Page 37 of Tell No One
“Anthony told me Tag was happy to accept the money to go to the party. He knew sex would be involved.”
“Barker’s lying.”
Henrytsked.“He’s your colleague. You’d believe someone you hardly know over Anthony?”
“Yes. After I’d delivered Tag to his place, he packed and left. Tag was clever enough to plant the misinformation that he was going to York to his mother’s, in case anyone came calling. And they did. They might have looked for him at the station. They wouldn’t have found him. They might have traced his new phone number, started to trace him, got into his bank account. He’s a loose end.”
“And a liability.”
“That I’m dealing with. Norbury has no reason to think Tag and I were working together. But… Tag disappeared. It makes him look guilty of something, and all he’s guilty of is agreeing to do this work in the first place.”
“Hmm. Have you heard from Norbury or Feely?”
“No. I’m surprised they’ve not been in contact.”
“This could work to our advantage. You should get in touch with them. They’d expect you to be pissed off you didn’t get what you paid for. Say you want to go to the next event to make up for the disappointment of this one.”
“Isn’t what’s on the USB going to be enough?”
“Since I don’t have it yet, I don’t know. Call them and complain about Tag. If they know someone’s been into their system, he’s the obvious culprit and it keeps you clean.”
“At the cost of making Tag dirty.”
“True, but he’s of no value to us.”
Delaney tightened his jaw. “You’d risk my safety if they catch him. They’d find out about the Kirby Street job as well. He hasn’t even been paid. He’d disappear if he was. But I get the feeling you don’t intend to pay him.”
Henry’s silence told him everything.Shit.For one horrible moment, Delaney wondered if it hadn’t been Norbury’s men who’d gone to Tag’s place, but Henry’s.
“What do you want to do?” Henry asked.
“I don’t know yet.”
“I need those diamonds here along with the information you got from Harborne House.”
“Tomorrow.” Delaney ended the call and made another to Feely on his Vadim phone.
“Vadim,” Feely said. “How are you?”
“Still pissed off. Did you find little fucker?”
“No.”
Delaney swore in Russian. “Is not good. Will he open mouth? He better not.”
“We’re looking for him.”
“He cost me lot of money. Very expensive fuck. Good but not that good. Maybe hide-and-seek was bad idea but how could he leave with no clothes, no shoes? He had to have help. I feel cheated.”
“Understood. I’m sure we can find a way to make it up to you.”
Yes!“When you find him, make sure you call me. I kill him myself.”
Feely gave a quiet chuckle.
“You think I’m joking?” Delaney mentally crossed his fingers and took a risk. “Play different sort of hide-and-seek. Different sort of forfeit for loser.” Then he laughed as ifthathad been a joke.
“That could be arranged.”
