Vicious Circle

Vicious Circle by Wilbur Smith Page A

Book: Vicious Circle by Wilbur Smith Read Free Book Online
Authors: Wilbur Smith
Ads: Link
was a mangled piece of reportage. The only part of it that was correct was that Hazel was dead. There was no mention of Catherine’s birth.
    ‘Give thanks for small mercies.’ He worked through all the other websites. Every major paper had the story. The Times ’ report was dignified and reserved, those of the Mail and the Telegraph were less so, but none of them reported Catherine’s birth. He was mightily relieved.
    I have to get her out of that bloody hospital sharpish. The news hounds obviously have it staked out. His blood was up again, and he was ready to take on the day. There was nothing from Paddy, but he knew it was too soon to expect anything.
    John Bigelow had sent a long email. On behalf of all the other directors of Bannock Oil he expressed his shock and horror at Hazel’s murder. He had already made arrangements for a memorial service to be held for her in Houston, and he went on,
    I would like to have your permission to arrange a similar service in London, where Hazel had so many friends and business associates. I have asked the US Ambassador to the Court of St James, who is an old friend of mine, to use his good offices to reserve the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square for the purpose. I have suggested a date two weeks from now to give those who wish to attend, and there will be many of these, the opportunity to arrange their travel plans.
    I do hope that you are not contemplating resigning from the board of Bannock Oil because of this tragic business. You are highly thought of by all your fellow directors, and your contributions are valuable and important.
    ‘You are not going to get rid of me that easily, Biggles. I need you as much as you say you need me,’ he said to himself. The Bannock infrastructure would give him the clout and wherewithal to enable him to take down all the bastards who’d done this to Hazel.
    He replied to the company vice-president thanking him, accepting his offer and assuring him of his wish to remain on the Bannock Oil board. He told him that he considered it his duty to the memory of Hazel to continue the work that she had devoted so much of her life to.
    He worked quickly down the column of emails and deleted great swathes of them. Then one caught his eye, and he opened it. It was from Ronald Bunter, the chief trustee of the Henry Bannock Family Trust.
    Dear Mr Cross,
    I was deeply saddened to receive your email. I would like you to accept my condolences on the death of your wife, Mrs Hazel Bannock-Cross. She was a beautiful lady of great presence and stature. She was also highly intelligent. I personally held her in the utmost respect and admiration.
    Most fortunately, I happen to be in London on business at this very time. I am staying at the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly until Saturday. The telephone number of the switchboard is 0207 493 8181 and my suite number is 1101.
    As you are the executor of your wife’s last will and testament, I believe it is of the utmost importance that we should meet at your very earliest convenience. Please telephone me to arrange a meeting.
    Yours very sincerely,

Ronald Bunter
    Hector reached for the telephone and dialled the number. The switchboard operator answered him almost immediately and transferred him to Suite 1101. His call was answered by a woman’s voice.
    ‘Good morning. This is Jo Stanley, legal assistant to Mr Ronald Bunter. How may I assist you?’ The accent was mid-Atlantic, the modulation was crisp and controlled.
    ‘May I speak to Mr Ronald Bunter, please?’
    ‘Who may I say is calling?’
    ‘My name is Hector Cross.’
    ‘Oh, goodness gracious. Mr Bunter is expecting your call. Please hold on.’
    He smiled at the old-fashioned expression ‘Goodness gracious!’ The only other person he had ever heard use it was his own mother.
    Within a minute Bunter came on the line. His voice was thin and precise; a priggish old maid’s voice.
    ‘Mr Cross, it’s so good of you to call.’
    ‘Mr Bunter,

Similar Books

Happily Ever After

Susan May Warren

I Think I Love You

Allison Pearson

Where Willows Grow

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Love and Obstacles

Aleksandar Hemon

Scar Tissue

William G. Tapply

No Second Chances

Marissa Farrar