‘I’ll pop down and fetch you a drink up, sir,’ said MacGregor when he’d finished explaining why Dover couldn’t make a personal appearance in the bar of The Bishop’s Crozier.
Dover flopped back on the bed, his filthy boots once more sinking into the long-suffering eiderdown. ‘All right,’ he agreed in a disconsolate whine, ‘but it’s not the same, you know.’
At six o’clock in the morning, the Claret Tappers struck. They phoned their orders through to the switchboard of the local maternity’ hospital and there was some delay before the message was relayed to the police. Superintendent Trevelyan,- a large placid man who could see his pension and country cottage at the end of the tunnel, woke MacGregor and readily acquiesced to his suggestion that they should let the sleeping Dover lie until they had worked out their strategy.
‘Not that he’s going to get much more than an extra twenty minutes,’ said Superintendent Trevelyan as they made their way quietly down the stairs. ‘We’ve got to get him to the foot of Fish Down by half past seven. Still, that shouldn’t take us more than twenty minutes at this time in the morning.’
They settled down in the chilly saloon bar. It reeked of stale tobacco smoke and spilt beer. MacGregor wrapped his vicuna dressing-gown more closely round him as he studied the sheet of paper which the superintendent had handed him. ‘Well, it looks straightforward enough, sir. We’ve just got to get Mr Dover to the bottom of Fish Down with the money at seven thirty. There, he’ll find further instructions. If the police attempt to interfere or follow the collectors of the money in any way, the kidnapped child will be killed. “We are not fooling, pigs. Signed: The Claret Tappers.’” MacGregor stifled a yawn. ‘Pretty much what we expected, sir.’
Superintendent Trevelyan agreed. ‘We shall try and follow ‘em, of course. We’ve had orders from on high about that. It’s going to be tricky, though.’ He unfolded a large-scale Ordnance Survey map. ‘Fish Down’s right in the middle of the Plain, you see. No cover. And I don’t see how we can make any form of transport look inconspicuous at that time in the morning.’ He tapped the map with his finger. ‘There are half a dozen roads we ought to cover, in both directions.’
MacGregor stared. ‘Fish Down looks like the centre of quite a little complex of roads, sir. I suppose that’s why they chose it. A car could come along from any direction and pick up the money and clear off in almost any direction again.’ He scratched his head. ‘An army helicopter, sir?’
‘Well, we’ve always got them buzzing around over the Plain, of course, but I think one over Fish Down this morning would look jolly suspicious. As a matter of fact, ‘I’ve already sent a request to the Army to keep clear till midday.’ The superintendent felt obliged to justify his decision. ‘We’ve got to remember that child’s safety, you know. The Claret Tappers’ threats are quite clear. If they spot any police involvement, they’ll kill.’
‘The way you’re talking, sir,’ said MacGregor rather highhandedly, ‘it sounds as though you think we shouldn’t be maintaining any surveillance at all.’
‘I don’t think we should,’ said Superintendent Trevelyan flatly. ‘I reckon we’re putting that baby’s life in jeopardy by even sitting here discussing it. However, I’m only an executive officer in this operation, chosen for my local knowledge. The orders are coming from London.’
MacGregor looked at the map again. ‘How do you propose to tackle the problem, sir?’
Superintendent Trevelyan consulted the sheet of paper he’d taken out of his briefcase. ‘Well, it’s been a bit of a rush job, as you can imagine, but I propose sticking one chap in mufti up here on Caper Hill with a pair of binoculars and a radio. We’re lucky that the only other hill in the area besides Fish Down covers this same complex of roads. My chap should be able to spot the pick-up with no trouble at all.’
‘And he’ll then radio a description of the kidnappers’ vehicle and the direction they’re taking?’
‘That’s about it. I’ll have cars concealed along these roads where I can. There’s a couple of farmyards we can use and this little coppice here might provide a bit of shelter. Always providing the Claret Tappers themselves aren’t using it,’ the superintendent added despondently. ‘If the pick-up doesn’t take place immediately, though, we stand a bit better chance because there’ll be more traffic about as the morning draws on. Ill be able to infiltrate a few more of my lads without arousing too much suspicion.’
‘Not in police cars, sir, I hope?’ MacGregor didn’t really trust the intelligence of people who lived in the country from choice.
‘No, sergeant,’ said Superintendent Trevelyan heavily, ‘not in police cars.’
MacGregor hurriedly found a new topic of conversation. ‘How do you envisage the hand-over of the money, sir? Do you think Mr Dover will just have to dump it by the side of the road and then drive off, leaving the Claret Tappers to come along and pick it up at their leisure? Or will there be an actual, physical hand-over, with the chief inspector having to hang about until they turn up?’ MacGregor sighed. ‘He won’t like that, I’m afraid.’
Superintendent Trevelyan looked at his watch. ‘Time’s getting on,’ he warned. ‘I think we should be waking your boss pretty soon. I’ve asked the landlord if he can’t lay on a bit of breakfast before we set
