Page 34 of The Bodyguard

Haven’t they…?

“It’s a kind of compliment, I suppose.”

Her expression is hard to read now, mainly because she keeps dipping her gaze, looking down at the remainder of her pizza. And then my phone starts ringing, and I pull it out and check the screen.

“I need to take this,” I say, sliding out of the booth and heading outside before she can ask any questions. “I thought we agreed no contact this early?”

“Shit! I forgot to check the time. Everything okay?”

“Fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Good. You got anything yet?”

“Nothing much. Nielsen’s playing his cards very close to his chest. As far as I can gather there’s only been the one meeting between him and Novak. So far. In person, anyway.”

“Have you talked to Lena? How much does she know?”

“Practically nothing. But, to be honest, we don’t know all that much either, it’s all pure speculation at the minute.”

“We’ll keep eyes on Novak. Just, you know, talk to Lena. All we need is something to go on, no matter how insignificant it might seem, and she’s right at the epicentre of this family.”

“And she knows the least about what really goes on here. I’m telling you, Flick, they’ve really kept her in the dark.”

“Okay, but, you’ve got nothing to lose, right? By talking to her?”

“No,” I sigh, casting a quick glance back inside the restaurant. “I guess not. Look, I need to get back to her, so, we’ll talk later.”

I end the call and head inside.

“Sorry about that.” I slide back into the booth. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” Her face breaks into a slow grin. So does mine. “Besides, we all need a little bit of privacy. Even you.” She picks a slice of pepperoni up off the top of her pizza and pops it into her mouth. “Who was it anyway? Girlfriend? Wife? Mother?”

I shake my head. “Not married.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Don’t have one of those, either.”

She sits back, picks up her beer, and takes a sip, her eyes meeting mine over the rim of the glass. “I guess this job makes it kind of hard to form lasting relationships.”

I’m not sure whether she’s asking me a question or stating a fact, but either way, she’s right.

“Have you ever been married?”

I look at her, right at her, and there’s something in her eyes I’m struggling to read. “I’m not sure you need to know that.”

“Okay. Defensive. That tells me a lot.”

She’s smiling when she says that, but I’m not. Not anymore. And she senses my mood change, her expression shifting from smug satisfaction to apologetic in a heartbeat.

“Oh, Bodie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay. Really. “

I can’t let any sign of weakness through, I thought I’d learnt how to deal with that. I had to. Anything else was dangerous, and here, now, in this situation I never wanted to be in, I have to keep control of it. All of it. There’s too much at stake.

“Lena, it’s fine.” I reach for her hand, and she lets me take it, and I squeeze it gently. And I smile, to reassure her that everythingisokay. “Everyone has a past, and mine was just a little…” I can’t finish that sentence, so I don’t. “It doesn’t matter.”

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