The Partners at Ferran & Cardini employ Dillon
to tackle a simple problem in the big picture of
international field operations. An innocent student has
had the opportunity of adoring, in a private collection,
what she considers to be ‘The Concert’, a classic
painting by Vermeer dating back to 1665-66. This
masterpiece was stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum in Boston, and has never been seen since
and is classed as priceless! Dillon is set the task of
determining whether the piece is the original or a
superb forgery and embarks on an investigation into the
Sandbanks-based owner and millionaire, the enigma that
is Charlie Hart. Simple is far from reality – on closer
examination the owner of the painting seems to have more
to hide than just the provenance of the classic work of
art and takes disproportionate and deadly action to keep
Dillon off his case. No one close to Dillon is safe, his
partner is targeted in what seems a purely innocent
manner through her law firm but Dillon sees through this
and sends her into hiding after he is tailed, stalked
and explosive attempts on his life are foiled. Dillon
starts to put together a picture of a group of
individuals who come from all walks of life – and who
have several things in common – greed, international
networks and no way back! Their wealth is rooted in
Asian drug cartels, gold bullion, arms trading, global
hospitality chains, political espionage and underworld
criminal activity. As Dillon follows leads across London
and the South West of England he leaves a trail of
destruction and death – those involved that do not heed
his warnings pay the ultimate price. The chain of deceit
stretches into the Houses of Parliament and deep within
the corridors of power cowardly bravado breaks into the
first chink in the armour – giving Dillon what he needs
to prize deeper into his investigation. Although powers
from above are keen for the enquiry to end. Why? To add
to the confusion is the discovery of gold bullion –
could this be the haul from the 1983 Brinks Mat robbery
that shocked the UK? This amongst more priceless Middle
Eastern art and cocaine! Now undercover Dillon puts to
work all the experience he has gained in the field and
uses many guises to outwit the security services and
those that consider themselves beyond the law and want
him dead! Could there be a price on his head? If so who
wants him out of the picture that badly? With his Glock
by his side and Vince Sharp at the cutting edge of
today’s technology can Dillon get through this one?
Racing from Dorset to Delhi – has Dillon really learned
any more and who is the mystery lady that is the focus
of Hart’s attentions? Shroud of Concealment is Dillon at
his most raw – fists, street fights, breaking and
entering and a multitude of disguises punctuated with
breath taking shoot outs and death – he did warn them!
Conscience is not something Dillon will entertain. From
M15 to MI6 and the back streets of Delhi Dillon fights
to find the answers – and they are not necessarily the
ones he wanted to hear!
|
|