A smile curls his lips. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
We grin at each other like idiots. “Thanks Ada?—”
“It’s fuckin’ go time,” Jake says, bursting back in like the Kool-Aid Man. “Colin’s meeting me outside the farm in an hour.”
“Isn’t he at the cocktail party?” I ask.
“Nah, he bailed when I told him what’s happening with you and the farm. Can you call Betty back, please?”
“Sure.”
Jake’s eyes flick between me and Davis. “I miss something?”
“Nothing relevant to our mission, 007.” Davis get to his feet. “Mind if I grab a Coke Zero, Ada?”
“Knock yourself out,” I say, already calling Betty and putting her on speaker.
“Big news,” Betty says without so much as a hello. “Mum wants to go with you to the farm.”
“Shit,” Jake says. “She doesn’t have to?—”
“She’s got the punch code to Thrasher’s office,” Betty cuts in. “She’s had to go in there a bunch of times to get lanyards and crap. She reckons no one gives a damn what some old lady knows. More fool them. I’ve got a camera and a wire mic ready for you, Jake.”
I laugh. “Do you actually work in tech, or are you MI5, Betty?”
“I wish. It’s old gaming stuff. Long story, but it’ll do the job.”
“And if Thrasher’s at the farm?” Davis calls, cracking open his Coke Zero.
“He’s not. I’ve seen posts he’s at the cocktail party, along with half of Pukekohe. Got a pen, Jake? I’ll give you Mum’s address so you cancome around and we’ll get you mic-d up.”
Jake snatches up some hotel stationery and scrawls down Betty’s address, a muscle flicking in his right cheek. “Fuck, I hope this comes off.”
“You sure you’re up for this?” Davis asks. “Your neck’s all red.”
Jake snorts. “What? You think you could do better ’cos you work the door at Stabbies?”
Davis returns the snort. “I think I can do better because I don’t drop the ball when the Wallabies are three points?—”
“Ladies?” I interrupt.“Ladies?”
I wait until both men are looking at me, then flash them a wide smile. “You’rebothpretty.”
I’m rewarded with simultaneous scowls.
“It has to be Jake,” I say. “He’s the one everyone knows.”
“Exactly,” Betty agrees through the speaker. “Jake, we’ll have to pin the camera to your chest. Have you got a jacket with pocket flaps?”
“I do,” Davis says. “I’ll wait in the car park while everyone’s inside, yeah?”
“Yup,” Betty confirms. “You’re our wheel man. And you can raise the alarm if they’re gone too long. Call the cops if you need.”
My heart pulses. This is really going to happen. Soon. Now. “And me? What’ll I do?”
“You’re staying here,” Davis and Jake say in unison as Betty adds:
