A Cold Killing (Rosie Gilmour)

by Smith, Anna

  Adrian nodded and raised his glass in a toast.

  ‘To good business,’ he said. ‘Without frontiers.’

  ‘Well put, big man. Our game. Our rules.’ Dunn knocked back his drink.

  Rosie checked her watch again. It was almost midnight. The restaurant was empty apart from one table, and the waiters were hovering near the bar, looking bored.

  ‘We should be getting back.’ Rosie looked at Adrian. ‘We’re flying in the morning, so we have an early drive to Heathrow.’

  Dunn waved the waiter over and Rosie watched as he paid the bill, pulling a wad of notes out of his inside jacket pocket. The tip must have been at least fifty quid. He stood up, turning to Adrian.

  ‘I was going to take you to a club if you fancied it. I have a little share in a place where they have a proper VIP room with no riff-raff and plenty of birds. It’s only twenty minutes away.’ He gave Adrian a playful dig, gesturing to Rosie. ‘You can send the help back to the hotel. You won’t be short of action, big man.’

  Adrian smiled at him, and for a moment Rosie thought he was going to go.

  ‘Next time,’ he said. ‘Not tonight. We can celebrate once you tell me you have weapons ready and when is the delivery, and, of course, when we pay the first part of the money.’

  ‘Yeah. Right. Good idea. We need to work out how to do that. Probably best if I drive somewhere, say Belgium or Amsterdam, and bring the cash back that way. It’s a lot of money, so I don’t want to leave it to anyone else. I can get a couple of the lads to drive me there, and we can meet.’

  ‘Perfect.’ Adrian said. ‘Maybe we will take you to some nightclubs in Amsterdam.’

  ‘You won’t be taking me to any I haven’t already been to. That much I can guarantee.’

  ‘Or if you prefer,’ Adrian said, ‘I can come back here. Or anywhere in the UK – in Scotland if you like. You are Scottish?’

  ‘I am. But Amsterdam is better for nightlife. I was in Glasgow the other night and the place is crap, no good clubs. Just crap. I left all that behind years ago and only go now for a bit of business.’

  He stretched out his hand with the grazed knuckles and Rosie felt sick as she had to shake it.

  *

  Matt was asleep in the driver’s seat when they got back to the car. Rosie knocked the window.

  ‘Try to keep up, for Christ’s sake,’ she grinned when his eyes snapped open. ‘You’re supposed to be a chauffeur. Not kipping at every turn.’

  ‘Christ! It took you long enough. What were you doing? Lap dancing at his table?’

  ‘Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.’ Rosie got into the passenger seat.

  ‘How did it go?’ Matt rubbed his face with both hands to wake himself up.

  Rosie swivelled her body around to face Adrian.

  ‘Couldn’t have been much better, could it, Adrian?’

  He let out a long breath from pursed lips.

  ‘Was good. I think he believed us. He is a piece of shit. I wanted to punch his face all over the table.’

  ‘You did brilliant. You should get an Oscar for that performance.’

  ‘By the way,’ Adrian said, ‘when I examined the guns earlier, I can see that some of them have been converted from replica guns so they can fire live bullets. It happens. Mostly they are used by crime gangs. There is a market for them. It is only a matter of making some changes, such as the barrel. I didn’t want to mention it to Dunn, but I think he is aware that I noticed that. He thinks I am a criminal, which is good.’

  ‘Yeah. While you two are congratulating each other . . . what about me?’ Matt said. ‘I’ve been sitting out here all night. All I got was a takeaway pizza and a bottle of Irn-Bru.’

  ‘What have I told you about eating in the car, driver.’ Rosie gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. ‘Any more of that and I’m going to have to let you go.’

  ‘Aye, right. Where to, madam?’

  ‘The hotel, and if you don’t give me any more backchat I’ll buy you a drink in the bar.’

  ‘You’re all heart,’ Matt said, driving out of the restaurant car park and onto the main road.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ruby could see the difference in Judy, even if it didn’t look like much to anyone else. Small things like the slightest movement in her facial expression were treasured, because every tiny flicker meant she was responding. In the very beginning, after Ruby had found her sister in the locked ward of a grim psychiatric hospital, there had been nothing behind her dead eyes. Even when Ruby was telling stories of them growing up, talking to her as though everything was perfectly normal, Judy’s gaze had been locked straight ahead, stuck in whatever world she was trapped in. But now, when Ruby spoke to her, enthusing about everything, even if it was just the ice cream they were eating or the coffee they drank, she sometimes caught a glimmer that Judy was listening, that things were registering. Now and again, she even turned her head and looked straight at her. Today had been like that, and Ruby was elated, the happiest she’d been since she came back.

  She’d collected Judy from the home mid-morning, and with the help of one of the nurses had carefully strapped her into the passenger seat of the hired car. Then she drove down the coast to Ayr, where they’d gone on day trips on the train from Glasgow with their mother during summer holidays. Ruby was hoping it would trigger a response – anything at all.

  They sat on a wooden bench on the promenade, watching the waves, choppy in the autumn winds. A kid ran up and down the beach, flying a kite, and Ruby saw her sister’s eyes following the path of the bright blue-and-gold bird shape as it danced and dived under a cloudless sky. It was still sunny and surprisingly warm for the time of the year, and the promenade was busy with families, kids playing on skateboards and bicycles, joggers. She was conscious of people staring at her sister as they passed, because of the way she sat leaning against her as though she couldn’t sit up by herself. Ruby linked her arm in hers, talked to her, telling her everything they used to do here and how the town had changed so much in recent years. She reminded her of the fairground, of the candyfloss, of the time they won a coconut, which they brought home and smashed against the cooker, drinking the milk and pretending they liked the taste. Ruby could see the pitying little glances from people as she talked but got little response from her sister, who stared blankly out to sea. But she didn’t need their pity. She knew different. She was happy, because once or twice the corners of Judy’s lips turned upwards in a smile. This was progress.

  Ruby lit a cigarette, her mind drifting back to the other night with that evil bastard Tam Dunn. She couldn’t get the image of the battered girl out of her head, or the thought of what must have happened to her friend. She wished she could tell Rosie to bring in the police. In the last few sleepless nights it had crossed her mind to put her hands up, tell everything. But she couldn’t. She was in so deep with all the work she’d done with Jackson, hiding his money all over the place. If she went to jail, what would become of Judy?

  She hadn’t answered any of Tony’s emails, and he knew she didn’t have a mobile phone, as she’d stressed she was taking time out and didn’t want to be contacted. He’d emailed her again this morning, demanding to know where she was, telling her he needed to see her, that he was as angry as her about what had happened in the restaurant. He wanted to take her to dinner again, just the two of them. But also, he needed to talk business. There were things happening and he needed to free up some money, so they wanted things sorted out pronto. She couldn’t just disappear, he told her. Ever.

  Ruby had blanked his emails. Fuck him. She would answer him when she was ready – once she’d spoken to the various banks and other places holding investment accounts which she’d set up and had to decipher. She needed to spend a whole day at her flat to work it all out.

  She stood up, took Judy by both hands and gently eased her to her feet.

  ‘Come on, Judy. Let’s have some lunch.’

  She linked her sister’s arm through hers a
nd walked slowly, aware that Judy’s steps were faltering and unsure.

  They ate in a café a couple of streets off the seafront, where the smells took Ruby back to her childhood. She cut up a piece of fried fish for Judy, coaxing her to hold the spoon, putting it into her hand. But when she didn’t move a muscle to do it, she fed her.

  ‘Where are you, Judy?’ She pushed her sister’s fringe back. ‘Where are you in there? I want you back, Judy. I need you. You are coming back. I know you are.’

  When they finished eating, they went out to the patio in the back, deserted apart from one old man reading the newspaper. Ruby drank tea and helped Judy with some lemonade, which she sipped through a straw. They sat for almost half an hour, Ruby telling stories about friends they had from primary school. Eventually, she got up and went inside to pay the bill, leaving Judy sitting on the bench.

  At the counter, she waited impatiently until the couple in front of her had paid, slowly counting out their money in coins. Then, as she was about to pay, a shout came from the kitchen and the girl excused herself. Ruby shook her head impatiently. She could see the girl talking to her boss in the kitchen and arguing over something. After what seemed like minutes, she came back and Ruby glared at her and paid without leaving a tip. She went back along the corridor and into the garden.

  She opened the door and stepped outside. The place was deserted, the picnic benches and tables empty. Nobody. Judy was gone.

  ‘Oh Christ!’ Ruby looked around her, bewildered. ‘Oh Christ, no, Judy! Oh, please no!’

  She turned fast, stumbling as she sprinted back into the café, along the corridor, then ran back out again, confused, lost in her panic. She dashed to the open patio gate and outside. Nothing. The pavement was quiet, but the road was busy with traffic heading out of town. Ruby ran along the street, then crossed on to the seafront and scanned the promenade. The sea suddenly looked angry and threatening, and a chill ran through her.

  ‘Oh, God. No. Please . . .’ Ruby ran twenty yards and grabbed a woman who was feeding the pigeons. ‘Have you seen a woman? I mean . . . a woman walking up along here by herself?’

  The woman looked at her puzzled.

  ‘Whit? Are you lost, hen?’

  ‘No . . . No . . . I’ve lost my . . . Oh God!’ Ruby turned away, ran back to the other end of the street, gasping for breath as shouted.

  ‘Judy! . . . Judy! . . .’ Her voice trailed off as tears came to her eyes.

  Her head began to swim amid the din of the traffic, the bustle of people coming and going, lorries, day-trippers, buses making their way home. She felt faint, and she could hear the thud of her heart as she turned and sprinted back towards the café and burst in the door. The woman behind the counter gave her a surly look.

  ‘The . . . the girl . . . The woman I was with . . . My . . . My sister. Has she come back in?’

  She knew it was a pointless question. Judy could walk, but her steps were always hesitant. She wouldn’t have gone anywhere by herself.

  The woman shook her head slowly.

  Ruby went back out and stood on the street again, her eyes everywhere. Nothing. She felt her legs buckle, and she steadied herself on a lamp post.

  ‘Tony . . . You fucking evil bastard! I’ll kill you for this.’

  She ran to her car and opened the door, getting into the driver’s seat, trying to catch her breath as she exploded in sobs.

  *

  Matt had made good time, so they stopped for a coffee at the service station on the M74, just over the border after Carlisle.

  They sat in the conservatory, going over all the material they had, delighted they had come out of it unscathed. McGuire would be happy. Now all Rosie had to do was sit down with him and work out how they’d write the story.

  Rosie’s mobile rang, and she answered it.

  ‘Rosie . . . Rosie . . .’

  The voice was breathless, desperate, and Rosie’s heart skipped.

  ‘Ruby? What’s up?’

  ‘She’s . . . Judy . . . She’s . . . Oh my God . . .’

  Rosie stood up and walked away from the table.

  ‘What? What’s wrong? Is Judy sick? Just calm down.’

  ‘They . . . They took her. Judy’s been kidnapped.’

  ‘Oh my God! Kid— . . . Kidnapped? Who by? Listen, Ruby. Just calm down a bit. Take a deep breath. Where are you?’

  Ruby heard the sobbing. Matt and Adrian looked anxiously at her.

  ‘Ayr. I’m in Ayr. We came down for the day. Oh Rosie! What am I going to do? She’s gone!’

  ‘What happened? Just take your time. Tell me what happened. It’ll be okay.’

  ‘No, it won’t! Rosie. No, it won’t! They’ve taken her.’

  ‘What happened?’ Rosie asked again.

  ‘I . . . I drove her down here for lunch . . . I went inside to pay the bill, and Judy was in the patio garden at the back . . . and . . . Oh God! . . . When I came out she was gone.’

  Rosie didn’t know what to say. From what Ruby had told her, Judy walked with difficulty.

  ‘Christ! . . . Listen. We’re on our way back from London. We’re over the border now. We’ll come and get you.’

  ‘It’s Tony who’s done it! I know it’s that bastard. He’s been emailing me all the time since the other night, but I didn’t get back to him. He wants all the business wrapped up. But I just ignored his emails. He’s done this because he knows that’s where he’ll hit me hardest. The bastard! I’ll fucking kill him.’

  ‘Okay, just sit tight till we get there.’ She turned to Matt. ‘We need to do a detour to Ayr. How long till we get there?’

  ‘Forty-five, fifty minutes. Not long.’

  ‘We’ll be there in an hour. Just try to stay calm. Don’t do anything. Don’t phone Tony.’

  ‘I can’t even go to the cops. What am I going to do?’

  ‘We’ll be there soon. If Tony’s got her, he’ll get in touch with you. Can you go to a hotel or somewhere and get on the Internet, check your emails?’

  ‘I’ll try.’

  ‘Right. We’ll phone you when we’re nearly there. It’ll be okay, Ruby. We’ll get her back.’

  As Ruby hung up, Rosie could hear her weeping.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Matt said.

  ‘Ruby’s sister, Judy. She’s been kidnapped.’

  ‘Oh fuck!’

  ‘Ruby’s hysterical. And she can’t even go to the cops. We need to get to Ayr fast and then work out what we do.’ Rosie puffed. ‘This is as bad as it gets. Knowing what they did the other night . . . These scumbags will stop at nothing.’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  As they pulled into the car park in Ayr, Rosie spotted Ruby getting out of her car.

  ‘Wait here, guys.’ She leaned in the window to Matt and Adrian. ‘I’ll see how she is first.’

  Ruby’s face was grey, her eyes smeared from crying. Rosie was taken aback when she crumbled and collapsed into her arms, sobbing. It was as though the floodgates had opened and all the years of punching above her weight, fighting everyone she came across, had suddenly dissolved in tears and she was a helpless child again.

  ‘Ruby. Listen. It’ll be okay,’ Rosie said, not really believing it herself. ‘They wouldn’t dare do something to harm Judy. I mean, she’s a patient in a nursing home. They can’t just kidnap someone like that and make them disappear.’ Rosie gave her a reassuring pat on the back and eased herself away. ‘You’ll see. Now, you need to calm down now and think straight. Did you get a look at your emails?’

  Ruby nodded, sniffing. She went into her jacket pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper, handing it over. Rosie read the printed email, and her blood ran cold.

  I told you not to fuck around with me, Ruby. Maybe now you’ll listen. I’m running the fuckin show here – not you. By the way, a couple of the boys think your sister’s not a bad looking bird. You wouldn’t want to leave her with them too long . . .

  Rosie tried to keep calm.

  ‘What a bastard!’ S
he folded the paper and put it in her pocket.

  ‘I told you. He’s a complete cunt. I’ll kill him! No matter what happens – no matter what – he’s a dead man. I’ll kill him myself.’

  The resolve in her eyes made Rosie shudder. It confirmed her niggling belief that the murders of Rab Jackson and Malky Cameron were about old scores being settled – but not by gangsters, which was the story the police were leaking to the press. This was a woman whose whole life had been built on retribution. Whatever happened to Judy, Tony was underestimating her if he thought he could get away with this.

  ‘Listen, Ruby. We need to do something here. But you need to think this through.’

  ‘I have.’ Ruby tried to light a cigarette with trembling fingers. She took a long draw, looked out at the sea and sniffed. ‘I can’t call the police. It’s just not possible. There’s too much shit. But I’m going to have to call the nursing home very shortly and tell them I’m keeping Judy with me tonight. They’ll be okay about it, but if I just don’t turn up they’ll call me and then they’ll call the cops if I don’t have a convincing story.’ She pulled her collar up against the rising wind. ‘I’ll just say it’s part of Judy’s progress . . . that I’ll be taking her to my place in Glasgow for a couple of days and I’ll get in touch if there’s any immediate problem.’

  ‘Can you just do that?’ Rosie asked. ‘Is she not on medication? Do you not have to sign something?’

  ‘She’s not really on any medication. As long as she’s eating normally and stuff. And I don’t have to sign any papers unless she’s being discharged. I’ll tell them I’ll bring her back in a couple of days. I’m her guardian and have power of attorney. I sorted that a couple of years ago.’ Ruby paused, looking at Rosie. ‘I have to call them first. Then I need to work out how I’m going to meet Tony. I haven’t thought that far yet.’