Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

stairs, Lena’s heels clacked across the wooden floor of the large reception hallway whilst the ringing of the doorbell was replaced with banging. ‘Alright, alright! I’m coming!’ she shouted. Christ, a courier with a wedding dress or not, there was no need for this.

Lena yanked open the door, her eyes accusing. ‘You don’t have to knock the bloody door down y... Oh!’

Saul barged past Lena into the hall. ‘Mind if I come in?’

Lena’s mouth flapped up and down as she froze against the door.

‘Shut the door,’ Saul instructed, his voice neutral, but his eyes conveying an entirely different story.

‘What’s wrong?’ Lena spluttered, nerves jangling as she hastily closed the door, well aware of Saul’s intimidating presence dwarfing everything around him. ‘Has something happened to Jonah?’ If something had happened to Jonah when she was this close to the wedding it would ruin everything.

A strange half smile slid across Saul’s face. ‘Nothing’s happened to Jonah, he’s fine. Or at least he will be until he discovers about you?’

Ice flooded Lena’s veins. ‘M-Me?’

Forty

NERO’S JAW CLENCHED as he walked back into Jonah’s office. Jonah wouldn’t like this. He didn’t like it either.

This was the guy that Lena had invited behind the scenes? The stupid, stupid bitch. There was no way this was a coincidence.

Jonah glanced up from his phone. ‘I’ve missed two calls from Gwen. I’d better call her back.’

Nero placed the Platinum members folder in front of Jonah. ‘Before you do that, you need to take a look at this...’

Seeing the expression on Nero’s face, Jonah placed his phone back in his pocket and looked down at the paperwork.

‘I cross-referenced the details on that booking form with the memberships that came through Lena’s automated system,’ Nero explained.

Reading the details in front of him, Jonah visibly blanched, then his face twisted with a combination of sheer disbelief and rage. Pointer? Heath Pointer? The guy in Lena’s office last night was a Pointer?

Nero stared at Jonah deep in thought. ‘Surely the man wouldn’t be so stupid as to come here? To come here into your club if he w...’

‘The stupid, stupid bitch...’ Jonah hissed, his eyes bright. ‘She let a fucking Pointer into my club? She brought him back here into my space, falling for his bullshit about an extortionately overpriced event he wants to book?’ He got to his feet and slammed his fist on the desk. ‘I’ll kill him!’

‘It does seem the man has a death wish. That’s if it is one of those Pointers?’ Nero muttered.

‘It’s got to be!’ Jonah raged. ‘I’ll wring Lena’s fucking neck for this. Does she not have any sense?’

‘I presume she knows about the link with the Pointers?’

‘How could she not?’ Jonah spat. ‘She’s taking the piss, she has to be!’ He grabbed the whisky from the side and poured himself a large shot, his fingers shaking with rage.

‘I’m presuming you’re thinking this guy is aware of the connection then?’

‘Why else would he be here and squirrelling his way in via Lena?’ Jonah’s eyes narrowed. ‘He’s pulling a stunt. I’m not sure what as yet, but I intend to find out.’

Nero frowned. ‘Do you think it could have been him that was at the Adams’ house? You said someone had got there first.’

Jonah dug his teeth into his bottom lip thoughtfully, his anger although raw, not clouding his logic. ‘The Pointers would think they had a claim on the diamonds, but if it was him – or them, whoever the rest of them are and they did manage to lift the diamonds from the house, then why come here? Unless...’ Jonah sat down heavily. ‘Unless they think we’ve got them?’

Nero whistled through teeth. ‘This is fucked up!’

Jonah’s face broke into a snarl. ‘Well, whatever this Heath Pointer’s game is or what he has or hasn’t got, I’ll be paying him a visit. A personal visit.’

Nero flinched. ‘Is that wise? If y...’

‘The address is here.’ Jonah stabbed his finger on the membership details form. ‘I wonder if it’s his real address or a fake one, like the rest of his fucking family.’

‘If he’s stupid enough to give his real name to the Powells for a membership card, then I suspect it’s the real address,’ Nero said, unable to help but smile. He watched Jonah get up and unlock the large cupboard at the back of his office – the one with the secret compartment which concealed a healthy assortment of spare guns. ‘You’re going there now?’

Jonah smiled. ‘No time like the present!’

BEFORE LENA COULD SAY ANYTHING ELSE or deduce what Saul meant by his comment, her power of logic was cut off when a hand shot out and grabbed her around the throat.

Eyes wide with shock, Lena’s fingers grappled against the hand wrapped tightly around her neck, a weird strangulated sound coming from her mouth.

Pushing himself into Lena’s face, Saul snarled, ‘You’re not marrying my brother, you money-grabbing tart. I’ll give you one last chance to do the right thing and call it off. Do you understand?’ There would be no more chances, but he’d see what she’d got to say before continuing with what he’d come to do. Slightly relaxing his grip so Lena could speak, he waited.

Indignation overtook Lena’s fear and her eyes narrowed. Saul couldn’t come in here demanding stuff. Was he insane? She wouldn’t call anything off, regardless of what he said.

Oh, she’d heard all about him. Everyone knew he was tapped with a twisted head. She contemplated whether it was worth turning on the charm. She’d always got what she wanted by using her God’s given guiles, but maybe not this time. She needed to know what the issue was before she decided which way to play it. Sex or tears? Whichever one worked would suffice.

‘I don’t know what’s been said, but I won’t call off the wedding. If this is about money, I’ve already told Jonah I’ll sign a pre-nup.’ Not that she had any intention of doing that either.

‘You’ve