Page 88 of She Saw What He Did

He throws it across the room before I can stop him. It hits the wall and falls with a clatter to the floor.

‘What are you doing?’ I yell rushing to rescue it. ‘What if you’ve damaged it? Do you realise what you’ve done?’

I pick up the box. Thankfully, it looks okay. It’s sturdy. It seems nothing can penetrate it.

‘You know what’s he up to, don’t you?’ says Joe. ‘He wants you to do his dirty work.’

‘What do you care? As long as we get Sam back who cares?’

‘They’re not coming back,’ he says in an eerie voice.

I throw myself onto him like a mad woman and begin slapping him around the face.

‘Shut up, you stupid old man. Just shut up.’

My head spins and I lose my balance. Jared steadies me and pushes me gently onto the couch.

‘Stop this, both of you,’ he says calmly. ‘How is this helping Mum and Sam? We can’t lose our heads. Not now. We’re getting close to getting Mum and Sam home. All we need to do is hang onto the box and make sure nothing happens to it.’ He gives his dad a piercing look. ‘For pity’s sake Dad, don’t do anything stupid.’

Joe lowers his head.

‘I feel so helpless. I’ve always been there for her. I’ve never let her down.’

I flex my neck and stretch my arm out towards him.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘We’re all very tense.’

He nods.

‘I just don’t know how I’m going to cope with Sergeant Burden tomorrow,’ I say.

‘I’ll be here,’ says Jared. ‘I can’t keep going into work. I’ll go insane.’

I hug him but somehow Jared’s presence doesn’t reassure me as it once did. There was a time when his just being there seemed to make everything alright, but now, it seems like nothing and no one can put this right. I study the box closely and satisfy myself that it is not damaged. I slip it into my dress pocket. I only feel safe when the box is close to me. I try not to think too much about Sam and Daphne. My imaginings of where they are being held are dark and menacing. I daren’t allow myself to dwell on Daphne’s heart condition or how long her medication will last. I have to believe the man when he says that he will let them go soon and strangely I do believe him. I’m not sure if it’s because I trust him or because the alternative is too unbearable.

I look again at the box. How can we keep it safe?

Chapter Fifty-Three

The sound of a rap at the door pulled Sparrow out of his restless nap. He looked around the unfamiliar room and felt a stab of panic. Where the hell was he? His sleepy brain struggled to make sense of everything. Then he remembered. He was at the hotel. His stomach somersaulted as everything rushed into his mind. His tongue was stuck to some gunge on the roof of his mouth. He grabbed some water from the side of the bed and gulped it down. The rapping came again. Someone was at the door. He reached for the gun that he’d hidden under a pillow and climbed from the bed.

‘Who is it?’ he called, pulling on his shirt.

‘It’s Lorraine, from reception, Mr Jones. We’ve had an urgent package delivered for you.’

Sparrow peered suspiciously through the peep-hole in the door. He recognised the pretty redhead. He remembered thinking how appealing she was the first time he’d seen her. She now stood with an A4-size brown envelope in her hand.

‘Just a minute,’ he said, tucking in his shirt.

He unlocked the door and peered around it.

‘Hello, Mr Jones, I’m sorry to bother you,’ said Lorraine holding out the envelope, ‘only, the man who delivered it said it was urgent.’

He looked at the envelope and then took it from her. He realised that he looked a mess and that the room behind him was a shambles.

‘Thanks,’ he said, and closed the door. He heard her as she clip-clopped down the hall in her heels. He locked the door and then studied the envelope. It looked harmless enough. The address was handwritten. The name Mr Jones was printed in bold black ink. He sat on the bed and opened it cautiously. He then laid all the papers onto the bed beside him. There was a map of Asquith Hall’s interior and a slim locked box. He shook the key from the envelope and inserted it into the lock. It contained a key card similar to his hotel key. He stared in astonishment at the other instructions and then re-read them several times. The last bit sent a wave of relief over him. He wouldn’t have to steal a pass.

There are two extra names on the security list for the staff. Olga Lewinsky and Jeffrey March and security passes for that day. DON’T LOSE THEM. They are valid for one day only. Use either of those names and hand over the pass. There will be extensive searches so don’t carry anything that will draw attention to you.

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