‘That would have been the case if Franco hadn’t built a tunnel from his downstairs study all the way to the beach. However, I still can’t afford to move until everything else is in place, so you’ll be working overtime when you get back to London. First, I need you to get in touch with the captain of my yacht, and tell him to be ready to sail at a moment’s notice.’

‘And the collection?’

‘Goes with me. Where I’m going, it may be the only asset I have.’

‘May I suggest,’ said Booth Watson, ‘that in future you sleep in your study, with the door locked, so that if Warwick turns up in the middle of the night you’ll have more than enough time to escape.’

‘Good thinking, BW. I’ll get Collins to make up a camp bed immediately.’

‘Is there anything else you need me to do, once I’m back in London?’

‘Just one more thing. Give Lamont ten thousand pounds in cash and tell him to deliver it to Terry Roach tomorrow morning.’

Booth Watson, like any experienced QC, never asked a question when he didn’t want to know the answer.

CHAPTER 21

‘SO WHICH EUROPEAN CITY HAVE you been to this time, caveman?’ asked Beth, as she poured William a second cup of black coffee.

‘What makes you think I even left London?’

‘I needed to borrow a couple of pounds yesterday, only to find your wallet was stuffed with pesetas.’

‘Define the meaning of the word “borrow”.’

‘The full amount will be paid back at some time in the future.’

‘How long in the future?’ asked William, as he spread some marmalade on his toast.

‘During my lifetime,’ she said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. ‘Stop changing the subject and tell me where you went after you’d visited Scotland.’

‘What makes you think I was in Scotland?’

‘Along with a thousand-peseta note, I also found a one-way ticket to Aberdeen, and I don’t think the peseta is the Scottish national currency yet.’

‘You should have got a bit more than a couple of pounds for a thousand pesetas.’

‘Stop changing the subject,’ repeated Beth. ‘I’ve already worked out you must have gone to Scotland to see Lord McLaren, or to be more accurate his Caravaggio. The only reason you’d have done that was in the hope Miles Faulkner would be there, and I suspect all you got for your trouble was his representative on earth.’

William buttered another piece of toast.

‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to tell me,’ said Beth, ‘because I’m having lunch with Christina, and I’m sure she’ll reveal all.’

William felt guilty at the thought that Beth was about to find out that the Frans Hals Christina had promised to loan to the Fitzmolean would not be hanging in their autumn exhibition, and he was to blame. ‘Have to get moving,’ he said, after downing his coffee, ‘or I’ll be late for the commander’s meeting.’

‘Do you have any pesetas left over?’ asked Beth, following another kiss.