Fear Of Broken Glass

Conrad & Cameron

Justin had noticed Conrad's displeasure as soon as they had entered the homestead. He hadn't really known him that long, a few meetings at the British Embassy. It was long enough to know Conrad Baron wasn't someone you messed around with. He also knew he didn't really like him very much and had his back to the wall, so Justin thought fast, resorting to desperate measures.

He lied: 'Ash wanted to pick her up. She was there in the rain, we nearly drove into her.'

'Why did he pick her up?' Conrad said in a flash.

Justin moved his head back as he sent him a look of surprise. It was obvious. 'He thought she was cute.'

Conrad looked down the corridor to the store door under the stairs. Then taking hold of Justin by the scruff of his neck, he turned and pulled him forcefully to the door, opening it, closing it again behind him, locking it. 'Now, tell me. What the hell is going on?' he demanded, leaning in towards him.

'Nothing more than I already told you.' Justin replied, his voice betraying his fear.

'You invited her, Ash already told me.' Conrad took a step forwards, his face, half-in half-out of shadow.

Justin felt as if the floor fell away beneath his feet. 'She was soaking. She'd been taking photographs on some assignment and was lost, so, we picked her up. Then it was running late, so we offered her something to eat before she hit the road.'

Conrad raised a hand in a silent gesture for Justin to stop talking. 'This is a closed party. The Dane I can understand. But this...' he glanced out of a small square window to where Vikland came into view, talking with a duty officer by the side of the lake. She was pointing to the hill above them. He turned to scowl at Justin. 'A bit of skirt? What the hell were you thinking of?' Conrad shook his head, taking a deep breath. He raised a hand to the bridge of his nose, pinching it, breathing out, closing his eyes. 'Why?' He shouted behind clenched teeth. He tapped the side of his head violently with a stiff middle finger, making Justin recoil in surprise.

He had seen that look before, the taught line of his neck, the stiffness in his head.

'Did you go into the park?'

'What?' Justin looked offended.

'Into Tiveden?'

'We went to see the Pastor at the church. Then we hit the road. We met her only a couple of clicks down the road.'

'You didn't see Thomas this morning?'

Justin scowled at Conrad. 'No, I did not. Did you? Look, I had nothing to do with it.'

'Didn't you? You and Ash...' Conrad stood facing him, face set like winter.

'It was you who wanted us to follow it.'

'It didn't exactly get us anywhere, did it?'

Justin looked away. He shook his head, looking up. 'I hardly knew him. If it wasn't for the money, I wouldn't even be here.'

'You have no idea who Anna Kron is?'

Justin was still trying to understand who she was. Old, that much he knew. His neighbor was old. That made her old too. She had to be. The old man had... he had never mentioned the name Anna. Anna wasn't where Baron had told him she would be. The painting had to be returned to her, the will had said. His neighbor's will. Now he thought about it, it all seemed so contrite, unreal, or... something just didn't feel right. Baron had put pressure on him to come. He had wondered how they had known. Some questions you knew not to ask, he knew they had been interested in his neighbor.

What had the hell been so special about his neighbor?

Thomas was an Art Dealer, he'd needed the damned support. He had talked him into it, Thomas. Thomas thought it looked like a Blake, but it wasn't. And now Thomas was dead.

Thomas had lied to him. Conrad had lied to him.

'No,' he replied. He wanted to go home.

Conrad cursed, looking out of the small window, to where Vikland was finishing saying something, turning to walk back around to the front of the cottage. He looked into Justin, eyes hard. 'I want her out of here as soon as possible.'

Justin looked down. 'Please remove your hand off my jumper.'

***

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