The Inspector Walter Darriteau Murder Mysteries - Books 1-4 by David Carter (best finance books of all time .txt) 📕

in the eye as if she were casting some pagan spell on him.

‘Work!’ he shouted at her, and he turned away and stared at Monica and said: ‘I’ll see you later!’

LILY SANG GLANCED AT Shu and tried a smile, and then Brinton was away down the stairs, and hustling across the assembly floor to the exit doors. Lily watched him for as long as she could, saw him dragging the keys from his jeans and open the double doors, saw him step through, he didn’t look back, saw him close the doors behind him, imagined him on the other side, locking up, locking them in.

Lily Sang switched on her Jun Woo head.

It was crystal clear what had to be done.

She had one problem to solve, and one problem alone.

How to escape?

Once she could do that, everything else would fall into place.

Fenfang could be rescued and Shu and all the others could be freed. Jun Woo was optimistic. It shouldn’t be too difficult. She was already examining the possibilities in her head. As far as the double doors were concerned there were five possibilities.

To steal the keys.

To copy the keys.

To sneak out while the doors were open.

To break the doors down, maybe with a jemmy, maybe with fire.

Or, persuade someone else to open the doors and let her out.

She knew none of those options would be easy. But she wouldn’t have been sent on her mission if it had been easy. It was just another test. She had already achieved more than most of her superiors had imagined she would. But they didn’t know that yet, and they would never know it if Jun Woo failed in her mission, failed to get free.

There had to be other places, other exits, other ways in and out, besides those doors, that was where she would concentrate her unmatched logic, on seeking an alternative solution. Jun Woo smiled to herself. She had just realised that she was enjoying her task. She saw it as a game, like those sniffer dogs in airports who track down drugs and drug-runners. They saw everything as a game, did everything in their powers to gain rewards through success, by playing the game, and that was precisely how Jun Woo would tackle the riddle of Minstrel Electronics. One big deadly game... with one huge prize for the winner... and one terrifying result for the losers.

‘Come on!’ scolded Monica.

Perhaps Brinton was right about Lily Sang.

‘Stop daydreaming, girl, follow me, and we’ll get you started!’

BRINTON TAPPED ON PRYCE’S office door.

‘You wanted a chat?’

‘Yeah,’ said Pryce. ‘Come in. New units settling in?’

‘You know my thoughts on buck-teeth. She’ll be more trouble than enough. Oh, her name is Lily Sang, by the way, or some such nonsense. I’ve christened her fucking Foo Foo. She didn’t seem too pleased at the idea.’

Pryce sniggered and muttered, ‘Foo Foo,’ and shook his head.

‘You wanted to talk about the supermodel?’

‘Yeah. How is she?’

‘She’s fine.’

‘You feeding her?’

‘Yep.’

‘She’s not one of the pleb units, you know that, don’t you?’

‘I get ya.’

‘She’s our star attraction, she’s gonna make us a big payday, she’s gonna pay us a whopping Christmas bonus.’

‘Sounds good to me.’

‘You’re looking after her?’

‘Yeah! Said so, didn’t I?’

‘You’d better be, Brinton, no harm is to come to that girl.’

‘It’s not likely to with her trussed up in there like some condemned chicken.’

Pryce nodded, somewhat reassured.

‘How’s it going with the Chinese billionaire?’

Pryce grimaced.

‘It’s crazy isn’t it? The more money they have, the more pernickety they get.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘We’ve pretty much agreed a price, it’s just the payment details they are haggling over.’

‘Haggling over what?’

‘He wants to pay a third upfront, a third on delivery, and a third in three month’s time.’

Brinton guffawed. ‘Pillock! Just as if.’

‘That’s what I told him.’

‘Looks to me like it could drag on.’

‘Nah, I don’t think so. It’ll all happen in a rush. One day, no go at all, next day go go go, one phone call, one bank transfer, job done, and she’ll be on her way. I mean, let’s face it, he’s not going to buy a world-famous supermodel anywhere else, is he?’

Brinton grinned. ‘That would seem unlikely.’

‘Correctamundo. We hold all the cards. It’s just a case of how long it takes for the light to switch on in light-bulb laddy’s head.’

Brinton nodded and yawned.

Pryce said, ‘Go and check on my prize asset. I’m getting nervous.’

‘Okey-doke,’ said Brinton, and he got up and set off for the pep talk room, though he didn’t think the visit necessary. He was already giving Jessica Stone all the attention she could handle.

Sixty

Karen stood in the car park and took out her mobile and rang the office. She guessed Walter would be there, Saturday afternoon or not, and she was right.

‘Guv?’

‘Where are you?’

‘I’m outside the Ellie Napoleon Center.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Guess who was the special guest speaker at the conference?’

‘Presumably, Kit Contrick?’

‘No, he came later. Try again.’

‘Your Greg bloke?’

‘No! Don’t be silly.’

‘Then I have no idea.’

‘You’re not going to believe this.’

‘Just tell me!’

‘Can you believe... Donald Rushnell.’

‘What!’

‘I kid you not, as I live and breathe.’

‘So why didn’t you arrest him?’

‘I tried, I was right at the back of the theatre, and by the time I got down to the front he was kind of spirited away.’

‘He drove away?’

‘No! He was driven away in a smart silver Range Rover... the reg is,’ and she reeled off the number.

‘Least you got something right. Just a sec, I’ll do a PNC check.’

One minute, less than a minute to be exact, and Walter said, ‘That vehicle is registered to the Future Growth and Prosperity Group, The Ellie Napoleon Centre, Moorland Way, Church Stretton, Shropshire.’

‘What a surprise.’

‘So let me be clear. It looks like Donald has been putting all his cash into these dicky schemes?’

‘Could be.’

‘I told you that Kit Contrick would extract every last penny from your pocket. From everyone’s pocket.’

‘Everyone here still seems mighty smitten with him. It’s like being in the presence of an unnatural being.’

Walter guffawed.

Karen continued. ‘I have an appointment