Guy introduced me. ‘Mom, this is my partner, David Lane. He was at school with me.’
‘Partner?’ she said. ‘I didn’t know—’
‘Business partner, Mom.’
Her interest in me evaporated. ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said, unconvincingly. ‘I’d love to stop for a drink, but our reservation is for eight thirty and we’ll be late.’
I let them go.
As she led her son out of the hotel, Guy whispered to me. ‘Did you spot the facelift?’
I hadn’t.
He smiled. ‘See you tomorrow,’ he said and was gone.
Guy returned to the office the next day as promised. Everyone was pleased to see him, especially me. There was a lot to do. I had just one or two final details to sort out with Patrick Hoyle, so I went to meet him at Mel’s office off Chancery Lane. It didn’t take long, and after less than an hour we left the building together.
‘You sound as if you’re glad to be shot of Ninetyminutes,’ I said as we stood on the pavement waiting for taxis.
‘I’m not convinced by the Internet,’ Hoyle muttered. ‘And it was a very bad idea for Tony to get involved with his son.’
‘It wasn’t a good idea for Guy, either.’
Hoyle snorted. ‘At least he’s still alive.’
Something in the way Hoyle said those words caught my attention. I looked at him closely. He was an intelligent man. He suspected something. ‘Do you have any idea who killed Tony? Or why he died?’
‘No,’ he said. ‘But it was awfully convenient for some people.’
‘Like Guy?’
‘Like Guy.’
‘You don’t think he killed his father, do you? There’s no proof.’
Hoyle shrugged, as though he didn’t want to be drawn any further into the conversation. But his use of the word ‘convenient’ reminded me of something. Something Ingrid had said more than ten years before.
‘I know what happened to the gardener in France,’ I said. ‘Abdulatif.’
‘Do you?’ said Hoyle, neutrally.
‘Yes. I know that you paid him to disappear after Dominique’s death. To protect Tony.’
‘And who told you that?’
‘Guy.’
Hoyle wasn’t even looking at me, but at the occupied taxis driving past us. ‘Can’t get a bloody taxi anywhere these days,’ he muttered. ‘What we need is another recession.’
‘I know Abdulatif was murdered a few years ago.’
‘So I understand.’ Still a neutral voice.
‘That was convenient too, wasn’t it?’
Hoyle finally turned his attention away from the traffic and on to me. ‘Yes, it was.’
‘Did you organize it?’ I asked.
Hoyle looked at me. ‘Let’s get a cup of coffee,’ he said, indicating a café just up the street.
Neither of us said anything until we were sitting down with two cups at an isolated table.
‘I like you, David,’ Hoyle said.
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to be liked by Hoyle.
‘You’re a good negotiator and you’re loyal to your friend. Loyalty is a quality I admire. But you should be careful.’
‘Of Guy?’
‘Let me tell you about Abdulatif. I suspect you know only half the story.’
‘I’m sure I only know half the story,’ I said. ‘Go on.’
‘You’re correct that Guy told me Owen had seen Abdulatif with Dominique. And he suggested paying him to disappear. It sounded like a good idea. It would deflect enquiries away from Tony. At that time I wasn’t entirely sure of his innocence. Tony had said he was with a prostitute when Dominique was killed, but prostitutes can, by definition, be bought. So I arranged things. I gave Abdulatif half a million francs and told him to make himself scarce. Guy had got hold of some of Dominique’s jewellery and we gave that to him as well.’
‘Why did he take the money?’ I asked. ‘Surely he ran the risk of getting caught and prosecuted for murder.’
‘I thought that at the time. There’s quite an extensive North African community in the South of France: it’s hard for the police to find a young man who wants to go underground. But I was soon to learn there was another reason.’
‘Which was?’
‘Blackmail. I’d assumed Abdulatif would leave the country. But he didn’t. He went to Marseilles, and after a year he got in touch with me again. He wanted two hundred thousand francs to stay quiet. So I paid him. Another year, another demand. A little higher this time. And so it went on.
‘I wanted to get the cash from Tony, but Guy was anxious that his father shouldn’t find out what we’d done. So I insisted Guy pay. The years went by and the demands got higher. It became more difficult for Guy to find the money: Tony was becoming less generous with him. It got to the point where I thought we should call Abdulatif’s bluff. By that time I was convinced of Tony’s innocence. And, of course, if Abdulatif went to the authorities he would be getting himself into just as much trouble as us. But it was an uncomfortable situation for me and for Guy. Paying off a key witness in a murder investigation is a serious crime.’
‘And then Abdulatif was found in the dustbin?’
‘Precisely. As we said. Very convenient.’
‘You have no idea how he got there?’
‘You mean, did I arrange it?’ Hoyle sipped his coffee. ‘I can’t blame you for asking. But no. I didn’t. That’s not the kind of thing I do, even for my best client.’
‘Do you think Guy arranged it?’
Hoyle shrugged. ‘What do you think?’
I paused. Was my friend a murderer? Of course not. ‘You said initially you thought Tony might have killed Dominique, but then you changed your mind?’
‘Yes. They weren’t getting on well. Neither of them was particularly faithful, as of course you know.’
I sighed, angry rather than embarrassed. Hoyle noticed.
‘Sorry. You were young, she was beautiful, and she was using you. Tony knew that. But I’m sure he didn’t murder her. I’ve spoken to him many times over the years about her death and, while I wouldn’t expect him to admit it to me, I’m sure I’d be able to tell if he had killed her.’
Hoyle sipped his coffee thoughtfully. ‘Tony Jourdan was much more than a client. He was my friend. We met when we were students together. He was one of the reasons I moved out to Monte Carlo. We’ve been through a lot together over the years, ups and downs. I was very sorry when he died. Very sorry.’
He put down his cup. ‘Now, I really must find a taxi.’ With a heave, he pulled himself to his feet and left me hunched over my cooling cup of coffee.
We closed a deal with Orchestra Ventures in record time. Orchestra bought out Tony Jourdan’s trust for four million pounds, twice his initial investment, and put in a further ten million. They ended up with seventy per cent of the company, leaving plenty for the management and employees. The board changed, of course. Orchestra found us a new chairman, Derek Silverman. He was a trim grey-haired businessman of about fifty. He had already made several million pounds from a management buyout of a marketing business that had been funded by one of Orchestra’s partners. More importantly, he was chairman of a Premier League club. Henry also joined the board as Orchestra’s representative and Patrick Hoyle was booted off.
Guy suggested Ingrid as a third executive director. She had made herself an indispensable member of the team and both Guy and I valued her judgement more by the day. Henry liked her, so she was in. Her only difficulty was with Mel. They were cool towards each other, but professional, and they did their best to keep out of each other’s way.