Her finger rested on the form so I scribbled the number in the place she indicated. She said, That number written on the right cheque form in place of a signature will release to you any amount of money up to forty thousand pounds sterling, or its equivalent in any currency you wish.
Mackintosh sniggered. Of course, youll have to get the diamonds first.
I stared at them, Youre taking two-thirds.
I did plan it, Mrs Smith said coolly.
Mackintosh grinned like a hungry shark. She has expensive tastes.
Of that I have no doubt, I said. Would your tastes run to a good lunch? Youll have to suggest a restaurant, though; Im a new boy in London.
She was about to answer when Mackintosh said sharply, Youre not here to play footsie with my staff, Rearden. It wouldnt be wise for you to be seen with either of us. Perhaps when its all over we can have dinner together the three of us.
Thanks, I said bleakly.
He scribbled on a piece of paper. I suggest that after lunch you... er... case the joint I believe that is the correct expression. Here is the address of the drop. He pushed the paper across the desk, and scribbled again. And this is the address of my tailor. Dont get them mixed up, theres a good chap. That would be disastrous.
II
I lunched at the Cock in Fleet Street and then set out to look up the address Mackintosh had given me. Of course I walked in the wrong direction London is the devil of a place to get around in if you dont know it. I didnt want to take a taxi because I always play things very cautiously, perhaps even too cautiously. But thats why Im a success.
Anyway, I found myself walking up a street called Ludgate Hill before I found Id gone wrong and, in making my way into Holborn, I passed the Central Criminal Court. I knew it was the Central Criminal Court, because it says so and that surprised me because I always thought it was called the Old Bailey. I recognized it because of the golden figure of Justice on the roof. Even a South African would recognize that we see Edgar Lustgarten movies, too.
It was all very interesting but I wasnt there as a tourist so I passed up the opportunity of going inside to see if there was a case going on. Instead I pressed on to Leather Lane behind Gamages and found a street market with people selling all kinds of junk from barrows. I didnt much like the look of that its difficult to get away fast in a thick crowd. Id have to make damned sure there was no hue and cry, which meant slugging the postman pretty hard. I began to feel sorry for him.
Before checking on the address I cruised around the vicinity, identifying all the possible exits from the area. To my surprise I found that Hatton Garden runs parallel with Leather Lane and I knew that the diamond merchants hung out there. On second thoughts it wasnt too surprising; the diamond boys wouldnt want their accommodation address to be too far from the ultimate destination. I looked at the stolid, blank buildings and wondered in which of them were the strongrooms Mackintosh had described.
I spent half an hour pacing out those streets and noting the various types of shop. Shops are very useful to duck into when you want to get off the streets quickly. I decided that Gamages might be a good place to get lost in and spent another quarter-hour familiarizing myself with the place. That wouldnt be enough but at this stage it wasnt a good thing to decide definitely on firm plans. Thats the trouble with a lot of people who slip up on jobs like this; they make detailed plans too early in the game, imagining theyre Master Minds, and the whole operation gets hardening of the arteries and becomes stiff and inflexible.
I went back to Leather Lane and found the address Mackintosh had given me. It was on the second floor, so I went up to the third in the creaking lift and walked down one flight of stairs. The Betsy-Lou Dress Manufacturing Co, Ltd, was open for business but I didnt trouble to introduce myself. Instead I checked the approaches and found them reasonably good, although I would have to observe the postman in action before I could make up my mind about the best way of doing the job.
I didnt hang about too long, just enough to take rough bearings, and within ten minutes I was back in Gamages and in a telephone booth. Mrs Smith must have been literally hanging on to the telephone awaiting my call because the bell rang only once before she answered, Anglo-Scottish Holdings.
Rearden, I said.
Ill put you through to Mr Mackintosh.
Wait a minute, I said. What kind of a Smith are you?
What do you mean?
Dont you have a first name?
There was a pause before she said, Perhaps youd better call me Lucy.
Ouch! I dont believe it.
Youd better believe it.
Is there a Mr Smith?
Frost formed on the earpiece of my telephone as she said icily, Thats no business of yours. Ill put you through to Mr Mackintosh.
There was a click and the line went dead temporarily and I thought I wasnt much of a success as a great lover. It wasnt surprising really; I couldnt see Lucy Smith if that was her name wanting to enter into any kind of close relationship with me until the job was over. I felt depressed.