Payback by Martin Griffin

Author:Martin Griffin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House
Published: 2018-10-02T16:00:00+00:00

I was fifteen minutes late to the restaurant, knackered and jumpy but with three pages of scribbled notes and Ruiz’s dog-eared list of sites in my sweating palms as I pulled the door open and headed for the same table as before.

Ruiz was pouring himself a coffee from a silver pot and talking on the phone. I half-expected fury but his eyes were hooded and his face emotionless as he watched me slip in and take a seat.

‘Right,’ he said into the phone. ‘Interesting. And not unexpected.’ He pinched the bridge of his nose with bony fingers. ‘Thanks Robert. He’s here now. We’ll discuss that.’ He put the phone on the table.

I made a show of sorting through my notes. ‘Here’s what I’ve got so far,’ I began.

He held up a hand. ‘Let’s not spend time on evasion.’ I was well over fifty per cent sure what evasion meant but my face must have indicated otherwise. ‘You haven’t been fulfilling your side of the bargain, Bellboy.’

‘I have! Look I’ve got some notes for you.’ My hands trembled as I pushed them over.

He didn’t waste his time checking. ‘You may have gathered these at the last minute but Mr Gonzalez informs me you’ve been spending a lot of time elsewhere.’

The room was very hot. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

Ruiz tipped his head. ‘You do. London. Bath. You’ve hardly had a moment to complete the task I charged you with. And when you have been here in the city . . .’ Ruiz sipped his coffee and smiled. ‘You’ve been spending your time in two locations. A Victorian property in Chorlton . . .’ I felt my throat constrict and my bladder loosen. I swear I’ve never been so frightened, ‘. . . your family home, Mr Gonzalez informs me – and a lock-up here.’ He stabbed the map I’d pushed across to him. Gonzalez followed me. I’d never noticed a thing. ‘So I can’t see how you might have carried out the work we discussed. It’s impossible for you to be in two places at once, yes?’

‘It’s been a busy time,’ I croaked.

Ruiz raised his white eyebrows. ‘Really? I was under the impression you’d lost your job, Bellboy. That’s why I hired you.’ He licked his lips. ‘I’m interested in what you find so fascinating about these archways along the riverfront.’

If someone had offered to swap everything I owned in exchange for escape from that room right then, I’d have taken it. Sonos wireless speaker system, skateboard, games console, designer T-shirts, box-fresh high-tops: Have them all. Just get me the hell out. ‘My brother’s stuff’s stored there,’ I improvised. ‘He’s away and my dad packed up all his gear. I’ve got a key and I sometimes go and get old DVDs and clothes.’ I began warming up. ‘There’s some camping equipment too. Tent, sleeping bags, a barbecue. I’ve been thinking of taking a holiday with some mates so I’ve been going through the stuff with them.’

‘Like you said,’ Ruiz was deadpan.

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