Page 74 of He's the One

“I’ll tell you later. Keep guard while I see if I can get into Frank’s files.”

Theo’s smile dropped off his face. “Keep guard? What do I do if someone comes?”

“Distract them. If you talk out here, I’ll hear you.”

“And do what?”

“Let me worry about that.”

Theo chewed his lip. “You wouldn’t be looking for your gloves in his office.”

“He might have taken them in there. Stop worrying.”

Col slipped through the next room and tried Frank’s door. Locked, as he’d expected, but he happened to know Frank kept a spare key on top of the nearest wall cabinet. Sure enough, when he reached up, the key was there. Col didn’t waste time. He unlocked the office and went over to the filing cabinet. All the details about Asquith Hall were in one folder and he checked for the most recent papers.

It didn’t take long to find a copy of what he thought Theo might have seen in Darnley’s office. Col snapped a picture and kept going through the file. Anything he thought looked interesting, particularly anything to do with the roof or money, he took a picture of. Everything went back as he’d found it and he returned the key to its hiding place.

Col thought they’d got away with it until they emerged into the courtyard to see Darnley turn and look at them.Shit!

Theo lifted his hand to his mouth and whispered, “Let me handle it.”

When Theo kept walking, Col followed.

“What have you been up to?” Darnley glared first at Theo, then at Col.

“Col’s joined the gardening team. James needs his P45 and Mr Nyman doesn’t appear to be in.”

“Right.” A muscle twitched in Darnley’s cheek. “I want you with me this afternoon. Go and get changed.”

“You shouldn’t talk to him like that,” Col said quietly.

Darnley looked as if he wanted to kill Col, but he opened his mouth and said, “Please go and get changed, Lord Theo.”

Col half-regretted challenging Darnley over the way he’d spoken to Theo, but the guy was rude. Theo shouldn’t let him get away with it. Theo hurried off and Darnley followed him. That had been quick thinking on Theo’s part, though Frank had already given Col his P45. Hopefully that lie didn’t come back to bite them. He made his way to the nearest café on the site and bought a sandwich, not cheap, which he took back to eat in the gardeners’ hut. If he’d known he’d be starting work today, he’d have brought lunch with him.

There was no one in the hut so Col pulled a chair outside into the sunshine. The sandwich was good but not worth what he’d paid. He wondered what Theo would do for lunch, and hoped he managed a break.

Col felt no ill-effects from the head injury. Not even a slight headache. He’d been lucky. Thinking about what had happened made him reconsider what Theo had said about contacting Robert and his wife and pretending he remembered what had happened. Col wanted to believe he’d never see either of them again, but he knew what Robert was like and he’d be pissed off about that harassment notice once it was issued. Pissed off enough to stay away or pissed off enough to come after him again?

Col took a risk. He set up a recording app, then retrieved Megan’s number from those he’d blocked and called her.

“Hello?”

“It’s Col. I’m still alive, no thanks to you.”

She sucked in a breath.

“Where were you hiding? Did you come with Robert? What on earth made you hit me?” Col mentally crossed his fingers.

“He told you that he loved you.”

“Did I say it to him?”

“No.”

“So you hitmeon the head because your husband told me he loved me?”

“Yes.” She let out a sob. “I followed him to Asquith Hall, watched him in the auction. He bid for you.”

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