She broke the embrace and looked up into his face, “Are you okay?” she asked concerned. “I seem to be always asking you that.”
“I’m fine. Just a bit shell shocked.” He led her into the hotel. “Let’s go up to my room,” he suggested. “We’ll have more privacy.” He was pleased the reception was almost deserted and nobody took any notice of the two of them, as they climbed the one flight of stairs to his room. He noticed Melanie was wearing a simple black dress under her coat and was sure she had done so out of respect for what had transpired.
Tom opened his room with the heavy key, which pointed to the old-fashioned nature of the hotel. No electronic key cards or modern furnishings were in evidence. He stood back to allow Melanie to enter first.
He took her coat and asked, “Would you like a coffee or tea?”
“I’m okay, thanks.”
He realized she probably thought he was going to have to call room service. He doubted her hotels came equipped with kettles in the room. “I have everything we need to make tea,” he said pointing at the kettle. “I’m going to have a cup.”
Melanie smiled. “Someone once told me that the English see tea as the answer to any problem. I’ll have a cup of Earl Grey if there is any please.”
Tom searched the selection of tea bags and proudly held aloft one marked Earl Grey before depositing it in a cup. “It was good of you to come,” he said while waiting for the kettle to boil.
“I’m so sorry about your brother,” Melanie apologised, as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I seem to have brought you nothing but trouble.”
“It’s not your fault,” Tom stressed. “You’re not the one running around trying to kidnap and shoot people.”
She didn’t look convinced. “How is Colin?” she asked.
“There’s no real change but I’m sure he’ll pull through.” Tom was feeling more optimistic with each passing hour he didn’t hear any bad news.
“But what if he doesn’t? You’ll never forgive me. I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Enough,” Tom demanded. “We can’t blame ourselves for what’s happened to Colin.” Or at least you can’t he was thinking. Then more gently he added, “I thought I’d pop by the hospital later. Do you want to come?”
“I’d like to.”
“Good. We can’t sit around moping. There’s just someone nearby I want you to say hello to on the way out. If you’re up to it?”
Sam met Eduardo at arrivals in terminal five of Heathrow. Although she hadn’t seen him for three months he hadn’t changed. There was the same dark hair and complexion plus the moustache and pearly white teeth. He wasn’t very tall and she always thought he looked the typical image of a Mexican bandit and had told him so once, which caused him to rebuke her for calling him Mexican, though he didn’t seem bothered about being called a bandit!
She had filled her time waiting for him by shopping. Eduardo was an elegant man with sophisticated tastes. He was always smartly dressed and she wanted to be sure she looked the part when she inevitably undressed for him. She greeted him with a kiss to both cheeks. He smiled and enthused about how good it was to see her and how great her new hair style looked. He had an infectious good humour that immediately made her happy to be in his company. He also treated her with a respect you didn’t often get back home. He held open the door of their taxi for her and was attentive to her every word as if he really was interested in what she had to say, not just desperate to get in her knickers.
The taxi took them to the exclusive hotel in Mayfair where he’d made a reservation. It was impossible to talk openly in the back of a taxi, so they had settled for trivial conversation about nothing important. He had promised his business would not take long and then they would head for Paris. She hoped the weather would improve.
All the time in the taxi, Sam felt Eduardo’s eyes on her, not in a creepy way but with an appreciative intensity. The hotel was opulent from the moment you walked through its front doors, which were opened by a very smartly attired doorman who smiled and wished them a good morning. The reception floor was covered in marble and Sam relaxed and felt safely shut away from the danger of Connor. Even Paris could wait. She could happily spend many days in this palace.
Once in Eduardo’s hotel room, Sam felt able to relax for the first time in what seemed ages. Eduardo ordered coffee and sandwiches from room service and left Sam looking at a newspaper while he took a shower. She had half expected him to suggest her joining him but was pleased he wasn’t rushing her. She liked the feeling of being pursued a little not just taken for granted. Of course, if he had asked she would have gladly joined him and there was no question of her being coy. She imagined Eduardo was a man who liked to take time and enjoy his pleasures. That was fine by her. She’d had enough quickies to last a life time.
Miller was looking at the first results of the background checks on Ashdown, which weren’t revealing very much he didn’t already know. No convictions for anything other than speeding and a drink driving in his twenties. Father was in the army and interestingly had done two tours of duty in Northern Ireland during the troubles. No information about whether Ashdown had been with him but it was highly unlikely. Anyway he would only have been a child then and no one in their right mind doing a
