He chuckled kindly. “I want t
o show you the very last photo that was taken of Ivan.”
Amy’s insides writhed with apprehension, as if Tariq was about to pull an AK47 on her. Did she really want to see this? He rummaged in the pocket of his jacket and grabbed his phone, then he held it up to show Amy the screen.
Her gaze fell on the photo, and shock zoomed in to replace her wobbly confusion about this odd scenario. The picture on Tariq’s phone showed a youngish man bound and gagged with a red silk ribbon, lying on a metal-framed bed in a cheap hotel room. He was an attractive brunette and – even though he had his eyes closed – it was plain to see he was a Quinlan.
A tourniquet of terror gripped Amy’s muscles. “You did murder him?”
“No, no, no, Ms Carter.” Sadness swept over Tariq’s face. “Ivan and I were lovers; he was the love of my life.”
Amy couldn’t pull her gaze away from the photo now – what the hell was going on?
Tariq spoke with affection. “This was a game we enjoyed. Asphyxiation… Look, you can see my handprints on his neck. We always knew how far to go – it was a mutual pleasure of ours.”
Amy’s mind buzzed with bewilderment. “How do I know this is even Ivan? I don’t know what he looked like. Why are you telling me this?”
“I can show you more if you like?”
“No, please...” Amy composed herself. “Mr Shard, I’m terribly sorry that you’ve lost the love of your life, but I really don’t see what this has got to do with me. I’m tired. If you don’t mind, I’d like to sleep.”
“Ms Carter, I won’t lie, I want Grafton Techs for myself. You were my idea. You’re supposed to be mine, but Ivan told his brothers about you, and they stole you. Just like they stole my blueprints.”
“Yes, but –”
“Come and work for me.”
Shock burst out of Amy in the form of laughter. “Work for you? Mr Shard, Grafton Techs is going to Quinlan Brothers whether we like it or not. The contracts are pretty much done and if we don’t sign them, they’ll just take us over in an aggressive manner.” And wouldn’t that be typical of Adam, Amy now realised. The humiliating conversation she’d overheard back at the party trickled into her mind, and she sat up tall, hoping to retain some dignity. “But call me in six months, though. I’ll probably be in the job market then.”
“Well, okay. But until then, how would you like to be a spy for me?”
“What? Why would I do that?”
“I’m wondering where your loyalties lie. I think you like Adam a lot. So if you don’t spy for me, I’ll tell the world about Quinlan Senior’s gun-running past; the family name will be ruined. How much do you care about Adam, Ms Carter? Enough for his father’s name to be dragged through the dirt? And maybe I’ll even show the papers these little photos of my dearest Ivan – wouldn’t that make you spy for me?”
“Go ahead; Adam’s family isn’t my business. Why should I care?”
“Well, maybe I’m wrong and you don’t care for him. Let’s see what you decide, okay. You have until 5pm tomorrow – that's when you're leaving New York, right?”
Amy furrowed her brow. “You just said you loved Ivan. Why would you do this to his memory? To his family?”
“All those years I wanted to be with him, but we had to keep it a secret. His father – old Quinlan – isn’t the liberal-minded man he’d like to think. Ivan was closeted all his life.”
“They didn’t know he was gay? None of them?”
“No. And this will be my revenge for him unless you do as I’m requesting. I’d do anything to get my hands on Grafton Techs, just as Adam would.”
He smirked knowingly. Was he suggesting that Adam had only slept with her as part of the negotiations? To make sure she toed the line? Amy suddenly didn’t doubt it.
She glared into Tariq’s deep brown eyes. “But I don’t understand. What is it that’s so vital about my company? I mean, I know we’re good, but…”
“It’s a race to get our technology out there, Ms Carter. We’re on the cusp of something revolutionary. The Quinlans are using you and all your staff, but I’m determined to win this. If you spy for me now, I guarantee you a job whenever you need one. And I’ll even give you a share in the profits. Let me know your decision before you leave New York. Okay?”
Any opened her mouth to ask for more information about this mystery technology, but Tariq suddenly stood up.
“Thank you for your time, Ms Carter. I’m so glad we had this chat. I look forward to hearing your decision tomorrow afternoon. Goodnight.”
Chapter Fifteen