‘It might. On Brighton Pier.’
‘ “So that your dear father can rest in his grave. Your mother too. For your ideals. Mickie’s ideals. Mine as well, even if I’ve had to hide ’em under a bushel for security reasons.” ‘
‘What do I tell her about the children?’
‘It’s for their future.’
‘Fine future they’ve got, with both of us sitting in the nick. Seen the arms stuck out of the windows, have you? I counted them once. You do that if you’ve been inside. Twenty-four to one window not including the washing, and it’s one window to a cell.’
Osnard sighed as if this was going to hurt him more than Pendel.
‘You’re forcing me to play hardball, Harry.’
‘I’m not forcing you. Nobody’s forcing you.’
‘I don’t want to do this to you, Harry.’
‘Then don’t.’
‘Tried to break it to you gently, Harry. Didn’t work out, so I’m giving you the bottom line.’
‘There isn’t one, not with you.’
‘Both your names are on the deeds. You and Louisa. You’re both in the same hole. You want the deeds back – shop and farm – London will want a solid contribution from the pair o’ you. If they don’t get it, love will turn sour and they’ll switch off the money supply and put you under the hammer. Shop, farm, golf clubs, four-track, kids, the whole catastrophe.’
Pendel’s head took a while to lift, as if the judge’s custodial sentence had taken a bit of time to sink in.
‘That’s blackmail, isn’t it, Andy?’
‘Market forces, ol’ boy.’
Pendel rose slowly and stood motionless, feet together and head down, staring at the banknotes on the bed before tidying them into their envelope and putting the envelope in his bag, with the carbons and the fly spray.
‘I’ll need some days.’ He was speaking to the floor. ‘I’ve got to talk to her, haven’t I?’
‘Remedy’s in your hands, Harry.’
Pendel shuffled towards the door, head down.
‘So long, Harry. Next time, next place, okay? Go well now. Good luck.’
Pendel stopped, paused and turned, his face revealing nothing beyond a passive acceptance of his punishment.
‘You too, Andy. And thank you for the bonus and the whisky and for sharing your suggestions with me regarding both Mickie and my wife.’
‘My pleasure, Harry.’
‘And don’t forget to come and try your tweed jacket now. It’s what I call tough but tasty. Time we made a new man of you.’
Locked an hour later in the cage at the furthest end of the strongroom Osnard spoke into the overlarge mouthpiece of the secret telephone and imagined his words being digitally recomposed in Luxmore’s furry ear. In London Luxmore had arrived at his desk early in order to receive Osnard’s call.
‘Gave him the carrot, then waved the stick at him, sir,’ he reported in the Boy Hero voice he kept for his master. ‘Rather vigorously, I’m afraid. But he’s still dithering. She will, she won’t, she may. He’s not saying.’
‘Damn him!’
‘That’s what I felt.’
‘So he’s holding out for yet more money, eh?’
‘Looks like it.’
‘Never blame a shit for acting in character, Andrew.’
‘Says he needs time to talk her round.’
‘The clever monkey. Time to talk us round, more likely. What will buy her, Andrew? Give it me straight. My God, we’ll keep him on a tight rein after this!’
‘He hasn’t mentioned a figure, sir.’
‘I’ll bet he hasn’t. He’s a negotiator. He’s got us by the short-and-curlies and knows it. What’s your guestimate? You know the fellow. What’s your worst case?’
Osnard permitted a silence that denoted careful reflection.
‘He’s hard,’ he said cautiously.
‘I know he’s hard! They’re all hard! You know he’s hard! The Top Floor knows he’s hard. Geoff knows he’s hard. Certain private investor friends of mine know he’s hard. He’s been hard from day one. He’ll get harder as we come up to the post. My God, if I knew of a better hole, I’d go to it! There was a fellow in the Falklands contest took us for a fortune and never delivered a damn thing.’
‘It’s got to be on results.’
‘Go on.’
‘A bigger retainer will only encourage him to rest on his oars.’