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it is
inaccurate. We are accused of stealing taxpayers’ money to pay huge
bonuses, but we have never been given a penny of government money
and our CEO is paid a fixed salary, with no bonus at all. All of
our bonuses go to the staff who run the society, and they earn
modest salaries. Our profits are fed back into the mutual for the
benefit of our customers. If Bob was on a mission to destroy you,
or if his intentions were anything other than simple extortion, you
would know about it by now.”
    Toby spoke as he tore off the used flip chart pages and folded
them. “Josh, Dee, the money is ready and there are still twenty two
hours to go. I suggest that you speak to Andrew Cuthbertson as soon
as possible and see if he can shed any light on how Bob managed to
obtain your financial records.”
    The meeting adjourned and, after a good deal of handshaking
and best wishes, Dee and I were left alone in the room with a tray
of curling sandwiches and ripening fruit. I spoke
quietly.
    “ OK, let’s grab a cab and go see AGP.”
    “ Will they see us at such short notice?”
    “ Dee, I potentially have less than twenty four hours to live.
They’ll see us.”

Chapter 9
    Atkins Garretson Palmer, College Hill, London: Thursday,
3pm.
    Meeting with Andrew Cuthbertson was not as simple as I had
hoped it would be. Despite my explaining the death threat and the
deadly timetable to the receptionist, Andrew’s PA and Andrew
himself, AGP were having difficulty excusing the accountant from an
allegedly important meeting. It took a call from Toby to ensure
that Andrew met us at all, and when he did he did not look at all
happy.
    We were sitting in another anonymous conference room almost
identical to the one we had just left. Even the view across London
was similar. Andrew strode into the room and threw his pad down
onto the desk before sitting opposite Dee and myself. He wore an
expensive suit and a cream linen shirt, finished off with a red
silk tie. His cufflinks matched his tiepin. His brown hair was
immaculately styled, as if he’d just auditioned for a shampoo
commercial. He was good looking in a rugged sort of way, and
usually his brown eyes twinkled with friendliness, but not today.
The accountant did not exchange any pleasantries, nor did he ask
who Dee was or what she was doing there. Instead, he glared at me
and spoke harshly.
    “ OK, Josh, you have managed to drag me away from a very
important meeting for fifteen minutes, so I’d start talking, if I
were you.” Andrew looked at his watch and pressed a button on the
side of the watchcase. I guessed it was a timer, but it was also
meant to signal to us that he would not be staying a minute longer
than he had to. Dee was looking puzzled, as I had described Andrew
Cuthbertson as a friend, an easy going squash partner and sometime
five a side teammate. The man sitting opposite was wound up like a
spring and frowning as if trying to win a prize for gurning. Faced
with this hostility I kept cool and spoke quietly but
assertively.
    “ Andrew, as you have heard I’m being blackmailed by someone
who has an intimate knowledge of my finances...”
    “ So I hear,” Andrew interjected sharply. I continued, ignoring
the interruption.
    “ Well, there are very few people who know my financial
circumstances. In fact, apart from me, AGP are the only people who
know all the details of my earnings, savings and property
holdings.”
    Andrew’s face reddened noticeably, and in one swift movement
he stood up, pushing his chair back against the wall with a bang,
before placing both palms on the conference table a leaning over
towards me. The next words were spat out with the kind of venom I
had never seen before in Andrew Cuthbertson.
    “ Let me see if I can guess where this is going. You are about
to suggest that someone at AGP is either blackmailing you or
passing information onto your blackmailer. I suggest that before
you slander yourself you give some careful thought to your next
choice of