Page 59 of Tell No One
Because Henry preferred it to be Fayad rather than one of his contractors?
“A couple of things struck me. He never bid highly on anyone though he tried to make a deal with me afterwards. He suggested an arrangement that would need to be run past Norbury and said he would, but that could have been a distraction. Fayad was anxious to leave with me when he could have stayed at Harborne House and had the evening he’d paid for. There were plenty of willing ponies.”
“And his reason for leaving with you?”
“His driver wasn’t coming until morning—he’d said he’d given him the evening off, but what rich guy’s driver wouldn’t come to get his boss on request? Fayad was concerned about the disappearance of Tag bringing trouble. Yet he’d surely guess that Norbury wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Could he have known what you were up to?”
Delaney sighed. “Anything is possible. He could have been up to something himself.” Delaney was increasingly thinking that was the case. Fayad had given up the search for Tag fairly quickly. Maybe he’d not even searched but done the same as Delaney.
Henry cleared his throat. “Assuming he was there for personal reasons, a Saudi really wouldn’t want anyone knowing what he’d been up to. For a gay Saudi, the potential for blackmail is huge. I could see that as a reason to want the information you gathered, maybe to threaten to expose others if he was exposed, but that’s based on the assumption he knew what you were up to.”
“If he knew I’d got that USB, why didn’t he try to take it?”
“Maybe he didn’t know. Maybe he lifted information too.”
“If he did and he wasn’t careful, they might have seen him. Leaving with me implies we were accomplices.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
“That he was up to something but I don’t think he put the tracker there. It’s more likely to be the driver. Barker assigned him.”
Henry made a sound of exasperation. “What is it with you and Barker?”
“We don’t seem to be able to play nicely with each other.”
“You think I hadn’t noticed? But a dislike strong enough for him to want you dead?”
“I’d hope not. Disgraced would be more to his taste. That brings me back to it being one of Norbury’s staff. I took all the necessary precautions, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t spotted. Though that still doesn’t explain how the tracker went on before I’d even accessed their files. It implies they knew who I was.”
“Worrying.”
“I’m going to send you the two pictures.” Delaney typed in Henry’s private email address, sent the images of the dead men and waited. If Henry already knew what had happened, there was nothing to be lost. If he didn’t, then maybe Delaney would get some help.
“I don’t recognise them. I’m relieved I don’t.”
So was Delaney if Henry was telling the truth.
“They knew what they were doing. No ID with them, or phones. They wore gloves. Carried Smith and Wesson 38s with silencers.”
“Their car?”
“A rental. Avis. There won’t be much left.”
“I’ll do some checking,” Henry said. “Are you going to bring everything into the office?”
“Not when there’s a risk I might not make it inside. When whoever sent those men to my house is unable to contact them, he’s going to assume I killed them. I have a target on my back. I don’t know if that will change once I’ve handed everything over.”
“Are you on your own?”
“Yes.” But Delaney knew what Henry was asking.
“Tag’s disappeared.”
“Good for him.”
“Do you want to meet somewhere?”
