Chapter Thirty-Two
Daniel
Irun the red light without hesitation. They are breathing down my neck, so I have no choice but to shake them off.
My heart hammers against my ribs as I weave through the narrow streets.
Never before have I pushed the accelerator this hard.
I dodge the other cars like bullets and pray I won’t crash.
The tyres squeal as I take a sharp left, and in my rear-view mirror, I see another driver give me the finger. I race to Waterperry Gardens.
In that moment, I know I’ve made a blunder. I’ve had everything under my control until now. Telling Gil was a fatal error. I should have lied to her, like I did to Nicola. Then we would have had Jo back, and everything would have been fine, and no one would ever have known. Now it’s a bloody mess.
I check the rear-view mirror, but Burrow is nowhere to be seen. I glance at the clock on the dashboard. I’m on time. I screech into Waterperry Gardens, make the drop and within minutes, I’m making my way back. I park in a lay-by and call Donald.
‘When will they let her go?’ he demands.
‘I don’t know. He cut the call before I could ask, but we’ll find out soon, I’m sure of it.’
‘We’re calling the police if we don’t hear anything in the next few hours, Donald,’ I hear Julia say sternly.
‘I’ll keep you posted as soon as I hear anything.’
On the way back, I ignore calls from Gil and DI Burrow. The office is buzzing when I arrive, and no one pays any attention to me. I walk to my office, fill a cup from the water dispenser and take two painkillers. Then my office door opens, and Nic walks in.
‘How did it go?’
I rack my brain to recall what I have told him. I must look puzzled. ‘The client?’ he prompts. Then it all comes back to me.
‘One of those wary types, you know. Bloody waste of time.’
He claps me on the shoulder. ‘A few drinks later will make you feel better.’
I can’t refuse again.
‘Sure,’ I say. ‘I’ll call the babysitter.’
***
Josie
The first thing that hits you when walking into the offices of Lance and Holland is the huge sign bearing their logo behind the reception desk.
The whole place is set up to impress. The foyer is a spacious and elegant area where visitors are welcomed with an air of style and high status.
The floor is covered with polished marble tiles, which reflect the natural light that floods through the large windows.
A grand staircase leads to the upper floors, where the offices of the executives and managers are located.
There is a brass plaque in the reception area with their names. Daniel Neal is the third one down.
The receptionist, who is friendly and well-dressed, welcomes me from her desk in the centre of the foyer. ‘Hello there. Can I help you?’
‘I’m here to see Daniel Neal,’ I say.
‘Of course,’ says the receptionist. ‘What is your name?’
‘Josie Blackford.’
She taps at her computer and frowns. ‘You’re not in the appointment book.’
I can’t pull rank and make everyone suspicious. ‘If you call him, I think you’ll find he’ll see me.’
Her expression quickly changes when she sees I’m not budging.
‘Can you tell him I’m here?’ I say firmly.
She gives me a cool stare. ‘Of course,’ she says, picking up the phone, her nails sparkling in the sunlight from the windows. She mentions my name, hangs up, and then says, ‘Please wait here. Someone will escort you to Mr Neal’s office shortly.’
***
Daniel Neal doesn’t even smile when I walk in. ‘DS Blackford, please have a seat,’ he says.
The office is warm and inviting, with plants, paintings and personal items. I notice the photo on his desk of Joanna Neal and her son hugging. I close the door behind me, and his expression changes instantly.
‘What are you doing here?’ he snaps.
‘Mr Neal, why did you remove your wire and turn off your phone?’
‘You know exactly why.’
‘Mr Neal, your wife’s life is at stake. You’ve paid the kidnappers a fortune. The longer they keep her, the more danger she faces.’
He stands up. ‘Jo will be released soon.’
It’s all I can do not to slap him. ‘At least tell us where you made the drop. There could be CCTV cameras there. Someone may have seen him collect the ransom. We could get him.’
‘Are you bloody mad? He spotted you. Why else would he suddenly change the location of the drop? If anything happens to Jo, you’ll have blood on your hands. By the way, her name is Joanna. Only I get to call her Jo.’
‘When did he change the location of the drop?’ I ask. I am finding it hard to work out where the kidnapper could have spotted us.
‘I’m not discussing it with you anymore,’ he says. His face is glowing red with anger.
I stand up. ‘Think yourself lucky we’re not doing you for running a red light.’
‘Yeah, whatever,’ he says. ‘That’s the least of my worries.’
‘If you need us, Mr Neal.’
‘I won’t,’ he says sharply. ‘Gil should never have contacted you. Please leave.’
I walk to the door, anger boiling within me. Roy is going to be furious.