slowly.”
Carefully, Ginny pulled the little parcel from her overalls and held it out for Tonia to take.
“What is it?” Tonia asked. She hadn't put the gun away and she showed no sign of taking the package from Ginny.
“ I – I don't know. I assume it's drugs, or diamonds, or something. He's your brother, don't you know?”
“ My brother is not a – ” She stopped and pursed her lips as if angry with herself. “ Was not a criminal. He was a good man, a brave man, trying to save dumb shits like you from their own stupidity.”
The pain in Tonia's expression was clearer now. “I'm sorry,” Ginny said. “I didn't mean to – ” She took a breath. No, she would not apologise to the woman pointing a gun at her. “Do you want it or not?”
“Open it,” Tonia said.
“ What?”
“ Open it. Show me what's inside.”
“ I don't want to know what's inside.”
“ Just fucking open it!”
“ Why do you keep calling me Ellie?” It's funny the things that seem important when you have a gun pointed your way , Ginny thought. Tonia wasn't going to answer her, so she began tugging at the paper. It tore easily but her fingers were clumsy and it took her far longer than it should. Inside was a small padded box with three data cubes inside.
She looked at them dumbly then at Tonia. “Data cubes,” she said. Not drugs then. Nor diamonds. Just information. “Industrial espionage?” she suggested. “Blackmail?”
Tonia stepped forwards and grabbed the cubes, stuffing them into her pocket. The torn paper fluttered to the ground. “You can go now.”
But Ginny was watching the woman's expression. “That's not it, is it?”
Tonia walked away from her to stare out of the window. It was as if Ginny didn't exist any more. But Ginny had seen the relief on Tonia's face when the woman saw the cubes. And now it looked as if the she was on the verge of tears. The gun hung like a dead weight at the end of her arm.
Ginny knew that the sensible thing was to walk out the door, out of the house, and go. But she found she could not. She needed to know what this had all been about, what was on those data cubes that meant Cal had to disappear and Gavin had to be killed.
“At least tell me what it is,” she said to Tonia's back. “Don't I deserve that?”
Tonia stiffened and Ginny caught her breath. Whatever the hell she thought she was doing, antagonising the woman with the gun was not a good idea. She tried another tack.
“The police have been to see me. About Cal. They wanted to know how I knew him. They asked if I knew any of his friends.”
Tonia turned quickly. “What did you tell them? Did you give them this address? Did you mention Gavin?”
The sudden fire in Tonia's eyes set Ginny's heart racing. “No. No, of course not. I didn't tell them anything. I just said I didn't know Cal very well. I said I didn't know his friends. I didn't mention Gavin, or the package, or anything.”
“ Why not? Why would you hold that back? You thought it was drugs.” An idea seemed to strike her and she brought the gun up fast. “You're working with them. You're some fucking tagger's bitch.” She stepped towards Ginny and Ginny stepped back.
“ I'm not. Honest. I don't even know what a tagger is.” She took another step back and fell into the sofa with a yell of alarm. Tonia stepped up to her, the big gun in Ginny's face. Tonia's expression said she was seriously considering whether to play it safe and shoot Ginny now.
“ For God's sake! I was just doing a favour for Cal. You've got your data. I'm sorry I stuck my nose in. It's none of my business whatever's going on. Just let me go and you'll never see or hear from me again. I promise.”
Tonia said nothing, just glared at Ginny, seemingly still undecided as to whether to shoot her.
“I won't ever talk to the cops, I swear. I don't even like them. That guy Richards gives me the creeps. If I never see him again either I'll be glad.”
Tonia's expression changed.
Carefully, Ginny pulled the little parcel from her overalls and held it out for Tonia to take.
“What is it?” Tonia asked. She hadn't put the gun away and she showed no sign of taking the package from Ginny.
“ I – I don't know. I assume it's drugs, or diamonds, or something. He's your brother, don't you know?”
“ My brother is not a – ” She stopped and pursed her lips as if angry with herself. “ Was not a criminal. He was a good man, a brave man, trying to save dumb shits like you from their own stupidity.”
The pain in Tonia's expression was clearer now. “I'm sorry,” Ginny said. “I didn't mean to – ” She took a breath. No, she would not apologise to the woman pointing a gun at her. “Do you want it or not?”
“Open it,” Tonia said.
“ What?”
“ Open it. Show me what's inside.”
“ I don't want to know what's inside.”
“ Just fucking open it!”
“ Why do you keep calling me Ellie?” It's funny the things that seem important when you have a gun pointed your way , Ginny thought. Tonia wasn't going to answer her, so she began tugging at the paper. It tore easily but her fingers were clumsy and it took her far longer than it should. Inside was a small padded box with three data cubes inside.
She looked at them dumbly then at Tonia. “Data cubes,” she said. Not drugs then. Nor diamonds. Just information. “Industrial espionage?” she suggested. “Blackmail?”
Tonia stepped forwards and grabbed the cubes, stuffing them into her pocket. The torn paper fluttered to the ground. “You can go now.”
But Ginny was watching the woman's expression. “That's not it, is it?”
Tonia walked away from her to stare out of the window. It was as if Ginny didn't exist any more. But Ginny had seen the relief on Tonia's face when the woman saw the cubes. And now it looked as if the she was on the verge of tears. The gun hung like a dead weight at the end of her arm.
Ginny knew that the sensible thing was to walk out the door, out of the house, and go. But she found she could not. She needed to know what this had all been about, what was on those data cubes that meant Cal had to disappear and Gavin had to be killed.
“At least tell me what it is,” she said to Tonia's back. “Don't I deserve that?”
Tonia stiffened and Ginny caught her breath. Whatever the hell she thought she was doing, antagonising the woman with the gun was not a good idea. She tried another tack.
“The police have been to see me. About Cal. They wanted to know how I knew him. They asked if I knew any of his friends.”
Tonia turned quickly. “What did you tell them? Did you give them this address? Did you mention Gavin?”
The sudden fire in Tonia's eyes set Ginny's heart racing. “No. No, of course not. I didn't tell them anything. I just said I didn't know Cal very well. I said I didn't know his friends. I didn't mention Gavin, or the package, or anything.”
“ Why not? Why would you hold that back? You thought it was drugs.” An idea seemed to strike her and she brought the gun up fast. “You're working with them. You're some fucking tagger's bitch.” She stepped towards Ginny and Ginny stepped back.
“ I'm not. Honest. I don't even know what a tagger is.” She took another step back and fell into the sofa with a yell of alarm. Tonia stepped up to her, the big gun in Ginny's face. Tonia's expression said she was seriously considering whether to play it safe and shoot Ginny now.
“ For God's sake! I was just doing a favour for Cal. You've got your data. I'm sorry I stuck my nose in. It's none of my business whatever's going on. Just let me go and you'll never see or hear from me again. I promise.”
Tonia said nothing, just glared at Ginny, seemingly still undecided as to whether to shoot her.
“I won't ever talk to the cops, I swear. I don't even like them. That guy Richards gives me the creeps. If I never see him again either I'll be glad.”
Tonia's expression changed.
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