making sure Grace was safely back into her accommodation, Grenville said, “Back to the ranch, if you please, Newton.”
“As you wish, your Grace,” replied Newton. Grenville sat back and closed his eyes after a few hectic days. He thought of Sara and the birth of their first child; this made Grenville smile. This was his only concern now, anything else would have to wait.
Epilogue
Nurse Lisa McNeil enjoyed her job, especially when she was on nights at the secret government private hospital, somewhere in leafy Warwickshire. At present, there were only two registered patients; one was a man who had recently returned from Africa with malaria and one was a woman who was currently in a catatonic state, and had not responded to treatment for over two years.
Nurse McNeil had just completed her rounds of the two patients. The man was asleep and the woman’s condition had not changed. Making a coffee and returning to her desk, she took out her new novel she had brought that day, to enjoy a few hours of peaceful reading until the day staff came on shift. After reading a chapter Nurse McNeil felt her eyelids droop, as tiredness began to take hold. From a distance, she heard a buzzer going off. At first, she wondered what it was, she then became wide awake and realised it was a room call buzzer. Rushing to the man’s room, she was surprised to find him still fast asleep. Puzzled, Nurse McNeil went to the woman’s room, and saw the call cord light was flashing. Moving to the bed, and leaning over, Nurse McNeil was surprised to find the woman’s eyes wide open and she was trying to speak.
Nurse McNeil poured a cup of water from the bedside cabinet, and helped the woman to drink using a straw. The woman closed her eyes as she drank as if it was nectar. The woman tried to speak again but it was too weak for Nurse McNeil to hear, so she leaned in closer. As she did so, the woman gripped her arm and stared into Nurse McNeil’s eyes and said, “Sharapova, call Corby MI6.”
Nurse McNeil removed the woman’s hand and, placing her own hand on the woman’s arm, said, “Lay still, I will go fetch the doctor.” The woman nodded in agreement and closed her eyes again, as if the effort of the last few minutes had been a struggle for her. Nurse McNeil returned to her desk and rang the on-call doctor and explained what had happened. The on-call doctor told her he would ring back in a few minutes.
A few minutes later the on-call doctor rang back. On hearing the doctor’s reply, she placed the phone receiver down and looked puzzled, but doing as the doctor ordered she returned to the woman patient, and noticing she had once again fallen asleep, she took the chair next to the bed and waited for the on-call doctor to arrive. Nurse McNeil wondered who this woman was; she only knew her as Patient S, but she wondered what had the on-call doctor so worried that she had been told to sit with her and make a note of anything else she said. Nurse McNeil watched the woman sleeping, and pondered on what she had said and who she was.
Next Book – A Plan of Vengeance
Copyright
Published by Clink Street Publishing 2017
Copyright © 2017
First edition.
The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means with-out the prior consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that with which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
ISBN:
978–1–912262–29–8 – paperback
978–1–912262–30–4 – ebook
The Second Son Page 29