Page 26 of Tell No One
Tag wasn’t sure what to do with the number. He had no idea which side his visitor was on. Both sides were most likely trouble as far as he was concerned. But not having the money rankled. All that and nothing to show for it but aches and bruises? And a stupid infatuation with a guy who had a gun?
Which was why, the next morning, he sat begging on Kirby Street, with a good view of the door to the diamond dealers. Just in case.
5
Today, Delaney’s name was Isaac. His hair was back to its usual shade of black, but long dark curls, payos, hung either side of his face. He also had a thick black beard. He didn’t like the curls or the beard but both were necessary, as was the black large-brimmed hat on his head. He sat in the back of an Audi A6 with a Caleb who was disguised in the same way as him, and they were being driven by a Simon, who wasn’t disguised at all. Fake names, and although Delaney knew their real identities, they didn’t know his. It had been a condition of Delaney doing the job. Delaney didn’t like working with others but this couldn’t be done on his own.
He should have been thinking about the job to come, but he was still mulling over what had happened yesterday, questions circling in his head about Tag, Hassan, the Master and Barker. Fucking Barker had rung again, trying to pull rank. Delaney’s conversation with the fuckwit had irritated both of them but for different reasons. Barker had been insistent that Delaney take the USB straight to Concorde House along with the engineered mask, but Delaney had refused. He’d be going in anyway with the diamonds. Why did one day matter?
Barker hadn’t hidden his displeasure. Delaney had always found him condescending and arrogant, but there was something about their conversation that was still niggling at him. Was there some nuance that he’d missed? Barker’s dismissive attitude when Delaney had mentioned paying Tag the money he was owed? Or the guy’s insistence that Tag had been a willing participant in what had gone on at Harborne House?
Despite having completed the job he’d been paid for, Delaney had put a civilian in danger. That Barker seemed okay about it felt…wrong. Delaney’s request to speak to Henry had been dismissed. Not that it would stop Delaney calling him.
What was fucking chewing at him? Delaney found himself scratching at his fake beard and dragged his fingers away. The way Barker had reacted to the idea that Norbury’s people might go after Tag? If Tag was accused of doing what Delaney had slipped out of the bedroom to do, how would Tag react? He’d open his mouth and tell them everything, not that he knew much. But it was Delaney on the line as well then.
Barker had just thrown in at the end of the conversation that the information on the USB was for upper-level clearance only. In other words, not for Delaney’s eyes. Except was it a throwaway line? Delaney had made a copy. Not that he’d had time to look at it yet.
Could be that it was none of those things niggling at him. Just someone with big brown eyes and the memory of those sobs Delaney had heard coming from Tag’s room after he’d slammed the door. Delaney had survived as long as he had by not caring about anyone other than himself and it was fucking irritating that Tag had pressed buttons he hadn’t known he had.
And then there was Hassan, who hadn’t been what he seemed. He’d asked too many questions in the car, not enough about the things Delaney had expected him to be talking about. Delaney wasn’t sure what to make of him. He’d definitely been disappointed when Delaney told him it was his first time there. From the questions Hassan asked about how he’d got his invite, and whether Delaney knew what else Norbury did, he knew it was more than a casual interest. Hassan had even given him his card. Delaney had claimed he’d not brought any with him, but had offered Hassan a phone number.
“I’ll drop you here, right?” Simon said, breaking into Delaney’s thoughts.
“Fine,” Delaney said.
He and Caleb got out of the car and Simon drove away. Delaney looked around and slipped on his sunglasses.Get your mind in the game.If Simon didn’t reappear exactly when he was supposed to, he and Caleb would be in trouble. Delaney didn’t like these sorts of jobs at all, but he spoke fluent Hebrew and the jeweller they were going to rob was Jewish.
He and Caleb looked like Orthodox Jews with their long black coats and white shirts. They didn’t look like trouble but maybe it depended on your definition of trouble. Neither of them carried a briefcase. Each of them carried a gun, usefully hidden by their long coats. Delaney hoped to hell they wouldn’t need to fire them. Timing was critical. Cameras needed to be off at the right moment, the two panic buttons disabled, the phone line rendered inoperative. All at the same time. Barker had a guy on that. Mobiles were still an issue, which was why speed was critical.
This had been planned based on a tip that Chason would be the one to fence diamonds stolen from the missing Prince Ahsan. The diamonds had come into his possession on Friday.
Caleb checked his watch and pressed the buzzer to indicate they wanted to come into the store. The door release sounded and they were allowed in. Then they were fast. The two male assistants were gagged, zip-tied and blindfolded before they knew what hit them. While Caleb was moving them out of sight and out of reach of their phones, Delaney ran up the stairs and burst into Chason’s room with his gun out.
“Away from the desk!” he barked in Hebrew.
One moment of stunned shock was all Delaney needed. Moments later, Chason was zip-tied to his chair, well away from the panic button. It should be disabled but Delaney wasn’t taking any chances. He was relieved to see the three screens on the right of the desk were blank, so the cameras were off.
“The police are on their way,” Chason snarled.
Even if he’d had time, Delaney doubted Chason would have called the police. Rent-a thug, yes, but not the police.
“The code to the safe or my colleague will shoot your assistants.” One of them was Chason’s son, Cain.
Chason kept his mouth shut. Delaney lifted his watch to his mouth. “Do it,” he said.
“No!” Chason yelped.
“Hold,” Delaney muttered into his perfectly ordinary watch.
Moments later, Delaney had two bags of diamonds in his pockets. Plenty more in the safe that he ignored. Chason had seen which ones he’d taken.
“Who offered you these diamonds?” Delaney asked.
Chason shook his head. “They’ll kill me.”
“I’ll kill your son.”
“The name was a lie. I checked.”
