A Cold Killing (Rosie Gilmour)

by Smith, Anna

  Ruby sighed and said nothing. Rosie went on.

  ‘Obviously, I’ve never witnessed anything like you did that night with your mother and sister, but you know something? There are so many people out there carrying a load of shit on their backs, and somehow we all just have to find a way through.’ She paused. ‘Look how far you’ve come.’

  ‘Yeah. But I’m a headcase, though.’ Ruby said, matter-of-factly.

  Rosie half smiled.

  ‘Well. Nothing like a fucked-up childhood to prepare you for growing up in the big bad world. You’ll be fine – once you get all this crap out of the way.’

  Rosie drove on, and in the silence she could hear Ruby trying to take a long, slow breath.

  *

  When Ruby had phoned her earlier to say that Tony had agreed to let her bring an old friend, Rosie had to pretend she was glad. There was no backing out of it now. She should try a few deep breaths herself. She automatically called McGuire to brief him on the plan – but decided not to mention that she was going in with Ruby. She knew he’d hit the roof and instruct her to leave it to the professionals. She’d given Boswell-Smith and the captain the low-down on the location of the meet, and they wired her up with the tracking device and camera. What if they frisk me, Rosie had asked, as she’d pulled up her shirt to let the captain fit the wire around her body. They won’t, the superintendent had insisted. How do you know? she’d asked, perplexed. Because he’s fundamentally a thicko, he’d replied, with such conviction that she’d had to believe him. She hoped Boswell-Smith had got this far up the chain by doing more than just talking the talk.

  ‘Just hold your nerve and leave the rest to us,’ were his parting words. ‘It’s best you don’t know the plan.’

  She’d agreed, tight-lipped as she left, praying that they actually had a plan. Whatever. It was too late now, because the old grey sandstone warehouse they were headed for in Kinning Park on the edge of the River Clyde was up ahead.

  ‘This has to be the place,’ Rosie said.

  ‘Jesus!’ Ruby murmured.

  ‘It’ll be fine,’ Rosie heard herself saying, as though she believed it.

  She slowed down along the broad, deserted street. The whole area had once been the lifeblood of the ship-building industry, when Scotland was turning out battleships and cruise liners on a yearly basis. Along the banks of the Clyde were the ancillary yards of chandlers, workshops and supplies. Now it was all back-street car repairs and Asian cash-and-carry warehouses. It was a creepy, desolate enough place at any time of the day, Rosie had always thought, never mind at a time like this. She glanced around to see if she could see any cars. Nothing. Matt and Adrian knew where she was, and she knew they’d be somewhere close. Boswell-Smith and the captain were nowhere to be seen. She drove up to the entrance, where a BMW with blacked-out windows was the only car parked outside. Two men emerged from it as Rosie pulled in.

  ‘I’ll get out,’ Ruby said. ‘I recognize these guys. They were with Tony last week when I met him. Fucking apes.’

  ‘Are you okay?’ Rosie squeezed her arm. ‘Are you ready for this?’

  ‘Nope. But I don’t exactly have a choice.’ Her eyes took in the deserted street and the fading late-afternoon light. ‘Are your guys somewhere out here?’

  ‘I’m sure they are.’

  Rosie tried to sound reassuring as Ruby pushed open the door and stepped outside. Her mouth was dry as a stick and she swigged from a bottle of mineral water, watching as Ruby seemed to pull herself up tall and walk with something bordering on a strut towards the two big oafs with the shaven heads and shiny suits.

  ‘Wait there,’ the guy with a neck like a tree trunk snapped at her.

  Rosie opened the window a little and saw him stab a beefy finger into his phone. He mumbled something into it as his mate stood, arms folded, giving Ruby a long, lustful look. The guy talking on the phone flicked his narrow eyes at Rosie.

  ‘Tell your mate to get out the car.’

  Ruby turned around and beckoned her. Rosie slipped her hand inside her blouse and switched on the tape and the tracking device. She prayed that a signal was going off somewhere. Her mobile was on silent. A few seconds later it vibrated twice – the sign they’d agreed with her earlier. At least they knew where she was.

  She got out of the car and walked across to the two men, her legs a little shaky. She acknowledged them with a nod, and both of them looked at each other slyly as they gave her the once-over, the way a hungry beast would eye a piece of juicy meat. They looked like an experiment between the DNA of an ugly human and a silverback gorilla. She looked away, her eyes taking in the flocks of starlings making stunning patterns against the grey sky as they soared and dived towards Jamaica Bridge, as people headed home to the security of their normal lives. They followed the boss silverback towards the entrance of the office block, where he pushed a button on an intercom and the door clicked open. He jerked his head to Rosie and Ruby to go in ahead of them. They went inside and stood in the dark hallway, which was damp and eerily silent.

  The boss man went ahead, towards a winding stone staircase, as his mate hung back, then jabbed a finger roughly into Rosie’s shoulder, grunting for them to move forward. She exchanged a fleeting glance with Ruby as they walked along the short corridor and followed him up the stairway. Rosie could feel sweat on the back of her neck, but at least they hadn’t frisked her. Well, not yet. At the top of the stairs there was a long, narrow corridor and off it were rooms that may have been offices at one time but now had no doors. From brief glimpses inside, Rosie could see they were completely empty, with old telephone wires hanging out of the damp walls. Large wooden windows were smeared with years of grime. Outside, the sky was growing black and she could make out the Kingston Bridge over the M8 in the distance. The last room facing them at the end of the corridor had a closed door marked ‘Manager’. Silverback knocked on the door and a rough voice shouted, ‘Come in.’ He pushed open the door and they followed, Ruby first.

  The man behind the desk sat back in a grey padded chair that looked out of place in the derelict surroundings. He glanced up, fixing his gaze on Ruby and holding it for a long moment, as though everyone else in the room were invisible. This was obviously Tony Devlin. He didn’t speak, and Rosie ran her eye over him. He was handsome and fit-looking all right, suited and booted in black pinstripes. But despite his clothes he was the kind of scumbag Rosie could spot straight away as the thug in any roomful of businessmen. He had pond life stamped all over his Costa del Sol tan. Guys like him, who got rich from punting smack and coke in the city slums, could dress in the best handmade suits and shoes but they would still be the dregs of the earth. Rosie felt a rising disgust that this piece of shit had taken the only person that Ruby had in the world . . . because he could. Bastards like him should be taken out and shot. She swallowed her hatred and stood in the tense silence.

  ‘Ruby.’ He sat back and swung his feet onto the desk, then he shot her a smug look. ‘Took you long enough.’ His voice was dripping in sarcasm.

  ‘I’m here now, Tony.’

  Ruby’s tone belied the nervous wreck that had been in the car not ten minutes ago. She folded her arms in defiance. Rosie wasn’t sure if this was a good tactic.

  ‘Listen. What the fuck, Tony? I ca— . . . I can’t believe what you did. Where is she? Where’s Judy?’

  Tony stared at her and said nothing.

  ‘Why did you take her like that? What did you think I was going to do? Run off with the fucking money? Christ, Tony!’ Ruby shook her head, her tone softening a little. ‘I’ve been frantic. Totally freaking out, man.’ She paused, shifted on her feet. ‘So where is she? I want to see her.’

  ‘Where’s the stuff?’

  Ruby held up her bag.

  ‘In here, for God’s sake. Everything. I was two days speaking to all the relevant people in banks and investment companies. These things take time. A lot of them were abroad. I told you that. Why did you do this?’ Her voice quivered a lit
tle, and she swallowed.

  ‘You disappeared off the fucking radar, that’s why,’ Tony snapped. ‘And by the way, I don’t like people threatening me. Especially a fucking bird. So you want to watch that mouth of yours.’

  Silence.

  ‘I’m sorry about that, Tony. I was a bit upset that day in the hotel. Look, Judy is all I’ve got. It’s been a hard road for us, and I felt threatened. Okay? Right. I was out of order, and I’m sorry. So where is she? Is she here?’

  ‘Aye. In a minute. Gimme the stuff.’

  ‘I need to explain it all to you. Not here. Another time. But I’ve written a lot of details down, so you should be able to follow what’s what. It’s a bit complicated.’

  ‘Gimme it.’ He shoved a hand out.

  Ruby brought out the folder from her bag and handed it to him. He opened it up and sat for a few moments, leafing through it. Rosie was praying it made sense to him. Then he put it to the side and looked up.

  ‘Who’s your pal?’ He nodded in Rosie’s direction but kept his eyes on Ruby.

  ‘Linda.’ Ruby looked at Rosie. ‘We went to school together. She’s the only one I’ve ever kept in touch with from here. But I hardly ever see her.’

  ‘So what makes you think you can trust somebody you went to school with? Most of my schoolmates are in jail or dead. I wouldn’t tell them the fucking time of day.’

  ‘Tony, you can trust her. Believe me. She doesn’t know anything. All I’m doing is coming in here to give you the documents, then taking Judy back to the home . . . Anything else, we can talk about later.’ She gave him a lingering look, moistening her lips. ‘That’s if you still want to.’ Her voice lowered.

  He didn’t reply, but his eyes took in Ruby’s long legs in her short black skirt. His mobile rang and he swung his feet back down from the desk as he answered it.

  ‘Sure. I’ll send somebody down to let you in.’ He signalled to one of the henchmen, who nodded and left.

  ‘So is Judy all right? She’s been here for nearly two days. I need to see her, Tony. Come on. Stop fucking around.’

  He turned back to the folder.

  ‘Right. I hear you. Give me a minute. There’s a couple of things I want to talk to you about.’

  The bastard’s stalling, Rosie thought, and she exchanged an uneasy glance with Ruby. She could hear footsteps along the corridor getting closer. Then the door opened. And in walked Tam Dunn.

  Rosie’s eyes met his, and their mouths dropped open. She felt the colour drain from her face.

  ‘What the fuck, Tony?’ He pointed to Rosie. ‘What’s she doing here?’

  ‘Eh?’ Tony looked startled.

  ‘This bird.’

  ‘It’s Ruby’s pal. From school. Linda.’

  ‘What? Linda? No it’s fucking not. Hold the fucking fort here. What the fuck is going on?’ He stood in front of Rosie. ‘You’ – he stabbed a finger in her face – ‘are in deep fucking shit, Linda. Or Melissa. Or whoever the fuck you are.’ He turned to Tony, glowering. ‘Are you totally fucking clueless or what?’ he bellowed.

  Tony stood up, his face crimson.

  ‘Wha—? . . . I . . . What do you mean, Tam?’

  ‘Jesus fucking wept!’ Dunn shouted.

  He slapped Rosie so hard that she reeled backwards, barely able to keep her feet. For a few seconds she heard their voices in the distance and thought she was going to pass out. Christ almighty! This was really happening.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Rosie tasted blood when she came to, and as she eased her head from her chest she looked up just in time to see the bucket of cold water being thrown at her. Dazed, she automatically tried to put her hands up to defend herself. Where were her hands? It took a split second to realize that they were tied behind her back. She gasped as the icy water hit her face, then her eyes scanned the room. No Ruby. Just her. And Tam Dunn. Then it all came back flooding back to her.

  *

  Dunn had been like a crazed animal when he had realized what was going on. Or at least what he thought was going on. He was screaming to Tony that he’d been shafted by this Melissa cunt and some Bosnian fucker who’d come down to J B Solutions to buy weapons. Who the fuck were they? he’d screamed at Tony, who stood dumbfounded, looking from Ruby to Tony to Rosie.

  ‘Who the fuck are you?’ he screamed at Rosie as he hit her again, dragging her by the hair and pushing her up against the wall.

  Rosie was utterly helpless. She hadn’t even considered a scenario like this. The last thing she had expected was Tam fucking Dunn to come walking into the place. She wasn’t even thinking straight enough to give him any kind of answer. Whatever she would tell Dunn now, he wouldn’t believe her and he would beat the shit out of her. But if she told him she was a reporter he would kill her. Even her fuddled brain told her that.

  ‘I . . . I’m Ruby’s friend,’ she croaked, knowing she was digging an even bigger hole.

  ‘So what the fuck were you doing talking to me in an English accent, trying to buy weapons? Conning the fuck out of me.’

  He’d turned on Ruby.

  ‘And you? Fuck you.’

  He slapped Ruby hard, bringing blood to her lips. She didn’t lift her hand to wipe it but stood glaring at him. Then he turned to Tony.

  ‘And you’ve obviously been fucking this bitch so much that all your brains have gone to your dick. She’s done you up like a fucking kipper, you bastard moron.’ He threw his hands in the air, frustrated. ‘I knew there was something dodgy about her when you brought her for dinner that night. So I asked a couple of the boys over in Spain about this Ruby bitch. They said she was around that night Rab got torched.’

  ‘I know that, Tam,’ Tony said sheepishly. ‘I’ve asked as well. But there’s nothing to link her.’

  ‘And who the fuck are you? A polis? Of course there’s something in it. And did it not occur to you that it was a bit of a coincidence when wee Malky got torched in his house?’

  ‘Look, wait a minute,’ Ruby protested.

  ‘Shut . . . the fuck . . . up!’ There was a spray of spittle from his mouth as Dunn slapped Ruby again with the back of his hand. She staggered back.’ He turned to Tony. ‘And by the way, dickshit, she saw everything that night in the restaurant, with that wee tart. Fuck me!’ He glowered at Tony. ‘You need to deal with this. Right. Fucking. Now! Today!’

  Tony shifted on his feet and said nothing.

  ‘Do you hear me? Because if you don’t, then every cunt from London to Glasgow will have your balls on a plate.’

  ‘I hear you.’ Tony looked at the floor.

  Dunn turned to Rosie again. He signalled to one of the silverbacks.

  ‘Get her next door. Out of here. I’ll get the fucking truth out of her if I’ve to punch it out of her face.’

  She didn’t even see the punch coming, but the force of it knocked her clean out.

  *

  Rosie was soaked and shivering. She could feel her lip puffing up and her cheek swelling. She gagged at the taste of blood as she swallowed it. There was no noise coming from the room next door.

  ‘So who the fuck are you?’ Dunn stood over her. ‘You’re going to tell me eventually – you know that, don’t you? Because let me tell you something, sunshine, whatever reason you were down at my place, pulling the wool over my eyes with your big-time arms dealer from Bosnia, I fell for it. And that’s made me really, really angry. So you’re dead anyway. History. Whoever you are. The only choice you get to make now is how you die.’ He pulled out a revolver from his jacket pocket and pointed it at her. ‘It can be quick, a single shot to the head. Or I shoot you in the legs and leave you to bleed to death here. Your choice. It’s no problem for me.’ He placed the gun on a table against the wall. ‘And by the way, your old school pal Ruby. She’ll be fucking dead meat an’ all. And her zombie sister.’

  Rosie looked up at him and closed her eyes as the tears stung. She gritted her teeth and tried to hold them back but they were spilling out of her eyes and now ro
lling down her cheeks. Had it really come to this? In some shithole with a psycho holding a gun to her head? He and people like him who took what they wanted and murdered their way through life so they could be top of the heap of shit they lorded over. But she had no answers left. Because nobody was coming to help this time. For all she knew, Boswell-Smith and the captain could have been bumped off by now, and Adrian, too. She still had the tracking device behind her collar but she had no way of knowing if it was working – and even if it did, how the hell were they going to get in here?

  Dunn left the room and slammed the door, leaving Rosie alone. She tugged at the rope tying her hands, stretching and pulling at it with her fingers, but there were no loose ends. She tried to pull herself together, but the thought that Ruby was somewhere in this building waiting to die along with her sister brought the tears again. Ruby had got involved in this because she’d asked her. She hadn’t had to do it. Whatever Ruby was, whatever she’d done or however she’d lived her life, she’d done it to survive. And she had been planning to get out. She could probably have been gone by now if she hadn’t agreed to help Rosie with her investigation.

  Suddenly the door opened and one of the silverbacks came in, dragging Ruby by the hair. Her face was bruised and battered, her eyes puffy and black. He shoved her roughly onto a chair and tied her hands behind her back. Rosie caught her eye and saw the defeated, broken look of a frightened little girl. But Rosie was relieved to see her. At least she was still alive.

  Tony stood watching both of them, saying nothing. All his wind and swagger had evaporated, humiliated in the company of Dunn, who was now calling all the shots.

  Dunn walked across and leaned over Ruby and into her face.

  ‘So you killed Rab Jackson, didn’t you?’

  Ruby shook her head.

  ‘And Malky? You set fire to the poor cunt’s garage, leaving him to burn to death, didn’t you?’

  Ruby shook her head again and looked at the floor.

  ‘Look at me, bitch.’ He yanked her head up by the hair.