Shackled by Diamonds

Anna gritted her teeth. She just had to hold her nerve, that was all.

She stopped outside the room. Leo Makarios opened the door and ushered her in.

It was an office, she saw instantly. Lined with bookshelves and predominantly occupied by a vast desk on which stood a PC.

She walked in and stopped. Then turned around and looked belligerently at Leo Makarios closing the door behind him.

It was not a small room, but as the solid wood door snapped shut it suddenly seemed claustrophobically confined.

‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘What’s all this about?’

Her chin lifted, but behind the belligerent expression on her face she could feel herself paling.

Leo was standing there very still, just looking at her.

Quite expressionless.

The dark padded ski jacket made him look even more formidable than he usually looked.

‘I would like you, Ms Delane, to empty your pockets.’

The blood drained from her face completely.

With an effort of will she forced an expression of astonishment to her features.

‘What?’

He did not move. ‘You heard me. Empty your pockets.’

‘No!’ she retorted indignantly, trying desperately to stay in character. She took a harsh breath. ‘What is this? What the hell is going on?’

‘You’ve gone pale, Ms Delane. Even paler than usual. Why is that, I wonder?’

His eyes were resting on her like weights, but she had to keep staring back at him angrily. Not letting her fear show.

But the fear was there, all right—like pickaxes gouging in her stomach.

‘Because I don’t want to be anywhere near you. That’s why! Isn’t it obvious, Mr Makarios?’ she thrust defiantly at him.

Did his eyes narrow very, very slightly?

‘Obvious—or convenient?’

‘What?’

His mouth tightened.

‘Just empty your pockets, please.’

‘No, I will not. What the hell is this about?’

‘Just do it.’

Anna’s expression hardened.

‘How dare you harass me like this—?’

Leo Makarios’s face suffused with instant thunder. His hand slammed down on to the surface of his desk.

‘You will not use that word! Christos—’ He took a harsh, ripping breath. ‘Very well—if you do not wish to empty your pockets, you need not do so.’ He moved his hand, picking up the phone. ‘You can instead let the police search you.’

‘The police?’ With all her nerve she tried to inject as much withering bewilderment into her voice as she could. ‘Are you mad?’ she challenged derisively. ‘I’ve had enough of this!’

She turned on her heel and headed for the door.

It was locked. Between fear and fury she rattled the handle viciously. She could no longer tell whether she was still in character as someone totally innocent, or succumbing to an overriding instinct to run and run and run.

‘Let me out!’

Footsteps sounded behind her across the carpet. Then Leo Makarios was right behind her.

‘Of course,’ he said smoothly. His arm came around her to unlock the door.

The other hand slid into her trouser pocket and drew out the bracelet.

He stepped back.

For one endless second Anna froze. Then she twisted round, pressed back against the door panels. Like a deer at bay, cornered by a ravening leopard.

Leo Makarios was just standing there, hand palm up, a river of fire draped over his long fingers. He was so close to her his presence pressed on her like a crushing dark weight.

For a moment he said absolutely nothing, just hung her eyes with his as if he were crucifying her.

Then he spoke.

Each word a nail in her flesh.

‘Well, well, well,’ he said slowly, and the way he spoke was like acid dripping on her bare skin. ‘So the virtuous Ms Delane—so virtuous she won’t allow her lily-white breasts to be photographed, so innocent she is outraged by a man’s touch on her—all along is nothing but a thief.’

She couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Could only feel the horror spreading through her like freezing water.

Think! Think—say something. Anything…

But every synapse in her brain was freezing.

She watched him walk back to his desk, lay the bracelet on its surface. Then he turned back to look at her.

Fury flashed across his face. Anger so intense she thought it would slay her where she stood. Then, with monumental effort of will, his face stilled.

Behind her back she could feel the hard panels of the door pressing into her. Nowhere to run; nowhere to hide.

Caught red-handed in possession of stolen property. A ruby bracelet worth untold tens of thousands of pounds!

And the only way to clear her name would be to incriminate Jenny.

I can’t! I can’t do that! Whatever happens, I’ve got to keep her out of it!