Page 89 of He's the One

“James told me you wanted him to keep Dastardly here while you got into the safe. Did you manage it?”

“Yes, but I didn’t see anything I hadn’t expected to see. I didn’t have time to get into the petty cash box, though I know where the key is. My guess is that by the time he leaves tonight, Dastardly will have removed anything incriminating.”

“So that’s a dead end.”

“Probably. Also, I need to warn you that he threatened to tell my father I’d wangled a job for a guy I’d been rolling around with in the woods.”

Col stopped eating. “Who were you rolling around with in the woods?”

“Ha ha.” Theo smiled. “I begged him not to. I thought giving him a hold over me might help.”

“I’m not going to last long if he does tell your father.”

“James won’t sack you.”

“He might have no choice.”

Theo finished chewing the last bit of his sandwich. “James and my dad get on well. I think James could talk him round.”

Col gave him a sad smile. “Theo, that’s not going to happen. Even if your parents accept the idea of you having relationships with men, it won’t be men like me they have in mind.”

“I don’t care what they want.”

They stared at each for a long moment.

“Well, maybe the extra pay is achievable. You heard James say he’d ask about that if you make a good start on the folly.”

“No pressure then.”

“And in other news, I know Dastardly’s password. We can get into his computer. I thought we could copy everything onto my portable hard drive. That way we don’t mess up the order of the files.”

“Brilliant! And in my piece of news, I sent a copy of that additional quote, minus all the identifying details, to an architect I know. Patrick said he’d get back to me today.”

Theo nodded. “I feel as if we’re closing in.”

“What are you going to do if you have evidence of fraud?”

“Tell my father. Ask him to go to the police.”

“Not get a firm of auditors in to look at everything?”

“I don’t think Dastardly should be given the chance to hide what he’s done.”

“Right. Well bear in mind your father might not want the publicity of being defrauded.”

Theo frowned. “You mean he might want to get rid of him and move on?”

Col shrugged. “I don’t know. Just be careful.”

After they’d finished eating, Col put his lunch container inside his backpack and hung it on a hook.

“Ready?” he asked Theo.

“I can’t believe I get to be with you all afternoon.”

“Bit longer than that maybe?”

“If I play my cards right?”

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