'Tell your officers to stop following me,' I said angrily. 'For one thing, they're not very good at it. And if you want to know who I'm working for, all you have to do is ask.'
'I'm asking,' said the detective.
I smiled. 'I'm working for myself. No one else.'
'And if I don't believe you?'
'That's your problem. In the meantime, I'm outta here.'
'Let us protect you,' Boothe tried again.
'Thanks, but no thanks.'
'I personally give you my word that no harm will come to you or your family.'
'I can take care of myself,' I replied.
DI Boothe shook his head. 'Tobey, you're a fool. Don't you realize I'm on your side? When you finally figure that out, give me a call – but don't leave it too long.'
He walked away just as Mum approached us and before I could say another word.
By the time we got back home, Mum was livid at the police for, as she put it, 'dragging us down to the station for no good reason'. I left her still ranting as I headed for my room. I couldn't forget the look on McAuley's face when he saw me. Surely he knew that I wouldn't blab? I wasn't stupid. Everyone was using me, and if the police didn't get me, McAuley or the Dowds would. I needed some insurance – not for me, but for my mum and sister. I wasn't going to let anything happen to them.
If it was just me, then I could tell them all to go to hell. But it wasn't just me. Anything I did to McAuley or the Dowds would be returned tenfold by those who worked for them. They'd make sure that it wouldn't just be me who suffered. My family, my close friends, they'd all be fair game too. That's why I had to tread so carefully. I wasn't ready or prepared to take on McAuley yet. So I had to get things straightened out with him. This thing with Rebecca had resulted in me taking my eye off the ball. It was time to remedy that.
I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. What had started off as a tentative saunter down this particular path had now turned into a roller-coaster ride over which I had absolutely no control. I'd known that if I started this, it would be very hard to stop, but no one had warned me it would be impossible.
Would that have stopped me from embarking on this course of action?
Probably not.
I lay still for almost an hour, just trying to gather my thoughts together into some semblance of order. What exactly was I letting myself in for? I was blundering into the unknown, but I wouldn't've turned back, even if I could.
The mobile McAuley had given me started to ring. I hadn't expected anything else. I knew the moment he got out of the police station, he'd be giving me a call. The moment I pressed the talk button, he launched in.
'I want to see you,' he said.
'Yes, sir.'
'I'll be outside your house in ten minutes.'
'Oh, but—' I began, thinking of the wobbly Mum would throw if she saw McAuley parked outside our house. He would be even less welcome than the police.
'Yes?' McAuley said brusquely.
'Nothing, sir. I'll be waiting.'
McAuley disconnected the call.
Ten minutes . . .
The countdown had begun.
forty-eight
I stopped outside Mum's closed bedroom door. She was probably fast asleep by now and wouldn't thank me for waking her up. Jessica had gone out somewhere. I so desperately needed to say goodbye to someone. Anyone. But there was no one. With a sigh, I headed downstairs, leaving Mum undisturbed. I headed out of the house, my hands deep in jacket pockets. I looked up at the blue sky, hoping . . .
But I didn't get my wish.
McAuley arrived right on time. I cast an anxious glance up at Mum's bedroom, but her curtains were closed against the daylight. Byron was the only other person in the car and he was driving. McAuley pointed to the seat next to him in the back. I got in. The door was only just shut when Byron drove off. And with each second, the hollow space inside me grew bigger and bigger.
'Mr McAuley, you have to believe me, I never said a word to the police,' I launched in immediately. 'They dragged Mum and me down to the station to make a statement, but I didn't tell them anything because I don't know anything. They're trying to set me up so that you'll think I've been telling tales.'
McAuley leaned back against the luxurious leather seat, his laptop on the seat between us, a newspaper on his lap as his gaze dissected me. Was it just me or was it uncomfortably hot in his car?
'Why would the police set you up?'
'To make you think I'm a danger to you. That way, with you after me, they reckoned I'd have no choice but to co-operate with them.'
'Co-operate?'
'The police think I know more about the shooting at the Wasteland than I'm saying. But I don't.' I looked McAuley in the eyes as I spoke, desperate for him to believe me. 'When the shooting started, I hit the ground and stayed there. I didn't see a thing.'
McAuley studied me for a long time. I didn't look away or flinch from his gaze. Not once. Because that would've been fatal. My heart was skipping like a boxer in training.
Don't throw up,Tobey. For God's sake don't throw up.
Especially not in McAuley's car.
Or worse still, over him.
At last McAuley's expression relaxed, although his eyes stayed hard as ever.
'How's your job at TFTM?'
What was he up to now? Were his unpredictable conversational leaps designed to catch me out? Careful, Tobey . . . Impatiently, I wiped my forehead with the palm of my hand. Would it kill him to turn on the air conditioning or to open the windows? But why should he? McAuley didn't have a single bead of sweat on him.
'I don't work there any more, sir.'
'Oh? Why not?'
I decided to keep my story as close to the truth as possible. 'Gideon Dowd fired me.'
'Why?'
'For going out with his sister.'
'Rebecca.'
'Yes, sir.'
'And you two are still together?'
'I don't know, sir. I haven't heard from her in a while.'
'D'you like her?'
I shrugged.
McAuley contemplated me. 'So you're sleeping with the enemy.'
I opened my mouth to deny it, only for my mouth to snap shut. Even if McAuley didn't mean literally, he meant figuratively. It was the same difference to him.
'Mr McAuley, if you tell me not to see her again, then I won't,' I said after a moment's pause. 'I'm only with her to try and find out the name of the bent copper in the Dowds' pocket. Rebecca was the one who gave me that information in the first place.'
'You still haven't found out who it is yet?'
'No, sir. But I will. I just need more time.'
'And you don't think you've had enough already?'
'I will get you the information, sir. I guarantee it.'
McAuley turned to his driver. 'What d'you think, Byron? Is Tobey a man of his word?
Byron shrugged. 'I think he's too clever by half – or at least he thinks he is.'
McAuley smiled. And his smile sent a chill ricocheting around my body. Where were they taking me? What were they going to do? McAuley picked up his PC and placed it on his lap over the newspaper, before analysing the screen. His memory key was attached to one of the two USB ports at the side. Why did he need to carry his laptop around with him all the time? Was it just for effect? To make him look more businesslike? Or was there actually stuff on it that he needed at a moment's notice? I carried on watching him, but he completely ignored me. He appeared to be reading emails, but I couldn't exactly lean in for a closer look. Our conversation, such as it was, was over. At least for now.
I swallowed hard. Should I say something? Press my case? Did he believe what I'd said or not? I looked out of the window. I didn't recognize where we were and I didn't have a clue where we were going. After about twenty minutes of total silence in the car, I risked another glance at McAuley. His laptop was back on the seat between us and he was watching me. Sweat was dripping off my forehead.
&nbs
p; 'Too hot for you, Tobey?' asked McAuley.
'A little,' I admitted, taking off my jacket before I melted into a puddle on the floor. I put it on the seat between us.
'I like it hot,' said McAuley. 'I find I think better when the heat is on.'
I didn't doubt it. With a smile, McAuley picked up his newspaper and started reading.
Where the hell were we now? Somewhere countrified by the look of it. There were no houses now, just fields in various shades of green as far as the eye could see, and trees to my left, lining up on the horizon. Thoughts drummed in my head like rain on a corrugated roof. My intestines were tying themselves in knots. Where were they taking me? Byron turned left onto a single-track road and we drove for another few minutes. More and more trees appeared all around us. Byron turned the car to the left and took us off-road. The suspension on the car must've been state of the art, because I did little more than bounce a couple of times.
'Bryon, stop here,' McAuley ordered, closing his newspaper and folding it neatly.
The car came to a smooth halt. Byron had stopped the car, but the engine was still running. We were in the middle of leafy nowhere. Trees surrounded us like sentinels, silent witnesses to whatever was about to go down. I couldn't even hear the odd bird chirping. I didn't recognize where we were at all. We'd only been travelling for slightly under an hour, but this might as well have been another planet.
This was it.
'Tobey, d'you know where we are?'
I shook my head.
'Neither does anyone else,' said McAuley, adding silkily, 'You do understand, don't you?'
Oh, yes.
'Mr McAuley, I work for you now,' I said quietly. 'There's no way I would ever betray you.'
'Loyalty means everything to me, Tobey. Everything. I've told you that before.'
'Yes, sir.'
'Maybe you should give him a test, Mr McAuley? See which side he's really on,' said Byron.
'Maybe I should at that,' McAuley agreed slowly.
I glanced between Byron and his boss. What kind of test? Had I been granted a reprieve or set on the path to hell? Or was I already on my way?
'But maybe he just isn't worth it,' mused McAuley.
He smiled, enjoying the power he had over me. My life lay in his hands and he was making sure I knew it. And I did. He didn't have to bring me all the way out here to the arse end of nowhere to make his point.
'You're going to have to prove yourself to me, Tobey. I think that's only fair, don't you?'
'Yes, sir.'
The hollowness inside was gnawing away at me now. Godsake. What was McAuley going to make me do?
'First I want you to tell me everything, and I mean everything that happened at the police station earlier,' McAuley ordered. 'And take your damned jacket off my computer.'
'Sorry, sir.' I retrieved my jacket.
'That's a serious piece of kit and you just chuck your jacket over it?'
'I'm sorry, Mr McAuley.'
I slipped the object in my hand into my jacket pocket, trying to make my movements as unnoticeable as possible. If I never made it beyond this forest, at least . . . I was getting ahead of myself. One step at a time. I needed to survive. So whatever McAuley asked me to do, whatever test he gave me, I would do it.
No. Matter. What.
'Cause it had to be better than the alternative.
I told McAuley everything he wanted to know. I didn't leave out anything. He interjected with the occasional question, but that was it. When I finished, he scrutinized me some more.
'Well, Byron?' asked McAuley, never taking his eyes off me. 'Is he telling the truth?'
'I'd say so, sir,' Byron replied.
'You're still useful to me, Tobey – lucky for you.'
'Yes, Mr McAuley.' Very lucky.
'Take us back, Byron,' said McAuley.
And those words were like hard-rock music to my ears. Byron carefully turned the car round and headed back the way we'd come.
'Byron, I do enjoy my visits to the countryside, don't I?' said McAuley.
'That you do, sir.' I caught Byron's tiny smile in the driver's mirror.
The rest of the journey home was achieved in complete and utter silence. I looked out of the window, but had to wait over half an hour before I saw a landmark I recognized.
Once we arrived at my house, as I turned to open the car door, McAuley said, 'I've thought of a way you can prove yourself to me, Tobey.'
My hand froze on the door handle. 'Yes, sir?'
'When you've found out the identity of the crooked officer who works for the Dowds, I want you to make another delivery.' McAuley's smile held smug satisfaction. He was incredibly pleased with himself.
'Another package for Mr Eisner?'
'Not this time.' McAuley shook his head. 'I'll want you to make this delivery to me personally.'
'To you, sir?' My words were sharper than intended. What could I possibly bring him that he didn't already have?
'You have access to something that I can't get near. Rebecca Dowd, Tobey. I want you to bring me Rebecca Dowd.'
And just like that, the hollow, gnawing sensation deep inside me ceased. There was nothing left inside. I was now hollow all the way through.
Rebecca . . .
'Yes, Mr McAuley.'
'So you'll do it.' It wasn't a question.
'Yes, Mr McAuley. Anything you say.'
'I'll let you know where and when. Keep the phone I gave you with you at all times.'
'Yes, sir. I always do.'
McAuley turned away from me. I was dismissed. I got out of the car. Byron drove off the moment the door was shut. I watched the car until it turned the corner and was out of sight. And still I stared after it. Rebecca Dowd was now a package scheduled for delivery. And I was the one who had to deliver her. I couldn't jeopardize all my plans for Rebecca. I just couldn't. What about Callie? McAuley had to pay for what he did to Callie.
But could I really sacrifice Rebecca?
Yes.
No . . .
I didn't know. That was the scary thing. I really didn't know.
I entered my house, heading straight for my bedroom. Even with the door shut behind me, I couldn't relax. I flopped down on my bed, my head in my hands, willing the tension headache between my eyes to dissipate. Minutes passed before I stopped shaking. I emptied my pockets onto my bed. McAuley's memory key shone up at me, the one I'd swapped for my own. In his car, I'd really believed I wouldn't make it home again, at least not in one living piece. But if I was going to die, I wanted to make sure McAuley wouldn't get away with it. So using my jacket for cover, I'd switched his memory key for my own corrupt one. The fraught actions of a desperate man. And all the time I was swapping the memory keys, I expected to feel his hand around my wrist, followed by Byron's gun at my head. But I'd got away with it.
I wasn't even sure what I'd been thinking. Something about my body being found with McAuley's memory stick in my pocket. If that didn't directly incriminate him, then I'd hoped there would be something on it that the police could use to bring him down. Not exactly the way I originally had it planned, but I'd had to improvise.
So now what?
I had McAuley's memory stick.
And he had mine . . .
I sat bolt upright, staring a hole through my wall. Was there anything on that stick to link it back to me? I thought long and hard. My memory key was completely corrupt, totally unreadable. But what if McAuley found a way to retrieve data off it? Then he'd find my chemistry homework and the history presentation Callie and I had been working on. If he managed to retrieve just one file, I was screwed.
I forced myself to calm down. I'd tried every trick in the book to retrieve data off that stick and I was no slouch when it came to computing. If I couldn't do it, then surely he couldn't? I'd just have to hope I wasn't indulging in wishful thinking. I was safe. Was I safe? Until I heard otherwise, no news had to be good news. In the meantime, I maybe had something I could use against him.
And I had to work fast before I was forced to do something monstrous.
My admittedly naïve initial plan had been to get close to McAuley. To follow orders – any orders – until I learned something I could use against him. I'd planned to become another Dan, with my eyes wide open and my mouth tight shut. But now I had the memory stick, I'd be stupid to pass up this opportunity.
My phone rang, just as I was about to switch on my computer.
'Hello, Dan,' I said coolly, after reading the caller ID.
'Tobey, can you be at my house in five minutes?'
'Why?'
'I need your help,' said Dan.
It only took me a moment to decide.
'I'll be there,' I told him.
He disconnected the call, like he expected nothing less.
forty-nine
Five minutes later, I was standing outside Dan's door. I hadn't forgotten Callie. Or my sister. I'd never forget the way Jess looked when I opened the bathroom door. It kept playing on repeat in my head, along with Callie being shot. Even now I was afraid I'd give myself away with every word I said to Dan and every look I gave him. Why would I even think about helping him? Friends close. Enemies closer.
'Hi, Dan,' I said, the moment he opened the door.
'Hi, Tobey.'
Dan shifted from foot to foot. I stood perfectly still. I'd never really noticed the way Dan fidgeted before. For the first time I wondered if he was sampling his own merchandise.
'So what's the problem?'
'Mr McAuley just phoned and gave me a job to do, but I can't do it alone,' said Dan.
'What's the job?'
'Some dagger, name of Boris Haddon. He owes Mr McAuley money and I'm being sent to collect it. Mr McAuley warned me this is my last chance. He told me if I screw this up, then I'd better crawl under a rock and stay there.'
'And you want me to help you strong-arm some guy into giving you money? I don't think so, Dan. That's called five to ten years in prison.'
'I just need some backup. I'll do all the talking and none of us will come to any harm. He'll hand over the money and we'll be on our way in less than a minute. But if I'm alone, Haddon might be tempted to try something stupid.'