he told Pace, ‘but honestly, no. You just take a moment to look at the deal from our side of the fence. We need to be sure that once you sign, you’re in. An awful lot of publicity will hinge on your signature. If we go ahead and alert the world’s media to your participation and then you quit we’ll all look like fools and lose a fortune in sponsorship.’
Put that way it sounded obvious. Pace laid the folder back down on the desk and changed the subject.
‘Okay. So I know when. I really need to hear more about what, who and how.’
Hammond and Pace spent the next thirty minutes or so discussing the general plans for each of the race stages. Pace gave him a short list of the technical equipment he needed. There had to be at least two cameras; one broadcast quality and one hand-held digital, a number of batteries, tapes and memory chips. Everything had to be battery powered because this wasn’t an expedition, it was a race, and they couldn’t afford to lug even the tiniest generator along. Pace’s biggest worry would be conserving battery power to get enough quality footage when he needed it.
He made up his mind, for the second time, to sign the contract and they got that little formality out of the way quickly. As he poured them both a fresh cup of coffee, Hammond rang McEntire’s private office. He wasn’t there but his secretary had been primed and agreed to pass the money transfer authority straight away. Halfway through their coffee the telephone rang and Hammond answered, killing the call within ten seconds and giving Pace the good news. The money was safely in his account and ready to spend.
He left almost immediately afterwards, with Hammond having to arrange the necessary press releases regarding his involvement with the project. They agreed to meet up for a drink at Heathrow before their flight out. He also left with single-sheet dossiers on his prospective companions. Although he didn’t realise it until he looked through the papers later that evening, Hammond had omitted to give him one on himself.
The train journey home was as uneventful as before. As the taxi turned the corner into his car park, Pace was rewarded with the sight of his own car, sitting snugly within its two little white lines, cleaned and polished. Up in his flat, the police officer who’d finally decided to return it had posted the keys through his letterbox.
There were now less than four weeks to put his affairs in order so the next morning he resolved to get things started. He trusted Hammond had been correct in saying there would be no strings attached to the money but there was no harm in taking a few simple precautions.
For safety’s sake he decided to move it, with the added bonus that it would infuriate his inflexible bank manager no end.
It was petty, but Pace knew he’d have to see her personally to withdraw that kind of money. He drove into town, parked up and found that she would be delighted to squeeze him in. No appointment, no problem – now there was a first.
She expected to welcome a suddenly valuable customer and beamed with friendly smiles as he went into her office. Twenty minutes later he left the bank with its manager feeling more than a little deflated.
He left a token five thousand in the account and directed another ninety thousand into clearing his mortgage. He would return the next morning at ten to collect two bank cheques, each for the sum of two hundred thousand pounds. The five thousand pound difference was slipped into his jacket pocket in the form of a fat wad of fifties.
Two separate deposit accounts, in two separate banks, were opened with the cheques and he could finally relax. The money was now untouchable by anybody but him.
The remainder of the afternoon passed in blissful stress relief. The money he’d left in his current account already more than covered any debt he owed the bank and it just left him to visit a couple of high street stores to
Put that way it sounded obvious. Pace laid the folder back down on the desk and changed the subject.
‘Okay. So I know when. I really need to hear more about what, who and how.’
Hammond and Pace spent the next thirty minutes or so discussing the general plans for each of the race stages. Pace gave him a short list of the technical equipment he needed. There had to be at least two cameras; one broadcast quality and one hand-held digital, a number of batteries, tapes and memory chips. Everything had to be battery powered because this wasn’t an expedition, it was a race, and they couldn’t afford to lug even the tiniest generator along. Pace’s biggest worry would be conserving battery power to get enough quality footage when he needed it.
He made up his mind, for the second time, to sign the contract and they got that little formality out of the way quickly. As he poured them both a fresh cup of coffee, Hammond rang McEntire’s private office. He wasn’t there but his secretary had been primed and agreed to pass the money transfer authority straight away. Halfway through their coffee the telephone rang and Hammond answered, killing the call within ten seconds and giving Pace the good news. The money was safely in his account and ready to spend.
He left almost immediately afterwards, with Hammond having to arrange the necessary press releases regarding his involvement with the project. They agreed to meet up for a drink at Heathrow before their flight out. He also left with single-sheet dossiers on his prospective companions. Although he didn’t realise it until he looked through the papers later that evening, Hammond had omitted to give him one on himself.
The train journey home was as uneventful as before. As the taxi turned the corner into his car park, Pace was rewarded with the sight of his own car, sitting snugly within its two little white lines, cleaned and polished. Up in his flat, the police officer who’d finally decided to return it had posted the keys through his letterbox.
There were now less than four weeks to put his affairs in order so the next morning he resolved to get things started. He trusted Hammond had been correct in saying there would be no strings attached to the money but there was no harm in taking a few simple precautions.
For safety’s sake he decided to move it, with the added bonus that it would infuriate his inflexible bank manager no end.
It was petty, but Pace knew he’d have to see her personally to withdraw that kind of money. He drove into town, parked up and found that she would be delighted to squeeze him in. No appointment, no problem – now there was a first.
She expected to welcome a suddenly valuable customer and beamed with friendly smiles as he went into her office. Twenty minutes later he left the bank with its manager feeling more than a little deflated.
He left a token five thousand in the account and directed another ninety thousand into clearing his mortgage. He would return the next morning at ten to collect two bank cheques, each for the sum of two hundred thousand pounds. The five thousand pound difference was slipped into his jacket pocket in the form of a fat wad of fifties.
Two separate deposit accounts, in two separate banks, were opened with the cheques and he could finally relax. The money was now untouchable by anybody but him.
The remainder of the afternoon passed in blissful stress relief. The money he’d left in his current account already more than covered any debt he owed the bank and it just left him to visit a couple of high street stores to
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