Over My Dead Body (Detective William Warwick #4)(91)

He touched the face of his watch to check the time: 03.45. The code that would open the outer door and allow him to descend to the safety of his other world. This time the year came first, 88, followed by the month, 09, and finally the time, which had just flicked over to 0346. He would have to wait for a moment before he could enter the new code. He waited for the light to go out before he touched the face again so he could begin the whole process once more. He tapped the face of his watch and entered 88, but the light immediately flickered, grew dim, and faded. He touched the face again, but only had time to enter 03 before the light went out again. He tapped the watch more firmly than before, but it refused to light up. He jabbed at it repeatedly, but still no response. He then pulled it off his wrist and shook it violently, but it made no difference. The battery was spent.

? ? ?

William ran, panting, into Faulkner’s study to find Ross staring at the closed metal door. ‘I didn’t get here in time,’ he said.

William cursed as Juan rushed in to join them.

‘My boys have surrounded the building and are rounding up the guards,’ gasped an out of breath Juan. ‘So he can’t hope to get out.’

‘But we can’t get in,’ said William, staring at the metal door.

Ross said nothing, just pulled up the left sleeve of his tracksuit and touched the face of his watch, which immediately lit up.

He checked the time, 03.48, and was about to enter the code when Collins calmly entered the room, dressed in a tailcoat, striped trousers, stiff white collar and grey silk tie.

‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid Mr Sartona has not yet returned from his business trip. If there is anything I can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to ask.’

Ross swung around, his fist clenched, and advanced towards the butler, but Juan stepped quickly between them, just about managing to keep the two men apart, while Ross hurled a string of expletives at Collins, who just stood there, impassive.

‘Quiet!’ William suddenly shouted. He walked over to the metal door, fell on his knees and pressed an ear against its surface.

Tap.

They strained to hear the faint sound, which was repeated a few seconds later.

Tap, tap . .

‘My God,’ said Collins, the surface veneer finally crumbling. ‘Mr Faulkner’s locked himself inside.’

‘Then for God’s sake tell us how to get him out,’ said Juan, ‘before it’s too late.’

‘I don’t know,’ admitted the butler. ‘He’s the only person with the watch.’

Ross smiled.

Tap, tap, tap …

‘There must be a spare one,’ insisted Juan.

‘No, there isn’t,’ said the butler. ‘The only other person who even knows who made it is Mr Faulkner’s lawyer, Mr Booth Watson, and he’s not expected to arrive until twelve o’clock.’

Tap, tap, tap …

They all stared at the safe.

‘How long can he hope to survive in there?’ William said, almost to himself.

Tap … tap …

‘Four, maybe five hours at the most,’ said Ross, lowering his arm and letting the sleeve of his tracksuit fall over his wrist.

Tap …

Tap . .

Tap.

‘We’re going to have to call in a specialist,’ said William turning to Juan, ‘if we’re to have any chance of getting him out before he suffocates.’

‘It’s not that simple,’ said Juan. ‘Se?ora Martinez obtained a court order that prevents anyone other than Faulkner or his lawyer from even touching it.’

‘Then get her on the line immediately,’ pressed William. ‘Explain exactly what has happened and the consequences if we can’t get the door open.’

‘But she won’t be in her office much before nine, and by then it will be too late,’ said Juan.

‘Collins will know her number,’ said William, looking around, but the butler was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where the hell’s he got to?’ said Ross as a red light began flashing on the phone on Faulkner’s desk.

‘One step ahead of us again,’ said Juan. ‘It’s just lucky that Faulkner doesn’t trust anyone,’ he added as he placed a finger to his lips and pressed the speaker button.

‘What do you mean by waking me up at this time of the morning, Collins?’ boomed a voice William immediately recognized.

‘I’m sorry to wake you, sir,’ said Collins, ‘but Mr Faulkner’s locked himself into the safe, and I don’t have any way of getting him out.’

‘Call Isobel Martinez immediately,’ said Booth Watson, suddenly wide awake. ‘She can get the court order lifted. Then ring the fire brigade. They’ll have the right equipment to drill a hole in the door so at least he can breathe, which will give us a little more time. But what the hell was he doing in there in the first place?’

‘Inspector Warwick, Lieutenant Sanchez and a third policeman turned up in the middle of the night.’

‘DI Hogan no doubt,’ said Booth Watson. ‘Se?ora Martinez will have to take care of them too. Tell her I’ll be on the first flight to Barcelona.’

‘I’ll have to go back to the study and look up her number in the boss’s contacts book,’ said Collins. ‘What do I tell Warwick if he—’