by Jacqui Rose
‘I said, this ain’t a holiday. I want to know what you’ve been doing? What have you found out on Julian Millwood?’
Teddy opened his mouth before he’d thought of exactly what to say, leaving it hanging open. His eyes flickered round the room, then they settled on Del’s phone, inspiring his next unconvincing sounding words. ‘Phone. I’ve been phoning people.’
‘People?’
‘Yep … er … my … er contacts.’
‘Which contacts?’
‘Secret ones.’
Del gave a suspicious glance to Milo and raised his eyebrows. Pushing him more, Del growled at Teddy. ‘So come on then, why don’t you call them?’
Teddy’s face pinched in anguish. ‘You want me to call them?’
‘Yeah. Is that a problem?’
‘No, oh no. Just … er, maybe I should do it in the other room. It being confidential.’
‘Confidential you say?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
Del fixed his gaze on Teddy. ‘I don’t do secrets. Phone them here.’
Teddy swallowed. ‘Here? Right now?’
‘Here. Right now.’
Teddy looked at Milo who had a smirk on his face, the same smirk he’d seen countless times before. In a grand gesture, Teddy got his phone out of his pocket, waving it around before dialling. Turning to Del as he held it by his ear, he spoke in a self-assured manner. ‘It’s ringing.’
Del said nothing, only nodded, not taking his gaze away from Teddy for a moment.
‘Hello? … It’s me. I’m wondering if you’ve had any luck on tracing the last whereabouts of Julian Millwood. The guy I was talking to you about.’ Teddy put his thumb up to Del as he spoke. He paused, pacing round the kitchen, his face screwed up with concentration as he turned his back on both Milo and Del. ‘Yeah … Ah-ha … Yeah … What you doing?’ The last part of his sentence was to Del as the phone was pulled out of his hand.
‘There ain’t no one there, is there?’ Del spat the words at Teddy before putting the phone to his ear. He glared at Teddy. ‘The line’s dead! You ain’t got no juice in your battery.’
Teddy scarpered to the other side of the table. ‘I can explain.’
‘Explain? Star’s missing and you’re playing pussy-ass games. I should break your neck for that, mate.’
‘I’m happy to lend a hand.’ Milo spoke to Del as he stood up and walked towards Teddy. ‘After all, Teddy and I have unfinished business, don’t we?’
Teddy was about to bolt from the room in fright when a phone rang. Alan’s phone. It was sitting in the middle of the table. Del cautiously picked it up.
‘Hello?’
‘It’s Julian.’
Del’s stomach lurched. Assuming Alan’s voice as best he could, he spoke. ‘Yeah, what do you want?’
‘That’s not very nice, Alan.’
‘I’m busy, so maybe we should make it quick.’
‘Fine, have it your own way. Those papers, how long will it take you to get them?’
‘A day. Two days at the most.’
‘Good because apart from having to get her out of Spain, I’m finding it rather difficult to stop myself.’
Del paused, then slowly answered. ‘Stop yourself?’
‘Well yeah, any other time I’d enjoy myself, but as she’s a keeper, she’s off-limits or rather, she’s supposed to be.’ Julian laughed nastily. It was too much for Del, who exploded.
‘Listen, you touch her and I …’ Del stopped mid-sentence, catching himself. He looked round at Bunny who’d just walked into the room. He saw her horrified face at what he’d just done. ‘Julian, are you still there?’
‘Yeah.’ It was a one-word answer but the tone of suspicion and doubt resounded from it.
‘What I meant to say was, you touch her and you’ll fuck it up. Just looking out for you, Julian.’ It wasn’t convincing, nor did it sound it.
‘Alan?’
Del answered nervously, ignoring the stares of everyone in the room. ‘Yeah?’
‘How much money did you give me?’
‘Pardon?’
‘It’s a simple question Alan. How much money did you give me when I came to see you?’
He didn’t know, how could he know? He would have to guess. Slowly, Del answered.
‘Twenty grand. It was twenty grand.’
‘Wrong answer … you should’ve phoned a friend.’ The line went dead.
53
‘They’re on to us.’ Julian threw the phone onto the mattress in the corner.
Alfonso Garcia stared at his brother, a steely look in his eyes. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’
‘That wasn’t Alan on the phone.’
Alfonso flew forward, grabbing hold of Julian by his oversized t-shirt. ‘You fucking idiot. What did they say? Who was it?’
Pinned against the wall, Julian argued back, ‘How the fuck was I supposed to know, eh?’
‘You’re supposed to check who you’re talking to.’
‘I didn’t give them any information. I never told him where we were.’
Alfonso flicked open his knife.
‘You better not have done.’
‘Screw you.’
Alfonso banged Julian hard against the wall, then turned to look at Star who was sat trembling in the corner, watching the scene unfolding in front of her.
‘What are we going to do with her?’
‘You’ll have to get rid, Alf.’
Alfonso looked in amazement at his brother. ‘I’m not doing that.’
‘Why not? You killed Julie Cole without a second thought.’
‘Who the fuck’s Julie Cole?’
‘The girl in Camden.’
‘That was different.’
‘Why was it? You hadn’t planned it, just like you hadn’t planned Star. Julie only happened because you’d come to London to get chocolates for Edith. So what’s the problem? It’s not like you haven’t done it a few times before.’
‘I ain’t worried about doing it. Julie was different. That was pleasure. This is business – and I ain’t throwing my future away. You can do what you like but I’m going to think of a way to get her out of here.’
‘There’s no way I’m going back to prison. She’s a liability now.’
‘Like I say, you do what you like, I’m taking her to the clients.’
Julian leapt towards Star, grabbing her arm roughly, pulling her towards him. She screamed loudly. ‘Not without me you ain’t. Do you really think I’m going to let you have my part in the money?’
Star began to cry, quietly at first then gradually louder.
‘Then you better think how we’re going to get her out of Spain without papers. The police will be crawling everywhere by now … and stop that fucking crying, now!’ Alfonso walked over to Star, slapping her hard across her face. He jabbed his finger into her chest. ‘Shut it, you hear me?’
Star nodded, using everything she had to stop herself from screaming in terror. Closing her eyes, she thought of her mum and then of her dad, but that only made it seem worse. She tried to think of pirates, but that didn’t help. She could feel the tears wanting to escape but she mustn’t cry. She mustn’t cry. Her face was still hurting and she didn’t want another smack … she wanted her dad.
Thinking about her dad was making Star’s tummy hurt. She doubled over from the pain, then looked up and saw the horrible man with the bad breath staring at her, a funny look on his face. She watched as he began to breathe, hard and hungry. Looking back down again, Star hugged her knees tightly, trying to stop them from trembling; trying to let her imagination take her out of there as the man made his way towards her
An hour later, Alfonso Garcia sat at the tiny table scraping his knife into the wood. He’d been mulling things over and over in his mind and there seemed to be only one solution.
‘I’m going back to the villa.’
Julian looked up from the mattress he was lying on.
‘What are you ta
lking about?’
‘Hear me out. Star needed a passport to come here, right?’
Julian nodded.
‘So the passport’s somewhere in the villa.’
Julian sat up, beginning to follow the lead where Alfonso was going. ‘We can’t travel with her using her real name. They’ll be looking for her.’
‘It’s better than not having any documentation. When we hit where we’re going it won’t be a problem.’
‘And before that?’
‘Let me worry about it.’
‘I dunno what to say.’
‘Look, no one thinks this is anything to do with me, right?’
‘Yeah, I guess.’
Alfonso scowled. ‘The only person who might’ve noticed I’m not there is Edith. Besides, I’m not planning on seeing anybody. I know all the security codes, and the blind spots for the CCTV cameras. If anybody does ask where I’ve been I’ll just say I’ve been ill.’
Absent-mindedly, Julian picked his nose. ‘I think you’re crazy.’
Alfonso spun around and kicked Julian hard. His eyes were wild with rage. ‘Have you got any better fucking ideas?’
Julian stood up to confront his brother but knowing the capabilities of his temper when pushed, he backed down. ‘I just think it’s risky, that’s all. How do you know they don’t think it’s you?’
‘Don’t be a mug mate. How would they? All I need to do is wait for a quiet time. They’ll be out searching for her, they’re not likely to be sitting round the pool drinking fucking sangria.’
Julian shrugged. It was obvious he couldn’t say anything to his brother to change his mind so he decided to say nothing. All he knew was he had a bad feeling about this. A very bad one.
Alfonso Garcia slowly walked round by the side of the pool. There was no one about, just like he’d thought. He’d watched them all drive out like something from out of a scene in a movie; a cavalcade of Range Rovers and Escalades driving purposefully down the hill. He looked up at the camera, knowing that where he was standing was a blind spot.
‘Once a skiver always a bleedin’ skiver. Where have you been?’
Alfonso froze as the sound of Edith’s voice came from behind him. Slowly he turned round, watching her as she lay in a barely there black bandeau Herve Leger bikini, a glass of sangria in her hand. Although Alfonso felt disgusted to see Edith, her usual contemptuous greeting for him put him at ease. He was in the clear. Resisting the temptation to gloat about Star, he sneered.
‘I’ve been looking for somewhere to live. Did you really think I was going to move into the servants’ quarters?’
‘So what are you doing here now then? You’ve come crawling back because you’ve got nowhere else to go, have you?’
A sickly smile crept over her face. She downed the rest of her drink in one, spitting the pips of fruit at Alf’s feet from the sangria. Handing him the large glass, she crowed.
‘Now you’re back, you might as well make yourself useful. Go on then, Alfie baby; make me another one of these, lots of ice. I’ll be here waiting.’
Alfonso crept silently along the corridor. His heart was pounding but seeing Edith had given him extra confidence. No one suspected anything. Perhaps it was all going to be easier than he’d imagined.
The door of Del’s room sounded to Alfonso as if it was screaming rather than creaking open. He was terrified to make a sound. He froze for a minute in the doorway, making sure no one had heard him. Once he was certain the coast was clear, Alfonso tiptoed into Del’s room.
The bedroom was large but he was familiar with it. The walk-in his and hers closet to the left. The luxurious cream bathroom straight in front and the super-king-size bed, parallel to the glass sliding doors.
Opening the drawers by his bed, Alfonso raised his eyebrows at the dozen or so Rolex watches. He was tempted to take one, but he wasn’t here for that; he could buy all the watches he wanted when Star was delivered.
Closing the drawer and going into the next one, Alfonso rifled through it. Papers, documents and an expensive cigarette lighter but no passport. He had to think. Where would Del have put it?
Frowning, Alfonso walked across to the white tallboy drawers at the far end of the room. He opened them one at a time, rummaging through them as quickly as he could.
He stopped suddenly, hearing a noise. There were voices and they were coming from down the corridor. His eyes darted to the door handle of the room, desperate to not see it being turned. His whole body on high alert.
The moment passed and Alfonso’s shoulders relaxed, hearing whoever it was walk past. He swivelled back round to the drawers to continue looking. This would be his only chance.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’
Alfonso pushed the drawer closed, his back still turned on the person.
‘I said what do you think you’re doing, pal?’
Alfonso swivelled round, coming face to face with Fat Man Burke.
He brushed back his black dyed Brylcreemed hair and smiled, his eyes narrowing into tiny slits. ‘Del’s asked me to do something for him.’
Burkey looked unconvinced as he put his hand on his waistband, exposing the top of a gun handle.
‘Why would he ask you to look through his drawers?’
‘He didn’t.’
Self-congratulatory, Fat Man nodded his head. ‘I didn’t think so.’ He pulled out his gun on Alfonso. ‘Move it. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.’
‘No, you don’t understand. He didn’t tell me to look anywhere at all. That’s my problem. He just told me to get it and do it. No disrespect to the boss but he’s not really in the frame of mind to have any patience and explain stuff.’
‘Get what and do what?’
Alfonso’s eyes gleamed. ‘The passport. He wants me to get flyers made of her, put them round the town. He asked me to get a copy of her passport photograph to use for them, ’cos it was only taken a few weeks ago, so it’s a true likeness. But like I say, he didn’t tell me where the passport actually was and I hate to let him down, especially at a time like this when he needs us to rally round the most.’ Alfonso beamed a smile and held it, not moving a muscle as he held the gaze of Fat Man.
‘Of course. Of course. No one wants to let him down.’ Fat Man nodded vigorously as he spoke, putting his gun back in the holster. ‘I think I can help. I know where it is, mate.’
Fat Man smiled, walking across to the painting on the wall. He put his fingers underneath it and un-clicked a lock, enabling him to pull it open, revealing a safe behind it.
Knowledgably he keyed in the code. Turning to Alfonso with a wink.
From where he stood, Alfonso wanted to whistle. He could see bundles of fifty-pound notes and knew there must be at least half a million inside it.
‘Here you go mate.’
Fat Man Burke held Star’s passport in his hand, along with another one. ‘You don’t need his as well do you?’ The other one was Del’s. Alfonso stared at the passport, amazed at the stupidity of Fat Man. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Lifting Star’s passport out of Fat Man’s hand, his heart pounding, he answered, trying to sound as casual as possible. ‘No, just this one. I better be going. Bang these out ASAP.’
Fat Man stood by the safe he’d just relocked and frowned, the man’s words running around in his mind. Something didn’t feel quite right but he didn’t know what. Looking across at Del’s tallboy drawers, he suddenly realised what it was. Grabbing the car keys from off the top of them, Fat Man Burke ran out of the bedroom as fast as he could after Alfonso.
Swinging open the front door, he yelled. ‘Oi, stop. Wait! I said wait!’
Alfonso turned round and saw Fat Man at the door, demanding he stop. He wanted to run but there was nowhere to go. Security men lined the gates and front walls. Fuck. Even he would struggle to get out of this. He closed his eyes and waited.
‘What the fuck? Didn’t you hear me calling?’ Fat Man stood opposite Alfonso, resting hi
s hands on his thighs, breathing hard.
‘I … I …’
‘I thought you might want these. It’ll be quicker.’
Alfonso’s eyes opened wide at what Fat Man held in his hands.
‘Save you walking, pal.’ Alfonso looked at the keys. The man was a mug. He began to back away, but Fat Man caught him by the arm.
‘Oh and I wanted to thank you. I appreciate your loyalty to Del.’ Fat Man tapped Alfonso on the back, pointing him in the direction of the Range Rover parked in the corner of the large courtyard.
He couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe his luck. His laughter echoed round the luxurious inside of the Range Rover. Edith’s Range Rover.
As he drove out of the courtyard he saw a procession of cars coming up the road. He heard a beep and without wanting to look properly he raised his hand up in a wave of acknowledgement. Putting his foot down on the accelerator, Alfonso looked in the rear mirror. All clear. He had done it. He had actually got away with it.
Standing in the courtyard, Fat Man looked up at the sky, feeling slightly more positive than he had done when he’d got up. He hadn’t fancied the idea of the Russians being about, in fact he’d hated it. He could only liken it to what the British in World War II must have felt when they’d had to converse with the enemy. It almost sickened him. He’d held off saying anything to Del, not wanting to add anything more to his plate. Hopefully with the flyers more publicity could be generated and they’d get Star back, and then the Russians could crawl back to where they came from.
Deep in thought, Fat Man watched Del drive in, followed by a dozen other cars. He waved, walking slowly to where Del had pulled up.
Bunny got out of the car, looking drained. She forced a smile.
‘All right, Burkey.’
‘All right, Bun. How’s it going?’
Bunny shook her head as she helped Claudia get out of the back of the Range Rover. ‘Don’t ask.’
Fat Man gave a coy smile to Claudia.
‘Hello Arthur.’
‘Hello.’ Fat Man looked at his feet, taken aback at feeling himself blush.
‘I better go in; Bunny’s not feeling so good.’
Fat Man’s words sprung out. ‘Yes, of course. I’ll catch you later.’