Deadline by Simon Kernick Read Free Book Online Page A

the money's there, and you haven't tried anything stupid, we'll make contact and give you instructions on where to collect your daughter.'
'I need to speak to her.'
'Not now. Do as you're instructed and you'll be seeing her soon enough. One other thing: turn off your mobile and don't bring it with you.'
'OK,' she said reluctantly. She didn't like the idea of being without it.
'Now get moving. You've got exactly forty-five minutes to get to the drop-off point. And remember, we're watching.'
The line went dead and Andrea put the receiver down.
'What's the plan?' asked Jimmy, looking at her closely.
Briefly, she went through the instructions she'd been given. 'I don't think you should come,' she added when she'd finished. 'They said they were going to be watching me. If they see you, it could jeopardize things. I can't afford that.'
'She's my daughter too,' he answered. 'I'm coming with you.'
'What's the point, Jimmy? I'm delivering the money, that's all.'
'Because I don't trust them. That's the point. What if they're bullshitting about letting her go?'
'But you were the one who told me they just wanted cash. That they didn't want to hurt her.'
'Well, maybe that is all they want, but there's still no guarantee they'll release her. They might hold out for more cash. But if you drop me off a couple of hundred yards from where you're making the drop, I'll make my own way down there and keep an eye on the place. I'll see who goes in, see if I recognize them. I might be able to get their registration number.'
'What good'll that do?'
'There's still a couple of coppers I know. They'll be able to trace who the car belongs to.'
Andrea didn't like the sound of this at all.
'But it's risky, isn't it? What happens if they see you? Then they're not going to let Emma go, are they? They might kill her.'
Jimmy shook his head. 'They ain't going to kill her. She's worth more to them alive. And they ain't going to see me, either. I'll be quiet. And I'll be careful. I don't want anything to happen to Emma either, you know.'
Andrea sighed, trying to think. Not following the kidnappers' instructions to the letter was a huge risk, but what if Jimmy was right? What if they weren't going to let Emma go? Surely it was better to have an insurance policy in the form of Jimmy watching the place – someone cunning enough to spot a double-cross, and hard enough, if necessary, to do something about it. But, did she even trust him? She wiped sweat from her brow, wrestling with the alternatives, knowing she had only seconds to make up her mind. Knowing that even one wrong move could end the life of her only child.
She took several deep breaths, telling herself to keep calm, for Emma's sake.
'What if they're out there now watching the house?' she asked. 'If they see us leaving together . . .'
He shook his head. 'They're not watching the house. If they were, they'd already know I was here. Anyway, there won't be enough of them to do that.'
'How do you know?' she demanded.
'This ain't a big firm, babe. No way. There'll only be a couple of them. Any more and there'd be too much chance of a leak. Also, they'd stand out sitting in a car in a nice, quiet street like this for hours on end. They won't want to risk that. But we'll play it safe. You go out the front, and I'll come out nice and quiet behind you, and I'll stay down in the seat. It'll be dark, no one'll see.'
His words were filled with a quiet confidence that was proving seductive.
'What happens afterwards? Where will I pick you up from? They told me not to bring my mobile phone.'
He reached into his pocket and retrieved a cheap Nokia handset. 'Take this,' he said. 'It's a spare one of mine.'
'I told you, they don't want me to take one.'
'No, babe, they don't want you to bring your mobile phone. There's a difference.'
'What do you mean?'
'They're just covering themselves. If you have gone to the police then one of the ways they can track your movements would be using your mobile. That's why they don't want