“And what about you?” Rich asked. “Doctor Plague, who’s that?”
“When the plague came to Venice, in medieval times, the doctors wore a black gown and a mask like this to protect them from the disease.”
Forget dying of the plague, Jade thought as she crouched in the box above the stage. He probably scared his patients to death. She was focused on Ralph as he nodded to one of the Italians. “Family” he had said – Mafia. Jade leaned forward, keeping in the shadows cast by the dusty ragged curtain.
“The business of crime is a business of money,” Ralph said. “Large amounts of money, one hopes. And like any business, it has to be accounted for.”
“So?” Rich asked.
“So the actual accountancy is quite involved. There are so many expenses, so many people on the payroll. Pension schemes, of a sort. Profit and, sadly, loss.”
“So get an accountant.”
“Oh I have an accountant. The very best accountant. A man who is both accountant and banker. He is Swiss, of course. The very best in his business. He borrows my money and lends it to others at a good rate of interest. He is a very clever man. Banker to so very many people in my line of work as well as dozens of more legitimate businesses. I really cannot afford to do without him…”
“And why are you telling me this?”
Ralph walked quickly across to Rich. He put his hand on Rich’s shoulder and leaned down to look at him closely. “Because several days ago, I heard rumours that my banker was planning to defect. To give himself up to the authorities and hand over access to a large number of accounts he controls. In return for immunity, anonymity, a new secret life.
“Now, I wasn’t the only person who heard these rumours. There is another man – a very unpleasant man who deals in matters that even I would think twice about – who also heard. And he decided he would have a word with the Banker and see if there was any truth in the rumours. This man, who is known only as the Tiger funds all sorts of unpleasantness – crime and murder and terrorism. He invests and he clears a profit. And the Banker controls almost all his money. So you see, he had a lot to lose. Now then-I think it’s time for a little show. This is, after all, a theatre.”
A bright light snapped on, shining above Rich on to the faded backdrop like a spotlight. Ralph’s elongated shadow seemed to be standing at the gates of the painted castle. He walked quickly to the side of the stage so as not to be in the way. Then he straightened up and clicked his fingers. On cue, a picture appeared on the backdrop, and Jade realised the light was from a projector somewhere up in the main part of the theatre. The picture showed the hotel and casino where they had stayed just a few nights ago.
“The Tiger had the Banker taken to Mont Passat. But before he could get there himself to question the man…the Banker disappeared.”
“And what’s that got to do with us?”
Jade could hear a hesitancy in her brother’s voice. She could guess what he was thinking.
The picture on the backdrop changed to grainy moving images – pictures from a security camera complete with time and date stamp on the bottom. The footage showed the inside of a casino. It panned back and forth, taking in most of the gaming floor.
“This is from the CCTV in the casino on the night the Banker vanished,” Ralph was saying.
At the edge of its journey, the camera swung past a bar. And standing at the bar, drink in hand, was Jade’s dad.
“And look who is also there. What a coincidence.”
“It must be,” Rich said. But he didn’t sound very sure.
“And if we wind on a bit…” Ralph waved to the man working the projector and the images speeded up – people hurrying and scurrying round the casino floor. “Oh – look,” Ralph went on as the footage slowed back to normal speed.
It showed Dad at the roulette table. Placing a bet.
“You getting this, are you?” Jade whispered into the phone, ducking behind the front of the box. “Because when you get here, you are so in trouble.”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Rich was saying. He sounded less certain than ever now. “It could be a coincidence. Just a coincidence.”
“Really?” Ralph sighed. He clicked his fingers again and the projector cut off. “I suppose it could. But neither of us really believes that, do we?”
Jade was angry as well as frightened now. But never mind what the hell Dad had been up to. It was time to get Rich away from here.
At that moment, the insistent sound of a car alarm came from close outside. On the stage below, Ralph was talking rapidly to the man with the skull-face. He gestured urgently and the five Italians hurried towards the front of the theatre.
“Probably nothing,” Ralph said to Rich. “But it is as well to be sure. And we would, after all, like your father to come looking for you. You see, I have a warning to deliver to him.”
She wasn’t going to get a better opportunity than this – only Ralph was left with Rich on the stage below. Jade heard the main theatre doors bang shut as the others left. She grabbed hold of the ragged curtain hanging down the side of the stage, swung her legs up and over the side of the box and began to climb down.
Jade could feel the material breaking apart under her hands, could hear an ominous creaking sound from above. She climbed as fast as she could, half sliding down and sending out clouds of dust – desperate not to cough as she breathed in. desperate for Ralph not to look up and see her.
A patter of dust sprinkled across Ralph’s shoulders. He looked up.
At the same moment, the curtain began to tear. Jade could hear the threads ripping apart. She felt the curtain fall, jolt to a stop, then start to fall again. She was accelerating rapidly as the material ripped under her weight.
“Jade!” Rich shouted.
Ralph was staring up at her in surprise.
Then the curtain gave way entirely and Jade was falling.
Ralph gave a cry of realisation. But it was too late – Jade fell right on top of him. Her feet cannoned into the man’s bulky form and sent him sprawling backwards. Jade was on her feet at once, running to where Rich was tied to the chair. She tugged at the knots.
Several metres away, Ralph struggled to his feet. Then a massive moth-eaten theatre curtain landed on him, burying him in dusty, ragged material.
“Come on!” Jade yelled as she finally prised apart the knot.
The curtain heaved as Ralph tried to get out from under it. His hand clawed through the decayed fabric, clutching at the air. In a moment he’d be out and free.
“Thanks. That was pretty neat,” Rich gasped, as they ran for the back of the stage.
“That was pretty scary.”
Rich was grinning. “Looked it. There must be a back way out of here.”
Behind the stage was a corridor. They sprinted along it, Rich rubbing at his sore wrists, Jade punching Dad’s number into her phone. At the end of the corridor was a fire door. As they approached, it sprang open.
“Back the other way!” yelled Rich.
But Jade skidded to a halt. “No – wait.” She could hear a phone ringing. “It’s Dad!”
And sure enough, Dad appeared in the doorway. “Quick. Someone vandalised their car, but they’ll be back soon.”
“Wonder who that was,” Rich said as they emerged blinking into the bright sunlight beside a narrow canal.
“Same guy as lied about drinking, gambling and kidnapping