Next in Line (William Warwick, #5)(29)

‘Drop regular hints as to why she’s the obvious choice to be the next Royalty Protection officer,’ suggested the commander, ‘sprinkled with how well she’d do the job. Just keep sowing the seeds of doubt in her mind, and she’ll begin to feel she’s at last got someone on her side.’

‘But reel her in slowly,’ said William, ‘because it won’t be easy for her to break ranks after all these years. Meanwhile, let’s all get back to our desks, or our wheelbarrows, and work on gathering as much muck as we can, so that it won’t be possible for Milner to find a loophole, a credible explanation, or any other way of getting off the hook.’

‘But keep in mind,’ said Ross, ‘that Milner has the ear of the Prince of Wales, who he’s taken care of since he left the navy, which may make him almost impossible to remove.’

‘That sort always think they’re above the law,’ said the commander. ‘But Ross has already identified his Achilles heel.’

‘Cash,’ said William.

‘In one,’ said the Hawk. ‘So, let’s stick to the old maxim when chasing a criminal. Follow the money.’

‘But be sure to tread carefully,’ said William, ‘because that lot won’t hesitate to leave landmines in your path. Step on one, and we’ll all be blown to smithereens.’

After a long pause, the commander said, ‘Perhaps the time has come for a change of tactics.’ He hesitated for a moment while he weighed up the consequences of what he was about to say. ‘Why don’t you all play along for now and, like Ross, make it look as if you’ve climbed aboard their gravy train. And Ross, see how much you can get away with before Milner queries your expenses.’

‘I was thinking of inviting the Princess’s lady-in-waiting out for dinner this weekend,’ said Ross. They all laughed, except William.

‘She’ll be used to the finest food and wine,’ the commander chipped in, ‘so you can run up a hefty bill and then see if Milner questions it. But we’ll need other examples of blatant disregard of normal police practice before we can make a move. Be cautious, and act dumb, which shouldn’t be too difficult for Paul.’

The gentle ribbing caused more laughter, which William knew would only spur Paul on to outdo them all.

‘And, Jackie,’ said the commander, ‘keep working on your new best friend’ – he glanced down at his notebook – ‘Constable Smart, because she could turn out to be our best bet. Good hunting.’

? ? ?

Jackie followed the commander’s advice, and over the weekend she and Jenny Smart went clubbing in the West End. Although William had warned her to be patient – not a virtue Jackie had in abundance – a dimly lit basement and one too many vodkas had loosened Constable Smart’s tongue enough for Jackie to come away with all the ammunition she needed.

When Jackie got home just after two a.m., she spent the next hour writing up copious notes. She may have told Jenny how much she expected her to get the job (richly deserved) as Princess Anne’s PPO, but she secretly hoped she’d be passed over once again, because she felt confident that would be the last straw for Constable Smart, and it wouldn’t take a dark basement in a nightclub for her to reveal everything she knew about Milner and his extra-curricular activities.

Jackie was getting off the bus on her way back to work the following morning when she spotted DI Reynolds and Sergeant Jennings entering ‘Pride of Plaice’, which she’d been assured by Jennings was the best fish and chip shop in Windsor.

She was about to cross the road and join them when she saw Reynolds take the owner to one side, clearly having a quiet word. She slipped into a shop doorway and remained out of sight. The two officers reappeared a few moments later and began to eat their lunch out of a newspaper as they headed back in the direction of the castle. Jackie waited until they’d turned the corner, before she crossed the road and strolled into the fish and chip shop.

‘A portion of cod and chips,’ Jackie said when she reached the front of the queue.

‘Coming up, my dear,’ Jackie the assistant.

‘They must be good,’ remarked Jackie. ‘I saw you serving a couple of my colleagues a moment ago.’

‘You work for Royalty Protection?’ he said, giving her a closer look.

‘Sure do,’ Jackie replied as he took his time selecting her fish.

‘Then I hope you’ll become a regular, like the rest of the lads from the castle. Salt and vinegar?’

‘Yes, please.’

He wrapped up the order and placed it in a bag before handing it to her. ‘That’ll be three quid.’

Jackie handed him a five-pound note and waited for the change.

‘Will you be wanting a receipt?’

‘Yes, please.’

He nodded to the girl on the till, who handed back two pounds in change along with a receipt, which Jackie slipped into her handbag. Once she was out on the pavement, she unwrapped her unexpected meal and took a bite from a succulent piece of cod as she walked slowly towards the castle. The Plaice’s reputation turned out to be well-deserved, although she could hear her mother saying, ‘Nothing wrong with fish and chips, my dear, but you should never eat them out of a newspaper on the street.’ Not for the first time, Jackie was glad her mother was more than a hundred miles away.