“Thanks a lot,” I say. “You’ve been a big help.”
“No worries. Well, see ya.” She skips off down the corridor and I nod toward Monty. He gives me the slightest incline of his head. He heard it all.
I walk along the corridor to the office. Inside a harassed looking elderly lady is slamming the phone down. “Goddammit,” she says out loud. “I hate those prank calls.”
She looks up and is about to snarl but then she sees I’m not one of the students. Her face breaks into a frown. “Who are you?” she asks.
“Hi,” I say, sticking a hand out over the desk. “Martin Kelbourne. I’m supposed to be delivering a package to George Bulla but he’s not here.”
“You can leave it with me. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“No can do. It’s got to be signed for in person.”
“Oh, right. I’m sorry, he’s off sick today.”
“Could you give me his home address? It’s got to be with him by eleven or I lose my monthly bonus.”
“I don’t know. I’m not supposed to give out addresses of faculty members.”
I switch on the charm, leaning over her desk, getting close enough to her face to smell her perfume. “Maybe you could do it just this once,” I say. “I won’t tell anyone, promise.” I fix her in my eyes. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds for her to crack.
“All right,” she says quietly. “But if anyone asks, you didn’t get it from me, all right?”
She writes the address down on a post it note, unpeeling it and handing it to me. I let my fingers stroke hers, watching her pupils dilate. “Say, what you doing later?” she asks. “I’m going for a coffee break. Maybe we could get one together before you go?”
“Sorry,” I say, slipping the note into my jacket. “Got to get this delivered asap or I’m in the shit. Maybe next time?”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
I turn and head out, motioning toward Monty. He falls into line behind me and we make our way outside. I check we’re out of sight of the security cameras before talking. As I speak, Vinny and Greg join us, seemingly appearing out of thin air.
“Got his home address,” I say. “Greg, give him a call, make sure he’s there.”
“What do I say?”
“I don’t give a shit. Sell him some windows, insurance, anything. Just keep him on the line as long as you can. You two, bring up the plans for the neighborhood and make it snappy.”
We head back to the van. I give the note to the driver and he sets off. “Ten minutes from here,” he says.
I pull out my phone and switch it on. I want to know as many details as possible about what might be waiting there. Time to bring up Google Earth and check the surrounding terrain.
As my phone boots up, a message pings up from Sergio.
Fleur kidnapped. Tracked location. Taking Anna to rendezvous.
I freeze as I read the message again. I’ve got a choice to make here. The kidnapping is clearly a ploy to bring Anna to a set location. That means Amato is one step ahead of me. He’s going to have her grabbed, use her as leverage while I go to his place. He knows we’re coming. He’s been one step ahead this whole time.
I get to him, she dies.
What do I do? Go kill the man who needs to die more than any other? Or head for the co-ordinates Sergio sent me and save her before it’s too late.
What’s more important? Revenge or her? My head or my heart?
I try to call Anna. I could warn her what’s going to happen, make her turn around, accept the loss of her friend and go back to the island where she’ll be safe.
She’s stubborn. She’d refuse to listen. She wants to save her friend more than she wants to please me.
That’s her all over. Despite all my efforts at getting her to submit, she refuses to do it. Keeps breaking the rules.