stop you if you really insist on going.” Alletson seemed to be breathing a trifle hard. “I’m just saying I’d rather you postponed your trip for a while, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry,” Cade said. “I’ll be back in time for the trial. You haven’t caught your men yet.”
“I am perfectly aware of that,” Alletson said. And he looked rather savage about it.
When Alletson and his assistant had departed Cade put on his coat and left the flat A man was standing in the entrance to the building; he was wearing a black raincoat and a felt hat; he was thick-set and slightly less than average height and he had a dark, pock-marked face and high cheekbones.
Cade could not help noticing him because he was so obviously trying to give the impression that he was completely uninterested in Cade. As Cade went past he pulled a small cigar from his pocket and lit it with a match.
Cade had walked about thirty paces down the street when he glanced back and saw the man with the cigar also leave the building. He hesitated a moment at the pavement as though undecided about which direction to take and glanced up at the sky. Cade turned his head to the front and walked on for another dozen paces, then glanced back again. As he had expected, the man with the cigar was following.
Cade passed two side-turnings, then crossed the street and continued on the other side. A little later the man with the cigar crossed also. It was so obvious that Cade could have laughed. Either the man was a very inexperienced tail or he took Cade for a fool.
They came to a park enclosed by iron railings. At the far end of the park was the entrance to an Underground station. Cade walked down the steps and came to the small booking-hall. He bought a ticket to Holborn and crossed to the lift which was waiting. Just as the gates closed he saw the man with the cigar hurrying down the steps into the booking-hall.
The lift stopped, the gates clashed open and Cade made his way to the platform serving the southbound trains. Only about half a dozen people were on the platform. Cade walked to the far end, then turned and waited for the man with the cigar to appear. A few seconds later he did so. He too walked towards the end of the platform, but stopped before reaching Cade. Theystood about ten yards apart and waited for the train to come in, ignoring each other.
The train came out of the tunnel like a maggot pushing its way out of an apple. It stopped with a hiss of brakes and the doors opened. Cade got in first; the man with the cigar followed him in. There were very few people in the carriage and Cade sat down on the seat nearest the doors. The man with the cigar sat down on the opposite side. He had smoked the cigar half-way down and seemed to be enjoying it He was not wearing gloves and when he lifted his hand to take the cigar out of his mouth Cade saw that he had stubby fingers and was wearing a gold signet ring. His teeth were discoloured and uneven. He was not by any reckoning a handsome man.
The train stopped at a number of stations and the seats began to fill. Cade did not move. The man with the cigar seemed to be studying the advertisements with great attention. They came to Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road. Cade waited until the doors were starting to close, then jumped up from his seat and made a dive for them. He just managed to squeeze through as they slid together. The man with the cigar was a moment too late; glancing back Cade caught a glimpse of his face on the other side of the doors before the train gathered speed and carried him away.
Cade changed to the Central Line and a few minutes later was getting out at Holborn.
Holden Bales had a small workshop up two flights of carpetless stairs in an ancient building not far from Hatton Garden. The smallness and apparent dinginessof the establishment were misleading: Holden Bales employed only four people but he had a very thriving business. From this and other such
“Don’t worry,” Cade said. “I’ll be back in time for the trial. You haven’t caught your men yet.”
“I am perfectly aware of that,” Alletson said. And he looked rather savage about it.
When Alletson and his assistant had departed Cade put on his coat and left the flat A man was standing in the entrance to the building; he was wearing a black raincoat and a felt hat; he was thick-set and slightly less than average height and he had a dark, pock-marked face and high cheekbones.
Cade could not help noticing him because he was so obviously trying to give the impression that he was completely uninterested in Cade. As Cade went past he pulled a small cigar from his pocket and lit it with a match.
Cade had walked about thirty paces down the street when he glanced back and saw the man with the cigar also leave the building. He hesitated a moment at the pavement as though undecided about which direction to take and glanced up at the sky. Cade turned his head to the front and walked on for another dozen paces, then glanced back again. As he had expected, the man with the cigar was following.
Cade passed two side-turnings, then crossed the street and continued on the other side. A little later the man with the cigar crossed also. It was so obvious that Cade could have laughed. Either the man was a very inexperienced tail or he took Cade for a fool.
They came to a park enclosed by iron railings. At the far end of the park was the entrance to an Underground station. Cade walked down the steps and came to the small booking-hall. He bought a ticket to Holborn and crossed to the lift which was waiting. Just as the gates closed he saw the man with the cigar hurrying down the steps into the booking-hall.
The lift stopped, the gates clashed open and Cade made his way to the platform serving the southbound trains. Only about half a dozen people were on the platform. Cade walked to the far end, then turned and waited for the man with the cigar to appear. A few seconds later he did so. He too walked towards the end of the platform, but stopped before reaching Cade. Theystood about ten yards apart and waited for the train to come in, ignoring each other.
The train came out of the tunnel like a maggot pushing its way out of an apple. It stopped with a hiss of brakes and the doors opened. Cade got in first; the man with the cigar followed him in. There were very few people in the carriage and Cade sat down on the seat nearest the doors. The man with the cigar sat down on the opposite side. He had smoked the cigar half-way down and seemed to be enjoying it He was not wearing gloves and when he lifted his hand to take the cigar out of his mouth Cade saw that he had stubby fingers and was wearing a gold signet ring. His teeth were discoloured and uneven. He was not by any reckoning a handsome man.
The train stopped at a number of stations and the seats began to fill. Cade did not move. The man with the cigar seemed to be studying the advertisements with great attention. They came to Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road. Cade waited until the doors were starting to close, then jumped up from his seat and made a dive for them. He just managed to squeeze through as they slid together. The man with the cigar was a moment too late; glancing back Cade caught a glimpse of his face on the other side of the doors before the train gathered speed and carried him away.
Cade changed to the Central Line and a few minutes later was getting out at Holborn.
Holden Bales had a small workshop up two flights of carpetless stairs in an ancient building not far from Hatton Garden. The smallness and apparent dinginessof the establishment were misleading: Holden Bales employed only four people but he had a very thriving business. From this and other such
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