that really did happen and you’re not just making all this up—I still don’t understand why you’re talking to us.”
“I called you because I’m reasonably certain that the man who broke into the flat was carrying a pistol, and you both seem like quite decent people, despite the interest that the local woodentops appear to be taking in you. So really, this is just a heads-up, a warning that you appear to have at least one armed man following you around, and I doubt very much if those two people—whoever they are—have your best interests at heart.”
“Whereas you do, I suppose?” Robin snapped.
“I don’t know you. All I’m doing is telling you what I saw. What you do about it is entirely up to you.”
“Can you prove what you’re telling us?” Mallory asked.
“I already have, actually. When Robin calms down a bit, why don’t you ask her to check her messages? I filmed the entire event and I’ve sent a copy to her business e-mail account.”
“I suppose you didn’t think about doing anything other than filming it?” Robin demanded. “Like trying to stop them? Or calling the police? Anything helpful like that?”
“I don’t mess about with people carrying weapons. I live my life in the shadows, and I’m really happy to keep it that way. By the way, don’t bother trying to trace the e-mail. I used a VPN and bounced it through a bunch of proxies, so it’s as totally anonymous as makes no difference. But if you send a reply to the same address, I will get it.”
Mallory glanced at Robin, who was already checking the messages on her laptop.
“Well, thanks,” Mallory said. “Is there anything else you’ve got to tell us?”
“Only a piece of advice,” “John” replied. “I’m sure Okehampton is a pretty good place to stay for a few days. On the edge of the moor, quiet and peaceful, all that kind of thing. But if I were you I wouldn’t hang around. If I can triangulate your location based on the phone that you’re listening to me on right now, I don’t think it’s too big a leap to guess that maybe the bad guys can do thesame thing. My advice is to dump that phone, or at least pull out the battery, buy yourselves a couple of burners, and get yourselves somewhere else real quick.”
“Oh, shit,” Robin said.
“I think that covers it,” Mallory replied. “Thanks, John. Whoever you are.”
12
Devon
The sound of the mobile phone ringing filled the interior of the parked car. The passenger hadn’t been expecting it, and he fumbled in his pocket to pull out the phone.
“What does he want now?” the driver muttered.
The passenger glanced at the screen of the mobile, shrugged, and answered the call, putting the phone on speaker as he did so. Only one other person had the number of the phone, so neither man was in any doubt about the identity of the caller.
“Yup?” he said.
“Where are you?”
“Where you told us to be. Outside the hotel, with eyes on the target car. Sitting and waiting.”
“Good. Listen. There’s been a development. A few minutes ago the woman’s phone was switched off completely and we lost triangulation on it. The most likelyexplanation is that the battery went flat, and it’ll come back online once she’s connected the charger.”
“Yeah,” the passenger said. “Or just maybe she’s finally realized that having it switched on is like waving a big red flag and saying ‘Here I am’ to everyone. So is it still a go or does this change something?”
“I’ve heard nothing new from Italy, so it’s still on. This call was a heads-up, just in case she does something unexpected. Let me know when it’s done.”
The passenger checked that the call had ended, then glanced at the driver.
“Interesting,” he said. “I thought he was the principal, but from the sound of it he’s taking orders from somebody else. Someone in Italy, no less. Maybe we’re working for the bloody Mafia now.”
The driver nodded. “He’s probably just a
“I called you because I’m reasonably certain that the man who broke into the flat was carrying a pistol, and you both seem like quite decent people, despite the interest that the local woodentops appear to be taking in you. So really, this is just a heads-up, a warning that you appear to have at least one armed man following you around, and I doubt very much if those two people—whoever they are—have your best interests at heart.”
“Whereas you do, I suppose?” Robin snapped.
“I don’t know you. All I’m doing is telling you what I saw. What you do about it is entirely up to you.”
“Can you prove what you’re telling us?” Mallory asked.
“I already have, actually. When Robin calms down a bit, why don’t you ask her to check her messages? I filmed the entire event and I’ve sent a copy to her business e-mail account.”
“I suppose you didn’t think about doing anything other than filming it?” Robin demanded. “Like trying to stop them? Or calling the police? Anything helpful like that?”
“I don’t mess about with people carrying weapons. I live my life in the shadows, and I’m really happy to keep it that way. By the way, don’t bother trying to trace the e-mail. I used a VPN and bounced it through a bunch of proxies, so it’s as totally anonymous as makes no difference. But if you send a reply to the same address, I will get it.”
Mallory glanced at Robin, who was already checking the messages on her laptop.
“Well, thanks,” Mallory said. “Is there anything else you’ve got to tell us?”
“Only a piece of advice,” “John” replied. “I’m sure Okehampton is a pretty good place to stay for a few days. On the edge of the moor, quiet and peaceful, all that kind of thing. But if I were you I wouldn’t hang around. If I can triangulate your location based on the phone that you’re listening to me on right now, I don’t think it’s too big a leap to guess that maybe the bad guys can do thesame thing. My advice is to dump that phone, or at least pull out the battery, buy yourselves a couple of burners, and get yourselves somewhere else real quick.”
“Oh, shit,” Robin said.
“I think that covers it,” Mallory replied. “Thanks, John. Whoever you are.”
12
Devon
The sound of the mobile phone ringing filled the interior of the parked car. The passenger hadn’t been expecting it, and he fumbled in his pocket to pull out the phone.
“What does he want now?” the driver muttered.
The passenger glanced at the screen of the mobile, shrugged, and answered the call, putting the phone on speaker as he did so. Only one other person had the number of the phone, so neither man was in any doubt about the identity of the caller.
“Yup?” he said.
“Where are you?”
“Where you told us to be. Outside the hotel, with eyes on the target car. Sitting and waiting.”
“Good. Listen. There’s been a development. A few minutes ago the woman’s phone was switched off completely and we lost triangulation on it. The most likelyexplanation is that the battery went flat, and it’ll come back online once she’s connected the charger.”
“Yeah,” the passenger said. “Or just maybe she’s finally realized that having it switched on is like waving a big red flag and saying ‘Here I am’ to everyone. So is it still a go or does this change something?”
“I’ve heard nothing new from Italy, so it’s still on. This call was a heads-up, just in case she does something unexpected. Let me know when it’s done.”
The passenger checked that the call had ended, then glanced at the driver.
“Interesting,” he said. “I thought he was the principal, but from the sound of it he’s taking orders from somebody else. Someone in Italy, no less. Maybe we’re working for the bloody Mafia now.”
The driver nodded. “He’s probably just a
Similar Books
