Dead Tomorrow

There was a few moments’ silence while they all reflected on this. It was Tania Whitlock who broke it.

‘Perhaps his phone battery died, Gle

‘It’s possible – but he was an experienced skipper and the phone was one of his lifelines. Don’t you think it’s unlikely he’d have put to sea either without a charger or with an uncharged battery?’

‘He could have dropped it overboard,’ said Gonzo.

‘Yep, he could,’ Gle

Gonzo shrugged. ‘Yeah, Towers knew what he was doing, but it’s easily done. You think something else happened?’

Branson stared at him levelly. ‘What about the possibility that it sank?’

‘Ah, now I get it!’ Arf said. ‘You want us to go out there and take a look for it, scan the bottom?’

‘You guys are catching on quick!’ Branson said.

‘She’s a solid boat, built to take heavy seas,’ WAFI said. ‘She’s unlikely to have sunk.’

‘What about an accident?’ Branson said. ‘A collision? A fire? Sabotage? Or something more sinister.’

‘Like what, Gle

‘The voyage doesn’t make sense,’ Branson said. ‘I’ve interviewed his wife. Friday night was their wedding a

‘Yep, well, I can sympathize with him,’ Arf said. ‘The choice of di

They all gri

Gonzo pointed out of the window. ‘There’s a Force Nine hooley blowing out there. Do you know what the sea’s like at the moment?’

‘A bit choppy, I should imagine.’ Gle

‘If you want us to go out there, mate, we’ll go,’ WAFI said. ‘But you’re coming with us.’

79

Ly

Three weeks to go till Christmas, she thought. She had never felt so unprepared – or uninterested – in her life. There was only one Christmas present she wanted.

Her friend Sue Shackleton had told her she could come up with £10,000 quickly. That now left a shortfall of £15,000.

Right at this moment, Luke was at his bank, setting up everything for the wire transfer of 150,000 euros to Marlene Hartma

So far it was so good on that score. She had spoken to the woman in Manchester, whose name was Marilyn Franks. Her daughter’s liver transplant had been done at a clinic in Sussex, near Brighton, and it had been a complete success. Marilyn Franks could not praise Marlene Hartma

It was the same with the man in Cape Town. He’d had initial complications, but the aftercare, he assured Ly

It was still too early to phone America, but in her own mind, from what she had now heard, Ly

Hopefully, some time this afternoon, or tomorrow at the latest, after she had spoken to the other two references, the transfer of the first half of the money would be done. The remaining 50 per cent would have to be handed over, cash on delivery, on the day of the transplant. Which gave her days, at most, to find the last £15,000.

She had tested the German woman out on what would happen if she had a shortfall and Marlene had been firm. It was all or nothing. She could not be more clear.

Fifteen thousand. It was still a lot of money to find – and even more so to find inside a week, maybe less. Further, the exchange rate of the pound against the euro was predicted to worsen. Which meant the shorfall might get even bigger.

From the moment Luke made the transfer, the clock would start ticking. At any time in the following days, Ly

She glanced around. Christmas cards were starting to appear on desks in the office, and tiny bits of tinsel here and there, and sprigs of mistletoe. But the company had a number of Muslims working for it and there was an edict that Christmas was not to be openly celebrated by employees for fear of offending the non-Christians. So yet again there would be no proper decorations going up – nor an official office Xmas lunch.

Last year that had made her blood boil, but this year Ly

On the screen on the wall, the COLLECTED BONUS POT had risen to £1,450 this morning. The big pre-Christmas grab was on, to pull money in before clients blew it all on presents and booze.

Making a big effort to focus on work, but without hope of scooping this week’s pot, she dialled the next number on her call list. It was answered a few moments later by a slurred, female voice.

‘Mrs Hall?’ Ly

‘Who’s that?’

‘It’s Ly

‘Yeah, well, it’s Christmas, i

‘Well, we did have an agreement, Mrs Hall.’

‘Yeah, well, you sodding come here and explain that to my kids.’

Ly

‘Can you tell me when we might be able to expect you to resume your payment plan?’

‘You tell me. Tell me about the social housing, yeah? You know, what about the Welfare? Why don’t you speak to them?’

The woman’s slurring was getting worse and what she was saying made no sense.

‘I think I’ll call you back tomorrow, Mrs Hall.’

Ly

Jim, to her right, a short, wiry Geordie of thirty, pulled off his headset and exhaled sharply.

‘Bloody hell,’ he said. ‘What’s with people today?’

Ly

‘I’m off. Think I need a liquid lunch today. Fancy a drink? I’m buying.’

‘Sorry. No thanks, Jim. I have to work through.’

‘Suit yourself.’

To Ly

‘Right,’ she said. ‘Off to do battle with the shops!’

‘Good luck,’ Ly

A few minutes later she saw her team manager wrestling her coat on. Ly

As soon as they were gone, she pulled off her headset, took her mobile phone from her bag, altered the setting to Number Withheld, then dialled the mobile phone of her most loathsome client of all.