‘Thank you,’ said William. ‘Has he booked a return flight?’
‘No, sir. His ticket was open-ended. But I’ll let you know as soon as he makes another booking.’
‘He’ll be back before the end of the week,’ said William, without explanation.
CHAPTER 26
‘WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH to sign the visitors’ book, sir?’ said the receptionist, swivelling round a large, leatherbound volume just as the phone on the desk began to ring. She picked it up and announced, ‘Good morning, the Mount Nelson Hotel. How may I assist you?’
Ross began to flick back through the pages of the visitors’ book in search of Mr and Mrs Clive Pugh, who he knew had planned to check in earlier that week.
‘Can I help you?’ asked the receptionist as she put the phone down and caught him looking closely at a particular page of the log.
‘Yes,’ said Ross, not missing a beat. ‘I was just checking to see if a friend of mine, Larry T. Holbrooke the Third, had booked in.’
‘We have no one under that name staying with us,’ said the receptionist. Ross looked suitably disappointed, as she handed him a large metal key. ‘You’re in room thirty-three on the third floor. A porter will take your bag up. I hope you have a pleasant stay with us.’
Pleasant wasn’t what Ross had in mind. ‘Thank you,’ he said, before following the porter across the hall to the lift. On the way they passed a photograph of Winston Churchill sitting on the veranda of the hotel smoking a cigar and clasping a large brandy.
When the lift reached the third floor, Ross followed the porter down a wide, thickly carpeted corridor, the walls cluttered with sepia photographs of the Queen Mother, Jan Smuts and Cecil Rhodes, reminding the hotel’s guests of a bygone era it seemed reluctant to let go. The porter unlocked the door to room 33 and placed Ross’s suitcase on a stand at the end of the bed. Ross thanked him and handed him a tip.
Ross walked across to the bay window and was stunned by the breathtaking panoramic view of Table Mountain, with the clouds resting above it like a fluffy eiderdown. He turned back to see the king-sized double bed and once again thought about Jo, before slipping off his jacket and lying down just to find out how comfortable it was. He closed his eyes and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
? ? ?
‘It’s for you, chief,’ said Paul, handing over the phone. ‘A Lieutenant Sanchez calling from Barcelona.’
‘Hi Juan,’ said William as he grabbed the phone. ‘Any progress?’
‘Yes. My wife’s pregnant again, and this time we’re hoping for a boy.’
‘Congratulations,’ said William, laughing, ‘but that isn’t what I had in mind.’
‘On that particular front, I also have some good news,’ said Sanchez. ‘Following Commander Hawksby’s call to my boss, he’s given the next stage of Operation Masterpiece his blessing, but with several caveats.’
‘Do we have a date?’ asked William.
‘Yes, next Sunday. I don’t think you can afford to wait much longer. We’ll need to get together before then to go over the details. I could fly to London on Wednesday afternoon, if that’s convenient for you.’
‘That’s fine,’ said William, turning a page of his diary. ‘Where do you plan on staying?’
‘I was hoping you could recommend a cheap hotel near Scotland Yard.’
‘London’s not known for its cheap hotels,’ said William. ‘Why don’t you stay at my place? It will give you a chance to meet Beth and the twins.’
‘Thank you,’ said Juan, ‘but wouldn’t that be …’
‘Then that’s settled. Just call up from reception when you get here.’ William put down the phone, looked across at Jackie and said, ‘Find Inspector Hogan. I need him back here for a full briefing with Lieutenant Sanchez by nine o’clock on Thursday morning, otherwise we’re all wasting our time.’
‘Where will he be, sir?’ asked Jackie. ‘Because I know he’s not at home.’
‘At the same hotel as Mr and Mrs Pugh in Cape Town.’
‘Do you know the name of the hotel?’
‘No, DS Roycroft, I don’t. I thought I’d leave you something to do.’
? ? ?
Ross woke from a vivid dream to find he was still fully dressed, and for a moment he wondered where he was. He glanced at his watch, 6.18 p.m., and moved into first gear. He climbed off the bed, stripped off his clothes and threw them over a chair before going into the bathroom and taking a long shower.