DON'T LOOK DOWN

by Barbara Scott Emmett

  Lauren teased apart the strands of a particularly snarled hank of Alina’s hair and the girl moved her head to Lauren’s knee. ‘We know he arranged for Katti’s father to make a drop of the ransom money. And we know Sammy didn’t take it. What we don’t know, is why he didn’t take it, and where he and Katti are now.’

  ‘Sammy. Sammy. Sammy.’ Axel shook his head slowly from side to side. ‘What are we going to do about you?’

  Lauren reached for her drink. ‘Well, finding him would be a start.’

  Eighty-two

  ‘These guys,’ Klaus said, pulling the silver-grey limo in to the side of the road. ‘I’ve run a check on them, H. The Ciciku family. There are five of them – three brothers and a couple of cousins. But they’re not the friggin Mafia. They aren’t affiliated to anyone else as far as I can see.’

  ‘So it won’t be too hard to bring them down.’ Hartmann sat in the back with the glass screen open. He ran a hand through his thinning hair. ‘You’ve got the resources?’

  ‘To take out half a dozen amateurs? Sure. If that’s all they are.’ Klaus stared out through the windscreen of the limo. ‘They come across as pretty pathetic, actually. Started up a few years back bringing people over from Durres in Albania to the heel of Italy. In a rubber friggin dinghy.’

  Klaus’s laugh was harsh. ‘Even a rowing boat is a status symbol in Albania. Anybody with an oildrum raft can make money shipping people across to Western Europe. Economic migrants.’

  ‘Their first passengers were willing,’ he went on, turning to look at Hartmann. ‘Paid their own way. Paid a bit more for false ID, as well. Then the brothers got ambitious. Moved on to women. Girls. Hell of a lot more lucrative. Trick them into thinking there’s a job waiting for them in Italy or Germany, or a husband. Once they’re on the boat, that’s it. They’re goods and chattels. Sell ’em to the highest bidder.’

  Klaus fixed Hartmann with a curious look. ‘Why do I get the feeling you haven’t told me everything, H? I’m not friggin stupid. How can five or six Albanian chancers be such a threat to you? What have you been up to?’

  Hartmann drew heavily on his cigarette. Blew out a long stream of smoke and doused the dogend in the ashtray. ‘Look, man. They’re dangerous. Crazy. I’m worried about my daughter, that’s all.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Whaddya want me to say, man? They’re putting the pressure on. That’s all you need to know. They can do me damage just by spreading rumours. Doesn’t have to be true.’

  Klaus banged the heel of his hand against the steering wheel. ‘Come on, H. I want details. I’m not moving on this until I know what I’m up against.’

  ‘Okay. Right. Cool it, man.’ Hartmann did an impression of a man chewing a wasp. He sucked the poison out of it before he went on. ‘Look Klaus, go back a few years, the business wasn’t making as much, remember? With the price of oil and everything? Terrorism, you know? Well, nobody wanted to fuckin fly, man. Nobody wanted to cross the fuckin road. I had to do something. Christ, you know all this.’

  Klaus eyed Hartmann. ‘So...? What? You diversified?’

  Hartmann pinched his nose. ‘I had to. I’d have gone under otherwise. I had a couple of private deals going. Borrowed a bit from the company. Needed to put it back.’

  ‘And this has what to do with the Albanians?’

  ‘Money had to come from somewhere. Like you said, I diversified.’

  ‘Oh I get it. They’re shipping girls, selling to the highest bidder. And that’s where you come in, right? You been pimping those bitches, H?’

  ‘I didn’t know they were coerced, man. And some of them weren’t. Some of them wanted to work in the Eros Centres. It’s a legit business since the new legislation. All above board. The girls all pay their taxes. So do I. Shit, man, they advertise jobs as sex workers in employment agencies, for Christ’s sake. I’m not doing anything illegal.’

  ‘But you wouldn’t want your adoring public to know you’d thrust a couple of fingers into that fishy pie, eh, H?’ Klaus shook his head. ‘Eros Centres! You kept that quiet. Who’s looking after these multi-storey whorehouses for you?’

  Hartmann raised his eyebrows. ‘Jealous, Klaus? Hungry for a piece of the action yourself?’

  ‘Just curious about my co-workers. Who else is on your payroll I don’t know about?’

  ‘Someone good. That’s all you need to know. Someone with ideal cover.’ Hartmann lit another cigarette, the flame lighting up his nose and cheeks. ‘I need you for other things, Klaus. Stick to what you do best, man.’

  ‘You already knew all about these guys, didn’t you?’ Klaus said. ‘You could have told me about them yourself.’ He slid his eyes sideways as he half turned. ‘What’s your game, H?’

  ‘I didn’t know. Not all of it. I don’t attend to everything myself. I told you. I have someone who deals with it for me.’

  ‘So how come you didn’t ask this fine upstanding employee for inside information?’

  Hartmann drew deeply on his cigarette. ‘Communications glitch, man. Dropped off the radar.’

  ‘In other words, whoever it is, is in on this scam too.’

  Hartmann turned his lips downwards and stared at his hands. He turned the cigarette this way and that, observing it from different angles.

  ‘Great,’ Klaus said. ‘How deep in the shit are you, H? What else do they know?’

  ‘Isn’t that enough? I’m finished if this gets out. I’ve got stuff in negotiation at the moment, man. With big players. International players. They’ll disappear if they know I’ve got interests in the sex industry, legit or not.’

  Hartmann buzzed the window down and flicked his cigarette out into the night. It hissed briefly in the snow. ‘I... oh shit, I might as well tell you. I funded them. Made an investment. I made money from their business. They’ve got that on me as well.’

  ‘You funded friggin people traffickers? I’m impressed, H. Really impressed. You really deserve that Employer of the Year award.’

  ‘Oh sarcasm. Very funny.’ Hartmann put another cigarette between his teeth. ‘You’re not fuckin lily white, man, and don’t you forget it.’ The fag wagged up and down as he spoke. ‘You helped run the drugs in the early days. Didn’t hear you complaining about the fuckin profits then.’

  He snatched the unlit cigarette out of his mouth and hurled it aside. ‘Oh yeah, Klaus. Meant to tell you. They know all about that as well.’

  Eighty-three

  Axel’s door burst open and a gaggle of chattering girls came in, divesting themselves of scarves and hats and bulky coats. A shaft of chilled air rushed in with them and pierced the fragile warmth of the seating area.

  Axel stood up. ‘We have visitors, ladies,’ he said to the newcomers.

  The young women fell silent, eyeing Lauren warily while nodding their hellos. Alina seemed to know some of them. Two of the girls accepted Schnapps from Axel and sat down, one perching on the Moroccan stool, the other curling up on the shorter side of the L-shaped seating. Two others retreated to the far side of the screens and Lauren heard the chink of china and the whistle of a kettle.

  The little fair-haired girl on the stool sipped her drink and glanced shyly at Lauren from time to time. The darker one busied herself with her text messages. They both looked younger than when Lauren saw them in the Meisengeige last night. Seventeen or eighteen at most, if that. Not much older than Alina.

  She wondered what had drawn them to Axel. Did he use Sammy’s methods? – no, he didn’t need to, he had methods of his own. Maybe he hypnotised them into working for him. Was she accepting help from someone who was no better than Kristo? In her relief at getting somewhere warm and dry she had overlooked what he did for a living.

  She glanced across as he settled himself into the old car seat, careful to avoid his eyes. Her face felt hot now and she could feel a flush spreading across her cheeks and throat. He had to be their pimp. What else could be going on? Jesus, how in God’s name did Katti get to know such people?


  ‘Lauren?’ Axel said, scrutinising her. ‘You look feverish. Are you sick?’

  Yes, but not the way you mean. She shook her head and held up her Schnapps. ‘Getting warmed through, that’s all. Probably getting a bit of a cold as well.’ She took another slug of the clear liquid.

  The other two women joined them in the screened off area, carrying steaming cups. Alina sat up and made room for them, eyeing them suspiciously, her lower lip sucked into her mouth.

  ‘Alina will be joining us,’ Axel said. He raked his eyes over his stable of females. ‘Our newest recruit. But she will need a little while to recover from her sad experiences first.’

  Lauren stiffened. ‘Whoa. Wait a minute,’ she said. ‘I didn’t bring Alina here so you could take over where the other lot left off. Oh no. Forget that.’

  Axel sought her eyes and this time she met them with defiance. She wasn’t about to be mesmerised by him any longer. ‘Thanks for the drinks,’ she said, standing. ‘We’ll get our clothes back on. Alina.’ She nodded to the girl to get up too.

  Alina bit her lip and rose with obvious reluctance.

  ‘Sit down, Lauren. Alina, sit. Your clothes are soaked. You cannot put them back on yet.’ Axel leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his eyes reaching up to Lauren’s.

  ‘Alina is free to leave me at any time. If she wishes to go home to her own country, I will help her. But if she wishes to stay, she has a safe place here. And she will need a safe place, for tonight at least.’ He gestured to the other girls. ‘No one remains here unwillingly. Is that not true, Donika? Therese?’

  All four girls nodded their heads.

  ‘Axel is kind man,’ the little blonde said. ‘My friend Suzana is gone home. I have letter from her. She happy now.’

  ‘So, Lauren Keane,’ Axel said, handing her his mobile phone. ‘There were some phone calls you wished to make.’

  Lauren sat down slowly. ‘I will make some phone calls,’ she said, accepting the mobile. ‘but then we’ll have to go.’

  She ran her eyes over the women who sat sipping their Schnapps or their herbal teas. True, they didn’t appear to have the tightly coiled terror inside them that Alina had. They seemed relaxed, to be acting autonomously.

  She keyed in Wolf’s home number. Still no answer. Shit. That meant heading out into the snow again with nowhere to go.

  ‘You may stay or go as you wish,’ Axel said, apparently reading her mind again. ‘I already told you that, and I am a man of my word. I would urge you to stay, however. Relax a moment, Lauren. We have things to discuss.’

  Lauren sat back, half reluctant.

  ‘This gang that Sammy is involved with, they dupe the girls into believing they’re going to good jobs in Europe,’ Axel said. ‘Or fool them into thinking some man loves them and wants to take them away from the misery of their life at home.’

  ‘I know. That’s what happened to Alina,’ Lauren said. Alina was curled up next to her, dozing again. ‘Sammy... Zamir ... told her he loved her. Along with several others apparently.’

  ‘Zamir trick me too,’ the little blonde said, glancing sideways at Alina. ‘He say we go married here. We not go married.’

  ‘When was this?’ said Lauren.

  ‘Same time Alina come. We come on boat together. Other girls also. All in love with Zamir.’

  ‘I have rescued many ladies from Zamir and his cohorts,’ Axel said. ‘Once he attempted to take one of them from me again. He will not try that a second time.’

  He turned his eyes on Lindita – a darkly beautiful girl sipping tea. She lowered her head, her cheeks a delicate pink.

  ‘Sometimes,’ Axel went on,. ‘they continue to love him even when they know what he has done.’ His eyes continued to burn into Lindita’s face.

  ‘And now he has tricked Katti.’ Lauren felt pity for Lindita and tried to force Axel to turn his attention to her instead.

  ‘I did warn her,’ he said, eventually releasing the girl from the intensity of his gaze. ‘But she believed that Zamir – her darling Sammy – was misunderstood. That all he needed was the love of a good woman.’ A smile curled his lip. ‘Katti Hartmann is headstrong and often unwise.’

  ‘She’s headstrong, yes,’ Lauren said,. ‘and with a fine-tuned ability to bullshit.’

  She smiled wryly at a memory. Katti inventing reasons for going to a particular club, a particular restaurant, lying about needing to meet someone there, yet doing it with such charm it was impossible to be annoyed. You’re having a great time aren’t you, though, Loll? she’d pout, when yet again it became obvious she’d invented the assignation to get her own way. Aren’t you glad I made you come here? Then she’d grin roguishly. Don’t worry, be happy.

  ‘Will she be able to bullshit herself away from Sammy, I wonder? Will she want to?’ Lauren picked up Axel’s phone. ‘I’ll try Wolf again. I can’t think what’s happened to him.’ She fidgeted while the number rang. Now she was warm and dry she wanted to be up and doing. There was still no answer and she tossed the phone onto the seating.

  ‘No idea where he’s got to. But I can’t hang around waiting for him to show up. I need to do something. I have to find Zamir.’ She glanced at Axel. ‘Any idea where he can have taken Katti to now? He didn’t go back to his flat last night. Where else would he go?’

  Lindita – the girl Axel had suggested was still in love with Zamir – looked up. ‘His cave,’ she said, her voice barely audible. ‘He take me to his cave once. What he call his cave.’

  ‘Cave?’ said Lauren.

  ‘Big holes in rock. Tunnels. He camp there sometimes.’

  ‘Where is this place?’ demanded Axel. His eyes reached into the girl’s as though he was reading her mind. ‘Is it near the Devil’s Hole? That area is riddled with caves.’

  ‘Don’t know name,’ she said. ‘He say it remind him of place at home. In Shqipëri.’

  ‘It is very probably around that area then,’ Axel said. ‘Would you remember exactly where it was?’

  Lindita bit into her full lower lip, her eyes sliding away, reaching into dark corners of her mind. ‘Think so,’ she said, her voice cracking. ‘There was big stone beside road. Big big stone.’ She formed a large round shape with her hands.

  ‘I know the place,’ Axel said, nodding.

  Lauren jumped up. ‘Then I have to go there. Have you got a map? Can you point it out to me?’ She threw off her blanket.

  ‘I have maps in the car. But it will be cold in the caves.’ Axel peered up at her. ‘It is always cold there. They could not stay there long.’

  ‘Still, if there’s the slightest chance that’s where Katti is,’ Lauren said. ‘I have to go there. I have to check it out.’

  ‘Zamir has bed there,’ Lindita whispered. ‘Sleeping bag. He make fire.’

  Axel stood. ‘Very well. I will take you there. Therese, some dry clothes for Lauren please. She is about your size. Lindita, you will come with us.’

  Lauren hesitated. She had no desire to be caught up in some longstanding feud between Axel and Zamir, and she had no wish to put Lindita in danger. ‘No. I’ll leave another message for Wolf. I’ll tell him to meet me there. I’ll find it by myself.’

  ‘I will take you there,’ Axel repeated. ‘To go alone would be foolish. There are many many caves. You could be searching all night.’

  Lindita touched Lauren’s arm. ‘Is water near cave. Waterfall or little stream.’

  ‘That will be frozen in this weather,’ Axel said.

  Therese came back from the far end of the room where there were several beds also screened off with office partitions. She held out a pair of frayed jeans, a sweatshirt with LoveSexy! in shiny lettering on the front, a selection of teeshirts and a black leather blouson jacket with padded shoulders. Great, thought Lauren. Now I’ll look like I’m off to an ’Eighties party.

  ‘Look after Alina, Therese.’ Axel stroked the girl’s cheek. ‘Perhaps you could give her some food. And thank you, for your assistance.’r />
  Lauren averted her eyes. Axel’s methods were certainly effective. He had them all under mind control. Poor Lindita must be even more besotted with him than she was with Zamir, if she was willing to shop her erstwhile lover so easily.

  ‘I will get torches,’ Axel said. He went off to a far corner of the room.

  Lauren tried Wolf’s home phone again.

  ‘Oh you’re back at last. Thank God!’ she said, when the phone was finally answered. ‘Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying you for ages.’

  She paused, listening. ‘Oh, Ingrid. Hi. Okay. Okay. No, I’m with Axel. Axel.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Gitmo Bay man. Wolf’ll know who I mean. Tell him we think we know where Katti is. We’re going to a cave near the Devil’s Hole. There’s a huge boulder near it and a frozen stream or something.’

  ‘Wolf’s in the bathroom,’ she told Axel when he returned. ‘Ingrid’s going to tell him where we’re going. She actually sounded concerned for once. They won’t be far behind us.’

  Eighty-four

  Klaus listened at the studded oak door, the Glock raised and pulled back against his shoulder, the barrel pointing upwards. He glanced around the stairwell, listened again, then tapped. Tapped louder. Stepping to one side he waited for the door to open.

  When it did and the dumpling head stuck itself out to peer onto the landing, Klaus pressed the gun barrel against the thick neck.

  ‘Say nothing. Get inside.’ Klaus prodded the neck to encourage compliance. Dumpling-head backed into the hallway of his flat, his eyes flickering from side to side.

  ‘Don’t try anything,’ Klaus advised. ‘Keep backing up.’ He kicked the door shut and edged the man down the narrow hallway and into the dimly lit room at the end. A computer stood on a desk against the wall. The screensaver twisted and twirled across the screen.

  The man faced Klaus, his eyes dull. ‘Who are you? What d’you want?’