A Prisoner of Birth

by Jeffrey Archer

  After the coffin had been lowered into the grave and the final rites administered, the Moncrieff clan departed, without a single member offering their condolences to the deceased’s son and heir. One or two of the locals whose livelihoods did not depend on his uncle Hugo walked across and shook hands with Nick, while the senior officer representing the regiment stood to attention and saluted. Nick raised his hat in acknowledgement.

  As he turned to leave the graveside, Nick saw Fraser Munro talking to Jenkins and Pascoe. Munro came across to him. ‘They’ve agreed that you can spend an hour with me to discuss family matters, but they’ll not allow you to accompany me back to the office in my car.’

  ‘I understand.’ Nick thanked the chaplain and then climbed into the back of the police car. A moment later Pascoe and Jenkins took their places on either side of him.

  As the car moved off, Nick looked out of the window to see the large man lighting a cigar.

  ‘Hunsacker,’ said Nick out loud. ‘Gene Hunsacker.’

  ‘Why did you want to see me?’ demanded Craig.

  ‘I’ve run out of gear,’ said Leach.

  ‘But I supplied you with enough to last six months.’

  ‘Not after a bent screw’s taken his cut.’

  ‘Then you’d better visit the library.’

  ‘Why would I go to the library, Mr Craig?’

  ‘Take out the latest copy of the Law Review, the leather-bound edition, and you’ll find everything you need taped to the inside of the spine.’ Craig closed his briefcase, stood up and headed towards the door.

  ‘It won’t be a moment too soon,’ said Leach, not moving from his seat.

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Craig as he touched the door handle.

  ‘Aunt Maisie’s friend has signed up for a detox programme.’

  ‘Then you’ll have to wean him off it, won’t you.’

  ‘That may not solve your problem,’ said Leach calmly.

  Craig walked slowly back to the table, but didn’t sit down. ‘What are you getting at?’

  ‘A little bird tells me that Aunt Maisie’s friend has started singing like a canary.’

  ‘Then shut him up,’ spat out Craig.

  ‘It may be too late for that.’

  ‘Stop playing games, Leach, and tell me what you’re getting at.’

  ‘I’m told there’s a tape.’

  Craig collapsed into the chair and stared across the table. ‘And what’s on this tape?’ he asked quietly.

  ‘A full confession . . . with names, dates and places.’ Leach paused, aware that he now had Craig’s undivided attention. ‘It was when I was told the names that I felt I ought to consult my lawyer.’

  Craig didn’t speak for some time. ‘Do you think you can get your hands on the tape?’ he eventually asked.

  ‘At a cost.’

  ‘How much?’

  ‘Ten grand.’

  ‘That’s a bit steep.’

  ‘Bent screws don’t come cheap,’ said Leach. ‘In any case, I bet Aunt Maisie doesn’t have a plan B, so she hasn’t got much choice.’

  Craig nodded. ‘All right. But there’s a time limit. If it’s not in my possession before May thirty-first, you won’t get paid.’

  ‘No prizes for guessing whose appeal will be coming up that day,’ said Leach with a smirk.

  ‘Your father made a will, which this firm executed,’ said Munro, tapping his fingers on the desk. ‘It was witnessed by a Justice of the Peace, and I have to advise you that however you feel about its contents, you would be unwise to dispute it.’

  ‘It would not have crossed my mind to oppose my father’s wishes,’ said Nick.

  ‘I think that is a sensible decision, Sir Nicholas, if I may say so. However, you are entitled to know the details of the will. As time is against us, allow me to paraphrase.’ He coughed. ‘The bulk of your father’s estate has been left to his brother, Mr Hugo Moncrieff, with smaller gifts and annuities to be distributed among other members of the family, the regiment and some local charities. He has left nothing to you except the title, which of course was not his to dispose of.’

  ‘Be assured, Mr Munro, this does not come as a surprise.’

  ‘I’m relieved to hear that, Sir Nicholas. However, your grandfather, a shrewd and practical man, who incidentally my father had the privilege of representing, made certain provisions in his will of which you are now the sole beneficiary. Your father made an application to have that will rescinded, but the courts rejected his claim.’

  Munro smiled as he rummaged around among the papers on his desk until he found what he wanted. He held it up in triumph and declared, ‘Your grandfather’s will. I will only acquaint you with the relevant clause.’ He turned over several pages. ‘Ah, here’s what I’m looking for.’ He placed a pair of half-moon spectacles on the end of his nose and read slowly. ‘I leave my estate in Scotland, known as Dunbroathy Hall, as well as my London residence in The Boltons, to my grandson Nicholas Alexander Moncrieff, presently serving with his regiment in Kosovo. However, my son Angus will be allowed full and free use of both of these properties until his demise, when they will come into the possession of the aforementioned grandson.’ Munro placed the will back on his desk. ‘In normal circumstances,’ he said, ‘this would have guaranteed you a vast inheritance, but unfortunately I have to inform you that your father took advantage of the words full and free use, and borrowed heavily against both properties up until a few months before his death.

  ‘In the case of the Dunbroathy estate, he secured a sum of – ’ once again Munro put on his half-moon spectacles in order that he could check the figure – ‘one million pounds, and for The Boltons, a little over a million. In accordance with your father’s will, once probate has been agreed, that money will pass directly to your uncle Hugo.’

  ‘So despite my grandfather’s best intentions,’ said Nick, ‘I’ve still ended up with nothing.’

  ‘Not necessarily,’ said Munro, ‘because I believe you have a legitimate case against your uncle to retrieve the money he procured by this little subterfuge.’

  ‘Nevertheless, if those were my father’s wishes, I will not go against them,’ said Nick.

  ‘I think you should reconsider your position, Sir Nicholas,’ said Munro, once again tapping his fingers on the desk. ‘After all, a large sum of money is at stake and I’m confident—’

  ‘You may well be right, Mr Munro, but I will not call my father’s judgement into question.’

  Munro removed his glasses and reluctantly said, ‘So be it. I also have to report,’ he continued, ‘that I have been in correspondence with your uncle, Hugo Moncrieff, who is well aware of your present circumstances, and has offered to take both properties off your hands, and with them the responsibility for both mortgages. He has also agreed to cover any expenses, including legal costs, associated with the transactions.’

  ‘Do you represent my uncle Hugo?’ Nick asked.

  ‘No, I do not,’ said Munro firmly. ‘I advised your father against taking out a mortgage on either of the two properties. In fact, I told him that I considered it to be against the spirit of the law, if not the letter, to conduct such transactions without your prior knowledge or approval.’ Munro coughed. ‘He did not heed my advice, and indeed decided to take his custom elsewhere.’

  ‘In that case, Mr Munro, may I enquire if you would be willing to represent me?’

  ‘I am flattered that you should ask, Sir Nicholas, and let me assure you that this firm would be proud to continue its long association with the Moncrieff family.’

  ‘Remembering all my circumstances, Mr Munro, how would you advise me to proceed?’

  Munro gave a slight bow. ‘Anticipating the possibility that you might seek my counsel, I have on your behalf set in motion a train of enquiries.’ Nick smiled as the glasses returned to the nose of the ageing advocate. ‘I am advised that the price of a house in The Boltons is currently around three million pounds, and my brother, who is a local councillo
r, tells me that your uncle Hugo has recently made enquiries at the town hall as to whether planning permission might be granted for a development on the Dunbroathy estate, despite the fact that I believe your grandfather hoped you would eventually hand over the estate to the National Trust for Scotland.’

  ‘Yes, he said as much to me,’ said Nick. ‘I made a note of the conversation in my diary at the time.’

  ‘That will not prevent your uncle from going ahead with his plans, and with that in mind, I enquired of a cousin who is a partner in a local estate agent what the council’s attitude might be to such a planning application. He informs me that under the latest planning provisions in the 1997 Local Government Act, any part of the estate that currently has buildings on it, including the house, any barns, outbuildings or stables, would be likely to receive provisional planning permission. He tells me that this could amount to as much as twelve acres. He also informed me that the council are looking for land on which to build affordable flats or a retirement home, and they might even consider an application for an hotel.’ Munro removed his glasses. ‘You could have discovered all this information by reading the minutes of the council’s planning committee, which are lodged in the local library on the last day of every month.’

  ‘Was your cousin able to put a value on the estate?’ asked Nick.

  ‘Not officially, but he said that similar pockets of land are currently trading at around two hundred and fifty thousand pounds per acre.’

  ‘Making the estate worth around three million,’ suggested Nick.

  ‘I suspect nearer four and a half if you include the twelve thousand acres of rural land. But, and there is always a but when your uncle Hugo is involved, you must not forget that the estate and the London property are now encumbered with large mortgages which have to be serviced every quarter day.’ Nick anticipated the opening of another file and he wasn’t disappointed. ‘The house in The Boltons has outgoings, including rates, service charge and mortgage, of around three thousand four hundred pounds a month, and there are another two thousand nine hundred pounds a month on the Dunbroathy estate, making in all an outlay of approximately seventy-five thousand pounds a year. It is my duty to warn you, Sir Nicholas, that should either of these payments fall in arrears by more than three months, the mortgage companies concerned are entitled to place the properties on the market for immediate disposal. Were that to happen, I am sure they would find a willing buyer in your uncle.’

  ‘And I must tell you, Mr Munro, that my current income as a prison librarian is twelve pounds a week.’

  ‘Is that so?’ said Munro, making a note. ‘Such a sum would not make a very large dent in seventy-five thousand pounds,’ he suggested, revealing a rare flash of humour.

  ‘Perhaps in the circumstances we might resort to another of your cousins,’ suggested Nick, unable to mask a smile.

  ‘Sadly not,’ replied Munro. ‘However, my sister is married to the manager of the local branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and he has assured me that he can see no problem in servicing the payments if you were willing to lodge a second charge on both properties with the bank.’

  ‘You have been most solicitous on my behalf,’ said Nick, ‘and I am indeed grateful.’

  ‘I must confess,’ said Munro, ‘and you will understand that what I am about to say is off the record, that although I had great admiration, indeed affection, for your grandfather, and was happy to represent your father, I have never felt quite the same confidence when it came to your uncle Hugo, who is—’ There was a knock on the door. ‘Come in,’ said Munro.

  Pascoe put his head round the door. ‘I apologize for interrupting you, Mr Munro, but we have to leave in a few minutes if we’re to catch the train back to London.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Munro. ‘I shall be as expeditious as possible.’ He did not speak again until Pascoe had closed the door behind him. ‘I fear that despite our brief acquaintance, Sir Nicholas, you are going to have to trust me,’ said Munro, placing several documents on the table in front of him. ‘I will have to ask you to sign these agreements, although you do not have the time to consider them in detail. However, if I am to proceed while you complete . . .’ He coughed.

  ‘My sentence,’ said Nick.

  ‘Quite so, Sir Nicholas,’ said the solicitor as he removed a fountain pen from his pocket and passed it to his client.

  ‘I also have a document of my own that I wish you to witness,’ said Nick. He took out several pieces of lined prison paper from an inside pocket and passed them across to his solicitor.

  27

  LAWRENCE DAVENPORT took three curtain calls on the night The Importance of Being Earnest opened at the Theatre Royal in Brighton. He didn’t seem to notice that the rest of the cast were on stage with him.

  During rehearsals, he had phoned his sister and invited her to join him for dinner after the show.

  ‘How’s it going?’ Sarah had asked.

  ‘Just fine,’ he replied, ‘but that’s not the real reason I want you to come down. I need to discuss an important decision I’ve come to that will affect you, indeed the whole family.’

  By the time he put the phone down he was even more determined. He was going to stand up to Spencer Craig for the first time in his life, whatever the consequences. He knew he wouldn’t be able to go through with it without Sarah’s support, especially remembering her past relationship with Craig.

  Rehearsals had been tiresome. In a play there’s no second or third take should you forget a line or walk on stage at the wrong time. Davenport even began to wonder how he could hope to shine playing alongside actors who regularly appeared in the West End. But the moment the curtain rose on the first night it was clear that the theatre was full of Dr Beresford’s fans, who hung on Lawrence’s every word, laughed at his least amusing lines, and applauded every bit of business in which he was involved.

  When Sarah dropped into his dressing room to wish him luck before the curtain went up, he reminded her that he had something of great importance to discuss over dinner. She thought he looked pale and a little tired, but put it down to first-night nerves.

  ‘See you after the show,’ she said. ‘Break a leg.’

  When the curtain finally fell, Davenport knew he couldn’t go through with it. He felt that he was back where he belonged. He tried to convince himself that he had a duty to take other people into consideration, not least his sister. After all, why should her career be harmed because of Spencer Craig?

  Davenport returned to his dressing room to find it full of friends and admirers toasting his good health – always the first sign of a hit. He basked in the praise heaped upon him and tried to forget all about Danny Cartwright, who was, after all, nothing more than an East End thug who was probably best locked up in any case.

  Sarah sat in the corner of the room, delighted by her brother’s success, but wondering what he needed to discuss with her that was of such great importance.

  Nick was surprised to find Danny still awake when the cell door was opened by Pascoe just after midnight. Although he was exhausted after the day’s events and his long journey back to London, he was pleased to have someone to share his news with.

  Danny listened attentively to all that had taken place in Scotland. Big Al lay facing the wall, and didn’t speak.

  ‘You would have been so much better at handling Munro than I was,’ said Nick. ‘To begin with, I doubt if you would have allowed my uncle to get away with stealing all that money.’ He was about to go into more detail about the meeting with his solicitor when he suddenly stopped and asked, ‘What are you looking so pleased about?’

  Danny climbed off the bunk, slipped a hand under his pillow and extracted a small cassette tape. He put it in his cassette player and pressed play.

  ‘Whit’s yer name,’ enquired a man with a thick Glaswegian accent.

  ‘Toby, Toby Mortimer,’ responded a voice that had clearly been raised in a different environment.

  ‘So how did ye end up
in here?’

  ‘Possession.’

  ‘Class A?’

  ‘The worst. Heroin. I used to need the stuff twice a day.’

  ‘Then ye must be pleased we got ye on a detox programme.’

  ‘It’s not proving that easy,’ said Toby.

  ‘And whit aboot that load of shite ye told me yisterday? Wis I expected tae believe aw that?’

  ‘It’s all true, every word. I just needed you to understand why I dropped out of the programme. I saw my friend stab a man, and I should have told the police.’

  ‘Why didn’t ye?’

  ‘Because Spencer told me to keep my mouth shut.’

  ‘Spencer?’

  ‘My friend, Spencer Craig. He’s a barrister.’

  ‘An you expect me tae believe that a barrister knifed someone he’d never met before?’

  ‘It wasn’t as simple as that.’

  ‘I bet the polis thought it wis as simple as that.’

  ‘Yes, they did. All they had to do was choose between a lad from the East End and a barrister who had three witnesses to say he wasn’t even there.’ The tape was silent for several seconds before the same voice said, ‘But I was there.’

  ‘So whit really happened?’

  ‘It was Gerald’s thirtieth birthday and we’d all had a bit too much to drink. That’s when the three of them walked in.’

  ‘Three of them?’

  ‘Two men and a girl. It was the girl who was the problem.’

  ‘Wis it the girl who started the fight?

  ‘No, no. Craig fancied the girl the moment he set eyes on her, but she wasn’t interested, which really pissed him off.’

  ‘So hur boyfriend started the fight?’

  ‘No, the girl made it obvious that she wanted to leave, so they slipped out the back door.’