Chapter Seventy-One
Istare at Daniel Neal in disbelief, and then, before I can stop myself, I burst out laughing, loud enough that the people at the nearest table glance over. I wipe the tears from my eyes and look at Daniel. He’s not laughing.
‘You’re seriously asking me to kidnap your wife? Do I look like a kidnapper to you?’ I say quietly.
‘It’s ideal,’ he says earnestly. ‘Donald will pay up.’
‘Two million?’ I whisper. ‘Have you completely lost the plot?’
‘It’s a drop in the ocean to him. You’ll get your money, I’ll clear my debts, and everything will go back to how it used to be. Four days, max, and everything will be back to normal.’
I shake my head in disbelief. ‘Back to normal?’ I scoff. ‘The first thing Joanna will do when we let her go is run straight to the police.’
‘But neither she nor the police will ever know she was held at the house. You blindfold her when you release her. Jo’s working the day shift next week.
You’ve already fitted a bathroom in the basement, and I’ll get everything else sorted.
She doesn’t even know the basement exists.
Remember? It’s going to be a surprise gym for her.
There’s no way anything can be traced back to us. Trust me, I’ve thought it all through.’
I can’t deny it’s a clever plan. I’m just not thrilled about my part in it.
‘I’ll set up a special dinner to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our meeting.
She always walks home through the industrial estate.
I’ve spotted a van. I’ll steal it and leave it there the night before.
Everything you’ll need will be in the back.
All you have to do is grab her, settle her in, and leave the rest to me. ’ He looks at me with hope in his eyes.
‘Who’s getting the basement ready? Because it sure as hell isn’t going to be me,’ I say.
‘I’ve got it planned. Managed to get another credit card.’
‘Jesus,’ I mutter.
‘I’ll sort the basement out when she’s on her day shift. I even found a lock-up for your car. You don’t want to be seen leaving the house in it. And don’t use the van for shopping, either. I’ll leave my bike in the garage for you. Here’s the key and the address of the lock-up.’
He slides an envelope across the table. He makes it all sound so simple.
‘The stolen van’s plates will get picked up by the police in no time,’ I say, raining on his parade.
‘I’ve already thought of that. I nicked a set from a scrapyard. Swapping them over will only take five minutes.’
He really has thought of everything.
‘What if she struggles? I don’t want to hurt her.’
‘Jo won’t risk anything. Her priority is Joel.’
I have to pinch myself. Are we seriously talking about kidnapping Joanna Neal?
‘Her parents are loaded. They’ll pay up,’ Daniel says.
I knock back my whisky. I should have left ten minutes ago when I had the chance, but he hands me a folder.
‘This is a full rundown of how we’re going to do it.’
I flick through the pages and I’m stunned by how detailed it is.
‘What’s to stop me from going to the police and telling them everything you’ve just said?’
‘Nothing,’ he says. ‘But it would be your word against mine, and I’ll deny it.
You won’t get your money, and all that work you did will have been for nothing.
Even if you take me to court, I can’t pay you if I don’t have the money, can I?
’ For a moment, his bravado slips, and he looks ashamed.
‘I want to pay you, Neville. You’ve done a good job. ’
I sigh. What the hell has this bastard dragged me into? ‘How can I trust you? According to this,’ I say, nodding at the paperwork, ‘you’ll be getting the ransom money. For all I know, you’ll keep the lot, stitch me up, and I’ll spend the next fifteen years in prison.’
‘How can I trust you not to tell Jo?’ he counters.
‘Okay, touché. But you’ll still be pocketing the ransom.’
He reaches for the whisky bottle and realises it’s empty. He starts to stand, but I stop him with a hand on his shoulder.
‘If you want me to take this seriously, you’ll do it sober.’
He nods and sits back down. ‘Here’s the deal,’ he says.
‘When I get the first ransom payment, I’ll do a drop-off.
Make it look real. I’ll leave half of what I owe you at the drop.
If I don’t, you go to the police. That way, you’ve got protection, and I’ve got some guarantee you won’t talk.
I’ll still need the next payment to clear the rest of my debts, so I’m not about to screw you over.
We’ll both get what we want, and I’ll throw in extra for your trouble. ’
I scoff. ‘I only want what I’m owed.’
Daniel leans across the table.
‘I’m not going to screw you. One look at my bank accounts, and the police will know I’m in deep shit.
I’ll be their first suspect. However, if we work together, we both come out ahead.
The only person who will know Jo has been kidnapped is her friend, Gil.
I need someone to witness the demands being made. ’
How the hell didn’t I see this coming? He seemed like a decent guy when we first met, the man with everything.
Christ, I’ve even been jealous of him these past few months: beautiful wife, perfect house, no money worries.
And in the seven months I’ve been renovating his place, he’s been flushing it all down the bog.
‘She’ll recognise my voice,’ I say.
‘Put cotton wool in your mouth, it muffles the sound. She won’t know it’s you. Besides, we’re keeping her safe. It’s not like we’re chucking her in some dingy hole. You can even cook her nice food.’
That makes me laugh out loud. I can’t cook to save my life. I live on microwave meals. I take the folder and stand up. His expression changes.
‘You don’t expect me to make a decision right now, do you?’ I ask.
‘We don’t have much time.’
‘I need to look this over. I’ll be in touch.’
‘It’s taken me hours to work this out,’ he snaps, his face flushing. ‘And you’re going to make me wait?’
I down the last of my whisky. ‘Yeah, I am because I’ve got a lot to think about. Maybe you’ve had hours, but I haven’t. You had the world at your feet. A wife who adored you. What kind of fucking idiot are you?’
At least he has the decency to look ashamed. ‘Don’t think I don’t know.’
‘It was greed. It’s always greed. People like you, it’s never enough. Now look at you. I don’t have much, but I’ve got my self-respect, and for some reason I’m seriously considering letting you take that away from me.’
‘I don’t know what to say,’ he mutters, staring at the table.
‘I’ll be in touch.’
‘Aren’t you coming to Jo’s do?’
‘No. I couldn’t look her in the eye.’
With that, I walk out of the pub. I’m in such a state of shock it takes me ten minutes to realise I’m walking the wrong way. I turn around, my head pounding. I stop at the off-licence, buy a bottle of vodka, and try to process what the hell just happened.
***
Back at home, I sit at the kitchen table nursing the vodka. I can’t believe this. Not only am I not getting paid for the second time in a row, but now I’m being blackmailed into kidnapping someone just to get the money I’ve already earned.
I flick through the folder. Neal’s put a hell of a lot of thought into this plan. There’s no reason for the police to get involved. In four days, she’ll be home. He’ll make sure the basement is comfortable for her. He’s even putting timers on the lights.
She could jump out at you in the dark, so it’s better if we control the lighting, he’s written.
I stare at the notes, then take a long swig of vodka.
I’ve got to kidnap Joanna Neal. Not for the money but because if I don’t, Neal will find someone else who won’t give a damn about her.
I realise I’ve got no choice. My heart’s pounding so hard I can barely breathe.
What the hell has Neal dragged me into?