Shannon's Gamble by Paul Bennett

Author:Paul Bennett [BENNETT, PAUL]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

On Friday morning, Valentine and I drove the Beamer to the Zeus complex. The guard routine was higher since the bomb. Not only were we and the boot searched, but the inside was subjected to a thorough going over. Horse bolted.

There were a lot of car park spaces: many staff must have parked up somewhere en route, hopped on the Docklands Light Railway and walked from the nearest station. One area had been cordoned off by the police and a tent put up to preserve the scene of the bombing and allow the forensic team to get on with their work. I did what the other drivers had done and parked as far away from the building as possible.

Once we were installed in our office, I sent Valentine off to arrange an interview with the football team of expert and watcher. I imagined that football would be a lucrative medium for fraud. Lots of ways to throw a game or key aspects of it: penalties missed; first yellow card; sending off; in play bets of many possibilities and so on. Time would tell.

Meanwhile, I looked over the calculations of profits generated or lost by each team. Too early to tell, but I was optimistic. I was sure that something was going on. It’s that annoying itch you get and can’t quite reach to scratch.

I was interrupted by a call from Morag. ‘Are you alone?’ she said.

‘Just me here slaving over something or other.’

‘I have had a call from Lady Livia. You will meet her for lunch tomorrow — not invited to lunch, but a direct order to attend. She said it was confidential. Stressed that no one, and that means no one, must find out. One o’clock at Le Grand Delice. Shall I tell her yes?’

‘Seems too good an opportunity to turn down. Thanks, Morag. Better keep it to just you and me for the moment. See you later.’

I called Cherry while looking at the laptop. She sounded weary and downbeat: probably starved of interaction with some interesting people. And me, of course! I’m sure the staff were well intentioned, but there is a tendency to treat all patients patronisingly. I told her the latest of what had happened: the bomb — although she would have read some of the details in the morning papers and news programmes on the TV — our plan of action; the support for it by everyone. We would not be defeated. She perked up. I told her that I was missing her, how much I loved her and that I would visit her as soon as I could in the afternoon.

Valentine returned and told me I was on in an hour and that he would go out for some coffee meantime. I didn’t say no. Good for both of us to be fuelled up for the morning.

It would seem that horse racing had made a slight loss, but that was to be expected due to limits on bets being made by the government,

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