Read Online Blood Money by Julian Page - Free Book Online Page B

momentarily seen the white BMW that blocked them from the rear.
    After that, Alexis had spent the next 5 minutes on the floor of his chauffeur driven car and couldn’t give any more help in terms of describing the assailants or the route that Eddie had used to get them to safety. Once it was safe to do so, Alexis got up and he and Eddie had agreed the best thing to do was to go somewhere safe for the rest of the day. They abandoned the damaged Merc in a quiet back street in South Kensington, hired a Porsche Cayenne from an ‘Avis Prestige’ just a couple of streets away and then went to the Savoy Hotel on the Strand, where they stayed in a suite for the rest of the day. Eddie then arranged for some ‘discrete’ people he knows to tow the Merc (covered with tarpaulin) to a scrap yard with strict instructions for it not to be crushed until the Police had had a chance to inspect it. Alexis had then endeavoured to carry on with the business of the day using just his laptop and his Blackberry, despite being in a significant state of shock.
    Having covered many of the points they needed clearing up, John Gibson asks a few questions that the Greek has selectively left unexplained. “Who do you think was behind the attack?”
    â€œLook, it’s pretty obvious these people are serious criminals. Why don’t you tell me who they are –it’s supposed to be your field of expertise, isn’t it?”
    â€œI understand that your attackers were heavily armed, which makes us suspect that it may have been an organised criminal gang. Have you any enemies who might have connections to organised crime?”
    â€œI don’t intentionally go around making enemies. I’m in the business of making a lot of people very rich, which quite the opposite to what you appear to be implying makes me a very popular man. However I do from time to time take big risks and inevitably there is an occasional sizeable loss. But I can assure you that all my clients understand the risks involved and are all prepared to take such losses if and when they occur. In such a situation, I can promise you that no client of mine would attempt to shoot at their fund manager in broad daylight.”
    â€œDo you know any people with possible connections to organised crime, perhaps any of your clients?”
    â€œDetective Gibson, I wouldn’t expect you to know, so I shall tell you. There is no requirement by law for me to publicly disclose any of my hedge-fund investors’ names. My clients would not wish to be uncloaked and they also expect the details of their investment portfolios to be kept secret. All you need know is that Kronos performs stringent anti-money laundering and know-your-client checks. We have no knowledge of any of our clients having connections with organised crime.”
    â€œWhat precautions for your own safety have you in place?”
    â€œApart from when I am in my hotel suite at night, I am permanently accompanied by my personal bodyguard, Eddie Slater, and both this building and my Mayfair residence are under constant guard. The hotel I stay at has so much security that you may consider it to be impenetrable, I’m even able to summon the buildings very-own armed security guards night and day by pressing any one of a number of concealed buttons. Also, we’re already making arrangements to replace the armoured limousine which proved so invaluable in resisting the attempt on my life.”
    â€œHave you any idea what might have been the motives behind this attack?”
    â€œI’m a very wealthy man. Don’t you think that that might have had something to do with it?”
    â€œMoney is an obvious motive of course…okay, let me rephrase the question. What do you think the attack was supposed to achieve?”
    â€œWell, they almost certainly wanted my money. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they were trying to kill me, perhaps they were just trying to