Part 27 (1/2)

'We traced a transaction from one of Keith's bank accounts in Trinidad. Keith just purchased half a million dollars worth of US treasury bonds in the name of Erin Moore. We contacted the bank and asked for details. Keith Moore has handed the bonds over to the bank, with instructions to sell them on Erin Moore's eighteenth birthday and pay her the money. Keith has made similar transactions for Junior, April and Ringo. He's also set up a trust fund for his ex-wife. He's paid off the mortgages for the two houses in England and sold the house in Miami for a lot less than it's worth, to raise fast cash.'

'But Keith told me he's planning to stay in Miami until the heat dies down back in England.'

'There's a new owner moving into the Miami house in three weeks,' John said. 'And we can't find any trace of the eleven million dollars he got from the sale.'

'Do you think he's using the money to buy drugs?' James asked.

'I don't think so.'

'What then?'

'How many boats have you seen since you got to Miami?' John asked.

'Millions,' James said. 'They're everywhere.'

'Once he's set up the arrangements to provide for his family, I think Keith is going to sneak out of the house, climb aboard one of those boats and vanish like a puff of smoke.'

'How come?' James said.

'Keith can feel the net closing in. He has informants inside Operation Snort, so he knows we're close to having enough evidence to put him behind bars for a seriously long stretch.'

'Where will he go?' James asked.

'Eleven million bucks will go a long way in South America. My money would be on Brazil. It's easy to disappear in a country with two hundred million people. He can buy a new ident.i.ty off some corrupt government official, maybe even have a spot of plastic surgery to change his appearance.'

'What about his kids and stuff?'

'They'll be set for life financially,' John said. 'Keith will have made double sure that the money set aside for his family can never be traced back to drug dealing.'

'But he'll never be able to see them again.'

'He won't see much of them from inside a jail cell, either,' John said. 'You keep telling me Keith is in a good mood, but that's all front. He's got to make decisions and none of his options are easy.'

'So what are you doing to stop him disappearing?' James asked.

'We have a big problem. We've asked the Americans to put a twenty-four-hour watch on Keith, but they're only prepared to spare us one DEA agent. We've even offered to pay their costs, but they're short-staffed and they've got their own bad guys to catch. We're having more meetings with the Yanks to try and sort out a deal, but for at least the next few days, there's nothing to stop Keith Moore slipping off into the night.'

'Except me,' James said.

'Remember you're undercover,' John said. 'And you're supposed to be a regular kid, so don't interfere. All you can do is call me if you think he's about to leg it.'

James heard someone coming along the corridor and quickly hung up his phone. It was Keith, wearing a hotel gown and carrying the ice bucket from his room. James was in a T-s.h.i.+rt and boxers, so he had nowhere to hide his phone.

'Trouble sleeping?' Keith asked. 'Who are you ringing at this time of night?'

CHERUB training teaches you to always have an excuse ready.

'Zara,' James said. 'It's morning back home and Joshua always wakes her up early.'

'Most mobiles don't work in America,' Keith said. 'You must have a tri-band.'

James' mobile phone had been modified by the intelligence service so it worked on just about any network in the world, but he couldn't tell Keith that.

'I've got no idea,' James said, shrugging. 'I just turned the thing on and it worked. I stepped out here because I didn't want to wake Junior up.'

'You know it's about four quid a minute using your mobile from America?' Keith said.

'Is it?' James gasped, acting like he was really worried. 'Ewart will murder me when he gets the bill.'

Keith filled his ice bucket from the dispenser and put quarters in the Pepsi machine.

'I must have got dehydrated walking about in the sun all day,' he said. 'I woke up with a raging thirst. Do you want one?'

James nodded. 'Yeah, I wouldn't mind.'

Keith fed in more quarters until a second can dropped out of the machine. He handed it to James and they both pulled back the tabs and swallowed a couple of ga.s.sy mouthfuls.

'I'm really grateful you brought me out here on holiday,' James said. 'Ewart and Zara could never afford to take me abroad.'

'That's OK,' Keith said, smiling. 'When Ringo dropped out, it was me who suggested you came instead.'

'Really?' James said. 'Why?'

'You're the only one of Junior's mates I thought I could rely on to look after him if something bad happens,' Keith said.

'Bad like what?' James asked.

'They could arrest me at any time, James. I know Junior likes to think he's the big man, but he's led a pretty sheltered life and I'm a lot happier knowing there's a guy like you with him.'

'You've got George back in Miami,' James said.

'George is good for two things,' Keith laughed. 'Breaking heads and polis.h.i.+ng cars. I've known the man since infant school and I love him, but frankly, it's a miracle he can tie his own shoe laces.'

'Who knows?' James said. 'Maybe you'll never get arrested.'

'Life is certainly full of surprises,' Keith said. 'I'll tell you that for nothing.'

He ripped off a monster belch that echoed down the corridor. James giggled and responded with a tiny burp.

'Pathetic,' Keith said. 'Check this out.'

Keith tipped back his head to drain his can, then rolled out the longest, loudest belch James had ever heard. An elderly American was toddling along the corridor. She had giant rectangular sungla.s.ses and the wrinkled face of somebody who'd spent too much of her life in the sun.

'Why don't you mind your d.a.m.n manners?' she said furiously.

'Don't worry, ma'am,' Keith said, giggling as he gently cuffed James around the back of the head. 'I'll make sure the boy doesn't do it again.'

'It wasn't me,' James gasped, struggling to keep a straight face.