Best Kept Secret

Diego. He took the envelope out of his pocket, extracted the banker’s draft – an instrument that ensured the buyer could never be traced – and
placed it on the counter.
    ‘Shall we deliver the piece, sir, or would you prefer to pick it up?’
    ‘I will collect it in one hour’s time.’
    ‘I’m not sure that will be possible,’ said the young man. ‘You see, sir, the day after a major sale we’re always run off our feet.’
    Diego took out his wallet and placed a five-pound note on the counter, probably more than the young man earned in a week.
    ‘Make those feet run in my direction,’ he said. ‘And if the package is waiting for me when I return in an hour, there’ll be two more where this one came from.’
    The young man slipped the note into a back pocket to confirm the deal had been closed.
    Diego returned to the waiting taxi and this time gave the driver an address in Victoria. When he pulled up outside the building, Diego got out of the cab and parted with another of his
father’s five-pound notes. He waited for the change, and placed two real pound notes in his wallet and gave the cabbie sixpence. He walked into the building and went straight up to the only
available sales assistant.
    ‘May I help you?’ asked a young woman dressed in a brown and yellow uniform.
    ‘My name is Martinez,’ he said. ‘I called earlier this morning and booked a large heavy-duty truck.’
    Once Diego had filled in the obligatory form he parted with another five-pound note, and placed three more legal notes in his wallet.
    ‘Thank you, sir. You’ll find the truck in the back yard. It’s parked in bay number seventy-one.’ She handed him a key.
    Diego strolled into the yard and, after identifying the truck, he unlocked the back door and checked inside. It was perfect for the job. He climbed behind the wheel, switched on the ignition and
set off on the return journey to Sotheby’s. Twenty minutes later, he parked outside the rear entrance on George Street.
    As he climbed out of the van, the rear door of the auction house swung open and a large packing case with several red
SOLD
stickers plastered all over it was wheeled out on to the
pavement, accompanied by six men in long green coats who, from their solid build, looked as if they might have been professional pugilists before they came to work for Sotheby’s.
    Diego opened the back door of the truck, and twelve hands lifted the crate off the trolley as if it contained a feather duster and slid it into the back of the vehicle. Diego locked the door and
handed the young man from the settlement desk two more five-pound notes.
    Once he was back behind the wheel, he checked his watch: 11.41. No reason he shouldn’t make it to Shillingford in a couple of hours, although he knew his father would be pacing up and down
the driveway long before then.

    When Sebastian spotted the light blue crest of Cambridge University among the morning mail, he grabbed the envelope and opened it immediately. The first thing he always did with
any letter was to check the signature at the bottom of the page. Dr Brian Padgett, a name he was unfamiliar with.
    Dear Mr Clifton,
    That was still taking him a little time to get used to.
    Many congratulations on being awarded the College’s Modern Languages scholarship. As I am sure you know, Michaelmas Term begins on September 16th, but I am hoping
     we can meet before then in order to discuss one or two matters, including your reading list before term begins. I would also like to guide you through the syllabus for your freshman
     year.
    Perhaps you could drop me a line or, better still, give me a ring.
    Yours sincerely,
    Dr Brian Padgett
    Senior Tutor
    After he’d read it a second time, he decided to phone Bruno and find out if he’d received a similar letter, in which case they could travel up to Cambridge together.

    Diego wasn’t at all surprised to see his father come running out of the front door the moment he drove through the entrance gates. But what did surprise him was to see his
brother Luis and every member of the Shillingford Hall staff following a few paces behind. Karl was bringing up the rear clutching a leather bag.
    ‘Have you got the statue?’ asked his father, even before Diego had stepped out of the truck.
    ‘Yes,’ replied Diego, who shook hands with his brother before walking around to the back of the truck. He unlocked the door to reveal the massive crate with over a dozen red
SOLD
stickers. Don