Adrian Magson - No Sleep for the Dead

Mitcheson asked, ‘Doing what?’

‘He says I’m to do what she says, go where she wants, stuff like that. He says she wants someone followed and needs a guy who knows the moves, you know?’

‘Moves?’

‘Yeah. The street. How to move around but stay out of trouble. He says he told her I was good for that, and then he tells me if it goes down well, the debt’s paid off.’

‘Why?’

Szulu scowled. ‘Why? ‘Cos this is the Ragga. He don’t need no reasons, man. He just does stuff. It’s all part of his controlling shit…so he can pull strings and make like he runs this business fuckin’ empire. Doesn’t mean he hasn’t got an angle going, which in this case is earning money off the old woman for me being a modern-day slave. Only he ain’t gonna tell me his reasons, is he? All I know is, I do like the woman says, and maybe I’ll get out from under Ragga’s thumb, which is fuckin’ ace with me.’ He shrugged, which made him wince again. ‘You ask me, I reckon he knows stuff about this Grossman woman. Stuff he doesn’t let on about. But that’s Ragga, man. He’s always looking for an advantage.’ He managed what could have been a smile of admiration. ‘First she’ll know about it is when he drops a thunderbolt on her head.’

‘I wouldn’t bet on it,’ muttered Mitcheson. He looked at Riley. ‘She’s quick off the mark, I’ll give her that. Her and her time might be long gone, but she’s cottoned on fast to who the new boys in town are.’

Riley shrugged. ‘Different style, same aims. She needed someone cheap, and Ragga sold her this mutt.’

But Szulu was in full, resentful flow and appeared not to have heard the exchange. ‘Thing is, she never kept me in the loop about nothing. It was like everything was this big secret, and I was driving blind all the time. And there was Ragga always in the background. She even threatened to put in a bad word with him when I questioned her once; said she never put up with disloyalty, not ever. I mean, what was that about? It wasn’t like I was a kid or she owned me… but she acted like she did.’

‘That’s Lottie for you,’ said Riley. ‘Mad as a mongoose.’

‘Bless her,’ Mitcheson agreed. ‘So you don’t know anyone called-’ He looked at Riley.

‘Radnor,’ she put in. ‘Or Michael — he’s a Russian.’

Szulu shook his head. ‘No, never heard of them. Far as I know, Ragga don’t mix with no Russians. Like I said, no-one else was involved.’

‘Okay,’ said Mitcheson. ‘Is that it?’

Szulu nodded. ‘That’s it, man. See, I got the gun in case the Ragga come calling, or maybe the old woman decided to do something crazy. That was all.’ He looked at Riley. ‘I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean no real harm, only… it kind of ran away from me.’ He switched his gaze to Mitcheson and stood up straighter, lifting his chin. ‘That’s straight up, man.’

Mitcheson nodded. He sensed Szulu was telling the truth, it had all poured out so freely. Now he wanted out. ‘Fair enough. So what were you supposed to do after delivering the message?’

Szulu shrugged. ‘Go meet the old witch and tell her I done the deed. Then wait for her to tell me what she wants to do next. Only, I got a feeling she might not make it.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘She’s old, man. And sick. She had some sort of attack at her hotel, and it’s made her even more unpredictable. You want my opinion, she’s running out of juice.’

‘A heart attack?’

‘Don’t know, man. I ain’t no doctor. She got some pills that seem to help, and I’m supposed to pick up some more from a pharmacy, but I can’t second-guess her, you know? All I know is, I got to get away from her and Ragga, or I’m dead meat.’

Mitcheson pulled him away from the wall. ‘Then you’d better get going, hadn’t you? One thing, though.’ He leaned close to Szulu and stared intently at him. ‘You say a thing to Lottie about me and I’ll know. You’d also better not come back here. You dig?’

Szulu nodded and swallowed, not liking what he saw in the other man’s eyes. ‘Yeah, man. I dig.’

They listened to Szulu stumbling down the stairs and out the front door, before Riley turned to Mitcheson and leaned against him with a sigh of relief.

‘Do you believe him — about him being Lottie’s only man?’

Mitcheson shook his head. ‘I’m not sure. You know Lottie: she never employs one man where two or three will do better. But maybe she didn’t have a choice. Could be she’s firing on a low fuel tank. I think you’d better keep an eye out for anyone else who might be working for this Ragga Pearl. Just to be safe.’

‘I don’t want to sound like a helpless female,’ she said softly, ‘but I’m so glad you turned up when you did.’ She reached round behind her and pushed the hand holding the gun away so that he could put it down. ‘Especially before I used that.’

Mitcheson grinned and held her close. ‘Me, too. You’d have probably missed and made a mess of the wall.’

She slapped him on the arm. ‘You rat. You know what I mean.’ She had to crane her neck to look up at him, taking in the familiar easy smile and dark hair, liking the way it curled just behind his ears. ‘You called me your girlfriend.’

‘Did I? Damn. The things I say when I’m under stress.’ He gestured towards the door. ‘Was that the bloke you were watching?’

She nodded, embarrassed that she had been followed all the way home. ‘I thought I’d left him at the hotel with Mrs Fraser — or Lottie, I should say — but he must have seen me leave. He arrived too soon after I got back for it to have been a coincidence. Palmer would be so disgusted-’

He put a finger on her lips to silence her, aware that there was a thin line between relief and a sense of reliving events bordering on hysteria. He made her concentrate on saying hello properly, making up for lost time until they were forced to come up for air. Then he noticed the laptop lying on the floor. ‘Is that yours?’

‘Yes. But I hadn’t got anything else to chuck at him.’ Riley disentangled herself and picked up the machine. She switched it on and was rewarded with the usual hum of activity and the opening tunes. ‘Thank goodness. At least I’ve got some notes I can send Donald. That reminds me.’ She picked up her phone and dialled Donald’s number, and related what had happened along with the discovery that Lottie Grossman was back on the scene.

‘Do you want me to inform the police?’ said Donald. ‘I’m pretty sure there are still warrants out for her.’

‘No,’ said Riley. ‘At least, not yet. It sounds like she’s in a bad way, and the man she’s using has been, well, dissuaded.’ She glanced at Mitcheson and reached out to take his hand.

‘Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.’

‘Thanks, Donald. Actually, it might be worth tapping into that database of yours and seeing if there’s anything on Lottie. I think she’s living abroad, but I wonder if she’s got any resources here.’

‘I’ll do it straight away.’ She heard a keyboard being used. ‘Didn’t she once have a house in Buckinghamshire?’

‘Yes.’ Riley gave him the address and said she’d wait to hear from him, then switched off and turned to Mitcheson. ‘He’ll ring back if he finds anything.’

Mitcheson smiled and took hold of her. ‘Let’s hope he takes his time.’

‘If he doesn’t, I’ll never forgive him. How much time do you have?’

‘Enough. Just.’

Behind them, the cat appeared from the kitchen and sat watching, neat and tidy as if Szulu had never intruded. Riley sensed his presence and disengaged herself long enough to turn and say with a smile: ‘Top shelf tea for you tonight, my brave boy.’