For the first time Beth thought Christina might be telling the truth, but she continued to listen, listen, listen.
‘Believe me, I’m determined to prove to you and William whose side I’m on. If there’s anything I can do to prove …’
The moment she pretends to be on your side and asks what she can do to prove it, is when you strike. Start with something small, William had suggested, and if she grants your request, you can then tempt her with something she won’t be able to resist. Just before she leaves, ask her one final question that will reveal if she’s telling you the truth, or is nothing more than a messenger carrying out her paymaster’s orders.
‘What a kind offer,’ said Beth. ‘The museum is hoping to mount a Frans Hals exhibition next autumn. I know you have The Flute Player in your collection, and we’d love to borrow it for six weeks.’
If she turns down your request, William had said, she’s admitting that Miles still has control of the entire collection, and that’s not something she’ll want you to know, as it leaves her with no bargaining position.
Christina hesitated. ‘I’m sure that will be fine.’
‘Thank you,’ said Beth, before casting a far bigger fly on the water. ‘That will compensate for the gallery not being able to afford Caravaggio’s Fishers of Men, which we were recently offered, but couldn’t meet the asking price.’ Word-perfect.
‘Is that public knowledge?’ asked Christina, rising to the bait.
‘No, it isn’t,’ said Beth. ‘Lord McLaren approached us privately. It seems that following his father’s untimely death, he’s experiencing an inheritance problem and the tax man expects him to come up with twenty million by the end of the year. I had to tell him that sum was out of our league.’ She paused for a moment, enjoying herself. ‘That’s confidential, of course.’
‘Of course,’ said Christina. ‘But at least I can help you with the Frans Hals. That should prove which side I’m on,’ she added, as she rose from her seat.
‘You have nothing to prove,’ said Beth, giving her a warm smile. ‘But may I ask you one more thing before you leave?’
‘Anything,’ said Christina.
‘Where is Miles at the moment?’
Christina didn’t reply immediately, but eventually murmured, ‘Buenos Aires,’ as if reluctantly revealing a well-kept secret.
‘Thank you,’ said Beth, not sure if Christina was lying, or genuinely didn’t know where he was. William would have to make that decision.
Christina turned to leave the room, looking a little more confident than when she’d entered it.
Once she’d closed the door behind her, Beth picked up the phone on her desk, but hesitated for a moment before doing something she knew William normally wouldn’t approve of. She dialled his private number at the Yard.
? ? ?
‘You’re being paid a thousand pounds a week to sleep with me?’ said Ross in disbelief.
‘Plus the rent on this apartment and a clothes allowance.’
‘By who?’
‘By whom.’
‘By whom?’
‘The escort agency in Paris that employed me to seduce you.’
‘And what do they expect in return?’
‘I have to report back everything you tell me, however inconsequential or irrelevant it might seem to me.’
‘And have you?’
‘Yes, but unfortunately you never talk about your work, so I can’t be sure how much longer they’ll keep me on.’
Ross remained silent for some time, before he finally said, ‘Then we’ll have to do something about that. You can now tell them that at last you’ve made a breakthrough.’
‘But you’d never be disloyal to the man you call The Hawk.’
‘You’re right, but that doesn’t stop me supplying you with lots of irrelevant information,’ he said, clearly now enjoying himself. ‘I’d have to brief the commander, of course, and he’s bound to ask me who’s paying the escort agency.’
‘I’ve no idea,’ said Jo, without guile.
‘I’m pretty sure I know who it is,’ said Ross. ‘Have you ever come across a Miles Faulkner or Captain Ralph Neville?’
‘No. All I can tell you is that I was introduced to a man who briefed me about you and told me I should report once a week to a Mr Booth Watson.’
‘That clinches it,’ said Ross, taking her in his arms. ‘But there’s one more thing I still need to know before you earn your next thousand pounds.’