Page 46 of The Bodyguard

As I’ve said before, there’s no such thing as a “that’s all” with this family, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. “Okay. Do you want a coffee?”

“Yes, thank you.”

I pick up the freshly-filled cup and hand it to him before grabbing a juice for myself.

“Shall we go outside?” Dad heads over to the French doors and steps out onto the terrace. I follow him. And, as usual, all my stomach is feeling now is a sense of foreboding.

Bodie

Peering out of the landing window, I watch as Mikkel Nielsen sits down at the table on the back terrace, Lena taking the seat opposite him. And I have no idea how much time I have, but if he’s left his laptop switched on then all I need is a few minutes. That’s all it would take. This is an unexpected chance, and I need to grab it with both hands.

As expected, Nielsen’s office door is locked, he’s too paranoid to leave it open, even when he’s home. But that’s not a problem, I’m in within seconds. And it looks like I’ve struck gold, his laptop’s still switched on, and the screensaver hasn’t kicked in yet, because I’m sure he has one. Schoolboy error on his part, then, not setting it to something less than a minute. But I give the mouse a little wiggle anyway, just to be safe.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a flash drive and insert it into the laptop. Everything that is on this computer, we need. And a quick glance at the screen tells me it’s going to take about five minutes to complete the job, but I’m not going to risk rooting about for anything else just yet. Once he’s out of the house, I can come back. I need more time for that, but this – if I can get all of this that’s one of the most important tasks done. What is actually on here, of course, and whether it’s of any use to us remains to be seen, Mikkel Nielsen will have many laptops, a multitude of devices containing Christ knows what, and we’ll find them. Eventually. But there are others whose responsibility it is to get that information. My role is here, with the Nielsen family.

Slipping out of the office, I take another look out of the window. They’re still there, father and daughter. Still talking. I’m good. I still have some breathing space.

Back in the office, the seconds continue to count down as files, documents and images copy over onto the flash drive, there are just twenty seconds left. Nineteen. Eighteen…

Drumming my fingers on the desk top, I watch those final few seconds count down, grab the flash drive, stuff it in my pocket, and leave the room, fixing the lock behind me, he’ll never know I was here. I’ve done this too many times before, I’ve never been caught out, not once. A couple of close shaves, I’d be lying if I said I’d never come close to being caught, but so far, it’s all been good.

I make my way back towards the front of the house, and sit down in the main living-room, picking up a newspaper that’s been left there, flicking through it but not really taking anything in. My mind is on one thing, and one thing only.

Yeah.

Keep telling yourself that, and you might start to believe it…

Lena

“Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

Dad sits back in his chair, his fingers steepled together over his stomach, his eyes fixed on mine. Dark eyes. Hard eyes. There isn’t a hint of my father in me, unlike Ollie. He’s a carbon copy of Dad, but me – I’m very much my mother’s daughter.

“I’m just making sure you’re alright, after last night.”

I frown. “Last night?”

“Your abrupt exit from the dinner. Are you feeling better?”

He knows fine well there was nothing wrong with me. He knows.

“It all got a bit too much, I’m sorry. All this pretending to be a couple, worrying about what could happen to me…”

“Nothing is going to happen to you, Lena. I promise.”

“Okay.” I look into his eyes, and I’m not sure what to believe anymore. “But I get that it wasn’t very professional of me. That was a dinner hosted by Nielsen Construction on behalf of the Nielsen Trust, and I should have stayed for the duration.”

“Yes. You should have.”

I sink back into my seat, because he’s right. I let myself become distracted, and that was wrong.

“It won’t happen again.”

“Good.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes.” He glances back towards the house. “Do you have any plans for today?”

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