Page 51 of The Question of Us
Mads said nothing as he turned into the motel and parked in front of our unit. He switched off the engine but left his seat belt on, staring straight ahead. I glanced behind and caught Gazza’s eye. He shrugged. There was nothing either of us could do except wait.
When he finally turned in his seat to face us, Mads looked resigned. I wanted to kiss that worried frown off his face, but he needed to make this decision on his own.
“Why you?” His gaze burned into mine. “Why can’t I be the one to hide in Gazza’s car?”
I sighed. “You know why. You were on the boat. We don’t know if Freddie saw you there or saw pictures of you, but of all of us, you’re likely to be the most recognisable. You’re also the least accomplished at lying and subterfuge.”
Mads flushed red. “That’s not true. I?—”
“You’re too honest, babe,” I said. “I love that about you, but it’ll do us no favours in this situation.”
Mads grumped, “That’s not the compliment you think it is.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “All right, damn you. So, whatamI supposed to do other than lose my damn mind while you two steal all the glory?”
I almost groaned with relief. Mads was in. His decision was made. My heart settled in my chest. “You’ll park somewhere close but out of sight. I’m not expecting things to go wrong, but if they do and we have to make a run for it, or if Lee miraculously decides to come with us and maybe his brother as well, then who knows how we’ll get out of there. We might need a pickup. We have all day tomorrow to scope out a suitable spot for you to wait and to nail down the finer details, but it’s a good plan. Well, it’s pretty much the only one we have, right?”
Mads stared at me like I’d grown a second nose, then blew out a long sigh. “The whole idea is nuts. Lee might be a no-show like he was at the sales, or he might refuse to talk to Gazza. He might even dob Gazza in order to get rid of us.”
Shit.I hadn’t actually considered that Lee might rat us out, and judging by the look on Gazza’s face, neither had he. Not that it changed things. It was still the best plan we had.
I leaned over the console and kissed Mads on the lips. “Let’s just get it planned and ready to go. After that, if any of us thinks it’s too dangerous and wants to call it quits, we will. And no one will fight them on it, I promise, okay?”
Mads gave a reluctant sigh. “Why do I get the impression I’ll be the only one sticking my hand up to say it’s too nuts?”
I grinned. “It’s just a party, Mads. Gazza has a legitimate invite and all he needs to do is play it smart. He goes inside, has a drink, charms the locals, and looks for an opportunity to talkwith Lee and get him to take the prepaid phone. Then we leave, simple as that.”
Mads’ expression said it all. “Yeah, right. That’s why I’m hiding up the road in case the shit hits the fan. Because it’s gonna be that simple. Got it.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Madigan
There werea lot of details to nail down if we were going to have the slightest chance of success, but with the bloodstock sale not finishing until mid-afternoon, it was far too dangerous for Nick and me to be wandering around Kettleworth or doing any reconnaissance on Marty’s road. We had zero idea how long he and Freddie planned to stay at the sales, and there was always the chance they’d call in at Kettleworth on their way back to the stud or catch us driving by his house.
Finding a safe spot for me to park and wait close to the house while Gazza and Nick did their thing would have to wait until the next day, Thursday, when there should be plenty of people and party business coming and going from the house to cover our activity.
Gazza, owing to his cover story, was not as constrained as we were. Not long after we returned, he strolled into our room wearing a pair of faded jeans, a black-and-white chequered T-shirt, and a pair of black Vans. He announced that he was going to take his car and check out the local tourist attractions and vineyards.
Before I could argue, he countered my predictable protest by saying that it wouldn’t matter if he was seen by Marty since the man already knewCareywas a tourist. It might even bolster his story.
I tried to find something wrong with his reasoning but couldn’t, dammit, and I figured, after the whole argument in the car thing, the outing was likely as much about getting some space frommeas it was about being stuck inside. I’d want some space from me too if I were him, or Nick for that matter.
I glanced at the man in question, who was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through his phone. Nick had been ominously quiet since we’d come inside and I knew I’d fucked up with both of them. I had some ruffled feathers to smooth, but I wasn’t quite sure how to go about doing it.
“If you find a nice bottle of red, grab yourself a couple,” I said by way of a peace offering and handed Gazza some money.
His expression softened and his eyes lost that wary look they’d held since the argument. “Thanks, Boss.”
He was about to leave when I added, “Nick said you were amazing in the auction room. A natural. I should’ve trusted you. I’m sorry.”
Gazza offered up a grin that went some way to making me feel less of an arsehole. Then he pulled me into his arms, tossed my wig to the floor, and noogied my head. Then he pulled a face. “Man, I hate you in this wig. Makes you look like a slightly disturbing younger version of Willie Nelson. And if I’m honest, I’m not that much of a fan of the older one.”
I gave him a shove. “I donotlook like Willie Nelson.” I turned to Nick for support, but he was staring at me with a slightly dismayed expression, like Gazza’s words had struck an unwanted chord.
“Maybe a little bit Willie.” He held his thumb and forefinger a tiny bit apart. “And now that I’ve seen it, I can’t unsee it.”
Gazza nodded enthusiastically. “See, it’s creepy, right?”
Nick grimaced. “Yeah, let’s keep that wig out of the bedroom from now on. It’s kind of weirding me out.”
