Gifted Thief (Highland Magic #1)(18)

‘What about Lexie?’

‘Hopefully she’s safe. I told her to get away.’

‘I don’t understand,’ Taylor whispered.

I was right there with him. We were criminals – all of us – and we knew there was always a possibility we’d screw up and the police would come knocking at our doors ? but for stealing. Not for these other things. And why the hell didn’t they scoop me up at the same time as Brochan?

Taylor’s phone chirped with an incoming message. We exchanged a look of dread then he reached down to check it. He squeezed his eyes shut, confirming my worst expectations. I peered down.

Get my money and your friends will be released.

I felt sick. ‘Who has that kind of power?’ I asked. ‘Who has the police in their pocket like that? It couldn’t be a Sidhe. Not unless it’s a previous target who’s found out who we are and wants revenge.’

Taylor opened his eyes again and stared at me miserably. ‘If that’s the case,’ he said flatly, ‘then we’re fucked. But truthfully, I have no bloody idea who is behind all this.’

‘Whoever he is, we need to pay him. We need to get that money and get him off our backs. What else do you have? There must be other jobs on the back burner that I can…’

‘There’s nothing.’

‘But…’

‘There’s nothing, Tegs.’ A shadow crossed his face.

I glanced at the paper-strewn table. Bob was going to get his day of glory, after all. I started to reach for the letter opener but Taylor jumped back up. He adjusted his cuffs, drawing my attention to his hands. My eyes narrowed. He might be getting old but he didn’t make any movement that wasn’t deliberate.

‘What’s going on?’

‘You mean apart from being threatened by a Wild Man? Nothing.’ He fiddled with one of his buttons.

I hissed through my teeth. ‘Seriously, Taylor?’

He blinked at me innocently. Too innocently. ‘What?’

‘You trained me. Everything you know, I know.’

He shrugged. ‘So?’

I pointed down. ‘Do you really think I’m not going to notice that kind of sleight of hand?’

He cursed. ‘I knew I should have kept back a few tricks.’ He sighed and slid a rolled-up piece of paper out of his sleeve.

I recognised the photo immediately. It was taken not long after I’d joined him. Both of us were beaming into the camera; both of us looked so young. ‘You didn’t need to steal this,’ I said softly. ‘I’d have given it to you if you’d asked.’

He looked away. ‘I didn’t want to come across all soppy.’

I tutted. ‘Taylor, come on. I think after all we’ve been through…’ I paused and my eyes narrowed. Hold on a second. ‘Smart. Real smart. Use an old diversionary tactic. What are you really hiding?’

His eyebrow twitched. Tell-tale giveaway. Sometimes he forgot that I knew him almost as well as I knew myself.

‘What have you really got hiding there?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s all your junk, today’s newspaper and some daft knife.’

Was this more trouble to deal with? ‘It’s a letter opener.’ I met his eyes. ‘And? What else are you covering up?’ I demanded.

‘And nothing. How did it go at my house? You were quite a while.’

‘I bumped into your friend.’ Or rather his fist bumped into my head. Whatever. The Wild Man was the least of our problems. ‘It didn’t go very well.’

Taylor’s eyes widened. ‘Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine.’ This wasn’t the time to skirt around the truth. My gaze hardened. The only thing that I hadn’t seen was the newspaper. That must be what he was trying to conceal. ‘Hand over the paper.’

He shook his head vehemently. ‘There’s nothing there. I was just reading the horoscopes. You don’t want to know what mine said.’

The day that Taylor was superstitious and believed the bumph the newspapers printed was the day I stopped liking hot pink. I lunged towards him, feinting right then grabbing the newspaper with my left hand.

‘Integrity!’ he howled.

I backed away and smoothed it out ? and saw the headline.

‘I could leave the country,’ Taylor started. ‘I’ve heard Belize is nice at this time of year.’

I ignored him, scanning the story. And I’d thought things couldn’t get any worse. I should have known better.

‘You’d have somewhere nice to come and visit on holiday,’ he continued.

‘And what about Brochan and Speck?’ I sighed. There was no choice. ‘No,’ I said, pointing to the huge picture on the front of the paper. ‘I’ve got a far, far better idea.’

Taylor squinted. ‘You can’t.’

I nodded to myself. ‘I can. It’s the Lia Saifir. And look who’s got it.’

He stared at the smooth good looks of the man in the photo. ‘Oh.’ He sank down, deflated, into the nearest chair. ‘I didn’t see that,’ he mumbled in a blatant lie.

‘He’s staying at the Astor Hotel. He’s in town, Taylor. We can still get the jewel.’