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My mind blanks out. “My apologies, sir. The connection’s not very good. Could you repeat that.”
His voice grates. “You heard me the first time, Hickman. Do it this evening. No links to the hotel and certainly no links back to me. No one knows you’re there. Do it and get out. I don’t want the body found afterwards. She simply disappears. Got that?”
My mouth and reflexes freeze over before I recover enough to lower my voice. “Sir, can I ring you back in a minute or two? She’s next door, but the words carry.”
“Call right back, Hickman. I’ll be waiting.”
Stomach churning, I stuff the mobile back into my pocket. Whisking up hot milk, I tip it in, half-and-half. The cup rattles in the saucer as I take it through. “Your coffee, Miss Masterson.”
She smiles as she accepts the cup. “Hickman, call me Katya. Miss Masterson is a bit of a mouthful if we’re going to be spending any amount of time together.”
At any other moment, an invitation to be on first name terms would make me smile. Right now, my stomach roils.
She tips a look over the cup. “Join me?”
“I’ll have a shower first. Wash off the journey.”
“Fine.” She sips at the coffee. “You were right, Hickman. I should relax.” Her smile brightens. “I feel so much better knowing you’re here. Knowing that Leone trusts you.” She sips again. “You make good coffee.” She glances to the window. “You know, it’s a lovely day. I think I’ll sit out on the balcony.”
My throat is tight. “Good idea. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
Marching through my room to the en-suite, I set the bath running. The basin faucet too. Flushing adds to the background noise. The water echoing against enamel, I glance outside the door to see Katya sitting outside, her back to me.
I draw a breath. Hold it. Then, letting it out again, I tap into my phone. “Sir, do I understand you correctly? You are instructing me to terminate Miss Masterson?”
“That's correct, Hickman.” A pause… “Do you have a difficulty with that? I’m paying you to obey orders.”
My mind races…
Agree with him…
For fuck’s sake, agree with him…
“Of course, sir…”
Romano’s still talking. “I want those diamonds she’s wearing. And I’ll repeat, the body mustn’t be found.”
“I’ll see to it, sir.”
Another pause. “You don’t sound too sure, Hickman.”
“You’ve… caught me by surprise, sir. May I ask…?” My words dry up.
“We had a spy in the camp. Guess who it’s turned out to be? She had me fooled. Turns out she’s working for Mancini. She told him where we’d be and when. Set me up for him to turn his gunmen on me.”
He’s almost spitting the words. “If the bitch wants to play those sorts of games, she can pay the same price as anyone else.”
“You’re sure of this, sir?”
“Our fake waiter, he was sure. I interrogated him myself. Worked him long enough to be sure he was telling the truth.”
“I see, sir.”
“Hickman, you sound very uncertain. You got any problems with this?”
“Murdering a woman, sir…”
“She’s a whore being paid by Mancini to earn her living on her back. It was Katya who told him we’d be at La Dolce Vita. And she’s been passing him other information. This is an execution, not a murder.”
