Stephen Leather - Tango One

He went over to her and brushed her cheek. She murmured but didn't wake up. He leaned over her and blew gently in her ear.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

She opened her eyes and squinted up at him.

"Oh, hi Den. Sorry- I was waiting up for you."

"You didn't have to. But thanks."

Louise sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"How's Robbie?" Donovan asked.

"He went to bed at ten," she said.

"Made me promise to get you to go and say goodnight when you get back.

What time is it?"

"Late. Go on, you go off to bed and I'll make up the sofa."

She stood up, then lost her balance and fell against him. He caught her, his hands instinctively slipping around her waist. She looked up at him, her mouth only inches from his, and before he knew what he was doing Donovan was kissing her. His tongue probed inside her mouth and she responded, grinding her hips against his, then just as quickly she pushed him away, gasping for breath.

"I'm sorry," said Donovan.

"It's okay," she said, brushing the hair from her eyes.

"No, that was stupid." He realised that he was still holding her around the waist and he released his grip, but she made no move to back away from him.

"After what you went through with that guy, the last thing you want is some man mauling you."

"It's not that, Den. Honest. And you're not just some man." She kissed him on the cheek, close to the mouth, then slid her hand around his neck and kissed him again, softly on the lips.

"When she broke away this time, it was slowly and with a soft caress along his cheek.

"It's just that with Robbie next door, and everything else. Now's just not the time." She gestured around the flat.

"And this isn't really the place. It wouldn't feel right. Do you understand?"

Donovan smiled.

"Sure. He's already caught one parent in the act."

"You know what I mean, though?"

"I know exactly what you mean. Now off to bed, I'm knackered."

"Everything's okay?"

Donovan nodded.

"Everything's just fine. Couldn't be better."

The shower was running when Tina got up so she made toast and coffee and had the table set by the time that Donovan came into the room.

"Robbie up yet?" he asked.

Tina shook her head. Donovan knocked on his son's bedroom door and shouted for him to get out of bed. He sat down at the table and bit into a piece of dry toast.

"Do you want to do something today?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Shopping. The zoo."

"The zoo?" laughed Tina.

"You know what I mean. Get Robbie out of the house."

"I'm going to have to go out for a while," said Tina.

"But in the afternoon, sure."

"Anything I can help you with?"

Tina shook her head.

"Shopping. Woman's stuff. I won't be long. How did it go yesterday?"

"Better than I'd hoped," said Donovan. He drank his coffee.

"I got the money back. The money my wife cleared out of my bank accounts."

"Den, that's great news. That's brilliant."

"It's better than a kick in the head. I've paid off the guys who were after me, so I'm almost free and clear."

"Almost?"

"Just one more deal."

Tina sat down at the table.

"Can't you stop now? You've got your money back."

"I've got to see this one thing through, Louise. Too many people will lose money if I pull out now."

Tina reached across the table and held his hand.

"Den…" she said.

The bedroom door opened and Tina pulled back her hand. Robbie walked out, dressed in a Simpsons T-shirt and jeans.

"Hey, just because it's Sunday doesn't mean you don't shower," said Donovan.

"Can't I have breakfast first?"

Donovan waved at him to sit at the table.

"Do you want me to cook?" asked Tina.

"I've got bacon and sausages."

"I'll do it," said Donovan.

"You go get your stuff."

Tina picked up her bag and left. She walked to the main road and caught a black cab to an Internet cafe. She kept glancing over her shoulder but knew that there was no reason for anyone to be following her. Donovan trusted her completely. Trusted her with his only son.

She paid the taxi driver and went inside the cafe. It was one she'd used several times before to file reports to Hathaway.

Tina sat at the computer terminal and lit a cigarette. Two schoolgirls at the next terminal were giggling to each other as they sent messages to a chat room, while a teenage boy at a machine in the corner kept looking around guiltily and turning his VDU so that no one else could see what he was looking at.

A waitress brought over a cappuccino and put it down next to Tina.

"Are you okay there?" she asked in a New Zealand accent.

"You know what you're doing?"

Tina forced a smile.

"Technically," she said.

"I'm sorry, but it is no-smoking here."

"Okay. Sorry." Tina took a long drag and prepared to stub it out.

"No worries," said the waitress.

"If no one complains, I don't care. I'm a twenty-a-day girl myself.

But if you see a sour-faced guy with acne, that's my boss, so get rid of it quick, yeah?"

"Thanks," said Tina gratefully. She waited until the waitress had gone before logging on to Hathaway's website. Over the past few days she'd heard enough one-sided telephone conversations to get a rough idea of what was going on. She'd heard Donovan talking to someone called Charlie, and they'd discussed Turks and a plane. He'd spoken to someone called PM about money being transferred, and she kept hearing him talking about 'gear' and 'heroin'.

Donovan was putting together a major deal and it was going to happen the following day. Tina wasn't sure where, though she'd heard Donovan say 'airfield' several times, so she'd assumed it was coming in by plane. As he'd said 'airfield' not 'airport', Tina thought that must be significant. It wasn't coming into Heathrow or Gatwick.

Tina began to type, then she hesitated. For the first time in three years of being undercover she felt guilty about what she was doing. She took no pleasure in betraying Den Donovan.

Donovan and Robbie were watching television when Louise arrived home.

"Get everything you wanted?" asked Donovan.

Louise held up a Safeway carrier bag.

"Do you still want to go out?" she asked.

"Dad said we could go to the Trocadero and play video games if it's okay with you," said Robbie excitedly.

"Fine by me," said Louise.

"Let me put this stuff away and we're out of here."

They drove to Central London in the Audi and spent the best part of two hours in the Trocadero, with Robbie rushing from machine to machine.

Several times Donovan caught Louise watching Robbie with a wistful look on her face.

"You never wanted children, Louise?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said.

"I thought all women had maternal instincts."

"Yeah, well you never met my mother," said Louise.

"My family situation isn't something I'd wish on any kid."

"Just because you had a rough time doesn't mean your kids will.

Sometimes we learn from the mistakes our parents make."

"Yeah, and sometimes we repeat them. I'm not sure if it's worth the risk."

They watched as Robbie went over to a racing video game and sat in its bucket seat, expertly guiding a computer-generated car through a series of sharp turns.

"I wouldn't mind kissing you again," said Donovan.

"Sometime."

Louise turned and looked at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Where did that come from?" she asked.

Donovan shrugged.

"I just wanted you to know, that's all. Things are a bit crazy just now, but in a few days everything will be sorted. Maybe then…"

"Maybe then what?"

"Bloody hell, Louise. Don't make me beg. I'm only asking for a date."

Louise laughed.

"We'll see."