The Deadly Game(48)

The next thing he knew, John had died, and Jake hadn’t had a chance to see him and tell him how much he and Mary had meant to him. Because of that, Jake was even angrier at the authorities. He’d had to find private places where he could cry his grief for John and Mary without anyone seeing him.

Never again, he’d told himself. Never again will I let myself get so attached to anyone.

And that had been how it was until he’d met Lauren, and fallen in love with her. All he wanted to do now was get Lauren back. Which meant getting the book to the lab so Michelle could verify it, and publish her article.

He took out the phone he’d taken from the thugs, and dialled Michelle’s number. She answered straight away.

‘It’s Jake,’ he said.

‘Where have you been?!’ demanded Michelle, not even trying to disguise the anger in her voice. ‘I’ve got everything set up! You promised you’d be here with the book!’

‘I got held up,’ said Jake.

There was a pause, and Jake was sure that Michelle had just realised that something bad must have happened to him.

‘Serious?’ she asked.

‘Very serious,’ confirmed Jake.

‘OK,’ she said. ‘The thing is, you’re ready now, right?’

‘Yes,’ said Jake. ‘Only the last time I came to your office I got grabbed. I don’t know who else may be watching there.’

‘So we need to meet up somewhere else.’

‘Yes, but I’m pretty sure this conversation is being listened to, so we can’t say where.’

There was a pause, then Michelle said: ‘Where we first met.’

Of course, realised Jake: the timber yard where Michelle had found him.

‘OK,’ he said.

‘How soon can you be there?’ asked Michelle.

Jake thought it over. Getting to Euston, collecting the book, then out to Holloway Road and the timber yard would take about an hour, providing nothing went wrong again. But something was always going wrong. People were still out there, looking for him. People who would kill him. He needed help. He needed someone to watch his back.

‘I’ll call you,’ he said.

As he stood up, the gun in his pocket banged against his side.

I don’t need this, he thought. I’m not a killer. If I carry this, it could go wrong for me. I’m the one who could end up being shot.

He walked over to the edge of the towpath and looked down into the dark swirling waters. Even with all the clean-up of London’s rivers that had been going on, here the water was so thick with sludge and silt, and muck from the boats, it was like soup. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then lifted the gun from his pocket and tossed it into the water.

OK, he told himself. Time to play the final card. But first, I need to get me some back-up.





Chapter 27




Jake stood on the balcony outside Benjy’s flat. The music from next door was still pounding, although not as loudly as it had been the last time Jake had been here. He pressed the doorbell. After what seemed like ages, the door opened a crack and an eye peered out. Then the door opened a bit wider and Benjy looked out enquiringly at Jake. Jake noticed the security chain stayed in place.

‘Hi,’ said Jake, and he smiled.

‘You’re the guy who was here with Jez and Ronnie,’ said Benjy warily.

‘Right.’ Jake nodded. ‘Are they here?’

Benjy looked at him in surprise.

‘Why would they be here?’ he asked. ‘They don’t live here.’ He grinned. ‘They don’t live anywhere. They fly by night.’

‘Yes, well, is it possible for you to get in touch with them for me?’

Benjy regarded Jake suspiciously.

‘Why would I do that?’ he asked.

‘Because I need to talk to them urgently.’

The look of suspicion remained on Benjy’s face.

‘You’re accusing them of something?’ he demanded.

Jake stared at him, indignant.

‘No!’ he said firmly. ‘Why would I do that? They saved me! I owe them!’

Benjy stayed studying Jake, the suspicious look still on his face, then he said, ‘Stay there.’ With that he went into the flat and shut the door.

Jake looked around the balcony nervously. He didn’t like staying exposed in one place for too long. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened again and Benjy held out a mobile phone.

‘Jez wants to talk to you,’ he said.

Jake took the phone.

‘Jez,’ he said, relieved.

‘You gotta be in trouble, Jake,’ said Jez.

‘I am,’ admitted Jake.

‘Get in the flat. I’ll be along.’

With that, the phone went dead.

Jake handed the phone back to Benjy.