After walking in through the front door of Parker and Son, Kate immediately noticed the different atmosphere. It was still only nine o’clock and even though Ben had said she should stay at home; the early morning wakeup call she’d had from Eve had been the push she needed to get herself up and out. And after spending the last two hours boosting Eve’s self-confidence, she’d finally driven to work feeling better about the day ahead.
‘Kate. What are you doing here?’ Gloria questioned, as she walked across the room and lay a hand on the newly installed coffee machine that now stood behind reception. ‘I don’t know why Ben bought this thing. He has one at home, seems to think it will make my life easier.’ She tutted at the machine. ‘You want a cappuccino or would you prefer one of those latte ones?’ she asked, while raising her eyebrows.
‘Can we just have coffee?’ Kate asked with a laugh, ‘Or isn’t it allowed?’
‘Coffee it is. Now, you sit down and rest.’ Gloria pointed to the settee with authority and Kate knew that Ben had already filled her in about the attack. ‘Ben’s in there, he’s talking to William.’ She pointed to the wall. Indicated that Ben was in the office next door. ‘They’re talking about the case, go and join them if you want to, I’ll bring the coffee.’
* * *
‘Ben, do you want to fill me in, because right now I don’t understand.’ Kate sat down in the tub chair that stood before William’s desk, and looked between Ben and his father.
‘Finally, I got that damned machine to work,’ Gloria said as she entered the room and placed the tray down on the desk that held plates of carrot cake, chocolate cake and three steaming hot mugs of coffee. ‘I’ll be going back to my kettle before the end of the day, mark my words.’ She laughed, looked affectionately at Ben, then patted his shoulder.
Kate felt her heartbeat calm as she sat back in the chair. It felt like such a long time since she’d first come to work here. Yet, it had only been just over a week and in that time, her life had changed considerably. She still couldn’t believe that Rob of all people, was involved with drugs. He’d always been so strict about everything he’d put into his body. Even his daily calories were dictated by his exercise regime. But then, she wouldn’t have thought him capable of trying to kill her either.
‘It’s time to turn the case over to the police. We’re done.’ Ben stared at his father, then threw a look at Kate. ‘I won’t put you at any more risk. It isn’t worth it.’
‘Oh, no. You’re not losing the reward because of me – we’re so close.’
William stood up. ‘Kate, my dear, we have all the information we need. All we have to do now is pass it over and wait till the police take them down.’ He looked at her, lips pursed. ‘Ben’s right. We won’t put you in danger. Besides, do you remember that day in Whitby?’ He placed his mug back down on the tray. ‘Well, you were quite productive. You were spot on about The Red Lady. And what’s more, those photographs you took gave us times, dates and co-ordinates. We know that the drugs are coming in by sea and it’ll be The Red Lady that picks up the load.’ He patted the evidence folder. ‘But instead of coming into the docks, the drugs will be dropped over the wreck of the San Georgic. They’ll be dropped in baskets, similar to lobster pots and from what we’ve heard, the pots will be collected by two expert divers and we’re guessing that one of them will be Roberto Bellandini.’
‘Who?’ Kate was puzzled.
‘Roberto Bellandini Kate. The man you know as Robert Bell is a twenty-eight-year-old drug dealer, related to one of the most notorious Italian families we’ve ever heard of.’
Kate threw her hands in the air. Was there anything else she didn’t know about the man she’d lived with? ‘As far as I’m aware, he has no idea how to scuba dive. He’s quite fond of the shower, but not the sea. Trust me, I’ve had to clean the bathroom after him three times a day for the best part of a year.’
‘He’s actually an instructor, capable of teaching people from their first breaths, right through to teaching them how to become instructors themselves. He’s quite an expert; been diving for years,’ William replied, filling her in on another part of Rob’s life that she’d known nothing about.
Standing up, Ben held out his hands to take hers. ‘Kate. You’re shaking; why don’t you go home.’
She shrugged him off as the anger took over. ‘Do you know what, Ben? I don’t want to go home. I mean, where is my home right now? I can’t keep staying at your house. Yet, after what happened at the cottage, I can’t go there either.’ She crossed her arms like a petulant child. ‘I’m staying here, where I can see Rob put behind bars, along with Isobel, Luca and whoever else is running this stupid, bloody circus.’
* * *
Isobel paced up and down the living room, and felt the fear and anguish race through her as Roberto threw himself at the large, white corner settee and sat forward with his head hung low, and his hands clasped tightly together. ‘If Giancarlo was arrested, which I suspect is true, we’re all fucking doomed.’
‘When… when did it happen?’ Isobel couldn’t sit down, couldn’t settle and anxiously she picked up a packet of cigarettes and nervously pulled one out of the packet. Tapping it half-heartedly against the table, she searched for a lighter.
‘Don’t you dare light that. It’s disgusting,’ Rob shouted. ‘And I hate the smell.’ He stood up angrily and pushed opened a window.
‘Roberto, you’re a hypocrite. A drug dealing hypocrite.’ She threw the cigarette into the fire and sulked.
‘What, and Giancarlo wasn’t?’
She leaned against the mantle, threw her gaze in his direction. ‘Don’t go there, Roberto.’ Picking up a poker, she stabbed at the embers. ‘Giancarlo is a good man.’
‘Good man or not, he’s going to prison.’
Picking up her phone, Isobel scrolled through the news, looking for any mention of Giancarlo’s name. ‘How did they get him?’ she cried. ‘If they send him to prison, he won’t survive. He wouldn’t fair well if he were surrounded by villains.’
Roberto laughed and shook his head. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, you fool. He’s one of them and they are just people like him. Drug dealing criminals.’ He paused, then stood up. ‘We just have to wait. Let’s hope he was clean and that they can’t pin anything on him.’ He gave her a determined nod. ‘After thirty-six hours they have to release him.’ He walked to the door and with a swift pull of his hoody, he dropped it untidily on her settee. ‘I need to clear my head. I’m going for a swim.’
‘Swim?’ she screamed. ‘Giancarlo, is rotting in a foreign police station and all you can think of is going for a swim?’
Roberto moved quickly, his hand grabbing her by the throat. ‘Isobel. Don’t you ever challenge me about my family. Not ever again,’ he hissed loudly, pressed his nose up against hers, then dropped her like a stone. ‘I’ve told you. We have plans. And unless he squeals. He’ll get out. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to the pool to check the scuba gear, which we need if the plan is going to succeed.’
Angrily, Isobel massaged her neck. ‘You ever touch me like that again, you bastard, you’ll be breathing through a tube for the rest of your life.’
Roberto looked directly at her, and his eyes widened. ‘Don’t give me ideas, you might just regret it.’