The Diamond Affair Read online

  "Thanks, you've been very helpful," Jake said. He nodded at both the waitress and the manager then turned to go.

  Ruby trotted after him. Outside, she opened her mouth to say something but he got in first. "Keep your head down," he said. "And your sunglasses and hat on."

  "I am," she ground out.

  They got into the car and drove off. "Surely there was something else you could have asked Zoe," Ruby said.

  "Like what?"

  She threw up her hands. "I don't know, do I? You're the expert at this."

  She could swear his lips curled into a fleeting half-smile but it was gone too quickly to be sure. "I got what I wanted."

  "What? Because I obviously missed something."

  He lifted his hand off the steering wheel. Stuck to his palm was a small note with a series of numbers scrawled on it.

  "What's this?"

  "The waitress passed it to me when she demonstrated Sinestri and Sonya's hand-holding technique."

  She peeled it off and studied it. "It's a phone number. Who's?"

  "My guess would be the waitress'."

  "Really?" Ruby was impressed by the young girl. She must have guessed at the importance of their investigation and taken it upon herself to help them out away from the prying eyes of her manager. It was an incredibly clever and brave way to hand over her number. "Shall we call now or wait a few hours and hope she's off duty. Ooh, I wonder what she's got to tell us."

  He frowned at her then turned back to the road. She could swear she saw his shoulders shake as if he was laughing. "I don't think she has any more information for us."

  "Why not? She gave us her phone number. What else could she...? Oh. Oh!" She blushed everywhere. Even places that don't go red were burning with embarrassment. "You think she was hitting on you?"

  "I'm fairly certain of it." His voice shook. Yep, he was definitely laughing at her. If he hadn't been driving she would have swatted him.

  "I still think she was trying to give us more information." She crossed her arms and stared out her side window. "Probably. Maybe."

  "Do you want to call the number and find out?"

  "Not right now," she said to her reflection.

  He chuckled. "Didn't think so."

  He'd said he'd got everything he needed from the waitress. Was he referring to the number? "She was pretty," she said, biting down on the catty tone to keep it in check. She wasn't jealous. Merely...curious.

  "Not my type," he said simply.

  "Oh? Why not?"

  "That's not your business." The laughter was completely gone now, replaced by the tight-lipped don't-ask-questions face.

  She sighed. She wasn't going to get that answer out of him in a hurry. "So what did you mean when you said you got everything you needed from her if you're not interested in...well, you know?"

  "Did you see her slip that paper to me?"

  "No. I know she did it while you were touching but I didn't actually see it."

  "No. No one did. That's what happened between Sinestri and Sonya. They didn't act like lovers, Zoe said. Only a bit of hand touching. Enough to exchange a piece of paper or two."

  Ruby stared at him. "I get it now. How clever. So maybe they're not lovers at all." She tapped her chin with her finger as she thought. "Do you really think they're in this together?"

  "It's a very strong possibility, but we need to be sure."

  "How do we do that?"

  He changed lanes and didn't answer her until the maneuver was complete. "I don't know."

  "Oh." Well that was a disappointment. "So what do we do now?"

  "We return to the Brighton house. It's the safest place for you right now."

  "Yeah," she said, "but I can't stay in hiding forever." She stared at her reflection in the window again, still wearing the hat and glasses. Was this how her life would be from now on? Living in disguise, keeping to the shadows, always needing a bodyguard.

  She shivered again, despite the warmth of the day. When would this be over? She had a business to run, people who were worried about her. Matt, Evie, Aaron... When could she contact them again and pick up where she left off?

  "Hey," Jake said softly. "It'll be fine." His hand rubbed her knee and she was grateful for that little piece of warmth. She needed every bit she could get to thaw the cold lump of dread settling into her bones.

  But all too soon, his hand withdrew. He must have remembered his resolve not to go anywhere near her again. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

  ***

  They arrived back at the Brighton house around six. Jake did a check of the property then returned to Ruby in the lounge. She looked so small, so fragile, curled up on the couch with an old magazine that had been lying around. She looked up at him and smiled, but there was no joy in it. No light.

  He wanted to put back the light. She deserved that much, and more. So much more. She deserved a long life surrounded by children and pets and a white picket fence. He didn't do picket fences.

  He blinked and looked away. Christ, he was getting soft. That's what leaving the special forces did to a man.

  But that wasn't quite true. He'd turned soft before leaving the SAS.

  "Hungry?" she asked.

  "Not really. You go ahead and order pizza. Make sure you look through the spy hole when the doorbell rings."

  She gave him a wry glare. "Thank you, I won't be making the same mistake twice. But where are you going?"

  "I have to visit my dad."

  She nodded and gave him a warm smile, not a big one but it was there nonetheless. "That's good. It seemed like you were ignoring his phone calls earlier."

  She'd noticed that? "I was. My dad and I haven't seen eye to eye for years. Whenever we talk it always ends up in an argument so it's best not to talk at all."

  "That's a shame." She chewed her lip and looked away. Did she pity him? "Especially if he's the only family you've got." Definitely pity. "Maybe you can sort it out now he's ill."

  "Yeah, maybe."

  He left her, feeling like the world's biggest bastard for lying.

  CHAPTER 12

  It wasn't easy to find Frankie Fatoros. For starters he wasn't listed in any address book and secondly, Jake hadn't known his last name until he rang a few buddies. Fortunately one of his mates who'd been in the security business longer than Jake knew who he meant when he described Beauvoir's side-kick. He also gave him some unasked-for advice—be careful. It seemed Fat Frankie had a reputation for getting the job done using the most efficient means available.

  Frankie lived in a converted warehouse in West Melbourne in a street where not even the weeds could find a way through all the concrete. People came and went from the one-time industrial area for the entire hour that Jake watched, but thanks to the darkness, he was able to watch Frankie's place safely from his car across the road. So far nothing had happened. The blinds were up and the lights were out. No one was home. Jake confirmed that when he disabled the alarm and broke into the apartment.

  He searched and found no evidence of a live-in partner, children, or anyone who might be a hindrance to his investigation. There weren't even any photos of parents or siblings. Maybe Frankie was an only child with a crappy upbringing too.

  It also seemed Beauvoir didn't pay him as much as Jake had assumed. There was no expensive furniture, no big TV or the latest hi-fi equipment. Frankie lived simply, frugally. A computer and fancy coffee machine were the only gadgets in the house. Even the alarm system was an old model, easy to disarm.

  Jake connected his backup drive to the computer and while it copied files, he searched the rest of the apartment. He found four guns placed strategically around the apartment and bugged the phone. When the backup was complete, he removed the drive and re-activated the apartment's alarm system. He returned to the car and waited, trying not to think about Ruby back in Brighton with her sad eyes and sexy body.

  He wasn't doing a very good job of not thinking about her when the garage door on the ground floor of
Frankie's apartment slid up. Jake recognized the red sports car that drove in. Frankie must have found it outside Ruby's apartment, or maybe the cops had been called to an abandoned vehicle and then contacted the owner. Either way, it meant Frankie knew Ruby had returned home last night.

  The garage door closed and a light went on upstairs in the apartment. Frankie came into view in front of the window. He looked straight down at Jake's car. Jake's heart skidded to a halt, but then Frankie continued to sweep the street and close the blinds one by one.

  It must be Frankie's habit to survey the area when he returned home. It was something Jake did himself these days. The odd thought struck him like a blow. They weren't so different. They were both hired to keep their employer safe. Jake liked to think his clientele was more respectable than Frankie's but in truth, he couldn't be entirely sure. Did he really know if the strongbox he'd been hired to transport was filled with cash from a legitimate business deal and not from something more sinister?

  Did he care?

  A few days ago, he'd have said no. Now...

  Damn Ruby. She wasn't only getting under his skin, she was getting into his head and messing about with his mind.

  Just as long as she stayed there and kept away from his heart.

  He'd soon be free of her, and then he'd return to normal. The first step in putting that plan into action was to talk to Fat Frankie and find out what he knew about Sinestri and Sonya. He glanced up at the apartment.

  The element of surprise is the greatest weapon in any arsenal.

  The signal on the transmission equipment crackled to life. He listened as Fat Frankie ordered a pizza. Ten minutes later, Jake donned a red cap and headed for the warehouse. He rang the doorbell and stood close to the spy hole. If Fat Frankie looked through he'd only see a cap.

  "Who is it?" Frankie said through the door. Clearly he didn't trust red caps.

  "Pizza."

  The door opened. "That was fast."

  "We aim to please." Jake swung his fist and hit Frankie in the nose.

  The big man toppled backward to the floor, his head bouncing twice before settling unconscious on the carpet. Damn. Jake hadn't meant to knock him out, but he'd taken one look at that ugly mug and all the anger he'd felt since Frankie had kidnapped Ruby welled up and burst out through his fist.

  It was the most satisfying thing he'd done in a long time.

  Frankie murmured something unintelligible and turned his head from side to side. Jake pulled out his gun and aimed it at the asshole's head. Frankie's eyes fluttered open, closed again, then suddenly opened wide. He scampered back across the floor. Jake followed him.

  Yep, definitely satisfying.

  Frankie's head smacked into the wall and he stilled. "What do you want?"

  "I want to kill you."

  Sweat made Frankie's slick-backed hair even shinier. He swiped at his lip with the back of his shirt sleeve. "Kill me and the cops will pin it straight onto your girlfriend."

  Jake struggled to say nothing and keep his fists to himself. Showing this guy any emotion, any weakness, could be his downfall. He needed to remain cool and keep his head if he was going to get what he wanted out of Fat Frankie.

  "Everyone knows the boss is after her because she stole his diamond." Frankie shrugged as if he didn't give a damn that a gun was pointed at his brain. "So if I die, who're they going to blame?"

  Jake relaxed his grip but kept the gun aimed at Frankie's head. "You might be right." He took a step closer. "Then again, you might be wrong. Want to take that risk?"

  Instead of looking intimidated, Frankie looked like he was enjoying himself. As if this was all a game to him. As if he didn't care. His top lip curled up but whether it was a smile or not, it was difficult to tell. "I know all about you, Forrester," he said.

  "This isn't about me."

  "No, and it's not about me either and yet here you are." His lip curled higher. "Seems you and I are in the same game."

  It was the dumbest thing he'd heard come out of Frankie's mouth yet. "No, we're not."

  "You've got yourself a pretty good name in the business already." Frankie sat up straighter and leaned against the wall. "But you have a problem." Jake didn't even bother to acknowledge that statement. "You're too...nice. Too honest. To get the really big contracts, a man's got to be prepared to get his hands dirty. His conscience too."

  Jake gave him a sardonic smile. "Care to test that theory?" He aimed the gun at the deep wrinkle connecting Frankie's eyebrows.

  Frankie winced. "Fine, I get that you're here to talk. So let's talk. What do you want to know?"

  "Why were you breaking into Sinetri's office last night?"

  "I wasn't breaking in, you were."

  Enough of this. Jake leaned over and grabbed Frankie by his shirt. He yanked him to his feet and slammed him back against the wall. Then he pressed the gun to his temple. "I said, what were you doing there?"

  Frankie held his hands up in surrender. "I was doing my job. The boss suspects his missus and Sinestri are having an affair. He asked me to check it out."

  "Why check it out at the office and not his house?"

  "I already turned the house over and found nothing."

  Jake frowned. "Sinestri didn't mention that."

  "You've spoken to him?"

  Jake let him go. "We had a chat earlier."

  "Then he must have thought it was a regular burglary. Jeez, I don't know." Frankie rubbed a hand through his greasy hair, messing up the smooth slick. "He's cagey, that Sinestri. Always working one side off against the other, usually to his advantage. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Seems the boss doesn't either. He's suspected for a while that his misses and Sinestri have been at it."

  "What gave him that idea?"

  "He read a text message from Sinestri to his wife, setting up a meeting time and place. The boss went along and saw them together, getting all cozy."

  "He didn't confront them?"

  "The boss likes to be careful when it comes to some things. He likes to gather evidence."

  "He didn't with Ruby. He jumped straight to the conclusion that she stole the Florentine."

  Frankie's smile was as slick as his hair. "You seem to think he hasn't thought it through, hasn't gathered all the evidence."

  "He hasn't. Not enough. I know she didn't steal it. If he'd done his homework, he'd know that too."

  Frankie held up a palm in a shrug. "All I can say is, the business with Ruby is just that, business. The other matter is personal. And the boss won't do anything to upset his wife unless he's real sure about it."

  "Why? They didn't strike me as a loving couple. In fact, I'd have thought they'd be glad to be rid of each other."

  "Maybe, but most of the assets are in her name. He divorces her, she gets a huge chunk of his empire."

  Jake nodded. That he understood. "Has he considered the possibility that Sinestri and Sonya are meeting each other for business reasons, not personal?" When Frankie cocked his head to the side, he added: "She stole the diamond and needs his help to get rid of it, or he stole it and is using it to get her into bed." He shrugged. "I have a number of other theories if neither of those work for you."

  Frankie's eyelids sagged, half-closing over his muddy eyes. He was so still for a while that Jake thought he might have fallen asleep. Then he tilted his head to the side. "It's possible, but not likely. Neither of them knew the whereabouts of the diamond. Ruby Jones did. She overheard the transport guards talking about the route they were going to take."

  "Pretty dumb thing to do if you ask me," Jake muttered, "discussing the route in the building's foyer."

  "Yeah, well, we won't be hiring them again, that's for sure. The boss has made sure that business is about to go into receivership."

  The iphone on the hall stand bleeped. Jake picked it up. "You got an email." He checked it out, keeping one eye on his prisoner. "Hot Bod?"

  Frankie clicked his tongue. "Damn woman. Always busting my balls. Women ar
e bloody annoying, don't you think?"

  "No."

  Frankie snorted. "You going to read it out to me? Might as well since you've already violated my privacy."

  "I'd like to keep my lunch in my stomach." Jake returned the phone to the table then slowly, deliberately, aimed the gun once more at Frankie's head. He could kill him now. No one would know it was him. He'd left no fingerprints, no evidence of any kind, and he could provide Ruby with an alibi if the police came sniffing around.

  It would feel good. It would feel damned good to see the thug's brains splattered all over the nice white walls.

  But he couldn't do it. He'd only ever killed when his own life, or that of his fellow SAS colleagues, had been in direct danger. To kill a man in cold blood, no matter how much the world would be a better place without him, went against the grain of his being.

  For now, he would have to be content with instilling a little fear into Frankie's miserable heart.

  "Speaking of violating someone's privacy, if you ever harm Ruby," he said, "I promise I'll kill you. As you've already pointed out, I'm an honest man, and an honest man keeps his promises."

  "Yeah," Frankie said, his voice calm. Too calm. "And as you've pointed out, I'm not an honest man. So any promise I give you about not harming your precious Ruby won't be worth the breath I use to speak it."

  Fury exploded behind Jake's eyes, momentarily blinding him, and he suddenly knew what the expression ‘seeing red' meant. He lunged at Frankie and caught him round the throat. The gun lay limp at his side as he squeezed with his other hand. Fat and skin and sinew bulged between his fingers and Frankie's throat made a strange gurgling sound as he tried to breathe.

  God, it felt good. Felt real and effective. Talking be damned, this was much better.

  If he killed the bastard, no one would know it was him.

  The iphone bleeped again. Someone wanted Frankie desperately. Hot Bod maybe. Jake let go and Frankie collapsed onto the floor, coughing and gasping and rubbing his throat.

  Jake holstered his gun, opened the door and left before he did something he couldn't undo.