by Dan Latus
‘None at all. But that happens from time to time.’
‘Where’s it going?’
‘France – Marseilles.’
That really got the gears in my head working hard. Marseilles, eh? Where the mysterious Blue might be from.
Then something else came to mind. Almost with horror, I recalled what Jac had said about Senga being involved with a French guy a little older than her. Coincidentally, that would make him the same sort of age as Blue. Coincidentally? Two separate Frenchmen on the scene, both involved with the Steele family?
Or was there only the one? Surely not. Was that possible? It couldn’t be!
But it could, I thought with grim realism, even if she had sustained a black eye.
After all, how much did I really know about Senga, the wild child of Jac Picknett’s acquaintance? Next to nothing, basically.
How come she was even here? Being Tom Steele’s aunt didn’t seem to explain it. Even Josh had been astonished to learn she had joined us in that remote Northumbrian village.
No, poppycock! Ridiculous. What was wrong with me? It was just coincidence. It had to be.
‘Right,’ I snapped. ‘I’m coming with you, Josh, when you make Logan your offer.’
‘You’re not!’
‘I am. Get the bloody meeting arranged.’
Chapter Thirty-Four
Logan wanted to meet at a convenience hotel north of the river, just outside Billingham. Josh looked at me. I nodded agreement. Josh said yes, and put the phone down. We would meet Logan the next day at noon, the venue and the time both his choice.
‘Do you know the place?’ Josh asked me.
I nodded. ‘It’s nothing special. Just part of one of those nationwide chains.’
‘Is it safe?’
‘Safer than your house,’ I said with a grin.
He chuckled and switched on his phone again. ‘I’ll call my head of security. Get him to take a few of the boys there for protection.’
‘No,’ I said sharply, shaking my head. ‘You do that, and Logan won’t show up. We want him there.’
Josh paused, index finger poised over the keyboard. ‘Why won’t he?’
‘He doesn’t need a pitched battle in a public place. He knows he’s got us on the run. Thinks he has, anyway. He can dictate terms.’
‘What if he brings a team of his own?’
‘We can handle it.’
‘How?’
‘By making him believe he’s going to get what he wants. We’re not going to make trouble – not at the meeting, at least.’
Josh didn’t like it. But he switched the phone off, the call unmade. Then he walked across the room to stare out of the window, watching the light fade.
‘Logan doesn’t want you,’ I pointed out. ‘He wants either Tom or your business. Maybe both.’
‘Aye, you’re right,’ Josh said with a weary sigh.
We sorted out a few details. Then I set off for Risky Point. Tom decided to stay in Marton with his folks, after all. That suited me. I sensed we were moving into the end game now. I preferred being free of encumbrances, which is what Tom was. If I was to sort all this out, Tom had to be parked somewhere safe, where he would be looked after. Leaving him in Marton gave both Josh’s security team and Anne something to do.
Somehow the situation seemed much simpler now. Admittedly, Tom was at risk still, and so was Josh’s business. Logan remained at large, as did Blue and his boys, and presumably revenge and aggrandisement were still on the agenda. That was the downside.
On the upside, the fact that Logan was interested in negotiating at all indicated that the situation wasn’t black and white. He wasn’t in nihilistic mode. There were things he wanted that he still hadn’t got. That made the situation, from Josh’s point of view, potentially open to reason and negotiation – and, hopefully, solution.
My own position was a little different to Josh’s. I wasn’t entirely on his side. I did want to secure Tom’s safety, but I wasn’t going to allow Josh to continue to support a criminal enterprise. In particular, I was determined that the ss Anne was not going to sail on the first of December and deliver stolen plant and equipment to foreign criminals. Somehow I was going to stop that. Somehow.
That still left a lot of uncertainty, of course. Like how to do it.
I needed to satisfy Bill Peart, as well, and keep him happy without sending Josh and Anne down in flames.
I had no idea if it was all going to be possible. We would just have to see. One step at a time. First, I would attempt to get Logan off Tom’s back, and off Josh’s as well.
There was also Senga and her Frenchman to think about. What to make of that? Nothing or something?
All in all, my plate was full.
Blue took the call with some trepidation. He explained the situation as best he could. The response wasn’t long in coming.
Enough! he was told. If you need to, get rid of him. It’s up to you. Use your discretion.
So that was that, he thought with satisfaction. The way ahead was clear now.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Senga was waiting for me at Risky Point, which was a surprise.
‘Where’s Tom?’ was the first thing she asked as she got out of her car to join me.
‘He decided to stay in Marton, after all. I think he wanted to reassure Anne that he was all right. Probably he wanted to see more of Julie, as well.’
She nodded.
‘So what are you doing here?’ I asked. ‘You couldn’t trust me to get Tom back safely?’
She grinned. ‘Not only that.’
‘Oh? Well, now you’re here, how about coming inside?’
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
First, we had a look over the cliff edge at the raging sea. It wasn’t high tide, but that wasn’t far off. The vast waves boomed like cannon fire as they hit the base of the cliff and the spray almost reached us some three hundred feet higher. A lesser spirit might have shuddered.
‘How wonderful!’ Senga said, grabbing my arm.
I nodded, pleased. But, then, I’d always known she would like it here. Hadn’t she told me herself that she liked living on the edge?
‘We live dangerously here,’ I said, turning away to lead her back to the cottage, ‘just as you prefer.’
She laughed.
‘Who lives in the other cottage?’
‘Jimmy Mack, an old friend. He’s an almost retired fisherman.’
‘Isn’t it difficult to be a fisherman and live on a cliff top?’
‘Yep. That’s why he’s almost retired. Mind you, on a good day I still help him get out in his boat.’
‘Where is it?’
‘At the foot of the cliffs. There’s a path down there. Well, not exactly a path, but you can get down there. It’s a bit of a scramble, mind.’
‘Can we go…?’
‘Not today,’ I said quickly. ‘I’m cold and I’m tired.’
She laughed and tucked her arm into mine. I saw Jimmy Mack watching from his doorstep. He lifted a hand in greeting and Senga gave him a wave back.
‘Don’t encourage him,’ I said.
She laughed happily.
I didn’t feel quite as light-hearted as she obviously did. I still had the meeting with Logan to look forward to. There were also my newfound doubts about Senga to process. All the same, the immediate pressure was off, and I didn’t mind admitting it was good to have her there with me. I just hoped my suspicions turned out to be as ridiculous as I had begun to think they were in her presence. I’d been wrong about people before. Plenty of times.
Between us, we put together a supper. It didn’t look like much to start with. Just some pasta, salami, cheese, a baguette out of the freezer, a bowl of olives, a salad Senga made from a few vegetables in the dark corners of the fridge … Suddenly the table was overloaded. I added a bottle of Chianti.
‘My!’ Senga said admiringly. ‘You do rather well for yourself here.’
‘Well …’ I p
aused to look at the assembled spread. I was impressed. ‘One does try.’
We got started. Conversation did, too. I asked her about her work, her art.
‘I’m a painter,’ she said simply.
‘Professional?’
She nodded. ‘Well, I make a living out of it. Sort of. Not a very good living. That will have to wait until I’m dead, and the value of my paintings goes through the roof. But I manage. I do a bit of casual driving for Josh, as well. That helps financially.’
‘Ah! So it was you driving the Audi when they brought the Volvo?’
She laughed. ‘Yes, that was me. I wanted another look at you!’
‘You should have got out of the car. I could have given you an autographed photo. How do you know Jac Picknett, by the way?’
‘Oh, we go back a long way, Jac and I. We met at art school, and since then we’ve bumped into each other from time to time. I’ve even exhibited in her gallery. She lived much like me to start with, but eventually she decided she would rather run a gallery than try to eke out a living from her own paintings. She’s done well, too.’
I nodded. Senga’s story was what I had expected to hear. It was a good story, too. People who follow their star deserve respect. It’s a rare person that can do that for more than five minutes.
‘You live locally?’
‘Great Broughton, a village near Stokesley. I rent a little place there.’
‘So you paint landscapes?’
‘No, not at all.’ She shook her head. ‘My work is abstract.’
‘Oh?’ I said, letting disappointment into my voice. ‘So you didn’t come here to paint the cliffs?’
She smiled and said, ‘I came to see you.’
‘And Tom, of course?’
‘And Tom. But he’s not here, is he? So I’ll have to make do with you.’
And suddenly we both knew where this was going. Not yet, though. There were still some practicalities to sort out and detain us first.
As for my doubts and suspicions about her, well, they hadn’t entirely disappeared. They were still there. It was just that they were not quite so pressing. They didn’t seem to matter so much now I was home in Risky Point.
‘I’m going with Josh to meet Logan tomorrow,’ I told her.
‘Oh?’ Her eyebrows rose with surprise. ‘What to do?’
‘I’m hoping we can negotiate a deal that will lift the threat to Tom.’
‘By?’
‘Josh wants to give Logan the proceeds from this forthcoming sailing.’
‘What – all of it?’
‘Yes. We’re talking big money, apparently, but if it gets Tom off the hook …’
Senga frowned thoughtfully. ‘The total shipment will be worth many millions of pounds.’
‘So I understand.’ I shrugged. ‘Josh seems to be able to afford it.’
She was non-committal.
‘There’s something else to consider, as well,’ I added, watching her closely for any signs of a reaction.
‘What’s that?’
‘I understand there’s a French connection this time. There’s a special consignment that Logan won’t tell Josh about. It’s going to Marseilles, apparently.’
There wasn’t a flicker. She just shrugged and said, ‘How do you know that?’
‘Josh told me. He knows it’s coming, but he doesn’t know what it is. What I’m wondering is if that special item is coming with its own protector.’
‘Is that likely?’
‘It’s certainly possible, given where it’s going. If there really is a mafia connection, I would say it’s even likely. I also believe their representative could well be Blue – or Monsieur Bleu, as they might know him.’
To an extent, of course, I was fishing. And I saw nothing in her face to indicate any knowledge of what I was suggesting. If anything, she seemed uninterested in all the speculation, even weary of it, which I found encouraging.
She looked at me now and grimaced. ‘Oh dear! Please be careful tomorrow, Frank, won’t you?’
We looked at each other for another moment or two. Then she eased herself up from her chair and came into my arms. All our problems were left then for another day.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Despite my warning, Josh had arranged to have a security team in the vicinity. I spotted them as soon as we rolled into the car park. Oh well, I thought with a grimace. No doubt Logan would have people here, as well.
‘They stay out of it,’ I said.
‘What? Who?’
‘Don’t come over all innocent with me, Josh. It doesn’t suit you. Before we get out of the car, I want you to phone Marty and tell him they are only to appear if you call them. I don’t want to risk this meeting getting off to a bad start. OK?’
He shrugged but didn’t argue. Instead, he took out his phone and delivered the instruction.
‘One other thing, Josh. Treat this as a proper negotiation. Bargain with Logan. Don’t just give him everything he wants at the outset. If you do, he’ll walk right over you. Be businesslike about it. OK?’
He grinned. ‘Right, boss!’
‘I mean it, Josh. Don’t show your hand at the outset.’
‘It’s my son we’re going to be talking about,’ he pointed out testily.
‘And I want him to stay alive almost as much as you do.’
Having got that point over, we sat in silence for a moment. If I could have got away with it, I would have come alone. My worry was that Josh would be so emotional he would blow it.
Still, it was too late for wishful thinking or regrets. Josh was here. I’d just have to make sure we played our hand well. It wasn’t a great hand, but it ought to be possible to win a few tricks with it. That was all I really wanted, and hoped for, from this encounter.
That, and to play myself in with Logan.
Josh knew I wanted to secure Tom’s future, but he didn’t know what else I wanted. And I wasn’t going to tell him. ‘Ready?’ I asked.
Josh shrugged. ‘Yeah.’
‘Let’s go, then.’
It was the kind of hotel where you had to wonder how they stayed in business. Midday in midweek, and scarcely a guest in sight. The reception staff would have been bored out of their minds if they hadn’t been able to play games on their computers.
Josh had booked a meeting room. We were shown to it. Logan had not arrived yet. That gave me the opportunity to check it for bugs and other hazards. Josh watched with astonishment.
‘You can’t be too careful,’ I told him. ‘And this is one of the things I do for a living.’
He shook his head and said nothing.
We waited. Josh ordered coffee. We waited. The coffee came. I sat down with mine. Josh paced up and down with his. We waited.
‘How much longer?’ Josh asked, running a hand through what was left of his hair.
‘Relax, Josh. Sit down. We’re staying for as long as it takes. We don’t want to give him any excuse for backing out. Order a newspaper if you’re bored.’
Instead he phoned his security chief, who said nobody had arrived in the car park yet.
‘He’s not coming!’ Josh fumed at me.
I shook my head. ‘You’re wrong. He’s already here.’
‘What? Marty said—’
‘He’s here, Josh. He’s just letting you worry yourself to death. It’s a good tactic.’
He snorted, and began to walk up and down even faster. I was content to play the waiting game. They were not going to unsettle me.
‘By the way, Josh, what do you know about this French connection Logan has?’
He just looked at me.
‘You told me about it. Remember?’
‘I don’t know anything about it. Just that Logan is intending to send something to Marseilles. Why?’
I shrugged. ‘It’s interesting. I’m wondering what it can be.’
He shook his head and continued pacing up and down. Nothing to do with him, he seemed to feel. That lack of curiosity was pro
bably what had got him into trouble in the first place.
‘Something else, Josh. Does Senga have a stake in the business?’
‘What business? My business, you mean?’
I nodded. He stared at me as if I wasn’t right in the head.
‘She drives cars for you, I believe?’
He snorted and said, ‘That’s all she does. How could she possibly have any involvement?’
‘I don’t know. Just asking.’
He stared at me suspiciously. ‘What’s on your mind?’
‘Nothing. Well, Senga, I suppose. She’s single, is she?’
‘As far as I know.’
‘No boyfriend?’
‘Look, Frank, she’s Anne’s sister for God’s sake! That’s all I know about her.’
‘What about the French boyfriend? Know him?’
I got the impression this was driving him crazy. He glowered at me and shook his head again.
‘Ask Anne, if you want to know anything more about her – not that she’s likely to be able to tell you much. Senga goes her own way. I don’t know if the thing with the French bloke is still on or not. Ask Anne.’
I yawned. ‘Just asking. Filling in the time. We could play snap instead if you like?’
Josh didn’t think much of that either. But at least I had confirmed that there was or had been a French guy in Senga’s life. Jac had been right about that. It was something to think about.
Half an hour after the scheduled meeting time, the door suddenly opened and in came the man I assumed was Logan, accompanied by the man I knew to be Blue.
Josh spun round.
Logan paused in the doorway, eyes fixed on me, and demanded, ‘Who’s he?’
‘My associate, Mr Doy,’ Josh snapped back. ‘Who’s he?’ he added, with a nod at Blue.
‘Blue, his staff sergeant,’ I said when it didn’t look like Logan was going to answer. ‘Or is it Monsieur Bleu?’
Blue gave me a cold, hard look.
I smiled back at him. ‘We’ve already met a couple of times, haven’t we?’
He didn’t reply.
‘Anyone else coming?’ Logan asked.
‘Not that I’m aware of,’ I said. ‘Let’s get started. Coffee’s on the table over there.’
Logan and Blue sat down across the table from me. Neither bothered with the coffee. Perhaps they suspected we’d doctored it.