By the time Geoff trudges out of the bathroom, I’ve already cleaned up the boys’ breakfast mess and wiped down the kitchen counters. He descends the stairs, rubbing his neck.
‘Can you drop the kids off?’ he mumbles. ‘I’m feeling a bit off today.’
I turn to him, eyes hard.
‘You know what, Geoff?’ I say. ‘I don’t care if you’re on your deathbed. I’ve got a critical assignment today. I told you that. So either you take the kids, or they stay home and yourfancy bitcomes here to babysit. Your call.’ My voice is calm, deliberate.
His face flushes. ‘I don’t think now’s the right time…’
‘No,’ I snap. ‘It’s not. And how did you even manage to get time off today? Let me guess, you told your customer you'd be in late?’
I crouch and kiss the boys on their cheeks. ‘See you later, boys. Daddy’s on lunchbox duty.’
I slam the door behind me, the sting of tears blurring my vision. Halfway to the station, I pull into a side street, wipe my eyes, and hurriedly apply make-up. The redness around my eyes soon fades, but not my resolve.
At the station, Dario spots me right away. My smile fools no one, least of all him. He opens his mouth to speak, but Burrow cuts in.
‘Right, Josie, you’re with me. Dario, you and Sergeant James follow. Stay alert; we’re likely dealing with one suspect, but we can’t take chances.’
He turns. ‘Lily, are you ready?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Chapter Thirty-One
Daniel
Ipass rows of suburban houses and glance at them with envy. Ordinary people leading ordinary lives like we once did, until…
The wire feels weird, and the guilt of wearing it weighs heavily on me. I should never have agreed to the police being involved, but what choice did I have?Damn Gil.
I reach the road with the phone box with five minutes to spare. The only parking spot left is at the far end. I slam on the brakes, manoeuvre the car into the space, ignoring the yellow line, and dash into the phone box. I spot Lily's dark hair as she glances from the window of the pet shop. I turn away, and at that moment, my phone vibrates. It's a WhatsApp from a number I don't recognise. I check the screen.
Change of plan. Get on the A40.
I open the rest of the message.
Go to Waterperry Gardens. Turn off your phone. You’ve got fifteen minutes. There’s a bin in the car park, drop the money and leave.
He’s sending me to Waterperry Gardens, a landscaped garden of eight acres with a garden centre that lies just outside Oxford. He’s twigged that the police are involved. Sweat pours off me, and I nearly drop the phone. I hurry out to my car. An alarm goes off in my head, and my heart hammers against my ribcage.
The wire. I need to ditch it. I can't afford any more mistakes. I rip it off, scratching my neck as I do. Without glancing behind me, I push my foot down hard on the accelerator.
***
Josie
Daniel’s car tears away from the kerb. A sharp click in my earpiece tells me he’s just disconnected the wire.
‘He’s gone rogue,’ I report. ‘He’s removed his wire.’
Roy slams his fist against the steering wheel. ‘Lily, status update. Now!’ he barks into the radio.
‘All clear since Neal left,’ she replies. ‘No one’s been near the phone box.’
‘Check it anyway,’ Roy snaps.
We wait tensely as Lily approaches the booth. ‘Nothing here,’ she confirms.
