‘It’s so good to see you, Tobey.’ I felt faintly foolish that I’d had such a visceral reaction to him. ‘How are you?’
Tobey opened his mouth, only to close it without saying a word. An eyebrow quirked, followed by that wry smile of his – there it was! ‘I was going to say, All the better for seeing you, but you deserve more than cheesy lines and platitudes.’
Momentarily thrown, I wondered how exactly I was meant to respond to that.
Tobey indicated the seat behind us. He waited for me to sit before parking himself next to me, his thigh pressed lightly against mine. His warmth was unsettling in its familiarity. I should’ve moved my leg slightly so that we were no longer touching – but I didn’t.
Time for a change of subject. ‘You and Misty – I guess things didn’t work out between you?’
‘No. We tried for a while but – no. Does that please you?’ said Tobey.
Stung, I said, ‘D’you think I’m so petty that I’ll jump up and down with glee at the news of your break-up? Seriously?’
Thanks a lot.
‘You did warn me that I was making a mistake.’ Tobey shrugged. ‘And more than once.’
My cheeks burned. Not some of my finer moments. ‘I was wrong to do that. One of my many regrets when it comes to you – and us.’
‘Oh? What else d’you regret?’ Tobey asked quietly.
I might have known he’d leap all over that one. No way was I going there.
‘How’s your family?’ I asked.
‘They’re fine. Jessica is doing a masters at uni now and Mum is enjoying her retirement. How’s Troy?’ said Tobey.
I shrugged. ‘Same as ever. He manages to work my last nerve every time we meet.’
Tobey smiled. ‘Isn’t that what all brothers are meant to do to their sisters? I know I have that effect on Jess.’
‘Troy works extra hard at it. He’s seventeen so he’s at the age when he knows everything. I love my brother, but he’s hard work.’
‘And your mum? How’s Sephy?’
‘She’s fine. Still running the restaurant,’ I replied.
Tobey nodded. ‘I was sorry to hear about what happened to Nathan.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I mean it. I meant to get in touch, but … you know how it is.’
Yeah, I knew exactly how it was. We were old friends who shared painful memories – and a great deal of hurt. How much easier then to let our friendship simmer at a distance rather than boil away to nothing or, worse still, turn to ice between us.
‘Is it worth me apologizing again for what happened?’ asked Tobey, not looking at me but at the people milling about the gallery.
‘Tobey, let it go. I have.’ Which wasn’t quite true, but it would do. ‘Is that why you asked me to meet you here? To rehash old times?’
‘God, no. That’s the last thing I want.’ Tobey now looked directly at me.
As we regarded each other, I felt yet another crack ripple through my heart for what might have been.
So many wasted years. So much wasted time.
‘Why did you want to meet here of all places?’ I had to ask as I took another look around.
‘Restaurant tables can be bugged. Outdoor listening devices have a range of one hundred metres and more; some can pick up conversations through walls. Museums and art galleries tend to have scanner jammers and disruptors built into the fabric of the building so that no one can bypass their security. When I want a truly private conversation, this is where I come. And it’s close to my office.’
‘Oh, I see.’
Nothing to do with the current exhibition then, I realized.
‘I’m surprised to see you alone. Don’t you have minders?’ I couldn’t quite believe that Tobey wandered the streets and went where he liked without bodyguards and security up to his armpits. God knows, there’d been enough threats against his life from the headbangers who believed that being Prime Minister and a Nought should be mutually exclusive. There were even some Nought nutjobs who considered Tobey a traitor for engaging in what they considered ‘Cross politics’.
‘They’re here, don’t worry.’ Tobey gave a faint smile.
Ah! I should’ve known. There had to be upwards of fifty people in the gallery, but Tobey didn’t seem at all concerned. That meant his security detail had to be top-drawer. So good in fact that, as I looked around the room, I had to work at guessing who they might be – there had to be more than one. A Cross woman with braided hair and glasses studiously examined the painting to my right. I’d put money on her being one of Tobey’s bodyguards – or close-protection officers, as they preferred to be known. I continued to look around. A suited Nought man by one of the middle installations kept throwing careless glances in our direction. He wore wireless earbuds like he was listening to music, but I knew better. He was definitely another of Tobey’s close-protection officers. I had a nose for them, like I had a nose for undercover cops, guilty clients and bullshit.
And that nose didn’t lie or steer me wrong.
Tobey and I were getting some curious glances – Tobey more than me. He was instantly recognizable. Famous and powerful – a killer combination. In the years since school, any doors that hadn’t opened for him automatically, Tobey had kicked in. Hard. A couple of people, when they recognized him, immediately tried to make their way over, but they were diverted by a tall, beefy Cross wearing a suit, sunglasses – indoors! – and earbuds. The sunglasses indoors were a dead giveaway.
‘So why did you want to see me after all this time?’ I asked. ‘Shouldn’t you be off somewhere being interviewed to within a millimetre of your sanity?’
‘I should but I need you, Callie. Look, I’d love to play catch-up and then honey-coat this, but I don’t have the time.’ Tobey sighed. He took a deep breath, looking into my eyes. ‘The thing is … I … Well, I need your help.’
I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a grin. ‘Wow. Those are obviously some rusty words.’
‘Huh?’
‘You’re not used to asking for help, are you?’ I teased.
Tobey’s smile faded as quickly as it had arrived. ‘You’re right, but I really do need you. The thing is – within the next week to ten days, I’m going to be arrested for murder and I require a good lawyer. The best. And that’s you.’
What?
Well, damn! Whatever I’d been expecting, that wasn’t it.
I stared. ‘Who are you supposed to have killed?’
Tobey didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. He didn’t even blink. ‘Daniel Jeavons.’
My eyes were starting to hurt from staring so hard. A super-surreal conversation in an unconventional setting. Come to think of it, there was no better place for this revelation.
‘Dan? Dan is dead?’
Tobey nodded.
Daniel Jeavons, ‘ex’ criminal and shady AF kingmaker, was dead. Stunned, I tried to process what I’d just heard.
Dan was dead.
‘Did you do it?’ I asked, the words falling out of nowhere.
The art gallery, the capital, the country, the whole world fell away until there was just Tobey and me watching each other – and the question pushing, pulsing, between us.