The Legacy (26 page)

Chapter 49

Harry watched as a face materialised on his phone's screen, his eyes widening in surprise as he recognised the features. ‘It's the man Camilla drew, the one who tried to push her off Hay Tor!'

‘I don't know why but somehow that doesn't surprise me,' said Lucy. ‘This whole thing is becoming so surreal that almost anything could happen and I wouldn't be shocked. Does your friend include an address where we might find Mr Richards?' asked Lucy.

‘No,' replied Harry. ‘His note said that he was working on it but that Richards keeps a very low profile and that his current whereabouts seem to be unknown.'

‘I bet he's the man who's been watching the house,' said Ganesh. ‘It would fit. Whoever was up in the wood line had been trained to cover his tracks. I've run courses for the SAS in Brunei. We teach them how to avoid being tracked by people like me.'

‘Sounds like he should have paid more attention to his lessons,' said Harry.

‘Possibly, but in fairness to him,' replied Ganesh, ‘he wouldn't have expected someone like me to be tracking him here. As far as he's concerned, he's watching a house with a few girls and you in it. He might guess you were in the Army once but he doesn't think you know about him and he certainly wouldn't expect you to be out there in the woods looking for signs of covert surveillance. He's just ensuring that anyone who walks the dog there regularly doesn't spot anything unusual.'

‘So we have an edge,' replied Harry. ‘We know about him and where he's been watching us from but he doesn't know about us, or at least you two,' he said, looking at the Gurkhas. ‘All we need to do now is keep it that way.'

‘So what's the plan?' asked Lucy.

‘Well,' said Harry. ‘I think we get Camilla home and then wait for Richards to make his move. I don't think there's much more we can do unless my friend manages to get a current address for him. If he does, we can go and pay him a visit.'

‘You're sure it's the same man?' asked Ganesh. ‘It's all a bit of a coincidence isn't it?'

‘Yes, I'm sure,' replied Harry. ‘It's only a coincidence because we don't understand the connection. Once we've worked that out, I'm hoping that things will start to fall into place.'

‘OK,' said Ganesh, clearly not convinced. ‘And you're sure he'll try and get to Camilla?' asked Ganesh.

‘I think so. He tried to kill her to protect something. Camilla doesn't know what but it must have something to do with Peter Fairweather's death. Camilla isn't dead so Richards, or whoever is employing him, must still be concerned. Perhaps they think that Camilla knows something that could link Fairweather's death to them.'

Lucy looked at Harry, the colour draining from her face. ‘Did you say “Peter Fairweather”?'

‘Yes,' replied Harry, ‘why?'

‘Fairweather was my father's last target. It was in the letter McLeod gave me. Dad killed him but he had to make it look like an accident. I have no idea why and I've no idea who my Dad was taking his orders from, other than Richards, but I think that must be the link. Fairweather's death must connect my Dad's murder to the attempt on Camilla's life. Richards might be able to explain the connection in more detail but I bet we'll need to nail the man who's pulling Richards' strings before we'll understand all this.'

‘What about going to the police?' asked Ganesh.

‘We tried that in Scotland. They still believe my Dad's death was the result of a mugging that went wrong. They don't buy the idea that someone specifically set out to kill him. Why would they? As far as they are concerned, my Dad was just a retired Army officer who did a bit of security work on the side. Why would anyone want to kill him?'

‘That's the same with Camilla,' said Harry. ‘I've tried to convince the police that someone pushed Camilla and I've even shown them the picture that she drew. They weren't interested. They either think it was an accident or, and I haven't told Camilla this yet, they think she tried to commit suicide. They didn't quite admit it but I sensed that they think Camilla's drawing is her way of trying to divert attention away from a failed suicide.'

‘But if you tell them everything you now know, surely they're more likely to believe you,' suggested Ganesh.

‘Possibly,' agreed Harry. ‘But we'll have to tell them what Lucy's Dad did for a living and that'll make the headlines of every newspaper in the UK. Also, there's a good chance that the moment Richards is arrested, the man who's behind all this will disappear and we'll never get to the bottom of it. Richards is just the fixer. I want to know who's pulling the strings. Unless we nail him, Camilla will never be safe.'

The next hour was spent discussing what to do next. Eventually, they agreed that once Camilla was home, they would wait and see whether Richards made his move. If, after two or three days, nothing had happened then they agreed that they would go to the police with what they had. They also agreed they would not tell Camilla that whoever had tried to kill her before was probably watching the house. Having decided on a tentative plan, Harry suggested that they go for a walk and then have lunch at the Ring O'Bells. He'd thought about going to Moretonhampstead but heavy snow looked imminent and, although the Range Rover was a capable four wheel drive, he didn't have snow chains with him and he was reluctant to risk getting stuck given Camilla was expected home that afternoon. He asked the two Gurkhas if they wanted to join him and Lucy but they declined, preferring to remain hidden in the house and also sensing that he probably wanted to be on his own with her. He'd explained how he felt about her the previous night. They were pleased for him and wanted to give him the opportunity to spend time with her before things kicked off.

Chapter 50

Richards had enjoyed himself. His female friend had left earlier that morning in case her husband phoned home. He was now sorting out the equipment he felt he would need to finish the job. He had re-read the file on Harry Parker. It reaffirmed his original diagnosis. Not a man to under-estimate but he wasn't worried. He had the advantage of surprise. Whilst Parker would be playing happy house nurse to his female friend, Richards would be working out how to kill her, and him as well if necessary.

He had deliberately not answered his phone when Highworth had rung. He was obviously phoning from home as his name flashed up on Richards' mobile phone screen whenever it rang. Richards wasn't worried about Highworth but he didn't want to have to explain that the girl wasn't yet dead. He knew that Highworth would overreact and, frankly, he felt he could do without an angry and emotional outburst this early in the morning, especially as it had started so well. Moreover, he had things to do. He needed to get over to one of his lockups to retrieve his sniper rifle and the night sights he suspected he would need. He'd long ago abandoned any idea of keeping weapons at his flat. It was just asking for trouble. He kept absolutely nothing at home that could link him to his illegal activities. Extra money, passports, combat clothing, weapons and everything else he had collected over the years that enabled him to do his job were stored in several innocuous lockups across London. He looked at his watch. If he left within the hour, he could be back on Dartmoor by mid afternoon. He would also have time to change his hire car. Again, experience had taught him to change his cars as often as he could. People were more likely to remember a car if they had seen it more than once.

He showered, changed and left for his lock up. An hour later, he was heading out of London in a newly rented Hertz Subaru, fully equipped for what he suspected might lie ahead. The car was a pleasure to drive. He'd wanted something quick but he also wanted four wheel drive. The forecast had suggested that it might snow on higher ground within the next twenty-four hours or so. At over four hundred metres above sea level, Dartmoor was sufficiently high to get a regular dusting at this time of year and he didn't want to get stuck, particularly having carried out the kill.

The first part of his plan was reasonably straightforward. He intended to phone Exeter Hospital mid morning to confirm whether the girl had been released. If she had, he would book into a hotel and then, as darkness fell, he would head up onto the Moor. If she hadn't, then he would find a location near the hospital from which he could observe the main entrance. The second part of the plan kicked in when the girl was back at the house in North Bovey. It wasn't sophisticated but it should do the job. With luck, it might even look like a tragic accident.

Chapter 51

Camilla was released by the hospital mid afternoon. Her doctors were happy that she was recovering well and that there was nothing further to be gained by keeping her on the ward. They had given Ellie and Sarah strict instructions to bring her straight to Accident and Emergency if she started to show signs of dizziness. Other than that, they said that she now just needed time for her body to recover. The journey from the hospital was uneventful but, as they started to climb up towards Moretonhampstead, it started to snow. Ellie was secretly pleased. Every now and again Sarah would suggest they get rid of her old Land Rover and buy a newer saloon car but Ellie was adamant that they needed a four wheel drive. She knew they probably didn't, at least for most of the year, but whenever the weather deteriorated and driving on the Moor became difficult, she took the opportunity to remind Sarah of how lucky they were to have such a capable car. ‘Lucky we've got the Landy,' she said to Sarah as they continued to climb towards Morton.

‘Yes,' said Sarah. ‘We're very lucky. As we are on the other two days of the year when we actually need four wheel drive.' She smiled as she said this. She knew that Ellie was emotionally attached to her battered old car. It symbolised the lifestyle choice she had made when she moved from London.

The snow was getting heavier. Ellie could see that it was beginning to settle on the road and she could feel the car slipping slightly on the corners. She changed down and put her headlights on. It was only mid afternoon but it was beginning to get dark. The roads had been gritted a week or so ago but because of the near constant rain, there was little salt left on the carriageway. Recognising the danger, the cars in front were beginning to slow down.

‘This could be interesting,' said Ellie, braking to avoid a car coming in the opposite direction which looked to be slipping across the central white line. ‘Another thirty minutes or so of this and some cars are really going to struggle, especially on the tops. Can you check the chains are in the back?' she asked Sarah.

Sarah checked. Ellie kept a large plastic box in the rear of the car which was filled with all sorts of off-road paraphernalia. It contained a tow rope, jump leads, a collapsible shovel and four snow chains, one for each wheel. They'd had to use them a few times last year. The chains made the world of difference, giving the car grip on even the most slippery of snow-covered roads. They also had a winch on the front of the car. They'd practised using it earlier in the year when it had just been fitted but, so far at least, they'd never had to use it in earnest. Sarah suspected that Ellie was hoping they would have to.

‘This is looking bad,' said Camilla, peering through the windscreen. ‘Do you think we'll make it?'

‘The difficult bit is the road from Morton to North Bovey,' said Ellie. ‘There are one or two steep bits that might be a bit of a challenge. But we can use the chains if necessary to give us some traction.'

They passed a number of cars going in the other direction but the few cars that were in front of them were stopping in Moretonhampstead. This made sense. As they entered the town, they could see that it had been snowing hard for several hours. It would be much worse up on the Moor and most of the vehicles they had been following wouldn't be able to cope with any more snow on the roads. They drove into the centre of town. It was eerily quiet. The shops were still open but there were few people about. Several inches of snow covered the main road. One or two vehicles had made tracks through the snow but these were fast being covered. They continued through the town, pulling into a small layby on the far side. ‘Chains,' said Ellie looking at Sarah.

‘Chains,' Sarah agreed with a smile.

They got out of the car. ‘It's beautiful,' said Sarah, looking across the valley to their front. The fields were covered in snow. In the space of a few hours, the countryside had been transformed from damp and miserable to white and pristine. It was incredibly quiet. The snow continued to fall.

‘It's like something out of a fairytale,' said Ellie. ‘I love it when it's like this.'

‘I know what you mean,' said Sarah. ‘Everything looks clean and the world seems calmer.'

They got the snow chains out of the back and fitted them to all four tyres. Ellie recognised that this was probably over-kill but she daren't risk sliding off the road with Camilla still in plaster.

They got back in and Ellie inched back onto the carriageway. She could feel the difference immediately. The snow chains bit into the snow and gave her tremendous traction. She used the smaller of the two gear levers that older Land Rovers have to put the car in low ratio. This increased the torque and enabled her to decrease her speed but still keep the engine revving at a reasonable rate. The car made steady progress up and down the hills until they came to the outskirts of North Bovey. A car was slewed across the road with its front wheels in a ditch, though there didn't appear to be any damage to the bodywork. It had simply slid into the side of the road and the front wheels had mounted the slight verge and then lodged in the drainage ditch. The publisher from the local amateur dramatics group was standing next to it talking into his mobile phone. He waved at the girls when he saw their car approach. Sarah got out and went to talk to him.

‘He's stuck,' she said to Ellie, coming back to the car. ‘I said we'd try and tow him out.'

Ellie agreed that they should give it a try. Sarah could see that she was enjoying this. Ellie got the tow rope and attached it to the tow hook at the back of her friend's car. She turned the Land Rover round and fastened the other end of the rope to her own tow hook. She put the Land Rover into gear and slowly started to pull the stricken car out of the ditch. The Land Rover's wheels slipped slightly but the chains did their job and within a few minutes the car was free of the ditch. Sarah went over to talk to the man again. They agreed that the best plan would be for him to park his car at the side of the road and then allow the girls to give him a lift to his house which was near their own. Within a few minutes, they were on their way with the man in the back next to Camilla.

‘I think the snow's here to stay for the week,' said the man as they drove slowly through the village. ‘I suspect I'll be working from home for the next few days at least,' he said.

The girls agreed. It was quite exciting being cut off. Most people kept extra provisions at home for occasions like this and, provided nobody needed urgent access to medical facilities, it was no big deal. During term time, the children made the most of a few extra days off school with the added delight of snow on the hills, spending most of their time sledging in the valleys. They dropped the man opposite his house and then continued home. The house looked delightful as they turned off the main road and into the drive. It was like something off a Christmas card. Everything had a perfect covering of snow, even Harry's Range Rover. Wisps of smoke blew out of the chimney. The Gurkhas had obviously kept the fire going.

Boot was excited to see them as they opened the door and helped Camilla into the house.

‘We're home,' called Ellie as she took her coat off and went to put the kettle on. Ganesh's head appeared from the cellar.

‘Hello,' he said. ‘We've tried to keep the fire going but I'm not sure how successful we've been.'

Ellie thanked them for making the effort. She was grateful for the warmth of the house as they settled Camilla on the sofa in front of the wood burner. ‘Anything happening?' Ellie asked Ganesh.

‘Not really,' he replied. ‘I saw a few foxes earlier this morning but, so far, it's been quiet. Harry's back with his friend Lucy. They've gone for a walk and then for a late lunch at the Ring O'Bells. I suspect they have a lot to talk about,' said Ganesh with a mischievous smile. ‘I'll go and get Hemraj,' disappearing back into the cellar.

Camilla had been watching them talk. Ellie realised that she hadn't introduced them and, as the Gurkhas re-appeared, she made the introductions. Hemraj shook hands and then went back into the cellar to monitor the cameras. ‘If I don't,' he said, ‘I can guarantee that something will happen and I'll miss it.' Ganesh stayed to chat to Camilla. He asked her about her injuries and then, conscious that it might upset her, he gently questioned her about the man who had pushed her off the cliff. He was trying to get a feel for the person he was up against. How big was he? How old? How did he move? Did he look to be armed? Was he right handed or left handed? Camilla tried her best but, although it all seemed to happen in slow motion, she had actually only seen him for a matter of seconds. Ganesh was nevertheless grateful for her answers. Though Harry was convinced that Camilla's assailant and Richards were one and the same, Ganesh wanted Camilla's personal take on her attacker before her recollection became ‘tainted' by whatever they might learn about Richards. Ganesh knew that any snippet about a potential enemy could turn out to be the difference between life and death, no matter how trivial it might seem. And from what Camilla had just told him, the man he would soon be pitted against sounded very capable, whether or not it was Richards. He would certainly not make the mistake of underestimating him.