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in a few days.”

    “You’re going to have to get your skates on for the second one, though. You’ve not left yourself much time.”

    There was a pause and the line crackled with static as Tom sat down on the tea chest, massaging his temple with his left hand. As he’d thought, Archie wasn’t going to make this any easier for him. But he’d made his decision and he was going to stick to it.

    “I wanted to talk to you about that.”

    “Oh, yeah.” Archie’s tone was immediately suspicious.

    “Thing is, I’m not going to do the other job.”

    “You what?”

    “You heard me. I’m calling it off.”

    “You having me on?”

    “The truth is, Archie, I’m done with this shit. I just don’t want to do it anymore. I can’t do it anymore. I’m sorry.”

    “Sorry?” The word was hammered back into Tom’s ear. “Sorry? What the hell’s that supposed to mean? You do me over and then you apologize? You must be having a laugh. Well, I’m sorry too, sunshine, but sorry just doesn’t bloody cut it. You’re sorry and I’m buggered because I’ve got to deliver two Fabergé eggs to Cassius in twelve days’ time or I’m a dead man. Capeesh?”

    “Cassius?” Tom’s lips formed around the word. He stood up again, his feet sinking into the trash-strewn floor like it was quicksand, his voice a whisper. “That was never the deal. You said it was for some guy called Viktor. A Russian client. You never mentioned Cassius. You know I don’t work for people like that. For him especially. What the hell are you playing at?”

    “Listen, when I took the job I didn’t know it was for him either.” Archie’s voice was calm, soothing even. But to Tom it sounded as if he’d practiced this speech many times, knowing how he would react. “And by the time I found out, it was too bloody late. We were already on the hook. You know as well as I do that you don’t muck Cassius about. Not now, not ever.”

    “Especially if the money’s good, right?” said Tom bitterly. “Has a way of making you forgetful, doesn’t it?”

    “Oh, do me a favor!”

    “What’s your take, Archie? Did he promise you a few extra quid for keeping quiet?”

    “The money don’t come into it. It’s a sweet deal for both of us and you know it. Straight in, straight out with a buyer lined up. You never even needed to know it was for Cassius.” Tom stood with one hand against the wall, his head bowed, the phone pressed to the side of his head. “Felix, I know it’s bang out of order but maybe we should meet.” Archie’s voice was gentle, almost pleading. “You know, go for a pint or something. We can plan the second job, deliver both eggs to Cassius and then move on. If you want to call it a day after that, fine, but we got to do this one thing and we got to do it right.”

    What surprised Tom most was how quickly his answer came. He would have expected perhaps some silent deliberation, some internal dialogue as he considered Archie’s position and the implications of Cassius’s involvement on them both, weighed up the pros and cons of doing nothing or agreeing to follow through on this last job. But his answer was instinctive and immediate and had required no debate.

    “I’m sorry, Archie.” Tom stood up straight, his voice hard. “You should have told me the truth. This is your problem now, not mine. You can have the egg I’ve got as agreed, but then that’s it. I’m out.” He snapped the phone shut and breathed out. There, it was done.
     
    He looked up and flinched. When he had thrown it earlier, the ski mask had snagged on a nail. Now, as it hung there, the empty eye sockets seemed to be mocking him.

CHAPTER FOUR
    LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
18 July—2:23 P.M.
     
    I t was the sound of the engine that finally woke him. It had broken into his dreams and gotten louder and louder until the noise had shaken him awake. The strange thing was that he had this dizzy, floating sensation as if he were still asleep. Then he