to tell him someone was at the door.
Tay wasn’t expecting anything to be delivered. He went over to the window and peeked through the vertical blinds. He saw a couple of cameramen, two men and a woman standing with them. Shit. How the hell had they found out where Ink was? The buzzer went again and Tay turned the volume right down. He went back to Ink and lay at his back.
“Was that the doorbell?” Ink asked.
“The press is outside.”
Ink gasped and rolled over to face him. “How do they know where I am?”
“I don’t know. The hospital thought you were my brother, but I never gave them an address.”
“The police?”
“I haven’t spoken to them and they wouldn’t tell the press.”
The banging on the door to the flat made them both jump. Tay sat up and Ink gingerly pushed himself to a sitting position at his side.
“They’ve got through the front door,” Tay whispered. “Who’d let them in?”
Ink sighed. “Oh God. It’s probably the guy who lives above you. Juris. The one I asked to turn the music down. If he saw me on the TV, or YouTube, he might have given the press this address.”
“You think they’ve discovered your past?”
“I doubt it. There’s a lifetime anonymity order on me. I was named at the trial because the press argued they couldn’t report the case in context if they didn’t reveal I was Ru’s brother, but after that, I disappeared into the system. This is probably just about Covent Garden.”
“And if it’s not?”
Ink scratched at his wrist. “I… Only Carter and a few others know Ink Farrow was once Killian Byrne. The others wouldn’t risk revealing who I was. It’s their job to keep me safe.”
“Except you ran when they failed to do that.”
The banging at the door continued.
“I could go and see what they want,” Tay said. “Tell them you’re not here.”
“Where did you take me after we snuck out of the hospital? They’ll know I was too weak to go anywhere. The Uber driver didn’t see my face, and he dropped us at the end of this street, but maybe they traced him.”
“They wouldn’t be able to access anything about him. It’s more likely the guy upstairs saw us coming back and even though your face was swathed in bandages, he guessed it was you. He didn’t even have to have seen that. You were here a few days ago. Enough for the press to come sniffing around.” Tay exhaled. “What about giving them an interview?”
“No. I want it all to go away. I can’t speak to them. I won’t. It’s asking for trouble.”
“Do you trust me?” Tay grabbed Ink’s hand and stopped him worrying his wrist.
Ink gave him a sad smile. “Haven’t I proved that I do? I told you my name. The first time I’ve used it in fourteen years.”
“I’ll speak to them. Stay in here.”
“Don’t tell them I’m here.”
Tay closed all four doors in the hallway before he opened the front door of the flat. A woman with a microphone stood there, a guy with a camera on his shoulder behind her and more guys were behind.
“I’m Teresa Day with The Sun newspaper. I’d like to speak to Ink Farrow.”
“He’s not here.”
“I just wanted to ask him what made him decide to tackle the terrorist. He was very brave.”
“He’s not here.”
“How did you feel when he used your crutch?”
“Please stop bothering me.” Tay closed the door and put his ear to it.
“Shit,” he heard her say.
The outer door closed and Tay went into the main room to see them getting into a car. When it had pulled away, he went back to Ink who was lying on the bed.
“They’ve gone.”
Ink nodded. “Maybe. The press are persistent.”
Tay lay down behind him. “This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to find a company to transport the contents of the flat, and hopefully us too, up to my parents’ home in Beadnell. We’re going to leave tomorrow. I’m going to keep you safe.”
Ink didn’t say anything.
“You’re not going to sneak out of here and leave me and Dog,” Tay added.
Ink still didn’t say anything.
“Because that would be cowardly and I know you’re not a coward.” You’re my hero. But it wasn’t the right time to tell him that.
When Ink had drifted back to sleep, Tay went to sit at his desk. It took a bit of doing to find a company that could do the move tomorrow, though he failed to find anyone who also had