Private Royals (Private 12.50)

‘You know, with me and the right agent, we could have made you rich.’

‘Unfortunately, Mrs Wilkinson—’

‘Miss.’

‘Miss Wilkinson. Unfortunately, I didn’t ask you in at this hour for my own benefit. I asked you because you’re Abbie Winchester’s publicist.’

‘That you did, and I must say I’m intrigued. So, why am I here?’

‘Abbie’s been kidnapped,’ Knight told her straight, instantly regretting his blunt approach – because Miss Wilkinson fell into his arms.

CHAPTER 9

AS THE RANGE Rover crossed Tower Bridge to the southern bank of the Thames, Morgan’s phone began to vibrate.

‘HQ,’ he told Cook, then answered the call through the car’s Bluetooth connection.

‘Boss, it’s Hooligan. Got an unknown number calling the Duke’s line now. I’m patching you.’

Morgan looked over at Cook behind the wheel. There was no sign of apprehension there, her eyes on the traffic, hands resting lightly on the controls.

‘Hello?’ said the Duke, his voice edged with fear. The voice that answered him was cold and metallic – the kidnapper was using a filter.

‘Let’s keep this very simple, Duke. I have your daughter, and if you don’t want to see her head thrown in front of the cameras at Trooping the Colour, then I want thirty million by eleven a.m. tomorrow morning.’

‘Thirty million?’ the Duke gasped.

‘Or her head goes bouncing in front of the cameras, and everyone around the world will get to see it. Understand?’

‘I understand.’ The Duke paused a moment. ‘What about her bodyguard? What have you done with him?’ Morgan nodded in approval – he had instructed the Private men on the scene to ensure the Duke asked that question.

‘Operators aren’t my concern,’ the cold voice uttered. ‘Spoilt little daughters are. Eleven hundred hours, thirty million in notes, or her head.’

The line went dead.

‘Take us off conference,’ Morgan instructed. ‘Hooligan, you still with me?’

‘Yeah, just you and me, boss.’

‘Send me a recording of the call, will you?’

‘I’ll do it now.’

‘What did you get from that?’ Morgan asked Cook as he hung up the call and waited for the recording.

‘The kidnapper used “I”,’ Cook answered. ‘I think we’re dealing with one man.’

‘Why a man?’

‘Even with the filter on the voice, there was no way that was a woman.’

Morgan nodded his agreement. Moments later Hooligan delivered the recording of the call. Morgan opened the audio file and listened to the kidnapper’s chilling words over and over.

‘Something wrong?’ Cook asked, seeing Morgan’s eyes narrow and his shoulders tighten.

‘Change of plan,’ he told her, confirming that something was wrong. ‘We’re not going to the bodyguard’s place. I’ll have Peter send one of his guys there instead.’

‘OK. So where to for us?’