AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She waited until the team had accompanied them home. After the noise and heat of the London streets in the early afternoon, his house seemed cool and calm. Gabriel ushered her into the sitting room, closing the door behind them.
‘Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?’
Clara had thought she’d made a pretty good job of covering her dismay. Gabriel took off his jacket, throwing himself down in one of the easy chairs and motioning her towards another.
‘Come on. It can’t be that bad.’
Not in comparison to the life-threatening events his charity dealt with. Or in the context of Gabriel’s unfailing optimism. Clara reminded herself that she was being unprofessional and that she was there to support him, not the other way around.
‘I have your new phone.’ She took the padded envelope from her bag, sliding the handset across the table towards him. ‘Not as smart as your other one, I’m afraid, but it’s a good deal more secure. All your contacts and other information have been transferred over and it’s fully charged and ready for use.’
He picked up the phone, turning it thoughtfully in his hands. ‘It’s got...a certain utilitarian chic. What was the matter with the other one?’
Clara took a breath. ‘We found software that was capable of tracking your location along with your texts and conversations. It also has the capability of turning the microphone on when the phone’s not in use, making the phone into a listening device.’
He stared at her. ‘So—you’re telling me I’ve been bugged? Someone’s been tracking my movements and listening to everything I say.’
‘Yes.’
She could see it in his eyes. The realisation that his privacy had been violated and there was nothing he could do about it.
‘I suppose it’s a normal reaction to be trying to remember every conversation I’ve had in the last two months, since I got that phone...’ Gabriel wiped his hands across his face, shaking his head.
‘I suppose so.’ Clara couldn’t think of anything more reassuring to say.
‘I’ll just have to make the effort not to do it, then.’ His smile would convince anyone that nothing was wrong, and Clara wondered how many times it had fooled her into thinking that Gabriel didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation. ‘Is there anything else?’
‘Yes, we’ve found out where the flunitrazepam came from. There was an empty water bottle in your recycling bin that contained traces of the drug. It’s not your usual brand, so maybe you remember it?’
Clara slid the photograph of the bottle out of the envelope, and he took it from her, staring at it.
‘Do you remember where you got the water from? It would have been just before you went to dinner.’ She prompted him gently.
‘Not really... Wait a minute, yes, I do. Someone gave it to me.’ He tossed the photograph onto the table as if it had just burned his fingers, and sprang to his feet. Staring out through the front windows at the quiet street seemed to calm him a little. Or maybe he just didn’t want her to see his face. Clara was learning that the most private part of Gabriel’s life was his pain.
‘I go running most days after work, and usually take a couple of turns around the park. I know most of the regulars...’
He sighed, and Clara waited, studying his back. Even Gabriel needed a little time to get his head around this.
‘It was a warm evening, and I’d slowed down to drink some water. A woman ran into me from behind, and knocked the bottle out of my hand... She and her friend were all apologies, and they insisted I take one of theirs.’ He shook his head. ‘They were really nice.’
The people who hurt you the most usually were really nice. You had to get close to someone to really hurt them.
‘It was that easy?’ He was still staring through the window.
‘No, it’s not easy at all. They would have had to know your routine, and give you the water without arousing suspicion. I know it doesn’t seem this way, but this is a step forward. We know what we’re up against now.’
He shrugged. ‘I never thought... How do you deal with it? Knowing all the ways that someone can invade your life, how do you ever bring yourself to trust anyone?’
There was a simple answer to that, but it wasn’t the one that Gabriel needed to hear. Clara didn’t trust anyone, and it wasn’t as a result of her job.
‘Do you trust anyone?’ Gabriel had turned suddenly and his gaze was searching her face.
‘I trust my team, and I trust what I know. I know that this isn’t the way you’ll have to live from now on, and that we can help you take your life back.’
‘Nice.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘When in doubt always resort to the professional answer.’
‘I find it’s a great deal less taxing on the imagination than charming insouciance.’ She couldn’t resist teasing him back and Gabriel laughed.
