Wild Fiction

Chapter 63

Rebecca and Genevieve stood and followed Retir out of the restaurant. Genevieve fiddled with the front of her bra between her breasts. Rebecca prodded her and shook her head looking at Genevieve glancing between her breasts. Genevieve grimaced and dropped her hand to her side.
‘We’ll take my car,’ Retir said stopping next to a white Mercedes and pressing a button on his key ring. The two orange indicators at the front and back and on either side flashed twice. ‘Rebecca, get in the front,’ he said. ‘And you sit directly behind her,’ he said looking at Genevieve.
They pulled out of the parking and Rebecca turned her head slightly. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the white van with Ogilvie’s team pull out from its observation post and follow them from a distance. The side of the van said Ogilvie Plumbing. Strapped to the roof was a telescopic ladder.
Five miles outside of Epsom, Rebecca told him to turn into a small lane that ran away from the main road. At a sign that said ‘Milkwood Cottage - Private,’ she directed him to turn in. There was thick forest on either side of the lane which eventually opened into a clearing with a solitary old stone farmhouse. Conrad was sitting in a chair on the veranda.
‘What’s he doing here?’ Retir asked.
‘He’s guarding the bonds,’ Rebecca answered without hesitation.
Conrad stood up and leant against the rail that ran around the veranda. His hands rotated over the cracked wood, breaking off flakes of dark green paint.
They got out of the car. Retir stood behind the open door and stared at Conrad.
‘I’ve warned the women and now I’m warning you. You get this warning once and only once. Don’t try anything stupid.’
Conrad held his hands up with his bare palms facing Retir. A small flake of green paint stuck to the heel of his left hand. ‘I’m just here looking after the bonds,’ he said. ‘Nothing more, nothing less; I’ll be no trouble.’ He dropped his hands back to the railing and twisted at the paint again.
Retir walked out from behind the car door, leaving it open. He pulled the zipper on his jacket half way down and put his right hand inside. Without taking his eyes off Conrad, he walked up the front steps and onto the veranda to where Genevieve and Rebecca were now standing.