“And what was that, superwoman?” asked William, wrapping his arms around all three of them.
“We’ve already had a serious discussion about names,” said Beth, handing one of the babies to William.
“And what names did the three of you decide in my absence?”
“For your son, we settled on Peter Paul.”
“Rubens,” said William. “I approve. But will he be an artist or a diplomat?”
“As long as he’s not a policeman, I don’t care.”
“And his sister?”
“Artemisia.”
“Gentileschi? A genius, way ahead of her time.”
“And more important, she had a father who acknowledged her talents, and encouraged her to use them. So beware.”
“Hello, Artemisia,” William whispered, stroking her nose.
“Good try, but that’s Peter Paul, who’s keen to know if you’ve given any more thought to applying for the job at the Fitzmolean? Applications close at the end of the week, the director reminded me.”
“You can tell Tim I’ve been giving the idea some serious thought recently,” said William quietly.
A puzzled look appeared on Beth’s face. “Why recently?”
“We’ve got a bent copper on our team, and one of us will have to go.”
“But why should it be you? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Because I’m not willing to turn a blind eye, and that’s what I’d have to do if I decided to remain on the force.”
“How sad,” said Beth, almost to herself.
“I thought you’d be delighted to learn that I’m thinking about packing it in.”
“I am. But I wouldn’t want to wake up every morning with a disgruntled caveman beside me, especially now the press are saying you’re in line to become the youngest detective inspector in the Met’s history!”
“But at what price?”
“Perhaps you should talk it over with your father before you come to a decision you’ll later regret.”
“Almost his exact words. But I can’t think of anything that would make me change my mind.”
Artemisia began to cry, quickly followed by Peter Paul.
“They’re clearly going to work in tandem to attract our attention,” said Beth.
She and William handed the twins to the midwife, who quickly calmed them down before placing them gently in their cots. “Perhaps it’s time for your wife to rest,” she suggested before leaving the room.
“But not before we’ve checked to see if you’re already yesterday’s news,” said Beth, flicking on the television to see a red double-decker bus disappearing off one side of the screen.
“Well, I guess that’s the last we’re going to see of you,” she sighed. She was about to switch off the television when the newsreader said, “Some breaking news has just come in. A prisoner has escaped from Pentonville jail.”
Miles Faulkner’s face filled the screen.
ALSO BY JEFFREY ARCHER
THE WILLIAM WARWICK NOVELS
Nothing Ventured
THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES
Only Time Will Tell • The Sins of the Father • Best Kept Secret • Be Careful What You Wish For • Mightier Than the Sword • Cometh the Hour • This Was a Man
NOVELS
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less • Shall We Tell the President? • Kane and Abel • The Prodigal Daughter • First Among Equals • A Matter of Honor • As the Crow Flies • Honor Among Thieves • The Fourth Estate • The Eleventh Commandment • Sons of Fortune • False Impression • The Gospel According to Judas (with the assistance of Professor Francis J. Moloney) • A Prisoner of Birth • Paths of Glory • Heads You Win
SHORT STORIES
A Quiver Full of Arrows • A Twist in the Tale • Twelve Red Herrings • The Collected Short Stories • To Cut a Long Story Short • Cat O’ Nine Tales • And Thereby Hangs a Tale • Tell Tale • The Short, the Long and the Tall
PLAYS
Beyond Reasonable Doubt • Exclusive • The Accused • Confession • Who Killed the Mayor?
PRISON DIARIES
Volume One—Belmarsh: Hell
Volume Two—Wayland: Purgatory
Volume Three—North Sea Camp: Heaven
SCREENPLAYS
Mallory: Walking Off the Map • False Impression
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEFFREY ARCHER was educated at Oxford University. He served five years as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons and has served twenty-seven years as a Member of the House of Lords. Now published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, all of his novels and short story collections—including Kane & Abel, Only Time Will Tell and This Was a Man—have been international bestsellers. Jeffrey is married with two sons and three grandchildren, and lives in London, Cambridge and Majorca. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Also by Jeffrey Archer
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. Copyright © 2020 by Jeffrey Archer. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Young Jin Lim
Cover photographs: British architecture © Miguel Sobreira/Arcangel; birds © Hayden Verry/Arcangel
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Archer, Jeffrey, 1940– author.
Title: Hidden in plain sight / Jeffrey Archer.
Description: First U.S. edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2020. | Series: William Warwick novels
Identifiers: LCCN 2020024223 | ISBN 9781250200785 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250200792 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3616.I425 H53 2020 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020024223
eISBN 9781250200792
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: 2020
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Hidden in Plain Sight Page 27
