The Secret Of The Cathars (2011) by Michael Hillier Read Free Book Online

tonight. It is attached to a sealed envelope. I apologise for the fact that the letter instructs him that I shall telephone him before ten o’clock tomorrow morning. If I do not do so he is to open the envelope and release the information it contains to the authorities.” He smiled without embarrassment. “You will therefore be able to understand that I have thought this whole business through very carefully. I believe in preparing for all eventualities.”
    Montlucon pulled a face. “Not very trusting, are you?”
    “ We don’t know each other well enough for trust - yet.” Hebert reached inside his pocket and brought out another sheet of paper which he handed over without inspection. “This is how to contact me. When you have checked out my information, and if you decide you want to deal with me, you can get in touch, giving me a point of contact. If I do not hear from you within two weeks, I will assume you are not interested and I will approach another party.”
    “ Who?”
    “ That is my personal information.” Hebert leaned forward. “Look, Monsieur Montlucon, I want you to realise that I have been planning this business for five years. I do not intend to risk failure at this late stage by saying too much to anybody. If you decide to go with me, the care I have taken in keeping each stage of my planning secret will be an added protection for you and for your organisation. Do you understand me?”
    Ginger glanced at scar-face and Alain Hebert detected the briefest of nods from him. Montlucon took a breath. “OK. I understand. I expect the same secrecy from you about our organisation.”
    “ Of course. Do you accept my proposed time-scale of two weeks?”
    Although he was careful not to watch the exchange between the other two, Hebert detected that Montlucon was being authorised by scar-face to agree.
    “ Yes - accepted.”
    “ Thank you, gentlemen.” Hebert rose to his feet and walked to the door to retrieve his umbrella. “I look forward to hearing from you before the twelfth of April. No doubt your goon will see me out.”
    He opened the door and left.
    - 6 -
    Jacqueline shook her head. “We will have been on site a month next week, Jo, and our progress is painfully slow. I’m going to have to put in a report to the sponsors in a few days. I don’t think they’re going to be very happy.”
    She and Andre Jolyon were standing just outside the eastern gateway to the chateau. They were looking down into the large trench which had been opened up between the remains of the entrance piers. It was about two metres wide by four metres long and a metre and a half deep. The evening was drawing in and the site was deserted.
    Supervision of the excavation works was being carried out in Andre’s usual professional style. Everything about what they were doing was correct. The sides of the trench were held back by stout planking and strutting. In the bottom of the trench was a broad strip of irregular rough stonework. This was the base of the old castle retaining wall. Jackie had been able to date it as originally Roman with later Visigoth strengthening. And in the last two days they had reached bedrock. It was clear that they weren’t going to get any more out of this trench.
    “ Our progress is disappointing,” Jolyon admitted. “I’m still furious with those two climbers who packed up and left us without a decent excuse.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “Gaston seemed to think they were just bored with the work we were asking them to do.”
    “ Well, I don’t agree. I think they’d been got at. They seemed perfectly happy until we gave them the day off and they went into Limoux for a drink. When they came back they suddenly decided they didn’t want to continue.” He scowled at her. “Jackie - I think somebody’s got it in for us.”
    “ Who, for goodness sake?”
    “ I don’t know. I’ve just got this nasty feeling that somebody is peering over our shoulder, waiting for us to trip up.”
    She