‘This is Lily,’ Burrow says, motioning to her. ‘She’ll be stationed in the pet shop across from the phone box tomorrow. I wanted her to meet you beforehand.’
‘You didn’t mention this,’ I say sharply. ‘I don’t want anyone too close.’
‘She’ll be discreet,’ he assures me. ‘Her job is to get a description and note the car registration.’
Lily steps forward with a polite nod. ‘Hello, Mr Neal. I’m very sorry about your wife.’
Burrow’s tone becomes more urgent as he leans in. ‘We need you to wear a wire.’
I recoil instinctively. ‘No.’
‘It’ll be expertly hidden,’ he insists. ‘No one will know. Trust me, Daniel. As soon as he collects the money, we’ll follow him. You drive home as normal. We’ll stay in touch.’
‘Why do I need a wire?’
‘It’s a safety net. If anything changes at the last minute or something goes wrong, we’ll hear it. It keeps you safe.’
At the end of the hall, Joel still sleeps, unaware of the tension crackling below. My temples throb from wine and a night without rest.
Burrow demonstrates how to attach the wire. ‘We’ll be tracking your phone, too,’ he adds. ‘Keep it on. If he alters the plan, we need to adapt immediately.’
He sees my hesitation.
‘Trust us,’ he says. ‘We’ve done this before.’
I nod. It seems I no longer have much say in any of this.
***
Gil calls later.
‘Tomorrow is the drop-off day,’ I confide.
‘Oh, please, God, we’ll get her back. It’s getting so hard at the hospital. People want to visit her. One gave her a large bouquet. You may have to write a thank you note.’
There’s a second of silence before she asks the weightiest question of all. ‘Did he mention her release?’
‘He plays games,’ I tell her. I scoff. ‘“One step at a time, Mr Neal,” he says. I almost told Donald and Julia about the police, but Julia was teetering on the edge.’
‘Aren’t we all?’ Gil’s voice is cracking, and she sighs.
‘You’ve been marvellous,’ I confess. ‘I’ve been a bit of a shit. I’m sorry.’
‘Forget it,’ she says. ‘Perhaps tomorrow, we’ll have Jo back.’
Chapter Thirty
Daniel. The next day.
Fear hits me like ice-cold water. If anything goes wrong today, I could lose everything. I have to keep my head. Nicola arrives on time, as usual. I thank her again for coming to the rescue and comforting Joel the night before. She must have picked up on the fear clawing at me, for she asks, ‘Any news?’
‘Not yet,’ I lie, unconvincingly. ‘See you at six.’
She leaves with Joel for preschool, and I anxiously wait for Burrow. The ransom drop looms over me like a dark cloud. How will I survive the rest of the day?
***
Josie
