Nice to hear Luca has an old friend looking out for him.’
‘Not at all. Hope to see you again soon.’
Cutting the line, Bear gently put the phone down on the desk. The words ‘loves the mountains’ were still ringing in her head. She knew that Luca hadn’t climbed in high mountains for nearly two years. Although the rig work involved climbing, it was always low-level stuff, more rock climbing than doing anything at altitude. The high peaks had been something he’d left behind the moment he came back from Tibet.
Mountaineering had become something unmentionable to Luca, with him refusing to talk to anyone about it, least of all Bear. He’d put all his climbing gear in storage; the boots, ice axes and carabiners, everything had been packed away in cardboard boxes and it had been all Bear could do to persuade him not to throw the stuff away.
On several occasions she had tried to coax him into talking about it, but had received little more than monosyllables in response. Only once, after they had got drunk together in a bar in Madrid, had he started to open up. That night she had seen a different side of him, one that had shocked her. It seemed that for him the mountains were filled with the memories of dead friends. Each cliff face had become a tombstone, each peak a memorial he would just as soon forget.
But despite it all, Bear had become convinced that he still wanted to climb again, if only to dispel the demons. She had booked flights, a hotel, and even rented climbing gear in an effort to surprise him, but when they had reached the airport and she had excitedly revealed their destination, Luca had flown into a rage. It was the only time she had ever been genuinely scared of him.
That day Bear had vowed never to try and manipulate him again. Hard as it was for her to understand, the simple truth remained: just because Luca had a spectacular talent for doing something, it didn’t necessarily mean he wanted to do it.
So why had Bates said otherwise? Three years ago was the last time he and Luca had met, so perhaps he was still unaware of the change? Certainly, it was not a subject that Luca would have offered up in any conversation. One thing was for sure – if Luca had decided to go back to the high mountains, it would have been out of fundamental necessity. Love would have had nothing to do with it. Kieran Bates had been mistaken. But the real question was, how could he have got it so wrong?
Kicking off her shoes beneath the desk, Bear turned towards the window. From the fifteenth floor of the office block she could see the twin towers of Notre Dame rising above the morning mist. For nine years she had led investigations that uncovered the truth behind mining incidents all over the world. If there was one thing she was good at, it was telling when someone was holding back.
She checked her watch. Another eight hours before the scheduled call time and a chance to speak to Luca directly. In the meantime, she wanted some more answers.
Opening the door, she called to her assistant.
‘Please ask Louis to come in. I’ve got some digging for him to do.’
Chapter 7
KIERAN BATES LEANT back in his chair and let his mind linger on an image of Bear. He had anticipated that she might call, and hoped that the affable, ‘English gent’ routine he had affected had been enough to assuage any doubts she might have had. The last thing they needed was a professional investigator getting curious.
His eyes then passed across the features of his Whitehall office. The décor was tired and monotone, in direct contrast to the elegantly dressed woman sitting opposite him. She had her head tilted down, reading an open file on her lap, causing long strands of silver hair to fall across her face. After a moment more, Eleanor Page looked up and let her quick green eyes settle on him.
At fifty-nine years old, Eleanor still retained something of the attractiveness of her youth, and what age had diminished she had mostly
‘Not at all. Hope to see you again soon.’
Cutting the line, Bear gently put the phone down on the desk. The words ‘loves the mountains’ were still ringing in her head. She knew that Luca hadn’t climbed in high mountains for nearly two years. Although the rig work involved climbing, it was always low-level stuff, more rock climbing than doing anything at altitude. The high peaks had been something he’d left behind the moment he came back from Tibet.
Mountaineering had become something unmentionable to Luca, with him refusing to talk to anyone about it, least of all Bear. He’d put all his climbing gear in storage; the boots, ice axes and carabiners, everything had been packed away in cardboard boxes and it had been all Bear could do to persuade him not to throw the stuff away.
On several occasions she had tried to coax him into talking about it, but had received little more than monosyllables in response. Only once, after they had got drunk together in a bar in Madrid, had he started to open up. That night she had seen a different side of him, one that had shocked her. It seemed that for him the mountains were filled with the memories of dead friends. Each cliff face had become a tombstone, each peak a memorial he would just as soon forget.
But despite it all, Bear had become convinced that he still wanted to climb again, if only to dispel the demons. She had booked flights, a hotel, and even rented climbing gear in an effort to surprise him, but when they had reached the airport and she had excitedly revealed their destination, Luca had flown into a rage. It was the only time she had ever been genuinely scared of him.
That day Bear had vowed never to try and manipulate him again. Hard as it was for her to understand, the simple truth remained: just because Luca had a spectacular talent for doing something, it didn’t necessarily mean he wanted to do it.
So why had Bates said otherwise? Three years ago was the last time he and Luca had met, so perhaps he was still unaware of the change? Certainly, it was not a subject that Luca would have offered up in any conversation. One thing was for sure – if Luca had decided to go back to the high mountains, it would have been out of fundamental necessity. Love would have had nothing to do with it. Kieran Bates had been mistaken. But the real question was, how could he have got it so wrong?
Kicking off her shoes beneath the desk, Bear turned towards the window. From the fifteenth floor of the office block she could see the twin towers of Notre Dame rising above the morning mist. For nine years she had led investigations that uncovered the truth behind mining incidents all over the world. If there was one thing she was good at, it was telling when someone was holding back.
She checked her watch. Another eight hours before the scheduled call time and a chance to speak to Luca directly. In the meantime, she wanted some more answers.
Opening the door, she called to her assistant.
‘Please ask Louis to come in. I’ve got some digging for him to do.’
Chapter 7
KIERAN BATES LEANT back in his chair and let his mind linger on an image of Bear. He had anticipated that she might call, and hoped that the affable, ‘English gent’ routine he had affected had been enough to assuage any doubts she might have had. The last thing they needed was a professional investigator getting curious.
His eyes then passed across the features of his Whitehall office. The décor was tired and monotone, in direct contrast to the elegantly dressed woman sitting opposite him. She had her head tilted down, reading an open file on her lap, causing long strands of silver hair to fall across her face. After a moment more, Eleanor Page looked up and let her quick green eyes settle on him.
At fifty-nine years old, Eleanor still retained something of the attractiveness of her youth, and what age had diminished she had mostly
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