Two days after meeting at the White Swan, Sophie phones me early and breathlessly states, ‘Can’t talk long! Got the school run! But Damian Gross has confirmed that the Court has agreed to a one-to-one with you. There’s apparently a meeting later this week in Austria. You’ll be invited. How are you holding up?’
‘Sophie, you can’t just tell me you’ve somehow convinced Gross to help us out with the Court and leave it at that! How did you persuade him? We need to have that talk.’
‘Lordy, Marc. Whenever anyone says we need to talk, it’s a sure-fire way of making the other person reluctant to utter a word.’
‘I just want to know the truth about you.’
‘Does it matter?’
‘To me. Yes.’
‘But why should . . . Hold on a moment . . .’ I hear her addressing someone else. ‘I don’t know where your sports bag is, darling. Every night, I ask you if you have everything ready for school, and every night, you say yes, so whose fault is it if you’re late because you can’t find your kit? And what’s that on the sofa? Exactly.’ A pause. ‘Are you there, Marc?’
‘Still here. Everything OK?’
‘Just Betsy being a bother.’
‘It must be hard without Christian.’
‘I understand why you want to know everything, I really do. When this is all over, we’ll sit down and I’ll reveal all. So to speak. Pinky promise.’
‘I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Sophie.’ I pause. ‘Whatever secrets you’re harbouring, you’ll still be a very special friend to me. Nothing will change that. Ever.’
She sounds horrified to hear this. ‘Oh, no!’
‘I mean in a platonic way!’
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes! I just meant—’
‘Not you, Marc. Thomas! What were you thinking? Marc, I’m going to have to go. Thomas has just thrown up on the Aga. Literally on the Aga! What would I say if I wasn’t a lady?’
‘I have no idea. Speak soon. Thanks again.’
Frank’s already promised me I can use the Red Diamond as my ‘in’. My item which, ostensibly, I’ll be there to barter. But if the meeting is later this week, it means I’ll be cutting it fine if I’m to convince the Court to part with the Romanov Code and deliver it to Colonel Bulatov within the seven-day window he gave me.
It’s a deeply unsettling thought and when I hear a knock at my front door, I’m grateful for the distraction.
‘Coming!’
I walk through to my hall and swing open the door. Stacey is stood on the step. ‘Grab your toothbrush and a change of clothes!’
‘Morning, Miss Smith. Any particular reason why?’
‘Because we’re going to the Amalfi Coast and our flight leaves in less than two hours.’
‘Not sure I can spare the time for a break in Italy, right now.’
‘This is strictly business, Novak.’
‘What’s in the Sorrento Peninsula that’s so important?’
As she barges past me, hurrying into my house, she replies, ‘The truth.’