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“Until we’ve deemed the threat level low enough. We don’t expect Ling to be a free man for much longer, so just hold tight. This is the safest place for you in the meantime.”
I chewed my lip, contemplating my new reality. A tense silence stretched between us until Dixon shifted his weight between his feet. “Get some rest. I expect you need it. I’ll be back with food later. We can debrief over dinner.”
My stomach rumbled at the promise of a hot meal, but my eyelids drooped. “If I fall asleep, I’m not sure I’ll be able to wake up in time for dinner.”
“If that happens, I’ll leave leftovers for you in the kitchen, and I’ll come back tomorrow. Any food preferences?”
I thought of the bland soup and sandwiches from the hospital. “Honestly, I’ll eat anything.”
“Noted.”
With that, Dixon stepped out and closed the door behind him. I switched off the bedside light and collapsed onto the mattress without even taking my shoes off. Sleep hit me hard and fast.
I awoke after an unknown passage of time, the savoury smell of takeaway curry drifting under the door, making my stomach cramp with hunger. I was still tired, but I was also hungry as hell. With the resolution to eat, then come back to bed straight after, I forced myself up and out of the room.
“Ah, you decided to join us, after all,” Dixon said.
He sat with Hannah at the central table, food piled up on plates in front of them. I slid into the empty seat beside Hannah. “The smell was too tempting.”
“You’re just in time to hear the good news,” Hannah said. “We’ve had word of Daniel’s arrest in Singapore.”
I blinked, taking a second to process the new development through my brain fog. “They’ve got him?”
“That’s right,” Dixon said.
“So, the plan worked?”
“Indeed. Because of your courage, the police were able to extract concrete proof from those criminals, linking Daniel to an organised crime outfit here in the UK, leading to his arrest.”
I slumped forward, relief hitting me on top of the hunger and exhaustion. “Thank God.”
Hannah served me a heaped plate of food, along with a tall glass of water. I wasted no time tucking in, the flavours bursting on my dry tongue. Dixon debriefed me on the situation while I ate, the food and drink reviving me enough to grasp the significance of what we had accomplished.
I sat up straight. “So what happens now?”
“Now?” Dixon’s smile held a hint of menace. “With the UK and Singapore cooperating in this case, we will be able to bury Daniel Ling beneath the mountain of evidence we’ve accumulated against him. With him behind bars, contesting his father’s will becomes exponentially more difficult for him. Checkmate.”
I exhaled, picturing Daniel finally getting his due after years of evading consequences. One chapter was ending, but the rest of the story remained unwritten. I still had no idea what the coming days and weeks held. But for now, I took comfort in this victory, even at the huge personal cost.
Just then, a cell phone buzzed to life, breaking the pensive spell. Dixon answered the call, looking uneasy. “Yes? … Understood. Thank you.” He hung up. “Brace yourselves. We’re about to have an unexpected guest.”
Chapter Sixty-Four
Afew minutes later, the door to the operations room burst open with such force that it slammed against the wall. Neil stormed in, eyes blazing, jaw clenched so tight the tendons in his neck strained. He swept towards Dixon. “You fucking bastard!” Each syllable was a lash of venom. “How could you put her in danger like that?”
Dixon rose calmly to his feet. “It was the only way to?—”
“Bullshit! She could have been killed!”
I’d seen Neil angry before, but never like this—never with such unrestrained, primal fury. The sheer potency of his anger caused the hairs on my arms to rise. If I didn’t intervene, I thought he might actually attack Dixon.
I rose from my seat, palms up in a pacifying gesture. “Neil, wait. Let me explain…”
He whipped towards me. “Are you all right?” His eyes roved over me as if checking for injuries.
“I’m fine. Really.”
Some of the rigid tension leeched from his shoulders, but his hands remained bunched into fists at his sides.
