“Vivienne called.” Naomi sat opposite. “Had me go through some documents. Thought it might be something useful. Business records, client lists. But it was all asset paperwork. Property holdings. School fee transfers. That kind of thing.”
Warren sank into a chair. “Still something. Says a lot that she’s trusting you with it.”
“Yeah. That’s what I clocked. It felt deliberate. Like she wanted me to see it.”
He glanced up. “You think she’s trying to put space between herself and Radley?”
“I think Morgan’s telling her to.” She pursed her lips. “He’s their solicitor and her current extracurricular. If anyone’s whispering legal strategy in her ear, it’s him.”
Warren raised an eyebrow. “She actually seeing the bloke who’s made a career out of getting her husband off on technicalities?”
“Looks that way.”
He let out a low whistle. “That’s a death wish or seriously ballsy.”
Naomi shrugged. “Sometimes love’s worth the risk.”
Warren snorted into his toast. “Nothing’s worththatkind of risk.”
“Spoken like a true romantic.”
“It’s not about romance. It’s about operational discipline. Getting involved with someone wired into your husband’s legal defence? That’s not brave; it’s stupid. Be like you falling for your detail.”
Naomi laughed. “What, Vivienne’s husband? A fifty-eight-year-old coke-thin thug who hides his violence behind charity galas? No thanks.” Her grin lingered as she added, “More chance ofyoufalling for yours.”
“What, the ex-con with a God complex or the clean-cut history teacher who looks like he should model for Abercrombie and Fitch?”
Naomi arched an eyebrow, raising her mug to her lips.
Warren wiped his fingers on his trousers, looking away. Why had he said that? Why had henoticed? So he kept to the party line. “Keep the detail as detail. Don’t let it bleed into anything real.”
Even as he said it, his gut turned.
The line always sounded clear in the briefing room. Clean. Professional. But on the ground, it never stayed that way for long. And Naomi held his gaze, eyes narrowing enough to let him know she saw more than he wanted her to. Peeling him open one glance at a time.
“You gonna tell me what happened?” She took a sip of coffee. “What got you benched and reassigned to this like it’s a background op?”
“That one’s for the file. Need-to-know.”
“You saying I don’t need to know?”
He took another sip of coffee, then pivoted. “What’s your reporting schedule?”
The dodge was obvious.
Naomi let it go. “Encrypted voice memo. Patel wants audio reflections logged before ten daily. Backed up to SEROCU. Meeting each Friday, if possible. You?”
“Same.” He paused. “Means we won’t debrief each other unless it’s mission relevant.”
Naomi nodded. “Cleaner that way.”
They ate in silence for a beat. Then she added, “If you make progress with Ellison… don’t rush it. We’re not pushing anyone. This isn’t about catching him out. It’s about figuring out what he knows and whether he’s vulnerable or complicit.”
Warren ran a hand along his jaw. “You think he’s still working with Reid? Been his eyes on the outside this whole time?”
“I think Reid doesn’t show up in a town this size by accident.”
Yeah. Fair point.
