‘Yes, that is my full name,’ admitted Beth reluctantly.
By this time a considerable crowd had gathered around, listening to every word.
‘Is that right?’ the sergeant asked slowly.
‘Look, we can explain …’ Sebastian began. ‘You don’t want to believe a word either of them says, especially Victoria. And Gib’s just as bad. We only …’
‘So you do know these children?’ Sergeant Andrews interjected.
Sebastian’s face fell. Mine lit up.
‘I thought you just said that you didn’t know this boy?’ the sergeant said suspiciously.
‘I … that is, we don’t know them … very well,’ Sebastian said feebly.
‘Is Gib your name?’ the policeman asked.
Gib nodded. ‘It’s my nickname. My real name is Richard Gibson, but everyone calls me Gib.’
‘You don’t know these children very well,’ Sergeant Andrews began, ‘but you do know them well enough to know this boy’s nickname.’
‘I can explain …’ Sebastian said quickly.
‘I’m sure you can. And I’d like to hear this explanation. I think we’d all better go to a private room where I can find out exactly what’s going on here.’
Chapter Fifteen
‘IF YOU’LL ALL come with me,’ said Sergeant Andrews, ‘there’s a room we can use on the next floor down.’
The policeman walked alongside Sebastian and Beth, while Gib and I walked behind them. The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let us through. I wanted to speak to Gib but I didn’t dare open my mouth. For starters, where was Chaucy? We went down the escalator and headed for a blue door to our left. The room inside had in it a large wooden table and a blue carpet. There were a number of chairs against the wall and in front of the table. There were no windows but the light overhead was very bright. Sergeant Andrews waited until we were all in the room before shutting the door. Then he sat down at the table.
‘Right then. Let’s start with you,’ the sergeant said to me. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Victoria.’
‘Victoria what?’
‘Just Victoria,’ I replied.
I could feel Gib looking at me but I didn’t look back at him.
‘Hmm!’ the sergeant said. ‘All right. Just Victoria will do for now. Gib, you start.’
Gib took a deep breath. I looked at him and smiled.
‘Beth works at Universal Bank. That’s where our dad works … as the Internal Auditing Manager. Beth’s a programmer. That’s how she fixed it so that she could take seven million pounds from the bank for herself. Now she and Sebastian are escaping to Rio with all that money.’
I grinned at Gib. I couldn’t have done better myself. He didn’t see me though. He was nervously watching Sergeant Andrews.
‘Sergeant Andrews, feel free to check my handbag and our luggage. Sebastian and I have about five thousand pounds on us and that’s it.’ Beth smiled. ‘I changed half the money into American dollars and the rest into traveller’s cheques. And what’s more, Sebastian has the bank receipt to prove it.’
I licked my lips. Something was wrong. Beth looked far too smug, too relaxed.
‘First things first. Is Gib right? Do you work at Universal Bank as a programmer?’ the sergeant asked.
Beth looked at Gib and me, her face a mask.
‘Yes, it is true, but I can explain …’ she began.
‘Five thousand pounds is a lot of money to be carrying on you – no matter what currency it’s in,’ said Sergeant Andrews.
‘It’s all the money we have in the world,’ Sebastian explained. ‘We decided to make this the holiday of a lifetime – the best hotels, the best food … We’re having a second honeymoon. That money represents every penny we have in the world. And as Beth said, we do have proof that the cash is ours. Just a minute, I’ll show you.’
‘A receipt doesn’t mean anything,’ Gib dismissed quickly. ‘Beth works at Universal Bank. She could have forged that receipt.’
‘Really! I think you’ve been watching too much television,’ Beth scoffed. ‘Sergeant, please feel free to call my bank. They’ll tell you that it was a perfectly legitimate transaction.’
‘There you are,’ Sebastian said, after searching through his wallet. He handed a slip of paper over to Sergeant Andrews who scrutinized it before handing it back.
‘That seems to be in order,’ Sergeant Andrews said.
‘Sergeant Andrews, they’ve got a lot more than five thousand on them,’ I said. ‘They’ve got seven million. Sebastian told me so.’
‘Oh, he did, did he?’ the sergeant said, in a tone that told me I shouldn’t have told him that.
‘It was just a joke, officer,’ Sebastian laughed. ‘You know what fertile imaginations children have. I was just humouring her.’
‘Where is this five thousand? May I see it?’ Sergeant Andrews asked.
Beth shrugged. ‘Help yourself. It’s in the small suitcase.’
Gib and I moved to stand beside the sergeant as he opened the case. The front of the suitcase was filled with pile upon pile of green money. Dollars. I’d never seen American dollars before. Behind the money, the top two rows were blue and red traveller’s cheques. It all represented more money than I’d ever seen in my life. Sergeant Andrews counted the money with quick, expert fingers.
‘That seems about right,’ he said at last.
‘I told you.’ Beth smiled at Gib and me. ‘Five thousand. Not a penny more or less.’
‘Look in the large suitcase. The seven million must be in there,’ Gib said.
‘I don’t think so, Gib.’ The sergeant smiled. ‘You’d need a lot more than one suitcase for seven million pounds, no matter how you packed it.’
‘They have got seven million on them. Honest they have,’ I said. ‘Aren’t you even going to look?’
‘Oh, this is ridiculous.’ Beth knelt down by her larger suitcase and within moments had opened it. She threw back the top. We leaned forward expectantly.
It was full of clothes.
‘Seb and I decided to share one suitcase as we intend to buy most of our clothes when we get out there.’ Beth picked up a few items to show the lining at the bottom of the suitcase. ‘See! There’s no money in here. I’ve nothing up my sleeves either.’
Where was all that money? Gib and I looked at each other, horror-stricken.
‘Shall I tell you what this is really all about, officer?’ Sebastian said, glaring at me. ‘Their father was caught trying to take one million pounds from Universal Bank. He’s been in front of a magistrate and he’s now waiting for a date for his trial. So these two decided to try and pin the crime on someone else. They reckon they can get their father off the hook by putting my wife and me on it.’
‘That’s a dirty lie!’ Gib exploded.
The sergeant looked from me to Gib.
‘So you two are brother and sister?’ he asked.
‘No. I’m adopted,’ I told him.
It was the first time I’d ever said the words without being prompted first. And, surprisingly, I didn’t mind. I didn’t mind at all. I didn’t even mind his expression – an expression I’d seen many, many times before. A mixture of interest and pity.
That’s what he feels, I thought. It doesn’t have to be how I feel.
I was Victoria Murchie who’d been adopted and had her name changed to Victoria Gibson. But most importantly, I was Victoria. No one could change that or take that away from me.
‘So can we go now, officer?’ Beth asked, shutting the case again.
‘Of course, Mrs Carter. I’m sorry you were in-convenienced,’ said the policeman.
‘You’re not going to let them go, are you?’ Gib exclaimed.
‘You can’t,’ I pleaded.
‘The game is over, Gib and Vicky. You’ve had your little joke. As you can see, we don’t have that kind of money,’ Beth laughed. ‘I wish we did.’
Beth straightened up from her suitcase. Sebastian picked it
up.
‘Don’t let them go,’ I begged. ‘The money must be somewhere.’
‘Where? In our pockets? Or maybe it’s in our shoes?’ Sebastian laughed.
And he was laughing at us. Beth and Sebastian made for the door. Then my brain clicked in. Hatton Garden. Loads and loads of jewellers’ shops …
‘It’s not cash … it’s jewellery. Beth went to Hatton Garden this morning!’ I shouted. ‘That’s how they’re doing it. Jewellery.’
‘If there’s nothing else …’ Beth said with disdain. She and Sebastian headed for the door, sharpish. I turned to Sergeant Andrews.
‘Stop them!’ I said desperately. ‘They must have some jewellery in the suitcase worth seven million. Please …’
‘That’s right. Beth did go to Hatton Garden this morning.’ Gib backed me up.
‘Is that right, Mrs Carter? Did you go to Hatton Garden?’ Sergeant Andrews asked.
‘No, I did not,’ Beth replied haughtily.
‘Yes she did,’ I contradicted angrily. ‘After they locked me in their cellar all night and left me there. If it wasn’t for Gib, I’d still be in their house.’
‘Locked you in their …?’ the sergeant began.
‘She lives in a fantasy world,’ Beth said dismissively with a wave of her hand. ‘Even her own mother will tell you that.’
‘Liar!’ Gib shouted at her. ‘Mum would never say anything like that about Victoria. Please, Sergeant Andrews, you’ve got to look in their suitcases. It’s jewels. I know it is.’
The policeman looked at Gib and me. Our eyes, our faces, our whole bodies pleaded with him.
‘Would you mind?’ The sergeant smiled apologetically at Sebastian and Beth. ‘It would clear this up once and for all.’
Beth and Sebastian exchanged a look.
‘Very well then,’ Beth said with impatience. ‘But that’s it. We have a plane to catch and I’ve had just about enough of this nonsense.’
As Sergeant Andrews squatted down to open the large suitcase, Beth and Sebastian turned to smile at us. And then I knew that the jewels couldn’t be in the suitcase. No way would they be so calm about their suitcase being searched if there was any possibility of jewels being found in there. I looked at Sebastian. He put on his sunglasses again, still smirking at us. I turned to Beth. She looked like the cat who’d got the cream. She slowly shook her head at me, still looking smug. I had to squinch up my eyes. Her large pear-drop earrings glinted in the artificial light of the room and dazzled me. Sergeant Andrews closed the suitcase.
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ Sebastian fumed. ‘If there’s nothing else, Sergeant, we have a plane to catch.’
‘Of course, sir. I’ll escort you to your check-in desk.’
I turned to Gib, stricken. We’d failed. Dad …
Sebastian and Beth headed out the door and up the escalator to the departure lounge. The sergeant stood next to Gib and me, behind them. I felt totally numb. I couldn’t feel a thing. We’d failed …
At the top of the escalator, Sebastian and Beth turned. They were still smirking. And Beth’s dangly earrings were swinging, swinging.
Then I realized. I ran forward and stretched up to pull off Beth’s right earring. Beth screamed. Sebastian lurched at me. I ducked. I ran for the sergeant as Sebastian made another grab for me.
‘It’s the earrings! It’s the earrings!’ I yelled. ‘They must be real or something.’
I held out my hand towards Sergeant Andrews. Frowning deeply, he took the earring out of my hand.
‘Now, young lady, you can’t …’
‘Look out!’ Gib shouted. ‘Sebastian’s making a run for it.’
‘Sebastian …’ Beth called after him.
All I could see was Sebastian’s rapidly retreating back. The sergeant sprang after him. We were right behind the sergeant. Then we saw someone dive at Sebastian’s legs, rugby tackling him to the ground. It was Chaucy.
‘Get him, Chaucy!’ I yelled.
Beth took a quick look around, her eyes wild before she tried to make a break for it herself.
‘Oh no you don’t!’ The sergeant grabbed her by the arm. ‘You stay right there.’
Sergeant Andrews talked into his walkie-talkie as he ran to help Chaucy.
‘Quick, Gib,’ I said, dragging him after me. We moved to stand in front of Beth.
‘If you want to go anywhere, you’re going to have to get by Gib and me first,’ I hissed at her.
Moments later, four police officers – three men and one woman - arrived from out of nowhere. One policeman and the woman ran straight for a now raging Sebastian. The other two policemen came up to us and took Beth by the arms.
They started to walk away. Gib suddenly darted forward and pulled the other earring off Beth’s ear. Beth tried to stop him but the policemen had a firm hold on her.
‘You …’ Beth snarled at Gib and me. ‘I’ll get you two for this. You see if I don’t.’
‘You won’t be getting anyone or anything,’ Sergeant Andrews interrupted. ‘You’re coming with us.’
‘Gotcha!’ Gib mocked.
‘Pass over those earrings before anything else happens to them,’ said Sergeant Andrews.
Gib handed over his one. I held my earring up to look at it. It was beautiful. It looked just like polished glass. I handed it over.
‘Constable, could you bring the suitcases,’ Sergeant Andrews said to one of the policemen who had Beth by the arm. ‘I want to go through them again with a fine-toothed comb.’
Gib and I grinned at each other – relief and happiness all mixed up. I couldn’t believe it. We’d done it! Beth and Sebastian had been caught. I was actually trembling and my heart was dancing inside me. We’d stopped them. We’d done it! It was over.
‘I want you two to come with me,’ Sergeant Andrews said over his shoulder. ‘You both have a lot of explaining to do.’
We were sitting in a room in the police station, each of us sipping at a carton of apple juice we’d been given. Dad was coming to pick us up and Chaucy’s parents had been notified and they were coming for him. According to Sergeant Andrews, none of our parents were exactly thrilled with us.
‘I’ll explain what’s happened to them,’ Sergeant Andrews said and winked at us. ‘Just as you explained it to us. I think once your parents know what you’ve done, they’ll be very proud of you.’
Gib and I looked at each other glumly. It was past six o’clock. Mum and Dad were each going to make sticky splats on the ceiling at this one. Six o’clock. And we had ducked out of half a day of school! Sergeant Andrews left the room.
‘I won’t be seeing any more pocket money for the rest of the year,’ Chaucy sighed. ‘The rest of the year? I mean the rest of my life!’
Now it was all over I felt strange. Like a balloon with all the air let out. What would happen to me now that Dad was going to be all right?
Sergeant Andrews came back into the room, followed by a woman with greying hair cut short and wearing glasses with bright green frames. She had on a matching bright green suit that looked really weird.
‘Gib, Vicky, Chaucy, this is Detective Macon, our jewellery expert,’ Sergeant Andrews told us.
‘So you’re the children who are responsible for bringing those wonderful diamond earrings to my attention.’ Detective Macon smiled, revealing a mouth filled to overflowing with huge teeth. ‘You should be very proud of yourselves. Each of those earrings is a twenty-two-carat diamond. And they’re flawless! Exceptional! The cut, the clarity – I haven’t seen anything like them in a long, long time.’
The cut? The clarity? I hadn’t a clue what she was talking about and, glancing at Gib and Chaucy, I saw they were equally bemused.
Detective Macon’s smile broadened – which I would have thought was impossible.
‘There are four criteria for deciding what makes a fine gemstone,’ she beamed. ‘The carat value, which is just another way of saying the weight, the cut, the clarity and the colour. It’s known as the f
our Cs. And I have to tell you that Mrs Carter’s earrings were superior in all four categories. Easily worth the three and a half million she paid for each one of them. And, of course, they would have got more for them in Brazil.’
I’d held three and a half million pounds in my hand! Wow!
‘I thought they were just bits of glass. They looked a bit big and tacky,’ I said. ‘Not Aunt Beth’s usual style at all. That’s what made me realize that they must be proper jewels. That and the fact that she was in Hatton Garden this morning.’
‘Three and a half million dangling from each ear.’ Chaucy whistled.
‘Very daring. A very daring plan.’ Detective Macon nodded.
‘What about the money?’ Gib asked. ‘Did she transfer that to her own bank account or Sebastian’s?’
‘Yeah, I’d like to know that bit,’ I piped up.
‘Mrs Carter has admitted that the money went straight into an account she set up at another bank,’ said Sergeant Andrews. ‘She transferred the money from Universal Bank to her new bank account and then all she had to do was get a banker’s cheque for the money this morning. All that was left after that was to pick up the diamonds.’
‘So I was right. Universal wouldn’t know the money had gone until after tonight’s batch run,’ I said.
‘Well, I wouldn’t know about that bit,’ smiled Sergeant Andrews, ‘but well done, all of you! Now, Detective Macon and I are just going to sort out a few things so we’ll leave you alone for a couple of minutes. Will you be all right?’
‘Fine,’ we all said.
I bent my head as they left the room. I was so tired.
‘Chaucy, go to the loo or something,’ Gib commanded.
‘But I don’t need to …’ I sensed rather than saw Chaucy look from Gib to me and back again. ‘Oh, I see … OK.’ He stood up and left the room.
‘At the airport, why did you tell Sergeant Andrews that you were only my friend?’ Gib asked quietly.
‘I know I shouldn’t have even said that,’ I replied fiercely. ‘I did change it. I said you were just someone I knew. So don’t start.’
‘But why would you want to say something like that?’ Gib asked.
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