Page 92 of Tell No One
“Listen carefully. Do exactly as I tell you and you won’t be hurt.”
Thoughts of resisting raced through Tag’s head but what could he do against a gun and more than one guy?
“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have any money.” He wasn’t going to think about the million-dollar sculptures, though it sounded as if someone was searching for something downstairs.
“What are you looking for?” Tag asked.
“Pack a bag.”
Tag needed to stall, though he knew the chances of Delaney getting here in time were zero.
“Why?”
“Because I’m telling you to.”
Tag grabbed his backpack and put a few things into it. He wasn’t really thinking about what he was doing, more of ways to get this guy to reveal who he was working for.
“Where are we going? Do I need a toothbrush?”
The guy laughed at that.
As Tag put his running shoes on, another man came into the bedroom and started to go through the drawers.
“What are you looking for?” Tag asked. “Maybe I can help.”
“Diamonds.”
Tag laughed and tried to look as astonished as he could. “Diamonds?” He hoped Delaney heard that. “I think you have the wrong house. There are no diamonds here.”
“Downstairs. Now.”
Tag was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled out of the room. He stumbled on the stairs and would have fallen if the guy hadn’t still been holding him. There was another man in the main room, pulling books from shelves, checking each one. Tag had already seen the animals hadn’t been touched.Don’t look at them again!
There was a clattering noise as someone ran down the stairs. “Let’s get out of here. There was a phone on the windowsill that was transmitting.”
Tag had thought about making a break for it when they got outside but the grip on his shoulder tightened and he was pushed into the back of the car. The guy who’d been holding him climbed in after. Tag tried the handle but the door didn’t open.
“Put your seat belt on,” the man snapped.
Tag did as he was told. He sat quietly, trying to work out who these guys were. Maybe it wasn’t complicated. They knew about the diamonds, so they didn’t work for Norbury, unless he’d somehow found out about them. But why take him away from Delaney if they were on the same side?
Because they’re not on the same side. Maybe they were pretending they were but had their own agenda. One that involved letting Tag be found by Norbury’s guys and taken up to Scotland.
When he registered that they were on their way to London, Tag thought he was right. Delaney probably wouldn’t come after him. He’d be too late to follow. The next move in the game was up to Norbury. But if he didn’t call Delaney and invite him to Scotland, Tag was probably fucked.
Delaney raced back but he knew Tag would have gone. He left the car out of sight half a mile away and approached the house via a couple of fields. There was no sign of a vehicle outside, but in case whoever had come wanted him dead, he checked everything before he went into the house, then still looked for traps, cameras, recording devices.
The place was a mess but all the clay ornaments were still there. He hurried upstairs and found Tag’s phone on the bed. There was no blood, no evidence of a struggle, though all the drawers had been emptied and the mattress half-pulled off the bed. He had to fight to control his temper.
The only clues he’d had as to who had taken Tag was the number plate, and comment about the diamonds. He got nowhere with the former but mention of the diamonds was enough. Unless Norbury had been told about Delaney’s role in stealing them, it didn’t make sense that it was him. If it had been, there’d have been someone here to torture him or Tag until he told them where the diamonds were. So it was his ownfuckingside. Barker fucking him up with or without Henry’s knowledge.
There was little point chasing after the car. He wouldn’t catch it. Even if he did, what the fuck could he do without endangering Tag? He went outside to phone Henry.
“Delaney. How are things?” Henry asked.
“How do you think they are?” Delaney didn’t keep the snap out of his voice.
“Ah.”
