Page 73 of Tell No One
Delaney laughed.
When Delaney went upstairs, Tag unpacked the stuff he’d bought in the supermarket. Some things went in the freezer and fridge, the rest stayed in the bag and he put that in a cupboard. He was going to find a way to make Delaney loosen up.
Tag put away the rest of the groceries. The place was warming up by the time he took his bags and the new gear upstairs. Just one room as Delaney had said. He could hear the shower running but he did as he’d been told and put his stuff in an empty drawer.
Everything in the bedroom was blue, grey and white. Curtains hung over the blinds. Tag had hoped to check out the area before it was completely dark, see where he needed to run if it came to it, but he left the blinds alone.
Delaney came into the bedroom dressed, just as Tag was checking the box to see if his otter had survived.
It had.
“What’s that?” Delaney asked.
Tag showed him.
“That’s really good.”
“Don’t sound so surprised. I have talented hands.”
“And a talented mouth.”
Tag smiled.
“Sometimes,” Delaney added.
Tag scowled.
“I assume we can get more clay on Amazon.” Delaney handed Tag his phone. “Show me what to order.”
Tag found the right product and handed it back.
“How many packets? I want you to make something you can hide the diamonds inside.”
“Like a treasure box?”
Delaney rolled his beautiful eyes. “I was thinking of a whale. I want you to keep what you make. A line of animals. It’ll be a good hiding place.”
“Okay. Maybe four packets?”
Delaney placed the order. “They’ll be here tomorrow.”
They ate chicken and roasted cauliflower with a thick sauce that Delaney had made from blitzed fried onions, toasted cashews and some spice or other. It was delicious. After they’d cleaned up, Delaney settled on the couch. There was a chess board on the coffee table, a game in progress.
“Do you have any friends?” Tag asked.
“No. That’s why I’ve lived as long as I have.”
“That’s sad. Not that you’ve lived as long as you have, but that you don’t have friends.”
“Do you?”
“Not really. They end up letting you down.”
“The less contact I have with anyone, the fewer the potential ways I might find myself betrayed. Safer not to trust anyone. But while that makes sense for me, I don’t see why it does for you.”
Tag ignored that. “Do you play yourself at chess?”
“Not much fun but I always win.”
