A couple stepped out in front of me. The man was heavyset, with broad shoulders and a swarthy complexion. He held a baton of the sort you used to see the police with when the police were still around. The woman by his side looked even grumpier, with long, dirty-blonde hair and an acne-ridden face that hinted of long-term drug use. I held up my palms, indicating I was coming in peace. Neither of them seemed impressed.
‘Whatcha doing here, Saiya?’
I sighed internally. ‘The usual.’
‘You’re later than usual. He ain’t taking callers now. Come back tomorrow.’
I held my ground. ‘Oh, he’ll want to hear what I have.’ My eyes swept across the pair of them. ‘In fact, if you deny him this he’ll be very, very cross.’
‘We’ll take our chances.’
It was beyond me why we had to go through these motions every time I showed up because they always let me pass in the end. Despite their brave words, they were genuinely scared of Marrock – and with good reason too. They didn’t like me, however; they didn’t like that I carried secrets or that I could seemingly unearth the darkest parts of a person’s soul. I could have told them that no one was interested in whatever they were hiding but they wouldn’t have listened. Instead we had to act out the same charade every damn time.
Rather than argue my way past, I folded my arms and regarded them calmly. The woman nudged her partner and gave him a meaningful look. In response, he cleared his throat. ‘Fine,’ he snapped. ‘But we have to search you first.’ A lascivious gleam entered his eyes.
More than prepared to ward off his groping, sweaty fingers, I peeled off my jacket and tossed it towards him. He caught it one-handed and glared. Then I yanked my T-shirt over my head and stretched out my arms. ‘See?’ I said. ‘I have nothing.’
‘You have the knife,’ the woman said.
I unhooked it and threw it towards her. She wasn’t quite as nimble as her partner and she fumbled with it. If she thought it was a weapon to be fearful of then she wasn’t as tough as she acted. Even from a distance it was clear how dull the blade was.
‘I want that back,’ I said. ‘Don’t lose it.’
Her lip curled. ‘This piece of crap won’t get you far.’
I met her gaze, like for like. ‘Oh, I think you’ll find it’ll get me far enough.’ We were all posturing now. What a waste of time.
The man pointed at my legs. ‘You might still be concealing something there.’
I rolled my eyes. I was still wearing my shadow gear so my jeans were skin tight. There was no way I could hide anything under that constricting denim. All the same, I played along, unbuttoning them and rolling them down my legs. He licked his lips and continued to stare.
‘Happy now?’ I enquired.
He raised a hand and pointed at my knickers. I narrowed my eyes at him while the woman next to him sniffed. ‘She’s clean.’
‘Nah,’ he grinned. ‘I think she’s actually very dirty.’ He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. When I still didn’t react, he wrinkled his nose and shrugged. ‘Fine, yeah, whatever. She’s clean.’ He addressed me. ‘You can go.’
I curtsied melodramatically and pulled my jeans up. I pulled my T-shirt over my head and walked over, holding out my hand for my leather jacket. The man smirked for a moment and held it just out of my reach. ‘Come and get it.’
From the building behind us, a window opened. ‘Give it up, Pat. Marrock’s orders.’
Pat’s face twisted in a spasm of fear. He tossed the jacket to me and I shrugged it on and smiled. ‘Thank you.’ I pointed at my all-but-useless knife, which the woman was still clutching. ‘I’ll be back for that.’
She hissed at me but she didn’t dare do anything – not with Marrock having already given the word. I walked past them, resisting the urge to saunter. There was no need to rub salt in the wound.
Marrock’s bowling alley looked the same as it always did. I had no idea why he chose to make this place his lair; to me, it was beyond depressing. There was something about the rows of dark and silent bandit machines, not to mention the stacks of unused shoes, which always gave me the shivers. I picked my way through, aware that there were numerous hidden pairs of eyes watching my approach, and then strode down the middle lane to where Marrock had set up shop. He said he put his desk at the far end of the bowling lane because he was frequently bowled over by what people did and he enjoyed the metaphor. I suspected he simply liked forcing his visitors to make the long walk towards him whilst he watched, as if he were some kind of rubbish-heap king sitting in a throne room and granting an audience to his supplicants. He didn’t scare me though. Much.
An array of flickering candles lit Marrock from below, making him appear more imposing. In truth, he was remarkably small in stature – although I’d seen him put down two men twice his size. What he didn’t have in size, he made up for with bravado. Sometimes it’s the small ones you have to watch out for.
‘Saiya!’ Marrock stood up from his makeshift desk, balanced as it was with all four legs straddling the bowling lane, and stretched his arms out expansively as if to draw me into a hug.
I stopped in front of him with my arms by my sides. I didn’t get close to men like Marrock if I could help it. I didn’t get close to anyone. Fortunately he got the message and grinned, as if I were an amusing child. He sat down again and leaned back in his chair. ‘I presume you’re here to barter,’ he said.
‘I am.’
His smile widened. ‘I always enjoy your visits. What do you have for me?’
I tapped my fingers against my thigh as if considering. It was never good to appear over-eager. ‘A wealthy gobshite who pulled a fast one on a prostitute. Agreed to a price then walked out without paying.’
Marrock rolled his shoulders. ‘Giving me that information sounds more like an act of civic duty than providing anything I want to hear.’
It was – but he didn’t need to know that. Besides, I knew that there were plenty of madams dotted around the darker city streets who would pay him for my information. I shrugged. ‘Fair enough.’
Marrock sighed. ‘I suppose I can take it off your hands. Do you have a name?’
I nodded. ‘I do.’
‘I have a wonderful bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape,’ he said. ‘Will that do as payment?’
He was being unnaturally compliant; most people would jump at the chance of some decent booze and I’d normally be one of them. Not tonight though. I considered my options. ‘How about something along first-aid lines?’
‘My dear Saiya, a few glasses of good red wine and you’ll have all the first aid you want.’
I didn’t answer; I just waited.
Marrock’s left eye twitched. ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘I can do you a basic kit.’
‘With iodine. And morphine.’
‘The iodine I can manage. Morphine will cost you much more. But I’ll throw in a few paracetemol just for you.’
I breathed out; that was more than I’d hoped for. I tilted my head slightly to show I understood. ‘Very well. His name is Murthers.’ I gave a brief description of the young idiot from outside Kanji. Marrock looked bored but I knew better. He listened carefully to everything and he always remembered. In that respect, at least, he was like me.
‘Is that it?’ Marrock enquired. ‘I assumed you would have more. After all, it’s not often we see you at this time of night. I was hoping for something far juicier than a wanker who can’t keep his dick in his pants.’
I smiled. ‘Stirling has a visitor.’
‘Another rat joining our sinking ship?’ He tightened his lips. ‘I’m not interested.’
My smile grew. ‘You’ll be interested in this one. I don’t have a name but I know enough to pique your curiosity. And everyone else’s.’
‘Without a name, your secret is not worth much to me.’
I held his gaze. ‘Don’t count on it.’ I crossed my arms. ‘You know I always bring you the good stuff.’
Marrock smirked. ‘You do indeed. In fact, if you weren’t quite so talented, I’d be tempted to offer you a position of another kind.’
I didn’t bite. If Marrock was disappointed by my lack of reaction, he didn’t show it. ‘Do you want to hear it or not?’
‘I’m still not sure it’ll be worth morphine. A few more grubby paracetemol, maybe. Not much more.’
‘I don’t want morphine for this.’
Marrock pursed his lips. ‘Indeed. What do you want then?’
‘Information.’
For the first time ever, I think I managed to surprise him. ‘The secret seeker wants to know some secrets?’
‘Just one.’ I didn’t have time to race around trying to find out the truth. Ange didn’t have time. I knew that Marrock had plenty of others who sold him information; if anyone knew the truth, he did.
Marrock knitted his fingers together and stretched them behind his head. ‘Go on,’ he purred. ‘What do you need to know?’
I didn’t bother prevaricating any longer. ‘The real reason why the goblins have arrested Ange Horrocks. Not the official explanation – I want to know exactly why they have her.’ Because when I had the why I could work on what it would take to get her out.