‘What?’ she asked crossly when she had absorbed the heavy weight of Tyler’s gaze for several tension-filled minutes.
‘I can’t help thinking it isn’t me you really want to be having romantic dinners with.’ He shook his head. ‘Shame.’
‘Don’t imagine you know me well enough to second-guess me.’
‘Sorry,’ he said after another long, awkward pause. ‘I guess it’s none of my business.’
‘No, it’s not.’
‘It’s just that I obviously interrupted you at a vital moment.’ He dipped his bread into the oil-balsamic mix. ‘Are you going back to London and your old job?’
‘I haven’t had a chance to think about it.’
‘Ah, so he offered you your job back?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘Then what?’ Tyler asked, leaning back as the waiter placed their starters in front of them.
‘There was a big exposé I was working on,’ she replied, piercing a seared prawn with her fork, lifting it to her mouth and taking a bite. She closed her eyes in appreciation as the warm crustacean fired her taste buds. ‘Orgasmic!’ she sighed.
‘That easily pleased, huh?’
She opened her eyes again and met Tyler’s teasing, languorous gaze.
‘Tell me about the exposé,’ he said when she declined to return the banter, if that’s what it was. Tight-lipped when it came to stories she was working on, Alexi surprised herself by opening up to Tyler, telling him all about the legwork she’d already put into the story, and how much she wanted to see it through.
‘Not just for personal glory, believe it or not,’ she said. ‘I really care about those poor people. One or two of them told me, off the record, that they would be better off returning to India but can’t afford the fare, or the shame they’d face once they got there. Their families scrimped and saved to send them to England, where they were promised a better life, unimaginable earnings…the usual hype those unscrupulous people-traffickers come up with to sell the dream.’
‘They don’t want to admit they were duped,’ Tyler said. ‘I can understand how they feel, and why you’re so obsessed with this story, but I have a question.’
‘Fire away.’
‘If you were the only one in direct contact with these people, how come the whistle-blower contacted Vaughan?’
Alexi’s head shot up. ‘That’s a very good question.’ She paused while the waiter cleared their empty plates. ‘He had my mobile number but…well, I hate to admit it, but I went into a bit of a downer when I left the paper and didn’t answer my phone. Patrick had taken to calling me from numbers I didn’t recognise and I didn’t want to talk to him. So, perhaps when he couldn’t reach me, my contact rang the paper direct, trying to find me, and the call was diverted to Patrick.’
Tyler fixed her with a probing gaze. ‘Do you think he would have done that?’
‘Why would Patrick lie?’
‘Taking a wild guess, I’d say he’s crazy about you, desperate to get you back to town, under his control, no matter what it takes.’
‘But I would have found out he’d got me there under false pretences when my contact failed to deliver.’
Tyler shrugged. ‘But you’d be back where you feel most at home, and would have had time to calm down about the paper downsizing. At least that’s how control freaks like Vaughan tend to think.’
‘He does want me to go back. I don’t think he seriously believed I’d leave London. He just thought I was avoiding his calls.’ Alexi leaned her elbow on the table and her chin on her clenched fist, her gaze averted from Tyler’s to avoid watching him watching her with such unnerving stillness. ‘He called at my apartment, saw I’d put it up for rent, and that spooked him.’
‘The guy’s in love with you,’ Tyler replied softly. ‘Can’t fault his taste.’
She finally met his gaze, the tension between them replaced by something more fundamental. An interfering something she preferred not to put a name to.
‘Thank you.’ She flashed a wan smile. ‘I think.’
‘What will you do?’
She sighed. ‘I’m seeing a different side of Patrick now that you’ve opened my eyes to it. A controlling, manipulative side, and I don’t much like the view.’ She shook her head. ‘I want that story, I want my old job back, but I don’t want Patrick.’
‘You’re not in love with him?’
‘I don’t think I ever was.’
His slow, somnolent smile tugged at Alexi on a level over which she had absolutely no control. It would be so easy to fall for him, she thought, and that would definitely not be sensible. The waiter appeared with their main courses, and Alexi was grateful for the interruption.
‘Is Cassie working on Natalie’s background?’ she asked in a deliberate change of subject.
‘Not exactly.’ His knife slid through his locally-produced steak as though cutting through butter. He took a bite and it was his turn to close his eyes in appreciation. ‘Superb!’ he said.
‘My fish is pretty good too,’ she replied. ‘What do you mean, not exactly?’
‘Cassie has other priorities right now.’
‘She’s still annoyed with you.’ Alexi shook her head. ‘That’s not helpful. We need to know about Natalie’s arrest, who her adoptive parents were and whether she went back to them after her arrest. If possible, we need to talk to them. We also need to know Charles’s identity. If her activities are motivated by her past, then that information is essential.’
‘That’s why I’m hoping we’ll learn more from the agency tomorrow.’
‘I’m kinda looking forward to that. I shall be interested to see what it’s like.’
‘Thinking of a change of career?’ Tyler taunted, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement.
She giggled. ‘That would add a new dimension to working under cover.’
They ate in thoughtful silence for a moment or two, totally in tune with one another again. A little too in tune, Alexi thought. The waiter stopped by to check everything was to their satisfaction. Tyler confirmed that it was so he refilled their glasses and left them to it.
‘Why would the agency tell us anything about Natalie’s history?’ Alexi asked. ‘I should have thought their business relied upon absolute discretion as well.’
‘I’m sure it does, at least in so far as the identity of their clients goes, but—’
‘But if they think one of their own is in danger, perhaps at the hands of a client, they might be more forthcoming.’
‘We can but hope.’
‘I assume we’re not going to ask for an appointment.’
Tyler grinned. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘So, how do you want to play it when we get there?’
‘I figured on the truth, but you’ll have to let me think on my feet. It really depends upon who we see and how responsive they are. If they clam up, you might have to go from being my…er assistant,’ he said with a cocky grin, ‘to your true self. Investigative journalist with a track record that can be checked at the click of a button.’
‘On the trail of a hot story?’ She returned his grin. ‘You’d be surprised what people tell me in confidence, if I give them my word that I won’t publish. Anything to get me off their backs.’
‘You can take up residence on my back at any time.’
‘Be serious.’
He fixed her with an intense look. ‘I was.’
The waiter cleared their empty plates and they both declined the dessert menu.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ Alexi said as they waited for their coffee. ‘If Cassie’s backed up, I might be able to get a line on Natalie’s arrest, and her adoptive parents.’
Tyler sat a little straighter. ‘How?’
‘Well, I did an exposé once on the foster system. I told you that before.’ He nodded. ‘A lady high up in Social Services gave me a very frank interview highlighting the obstacles in the system that prevented them from doing their jobs as well as they would like. Most
of it was off the record and she actually contacted me when the article was printed because she said that for once the argument was balanced. She reckoned I’d highlighted how her department was hampered and Social Services were shown as victims of…well, of government red tape and cut backs, which is true, by the way.’
‘So, I take it you have the lady’s contact details and think she owes you one.’
Alexi grinned. ‘No harm in trying, especially since I have a valid reason to ask and she knows I won’t reveal her involvement.’
Tyler chuckled.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘I’ll tell you another time.’ He drained his coffee cup and pushed his chair back. ‘Come on, let’s hit the computers for a while, see if anything new has come in.’
Chapter Ten
Tyler and Alexi left Lambourn at ten the following morning. This time Tyler insisted upon driving and Cosmo was bribed with a tin of organic tuna and a catnip mouse to stay at home.
‘I hope he doesn’t feel rejected,’ Alexi said as Tyler opened the door of his BMW for her and she settled into the passenger seat.
‘A cat in a cathouse probably wouldn’t go down too well.’
Alexi shot Tyler a look. ‘You crack me up.’
He grinned at her as he reversed his car out of its parking space. ‘I get told that a lot.’
‘Cosmo can be a real devil when he gets in a strop.’
‘You make him sound like a woman.’
‘Women don’t have a monopoly on sulks,’ Alexi sweetly assured him.
Tyler hit the brakes and allowed a string of thoroughbreds returning from the gallops to cross the road in front of them.
‘Aren’t they magnificent?’ Alexi eyed the spirited horses with genuine-seeming appreciation. ‘I’m starting to get the attraction.’
‘Makes you want to get your jodhpurs out again, does it?’
‘Hardly.’
‘What, don’t tell me you weren’t horse mad as a kid? I thought that was a rite of passage for all little girls.’
‘Not me. I was going to be England’s next classical ballet dancer. Until I grew too tall and had to rethink my career options.’
‘I’d have paid good money to see the adolescent you in a tutu and pink tights.’
Alexi pulled a face at him but didn’t bother to respond.
‘Hey, that’s Tod, I think,’ she said when the last jockey in line waved his thanks to Tyler. ‘It’s hard to recognise him beneath that skullcap.’
‘Who’s Tod?’
‘Tod Naismith. He’s one of Graham Fuller’s trainee jockeys. Lives in Cheryl’s annexe. That’s where I know him from.’
‘Oh, right.’ Tyler moved the car forward once the horses were clear, thinking there was no getting away from Fuller. ‘I haven’t had a chance to ask. Did you manage to get through to your contact at Social Services this morning?’
‘Yes. She was off to a meeting and couldn’t talk for long, but I explained what we wanted to know about Natalie and she promised to get back to me later today.’
‘Ah, the powers of the press.’
‘Don’t mock. I seem to be getting more co-operation out of my unpaid sources than you are from your business partner. Sorry,’ Alexi added when Tyler inhaled sharply. ‘Sore subject?’
‘Cassie has her…er, issues.’
‘So I gathered.’ Alexi sent him a considering look. ‘Wanna talk about it? Off the record, obviously. I can sense it’s getting to you.’
‘Nothing to talk about really. You’re right to say I don’t like being at odds with her. I thought she’d understand about my need to help my sister. Still, she’ll get over it and come through with what we need.’
‘Is it me that’s caused her to get her knickers in a knot?’
‘Hard to say since I’ve never known her to be like this before.’ He shrugged. ‘Perhaps it’s just that we’re not getting paid. Cassie always has an eye for the bottom line.’
‘Whereas your concern is for your sister?’
‘Yep. Cassie thinks that because we’ve excluded the men Natalie dated, my involvement is at an end. I don’t agree. We argued about it.’
‘I see.’ Alexi squirmed in her seat and got herself more comfortable, then changed the subject. ‘So, where is this Mayfair Escort Agency? I’m betting it’s not in the West End.’
Tyler grinned. ‘Clapham.’
‘Clapham? That’s not far from my old stamping ground. The area’s been trendified but it’s still not exactly a postcode to make an estate agent salivate.’
‘You seem to think we’re going to a house of ill-repute.’
‘Well, aren’t we?’
‘No, outwardly this place does what it says on the tin. Interested parties in need of a bona fide escort sign up online and make their selection from pictures like the ones we saw on the site that included Natalie. All done on line. No need to call at these premises in person. They pay the agency for the escort’s time and anything else that happens between them is, so I’m told, negotiated between the punter and the escort.’
Alexi sent him an amused look. ‘You’re told? You don’t actually know?’
‘Hey, I couldn’t afford an escort, even if I felt the need. You’re not the only person capable of doing a little basic research.’
‘Is it an unwritten rule that the girls must give out?’ Alexi snorted. ‘That doesn’t seem very fair.’
Tyler pulled onto the slip road and filtered into the traffic on the motorway heading for London. ‘You think they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into?’
Alexi shrugged. ‘Well, I guess they do, but—’
‘It’ll be interesting to see how much the woman running this particular agency is willing to tell us about the setup, but what I do know is that top end agencies can pick and choose who they wish to employ.’
‘Damn sight better than standing around on street corners, I suppose.’
‘You’d better believe it. These girls travel the world, first class, at their clients’ expense. When it comes right down to it, what they do is not much different to being trophy wives. They have to look good, which makes the guys employing them look good, be inventive in the bedroom and pander to the rich man’s ego. Think about it that way, if it helps.’
‘I’d rather not.’
Tyler laughed. ‘You started this conversation.’
‘My mistake.’ She sighed. ‘Part of me can’t help thinking the girls are being exploited, even though I can see that Natalie was canny and came out of it with enough money to set herself up for life.’
‘Well, there you are then.’
The radio in Tyler’s car was tuned to a classical station. Presumably it was the motion of wheels on tarmac and the soothing strains of Beethoven that caused Alexi to stifle a yawn. Her head lolled to one side and her eyes fluttered to a close. Tyler cast glances at her profile as sleep gripped her. He wasn’t surprised that she was so tired. She had remained in the lounge, working on her laptop, long after he’d gone to bed himself. He knew because he couldn’t sleep and had gone to check on her. She was totally immersed in whatever she was doing and didn’t realise he was standing in the doorway, watching her. He crept away again without disturbing her, wondering what so absorbed her. Probably checking her notes on the Rachman story as she toyed with the idea of returning to London and that idiot Vaughan.
There was no accounting for taste.
Alexi stirred when Tyler pulled off the motorway and slowed, snarled up in traffic as he hit the outskirts of London. She sat up, blinked and then stretched her arms above her head.
‘Sorry,’ she said sheepishly. ‘I’m not much company, am I?’
‘You’ll do.’
‘Where are we?’
‘Getting close,’ he said, checking his GPS as he waited at a red light.
Five minutes later Tyler was feeding a parking meter situated in a side street lined with elegantly-restored Edwardian houses.
‘This is as c
lose as we’re likely to get,’ he said, placing a hand on Alexi’s elbow and guiding her along the crowded pavement. ‘The agency is in this side street.’
A discreet plaque situated in the centre of a black door confirmed they had found the right place. Alexi looked up at the rather grand, well-maintained exterior of the building and grinned.
‘Can’t judge a house by its façade,’ she said flippantly.
Tyler pressed the bell and almost immediately the door swung open on smooth hinges. They found themselves in an airy entrance hall with a tiled floor. There were open archways on either side of it, leading to what appeared to be normal sitting rooms. There wasn’t a person in sight. Presumably the front door was covered by a camera, which accounted for its opening on its own.
‘Not quite what you expected?’ Tyler asked.
Before she could respond, a young woman of no more than twenty appeared from the back of the house. She wore jeans and a sleeveless top, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, not a scrap of makeup on her pretty face.
‘Definitely not,’ Alexi belatedly replied.
‘Can I help you?’ the girl asked pleasantly.
‘We’re here to see Athena De Bois,’
‘Do you have an appointment?’
‘No, but I’m hoping she can spare us a few moments. My name is Tyler Maddox. I’m a private investigator.’
‘Oh.’ For the first time, the girl lost a modicum of poise. ‘I hope there isn’t going to be any trouble for us.’
‘I’m sure there won’t be.’ Tyler handed her his card and treated her to a full wattage smile that made her blush. ‘We just need to ask her a few questions about Natalie Dwight.’
‘I see.’ But it was obvious the name meant nothing to the girl. ‘If you’d like to take a seat in there,’ she said, indicating one of the sitting rooms, ‘I’ll see if Athena’s free.’
The Deadline Series Boxset Page 13