frantic sex going on over her head.
Thinking of what could be happening to Layla. Of what had already happened to Max. And poor bloody Jonjo, who had never liked her. Well, she’d never liked him either. But still.
Driving herself mad.
A few hours later and the party was over, the washing-up done, the bottles cleared away, the takings counted. When the phone rang it was Dolly who picked it up again, and it was for Annie.
‘Give us a minute, will you, Ross?’ Dolly said quickly, and the bouncer went off into the front room, closing the door behind him. Dolly shut the kitchen door. Only her and Annie were in the hall. Dolly had her hand over the mouthpiece.
Suddenly shaking, Annie took the phone. ‘Hello?’
‘I said I’d call on Friday,’ said the Irish man.
Annie took a breath.
Game on.
‘Yeah, you did.’
‘And here I am, as good as my word.’
‘Yeah.’
‘So…’ He was toying with her again.
‘I want to speak to Layla,’ said Annie, feeling as if she was about to scream.
‘Can’t be done right now.’
‘Why not?’ God, was she hurt? Had they harmed her in some way?
‘I told you before, no questions.’
‘Sorry.’ Annie’s heart was thudding sickeningly in her chest. She could barely breathe.
Dig deep , she thought. Got to dig deep. ‘Listen, think about what I said. We could do a deal. A swap. Hand Layla over and take me instead. Let Layla go and have me.’
There was silence on the other end of the phone, except for that noise again. Teacups, or something. Annie strained to hear it. Maybe it would offer some sort of clue. She was willing to clutch at any straw. But it stopped as soon as it started. She thought that the sound was somehow familiar, but she couldn’t bring it to mind. Her brain was in a flat spin.
‘Ah, no. The kid’s worth more.’
‘More money,’ said Annie grimly.
‘That’s it,’ he said cheerily. ‘Because you’ll pay any amount to get her back, ain’t that a fact? But who’d pay to get you back? No bastard, I’m thinking.’
Annie swallowed hard. ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ she said.
She had no blood kin who would speak up for her. Ruthie was God knew where, and although they had reached a sort of understanding over Annie’s love affair with Max, they hadn’t spoken in a long time. Kath despised her. There was no one else. She wondered how he knew that.
‘And now we come to it,’ he said. ‘The money. What we want from you. From the wealthy Carters.’
But I don’t know where the fucking wealth is, thought Annie wildly. But she kept quiet. Forced herself to.
‘Half a million pounds sterling for the girl. Just that.’
‘What?’
‘You heard me. I’ll phone back next Friday.’
Half a million quid! Annie’s ears rang with shock.
‘Wait,’ she said quickly. ‘Wait.’
‘That gives you a week to raise it,’ he said, rolling right on. ‘One week.’
‘But wait…’ God, why couldn’t she think straight?
‘Wait for what?’ he snapped.
Annie was shaking her head helplessly. ‘I don’t think I can raise that sort of money,’ she blurted.
Silence.
Silence except for that goddamned noise again. What the hell was that noise?
‘Well now,’ he said. ‘That’s a pity.’
‘Wait.’
‘A great pity.’ He sounded regretful.
‘Just wait. I can raise some, but maybe not that much.’
‘Pity. I’ll talk to you next Friday. Same time. Enjoy the gift.’
Gift?
She opened her mouth to speak, but he was already gone.
‘So what happened? How much do they want?’ demanded Dolly as Annie stood there with the phone still in her nerveless hand.
Annie replaced the receiver. ‘Too much,’ she said, and went into the front parlour and closed the door behind her.
Had to think.
Half a million quid.
A total impossibility. She looked at the tray of drinks set out on the sideboard. Vodka, gin, whisky. Anything the punters wanted. She took one of the upended glasses and looked at the bottles.
There was a knock on the
Thinking of what could be happening to Layla. Of what had already happened to Max. And poor bloody Jonjo, who had never liked her. Well, she’d never liked him either. But still.
Driving herself mad.
A few hours later and the party was over, the washing-up done, the bottles cleared away, the takings counted. When the phone rang it was Dolly who picked it up again, and it was for Annie.
‘Give us a minute, will you, Ross?’ Dolly said quickly, and the bouncer went off into the front room, closing the door behind him. Dolly shut the kitchen door. Only her and Annie were in the hall. Dolly had her hand over the mouthpiece.
Suddenly shaking, Annie took the phone. ‘Hello?’
‘I said I’d call on Friday,’ said the Irish man.
Annie took a breath.
Game on.
‘Yeah, you did.’
‘And here I am, as good as my word.’
‘Yeah.’
‘So…’ He was toying with her again.
‘I want to speak to Layla,’ said Annie, feeling as if she was about to scream.
‘Can’t be done right now.’
‘Why not?’ God, was she hurt? Had they harmed her in some way?
‘I told you before, no questions.’
‘Sorry.’ Annie’s heart was thudding sickeningly in her chest. She could barely breathe.
Dig deep , she thought. Got to dig deep. ‘Listen, think about what I said. We could do a deal. A swap. Hand Layla over and take me instead. Let Layla go and have me.’
There was silence on the other end of the phone, except for that noise again. Teacups, or something. Annie strained to hear it. Maybe it would offer some sort of clue. She was willing to clutch at any straw. But it stopped as soon as it started. She thought that the sound was somehow familiar, but she couldn’t bring it to mind. Her brain was in a flat spin.
‘Ah, no. The kid’s worth more.’
‘More money,’ said Annie grimly.
‘That’s it,’ he said cheerily. ‘Because you’ll pay any amount to get her back, ain’t that a fact? But who’d pay to get you back? No bastard, I’m thinking.’
Annie swallowed hard. ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ she said.
She had no blood kin who would speak up for her. Ruthie was God knew where, and although they had reached a sort of understanding over Annie’s love affair with Max, they hadn’t spoken in a long time. Kath despised her. There was no one else. She wondered how he knew that.
‘And now we come to it,’ he said. ‘The money. What we want from you. From the wealthy Carters.’
But I don’t know where the fucking wealth is, thought Annie wildly. But she kept quiet. Forced herself to.
‘Half a million pounds sterling for the girl. Just that.’
‘What?’
‘You heard me. I’ll phone back next Friday.’
Half a million quid! Annie’s ears rang with shock.
‘Wait,’ she said quickly. ‘Wait.’
‘That gives you a week to raise it,’ he said, rolling right on. ‘One week.’
‘But wait…’ God, why couldn’t she think straight?
‘Wait for what?’ he snapped.
Annie was shaking her head helplessly. ‘I don’t think I can raise that sort of money,’ she blurted.
Silence.
Silence except for that goddamned noise again. What the hell was that noise?
‘Well now,’ he said. ‘That’s a pity.’
‘Wait.’
‘A great pity.’ He sounded regretful.
‘Just wait. I can raise some, but maybe not that much.’
‘Pity. I’ll talk to you next Friday. Same time. Enjoy the gift.’
Gift?
She opened her mouth to speak, but he was already gone.
‘So what happened? How much do they want?’ demanded Dolly as Annie stood there with the phone still in her nerveless hand.
Annie replaced the receiver. ‘Too much,’ she said, and went into the front parlour and closed the door behind her.
Had to think.
Half a million quid.
A total impossibility. She looked at the tray of drinks set out on the sideboard. Vodka, gin, whisky. Anything the punters wanted. She took one of the upended glasses and looked at the bottles.
There was a knock on the
Similar Books
