‘Tell me what?’
Todd turned and saw Con standing in the doorway, arms folded.
‘Con, you’re not to worry.’
‘Tell me what it is, Todd.’
‘I’m afraid it’s another of those ridiculous letters you used to get years ago.’ He handed it to Con.
As he read it, Todd watched Con visibly shudder.
‘Don’t panic, Con, please. Freddy said we should contact the police immediately. He suggested we let the media know too, broadcast how tight security is going to be at the concert. If this creep is serious, he might be put off if he knows what a huge police presence there’ll be. If you agree, I’ll call Scotland Yard now. Con?’
Con was holding the letter in his hand, staring out of the window.
‘Are you okay?’
Con didn’t reply.
‘Look, I know how devastating this must be, but there are ways to solve it. Let me call the police, Con. I’m positive this is just a stupid crank letter.’
‘Sure. I’ll take a shower.’
As the water cascaded over his head, Con wondered if he had been wrong to return.
He dressed and went downstairs. Todd was staring out of the window.
‘You called them?’
‘Yes. They’re sending someone round right now. You’ll have immediate twenty-four-hour protection. They’re going to liaise with the organisers of the concert this morning to discuss security.’
‘Good.’
‘Con, there is one other thing you should know.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Helen McCarthy has just been released on parole.’
Helen was running very short of cash. The couple of thousand left in her account was slowly being eaten up. At some point in the next couple of weeks, she would have to take her vintage Porsche out of the garage, replace the starter motor and give it a good wash and brush-up. She’d then try to find a buyer.
But she didn’t care if she was left homeless and penniless. Now she knewwhohad ruined her life, it was a case of putting the rest of the jigsaw together, presenting her evidence to the police, and finally clearing her name.
Four telephone calls had secured the information she needed. Anybody who said they were calling from the Inland Revenue was almost always put through, and given the details requested.
And now, at last, Helen was going to meet the person who had set her up so perfectly. She climbed into her rented Mini Metro and drove off.
London’s claustrophobic streets gave way to green fields on either side of the motorway, a road that had not been built when she had last travelled this way. It took her a couple of hours of steady driving to reach her destination. She passed through the gates and pulled up outside the crumbling Victorian building. Helen turned off the engine. She took a lipstick out of her handbag and applied it slowly. Then she climbed out of the car, locked it and walked towards the front entrance.
‘I’m so sorry you’ve come all this way for nothing. She left about a month ago. You say you’ve been abroad yourself?’
‘Away, yes,’ Helen nodded.
‘We always wondered whether she had any family. She never talked about them.’
‘No, well, we were never close.’
‘You don’t look anything like her, if you don’t mind me saying. There’s no sibling resemblance.’
