Page 101 of Between the Lies

Cheryl and Joshua took up the seats opposite, and Nina made the introductions, which neither party – cops nor hacker – seemed interested in.

Then she told Cheryl and Joshua about the message.

‘Favourite place?’ Joshua took a sip of his latte. ‘I didn’t know they had a favourite place at all.’

Cheryl picked up her coffee, then gestured to Finn. ‘Show me what the message looks like.’

‘I’m not sure?—’

‘Just do it,’ Cheryl snapped. ‘I don’t care how many laws we break, I’m not letting Robert walk into trouble.’

Finn angled the laptop so they could all see the text.

‘“I figured it out. Meet me at our favourite place. I’ll bring the hot chocolate… and the camera,”’ Cheryl read.

Joshua frowned, then shook his head. ‘Hot chocolate… At this time of the year, there are so many stalls that sell hot chocolate. Perhaps if we?—’

‘He didn’t text her a time, did he?’ Cheryl looked at her watch. It was almost five. ‘And he doesn’t have the camera.’

‘It’s in the car.’ Nina slid out of her chair. ‘I’ll go get it.’

Cheryl held up a finger. ‘Wait.’

‘The camera shouldn’t be left alone!’ Nina flashed her teeth at Cheryl. ‘You could cost us our only bargaining chip. Our evidence!’

‘I have copies of the pictures,’ Finn interrupted, shaking his head. ‘I haven’t got all day. The café shuts soon.’

The barista still loitered behind the till, fidgeting with something. Finn shot her a grin Nina hadn’t known he was capable of. ‘She’ll keep it open a wee bit longer for me, but I don’t like inconveniencing her.’

‘They’re planning to meet at George Square at six,’ Cheryl sighed. ‘Robert loves going to the Christmas Market there and grabbing hot chocolate. It’s something he always did with his mum. Anne hated joining him so much so that Robert dragged us there after work every day. Besides, every time we met, she’d always be on some diet or the other.’

Nina shook her head. ‘We need to stop him before he does something reckless.’

‘Hold on,’ Finn snapped. He looked at each of them then muttered a curse. ‘After I left the other day, I couldn’t stop thinking about the tables and those numbers. They’re all people. If your cop pals go bursting in and capture Anne, what do you think is going to happen to those women? At the end of the day, they’re here illegally. And they’ll be vulnerable.’

Cheryl nodded. ‘We have systems in place for that.’

‘Really?’ Finn snorted then roared with laughter. ‘Family liaison officers who’ve done a fucking course? Or the system where you cuff someone for stealing a loaf of bread but let a corrupt CEO walk with a hefty severance pay cheque?’

Turning to Nina, Finn shook his head. ‘All that lot wants are arrests. Those hundred-odd women in that table? They’ll just be collateral damage. And the bent cop? He’ll get early retirement and some medals for his trouble.’

‘Finn—’

He slapped a few papers in front of Nina. ‘Those numbers haunted me. Haunted me because numbering people is what the Nazis did. And I won’t stand for that in my town. These’ – he tapped the paper – ‘these are the names of the people, their real names and passport images. Find them first, before you bring the mastermind down.’

Nina leafed through the pages. There were 123 women on the list, but there would likely be more out there – many more.

She turned to Finn and gripped his forearm. ‘I promise you we’ll make sure they’re safe. You’re right. Humans are not numbers.’

CHAPTERFIFTY

Robert took a sip of his hot chocolate. He’d purchased one at the market without alcohol but with a dollop of chocolate syrup. The Styrofoam cup warmed his fingers from the freezing temperature.

At this time of the year, each stall selling any food was mobbed with people. From Dutch pancakes to Grecian Gyros, Glasgow’s markets represented world food. Besides, the rides reminded him more of a carnival than a market – why someone would fling themselves from as high up as five storeys, especially at this time of the year, he didn’t understand. They must be so fucking cold dangling up there!

Something smacked against his ankle. Robert almost dropped his cup before he righted himself. He had to be more vigilant if he was going to solve this case. He stared at what had smacked against his foot – a football.

A toddler scampered over, hands flung out as if any moment now she’d hug Robert’s knee. Robert nudged the ball with his ankle, and the girl veered left, her blond curls bouncing as she went.

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