Eye for an Eye (27 page)

She lurched
against him in the lift, staggered a bit as they climbed the
stairs, and he took her arm when they were out on the roof itself.
The view towards the lake was the same as from his apartment, but
up here they could see 360 degrees around them with all the noises
and breezes from the streets drifting up to meet them.

‘Wow, it’s
magical!’ breathed Robyn. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. Listen
to the roar of the city, isn’t that just so cool!’

‘You like that,
do you? Come round here, Robyn, I’ll show you the hot tub.’

He guided her
to a screened-off space, unlocking the door to reveal a covered spa
pool in the middle.

‘How’s that for
a pool with a view? Why don’t you try it out, Robyn, the water’s
just right. It’s like taking a hot bath out in the open air.’

‘Oh but we
haven’t got our togs,’ she giggled. ‘Oops, I mean bathing suits. Is
it all right to skinny-dip? Suppose we get caught?’

‘I tell you
what, Robyn, if you dare to get in naked, I will too.’ Colwyn took
the cover off the pool and challenged her with a look. He suspected
she’d be easy enough to manipulate in her woozy state.

‘Damn, I could
never resist a dare! OK, here goes! Last one in is a ratbag!’

She peeled off
her clothes and dropped them beside the tub, hurriedly sliding over
the edge and into the water.

He waited till
she’d sat down, then caught her under the chin.

‘I’ll be back
in a minute, Robyn, I’ll just go down and get some towels. Don’t
worry, nobody else has a key.’

Ignoring her
exclamation, he ducked back down the stairs to his apartment where
he could rifle through her purse in well-lit comfort.

He found her
passport, opened it to her information page, and studied the name
beneath her photo. Robyn Taylor, not Robyn Heverill. Born in
Blenheim, passport issued in Christchurch. Profession:
photographer. Yes! A bloody journalist just as he’d suspected. So
Harry was right, and his own suspicions had been correct too. She
had let slip far too many details that marked her as a New
Zealander. Obviously another damned reporter trying to spread the
word about his business activities.

Harry would
have to arrange one of his little accidents, along with whoever it
was she was working with.

His lips
thinned in a cold smile. Or perhaps a perfect opportunity was
unfolding right now. Robyn was up on the roof, with a lot of
alcohol in her bloodstream - nobody would be surprised if she
happened to stumble and fall from the building. Then her story
would be killed with her, and life could go on as he’d planned. All
he had to do was to give her a little nudge. Harry could take care
of the rest.

He replaced all
her belongings exactly as he’d found them, grabbed a bottle of
champagne from the fridge, a couple of towels, and hurried back up
to the roof.

‘Where were
you, you’ve been ages,’ complained Robyn drowsily. ‘This hot water
has just about put me to sleep. Are you getting in or not?’

He debated what
would look most convincing for a police investigation, and decided
he’d better appear to be a full participant. ‘Of course I am,
Robyn. As if I’d miss an occasion like this!’

He kicked off
his shoes and socks, slipped out of his shirt and pants, and
briefly admired the silvery play of the city lights on his naked
body before easing himself into the water.

‘Aaahh, you
can’t beat that, can you? It’s so relaxing. Can I offer you some
champagne?’

‘Not if you
want me to stay conscious. I’ve had a bit too much to drink already
I think.’

Colwyn smiled
to himself. Everything was going his way, as usual.

‘Just a little
drop won’t hurt - the hot water counteracts the effect of alcohol.
You won’t notice a thing.’

‘Really? I
didn’t know that. But then I’ve never been in a hot tub before,
especially with a naked man.’

‘That’s funny,
I’d have thought you’d have been in lots of them.’

‘Oh dear,
you’ve got me. I’m not saying any more on the grounds that I may
incrim..., incrin..., get myself in trouble.’

He moved closer
and put his arm round her wet shoulder.

‘Don’t worry
Robyn, you can trust me, you know that. Nothing you can say would
make me feel any differently about you.’

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

After a while,
she hiccuped gently. ‘Oops, pardies. Oh dear, I don’t think I’m
talking very clearly. Look, Colwyn, I really should go home to bed
and sleep it off. Is that all right?’

‘Yes of course
it is. Let me give you a hand.’

‘Oh you’re so
sweet.’

‘You’re more
than welcome. Come on, let’s get you downstairs.’

He wrapped her
dripping body in a towel and helped her to step out of the tub.

‘Whoops! I
almost slipped!’ She was giggling helplessly under the influence of
the champagne on top of the wine she’d had earlier.

He steered her
towards the edge of the roof where a waist-high parapet skirted the
building. She leaned heavily against his arm, blinking at the city
lights. The wind lifted her hair and tugged at the towel around her
body.

‘Look at that
fabulous view, Robyn. Isn’t that amazing?’

He braced
himself to give her a strong shove.

‘Oh yes, and
look, the guy in that office building is standing right by the
window. I wonder if he’s going to jump!’ She waved vigorously.
‘Cooee! Don’t do it!’ She dissolved into laughter as the man waved
back to her.

Colwyn’s heart
pounded. He’d been about to commit murder right in front of a
witness! What was he thinking? No more spur-of-the-moment
decisions. He’d drive Robyn to the cottage in the morning and Harry
could take care of the rough stuff there, keeping it all at a safe
distance. The solitude of the Kawartha Lakes would be a much better
location for it than his own apartment building. The further away
from his home turf the better. And if the fake phone guy really was
part of the problem, he could be ditched there too.

He carefully
escorted Robyn back to his apartment.

Despite her
murmured protests, he settled her on the couch, and a sleeping pill
dissolved in some hot chocolate soon had her snoring gently while
he made an urgent phone call.

‘Harry? Things
are moving faster than I thought. I’m going to take the girl up to
the cottage tomorrow. Have you got that so-called phone guy she’s
living with? Bring him along and you can deal with the pair of them
up there. She has no idea. It’ll be a nice surprise for her to
spend some time with lover-boy for their last few moments.’ His
mouth curved cruelly. ‘You can make it as slow as you like - I know
how much you enjoy that. See you tomorrow.’

CHAPTER
11

Robyn woke next
morning feeling dry-mouthed and thick-witted. It took her several
minutes of staring to figure out that she was in Colwyn’s
apartment, lying on his couch with a quilt covering… she risked a
quick peek underneath… nothing but a damp towel! She racked her
fuddled brain for clues as to what had happened the previous night
but could only remember glimpses of bubbly wine and bubbling water.
What the hell had she done? Surely she hadn’t allowed herself to
get drunk? Had she given herself away?

She levered
herself upright with a groan and started searching for her clothes.
After several circuits of the living room she found them neatly
folded on the floor at the end of the couch, along with her
purse.

She could hear
the sound of the shower running, so she took the opportunity to
call Mike to see if he’d got the information he’d needed. The phone
rang and rang until at last the answer-phone picked up. Robyn made
a face and hung up.

Before she had
the chance to get all her clothes on, Colwyn came out of the shower
looking immaculately well-groomed with every false hair in place.
His stylish pants were well-pressed and his casual shirt emphasised
the colour of his eyes, which narrowed at the sight of her hopping
about tugging up her jeans. He smiled.

‘You’re awake
then, Sleeping Beauty? How do you feel?’

‘Like I was run
over by a truck while I was asleep,’ she complained. ‘Sorry if I
passed out on you last night. Haven’t done that for years. I hope I
didn’t disgrace myself?

‘No, not at
all. Don’t worry about it, I’ve got the perfect cure for what ails
you, Robyn. We’re going for a nice drive in the country to get lots
of fresh air.’

‘We are?’

‘Yes, I thought
I’d take you up to my cottage for the day. It’s right beside a
small lake, in amongst the trees, you’ll love it. Lovely scenery,
perfect peace and quiet, just what you need after a hard night out
in the city. Get yourself dressed and we’ll have breakfast on the
way.’

Robyn gaped
like a stunned mullet, unable to frame a reply.

‘I’ll just use
the loo,’ she muttered, gathering up her purse with the rest of her
clothes and edging past him into the bathroom.

She used the
private refuge to gather her woolly thoughts. What should she
do?

She pulled out
her cell-phone, which was flashing a warning that its batteries
were very low. She turned on the shower to cover the sound of her
voice, and dialled Mike’s number again. Surely he couldn’t still be
out after all this time? Apparently he could. As the answer-phone
picked up, she left a hurried message.

‘Mike! Where
the hell are you, dude? Did you get what you need? If not, don’t
worry because the apartment’s going to be empty for hours. Colwyn’s
taking me up to his country cottage for the day, so you can get in
here for as long as you want. I’ll leave the door like last time.
See you tonight, I hope. Gotta go. Bye!’

She flicked
water over her hair, had a brief wash, and tidied herself up as
best she could before going out to face Colwyn.

‘Right then,
let’s get this show on the road,’ she said, more brightly than she
felt.

‘You’re all
ready? Excellent. The car’s waiting outside.’

‘Huh?’

‘Rental car,’
he explained. ‘It’s not worth owning a car in the city. For what
I’d pay for parking, I can hire one when I need it with none of the
running costs.’

Out on the
street a shiny black Pontiac crouched at the roadside, looking
ready to spring. Robyn’s eyebrows rose.

‘Cool car!
Let’s see what it can do!’

Colwyn pulled
into the stream of traffic with practised ease, accelerating down
the one-way system and onto the expressway. The powerful engine
purred as the miles sped past. Colwyn selected a classical station
on the radio and turned it up loud, relieving them of the need to
make conversation. Robyn found herself dozing off as the car’s
movement lulled her to sleep.

She woke
groggily when they pulled into the parking area of a roadside
restaurant.

‘Stay there,
Robyn. I’ll bring your breakfast out to you.’ Colwyn shut the door
and was gone.

Robyn got out
and followed him. ‘No, wait on! I’m coming inside too! You don’t
know what I want, and besides, I need to pee.’

He acquiesced
with such bad grace that she began to wonder just why he’d wanted
her to stay in the car. Damn this foggy thinking! She’d have been a
whole lot happier if her brain was operating at full strength.

Colwyn chose
seats well away from the counter and they tucked into waffles with
maple syrup, eggs and bacon, and cups of steaming coffee. Robyn
hoped the coffee would help her to stay awake, as her unaccustomed
drowsiness was beginning to bother her.

Once they were
back on the road again she made a determined effort to remain
alert, noting the route they were taking and watching for major
landmarks. Her enthusiasm waned quickly though, and before long she
was nodding off again while Colwyn drove them smoothly to their
destination. The next thing she knew, Colwyn had stopped the car,
pulled on the hand-brake, and removed the keys.

Robyn gasped at
the two storey log-walled lodge that stood before them.

‘This is your
idea of a cottage? I’d call it a mansion!’

He smirked.
‘Cottage is more of a use than a description. Any holiday home is a
cottage, even if it’s a large home winterised for year-round
holidays.’

She could tell
he was being patronising, and was faintly concerned by the cold
tone in his voice.

‘You mean you
can come here in winter? What about all the snow and ice?’

He shrugged
dismissively. ‘The roads get ploughed, and once the lake freezes
you can skate to the other side and find quite a few other houses
and even some shops, though you can’t see them from here. We’re in
the corner of a dog-leg on the lake, perfectly isolated and
peaceful. Nobody will be disturbing us. Now come on inside.’

Robyn climbed
out of the car and stretched, sniffing the rich scent of pine
forest appreciatively. ‘Ooh that’s nice. Isn’t this just so much
better than the city?’

At the far end
of a path beside the house the lake lapped gently at a narrow
jetty, which Robyn hurried to explore. She turned to see Colwyn
watching her.

‘Look at this,’
she called. ‘The water’s so clear you can see right to the bottom!
Are there any boats here we can use?’

Colwyn pointed
vaguely. ‘I believe there’s a canoe in the boat shed over there
along with the fishing gear. Leave it till later, will you?’ She
really didn’t like the tone of his voice now. ‘Come back here,
Robyn, I want to show you round the cottage.’

She came up the
slope slowly, still trying to shake off her lethargy and to figure
out his behaviour.

Colwyn unlocked
the solid front door and pushed her inside.

The hallway
with varnished wood walls was a two-floor atrium, through which
rose a staircase with shapely banisters and a rich maroon carpet. A
stained glass window in a modern design cast multicoloured patterns
of light which were echoed by the thick rug covering most of the
parquet floor.