The Financial Terrorist Read online

  This was getting them nowhere. Charles intervened, “Wendy, tell me what you have done. Tell me who this Jefferson is. And, if you co-operate, we will allow you to resign. That means you can get another job. If you don’t co-operate, I’ll fire you and hand you over to the police.”

  At that she started to sob. She cried real tears that made her mascara run into a blotchy black smudge. She looked awful. Her face was colourless. Her eyes were red. She was a picture of desolation.

  Maria interrupted her cries, “It’s too late to regret things now, you stupid fool. You’d do better to confess all to us. Who’s Jefferson? Is that his Christian name? Is he your lover?”

  Wendy gasped at this assertion. The bitch must have been a virgin. Nobody else would have been that shocked. “He’s Mr Jefferson,” she said, stressing the ‘Mr’. He’s head of security at Associated.”

  “What the hell are you playing around with him for? And why is that idiot Sir Piers, I suppose that’s his boss, after my blood?”

  “Mr Jefferson is my cousin,” she said primly. “He said that you were crooked. I suspected you were too. I agreed to help him and told him of your meetings and things. There was nothing untoward until last week when I discovered you were having a secret meeting with your wife’s Mafia father in the bank. And it was on a Sunday.”

  Charles feigned anger, “Why shouldn’t I meet him at the bank? Him and others. That was Rossi and Di Maglio business. IBE is an investment. The discussions were about other things. But, hell, I don’t need to explain to you. Who else are you feeding information to?”

  “Nobody. The only person who knew what I was doing was Mr Jefferson. Actually, his name is Hector. But he likes to be called Jefferson. That’s his army experience. He’s one of the Arbroath Jeffersons, you know.”

  This was said with some pride. Maria was having none of it. “Yeah, and Charles is one of the Corsican Rossis. My people are from the Bronx. Who gives anything? Have you been copying things at the office and selling them?”

  “No,” she spat indignantly, “How dare you? I work by high standards. I have nothing from the office here and I wouldn’t take anything at all at any price. Don’t judge me by your standards.”

  “Are you sure Jefferson hasn’t told others?” asked Charles.

  “No, I swore him to silence. He is a man of honour. He was a Major in the army.”

  “What were you going to get out of this? Were you trying to destroy the bank?”

  Tears came to her eyes. Charles wondered what the bitch was going to come up with now. “I want it to be like the old days. Then I was proud to be in the bank. Now it has changed. A lot of the old people have gone. The board is different. And I know that one day you will get rid of my boss and the others from the old bank.”

  “Did Dunkillin ask you to do this?”

  Once again she turned to him, this time in fury, “His name is the Lord Dunkillin. Respect him and his title. He knows nothing of this. But I am doing it for him and for the others who will bring the old bank back to its days of glory and honour.”

  “My God,” interjected Maria. “You do talk a load of crap.”

  “Keep your American slang out of this conversation. I don’t know what your role is in the bank. And I don’t want to know.”

  “OK Wendy, cool off,” replied Maria. “I’ll let you into a secret. I’m not like you, I’m no repressed virgin. I’ve screwed the boss, and on more than one occasion. And I guess we’ll do it again.”

  The women were hissing at each other. Maria was in control. She was just working on Wendy’s distaste of her and everything she stood for to get her angry and to tell them all.

  Charles intervened, “Hey, let’s not argue. We need to resolve this. Look, I’ll call the police. We better tell them also about Jefferson, the detectives and the others.”

  Wendy fell straight into the trap. “There are no others. The detectives were only there to get the tape. I opened the side door on Friday and also doctored the tape. Jefferson showed me how. It was easy. The recorder was voiced activated and the tape could last for hours. There is nobody else. We didn’t even tell our families. The detectives didn’t know where they were going or what the details were until they met Jefferson at Waterloo Station. Nobody knew as Jefferson arranged for them to be paid cash once the job was completed. He trusted Sir Piers enough to know he would get his expenses back.”

  “How were you going to go public? I heard what Jefferson said. Are you sure that you and Jefferson are the only ones who know?”

  She nodded. Then she looked scared. It was something in Charles’ look. She glanced back at Maria, she had now moved behind her. The moment Charles said, “Kill her” and the woman’s mouth opened to scream, the knife plunged into her heart. It was a kitchen knife Maria had picked up on their tour of the house. She shoved the now lifeless body forward and it fell onto the carpet.

  “Let’s move,” she said. “That was a dream.”

  “Get rid of the telephone tape. Take it. I don’t want anyone to find out what Jefferson said.”

  Maria took the tape, and opened a drawer beneath the phone. Another recording tape was there. She removed that and put it in place of the original. “Miss Perfect kept a spare one. I should think everything here is in duplicate.”

  “Not the kitchen knives.”

  “True, but it’s best to use something from the house in these cases. It makes it all look more like a robbery that went wrong.”

  “That reminds me.” Charles opened the woman’s handbag and took out a purse. He emptied its contents into his pocket. He also took her credit cards. That would allow them to send the police up another blind alley. They would get rid of them later.

  “Leave the cards,” said Maria. “They are not that easy to dispose of. We don’t want to take anything that can be traced easily. The jewellery can be dumped in the River Thames on our way back. Cards float. We better also get to my place and check out the police messages.”

  Maria had a radio set up in her flat. They could monitor any action on the shooting in Paddington from there. They could also check if there was anything on Jefferson. Charles was fairly sure that the late Ms Dale would not be discovered for a couple of days yet.

  There was rear door through the kitchen and they forced the lock with a gardening knife that was lying on the porch. It would now look like a break in. The wall around the garden was scaleable and, luckily for them, there was a small alleyway that skirted one side of it. That, they expected the police to assume, would be the way the intruder got into the house.

  They left though the way they came. They walked down the street arm in arm. They stopped occasionally, away from any lights, for a brief kiss. Anybody would think they were just another couple making their way home from the pub or somewhere. They doubted if anyone was looking. Most of the curtains seemed drawn and many of the houses were in darkness. This was not a late night neighbourhood.

  They walked on through Kilburn and into St John’s Wood. They caught a train through to Baker Street, only there did they get a cab, just to Cheyne Walk by the Thames. Maria lived up the road from there in a mansion flat. They sauntered over to the river and stopped to look to see if there were any video cameras trained on the area. There were none. There was nobody around. The cars could not see Maria’s hand as it slid behind Charles back and dropped the contents of the small jewellery case into the fast flowing water. That was followed by the case itself.

  “You’re sure it will sink?”

  “I’m sure. It’s heavy enough. I put some stones into the pockets. It’ll take a long time to surface, and, even if it does, it won’t be in one piece. The flap was open. It’ll rot before long.”

  They walked on to the flat. They walked arm in arm, not so much as a disguise, but rather because they wanted to. Once again, Charles knew they would need to make love. Once again he felt the warmth from Maria’s body flow through to him as they brushed against each other. Charl
es remembered the interruption of the morning and that increased his desire all the more. He thought of the four people who’d had to die, how stupid they were to get in the way. If they had stuck to their own business, they could have continued living. But it had been a matter of them or him. And, therefore, there had been no choice.

  He noticed Maria move closer to him as they kissed. He realised they were stopping more often now. His hands moved round her body to her small firm breasts. And he felt her dig her hands into his buttocks as she pulled him close to her.

  She opened the door of her flat, and he started to kiss her passionately. “No,” she said. “First of all, we must complete the job.”

  She went over to the radio. It was in a den that she had constructed. A den rather than a study. It was her workroom. She could pick up nothing about the murders. “The police could have come and gone. Jefferson was around midday. The two others were at around half five. It’s almost eleven now.”

  “Check out the news channel then.”

  They watched the news but there was little to note. There was a lot about politics and a bit about sport. Then the crime reporter came on.

  “Police were called to Paddington today after two unidentified men were gunned down in a deserted street. They were walking towards London’s Bayswater, when a gunman opened fire with an automatic from a passing car. Both men were hit several times and were dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. Police say they have reason to believe that this was a drugs related gangland assassination.

  There was a further killing earlier today in London’s worst ever day of violent crime. A security man from a City bank was knifed to death in front of the Royal Exchange. Police confirm that he was carrying a substantial sum of money. There are no known witnesses to the murder, but police are calling on anyone who was in the vicinity of the Royal Exchange around 12.30 or 12.45 this afternoon to come forward. The body was found shortly after the murder at 1.00 p.m. by a passer by.

  A spokesman for the man’s employers said that they had no idea why he was in the City on a Sunday. They could give no clues as to why he was carrying such a large sum of money. They said he was a loyal employee of six year’s standing and an ex army officer.”

  “Nothing else,” said Charles. That was good if they think Jefferson was killed around half twelve. You were there at twelve.”

  Maria nodded. “There were no amateur photographers around and I kept clear of the security cameras. I know their ranges. So we should be safe there. But why were the other two described as unidentified?”

  “The bag didn’t hold all the contents of their wallets. I kept it back.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Jacqui took it with her. She was going to drop the stuff off in a wastepaper bin, but well away from the City. She’ll drive somewhere out of our normal area for that. She said she’d put them in a bag first and make it look as if it were full of rubbish from a picnic. She’ll be careful.”

  Maria nodded, “Is there anything else we need to do?”

  Charles shook his head, “I think we have covered all trails. I’ll need to get back home. I’ll borrow your car. You can pick it up tomorrow. It’ll be at home. If you need a cover, you came over to our area and left it there. You do that from time to time, so nobody would be surprised.”

  Maria smiled. “I usually only do that when I want to be naughty.”

  The next thing he knew were her arms around him, as she propelled him towards her large double bed. They fell on it together. They knew what they wanted. Charles’ hand moved up under her dark sweater at the same time as her hands moved round from his hips. The room was lit by a pink glow from the light above the bed. They were both breathing fast, as if they had been running. It was a powerful need to have sex. It was not love. It was pure sex. They needed it after the tension of the afternoon. They needed it after the killings that he had ordered and she had carried out.

  He kissed her, pushing his lips against her. They felt their teeth clash as he forced her mouth open with his tongue. They tasted each other. They felt each other’s tongues moisten their lips.

  After that, they tore off their clothes and pushed together in a frenzy that could only come at times like that. Charles thought of the frustration of the morning interruption, the excitement of the afternoon, the memory of Maria’s body during the walk home. The result was not passion. It was not love. This, as it always was with Maria, was pure unadulterated sexual enjoyment.

  She excited and was excited. Her sexuality was undoubted. She seemed to combine the best of both worlds in her bisexuality. Charles did not believe there were many like him. He was one of her rare men. The others were mainly by command when she needed to act the whore for her job. And that had never happened since she had started to work for Charles. It only arose when she was operating for Di Maglio.

  Their urges had been satisfied. Their bodies had made their minds relax and forget. They lay together for some time before he gently moved away. “It’s time to go sweetheart. It’s back to reality.”

  She kissed him. “Thanks. That was good. Good for me and for you too. Come back whenever. You’ll know when I need it as well.”

  He went to the bathroom and soon was washed and dressed. He prepared to leave. Maria had put on a towelling robe and was watching the news. She stood up as he returned, “It’s the same story as before. I’ve rechecked the police radio bands and there is nothing on them. So it looks as if all has gone to plan. I’ll see you in the morning at the office.”

  He took the keys and nodded. One short kiss. She still could sense him on her, and then he was gone.

  Charles got home at just after one. Jacqui was awake. She got up and threw her arms around him. “Did it all go as planned? I heard about the Paddington shooting on the TV. They also covered the killing at the Royal Exchange.”

  “We got Wendy Dale. She was working alone. She’s dead. Maria killed her with a kitchen knife. We made it look like breaking and entering. We dumped the cars. I left the one you stole near Hyde Park. With a bit of luck someone will take it for a joy ride and that will complicate things even more.

  “But what did you do with the contents of the wallets?”

  “I went for walk to St Katherine’s docks. I was all alone at one point and so I threw them into the water. They sunk to the bottom. I then picked up the car and came home. I played with little Juliet. We went briefly to the park and fed the ducks. She’s fast asleep now. Do you think we need to do anything tomorrow?”

  “Yes. We need to start the ball rolling on the scam. I want to use our friend, Stephens, as quickly as possible. And then we need to dump him. He’s bad news. But he will be useful as a fall guy. Maria will be glad to deal with him. She resented his attack on her this morning. She really went for Wendy this evening, I didn’t know she knew she was telling everyone Maria was a little tart.”

  Jacqui laughed, “That would not have gone down well with our Maria. She doesn’t like being treated like that, even as a joke.”

  Charles was only half listening. He had stripped and fallen into bed. He was now exhausted. He pulled Jacqui towards him, but, before he could think of anything else, he was fast asleep. He was still holding her in his arms the next morning when the alarm woke them with its strident call.

  “Tonight,” said Jacqui.

  “Or perhaps in the boardroom, if it’s free,” he replied.

  In a better mood than he expected, they cheerfully got dressed and headed to the office to meet the challenge ahead.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Maria walked into the office the next morning and whispered mischievously to Charles, “Sleep well last night? I did. I was exhausted after all that happened.” Then she said, “Shouldn’t we have a confab?”

  Charles beckoned Jacqui. “What news?”

  “No fresh news from Paddington or the Royal Exchange. The police seem to be going on the same tack. Two boys have been arrested with our stolen car. I suppos
e they were joy-riders. They were arrested in South London. That’s good as it’s well away from any of our incidents. Otherwise, I’ll keep an ear open for any news on the late Wendy.” She grinned and looked at her watch, muttering, “Poor timekeeping that girl. No standards.”

  There was plenty of day to day business at the bank that day. Maria called in during the afternoon.

  “Nobody is concerned about Wendy. They are surprised. She would normally call in. They say she’s not at home. Her phone’s not answering. Obviously they don’t know that she is at home but that it’s not easy answering the phone with a great big kitchen knife in your back. I suspect they’ll call the police tomorrow. It appears her parents are elderly and Dunkillin doesn’t want to worry them.”

  Charles talked to Giovanni that afternoon and they went over the legal agreement. It all was simple. He was drawing up the necessary papers for the take-over of PAF as well.

  “Shouldn’t we really call it a merger?” he queried.

  “No,” replied Giovanni. “That will complicate things. Look, the regulators would prefer a take-over. I am going to pass the word that the Di Maglio family is quitting banking. The idea will be to make it look as if it is the first step in the boss’s retirement plans. There are good reasons for us to intimate that, one or two things are getting hot over here.”

  “But Giovanni, he’ll own a great chunk of the new company.”

  “No he won’t. Little Juliet will own it. Di Maglio will gift it to his grandchild. I’m creating a trust, it will avoid tax. The idea of moving the bank into honest hands will mean that the regulators will want to kiss your ass. Trust me, it will be easy. You don’t seem too bad yet, all you’ve done is speculate. At least that’s what they think.”

  “What will he want in return? I know him well enough. He never gives without a purpose.”