Unfaithful (34 page)

Mark,

Thank you for your compliments. Flattery will get you everywhere! I can't wait to meet you once this business is over.

Savannah

Date: Tuesday, 25 April 2011. 3.29 a.m.

From:
devils-revenge

To: assassin_hire

Savannah,

You must be sleeping because I've just tried calling you but there was no answer. I'm glad you’re resting because I'll need you on top form.

Where should I leave the keys of the o
ffice for your team? I will give you the address when you confirm that you have received the deposit and that the job is still on.

However, I will give you some details on how to get into the office. Your team should wait until late at night and then I can guarantee that nobody w
ill get in their way. We have a cleaner who comes on her own time but never at night. There’s an alarm system on the building with two locks on the outer door. It's not a very secure door. Your team should go straight up the stairs which will bring them into the reception area. Sometimes, the door at the top of the stairs is locked but the key is always in the lock. There’s a light switch to the right of the reception door. There are two doors located behind the reception desk and also an entrance to a small area. The alarm is inside this opening on the wall. I will text you the code which turns the alarm on and off. The computer which is of concern to me is on the first desk nearest to reception. There’s no need to take the monitor or keyboard, just the hardware which is on the floor under the desk.

Tell your people to
turn the alarm on again before they leave, using the same code and lock the door behind them.

There’s
a safe in the office but we don't keep much cash in it, maybe a few hundred euro. Please don't touch it. I want it to look as if one of the women took the computer for repair.

If I don't hear from you I will decide where to leave the key and I'll let you know.

Mark

Date: Tuesday, 25 April 2011. 6.02 a.m.

From: assassin_hire

To: devils-revenge

Mark,

I tried calling you again but still no answer. Is everything we need
in the package you sent? I wanted to confirm with you.

When I see you in France
and if I like you I might walk right up to you and kiss you! Be prepared.

Savannah

Date: Tuesday, 25 April 2011. 7.31 a.m.

From: devils-revenge

To: assassin_hire

Savannah,

I know you were ringing me but I was asleep. If we can't get the details sorted by email before we meet in France I'll be able to talk to you on the phone around 12.30 a.m.

Mark

Date: Tuesday, April 25 2011. 10.38 a.m.

From: assassin_hire

To:
devils-revenge

Mark,

I will call you when the job is done. Our team is in position. Everything is ready to go in France. The hit will take place in St. Malo. My team is situated in their hotel in Dublin and will move on to Westport tomorrow if necessary. Everything is in place as planned. I trust that you have the money in order.

If I need any further information I will contact you. Relax and try to be yourself.

Savannah

D
ate: Tuesday, April 25 11.23 a.m.

From:
devils-revenge

To: assassin_hire

Savannah,

You can get a flight out of Dublin airport every morning at seven o’ clock. Once the job is done your team could be out of Dublin within hours. I hope that's not too ambitious?

Speak soon.

Mark

Date: Tuesday, April 25 1.03 p.m.

From:
devils-revenge

To: assassin_hire

Savannah,

This is the information you'll require on the targets. My wife's name is Rebecca McNamara. The two women are Shona Morgan and Penelope Garrett. Rebecca spends a lot of time in France. We have an apartment in St. Malo which is on the northern coast. It is located approximately a thirty minute drive from the airport. I will text you the exact address. It’s a hotel and apartment complex which is situated near the train station. The taxi driver will know it well. There’s an entrance between L'Escale Nightclub and Coucou Bar Tabac. There are many shops with their merchandise on display as you walk through the complex. Turn right after the fourth shop and the door to the apartment block is on the left. Any of the shop owners will direct you. I mentioned previously that Rebecca also has a yacht and likes to spend most weekends sailing.

Shona Morgan and Penelope Garrett
share an apartment which is located five miles outside Dublin's city centre. I’ll text you their address separately.

The women spend a lot of time at Rebecca's holiday home in Westport which is on the west coast of Ireland in County Mayo. Again, I will text you their exact address and directions to
the house. The house is in an isolated area overlooking the sea. They usually go to Westport at the weekends and often have friends and family from Dublin staying with them. I can confirm that Shona and Penelope will be in Westport next weekend.

Rebecca has a company called M&R Photography Ltd. I will text you the exact location and address. Two doors away from the business is a red-bricked house with a "For Sale" sign outside. The seller is David Ryan Auctioneers. Nobody has lived in the house for more than a year. Behind the house, beside the central heating bo
iler is a concrete block. I’ve left the keys to M&R Photography underneath the concrete block.

I’ll
call you later.

Mark

Chapter 3

"I'll be available via email until I return from France next week," Mark announced as he shut down his comp
uter and gathered his paperwork together. "If anyone needs me urgently they can contact me on my mobile."

"I'm sure we'll cope," Shona muttered sarcastically
under her breath, without even bothering to look at him.

"Bon voyage," Penelope said unenthusiastically. "Give our love to Rebecca."

Mark straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath before forcing a stiff smile. "Thanks." He packed his computer into his briefcase and marched out of the office.

"He's such an asshole," Shona turned to Penelope as soon as the door had barely shut behind him.

"You don't have to tell me," Penelope rolled her eyes and swung around in her chair to face her friend.

"I didn't think he'd ever leave," Shona sighed, visibly r
elaxing. "I can’t help feeling tense around him."

"Don't let him have any effect on you," Penelope replied. "I wouldn't give him the satisfaction."

"You're right, of course, but it's awkward working with him under these circumstances."

"Thankfully, we don't see much of him."

"I don't know how Rebecca puts up with having him around at all."

"Well, there's no doubt tha
t he's a total asshole, but he’s a brilliant photographer, whether we like to admit it or not. Rebecca made the right decision to keep him around. He's good for business and with the contract we have with the Renaissance Hotel Group his photographs should make us a small fortune."

"There are other photographers," Shona protested.

"Sure there are, unfortunately there aren’t many who are as talented as Mark, much as I hate to admit it."

"
I suppose it's a good thing he can do most of his work from home so we rarely get to see his smug face. I don't know how Rebecca can even stand the sight of him after everything he's done."

"Needs must," Penelope shrugged nonchalantly and got to her f
eet. "He’s the father of her children so I guess she wants to maintain some sort of relationship with him for their sake and from everything she says about him he does seem like a great dad. We know he’s an atrocious husband but it doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad father. Besides, she hardly ever gets to see him these days with the amount of time she spends in France, lucky woman. "

"That's very magnanimous of you," Shona glanced curiously at her friend.

"Yeah, well, life's too short to hold grudges and Mark McNamara isn't worth getting an ulcer over," Penelope shrugged. "Would you like a coffee?" she asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"Absolutely, coffe
e would be great.”

Penelope wandered into their makeshift kitchen to organise their coffees and Shona gazed unseeingly at her computer screen. She had a million and one things left to do on her ever-increasing "to do" list and she really wasn't in the mood for any of them. A lot had changed at M&R Photography during the past few months and Shona was st
ill struggling to take to get her head around everything that had happened. Rebecca had appointed Shona as the office manager and Penelope was in charge of booking models. They'd expanded the business to include photographing models' portfolios and their workload had increased exponentially as a result. Mark was inundated with work, especially since they'd taken on the lucrative hotel contract and he'd even hired an assistant photographer to help him with his workload.

Shona
had to work in quite close proximity with Mark at times which bothered her, because in spite of her best intentions, she still had unresolved feelings for him. Sometimes the way he looked at her or a simple, unintentional brush of his hand on hers could send shivers up and down her spine. Deep down, in her heart she was a little bit in love with him. She didn't dare admit her feelings to Penelope or Rebecca as she knew they would be absolutely and rightly appalled. No matter how much she tried she couldn't stop her heart skipping a beat at the very sight of him. She knew it was ludicrous but it was difficult for her to get over him completely, not that she ever had any intention of acting on her feelings, but it was difficult sometimes.

Penelope seemed to be completely over him and
had no problem treating him like a second class citizen but a small part of Shona couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He was trying his best and he really seemed like a reformed character. She'd never seen him work as hard. He was on the phone to the office first thing in the morning and he often sent emails after midnight. His work was impeccable and he seemed to be desperate to earn Rebecca's forgiveness.

Rebecca was a mess, there was no doubt about that
. Ever since baby Ethan was born she'd slowly fallen to pieces and Shona knew that Mark was often left with the responsibility of their baby boy. Mark never complained but Shona noticed the strain the last months had taken on him. He'd lost weight and rarely smiled. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind and sometimes Shona wondered if he was preoccupied with more than the stress of the business and family problems. Mark had never seemed like the type of man to carry any guilt. She'd been close enough to him to know that once he'd made a decision he stuck to it and never worried much about the consequences.

However, he seemed like a shadow of the man that he'd once been. He kept himself to himself and spoke to Shona and Penelope strictly on work
- related matters. There wasn't a hint of flirtation from him and on the rare occasion that he was in the office he stayed at his desk and didn't bother anyone. All the fight seemed to have left him and this made Shona wonder what was really going on with him.

"Penny for them," Penelope carefully placed a steaming cup of black Colombian coffee in front of Shona.

Shona shook herself to get rid of the thoughts that were whirling around in her head and smiled tightly at her friend. "Thanks." She inhaled the heady aroma and took an appreciative sip.

"Better than sex, eh?" Penelope winked at her.

"I don't know about you, but it's certainly better than any sex I've been enjoying recently," Shona grinned cheekily over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Tell me about it," Penelope sighed. "I think Mark McNamara has turned me off men for life."

"Join the club," Shona raised her cup and clinked it in solidarity against her friend's before turning back to her computer and continuing proofing the photographs for the latest wannabe model on their books.