building. We are monitoring the closed-circuit cameras from the room next door, and we have other people outside the building, but we will not be making any attempt to detain anyone here.’ Brock turned gravely to the auctioneer, ‘Even if we have an armed hold-up here this afternoon, Mr Conway, we will have to let your people call for assistance in the normal way, just as if we weren’t here. Our first concern is Mrs Starling’s safety.’
Melville said, ‘Chief Inspector, you will have our full cooperation. Cabot’s are horrified that criminals should have chosen this way to extort money from one of our most valued clients. If it helped, we would be willing to postpone or cancel the sale of lot fifteen, but under the circumstances I believe you feel we should continue . . .’
‘That’s right. I understand you’ve had no success with the sellers, Mr Melville?’
Melville shook has head. ‘I put Mr Starling’s final offer to them a short time ago. They turned it down, I’m afraid. As I anticipated, they’re not interested in a private sale before the auction. They scent a seller’s market this afternoon.’
‘And you feel they’re right?’
Melville turned to the auctioneer at his side. Conway nodded. ‘Demand has been hardening these past six months, especially for these very special high-value pieces.’ He had a rich, polished voice that demanded attention. ‘Lot six, the Bermuda Perot issue, which you can see on the back of the catalogue, should give us the first real indication of how things will go today. Apart from its general rarity and quality, lot fifteen also has a particular significance for Canadian collectors. We have six overseas bidders who have made arrangements for telephone bidding, three of them from Canada, and we know them all to be serious collectors.’
‘How will the auction work, Mr Conway?’
The auctioneer described how the afternoon would run. At midday the public viewing of the pieces to be sold would close, and the hall would be set out with furniture and facilities for the auction. Tables would be set up for Cabot’s staff taking telephone bids from other parts of the country and from overseas. Other staff would represent postal bids, which had been streaming in over the previous weeks, by mail and fax. All buyers attending the auction in person would be given a numbered card, which they would raise to indicate a bid to the auctioneer.
‘You and your colleagues will be able to watch the proceedings on the closed-circuit television sets in the next room, Chief Inspector. You could make your bids anonymously by phone from up here as well, Mr Starling, if you wished.’
‘No,’ Starling said, voice hoarse. ‘I want to be seen. I want them to know that I get it.’
Kathy saw Conway’s mouth begin to form the response, ‘But what if you don’t?’ Then he changed his mind. ‘Very well. In that case I suggest we place you at a seat on the centre aisle, perhaps towards the front, so that you can be seen and so that you can leave as soon as lot fifteen is sold. I take it you want to do that?’
‘Yes.’ Brock agreed. ‘I’d like Mr Starling to come back up here to wait for the phone call.’
‘One of our staff will stay with him throughout. I anticipate that we’ll get to lot fifteen by two forty-five.’
‘Will you have the names and addresses of everyone who attends the auction?’
‘Yes. Everyone provides details as they register, and postal and telephone buyers provide bank or credit-card information in advance.’
‘We’d like to have those names and addresses as they become available.’
Melville and Conway conferred, then Melville confirmed his agreement to this.
‘Well, now,’ Brock sat back, ‘I think that’s all we need at the moment. We have one or two things to go over with Mr Starling, and I’d appreciate it if you could stay with us for a while longer, Mr Melville.’
The other Cabot’s people filed out of the room, and Brock
Melville said, ‘Chief Inspector, you will have our full cooperation. Cabot’s are horrified that criminals should have chosen this way to extort money from one of our most valued clients. If it helped, we would be willing to postpone or cancel the sale of lot fifteen, but under the circumstances I believe you feel we should continue . . .’
‘That’s right. I understand you’ve had no success with the sellers, Mr Melville?’
Melville shook has head. ‘I put Mr Starling’s final offer to them a short time ago. They turned it down, I’m afraid. As I anticipated, they’re not interested in a private sale before the auction. They scent a seller’s market this afternoon.’
‘And you feel they’re right?’
Melville turned to the auctioneer at his side. Conway nodded. ‘Demand has been hardening these past six months, especially for these very special high-value pieces.’ He had a rich, polished voice that demanded attention. ‘Lot six, the Bermuda Perot issue, which you can see on the back of the catalogue, should give us the first real indication of how things will go today. Apart from its general rarity and quality, lot fifteen also has a particular significance for Canadian collectors. We have six overseas bidders who have made arrangements for telephone bidding, three of them from Canada, and we know them all to be serious collectors.’
‘How will the auction work, Mr Conway?’
The auctioneer described how the afternoon would run. At midday the public viewing of the pieces to be sold would close, and the hall would be set out with furniture and facilities for the auction. Tables would be set up for Cabot’s staff taking telephone bids from other parts of the country and from overseas. Other staff would represent postal bids, which had been streaming in over the previous weeks, by mail and fax. All buyers attending the auction in person would be given a numbered card, which they would raise to indicate a bid to the auctioneer.
‘You and your colleagues will be able to watch the proceedings on the closed-circuit television sets in the next room, Chief Inspector. You could make your bids anonymously by phone from up here as well, Mr Starling, if you wished.’
‘No,’ Starling said, voice hoarse. ‘I want to be seen. I want them to know that I get it.’
Kathy saw Conway’s mouth begin to form the response, ‘But what if you don’t?’ Then he changed his mind. ‘Very well. In that case I suggest we place you at a seat on the centre aisle, perhaps towards the front, so that you can be seen and so that you can leave as soon as lot fifteen is sold. I take it you want to do that?’
‘Yes.’ Brock agreed. ‘I’d like Mr Starling to come back up here to wait for the phone call.’
‘One of our staff will stay with him throughout. I anticipate that we’ll get to lot fifteen by two forty-five.’
‘Will you have the names and addresses of everyone who attends the auction?’
‘Yes. Everyone provides details as they register, and postal and telephone buyers provide bank or credit-card information in advance.’
‘We’d like to have those names and addresses as they become available.’
Melville and Conway conferred, then Melville confirmed his agreement to this.
‘Well, now,’ Brock sat back, ‘I think that’s all we need at the moment. We have one or two things to go over with Mr Starling, and I’d appreciate it if you could stay with us for a while longer, Mr Melville.’
The other Cabot’s people filed out of the room, and Brock
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