Colin Forbes - The Main chance

Her Roman face would be noticed anywhere. Her grey hair was thick, well brushed. Her grey eyes were alert, her nose like a shapely beak, her mouth was firm and she had a good chin. When she stood up to greet them Paula noted she was wearing a fine-cut leather jacket with a white blouse and grey trousers over her king legs. Her grey hair was cut short, her only concession to jewellery a pair of pearl earrings and a brooch with the letters MC in small diamonds attached to her jacket. Coming forward with quick steps to greet Tweed, she hugged him for a few seconds.

It is so good of you to come and see me. My apologies for keeping you waiting. A client who had a problem he couldn't cope with barged in. I solved the problem and he left a happy man'

Her presence dominated the room without a trace of arrogance. She shook Paula by the hand and her grip was fearsome. She beckoned to Lavinia to sit with her behind the desk as Tweed replied. `It gave us time to meet most, maybe all, of your family? `Only part of the problem; she replied as she sat down behind the desk with Lavinia in another chair beside her. 'Now I have to deal with the villain Calouste Doubenkian. I know you come straight to the point and so do I.'

Nothing could have taken Tweed more aback but his face showed no reaction but interest. Paula gripped her knees tightly with both hands to conceal her shock, to keep her expression neutral. Bella frowned. `I'm getting this out of sequence. First, the Main Chance Bank is private, always has been. We keep well away from the idea of a flotation on the Stock Exchange, although they keep pestering, probably because it's simply the richest bank in Europe, possibly in the world. Founded in 1912 by my fathers-in-law, Ezra Main and Pitt Chance-' `Excuse me,' Tweed interjected, 'but are their portraits on the wall in the library outside this study?' `Those are the two brigands. Ezra is the one on the left.' `Brigands?' Tweed repeated. 'But my reading of history tells me men were tougher in those days. Two world wars softened most of the men. Now in business they trick and cheat.' `How right you are.' She used a hand to smooth down one side of her hair. 'They had the idea a lot of rich men living in Europe wanted a safe haven for their large sums of money. The Main Chance Bank they founded provided that haven. Has done ever since. Today you need a minimum of a million to join our bank. In dollars, Swiss francs or pounds sterling. We take ten per cent of the first deposit as our fee. They are happy with that because they know their money is safe.' `You take anyone with those funds?' `We do not! My intelligence service vets them first. We're on the lookout for money-launderers, terrorist funds, robbery proceeds. They can all jump in the fountain outside. There is more to the system than that, but first I need to know if you will join us on a permanent basis. As chief administrator with full powers. The salary would be three hundred thousand as a starter. It would go up when you'd settled in.' `I never guessed you had anything like this in mind.' He paused. 'I take it as a great compliment but I'm dedicated to the work I do now.'

There was a tap on the door and Snape walked in with another silver tray with coffee and separate glasses for water. He placed a large glass carafe near Tweed. They were looking at Snape while Tweed glanced down at the carpet by the side of the desk. The runnels had appeared again, like small wheel marks; two rows, about eighteen inches apart. The sun cast light onto the carpet, reflecting off small and larger specks glittering like gold.

When Snape had left Bella snapped her fingers, checked her watch. She turned to Lavinia, put a hand to her high forehead. `One day I'm going to get old. Help me find a long stiff brown envelope out of that awkward drawer.'

Both heads dipped as they struggled to open the drawer. Tweed took his white display handkerchief from his top pocket, dipped it, unseen by everyone except Paula, into the open carafe of water. He bent down, spread it widely over the golden specks, pressed hard, screwed it up, returned it to his pocket. What on earth is he up to? wondered Paula. Bella and Lavinia were still struggling with the drawer. Then it came open. `You really should have that seen to,' Lavinia suggested. `Then I wouldn't know when someone has been prying.'

Bella held in her hand a long stiff brown sealed envelope, the type used by lawyers. She held it so Tweed couldn't see the side with the address. The side he could see was further sealed with red sealing wax. `Lavinia,' she said in an unusually slow voice, 'I'm now going to fill in our visitors on the Doubenkian business – which you know all about. Could you please take this to my solicitors, Hamble, Goodworthy and Richter in Threadneedle Street in the City? Get a receipt from them.' `I'll take it now.' She got up, walked round the desk with her hand held out to Tweed. 'Goodbye, Mr Tweed. I really like your personality.' She turned to Paula, who braced her hand for Lavinia's strong grip. 'I like you equally, Paula. I envy you working for such a remarkable man.'

Tweed noticed that the stiff brown envelope was tucked firmly under her arm so he could see the sealed side but not the address. He waited only a short time before he made his move.

Lavinia, walking briskly, had left the study and Bella was quiet an though deciding how to phrase what she was going to say next. Tweed stood up. `Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette?' `By all means go ahead. I think I'll have one.'

Reaching for a silver box on her desk, she lifted the lid and extracted one of her own. She lit it with a silver ball after pressing a button. Tweed was now standing in a dark cubbyhole by the window. The sun had gone in. Looking down he saw Lavinia diving inside a Saab. He was looking straight down the drive to the entrance gates as he pretended to have trouble with his lighter. When a high flame appeared he shook it, dousing it. He repeated the exercise four times before lighting up. Parked in the concealed track opposite the gates he felt sure Harry had seen his signal. He watched as the gates opened automatically and Lavinia drove out, turning left – which was the way to Gladworth, not right to Threadneedle Street in London, the address Bella had spoken aloud so clearly. He went back and sat in his chair. `Time I came straight to the point,' Bella began. `Mr Calouste Doubenkian. A billionaire and a crook. Owns large contracts in Eastern oil, an immense steelworks, several banks in the Balkans. All obtained by dubious, not to say murderous methods. To get one bank he had the wife of the owner kidnapped, one of his minor crimes. Now he wants to buy the Main Chance. He's offered a huge sum, about half what we're worth.' `Normal procedure with those people,' Tweed observed. 'You offer a low price to start with, then they haggle like Arabs in the Mouski bazaar in Cairo.' `His name sounds Armenian,' Bella remarked. `Yes, but I doubt it's his original name. He could come from anywhere east of Bulgaria – Georgia, Dagestan, Tajikistan, an oil-rich state.' `You know something about him, then?' `No. I've heard the name, know that he's dangerous. That's all. He has never crossed my path.' `I had him investigated by Medfords Security…' `They've very good,' Paula assured her. 'I was trained by them before I joined the SIS. Who did you deal with?' `A director called Matteson, who struck me as clever.' `After my time,' Paula said with a smile. `So what did he find out?' Tweed interjected. `Well…' Bella sighed. 'He used his best man in Europe, someone codenamed Louis in Paris. Poor Louis ended up in his apartment with his throat cut. He's on my conscience.' `It goes with the territory. You have a large family working for you. I met them downstairs.' `It's a dubious tradition going way back. They all want to work for me. They're all bright. Must be a genetic thing lasting for centuries. They know they can't get anything like what I pay them anywhere else. A few wandered off on their own.' `What is the executive set-up?' `Marshal Main and Warner Chance are co-directors with equal powers. I was once married to Marshal's father, Charles, deceased. Later I married Rupert Chance, but he was killed in a road accident. So Marshal and Warner are my sons.' `They choose their clients?' `They certainly do not! I do that. If they're accept- able I then decide who would handle them best. Marshal is charming and boisterous, very extrovert. Warner is quieter and more deliberate.' `What made you choose Snape?' `Good question. Originally he was an officer with the Berkshire Blues, then transferred to the Engineers. Among other duties he can cope with the lift if it goes wrong. He has presence when greeting clients.' `What about security? When we arrived the gates opened before I identified myself on the speaker-phone.' `We knew you were coming.' She smiled. 'You don't miss much. He spotted you leaving Park Crescent, took a photograph, then tore back here on his motorcycle.' `He took our photographs?' Tweed was alarmed. 'He wasn't spotted.' `He's clever.' She chuckled. 'The Invisible Man. When you arrived he was watching from the manor with binoculars…' `He's in charge of security?' `No. Lavinia, Chief Accountant, is. She's a forensic accountant. So is Crystal, who assists her. Now, Mr Tweed, you have an overall picture, so can't I persuade you to come and live here as Chief Administrator, with total power? Paula would be most welcome as your assistant.' `Again, I appreciate the compliment.' Tweed had stood up. 'I am dedicated to the position I hold now. I am sorry.' `So am I.' Bella rose from behind her desk to escort them to the door. She pointed to the portraits of the two men who had originally founded the bank. `I couldn't stand having them staring at me in my study. You won't think again about my offer? Mrs Grandy has prepared two large suites which interconnect…' `Mrs Grandy?' `Our tyrant of a housekeeper. Outspoken too, but so reliable. I do need you, Mr Tweed, to come and protect our treasure.'