He folds his arms.
“And why would I do anything for you?”
The chair I choose to sit on is his and it’s a deliberate choice. “I’m not in the mood to be fucked over by you. And you know fucking well it isn’t me who’s been passing on information to someone who wants Blair out of the way.”
He steps closer. Crouches down. “I know you’re lying to her.”
I sit back. My breaths are long, calm, controlled. “And if you know that, then so are you.”
He gives me a sly eye and steps back.
“What do you need? Not saying I’ll do it, mind.”
“I need you to tell me where Ben is.”
He laughs. “If I fucking knew that I’d be there in a heartbeat, bringing him home so she can sleep.” He sits down at his desk, his second chair and the one I’m not using.
“That’s not going to fucking help.”
“Why?”
“If he’s gone, he’s done it for a reason.”
“Because someone’s tried to use him for information. I know. I’ve figured that. His one job has been to protect her.”
I hand over my pocket knife, placing it on the desk in front of Micky. He looks at it as if I’ve just put dog shit there.
“What he fuck’s this? A present from a boy scout? I’m not into scouts, Isaac.” He eyes it as if it’s about to bite him.
My laugh is genuine. “I gave an identical one to Ben for Christmas.”
He picks it up, fingers it. Pulls out the different parts. “It’s unbranded.”
“I had it commissioned.”
“How the fuck did you get to be so rich? I know about the off shore accounts; I’ve had you checked so many times over you should’ve had an alert.”
I owe him this. “My grandfather. He left me everything.” The house in London, an estate in the Cotswolds, part of an island in the South Pacific, and millions. All to the bastard son of his wayward child. And he bypassed everyone else.
“Your grandfather came here. He was friends with the king before Paden.” Micky relaxes. “Before my time but I heard about him. Knew something about you.”
“I came here twice.”
Micky folds his arms and presses his lips together as if he’s thinking. “I don’t think anyone remembers.”
“They wouldn’t. I was a kid. A bit older than Blair. Ben was here too.”
“Does she know? That this isn’t about meeting her last summer? Because I’m reading into what you’re saying and it isn’t just about politics. Or living your grandfather’s dream.”
“I saw her and Ben together.” It’s the first time I’ve told anyone.
He gives one silent nod and says nothing, his eyes straying away from me onto the pocket knife and the pen drive he’s found.
“This has a tracker inside?”
“Yes.” I hear the Cornish in my tone, realise it’s been there since I entered this room. Reverting back to the boy I was, all those inferiorities coming back like the sand in the tide.
“Did Ben know?”
