Set in Stone (1999) by Robert Goddard

Author:Robert Goddard
Format: epub
Published: 1999-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

“No, no. The job’s made for you, Tony. I’m backing you to make a success of it.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I’ve often thought that of people I’ve worked for. I was nonetheless obliged to do their bidding, just as you’re obliged to do mine.”

“Am I really?”

“I think so, unless you’re more ruthless than I suppose.” He was right there, damn him to hell. This was something I couldn’t walk away from. “Oh, I nearly forgot.” He took a piece of paper out of his pocket, scribbled something on it and slid it across the table towards me. “My mobile phone number. You may need to contact me urgently. Feel free to do so as soon as you make any progress. Or even if you simply need some tactical advice. If I don’t hear from you in the interim, I’ll expect to see you next week.” He drained his glass. “Same time, same place?”

It was nearly dark when Rainbird left. I walked round the tomb-still streets of Oakham, trying to think my way out of the trap he’d caught me in. I was tired, but my mind couldn’t rest. There was no escape. Reason it how I pleased, I had no answer to his ultimatum, except to comply with it. Yet I had no realistic hope of finding the confession and hardly any that Rainbird would let me off the hook even if I did. That left only one course of action open to me: tell Matt the truth, nurse him through the shock of it, stall Rainbird as long as possible and pray Matt was over the worst if and when he got to hear the tape. In my mind, I’d already told him the truth, with consequences too awful to contemplate. But they couldn’t be worse than those that would follow if I let Rainbird enlighten him. Nor could I delay without telling Lucy about the tape, the existence of which she’d justifiably blame me for, unless I explained that some sort of dream had convinced me it was too dangerous to go ahead with our original plan, which would probably have her doubting my sanity, also justifiably.

It would have been easy enough to doubt it myself. But precognition, if that was what the dream represented, gave me one precious advantage to cling to. I already knew some of the mistakes I was likely to make. I didn’t propose to make them again. Next time round was going to be different.

“Hello.”

“Matt, this is Tony.”

“Tony. Are you at home? I’ve phoned a couple of times but got no answer.”

“I’ve been away.”

“Really? I thought you left because you had a buyer for Stanacombe.”

“No buyer.”

“Lucy must have misunderstood, then. I’d ask her, but she’s in Bournemouth at the moment. Her mother’s none too well.”

“Her mother’s fine.”

“Sorry?”

“Look, can we meet? Tonight?”

“Meet? Where are you?”

“Oakham.”

“Well, why don’t you just come on here? You could have done that anyway. There was no need to phone.”

“I don’t want to meet at Otherways.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Too complicated to explain. Can

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