Page 26 of Between the Lies

Why would he do that if he hadn’t known who Robert was? So Robert had given chase.

In his haste, the man – Robert assumed it had to be Finn – had left his laptop behind. For a techie, losing their laptop was as good as losing your wallet.

The laptop was still on the table. Robert scoffed. Oh yes, the rat would definitely return for the cheese.

In the meantime, Robert ordered himself a coffee. The barista barely said a word to him, almost cowering behind the coffee machine. He thanked her and took a seat by the door, the laptop in front of him.

Fifteen minutes later, Finn appeared. The young man saw Robert and grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Robert smirked and waved at the chair opposite his. ‘Join me, will you?’

When Robert had pictured a techie who made a living creating false IDs, he’d imagined a hoodie-wearing, seldom-showering, scrawny twenty-year-old. He hadn’t pictured a muscular, clean-shaven man wearing a button-down shirt and trousers with tattoos peeking out from his sleeves.

How on earth had Finn managed to run in office trousers? Robert was truly out of shape… and this man was a decade younger than him – though clearly not as smart.

Finn dropped into the chair opposite Robert’s, sulking. ‘I have a reputation to maintain.’

Robert raised his eyebrows. ‘How am I spoiling your reputation?’

‘You’re a cop,’ Finn spat as if Robert’s profession tasted like the sludge of coffee powder left at the bottom of a French press.

Robert narrowed his eyes. So the man had some brains; he’d sniffed out Robert’s profession without them exchanging a single word. Or Daisy had told him.

Robert studied the man. His attire was indeed unusual, especially for his line of work. If he was trying to project a professional image, Robert had a few choice words for him. ‘Do you really want to be aiding and abetting a criminal?’

Finn crossed his arms, showing more of the twisted lines of his tattoos. ‘You don’t have a warrant card. I don’t have to tell you anything.’

This would get him nowhere. Robert reached into his wallet and once again produced Nina’s portrait. He slid it across the table to Finn. ‘This woman is a killer. Do you really want to support her?’

Finn spread his hands and shrugged. ‘She’s innocent until proven guilty and all that. Besides, your pals in uniform aren’t after her. So they don’t have any evidence, and nor do you.’

‘Is that why you ran? To get away from me?’

Finn reached out to grab his laptop. ‘I don’t deal with your lot.’

Robert slapped a palm on top of the laptop, pulling it closer. ‘But you asked me to meet you here.’

‘Give it back,’ Finn hissed, his eyes now trained on Robert’s hand.

‘We’re having a conversation.’ God, when did he get so long in the tooth? He was like a fucking parent.

Finn raised his palms in surrender. ‘We’re done talking. Give my laptop back.’

Robert tapped the device’s metallic body. ‘Talk first.’

‘Okay! Okay, I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.’

Robert hadn’t been born yesterday. No way would Finn give up so easily, especially after he’d already tried to make a break for it once. Robert tightened his grip on the laptop. ‘Why did you run?’

‘I agreed to meet you as a favour to Daisy. She’s a good egg. I didn’t agree to talk to you.’

‘You are not leading me on a wild goose chase again. This is important. This woman’ – Robert leaned in, almost getting into the younger man’s face – ‘killed my wife. You need to tell me her address.’

‘I can’t.’

‘Finn,’ Robert growled.

Finn raised a hand so Robert would stop talking. ‘I can’t tell you because she contacted me the other night. She needs another ID; they’ve found her.’

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