Tell Me - Ashe Barker Page 0,66
make a phone call.” He tapped a few numbers into his speed dial, and waited for the call to be answered.
“Jerome? Hello, it’s Tony diMarco. So, that picture—it wasn’t a selfie.” He launched straight in, forgoing the usual niceties and any preamble, He’d heard all the bullshit he was going to accept from Jerome and now he wanted answers. Hard facts. He was ready to demand the information he required, and he wouldn't be taking no for an answer.
He paused, listening as Jerome tried again to pass the incident off as something and nothing. Tony had heard enough and broke into the prepared spiel. “I do know it wasn’t a fucking selfie, because a photograph of me and my sub has been printed off and distributed around my staff, and to my sub’s employer too. This is malicious and I need to know who’s behind it.” Tony listened again, his patience evaporating as Jerome explained the reasons why he couldn't possibly divulge details of the culprit, and he accepted the absolute promise that this particular guest would not be allowed entry again, in any circumstances. He waited until Jerome had completed his speech, then he returned to his original point, his voice low. “Jerome, you know and I know how small the fetish community is. How tight knit. Within twenty four hours everyone will know what’s happened, and the Wicked might as well close down now. The only way you’re going to maintain any credibility is to cooperate with me. I want to know who paid for that photo, and I expect you to find that out for me. If you would, please.”
Tony tossed a quick smile at his audience of two as Jerome spluttered and protested again, but he knew he was going to have his way. The club owner had no realistic alternative, not if he wanted to save his business.
“Here’s how. You’ll offer him money. I know you know who took that picture. You told me you spoke to him. So you’ll go back to whoever it was and tell them that we know they were paid by someone, and we’ll pay them twice as much if they tell us who their customer was. I bet we’ll find that this is one greedy little bastard, he’ll be ready to sell his grandmother. And Jerome, tell him I want that information within the next hour or there’s no deal.”
Tony ended the call and leaned back on the sofa, satisfied for the time being.
“What happens now? What did he say?” Thea was gazing at him, her nervousness showing.
“He’ll phone me back when he has the information I want. So now, Thea, we wait. And while we’re waiting we can discuss your career prospects at Kershaw’s. Why don’t you want to put old Stephen here out of his misery and take over? Kershaw’s is a sound enough investment, and you know the company like the back of your hand.”
“It’s complicated.”
“No, sweetheart, dealing with idiots who put pictures of us under windscreen wipers is complicated. This is just a bit hard to follow. So go on, enlighten me. Enlighten both of us.”
“Just leave it. Please.”
“No. Now don’t get me wrong, if I thought it was what you wanted I’d do everything I could to keep you at Dart indefinitely, but once you’ve knocked us into shape you’d be bored to tears. You need to be running your own ship, not crewing mine, or his. Buying Kershaw’s makes perfect sense.”
“I’m not cut out for it, that’s all.”
“That’s not all. That’s fucking nonsense. Try again.”
Thea hunched at her end of the sofa, and brought her knees up to her chest in a posture Tony considered far too typically defensive for his liking. He let that go for now though and zeroed in on what she had said. “So, what are you cut out for? In your opinion”
“It’s not just my opinion. You said it too. Weeks ago, when we talked about bicycles, and pedalling. I’m a pedaller, not a handlebars sort of person.”
“What’s she on about? What does any of this have to do with bikes for Christ’s sake?” Stephen looked beyond bewildered. They both ignored him.
“Right, but didn’t I also tell you that no business is a one man show. Or one woman show in your case. You know your strengths, as I know mine. So you need to surround yourself with people you can trust who bring other qualities that you don’t have. What is it you’d need to buy in?”
“Everything!”
“No.