Page 64 of Carbon

My ears pricked up as Nye took a few steps away from me. I knew I shouldn’t have been listening in to his conversation, but I couldn’t help myself. Anyone would have done it, right?

“Why not? Hang on, they’re both coming?”

Both who?

“That’s all the information she gave? Too damn right I’m coming back to the office.”

He hung up, and for a second, I thought he was going to throw his phone. His face went through confusion and anger before he gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.

“What’s wrong?” I ventured.

“Does your father know a guy called Charles Black?”

“I’m not sure, but the name doesn’t sound familiar. Why? Who is he?”

“The owner of the company I work for. And for some unfathomable reason, he’s taken a personal interest in this case. As of now, I’m on it full-time for, and I quote, as long as it takes.”

“And you think my father might have influenced that?”

“I can’t understand why else it would have happened.”

“Do you want me to ask him?”

“Would you mind?”

Five minutes and a phone call later, we’d ascertained that Father was as surprised as us, although he did offer to buy Mr. Black a box of cigars in appreciation of him taking the whole affair so seriously.

And Nye was even more confused. “Thing is, it’s not like he’s just told me to put more people on it. Black’s flying in personally with a team.”

“Is that unusual?”

“I’ve worked at Blackwood for nine years, and it’s never happened before.”

“So, what happens now?”

“I’m heading to the office to find out what the hell’s going on, and you can put your pyjamas on again and go back to bed.”

No way. He wasn’t leaving me out of this. “I want to come with you.”

“I’ve got enough shit to deal with, thanks.”

Did he just liken me to excrement? “How dare you be so bloody rude?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”

“I’ll accept your apology if you take me with you. And if you don’t, I’ll phone my father and get him to call more people because you’re not leaving me in the dark.”

I’d already been there once, and look where it got me.

“Fine, you can come. But I’m going to keep asking all those questions you don’t want to answer.” He leaned in close. “And so will Charles Black. You may be able to fob me off with bullshit, but I’d like to see you try it with him.”

I gulped, and the rational part of my brain wondered whether going to meet Nye’s boss was a good idea.

But that didn’t stop me from getting into Nye’s BMW ten minutes later, and in no time, we were whizzing down the M40 to find out why Ben had suddenly become so important.

18

Istuck close to Nye as he exited the car in a basement car park and strode to a lift in the corner. When we got inside, he pressed the button for the fourth floor and we rose quickly upwards.

---