Outside Chance Read Online Free PDF Page A

back where he belongs as soon as possible. Cheltenham’s only three weeks away, and every hour he spends away from here screws his chances even more.’
    â€˜Paying’s the only real option,’ Ford explained to Ben. ‘We can stall for time and try to set up a dialogue, because of course the more contactwe have with them, the greater the chance that they’ll give something away. But realistically, the best chance we have of catching them is at the handover. That’s potentially the weak point in any kidnapper’s plan.’
    â€˜But if they do manage the pick-up, what then?’
    Ford shrugged. ‘We have to hope that they keep their word. After all a horse can’t give us any information about where he’s been – except forensically, I suppose. And setting him free somewhere has got to be a whole lot easier than digging.’
    Truman groaned. ‘It never occurred to me that there’d be any security risk with King. One of the colts, maybe. I mean, two years ago when Pod Pea won the Guineas, I was quite paranoid about security. That horse was worth millions in potential stud fees, but King? Sure he’s worth a few grand, and quite a few more if he does win the Gold Cup, but nothing in comparison with a dozen or so others I’ve got here.’
    â€˜But Mikey says it would be your first Cheltenham Gold Cup,’ Ben pointed out. ‘It’s the prestige at stake here. It comes down to how much you’re willing to pay for the chance of running the favourite in one of the biggest steeplechases in the world.’
    â€˜Damn them to hell!’ Truman slammed his fist on the desktop and stood up, pushing his chair back so violently that it rocked and nearly fell over. He stepped round it and went to the window, pulling the edge of the curtain aside so he could look out into the darkness. ‘I’ve worked so damn hard to get that horse fit for the race,and now he’s spot on. Or was. God knows what state he’ll be in when we get him back.’
    â€˜
If
you get him back.’ Hancock voiced the fear that was in each of their minds. ‘The precedent isn’t good. Think of Shergar.’
    â€˜I don’t want to think of bloody Shergar!’ Truman responded, with what Ben thought an entirely pardonable flash of temper.
    â€˜Hancock. Can you go and get an update from forensics?’ Ford asked quietly. ‘They’re working on the lorry and the note,’ he told Ben as his colleague left the room. ‘We’re not expecting fingerprints, because Rice told us the one he spoke to was wearing plastic gloves, but there may be something else – a hair, perhaps, or clothing fibres. It’s unfortunate that the cab has been occupied by upwards of two dozen different people in the last fortnight alone, but all we can do is look for something unusual, something that doesn’t fit.’
    â€˜What about the hijack site? Nothing there, I suppose.’
    â€˜It’s a popular overnight stop. Rice says it was empty when he drove up – the bogus checkpoint saw to that – but by the time we got someone there the burger van had arrived and half a dozen lorries and commercial travellers had gathered. It was hopeless.’
    â€˜Weren’t they taking a bit of a chance? I mean, what if one of your lot had driven by?’
    Ford shook his head. ‘They’d probably just have raised a hand. We don’t get involved unless we’re asked to.’
    Ben digested this. ‘And the note?’
    â€˜The usual format: “We will contact you. Do not call the police or you will never see your horse alive again.”’
    â€˜Damn them!’ Truman said again. ‘If this is those bloody animal liberation people, I’ll see every one of them strung up!’
    â€˜I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,’ the DI stated quietly.
    â€˜Is there any reason to think it is animal lib?’ Ben