The two cars were lost in the pursuit and so they headed back to the old house to regroup. Mr Steele emerged from his black Mercedes grim-faced and silent. Mr Paul was visibly angry and pale as he disappeared into the east wing for medical assistance. Security had been tested and it had failed dramatically. A second-rate thief and two women had not so much beaten the system as dismantled it. With a series of hand gestures and grunts, Mr Steele ordered selected security men to the main reception room. As they followed obediently and assembled in a line, Mr Steele poured a large scotch and gulped it down. Eyes closed for a moment, he appreciated the burn, then filled his glass again and turned.
‘You, what’s your name?’ His eyes and voice picked out the young man at the left of the line. The
