Page 29 of Four of Hearts

‘You’re not very good at getting to the point, are you?’

‘Consider what happens next to be a little lesson in why I always, and I do mean always, Harry, get my way. And I don’t even have to hurt anyone to prove my point. A pity, really, as I do rather enjoy that, but a promise is a promise, isn’t it?’

The line went dead.

TWELVE

Harry was on his feet, eyes on Dave.

‘How long for us to get to Reeth?’

Dave frowned, checked his watch.

‘Half an hour max,’ he replied. ‘Why? What’s going on, Harry? What’s wrong? Who was that?’

Harry didn’t have chance to answer as his phone buzzed and he saw it was Grace on the other end of the call. Terror reached its cold hand into his chest and squeezed his heart so hard he gasped. No one shouted, ‘Protect the King!’

Other phones buzzed and rang.

‘We’re all pissed,’ Harry muttered to himself, as he answered Grace’s call.

‘Grace?’

But it wasn’t Grace, it was Gordy.

‘Harry?’ she said. ‘They’ve taken Grace and Liz.’

‘Gordy? Who took them? How many were there?’

‘The men. No idea who they are. Three of them. They left some flowers as well, and for what it’s worth, they’re very impressive. What do you need me to do?’

‘Did they say where they were taking them?’

Harry didn’t hear Gordy’s answer as Matt butted in and said, ‘Put it on speaker, Harry. By the look on your face, we all need to hear this, don’t we?’

Harry agreed, and did as Matt had suggested.

‘Sorry, Gordy,’ he said. ‘Didn’t catch that. You’re on speaker now, by the way. Everyone can hear you.’

‘Now then, Gordy,’ Matt said, leaning in towards the phone. ‘How’s things?’

‘A little more exciting than I was expecting, if I’m honest, Matt,’ Gordy replied. ‘Harry? I was answering your question about where they were taking Grace and Liz. They didn’t say. But they did make it very clear that no harm would come to them. Well, he did, anyway, the one who was very much in charge. He was adamant that I tell you that. Can’t see how that marries all that well with kidnapping someone, but there we are.’

Ben was suddenly next to Harry.

‘She mentioned Liz. What’s happened? Who’s taken her and Grace? What’s going on, Harry?’

Harry really didn’t know what to say to Ben. He’d tried to keep all of this from him to keep him safe. Seemed like that was back-firing badly.

‘Ben?’ Gordy said, her voice cutting into the moment from the phone on the table. ‘Liz is fine. She’s with Grace. I don’t think either of them are in any danger, I really don’t, even though that’s hard to believe, even for me. Just stay calm, and I’m sure we’ll be able to get this all sorted, won’t we, Harry?’

Harry saw that hearing from Gordy calmed Ben a little.

‘You’re all okay, though?’ he asked. ‘No one’s hurt.’

‘We’re fine,’ said Gordy. ‘Can’t say this is how I was hoping we’d have our first chat, Harry. In fact, I wasn’t expecting to chat to you at all. I was trying to put that off till the wedding.’

Under different circumstances, Harry would have smiled at that.