‘A task?’
‘One of vital importance to all of us. Two of my enemies are on their way to Venice, on a mission to find and bring back a certain historic artefact. One of these enemies is a member of your own lowly species; the other, to my shame, belongs to my own kind. Once they find the artefact, I want you to take possession of it. The vampire is to be slain — I will supply you with the necessary.’ Gabriel paused. ‘As for the human, my wish is that he be taken alive. I’ll deal with him in my own way. A personal matter.’
Lonsdale glared indignantly. ‘I’m a politician, not an assassin and a kidnapper.
You’re not going to send me here, there and everywhere to commit crimes for you.’
‘You make me laugh, Jeremy. Please, spare me this display of moral indignation.
You and your kind have been ordering the death and incarceration of your fellow men since time began. In any case, whether you carry out this task with your own hand is of no concern to me. Such services can be bought. I’m sure you have the appropriate contacts — if not, now is the time to make some.’
‘What is this historic artefact that’s so important to you?’ Lonsdale asked.
‘A simple cross, of Celtic design.’
‘But you told me your people had no fear of crosses—’
‘This is a cross like no other. I couldn’t possibly expect a human to understand, nor do I have the patience to share my knowledge with you. Suffice to say that it’s highly dangerous to us — though not, as fate would have it, to your despicable race.
That’s why you shall act as my courier. You will deliver the cross to an agreed destination, where I may witness its destruction from a safe distance.’
‘Then this cross really is a threat to you,’ Lonsdale said.
Stone arched an eyebrow. ‘I know precisely what’s in your mind, Jeremy. You’re thinking that an object of such power offers a most convenient way to rid yourself of my presence in your life. You would use it to destroy me.’
Lonsdale held up his hands. ‘No, no. I swear, the thought never—’
‘Quiet. Don’t insult me with lies.’ Gabriel smiled. ‘If you weren’t a devious and treacherous little vermin, I wouldn’t have enlisted you in the first place. But you would do well to remember my superior intelligence. You can’t outwit me, and you will certainly never destroy me.’ He paused. ‘Have you paid a visit to your son recently?’ he said nonchalantly.
Lonsdale looked blank. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Your son Toby. A fine boy. Doing well at that expensive boarding school you sent him to.’ Gabriel slipped a photo from the breast pocket of his long leather coat and dropped it onto the desk. It had been taken with a long lens, and showed a boy of about ten, frozen in mid-stride, his face lit up with innocent joy as he dashed across a muddy field clutching a rugby ball.
Lonsdale stared at it aghast. ‘How did you find out about Toby?’
‘Another little secret your potential voters can’t know about. The bastard spawn of your fling with your former secretary.’
‘I love that boy,’ Lonsdale said. ‘More than anything. He’s just an innocent child.
You can do what you want with me — but please, don’t harm him.’
‘I’m fully aware of your affection for the child,’ Stone replied. ‘And, were I to share your frail human tendency towards emotional attachments, I’m sure I might even find it quite touching. Rest assured that nothing untoward will befall young Toby, as long as you do as I ask. But the merest transgression, and what happened to the hapless female at your initiation ceremony will seem like a kindness in comparison to what your son will suffer.’
Lonsdale screwed his eyes shut. ‘I’ll take care of it. I won’t fail you.’
When he looked again, the vampire had slipped away into the dark.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
The Metropole Hotel, Venice
10.08 p.m. local time
‘I can’t afford this place,’ Joel said under his breath as they walked through the luxurious hotel lobby. ‘You’re looking at a guy on half pay for the next six months.’
‘Who says you’re paying?’ Alex replied.
‘I can’t let you—’
‘Relax. My family’s rich. Money isn’t an issue.’ She smiled to herself, thinking about the expense account she’d persuaded Harry Rumble to set up for the trip to Venice. If they were going to be here for a while, searching for an ancient cross that might not even exist, they might as well do it in style. She led the way to the desk and tried to book two double rooms next to one another. The hotel manager shook his head and said all they had available was a suite with two separate bedrooms. He named an astronomical price for the night, and she booked it without hesitation.
They’d brought little luggage with them. A uniformed porter grabbed Joel’s holdall in his left hand. He was fairly well built and lifted it effortlessly but when he went to pick up the leather travelling bag Alex had been carrying just moments before, he could barely get it off the floor. He shot a look of amazement at her, heaved it up with a grunt and led the way towards the lift.
‘What have you got in that thing?’ Joel asked, watching the porter struggle and sweat.
‘We girls like to carry a lot of stuff around with us,’ she replied casually.
‘Tell me about it.’
The suite was lavish and seemed to ramble across at least half a floor of the hotel. Their separate bedrooms were on a palatial scale, a blue satin-draped four-poster in hers and a gold satin one in his, each with its own balcony looking out over the canal. Joel walked out onto his and leaned on the stone balustrade, transfixed by the view. The moon was full and bright on the rippling water. The city lights twinkled like stars. Feeling her presence, he turned suddenly and saw her standing close behind him.
‘Did I startle you?’ she smiled. ‘Sorry.’
‘I was miles away. Just looking.’
‘First time here?’
‘First time just about anywhere,’ he replied. ‘Unless you count rock climbing trips in the Lake District and weekends in Blackpool with my aunt and uncle. Sausage and chips on the pier. Not quite the same, is it?’
She walked up close to him and ran her eye along his shape as he leaned on the balcony. He was lithe but strong. She could smell his skin and his hair. It felt strange to want to touch him.
‘It’s amazing,’ he said, taking in the view. ‘I don’t suppose this city has changed much in centuries.’
‘No,’ she sighed. ‘It hasn’t.’
They stood in silence for a while, him watching the water and the dark silhouettes of distant steeples and towers against the sky, her watching him. For all the troubles and sadness she could see in his eyes, it was clear to her that he was drinking in the serenity of the tranquil old city with real pleasure. With a jolt of alarm, she realised how natural and relaxed she felt in this human’s presence.
Be careful, Alex.
‘Feel like a bite?’ he said suddenly, turning to face her.
‘What?’
‘You must be hungry. You want to see if we can grab a bite somewhere?’
‘I might pick at something,’ she said. ‘I don’t eat that much.’
Joel had barely eaten in the last thirty-six hours, and his stomach was telling him so. ‘Maybe we could hang about here, order something up to the room.’
The selection of cold meats, salads, olives and cheese was delivered to the suite together with two bottles of expensive red wine, all courtesy of VIA. Joel attacked the food like a man who’d just been rescued from a desert island, piling a plate with cold chicken, smoked ham, a mound of olives and a huge wedge of cheese. Alex daintily
