Майкл Ридпат - The Predator

‘How do you know?’

‘Ian saw him,’ Eric said.

‘ Ian? ’

‘Yes. He told me last week. I was in London and we met up to talk about what had happened to Lenka. He was a real mess. He said that he’d seen Duncan drown Alex ten years ago, but he had kept quiet. Then he’d let it slip by mistake to Lenka. Lenka said she was going to tell people, including you, which, by the way, I assume she didn’t?’

Marcus was careful not to react to this question. ‘Go on,’ he said.

‘So, Ian told Duncan, and before he knew it, Lenka was dead. By the time Ian saw me, he was scared. I mean, really scared. He thought he was next. He said he was going to Paris on business, and he didn’t want to come back.’

‘And then this?’ Marcus nodded at the news report in front of him.

Eric nodded.

‘So who killed Ian? Duncan?’

Eric frowned. ‘Well, that’s the thing. I don’t think it was Duncan. I think it was Chris Szczypiorski.’

‘The Brit who came to see me?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Why do you think that?’

‘Because when I was at the airport coming back here, I saw him at the check-in for flights to Paris. I would have gone over to say hi, but I didn’t want to lose my place in line. By the time I’d checked in, he was on his way to his gate.’

‘So he was on his way to Paris. So what’s the big deal?’

‘It could just be a coincidence. But I’d spoken to him on the phone that day, and he said that he was spending the weekend in London. So he lied to me. Why would he need to do that?’

Marcus looked doubtful. ‘Look,’ said Eric. ‘I’m not sure about Chris. I don’t know what his deal with Duncan is, and I can’t be sure that he killed Ian. But I’m sure as hell suspicious.’

Marcus tried to take it all in. It all added up, apart from one thing. ‘If Duncan did drown Alex on purpose, then why did Lenka tell me that he wasn’t responsible for Alex’s death?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Eric. ‘Perhaps she meant that Duncan didn’t kill your brother by accident. But I do know what Ian told me. He saw Duncan push your brother under.’

Marcus leaned back and rubbed his temples. This was getting complicated. ‘Do you have any proof?’

Eric sighed. ‘No. If I did, I would go to the police. As it is...’

‘So I’m supposed to just believe you?’

Eric smiled. ‘You can believe me if you want. Or not, it’s up to you. I just know you have a right to be told. But please don’t tell anyone I told you. Especially don’t tell Duncan or Chris. They don’t know Ian spoke to me, so I hope I’m safe. But you’re not.’

‘I’m not?’

‘Of course not. Not after Lenka spoke to you. I doubt they’ll stop at Ian.’

‘What are you going to do?’ Marcus asked.

‘There’s not much I can do. Keep quiet. Pretend I know nothing. What about you?’

‘Me?’

‘Yes. You were the one who first suspected there was something going on. Now you’ve found out there was. What are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know. I need proof.’

‘If I get proof, I’ll let you have it,’ said Eric. ‘But I’m not going to go looking for it.’

‘I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ said Marcus.

‘Well, I’ve got to go back to London tomorrow. Another damned deal. If you do decide to go over there, give me a call on my cell phone. I might be able to help you. Discreetly. Here’s my card.’ Marcus took it and slid it in his pocket without looking at it. ‘I do know somebody has got to do something. Think about it.’

With that, Eric took a five-dollar bill out of his pocket, left it on the table, and stood up to leave. ‘Be careful,’ he said, and pushed past Carl on his way to the exit.

Marcus followed him, unfocused, his brain trying to take in what he had just heard. Did it make sense?

Chris came into work early the next morning. He and Ollie had to revalue the portfolio. This revaluation was necessary to determine the price at which Amalgamated Veterans’ investment would be transferred to Royal Bank of Kuwait. This was an easy task for the government bonds, but the junk bonds had much murkier prices, and Eureka Telecom had the murkiest of them all.

By nine thirty, they had all the prices bar Eureka Telecom. Exchanging glances with Ollie, Chris dialled Ian’s number. Even though he knew Ian was in Paris, he still asked for him by name; that way he would make sure he spoke to whoever was covering for him. As he was put on hold, he wondered what number Bloomfield Weiss would come up with. He wanted as low a price as possible. The more Rudy lost, the happier Chris would be, and the more profits RBK would make when the market bounced back.

Eventually, the phone was answered. ‘Chris? It’s Mandy. Mandy Simpson.’

Chris remembered her as a junior salesperson when he had been at Bloomfield Weiss. She was probably a top producer by now.

‘Hi, Mandy, how are you? I didn’t know you were covering for Ian.’

‘I’m not. I’m just talking to you because I know you.’

Chris recognized from her tone that something was very wrong.

‘What is it, Mandy?’

‘It’s Ian. He was murdered the night before last. In Paris.’

Chris closed his eyes. He knew it. He just knew it.

‘Chris?’ Mandy said.

‘Sorry. Any idea how it happened?’

‘He was stabbed, apparently.’

Oh, Duncan, Duncan! ‘Stabbed? Did the police catch who did it?’

‘Not as far as we know. But we don’t know much.’

‘Jesus.’

‘I’m sorry, Chris,’ Mandy said. ‘I know you two were friends.’

Some friend, Chris thought. But even though he was virtually certain that Ian was responsible for the deaths of two people, Chris was surprised to feel a wave of sadness sweep over him.

‘OK, Mandy. Thanks for telling me,’ and he hung up.

Ollie was listening in. He was white. ‘Oh, my God,’ he said.

Chris exhaled. ‘Precisely.’

Duncan had killed him. The stupid bastard! The second Chris had told Duncan about Ian, Duncan had jumped on a plane, gone to Paris, found Ian and killed him. Knowing Duncan, he wouldn’t have been too subtle about it either. He’d probably be in jail within twenty-four hours.

‘Ollie, can you give me a moment? I need to make a phone call.’

Ollie scurried back to his desk, still in a state of shock. Chris called Megan and told her the news.

‘It must have been Duncan,’ she said.

‘I’m afraid so.’

‘That guy’s a psycho. I knew it all along.’ There was an undertone of ‘I told you so’ in her voice, but then Chris had to admit, she had told him so.

‘You’re right,’ Chris said. ‘I bet the stupid bastard will get caught.’

‘I’m not covering for him again,’ Megan said.

‘No, not this time. Not if he did it.’

‘Do you think we should go to the police first?’

Chris sighed. ‘No. Let them come to us. This could all get very messy. They’ll have to investigate Lenka’s murder, and Alex’s, and we could still get in trouble for the cover-up there. You’re right, we shouldn’t lie, but I think we should wait for them to ask us the questions before we answer them.’

‘OK. I must say, I’m relieved.’

‘Relieved?’

‘Yeah. Now Ian’s... gone. No more people creeping around my bedroom. No more dead bodies. And I hate to say it, but if he did kill Lenka, he got what he deserved.’

‘Yes,’ said Chris flatly.

‘What is it? You don’t sound convinced. You do think it was him who killed her?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

‘But you’re not absolutely sure?’

‘No. Are you?’

‘I don’t see how we can be. We’ll just have to wait and see what the police dig up.’