‘What do you want to know?’ He held my tea out to me.
I took the cup from him and waited until he’d sat down in the chair opposite before I spoke. ‘Is there anything you can tell me about Chris’s relationship with Angus?’
Jack took a loud slurp of his tea before answering. ‘I don’t know much. But Chris thinks Angus is into something serious. Something illegal.’
Well, this was interesting. ‘What do you mean, illegal?’
‘Drugs, he reckons. And I’m not talking your average street deal here. Chris thinks he’s involved in a ring of importers, possibly right across Europe.’
I tried not to show my astonishment at this information. ‘And that’s why he’s been having all these fights with Angus?’
Jack sighed. ‘Well, to be honest I think things had been going sour for a while. Angus was jealous of all the attention Chris got from the media, and they of course latched onto any sign of discord in the band. You know what vultures the paparazzi can be.’
Did I ever. ‘And is Grady involved in this drug ring too?’
‘I don’t know. Chris has been a bit cagey about the whole thing, understandably. But I wouldn’t be surprised. I’ve only met him once, but that guy is trouble.’
‘What makes you say that?’
He slurped from his cup again, eyes narrowed as if trying to find the right words. ‘It’s not something I can put my finger on. There’s just something about him. A kind of dangerous vibe.’
I nodded. ‘I felt it too.’
He sat back in his chair, cup clasped in his hands. ‘You’ve already met him?’
‘I told you, I’m an investigative… investigator.’ I took a hasty gulp of my tea. ‘Did Chris give you any indication of Angus’s role in the drug business?’
Jack hesitated. The vertical line had reappeared between his eyebrows. ‘I’ve told you everything I know. Like I said, he didn’t tell me much.’
‘Does he have any other friends in Europe—in Paris, say—that he might be staying with?’
‘I’ve told you everything I know,’ he repeated. His frown had deepened.
I drained the last of my tea and stood up. ‘Thank you, Jack. You have no idea how helpful you’ve been. I won’t keep you any longer.’
Jack rose from his chair and took my cup from me. ‘Do you have a business card so I can get in contact with you if I hear from him again?’
I hesitated. It could be handy to give him my number in the event he could tell me anything else… but no. Too risky. ‘I don’t have any cards on me, but I’ll write my number down for you in case you have any further information. Got some paper and a pen?’
‘Sure.’ As he turned away and bent to open a drawer, I reached over, grabbed the notebook from the table and slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans.
Jack handed me the paper and pen and I wrote down my name and a fake number.
‘Thanks again, Jack. Please call me if you hear from Chris. I care about him too. I’m going to do all I can to help him.’
As Jack took the paper from me, his expression changed. His eyes met mine with open hostility. ‘Would you mind showing me your credentials?’
My gaze flicked to the piece of paper in his hand and I realised I’d written ‘Sarah’ above the fake number. Uh oh.
‘My…?’
‘You say you’re a private investigator… I’d like to see your identification.’
‘Of course.’ I made a show of feeling in my pockets. ‘Damn. Bear with me and I’ll go get it from the car.’
He looked steadily at me. ‘I’ll wait.’
I gave him a half-smile and turned to walk out of the front door. As soon as the door closed behind me I started to run. I probably had five minutes before he called the police, and I needed to be far away from here by the time they arrived. I darted down another laneway. Suddenly, the silhouette of a tall woman stepped out in front of me. I skidded to a stop. The sun was behind her head so I couldn’t see her features, but I recognised the sleek cut of her suit and her bleached-blonde hair in an instant.
‘Adelita!’
‘Missing something?’ She held out my stolen bag with a sardonic smile.
CHAPTER TEN
‘It was you!’ I tried to grab my bag but she snatched it out of my reach.
‘Not so fast,’ she said smoothly. ‘There are some things we need to discuss first.’
‘How did you find me?’
She gave me a smile that looked almost pitying. ‘I am a reporter. Finding people is my job. I have been following you since you left Barcelona.’
‘So, what… you paid some deadshit on a motorbike to run me down and steal my bag?’
She smirked. ‘I must thank you for your very comprehensive notes. I cannot believe you don’t even have password protection on the file. You have a lot to learn.’
I swore. Leaving the laptop switched on was bad enough, but now Adelita knew enough to pursue the story without me.
‘Are you from another planet?’ I demanded. ‘Most people in the real world would’ve just walked up to me and asked.’
‘I couldn’t run the risk that you would disappear again. I had to make sure you wouldn’t be able to go anywhere for a while.’
‘How about I call the police, keep you in one spot for a while?’ I hoped she wouldn’t call my bluff, since the police were probably this very minute searching for one Lisa Emmanuel who fit my general description.
‘You will do no such thing.’
‘What do you want, Adelita?’
‘I want to know what else you have found out about this Ford man.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘You arranged to have my passport and my purse stolen. I could’ve been killed. Do you really think I’m going to tell you anything?’
‘You will if you want your bag back.’
I watched, aghast, as she turned on her heel and strode away. For a second I considered just letting her—and my
