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“I’m looking for someone to help my dad. He’s moving to the area in a few weeks. After my mum died, he’s been sad and lonely, and I’ve tried, but I have to work and…” Giving her doe-eyes, she makes a sad face and pats my hand.
“Well, you’ve come to the right place. We come highly recommended.”
“So I hear. I wanted to ask you about Isla Harding. Her name came up, and I really want the best for my dad, you know?”
“Of course,” she murmurs. “Unfortunately, Isla Harding doesn’t work here anymore.”
“Oh? That’s disappointing,”
“Tell me about it. She was our best Assistant. But she was poached.” She lowers her voice to a whisper, the strength of her feeling about this evident in her tone.
“Poached? By another agency? Who would do that?” I act shocked, but really, I couldn’t care less.
“No, she got a private gig. The woman came in and arranged it all and found her replacement and everything. She really wanted Isla.”
“Hmm, well, so did I. Any chance you know where she went? Maybe I can convince her to come back?”
The manager’s eyes light up at the prospect. “Oh, that would be marvellous! But my guess is you’d need a few bob. The woman who came in here was minted. Proper rich.”
“Money is no object,” I murmur, seeing her eyes flash with glee.
“Well, in that case, head up to that castle on the hill. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that’s where you’ll find her.”
“Perfect,” I say. “Thank you for your help.”
“If you can’t find Isla, we have other assistants who could help your dad. Come back, and we’ll talk.”
“Will do.” Waving, I saunter out and head back to the hotel. This is all very curious. But it confirms what I thought. Gideon is definitely in that castle, and Isla Harding is with him. So all that’s left for me to do is drive up there and scope out the place for myself.
Getting in the hatchback, I set off, following the signs for the hilltop. Driving slowly up the winding road, it starts to snow as I reach the summit and turn the bend to see the entrance to the driveway. Closed off with substantial black wrought iron electric gates, there is a team of security guards in the gatehouse waiting for me. Interesting. They have the hilltop road under surveillance. Makes sense, under the circumstances. All avenues are covered. I wonder if that includes the unscalable cliff on the other side of the castle.
Pulling up, I get out to be greeted by a man twice my size with a scowl that is so fierce if I were anyone else, it would send me packing. As it is, I am me, and I don’t back down from anyone.
“Morning,” I say cheerfully.
“This is a private residence,” he snarls.
“Oh, really?” I glance around and huff out a breath that puffs out visibly in the freezing cold. “I was hoping for a tour.”
“There’s a visitor’s castle a few miles from here. Buy a fucking guidebook next time.”
“Wow, okay. No need to be so rude.”
“Move along.”
I hold my hands up, eyes scanning the entire area that is visible, which, granted, is not much. “All right, all right, I’m going. Can I ask who lives here, though?”
“No.”
“Fair enough,” I murmur and turn my face directly to the barely seen camera on the corner of the wall. That will have a direct connection to the resident inside, and I want my old buddy to see precisely who has shown up on his doorstep.
Giving a mock salute, I back away and slip into the car with a smile. Something tells me next time I turn up here, I’ll either be gunned down in the street, or the gates will open up so Gideon and I can come face-to-face to beat each other to death as we’ve both dreamed about for ten years.
Either way, it’ll be fun to find out.
24
GIDEON
