Ferguson shook his head. 'No, you continue here with Regan and the Major.' He turned to Helen Black. 'How would you fancy an excursion into the London underworld, Sergeant Major?'
'Why, I can't think of anything I'd like more, Brigadier.' 'Good, let's be on our way, then,' and Ferguson led the way out.
10
LONDON
Salter and Billy were in the Blind Beggar, one of London's most famous pubs, in its heyday the haunt of gangsters such as the Kray brothers, the Richardsons and others. It was crowded and busy at that time in the evening, although a lot of the crowd were tourists, for organized trips were very much a part of the scene.
Salter waved to a small man, an albino in a black tee shirt and suit. 'One of the best lock and safe men in the business, Billy. Manchester Charlie Ford. The big black guy with him is Amber Frazer. Very good with his hands, though, mind you, he's got a brain. They're an item.'
'What do you mean, an item?' Billy asked.
'You know, gay. Homosexual.'
Billy shook his head. 'Well, all I can say is they're missing out on a damn good thing.'
'Takes all sorts, Billy. We'll have him over.'
He beckoned, and Ford approached, with Frazer by his side. 'Charlie, my old son, and Amber.' Salter shook hands. 'My nephew, Billy. Watch yourselves. He's a right villain.'
Aren't we all?' Ford said.
'Join us for a drink. I might be able to put a bit of business your way.'
He'd already heard that Ford and his friends were booked up, but was testing the water.
'What are you suggesting, Harry?' Ford asked.
'Well, I'm organizing something big. I won't say what, but I'd need a top man with your skills, and let's face it, Charlie, you
'When are we talking about?'
'Next couple of weeks.'
'No way, Harry, I mean, next month could be all right, but I'm booked right now.'
'Well, good for you. It's a nice one, I hope.'
'Very nice, Harry, very special.'
'Say no more. What I don't know, I can't talk about.' He kept the faqade going. 'What about Phil Shapiro?'
'Got turned over last week. They're holding him at West End Central. You could try Hughie Belov. Mind you, he claims to be retired, but he taught me a lot. Depends on what you're offering.'
'Thanks for the idea,' Salter told him.
At that moment, the Jago brothers walked in and stood at the end of the bar. Ford said, 'Got to go, old son. See you around.'
'Take care,' Salter told him.
Ford and Frazer joined the Jagos. Billy said, 'That settles it, I'd say.'
'Yeah. But we still need to know exactly what they're up to.'
'How do we do that?'
'The old-fashioned way. Follow them to see where it leads. Come on.'
Baxter and Hall waited in the Range Rover parked up the street. Salter said, 'Don't bother with me, I'll get a taxi. You wait with Billy. The Jagos are inside, with Manchester Charlie Ford. When they come out, follow them. You've got those night glasses in the glove compartment, Joe, the Russian things.'
'Sure have, Harry.'
'Get on with it, then,' and Salter walked away.
It was half an hour later that the Jagos emerged, with Ford and Frazer. They went up the street to a Ford station wagon, got inside, and drove away. To Billy's surprise, they were aiming for home territory, Wapping. There was plenty of late evening traffic and Baxter stayed well back. The station wagon finally turned into a narrow road between old warehouses, mostly refurbished.
'St Richard's Dock,' Baxter said. 'They turned all the old warehouses into offices and such last ear.'
'Any housing, apartments?' Billy asked.
'No.'
'Then what the hell are they up to? Pull in at the end of the street and give me those glasses.'
Baxter parked in the shadow of a wall and they got out. Billy focused the glasses, as the Jagos and the other two got out and went down stone steps to the shingle beach beside the river. They started to walk, and Billy watched, for they were clearly seen in the strange green glow of the glasses.
'The tide's out,' Hall said. 'Otherwise, they'd be swimming.'
'They've disappeared,' Billy said. 'We'll wait.'
It was ten minutes later that the Jagos and the others reappeared and walked back along the beach. They climbed the steps, got in the station wagon, and drove away.
'Okay,' Billy said. 'Get the torch from the Range Rover, Joe, and we'll take a look.'
He found what he was looking for with no trouble, an arched entrance to a tunnel, dark and wet, lichen growing over the ancient stoneware. There was a damp river smell to everything. He led the way, probing the darkness with the torchlight, and came to a huge rusting iron grille gate. There was a lock, everything corroded tight.
'So what are they up to?' Baxter asked.
'God knows, but we'll find out. Back to Harry,' and he turned and led the way out.
In his personal booth at the end of the bar at the Dark Man, Harry Salter sipped beer and listened. 'St Richard's Dock. I've got a piece of that, Billy.' He called to Dora and she came round the bar. He put an arm round her waist. 'Have a look in the file in my office, love, St Richard's Dock.'
'Anything for you, Harry.'
'Yes, I know that, only just get me the bleeding file.'
She was back in a couple of minutes. He opened the file, took out a plan and checked it. 'Two merchant banks, estate agent, property developers, two restaurants, the White Diamond Company.' He sat back. 'Jesus Christ, no, they couldn't. I mean, a place like that these days. It's state-of-the-art security. The bleeding works. I can't believe this.'
Strangely, it was Billy who said, 'Just take it slowly, Harry. Let's consider what they were doing on the beach in that tunnel.'
'You're right, Billy, you're learning.' He turned to Hall. 'Have a look in the saloon bar. See if that old geezer Handy Green's in. He usually is. Used to be a barge captain. There's nothing he doesn't know about the river — more than me, and that's saying something.'
Hall went off, and returned a moment later with an ancient and wizened man, all shrivelled up inside a reefer coat and jeans.
Salter said, 'Handy, my old son. Come and join us for a drink. I think you might be able to help me.'
'Anything, Harry, anything I can do, you know that.' 'The thing is, Handy, I've got a problem. You know St Richard's Dock?'
'Course I do, Harry.'
'They've redeveloped all the warehouses, office, all that.'
'Finished it last year. I used to work the boats, the old sailing barges from there when I was a kid.'
'There's an interesting thing,' Harry said. 'Billy happened to be on the beach there and noticed the entrance to a tunnel.'
