Finn felt genuine relief when he stepped out from Souce Bank and onto the blustery London street, unscathed. Even though he’d come out of the meeting with Henning’s reluctant agreement, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t wary of the guy’s parting words. It wouldn’t be the first time Finn had landed in hot water for trying it on with the wrong person, which partly explained why he skipped countries so much, often abruptly. He’d always come out on top in the past…
It wasn’t as though he’d even had a choice this time, though. If he hadn’t blackmailed Henning, got the deal, then what would Victor – or his ‘associates’ – have done to him?
He reached his hotel and phoned Victor first to give him the news. No answer, so he left a message. No response yet from Mariana to his earlier attempts to contact her, and she didn’t answer this time.
So Finn sat and waited in his room. For hours. Ordered room service. Napped. Eventually he got a call – but from the front desk.
‘There’s a courier here for you,’ the receptionist told him.
He hoped he knew what that meant. The contract from Henning was finalized. Finn headed down to the lobby, heart pounding his chest with excited anticipation. He looked about the place as he walked, nonetheless still edgy from the banker’s earlier threat.
Finn showed the courier his passport as ID and took the thick, padded envelope from him. He waited a few seconds to watch the courier retreat to the exit. No – he wasn’t really watching him, but the man standing beyond, leaning up against a black Audi, hands clasped in front of him as he stared toward the lobby.
Just someone’s driver? Or was he staring at Finn?
Finn moved quickly back to his room where he opened the envelope and saw the bank’s logo first. He pulled out the wad of papers and rushed to the signature page.
Signed, sealed, delivered.
The shot of adrenaline that surged through him made him feel giddy.
He picked up his phone.
This time the boss did answer.
‘Finn, what the hell? You realize it’s first thing in the morning here?’
First thing? It was 8 a.m. – hardly early on a workday morning.
‘We did it. It’s all agreed. All signed. Seven hundred million.’
Silence for a moment. ‘But… Henning signed?’
‘Everyone’s signed. It’s done. The money will be released within twenty-four hours.’
Finn had to pull the phone from his ear when Victor hollered in delight.
‘Finn, you’re a legend. I don’t know how you do it.’
Which wasn’t entirely true.
‘I’ll wait until the money’s all cleared, then I’ll come home,’ Finn said.
No answer.
‘Victor?’
He sighed. ‘Finn, it’s too soon to come back to Mexico. Let me see what I can do, but it might take me a few days to get the go-ahead for you to return.’
‘What, I’m just supposed to sit around in London?’ Finn asked.
‘I didn’t say that, did I? Take a holiday. Go and see some sights.’
‘On my own. Great. Some holiday.’
‘You don’t have family in England still?’
‘No one I’ve spoken to in a couple of decades or more.’
‘What about friends to catch up with in all the places you’ve lived?’
Finn didn’t answer that, because, sadly, the answer was no. He’d never cared for collecting friends. Never had the time nor the energy nor the inclination to make lasting friendships work for him. Not after what he’d been through as a teenager. His busy life since then, though, had never made him feel lonely.
Until now.
‘Look, Finn, this is the best news I’ve had in weeks. You’re a superstar, and I’ll make it worth your while, you can be damn sure. Celebrate on me, but I need to go.’
He ended the call before Finn could say another word.
* * *
He didn’t stay in his room long, his mind as restless as his body. His nerves grew as he stepped from the lift into the lobby. He glanced around before his eyes fixed on the doors to the outside, where it was now dark.
No sign of that guy with the Audi. Perhaps he had just been a driver, then, and not some grunt or security service agent ready to pounce.
‘Get a grip,’ he said under his breath, as he moved outside.
With darkness, the streets of London had become even colder and – to Finn, at least – less inviting. Most shops were already shutting down for the evening, except for a couple of larger department stores where he mooched, not entirely aimlessly, but not really with a planned idea of how he’d fill the time between now and when the money cleared and he could leave this city – this country – behind.
Even if he couldn’t go back to Mexico, he’d decided he wouldn’t stay in England. Something about the place filled him with anger. No, not just something, but the memories it dredged up. Him as a kid. Him and Curtis and his parents. A family. A real family. Before all the shit had started.
He stopped at a jewelry concession. A very expensive concession.
May as well have something to show for the trip and his efforts.
He bought himself a new watch, a ten-thousand-pound Breitling – not the most expensive option on offer, but no point in going over the top. Although he did spend much more than that on the diamond-encrusted necklace for Mariana.
He clutched the bag with purpose as he traipsed back toward the hotel.
His phone buzzed. Mariana.
‘Babe,’ he said. ‘That took a while.’
‘Sorry, I’ve been swamped. I heard the news.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well done you.’
‘Apparently so.’
‘When do we celebrate?’
‘When Victor lets me come back to Mexico.’
‘Oh… you mean… you’re not coming yet?’
‘I can’t.’
‘I’ll be home soon myself. I thought…’
‘Nothing I can do about it.’ He gripped the phone a little more tightly in his hand. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’
‘I can’t wait. I’m just about to run to a meeting.’
‘OK. Get to it. I love you.’
‘I love you too.’
He sighed and put the phone away and turned onto the street where his hotel – Victor’s hotel – sat pride of place.
He continued toward it until he spotted the car under the glitzy canopy at the entrance. Black Audi. Was it the same one as earlier in the day? He couldn’t be sure, even if he was certain it hadn’t been there when he’d left earlier.
He kept his eyes on the car as he approached. He was ten yards from it when the front passenger door opened and a man stepped out. It was the same man as before, smartly dressed and with a stern look on his face.
He locked eyes with Finn but didn’t move from the car.
Finn looked away and picked up his pace to get inside. He glanced over his shoulder. The guy didn’t follow him, just remained standing by the Audi.
What the hell? If this was Henning, trying to intimidate him…
Finn knew where he lived. Maybe he should sneak over there and—
What?
No. All Finn had to do was sit tight and wait for the money. Then he’d leave London and England and Henning behind.
He took a shower. Ordered room service again. Tried to sleep, but his mind was too busy. He tried to watch TV; same. He couldn’t relax. He sat at the desk chair, foot tapping furiously as he scrolled news pages on his phone.
A ping.
This was it. His body froze for a moment before he opened the email. He grabbed his tablet and input the login details into the banking app.
The money had cleared, the transaction complete.
And he was done in London.
Within ten minutes he’d packed up and was settling his account at the front desk. Every other beat he gazed to the darkness outside the hotel for any sign of that car or anyone lurking.
No. He didn’t think so, but the angle…
‘I need a car,’ Finn said. ‘Going to Heathrow.’ He’d find a flight when he got there.
‘Certainly, sir, one moment.’
The receptionist picked up the phone while Finn looked outside again.
‘It’ll be here in two minutes,’ the receptionist said moments later. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with?’
‘No. Thank you.’
The receptionist nodded in acknowledgment before Finn turned and quickly walked toward the exit.
He made it two steps outside before he spotted the Audi. In fact, there were two Audis this time. Four men stepped out to greet him.
Finn’s leg’s twitched as though asking him a question. Run?
And he was about to when two of the men pulled out handguns, which they pointed toward Finn as a cascade of shouting erupted and the other two men closed in on him.
He didn’t catch most of the words. Police, don’t move, were the two most obvious, and the ones that caused Finn to remain rooted to the spot rather than attempt an unlikely escape.
He dropped his bags and lifted his hands in the air before the two officers grabbed his wrists and cuffed him.
‘Finn Delaney,’ one of the armed men said.
‘Yes,’ Finn responded.
‘You’re under arrest,’ the officer said.
The next moment they bundled him into a waiting car.