Prey by L.A. Larkin

Author:L.A. Larkin [Larkin, L.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

54

Seated next to Casburn in a chauffeur-driven car, Wolfe has a moment to observe his puffy eyes, his stubble and his open shirt collar, yellowed with sweat and grime – Wolfe guesses he hasn’t changed it for a while. The Casburn she knows is obsessively neat, his immaculate appearance an outward display of his self-control and eye for detail. None of this applies to the man next to her.

‘Level with me,’ Wolfe says, trying to ignore the yeasty sourness of last night’s beer on his breath. ‘Are you jacking this in?’

Casburn rubs a finger across dry lips. His hand has a tremor. ‘I’m stuck in the middle. Sackville’s mob wants me to stop. My commander wants me to keep going.’

‘What happens to you if you keep going?’

‘Not sure. SO24 could lose its funding and I lose my job.’

‘I’m sorry it’s turned out like this.’

Casburn rummages in his pocket. ‘You even think about publishing any of this and I’ll make you wish you had taken your chances with Msiza.’ He finds his Nicorette gum and starts chewing aggressively.

‘Of course I won’t,’ she says. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘I’ve warned my commander. He wants me to keep going, but he’ll still have a job if the shit hits the fan. And I won’t.’

‘Can’t he protect you?’

‘You know how it goes, Olivia. He’ll protect himself first.’

‘Sackville is behind all this. Whether directly or indirectly. We can’t let him get away with it.’

‘You don’t get it, do you? I’m not like you, Olivia. My life has been the army, the SAS, the Met. We get orders. We follow them. But I’m out on a limb here. And whatever I do, I’m going to piss off somebody who can seriously fuck up my life.’

‘I get it, Dan. Believe me. Moz wants to publish the ‘four murders’ story. I won’t give it to him. At least not until I’ve found Samuel. Moz will go off his rocker. He’ll find some way to punish me. Maybe even fire me.’

Casburn leans forward and asks the driver, ‘Got any water, mate?’

‘Yes, sir, in the seat pocket,’ the driver replies.

Casburn drinks in great gulps.

‘Big night?’ Wolfe asks.

‘Butt out, Olivia.’

‘Okay, then how about this? You find an excuse to stay here a day or two. Tying up loose ends, that sort of thing. We team up. If we get nowhere, you fly home.’

Casburn looks away, then back to her.

‘I can’t believe I’m saying this.’ He finishes the last of the water and pops the empty bottle back into the seat pocket. ‘If we do this, I have to know that nothing I say, nothing we learn, gets published without my say so. And I mean nothing.’

Wolfe plays with her tongue stud, thinking. Moz will hate this.

‘Moz already has the murder victim photos. He could publish them, but without me the story will be weak.’

‘You’ve got to make sure he doesn’t, Olivia.’

‘I’ll do my best.’

Casburn makes a phone call. Tells the woman from Private Air there’s been a change in plan.

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