“I notice you haven’t offered your earrings. They cost a bomb, if I remember right.”
“Oh, shut up.”
“Where the hell is Chilton Leys anyway?”
“Not far,” said Pauline.
“I passed it on my way here,” said Geoff.
They were silent for an interval. Then Andy said, “Well, has anyone spoken to Reg on the phone in the past twenty-four hours?”
“It must be a week since we spoke.” said Pauline.
“What time is it?” said Gemma.
“Five past five.”
“He would have been here by now,” said Pauline. “Or if he had trouble with the car he would have phoned.”
“Anyone care for another drink?” asked Andy.
“How many is that you’ve had already?” said Gemma.
“I want to say something,” said Pauline.
“Feel free,” said Andy, with the bottle in his hand.
She smoothed her skirt. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but if it wasn’t a hoax and Reg really had been kidnapped, we could never forgive ourselves if these people murdered him because we did nothing about it.”
“Come off it,” said Andy.
“I mean, why are we refusing to respond to the note? Is it because we’re afraid of making fools of ourselves? Is that all it is?”
“We don’t believe it, that’s why,” said Gemma.
“You mean you don’t want to run the risk of Reg having the last laugh? It’s all about self-esteem, isn’t it? How typical of our family—all inflated egos. We’d rather run the risk of Reg being murdered than lay ourselves open to ridicule.”
“That isn’t the point,” said Andy. “We’re calling his bluff.”
“So you say. And if by some freak of circumstances you’re mistaken, how will any of us live with it for the rest of our lives? I’m telling you, Andy, I’m frightened. I know what you’re thinking. I can see it in your eyes. I’m gullible, a stupid, immature female. Well I don’t mind admitting I’m bloody frightened. If none of you wants to take this seriously that’s up to you. I do. I’m going to put all the money I have into a bag and take it to that phone box. If nobody comes, what have I lost? Some dignity, that’s all. You can laugh at me every Christmas from now on. But I mean it.” She stood up.
“Hold on,” said Andy. “We’ve heard what you think. What about the rest of us?”
“It isn’t quite the same for you, is it?” said Pauline. “He’s my brother.”
“He’s Gemma’s brother, too. And Geoff’s.”
Andy switched to his wife. “What do
Gemma hesitated.
“Or Geoff,” said Andy. “Do you have an opinion, Geoff?”
Geoffs hand went to his collar as if it had tightened suddenly.
Gemma said, “Pauline is right. Ten to one it’s Reg having us on, but we can’t take the risk. We’ve got to do something.”
Geoff nodded. He backed his sisters.
Pauline said, “I’m going upstairs to collect my jewellery, such as it is. We pool everything we have, right?”
“Right,” said Gemma, unfixing her gold earrings and turning to Andy. “Do you want to be part of this, or not?”
Andy slapped his wad of bank notes on the table. “I don’t believe in these kidnappers anyway.”
“Let’s have your watch, then,” said Gemma. “And the ingot.”
Geoff took out his wallet and emptied it.
The heap of money and valuables markedly increased when Pauline returned. She’d found some family heirlooms, including their grandmother’s diamond-studded choker, worth several thousand alone. With her own pieces and the travellers’ cheques, the collection must have come close to the value demanded in the note. She scooped everything into a denim bag with bamboo handles and said, “I’ll get my coat.”
Gemma told her, “Not you, sweetie. That’s a job for one of the men.”
Andy said, “Give the bag to me.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” said Gemma. “You’re way over the limit with all the brandy you’ve had. Besides, you don’t know the way.”
They turned to look at Geoff. He knew the way. He had said so.
“I’ll go,” he said, rising quite positively from the armchair. He looked a trifle unsteady in the upright position, but he’d been seated a long time. Maybe the brandy hadn’t gone to his head. He had certainly drunk less than Andy.
Gemma still felt it necessary to ask, “Will you be all right?”
Geoff nodded. He had spoken. There was no need for more words.
Pauline asked, “Would you like me to come?”
Andy said, “The instruction was clear. If you believe it, Geoffs got to go alone.”
In the hall, Pauline helped Geoff on with his padded jacket. “If you see anyone, don’t take them on, will you? We just want you and Reg safely back.”
Geoff looked incapable of taking anyone on as he shuffled across the gravel to his old Cortina, watched from the door by the others. He placed the bag on the passenger seat and got in.
“Is he sober?” Gemma asked.
“He only had a couple,” said Andy.
“He looked just the same when he arrived,” said Pauline. “He’s had a hard time lately. So many businesses going bust. They don’t need accountants.”
Gemma said, “If anything happened to him just because Reg is acting the fool, I’d commit murder, I don’t mind saying.”
They heard the car start up and watched it trundle up the drive.
When the front door closed again, Gemma asked, “What time is it?”
“Twenty past,” said Pauline. “He should just about make it.”
Andy said, “I don’t know why you two are taking this seriously. If I believed for a moment it was a genuine ransom demand I wouldn’t have parted with three hundred pounds and a Rolex. I assure you.”
“So what would you have done, cleverclogs?” said Gemma.
This wrongfooted Andy. He spread his hands wide as if the answer were too obvious to go into.
“Let’s hear it,” said Gemma. “Would you have called the police and put my brother’s life at risk?”
“Certainly I’d have called them,” said Andy, recovering his poise. “They have procedures for this sort of emergency. They’d know how to handle it without putting anyone’s life at risk.”
“For example?”
“Well, they’d observe the pickup from a distance. Probably they’d attach some tiny bugging device to the goods being handed over. They might coat some of the banknotes with a dye that responds to ultraviolet light.”
Gemma turned to Pauline. “I’m wondering if we should call them.”
Andy said, “It’s too late. The police would have no option but to come down like a ton of bricks. Someone would get hurt.”
Pauline said, “Oh God, no. Let’s wait and see what happens.”
“We won’t have long to wait. That’s one thing,” said Andy. “You don’t mind if I switch on the telly, Pauline?”
They sat in silence watching a cartoon film about a snowman.
Before it finished, Pauline went to the window and pulled back the curtain to look along the drive.
“See anything?” asked Gemma.
“No.”
