Silent Kill by Peter Corris

Author:Peter Corris [Corris, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller, ebook, book
ISBN: 9781743316375
Google: yc_FAQAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1486204716
Barnesnoble: 1486204716
Goodreads: 20794532
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2013-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

15

Penelope broke down and cried. I put my arm around her and she pressed her face against me so I could feel her tears wetting my shirt. After a while she pulled a tissue from her dressing-gown pocket and wiped her eyes. Then she reached down to the floor and brought up first a bottle of vodka and then a glass. She poured a solid measure, the bottle tapping against the rim of the glass. She took a big swig and looked at me.

‘I’m a mess,’ she said.

‘Not permanently,’ I said.

She forced a smile. ‘That’s the only nice thing I’ve heard since . . .’

I sat on the bed. ‘I went to Darwin. I saw Rory and he told me you’d left with Bright. Do you feel up to telling me what happened then?’

‘Why?’

I explained that I was working for Melanie Kim’s brother. Suddenly she seemed less interested in the vodka.

‘You’re going after him?’

‘That’s right.’

‘What will you do if you catch him?’

‘That’ll depend on what he does. But I’ll need help, Pen. I need to know everything about the material you have on the politicians and the people behind them.’

‘Had,’ she said. ‘I kept thinking I could play him along and get away from him somehow but I couldn’t. He threatened to scar me unless I gave him the files. He had this knife . . .’

Her hand shook and she spilled some of the vodka. I took the glass from her.

‘Easy,’ I said. ‘He didn’t scar you. You’ll be beautiful again.’ Her eyes opened wide. ‘I’m not beautiful.’

‘If you ain’t, you’ll do till beautiful gets here.’

‘That’s from No Country for Old Men.’

‘Right.’

She laughed and winced as the movement hurt her battered face.

‘See?’ I said. ‘You’re on the way back.’

‘Christ, I think you’re right. I’ve got to pull myself together. Help you? I’ll do anything to get even with that bastard.’

She downed her drink, tossed the bottle onto the bed where it clicked against the mobile and stood up. She swayed but regained her balance and gave a triumphant grunt. Mrs Marinos came into the room.

‘Darling, you’re on your feet. That’s much better.’

‘Thank him, he’s a good man.’

‘It’s about time you found one.’

‘Don’t start, Mama.’

They had a rapid-fire conversation in Greek.

‘I’ve told her you’re going to protect me. Are you?’

‘Yes,’ I said.

Pen went to the bathroom and tidied herself. She came back and I studied the books on the shelf while she got dressed. Moving slowly and carefully, it took time for her to work her way into a shirt, loose pants and a jacket. I helped her pull on a pair of dusty ankle boots.

‘Haven’t worn this gear in years,’ she said. ‘The stuff I arrived here in I never want to see again. He only let me bring my shoulder bag. Anyway, there were no other clothes to bring.’

‘What happened to them? There was nothing left in Darwin, O’Hara said. Just some shoes.’

She put the dressing gown on a hook on the back of the door and leaned against the door for support.

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