Hassan whooped and disappeared.
Delaney pretended interest in what was happening in the room until it was time for him and the other three men to hunt too. Only Delaney and one other went up the stairs. Delaney was hoping to find the room where Tag had been transformed into a pony. He couldn’t take his clothes, but if there was a phone or a wallet, he could at least get those.
He went through every unlocked door, though most were locked, presumably rooms allocated to the guests downstairs. He wasn’t going to risk using his lock-picking skills now he had what he’d come for. By the time he’d explored the next floor up, he’d not come across the room he was looking for so he went back down.
Feely was in the hall. “Where the fuck is he?”
“Why you look? You not part of the game.”
“Because no one can find him.”
“Not upstairs,” Delaney said. “Have you checked all this floor?”
“I’ve looked everywhere.”
“Then he must be outside.”
Norbury came out of the main room.
“Seven has disappeared,” Feely said.
“Get everyone looking,” Norbury snapped.
It didn’t take long before tempers began to fray. Delaney made sure he looked equally irritated. Interestingly, he’d seen no sign of Hassan. The other three who’d paid for Tag had given up looking. They were back inside the house. Feely and several grooms milled around outside.
“Did you tell him to run?” Feely snapped at Delaney.
“What? No. I’m as pissed off about this as you. I paid fucking fortune for little cunt.”
Delaney made all the right noises and protests, throwing in some Russian swearing. Norbury came outside and Delaney repeated the same act. He was as convincing as he could be. When no one made the suggestion he’d hoped they would, he made it himself. “You have lake here, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Norbury said.
“What if he fell in?”
The guy blanched.
Delaney was relieved he didn’t say it was only a couple of feet deep.
“Did you check CCTV?” Delaney asked.
“He was seen leaving the bedroom and going downstairs,” Feely said. “After that the cameras were off.”
“Off?” Delaney frowned. “You think he did that?”
“Maybe,” Feely said. “But we’ve been having issues with them.”
That was a stroke of luck. “Well, I not hang round waiting for fucking disaster to unfold if idiot has managed to drown.” Vadim exaggerated his Russian accent. “You better make sure no one find out what happen here tonight. None of us expect repercussion from this. I’m getting bag and leaving. I will be in touch. I expect this to be made right.”
He stalked back into the house.
When he came back down, Hassan stood in the hall with a bag in his hand.
“Are you going back to London? Can you give me a lift? I gave my driver the night off. He’s not due until nine tomorrow morning. I don’t want to wait.”
“Fine.”Shit.Though Delaney had questions for Hassan.
When they reached the car, Delaney dropped down by the wheel and pretended to check the tyre as he palmed the key.
