The Lost Testament

74

Angela had only heard Bronson’s half of the conversation, but she’d been looking at the screen of his laptop throughout, and had a pretty good idea what was going on.

‘I saw a couple of pictures of me,’ she said, pointing at the phone which was still connected to the USB port on Bronson’s laptop. ‘I presume those were on that mobile?’

‘They were,’ he confirmed, ‘along with some details of the contract taken out on you here in Spain. Dead, you were worth fifty thousand euros, providing the killer could recover the parchment as well. Your value seems to be increasing.’

‘It’s not really a laughing matter, Chris,’ Angela said.

‘It isn’t, and I’m not,’ Bronson said. ‘However, I think what’s interesting is that the increased fee means the opposition are getting more desperate to recover that parchment.’

Angela nodded.

‘So what do we do now?’ she asked.

‘For the moment, nothing. I’ve asked Billy to try to find out where the call was made from when I heard Stebbins on the line. If he can do it, that’s probably where we’ll find him, alive or dead.’

Angela shuddered.

‘Do you really think they’ve killed him?’

‘I don’t know,’ Bronson replied. ‘I’m hoping they might be keeping him on ice, because they must know that he’s now the only bargaining counter they have left. The one hope they have of finding us — or rather of finding you and the parchment — is if we try to rescue Stebbins.’

‘But if they are holding him alive somewhere, in a warehouse or house or somewhere, how the hell can we rescue him? There could be half a dozen or more armed men waiting there, just hoping that we’ll show up.’

‘Right now,’ Bronson said, ‘I haven’t the slightest idea.’