“John, I told you last night we have to play this very carefully. Hembury may have had someone on his team book him an internal flight for the meet, so it’s more than possible he made a note of who he was coming to see. Now he has mysteriously disappeared, they might just send someone else along to try and find out the purpose of the meeting. We will obviously play dumb, and as Hembury’s body will never turn up it will lead nowhere and become a dead end. So I want you with me.”

John recognised his father’s tone of voice, and the prospective president knew better than to argue.

Hembury and Vargas landed just after eight and grabbed their pre-booked hire car. They drove north, heading for the exclusive area of San Francisco where Franklin’s mansion was located.

Pacific Heights was regarded as the most expensive neighbourhood in the United States and was renowned for its billionaire residents and record-breaking house prices. With a valuation topping forty million dollars, Franklin’s residence on Pacific Avenue was one of the three most valuable properties in the area. Hembury parked up opposite the Dutch colonial mansion an hour before he was due to arrive. It was set well back from the street and boasted a magnificent circular drive that led to the opulent marble-columned entrance. Vargas peeled down the electric window and leaned out to take a closer look at Franklin’s grandiose pile.

“Amazing what a few tons of Nazi gold will get you.”

Hembury was also looking at the mansion. “Franklin’s used that stolen wealth to build a business empire that has made him one of the most powerful and influential figures in the country. He’s used the platform it’s created to manoeuvre his son to within touching distance of the White House. It’s just totally incredible.”

“Troy, are you still happy to make this play? Maybe we should front up to Franklin and his son together.”

Hembury shook his head. “Let’s stick with the plan. I’ll drop you at the hotel and then FaceTime when it feels like the right moment. When he sees you’re still alive, it’ll be a double whammy.”

Franklin had given his staff the morning off, so the massive house was empty when he and his son arrived back just after nine in the morning. They grabbed themselves some fresh coffee and pastries in the kitchen and made their way through to the study where they sat and waited, wondering if anybody would show.