“Really? When you’d been getting close?”
“Yes. You can imagine how I felt. I thought he’d dumped me, got bored and moved on. Then after a few days I got a text out of the blue. Never been so relieved in my life. Said he needed to handle stuff on his own.”
It did sound like Sean, but the news made Rowan worry even more.
“That’s what Sean is trying to do,” Sky continued. “Rory said he’s not even letting him, or Draco, go in on this hacking job.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
“Rory helped with code, and I think Draco too, but other than that, Sean insists they hang back.”
“Hang back. I wonder what that means.”
“Your guess is as good as mine. What the hell can we do?”
“Are you sure you didn’t overhear anything about where he was going, any clue at all?”
“No, and I tried, believe me.”
“I do.”
They sat in silence sipping coffee, either side of the table, for another few minutes, and then Sky’s eyes lit up. “Wait, I have an idea, someone who might know.”
Rowan’s mood lifted. “Who?”
Sky was already scrolling through her contacts. She hit call. “Hi, it’s Sky. I’ve got Rowan with me, our sister from Wales, and we are so worried about the guys. Have you got any idea where they are meeting up today?”
Rowan watched carefully, wondering who Sky was talking to.
Sky started nodding excitedly and gave her a thumbs up across the table. “Great, see you there. Shouldn’t take us long. Just text me the location and we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
Once she hung up, she rose to her feet and gestured for Rowan to do the same. “Leave everything. I know where they are. Well, I’ve got a GPS location.”
“Who were you talking to?” Rowan followed her to the door.
“Lara, Draco’s girlfriend. He told her where the hack is going to take place, but swore her to secrecy.” Sky laughed.
Rowan laughed too. “A woman after my own heart, knows who are sister brethren are. Is it near the city?”
“Yep, outskirts, on the east side with fast links to the banking district.”
“East? It’ll take ages to get there by tube.”
“I know.” Sky was already out the door, and as soon as Rowan followed, she locked up. Sky headed to the long low bike shed and opened it up. A minute later she wheeled out a vintage Vespa scooter, and handed Rowan a helmet. “We can be there in around twenty.”
“I’d forgotten you had this.”
“Don’t worry, it’s roadworthy.”
“I should hope so.” She climbed behind her sister.
The traffic was busy, but within half an hour they were deep in the banking district. It took another ten minutes to find their destination.
Sky pulled into a huge multi-storey car park adjacent to a tower block on one side, and on the other, a small warehouse on the Thames river waterfront. The bike park was on the ground floor. After she locked up the scooter, they raced across the car park by foot.
Sky kept her phone out, following the GPS.
Once they got to the specified destination, Rowan looked around, trying to make sense of it. They seemed to be surrounded by traffic, noise and tall buildings, but a moment later a blonde woman stepped out from the street corner and waved, beckoning them over.