Deadly Business

by Quintin Jardine

  ‘Me too,’ Tom added. I’d heard him sound more welcoming. He was still weighing Liam up.

  Suddenly, I realised that I’d been discourteous. ‘Tom,’ I said. ‘Go and ask Conrad if he’d like to join us, if he’s done with the salad. And Janet, fetch an extra glass, there’s a love.’

  ‘Actually,’ Liam intervened, ‘you don’t need that, Primavera. I don’t drink alcohol.’ I must have looked sceptical, for he went on. ‘Honest, I don’t. I’m your atypical Irishman. I gave it up a few years ago, when I was wrestling. Like most of the guys, I had to take painkillers sometimes, and I found the two don’t mix. When you start using booze to dumb the pain, there’s only one way you go after that. So I stopped, and I found that I felt better for it, even when I quit the game and didn’t need the super ibuprofen any longer.’

  ‘Good for you,’ I told him. ‘What do you drink?’

  ‘Sparkling water will be fine.’

  ‘In that case you can have it in a champagne glass.’

  Conrad joined us a couple of minutes later, after he’d shed his apron and replaced it with a blazer. ‘I’m pleased to meet you,’ Liam said as they shook hands, and glasses were filled. ‘Oz spoke about you a lot. He said that there was nobody else in the world that he’d rather have watching his back … not even Everett Davis.’

  ‘Who’s Everett Davis?’ Conrad asked.

  ‘My old boss in the Global Wrestling Alliance. In billing they usually add a few inches to the performer’s real height, but Everett really is seven feet two inches tall and built like a brick shithouse. He scared me witless even when I knew he wasn’t really going to hurt me. So for Oz to say that about you, my friend, you must be one serious geezer.’

  I’d never seen Conrad look even close to being flustered before, but he was then. ‘No, no,’ he murmured. ‘I’m just a glorified caretaker.’

  ‘Funnily enough,’ Liam said, ‘that’s pretty close to how Oz put it. “There is nothing in the whole fucking world that I wouldn’t trust Conrad to take care of.” That’s a direct quote.’

  ‘In that case, he flattered me. Would you like to know what he said to me about you?’

  ‘I can almost guess, but go on.’

  ‘He said, and I’m quoting now, “Once Liam Matthews decided to stop being an arsehole, he turned into a very reasonable human being, one of the few people in the world I trust.” Again, his exact words, which is why I’m not at all worried about you turning up out of the blue. Anyone else wouldn’t have got over the door without me checking him out, even if this is my boss’s house. The children in my charge live in it, which makes me very responsible.’

  Liam tipped his glass to Conrad. ‘In which case, I’m glad we’re on the same side.’

  We sipped and chatted, but not for long, as the kids still had to be fed and I didn’t want to be too late for my table reservation. When our glasses were empty, I gave Conrad the ice bucket, so that Tom could put a stopper in the cava and return it to the fridge, then led Liam towards the stairs.

  My son was waiting at the top. Something was coming off him in waves; I wasn’t sure what it was, but it touched me. ‘Have a nice evening, Mum,’ he said. But he said it in Catalan. I thought that was rude and I almost made him repeat it in English, but decided against. If anything was festering it wouldn’t have been helped by a public correction.

  ‘What did he say?’ Liam asked, as soon as we were outside.

  ‘He told me to send him a text if things get out of hand, and he’ll be straight across.’

  For a second he thought I was serious, so I gave him the authentic translation. He laughed. ‘You know what, Primavera? That’s what he might have said, but your version is what he really meant.’

  Heads turned once more as we walked through the square. Given what I spent on Ms Versace’s creation, I’d have been disappointed if they hadn’t, although I found myself worrying that it was so close-fitting that the world, including Liam, would know that a mid-forties woman was out on the town with no knickers on. But I realised very quickly that they weren’t only looking at me. My companion was a charismatic guy, something that had passed me by until then.

  One of the turning heads belonged to Alex Guinart. He and Gloria, and Marte, my goddaughter, are regulars in the square on Saturday evenings; they were at a table in Esculapi. He said, ‘Hello.’ What he really meant was, ‘Oh yeah, and who’s this good-looking stranger?’

  I introduced Liam to the family; of course he knew what Alex was from our earlier conversation. ‘Nice to meet you all,’ he murmured, making a point of shaking Marte’s hand too. She put her hand over her eyes and giggled.

  ‘That thing we were talking about,’ Alex digressed, in Catalan again. ‘Are you going to go ahead with a complaint?’

  ‘I was,’ I replied, ‘but things have changed in the last few hours. I could be fighting the guy on another front very soon. I need to focus my attention on that.’

  ‘Well, don’t wait too long,’ he warned. ‘The opportunity won’t be there for ever.’

  ‘I know.’

  He called after us as we left, ‘Have a nice evening.’

  Liam caught the greeting, understood and laughed. ‘Him too, eh?’

  ‘You better believe it. What I said last night on the beach about at least three guys watching you? I wasn’t kidding. I know at least half the people in this square.’

  ‘I’ll bet,’ he said. ‘About those three people. Please regard this as comforting, for I am very firmly among your admirers, but they wouldn’t have been enough.’

  We reached Meson del Conde as he spoke. Jose Luis, the head waiter, greeted us and escorted us into the terrace restaurant, and to our table. He wouldn’t have done that for me alone: he was as curious as the rest of them.

  ‘If you don’t mind me saying so,’ Liam murmured as he left, ‘that is quite a dress. It’s been a while since I saw so many men drool simultaneously.’

  I smiled. ‘Thank you, kind sir. Funny, innit? Go to the beach beyond the Riomar when I’m on it, and they’d find a hell of a lot more of me on show. They might be impressed, they might not, but cover it up in the right way …’

  ‘Cover most of it,’ he countered, his eyes falling from mine. I tracked them downwards.

  ‘Do you like the gold sparkles?’ I asked. ‘I do.’

  ‘I like all of it. But why, given that it was you who set the ground rules?’

  ‘Why am I wearing a “fuck me” dress? Because I paid two thousand dollars for it, thanks to my bloody sister, and I’ve never had an opportunity since to strut my stuff in it. You’re the first man I’ve encountered in years with whom I’ve been able to wear something like this. I feel comfortable with you, Liam; I don’t feel as if I’m being ogled across the table. Does it make you feel uncomfortable?’

  ‘No.’ He chuckled quietly. ‘It makes me feel honoured. And it produces the vestigial memory of a very sore nose.’

  I shot a question at him. ‘Are you afraid of the dark?’

  ‘No, of course not.’

  ‘Then why are you afraid of the dead?’

  He looked into my eyes once again. ‘There’s a difference between fear and respect. What Conrad said that Oz said about me: it wasn’t what I expected. I thought he’d have said, “Good guy, but I wouldn’t trust him with a water melon, let alone my woman.” But he didn’t. I can’t tell you how touched I was to hear that.’

  ‘Why did you come here? Was it just because of what Miles said?’

  ‘Pretty much. I didn’t tell you all of it. After he’d said how cool you’d become, he added something else. He said that often he worries that you’ll become so cool you’ll turn to ice, and then you’ll break, or just melt. That worried me too when he said it.’

  ‘Then he’s wrong. Steel can be cool when you touch it, as cold as ice. So, how long are you staying?’ I asked, as Jose Luis returned with the menus.

  ‘I have no idea,’ he confessed. ‘I’ve booked into the hotel for a week with an o
ption on another. I was hoping that you’d be my tour guide, and show me the best of this area. I’ve been to Barcelona … you know that; Christ, you were there … but you know how my life was then, a maximum of three days in any location, so I know next to nothing about it or about this part of Spain. And I need to, for my book.’

  ‘Yes, your book,’ I repeated. ‘You never did tell me what it’s about.’

  ‘Travel,’ he replied. ‘It’s about the places I’ve been in my wrestling career, and the places I’ve seen, however briefly. I’m writing about them, about the different cultures and mentalities of their people, and about what makes them special.’

  ‘And you’re doing all the photography?’ I guessed.

  ‘You got it.’

  ‘You must have seen a fair few places with the GWA,’ I said. ‘How’s the organisation going these days? The sports entertainment industry isn’t something I keep up with. Nor does Tom. He’s not barred from watching it,’ I added, ‘he doesn’t, that’s all.’

  ‘He’s a purist,’ Liam replied. ‘Any kid who knows what wing chun is is unlikely to be too impressed by the likes of Jerry The Behemoth Gradi.’

  ‘Hey,’ I protested, ‘Jerry’s a lovely guy. His was a life really worth saving.’

  ‘I agree, I agree, and I’m not knocking him. I was talking about his type, the giants, the musclemen. The level of skill that Tom must have, with his belt, he’ll see through everything they do, straight away. As for the GWA, it’s doing fine. Everett’s probably the biggest name in the industry now, in every way, performer and promoter. Starting in Europe and building a brand there was a brilliant idea. When he relocated to the US he was able to take his TV deals with him and ramp them up a notch.’

  ‘And you have no connection at all?’

  ‘Only my shareholding. That’s considerable, and thanks to the big man it pays me a very nice dividend every year. It’s helped to make me a free man. I haven’t really thought about it, but I suppose you could describe me as semi-retired, which is not bad at forty-three years old. You should know; you’re in the same position.’

  I smiled across the table. ‘Won’t see forty-three again, though.’

  ‘You’re kidding. You don’t look a day over forty.’

  ‘Liam,’ I laughed, ‘if you’ve found the courage to try to get into my pants, you’re wasting your time.’ I almost added, ‘Not least because …’ but stopped myself just in time.

  ‘No,’ he said, ‘but it’s a matter of respect, not of courage. Anybody who didn’t want to would be crazy, but I understand how you feel about it, and I’d much rather have you as a friend than a conquest. So, take the compliment for what it is, an honest opinion.’

  ‘Then thank you once again, very much. You are good for a middle-aged lady’s morale. I’d be very happy to show you Barcelona, and even the whole of Catalunya. You may think this place is nice, but there are plenty to challenge it. Only problem being … it can’t be next week. Tom and I have to go to Scotland on Monday. Something’s come up, and I have to do it.’

  ‘How long will you be gone?’ he asked.

  ‘Until next Saturday. I have some business to do, and some family to catch up on while I’m over there. Honestly, when I saw you this morning I didn’t know about it, that’s how suddenly it developed.’

  ‘Nobody’s ill, are they? Nobody close.’

  ‘Apart from Susie, no. But …’ I stopped as Jose Luis appeared beside us, order pad in hand.

  ‘You choose for me,’ my companion said. ‘I’m lousy with menus.’

  ‘Okay.’ I looked up at the waiter. ‘We’ll have the fish soup and baked monkfish, twice. And to drink, sparkling water will be fine. You don’t mind going all pescatarian, do you, Liam?’

  ‘Not a bit. To tell you the truth, these days that’s what I am, mostly. I’m not religious about it, but eating mammals makes me uncomfortable. You were saying,’ he continued. ‘You stopped on a “but” …’

  ‘But the business I have to do is for Susie and involves Susie.’

  ‘Can you tell me?’

  I looked at him. ‘This morning you said you were a shareholder in the Gantry Group, didn’t you?’ He nodded. ‘In that case I don’t think I can. I’ve got insider knowledge of the company, and I’m pretty sure that sharing it would be illegal.’

  He laughed. ‘That sounds intriguing. Are you joining the board?’

  I looked at the table, feeling a flush spread down from my face to fill in the V of my seriously plunging neckline.

  ‘Oh Jesus,’ Liam exclaimed. ‘I’m sorry. I won’t ask you anything else.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said, then added, ‘but feel free to speculate all you like.’

  ‘Mmm,’ he murmured, at my invitation. ‘You told me Susie’s very ill, so if I was to make a guess it would be that whatever your business is with her …’

  ‘For her,’ I corrected him.

  ‘Sorry. Whatever it is, it suggests that she’s having second thoughts about this hasty marriage of hers.’

  ‘Not one hundred per cent, but certain aspects of it, yes.’

  ‘So she’s looking to someone she can trust to help her out.’

  I nodded. ‘Two people. Audrey Kent as well.’

  ‘In which case she’s in good hands,’ he said. ‘You’ll take care of her.’

  ‘We’ll do our best. It may all be plain sailing, but the unpredictable factor is the new Mr Gantry. He knows nothing of this, and he’s decided that he’s my sworn enemy.’

  ‘What can he do to you?’

  I told him about his threat to attack Oz’s memory.

  ‘That’s his plan, is it?’ Liam murmured. ‘Look, Primavera, an enemy of yours is an enemy of mine; he might find that’s a bad place to be. Not to mention being an enemy of Oz … if anyone can reach out from beyond the grave, it’s him.’

  I shivered as he said that, thinking back to my conversation with Conrad a few hours before. Put that back in the box, woman.

  ‘Do you feel uncomfortable,’ he continued ‘about … whatever it is you have to do? Because if you need some backup, you only have to ask, and I’ll be there.’

  I smiled at him, the shiver replaced by a lovely warm feeling. ‘You’d be my knight in shining armour?’ I murmured. ‘Oh, Liam, that’s nice, it really is.’

  ‘There was a time in my life when I’d have been a shite in whining armour,’ he chuckled. ‘But no more, I hope. I mean it, if you need me, say the word.’

  ‘I promise you, if I think that I do, I will. But it would have to be serious; you don’t need to be bodyguarding the likes of me.’

  He winked. ‘Hey, babe, I’d guard your body any time.’

  ‘I’ll bet you say that to all the ladies.’

  ‘Yup, I sure do. Usually it doesn’t get me very far, though … and when it does, invariably I find it wasn’t worth it.’

  ‘Anybody serious since you and Erin split?’

  ‘No. I got burned there; don’t fancy repeating the experience. Maybe I should find myself a nice nun as a companion. Follow your example with the parish priest.’

  I shook my head. ‘I don’t recommend it.’

  ‘What was his name?’

  ‘Gerard. He was a very good friend, and Tom liked him. For a while I thought he might become more than a good friend, but he was a deep and complex man, with a past I learned about from someone else, not from him. Still, there was a time when we might have got together.’

  ‘Any regrets that you didn’t?’ Liam asked.

  ‘None,’ I answered immediately. ‘Relief, more like. He was too bloody serious. I can see now, he was too bloody serious. I like men who make me laugh, but since Oz … died, I haven’t come across a single one of those. I think I felt sorry for Gerard more than anything else. Never fuck anyone out of sympathy or compassion, Liam.’

  ‘You didn’t, did you?’

  ‘Not him, no. Somebody else, though, but he was conning me. I won’t make that mistake again.’

 
‘Me neither,’ he said. ‘By that I mean invest emotionally in the wrong person. Solitude is better than a miserable togetherness. I learned that lesson at home.’ He hesitated, as if he thought that continuing was a serious step; and then he did. ‘My parents hated each other. My dad was a bully who knocked the shit out of me when I was a kid, until he couldn’t any more. He knocked my mother about as well, but she was capable of beating him up with her tongue. And me; I was never spared that, and she kept that up till she died, five years ago.’

  ‘Some upbringing,’ I murmured. ‘Do you have any brothers or sisters?’

  ‘No, it was just me; nobody to share the pain with.’

  ‘Poor kid.’

  ‘Not really; it made me a horrible little bastard as a young man, before Oz straightened me out. You’d have thought it would get better with my mother after my old man died. I hoped it would, but it didn’t. All her venom was for me alone after that.’

  ‘Your father,’ I ventured, ‘he was …’

  ‘Shot by the Proddies? The UVF? That’s what the cops, the RUC assumed, since he was a Catholic, but it’s not true. My uncle killed him.’

  ‘What?’ I gasped.

  ‘My mother’s brother, Bobby McBride: he was an officer in the local Provo brigade. My dad was never involved with the IRA, not because he was anti, purely because he didn’t have the bottle for it. Anyway, one time he gave my mother a particularly bad going over and Uncle Bobby found out about it. She didn’t go to him, he called at our house and she didn’t have time to cover up the bruises. He told my father that if it happened again he was a dead man. A year or so later it did. Uncle Bobby denounced him to his brigade as an informant, and they took his word for it. No trial, no nothing, they just took him into the countryside and shot him, then they dumped his body in a Loyalist area.’

  ‘Rough justice. Had your uncle called in unexpectedly again?’

  Liam’s gaze dropped to somewhere in the middle of the table. I could see behind the spectacles, and his eyes were hard. ‘No,’ he replied. ‘I told him. How about that, Primavera? I called a death sentence down on my own father. And you know what? If Uncle Bobby would have been up for shooting his sister, I’d probably have told him to do that too.’