streets for a bit. I spotted a V-registered Granada Ghia parked up an alley behind a launderette and had the plates off in less than two minutes. We drove to a back street in Brixton and with a Phillips screwdriver I punched extra holes in the plates and tore a fingernail getting the registration off the Spitfire, then fitted the new plates neatly into place and hid the originals under the carpet in the boot.
‘Can’t do much about the colour,’ I said. ‘We’ll just have to live with it.’
I got Fiona to drive me to my office. The telephone was ringing when we arrived. I hitched myself up on the edge of the desk and picked up the receiver. It was cold in the room and Fiona lit the gas fire. ‘Sharman,’ I said.
‘Teddy.’
‘Hi, Teddy. What’s cooking?’
‘Not a lot my end. Uncle’s in front of the beak this afternoon. I’m going down.’
‘I need to see you first.’
‘Why?’
‘Someone tried to kill me last night.’
‘Straight?’
‘It’s on the news.’
‘Christ, what happened?’
‘They didn’t succeed,’ I said dryly.
‘Obviously.’
‘Where are you?’ I asked.
‘At home.’ He didn’t elaborate.
‘Give me a clue, where’s that, Teddy?’
‘Peckham.’
‘A lovely spot.’
‘Get off my case, man.’
‘Hey, don’t talk about cases. You’re speaking to someone who was almost brown bread last night. And it wouldn’t just have been me.’
‘Who else?’
‘The woman I was with.’
‘Yeah, man,’ he said slowly. ‘Sorry. Forget I said it.’
‘Right. Now it doesn’t take great deduction to work out that it probably had something to do with Emerald’s little problem. I knew I should have nished the whole deal.’
‘But you didn’t.’
‘And now I think I need to see Mr Lupino, and sharpish.’
‘You reckon he was behind it?’
‘How the hell do I know? But if he was, it’s worth letting him know I don’t frighten that easy.’ Frighten, who was I kidding? ‘And I’m not on intimate terms with the gentleman. Your little firm obviously is.’
‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Cancel seeing Em. Come here instead.’
‘Where’s here?’
‘My office.’ I told him where it was.
‘And?’ he asked.
‘Do you know how to get through to Lupino?’
‘I’ve got a number.’
‘Bring it.’
‘I’ll be with you in an hour.’
‘I’ll be here.’
‘Bye,’ he said and hung up.
I picked up the receiver again and rang Endesleigh. He was in court, due back after lunch. I left my name but no message and put the receiver down. The telephone rang again immediately.
‘Sharman,’ I said again.
‘Mister Dark wants to see you.’ The voice was hoarse and Cockney and didn’t fill me with bonhomie. Just the way he chose his words pissed me off.
‘Who?’ I asked.
‘Jack Dark,’ the voice replied.
I said not a word, just stayed with the telephone receiver getting warm in my hand and looked at Fiona still sitting by the fire. She looked up and smiled, although it seemed a little forced. I winked back.
‘Are you there?’ the voice asked after a moment. Its tone was hoarser and the accent harder as though the speaker was used to people he called up paying strict attention to his wishes, if not being so terrified that they just babbled away in overdrive. I wasn’t impressed.
‘Yes, I’m here,’ I said, and wished I was somewhere else.
‘Did you hear what I said?’
‘I did.’
‘And?’
‘And nothing. I don’t want to see Jack Dark, whoever he is, and don’t bother to give me any cryptic clues until I fall in. I guarantee I won’t.’
‘Mister Dark is a very important man.’
‘That’s purely subjective,’ I said.
‘Do what?’
‘Who or what’s important to one person, in other words you, may be of sublime disinterest to another person, in other words me.’
‘Well, that’s as maybe, but he wants to see you, and if he wants something he usually gets it.’
‘If that’s right, then he’s a lucky
‘Can’t do much about the colour,’ I said. ‘We’ll just have to live with it.’
I got Fiona to drive me to my office. The telephone was ringing when we arrived. I hitched myself up on the edge of the desk and picked up the receiver. It was cold in the room and Fiona lit the gas fire. ‘Sharman,’ I said.
‘Teddy.’
‘Hi, Teddy. What’s cooking?’
‘Not a lot my end. Uncle’s in front of the beak this afternoon. I’m going down.’
‘I need to see you first.’
‘Why?’
‘Someone tried to kill me last night.’
‘Straight?’
‘It’s on the news.’
‘Christ, what happened?’
‘They didn’t succeed,’ I said dryly.
‘Obviously.’
‘Where are you?’ I asked.
‘At home.’ He didn’t elaborate.
‘Give me a clue, where’s that, Teddy?’
‘Peckham.’
‘A lovely spot.’
‘Get off my case, man.’
‘Hey, don’t talk about cases. You’re speaking to someone who was almost brown bread last night. And it wouldn’t just have been me.’
‘Who else?’
‘The woman I was with.’
‘Yeah, man,’ he said slowly. ‘Sorry. Forget I said it.’
‘Right. Now it doesn’t take great deduction to work out that it probably had something to do with Emerald’s little problem. I knew I should have nished the whole deal.’
‘But you didn’t.’
‘And now I think I need to see Mr Lupino, and sharpish.’
‘You reckon he was behind it?’
‘How the hell do I know? But if he was, it’s worth letting him know I don’t frighten that easy.’ Frighten, who was I kidding? ‘And I’m not on intimate terms with the gentleman. Your little firm obviously is.’
‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Cancel seeing Em. Come here instead.’
‘Where’s here?’
‘My office.’ I told him where it was.
‘And?’ he asked.
‘Do you know how to get through to Lupino?’
‘I’ve got a number.’
‘Bring it.’
‘I’ll be with you in an hour.’
‘I’ll be here.’
‘Bye,’ he said and hung up.
I picked up the receiver again and rang Endesleigh. He was in court, due back after lunch. I left my name but no message and put the receiver down. The telephone rang again immediately.
‘Sharman,’ I said again.
‘Mister Dark wants to see you.’ The voice was hoarse and Cockney and didn’t fill me with bonhomie. Just the way he chose his words pissed me off.
‘Who?’ I asked.
‘Jack Dark,’ the voice replied.
I said not a word, just stayed with the telephone receiver getting warm in my hand and looked at Fiona still sitting by the fire. She looked up and smiled, although it seemed a little forced. I winked back.
‘Are you there?’ the voice asked after a moment. Its tone was hoarser and the accent harder as though the speaker was used to people he called up paying strict attention to his wishes, if not being so terrified that they just babbled away in overdrive. I wasn’t impressed.
‘Yes, I’m here,’ I said, and wished I was somewhere else.
‘Did you hear what I said?’
‘I did.’
‘And?’
‘And nothing. I don’t want to see Jack Dark, whoever he is, and don’t bother to give me any cryptic clues until I fall in. I guarantee I won’t.’
‘Mister Dark is a very important man.’
‘That’s purely subjective,’ I said.
‘Do what?’
‘Who or what’s important to one person, in other words you, may be of sublime disinterest to another person, in other words me.’
‘Well, that’s as maybe, but he wants to see you, and if he wants something he usually gets it.’
‘If that’s right, then he’s a lucky
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