Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave

talk to you.”
    “About what?”
    “Outside now.” He snapped his phone shut.
    When Conran arrived, Kael was leaning on the railing, looking at water alight
    with golden shards of fading sunlight. It would be dark in another hour and a chill
    was beginning to set in, but Kael was not cold. When he was focused on something,
    his bodily needs faded into the background. “Did Clement testify yet?”
    “That‟s none of your concern.” Conran looked at the water. “It‟s a miracle he
    can talk at all after what you did to him.”
    “I want the addresses of the houses in Paris.”
    “Out of the question,” Conran said in a decisive voice that irritated Kael
    enormously. “Even if I had the information, I couldn‟t give it to you. But the fact is I
    don‟t have it.”
    Kael turned to look at him. “You can get it.”
    “Is this about that child again? Forget her. There‟s nothing you can do.”
    “Yes, there is something I can do. I can get her out of there, just like I got
    Clement out of there. But there‟s no point in just going back to Provins if she‟s been
    moved. I need to know all the possibilities of where she might be.”

    110
    Fyn Alexander

    “She could be anywhere in the world by now.” Conran wore a dark wool
    overcoat that he began to fasten. “You are to stay out of this and leave it to the
    proper authorities. I have tipped them off that there is a very young child involved.”
    “What did they say?‟
    “They said she‟s not the only child that‟s been trafficked and it‟s unlikely she‟s
    the only child that young that Dudek has in his stable. They‟ll move when they can,
    but they can‟t just barge in there. There‟s an entire operation to take down. It‟s all
    carefully planned. You know what goes into these operations and how long they
    take. It‟s sad about the child, but you can‟t rescue them all.”
    I didn’t promise them all, just that one child. I promised her.
    “I want those addresses.”
    “What are you going to do if I refuse? Threaten to expose me with that
    compromising video again? Kill my children?”
    Kael was instantly impatient. “You know that was an idle threat. I would have
    shown that video if I‟d had to, but I‟d never harm a child.”
    Conran looked up at him. “Because you‟ve been spending time with Freddie
    Merchant and his family?”
    Kael grabbed Conran‟s lapel. “Have you been spying on me again?”
    “It‟s part of your job; you know that. You‟ll always be under surveillance at
    some level.” He tried to push Kael‟s hand away. “How is Freddie these days? I know
    you were as thick as thieves with him at school.”
    “He‟s very happy.” Kael smiled as he said it, remembering his birthday dinner.
    “He‟s a very successful barrister. That man he‟s married to was just a clerk in
    his office, you know.”
    “Didn‟t he go to the right schools?” Kael asked.
    “No, he didn‟t, as a matter of fact.” Conran looked pointedly at his lapel,
    waiting for Kael to release it.
    “Freddie was always in the habit of taking on friends beneath his social class,”
    Kael said. “I was the first. You wanted nothing to do with me.” The last thing Kael
    had ever cared about was the right sort of friends.
    “You may have been poor, but you were unique. He was probably in love with
    you.” Kael finally released his hold on the man‟s lapel and Conran turned away.
    “But it‟s nice that they‟re happy. You don‟t tell him anything about me, do you?” he
    asked quietly.
    “About how you enjoy a good arse slapping from time to time?”
    Conran‟s head almost did a three sixty. “Shut up, for God‟s sake.”
    Kael laughed. “You know perfectly well I never tell anyone anything. I want
    those addresses, and if I don‟t get them, I‟ll ask again, and I‟ll be louder next time.”
    “Meaning what?”

    Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave

    111

    “Just get me the addresses and save me the trouble of threatening you again.
    Oh and about my nosy neighbor. She‟s watching my every effing move and making
    passes at me.”
    Conran started laughing. “Oh dear. Is she making you nervous?”
    “Yes, very.” Kael was not amused. “I‟m warning you, if she works for you like
    Dragana did, I‟ll get rid of her.”
    “Do you honestly think anyone I put on your tail would be so obvious? Dragana
    was good at her job. That‟s why you didn‟t read her. There‟s only sporadic
    surveillance on you at the moment.