‘It would be a last resort only,’ Parker agreed. ‘I assume you’ve considered calling in the FBI?’
That gained him a firm head shake. ‘You heard what they said. How could we be certain there’d be no leaks, in an organisation that size?’
Parker ignored the slur to the Bureau’s integrity, asking instead, ‘Have you interviewed your son’s security personnel?’
Eisenberg grunted. ‘Only to fire their asses,’ he said sharply. ‘Why – you think they might have had a hand in all this?’
‘If they did, then keeping them on the payroll, where you can keep an eye on them – apply a certain amount of pressure if it came to that – might have been useful.’ Parker gave a grim smile. ‘And, if they turn out to be innocent, you could be assured of one thing – they would never let anything happen to the boy again.’
CHAPTER THIRTY
Parker’s office seemed very empty after Eisenberg’s hordes had departed. I watched the door close behind the last of the assistants’ assistants and noted the way Parker’s own shoulders dropped a little.
‘They’re the kind of high-profile clients we want to attract,’ he said ruefully, then shook his head. ‘But I don’t mind admitting there’s a lot about this job makes my spine itch.’
‘Hey, look on the bright side,’ I said, aiming for a light tone. ‘At least they’re not likely to haggle over the fees.’
Parker rubbed the side of his temple and gave me a weary smile. ‘You’d be amazed. These people didn’t get to be rich by letting go of their money too easy.’
I waited a beat, then asked, ‘Why didn’t you give them Torquil’s PDA?’
He let his arm drop. ‘I guess it’s partly because I don’t entirely trust them,’ he murmured, ‘and partly because I have a vested interest in making sure they don’t try and screw us around on this one.’ And there was something abruptly intense and intent in his eyes. ‘Sean’s relying on me to look out for you.’
But I remembered that last dance, the night of the charity auction, and swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable, gauche, and unable to find anything remotely useful to do with my hands. I busied them collecting up some of the discarded coffee cups from the centre table, putting them on a tray next to the coffee pot. And either because my heart or my hands were clattering, I didn’t hear Parker cross the room until he was very close behind me.
‘Have you been to see him?’ he asked.
I turned round too fast, found him too close. ‘I was going to slip over now, before I go back and take over from McGregor,’ I said. ‘Why – have you?’
‘Yesterday.’ He hesitated. ‘Charlie, I’ve been talking to the hospital, and we may have some tough decisions to make, real soon, concerning Sean—’
I held up my hands, tried to keep the desperation out of my voice. ‘Parker, I know. I do. But … does it have to be now – while we’re in the middle of all this?’
His lips twisted but there was no humour in them. ‘I seem to remember having a conversation very like this with you, one time before.’
‘I remember,’ I said softly. ‘And the same answer fits then and now – when this is over.’
Gallantly, he didn’t remind me how badly that decision had turned out. Instead, he nodded, stepped back, and I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not when he let the subject go – for the moment, anyway.
‘I don’t like the fact the kidnappers asked for you specifically,’ he said. His tone was businesslike again, but he was frowning. ‘It smacks of vendetta.’
‘If it’s the same crew who tried for Dina at the riding club, maybe I pissed them off more than I realised by getting in their way,’ I suggested.
‘But you said yourself they were amateurs,’ Parker argued. ‘Everything about this one – the timing, the fake email – speaks of professional involvement.’
‘The guy with the Taser did not look as though this was his first time out, that’s for sure.’
‘It’s unfortunate Eisenberg got rid of Torquil’s close-protection guys so fast,’ Parker said. ‘Whoever took the kid must have been watching him for days, maybe weeks beforehand. One of the team might have remembered a face, a vehicle, that didn’t seem to be an overt threat at the time, but in retrospect …?’
‘I would have sworn Dina wasn’t being watched, either, but somebody still made a play for her, even if they did make a mess of it.’
‘Seems they’ve gotten better with practice.’
‘Yeah,’ I muttered. I moved away, restless, gathered up the last of the cups. Parker lifted them out of my hands with an impatient sigh.
‘C’mon, Charlie, there is no way you are to blame for any of this,’ he said, his voice quiet but sharp, like the snapping of a twig in dry air. ‘Eisenberg’s guys let the kid go down onto the beach unprotected. You did your job, but they sure as hell didn’t do theirs. You could not have prevented Torquil being taken without leaving Dina vulnerable. For all you knew at the time, that’s exactly what the kidnappers were hoping for.’
I stepped round him and sank into one of the client chairs. ‘I know,’ I said, staring down at my hands. ‘But still …’
My train of thought trailed off as I caught sight of something pale cream stuffed down the side of the leather seat cushion. I pulled it out, found a gossamer-fine scarf that matched Nicola Eisenberg’s suit, and realised this was where she’d been sitting.
Parker raised an eyebrow, and almost on cue came a knock on the door. He called for the visitor to come in, and the door was opened by Nicola Eisenberg’s bland bodyguard. His principal walked through and gave him a meaningful nod. He stepped back outside the door and shut it again behind him.
‘Ah,’ she said, seeing the scarf dangling from my hand. ‘I see you found it.’
‘What can we do for you, Mrs Eisenberg?’ Parker asked, with no loading in his voice, but at the same time making it clear that he knew she’d engineered this excuse to return.
She had the grace to look momentarily disconcerted, but it was quickly replaced by her more familiar imperious manner.
‘I want you to keep me informed of the negotiations – separately from my husband,’ she said, taking the proffered scarf without looking at me directly, and tucking it into her handbag.
Parker gave her a calm stare. She stared back.
‘That is a somewhat unusual request,’ he said at last. ‘May I ask the reason for it?’
Her chin lifted, still haughty. ‘No, you may not.’
‘In that case, ma’am, I regret that as it’s your husband who has engaged the services of this agency, he is officially our client. I report to him. I’m sure—’
She scowled, unused to being thwarted. ‘I’m concerned he may not have my son’s best interests at heart,’ she cut in.
Parker’s eyes flicked to mine. With every appearance of innocence, I asked, ‘This wouldn’t have anything to do with Torquil’s skills as a budding … cinematographer, would it?’
‘What?’ Her response held frustrated confusion rather than outrage. ‘What are you talking about?’
Parker walked back to his desk, slid open the central drawer, and took out Torquil’s PDA. He powered it up, went through the menu, hit ‘Play’ and put the PDA down on the desktop, swivelling it round so Nicola Eisenberg had no doubts about the content of the video clip. I was relieved that he’d turned off the sound.
Watching her face, I saw recognition of the device, and from the way she leant over, squinting at the small screen, that she was too vain to admit to a need for reading glasses. Perhaps that was why it took her a moment longer than it should have done to identify the who, what, where, but if I was expecting shame, I was disappointed.
Instead, she looked rather self-satisfied, as if we were seeing her at her athletic best. I got the feeling she would have found it far more embarrassing to have been snapped without make-up, in old workout sweats, than indulging in an energetic threesome in such luxurious surroundings.
‘Well, it’s nice to see all that damned exercise pays off,’ she said, reminding me all of a sudden of Caroline Willner.
‘It would seem that your son made this recording while you were on your recent vacation in the Bahamas,’
