Midnight Runner - Jack Higgins [62]
They waited in the hall while the maid went upstairs. She was back in a moment, stood at the top, and called, "Please come up, gentlemen."
She showed them into the drawing room, where Kate Rashid sat by the fire, Dauncey standing behind her.
"Well, well," she said. "What do we have here? The Three Musketeers? All for one and one for all?"
"That's not funny, Kate," Dillon said. "And I don't think you'll find it funny yourself when you hear what we have."
"Such as?"
Quinn took out the pen. "We found this at Oxford. It belonged to Alan Grant. I know you know who he is, so don't pretend you don't."
"Of course we know," said Kate Rashid. "Don't be melodramatic, Senator."
"Well, this is what you don't know. This pen is really a recording device. And Alan Grant turned it on when your cousin started threatening him."
Kate Rashid looked taken aback. Then she rallied. "Nonsense. Where would someone like him get a thing like that?"
"His brother's in the security business," Dillon said. "It was a present."
Quinn took the tape from his pocket and held it up. "We took the liberty of making a copy. The quality is much better. You'll see."
There was a sound deck in the corner and he switched it on and slipped the tape in place. There was a moment's silence, then Rupert Dauncey started to speak...
Afterwards, Dillon said, "Any way you try to spin it, it's bad for you, Kate." He looked at Dauncey. "And you."
"Guaranteed prison time, I'd say," Ferguson said.
But, remarkably, Rupert was unfazed. He lit a cigarette, face calm. "Do what you like," he said. "You won't get far. You must realize that, Ferguson, don't you?"
"No, that's the wrong way of putting it," Quinn said. "What you mean is, we won't get far enough. You'll get some stupid piddling sentence, of which you'll only serve half anyway. And you know what? You're right. You know what this is worth?" He held up the pen. "Nothing. Its only useful function is to tell me you were responsible for my daughter's death."
And he tossed the pen and the tape into the fire.
Ferguson said, "For God's sake!" as the tape flamed and the pen melted. Even Dillon looked surprised.
Quinn continued. "I'll be flying to Boston tomorrow morning with my daughter's ashes. When she's laid to rest, I'll be back. Then we'll get started."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Kate Rashid asked, visibly rattled.
"Countess, I intend to go to war on you and your company. I intend to ruin you. And ruin you I will, if it's the last thing I do."
"And you," he said, turning to Rupert Dauncey. "You are a dead man walking."
He turned and led the way out.
A fter they'd gone, Kate Rashid said, "Well. That was rather nasty, darling. Though you have to admire that gesture. Do you think it's true, that those were the only copies of the tape?"
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." He lit another cigarette. "I'll have his house watched, so we know when he's back."
"Then what?"
"Then I'll handle it." He smiled. "The 'last thing I do' will come somewhat sooner than he expects." He turned. "And what about you? What about this bomb thing of yours?"
"I'm still waiting to hear from Colum McGee. Once he's arranged things with Barry Keenan, we'll fly to and drive down to Drumcree."
"Do I finally find out why?"
"Of course. Just not yet. Everything comes to he who waits, darling." She seemed to have regained her spirits.
"So what would you like to do while we wait?"
"Oh, let's have a little fun. I was thinking of going down to Dauncey Place. I keep my little plane there at the air club, my Black Eagle. I was thinking we could fly over to the Isle of Wight and have a picnic."
"But what about Ferguson and his crew?"
"My dear Rupert, that's exactly the point. They'll never believe we're going over there just to have a picnic. It'll drive them crazy!"
A t Ferguson's suggestion, Luke drove them to The Dorchester. They went in and sat in a corner.
"Champagne hardly seems in order," Ferguson said.
"No, but a brandy would be," Quinn said, and held up his right hand, which shook slightly.