“Sorry?”
“I haven’t come here to give you any news. Just a warning.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t know how you know what you think you know about me, and to be honest I don’t really care. What I do care about is a journalist at a respectable paper attempting to blackmail a serving police officer.”
Emilia eyeballed her—the temperature in the small room had just dropped considerably.
“So I’m here to give you a clear and simple message. Print what the hell you like about me, but if youeverattempt to bribe, blackmail or intimidate me again, I will see you in prison for it. Understand?”
Emilia stared at Helen, then responded:
“Well, that’s your choice, Helen, but don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning.”
“Do what you need to,” Helen replied tersely. “But be ready for the consequences.”
She turned to leave, but as she got to the doorway, she paused.
“We sink or swim together on this one, Emilia. So ask yourself how much you hate me. And how much you value your liberty.”
Emilia watched her go—anger and adrenaline pulsing through her. Should she break her or back down? Either way, Emilia was about to make the biggest call of her life.
62
Tony slammed the car door shut behind him and slumped down in the driver’s seat. How could he have messed up so badly? And what was he going to say to Helen?
This was his big chance to be back on the front line again, to prove that he’d still got it—and he had completely ballsed it up. He could try to contact Melissa again, but what was the point? Now that she knew he was a cop, it was game over. The only thing he could do was confess all to Helen as soon as possible and start formulating a new plan. Some of the other girls must have seen Angel. It was inconceivable that she could ghost in and out of these fleshpots undetected. What he had to do—
He jumped as the passenger door opened. He had been so caught up in his own little world that he hadn’t heard anyone coming. He turned to confront the intruder... and was surprised to see Melissa climbing into the passenger seat. She didn’t look at him, simply saying:
“Drive.”
•••
They drove in silence for a full ten minutes before Melissa indicated an alleyway adjacent to a derelict restaurant. It was quiet down here, not a soul around to disturb them. As he turned to look at her, Tony was surprised to see that she was shaking.
“If I tell you what you want to know, I’ll need money. Lots of money.”
“Not a problem,” Tony replied. He’d figured out on the way over that it could only have been the prospect of financial gain that induced her to get into his car.
“Five grand up front. More to follow.”
“Agreed.”
“And I’ll need somewhere to stay. Somewhere she can’t find me.”
“We can offer you a safe house and round-the-clock protection,” Tony replied without hesitation.
“Round-the-clock—you promise?”
“I promise.”
“Shake on it,” Melissa demanded, and Tony obliged.
Melissa let out a deep sigh—she looked exhausted by the evening’s events. Then, without looking up at Tony, she whispered:
“The girl you’re looking for is Lyra. Angel’s name is Lyra Campbell.”
