‘Is this about your school fees?’ SJ asked. ‘I told my girl to fix that. It must be a mix-up …’

It amused Julius that his uncle thought him stupid enough to stage a dangerous kidnapping for a few thousand pounds in school fees.

‘This is about your Norwegian friend Nanna,’ Julius explained. ‘And the 3.75-million-dollar apartment at 615 Crest View, Dubai Marina.’

SJ made a weird grunt.

‘Does Collins know your plans?’ Julius teased, keeping the stun stick poised in case his cousin moved.

‘Whatever you are trying, it will come to nothing,’ SJ said firmly.

‘It already came to something,’ Julius said. ‘Check your bank balances. Apart from the joint account you set up with Nanna, the money I helped you move on your last day as governor has been transferred to me.’

SJ didn’t know what to say next and Collins looked subdued. He’d clearly had no idea that his dad was planning to do a runner.

‘Make the deal that Rotimi put on the table,’ Julius ordered. ‘Get my mum out of jail. Once that’s sorted, you can piss off to Dubai. You won’t starve. There’s a couple of million in the account Nanna has been using, and the Chelsea house is worth millions.’

‘Why would I be frightened of a lanky schoolboy?’ SJ snorted. ‘You take my money? I’ll make you give it back. And your mother will rot until I say.’

‘Here’s what happens if you don’t make a deal with Rotimi,’ Julius said, sounding cooler than he felt. ‘In one week, I’ll inform your four wives that you’re planning to swan off to Dubai with Nanna. I’ll also send out evidence of the money. They can’t send you to prison for stuff you did while you were governor, but the British authorities can charge you with money laundering. They’ll seize your new pad in Dubai and the house in Chelsea.’

‘A Rotimi deal is not as simple as you make it sound,’ SJ interrupted. ‘You and I need to meet …’

‘This is the only conversation we are going to have,’ Julius said. ‘And in case you’re thinking about sending thugs after me, I’ve set things up so that only my friends back in England have the security details for the money I stole. If anything happens to me, the money goes to charity and the evidence will be posted to your wives, the British police and Governor Rotimi’s office. They also have instructions not to move money or release any other information until they see me personally.’

‘You are unreasonable, just like your mother,’ SJ grumbled.

Julius decided to take it as a compliment.

‘Uncle, I’m being generous.’

‘I need to think,’ SJ spluttered.