Double Cross (32 page)

Hi, Callie.

I'm sorry I haven't been to see you for a couple of days.
Things have been a mess at home with Jessica and I
couldn't get away. You're looking so much better, though.
You really do look like you've just dozed off.

I've got some news for you. The police intercepted one
of McAuley's shipments today. Apparently a little bird
told them when, where and what to look for. There are
little birds singing all over Meadowview! So that's the
second shipment McAuley has lost. Once is bad luck, but
twice is bad habits. Unfortunately there was nothing to tie
the shipment to McAuley, but everyone – including the
police – knows exactly who was running that delivery. By
now McAuley is going to be a desperate man, and his
desperation will make him even more dangerous than
before. I'm definitely going to keep my head down.

I'm going on another date with Rebecca tonight. I'm
off to meet her mum. And no doubt, Gideon and Owen
will be present too. Gideon has already warned me off so
I'd better wear full body armour and a box. Something
tells me I'm going to need them. Rebecca is trying to
make out that her mum can't wait to meet me, but I
think—

'Tobey . . .'

The sound of Callie's voice made me jump out of my
skin. I'd been looking down at her hand in mine as I spoke
so I missed any signs that she was waking up. I could do
nothing but stare as her eyelids fluttered open. She turned
her head to focus her gaze on me.

'Callie!' I leaped to my feet and pulled her up to hug
her just as hard as I could.

'Ow!' Callie croaked out her protest. 'Too tight.'

I loosened my grip, but no way was I going to let her
go. My mouth was already beginning to ache from grinning
so hard. I'd wanted my face to be the first one Callie
saw when she woke up and I'd got my wish. I lay her back
down on her pillows, then kissed her. I only shifted when
she started pushing weakly against my shoulders. When I
lifted my head, she gasped to drag some air back down
into her lungs.

'What're you . . . doing? Are you' – Callie tried to
swallow past the dryness in her throat – 'trying to kiss . . .
me . . . until I pass out?'

I shook my head not yet trusting myself to speak.

'Besides' – Callie couldn't raise her voice above a
whisper – 'my breath . . . is smelly.'

Godsake! Like I gave a damn!

'Water please,' she said. Her voice sounded deep and
hoarse, but I've never heard anything so wonderful in my
life.

I poured out half a tumbler full of water and held it to
her lips to help her to drink. Callie took a few sips before
collapsing back onto her pillows as if just sitting up and
drinking had exhausted her. She reached for my hand and
held it in her own.

'Tobey.' She breathed my name, like just saying it eased
her pain.

Callie was looking at me like the last few weeks had
never happened. I had what I'd been waiting for. To her
I was the same. I was sane. I was safe.

'How're you feeling?' I asked. I really couldn't stop
smiling.

'Got a headache.' Callie raised a hand to her temple.

The bandages had long since come off, but she still had
a scar to show where the bullet had struck her skin. I bent
to kiss it.

'You're very kissy all of a sudden.' Callie frowned.

I laughed. 'You'll be OK now, Callie Rose,' I said. 'Let
me go get a doctor.'

Callie's grip on my hand tightened as she looked around
her room. 'Tobey,' she said. 'Am I in hospital?'

My frown mirrored Callie's as I nodded.

'W-why am I here? And who's . . . who's Rebecca?'

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be back at the
hospital with Callie. When I explained about TFTM and
meeting Rebecca Dowd, Callie had got more and more
agitated. I backtracked and spoke about her getting
injured. Just one problem. She didn't remember getting
shot. She didn't remember even going to the Wasteland
that day. She didn't remember anything that had happened
in the days before the shooting either. It had all gone.
When Callie found out how long she'd been unconscious,
she started to freak. It'd taken two nurses and a doctor to
calm her down and sedate her. After she succumbed to
sleep, the doctor tried to reassure me that it was natural for
those emerging from a coma to feel completely disorientated
for a while. But I couldn't help looking at Callie and
feeling that I'd just messed up. Again.

I really didn't want to be here with Rebecca. But I'd
started this thing so I had to see it through to the end.
She'd picked me up from outside my house at six o'clock
and at ten minutes past seven we were pulling up to an
electronic gate with two CCTV cameras trained on it.
Rebecca took out a small device like a mini remote
control from the cup holder between our seats and
pointed it at the gate, which then swung back like wings
preparing for flight. We drove along a paved driveway
before stopping outside her home. I looked up at it,
impressed in spite of myself. It was only slightly smaller
than Jasmine Hadley's old home, but then so were most
public museums. Double-fronted and with copious
windows on all three storeys, it looked like it could house
half of my street.

I got out of the car, still looking up at the building.

'Ready?' asked Rebecca.

'As I'll ever be,' I replied.

She took my hand. 'Don't worry, you'll be fine.'

We'd see about that. The front door opened just as
we reached it. A pocket-sized Cross woman wearing a
lilac-coloured flowery dress stood in the doorway. I had to
force myself not to pull my hand out of Rebecca's.

'Hi, Mum,' said Rebecca. 'This is Tobey.'

So this was
the
Vanessa Dowd, was it? She wasn't at
all what I'd expected. Except maybe her eyes. Her
dark-brown eyes were cold and calculating. She looked
me up and down like she was appraising a piece of
jewellery.

You'll know me next time, I thought. But I was careful
to keep my expression neutral.

'Mum, stop that,' sighed Rebecca.

Her mum suddenly smiled. 'Well, so far he's lasted
longer than most.'

'See! And Gideon couldn't intimidate him either.'

I was getting a bit tired of both of them talking about
me as if I wasn't there. I stepped forward. 'Hello, Mrs
Dowd. Pleased to meet you.'

Mrs Dowd shook my hand before stepping to one side.
'Come in, come in.'

Said the spider to the fly
. . .

Rebecca and I waited till her mum had shut the door so
that she could lead the way.

'Let's go into the drawing room,' said Mrs Dowd.

At home, it would've been called the front room! We
entered a space as big as the whole of the downstairs of my
house. It was amazing, with a fireplace big enough to walk
into and two of the largest sofas I'd ever seen placed on
either side of it. 'It's a lovely room,' I said sincerely.

'It does,' said Mrs Dowd.

It does indeed!

She indicated that I should take a seat. Once I sat down,
Rebecca sat next to me and her mum sat on the sofa
opposite.

'Tobey, how much—?' Mrs Dowd got no further.

Gideon and Owen came in. Gideon had a glass of something
amber-coloured in his hand. Owen was on the phone.

'What's he doing here?' Gideon asked the moment he
clapped eyes on me. 'I don't want him in my house.'

'Whose house?' Mrs Dowd asked quietly.

Gideon's lips tightened. 'He doesn't belong here.'

'For once I agree with my brother,' said Owen, his free
hand clasped over his phone.

'I don't give a damn what you think, Owen,' Mrs
Dowd rounded on him.

'Tell me something I don't know, Ma,' Owen said with
sarcasm.

Owen was younger than Gideon but taller and more
lean. I had to hand it to him. No one would ever guess
that we'd met before.

'Owen and Gideon, you both promised me you'd
behave. I live here too and Tobey is my guest,' said
Rebecca. 'You two should have some manners.'

To my surprise, both Owen and Gideon looked suitably
chastened. They really did dote on their little sister.

'I quite agree,' said Mrs Dowd evenly. 'Tobey, I apologize
for my sons' distinct lack of class.'

I shrugged.

'Can I get you a drink?' Vanessa Dowd continued.
'Coffee? A soft drink? A glass of wine or lager perhaps?'

'No, thanks. I'm fine,' I replied.

Owen moved to stand over by the window so he could
finish his conversation in relative privacy. Gideon sat at the
other end of the same sofa as his mum.

'Now where was I? Ah yes . . .' Mrs Dowd smiled.
'Tobey, how much did McAuley pay you to deliver Ross
Resnick's finger to Louise Resnick?'

Game, set and match to Vanessa Dowd. I hadn't even
touched the ball.

Beside me, Rebecca gasped. 'Mum, what on earth . . . ?'

My blood began to run fast and hot through my body.
Vanessa Dowd was a real piece of work. I turned to Rebecca
and shook my head before turning back to her mum.

'Mrs Dowd, I delivered the package for a friend, not
McAuley. I didn't know what was in the parcel and it
was the one and only delivery I made. Afterwards
McAuley paid me three hundred pounds. I gave every
penny away.'

I could feel Rebecca's eyes burning into me. I turned to
face her, one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do.

'Y-you work for McAuley?' she asked. 'Ross . . . Ross
was a friend of mine and you work for McAuley? How
could you?'

Don't, Rebecca. Don't lump me in with all the other
guys who lied to you and used you. I'm not like that . . .

Except that I am.

'No, I don't work for him. I did that one delivery and
that was it,' I tried to explain. 'After the business with
Ross Resnick and especially what he did to my sister, I
made it clear I wanted nothing more to do with McAuley
and I went looking for another way of making some
money. That's when I started working at TFTM.'

And those were all true events – they just didn't happen
with the motivation I'd implied. Rebecca drew away from
me. It was only a slight movement, but it was enough. I
looked from her to Mrs Dowd and back again. Nodding
briefly, I stood up. Thank you and goodnight.

'I'm sorry you don't believe me, Rebecca. I've told
you the truth, but I guess you have no way of knowing
that.'

I turned back to Mrs Dowd. She watched me, a tiny
smile of satisfaction on her face. She was slicker than
Gideon, that was for sure. Where he used a sledgehammer,
she used a razor-sharp stiletto. In a way I admired her.
Here was an object lesson in how to get a job done.

'What . . . what did McAuley do to your sister?'
asked Rebecca.

'Thanks to McAuley and one of my so-called friends,
my sister Jessica is now doing heroin,' I said, adding
bitterly, 'I have a lot to thank McAuley for.'

I looked around. Owen was off the phone and I had
everyone's full attention.

'Tobey, I haven't figured out yet what your game is,'
said Gideon. 'But don't worry, I will.'

'There's no game, no nefarious plans, no cards up my
sleeve,' I told him. Gideon Dowd could sod off and die as
far as I was concerned. I took a deep breath. 'It was nice
meeting all of you,' I said, my tone implying the exact
opposite. 'If you don't mind, I'll phone for a taxi and wait
outside until it arrives.'

I started for the door.

'Tobey, have a seat,' ordered Mrs Dowd.

Like McAuley, she didn't need to shout. I stood for a
moment or two, seriously thinking about defying her. But
then I sat down again next to Rebecca, who didn't move
away. What was going to happen now?

'Rebecca?' her mum prompted. 'Is your guest staying
for dinner or not?'

I looked at Rebecca steadily. To look away would've
been to appear worse than guilty.

'Would you like to stay?' she asked at last.

'Only if that's what you want,' I said.

'Then stay.'

'Very touching, I'm sure, but the blanker obviously
can't be trusted,' said Gideon. 'And he worked for
McAuley for goodness' sake. For all any of us know, he
still does. Am I the only one in the room with any sense?'

'I worked for McAuley – past tense,' I said. 'And it was
once and only once.'

'So you say,' Gideon dismissed.

'It's the truth.'

'Are you arguing with me?' he asked through narrowed
eyes.

'Yes, I am,' I replied.

To my surprise, Mrs Dowd burst out laughing. 'Good
for you, Tobey,' she approved.

Which was the last thing I'd expected from her. What
on earth . . . ? I glanced at Gideon. His expression was
very eloquent. If he could've punched through my chest
and ripped out my heart to hand it, still beating, back to
me, he would've done so – in a hot big city second.

'Mrs Dowd, dinner is served,' said a Cross man in a dark
suit who seemed to appear from nowhere.

Who was this guy? He couldn't be a butler. I mean,
Godsake! Who had a butler in this day and age? Ah!
Apparently the Dowds did.

'Mum, I need to freshen up,' said Rebecca.

She looked fresh enough to me.

'Good idea. I'll join you,' said Vanessa Dowd. 'Morton,
we'll be right there.'

'Yes, Mrs Dowd.' The butler headed out of the room,
followed by Rebecca and her mum.

After giving me a filthy look, Gideon followed them. I
stood up, unsure what I should do. I went to follow them,
hoping to stumble across the dining room some time
before morning but Owen blocked my way.

'Tobey, we need to talk,' he said.

Owen looked around to make sure we were truly
alone, then he handed me a folded slip of paper.
Frowning, I opened it and quickly read. I stared at him,
completely shocked.

'Is this for real?'

Owen nodded. 'I had that amount deposited in Byron's
account, just as you suggested. This had better work,
Tobey. That's a lot of my money sitting in that blanker's
account.'

Owen was such a tosser. He was talking to a Nought,
but thought nothing of insulting us Noughts to my face. I
looked down at the confirmation slip in my hand. Owen
had transferred a mind-boggling amount of money to
Byron's account, far more than I'd suggested.

'It'll work.' I nodded. 'Besides, you got McAuley's first
shipment, didn't you? So that's your money back, plus
interest.'

'I didn't get the shipment,' Owen dismissed. 'My
brother did.'

'But you're poised to take over McAuley's entire operation,'
I reminded him. 'And think how much money
you'll make then.'

'I shall enjoy being out from under Gideon's shadow,'
mused Owen. 'I have quite a few ideas of my own . . .'

I just bet he did.

Owen emerged from his reverie to tell me, 'I must
admit, when you first came to me with this scheme, I
thought you were either barking or a genius.'

'The jury's still out on that one,' I said, handing back
the confirmation slip.

Owen smiled. 'Oh, before I forget, I need the name of
a straight career copper. Not a PC Plod, but not anyone
too high up who'll be more interested in covering things
up either.'

Surely he'd know more of the coppers in Meadowview
than I did? Why was he asking me?

'It can't be anyone even vaguely connected with me. It
can't be anyone I know,' explained Owen, taking another
swift look around to ensure we were still alone. 'I've got
to play this smart. Gideon is gonna go down and if Ma
suspects I had a hand in bringing down her favourite son,
I'm as good as dead.'

Happy families.

'I think Detective Inspector Boothe at Meadowview
police station is straight,' I ventured.

'You're sure?'

'As sure as I can be. But it's not guaranteed.'

'DI Boothe, eh? Never heard of him, so he'll do.'

What was Owen planning? At that moment, I thanked
God that I wasn't his brother.

'I like you, Tobey.' Owen grinned at me. 'I knew you
and I could do business.'

'How did you know?' I couldn't help asking.

'Because I recognized you for who and what you are at
once,' he replied.

'And what's that?'

'My mirror image.'

Inside my body, every drop of blood lost its heat. That
was a damned lie. There was no way I was Owen's mirror
image.

'I hear another shipment of McAuley's got . . . shall we
say, diverted?' said Owen.

'Yeah, I heard that too,' I said. 'Something about the
police getting it?'

'What a shame I didn't get to hear about it first,' said
Owen, his eyes never leaving mine.