RED LABYRINTH a gripping action-packed spy thriller with a shocking twist by Adler Dominic

Author:Adler, Dominic
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lume Books Historical Spy Thriller Fiction, A Joffe Books Company
Published: 2023-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Fairburn woke mid-morning, dusty light filtering through a gap in the curtains. He got up, dressed in casual clothes and took a bus to Vauxhall. In his notebook was the address Renton had provided for the café called Fratelli’s. Why had Aunt Maggie telephoned the place straight after his visit? And why for only ten seconds? It had to be something to do with the ex-SS man she’d spoken of. Fairburn’s fingers brushed the grips of the Makarov in his shoulder holster. Wasn’t hunting and killing fascists a sworn duty for a Spartan of the KGB’s 10th Directorate?

Fratelli’s was a greasy spoon café near Vauxhall Park. Fairburn studied two young men standing by the door smoking roll-up cigarettes. Both wore heavy crepe-soled shoes and velvet-collared jackets, their hair worn in oily pompadours. ‘Teddy Boys’, they called themselves, self-styled rebels who enjoyed American music. Why weren’t the Militia here, moving them on? Taking their names? He stepped inside the café and studied the menu chalked on the board behind the counter. There was the usual selection of soup and stews, plus overpriced pies and sandwiches. Ordering a cheese roll and a cup of coffee, he sat down behind a corner table. The waitress quickly brought his food, nodding along to the music playing on an old Dansette player. ‘Who sings this song?’ Fairburn asked.

‘Where’ve you been hiding?’ the waitress replied. ‘It’s Elvis Presley.’

‘Ah, the American singer?’

‘Yeah.’

Fairburn sipped his coffee, which was awful. ‘Where d’you get American records around here?’

‘They ain’t illegal, if that’s what you’re askin’.’

‘Of course not. I was thinking of buying my sister a birthday present.’ Fairburn smiled. ‘She likes this stuff.’

The waitress smiled back. ‘The sailors bring ’em over. They cost a few bob, though, maybe try Brixton market?’ When the waitress left, Fairburn pulled a copy of The Daily Mirror from his pocket and started the crossword, getting a feel for the café and its customers. Most looked like municipal workers, older men with ruddy faces and cropped hair, grumbling as they chopped at powdery sausage and oily bubble and squeak. Eventually, Elvis Presley was replaced by another musician he didn’t recognise. The music was furious and crass. ‘Can I get you anything else?’ said the waitress, pulling a pencil out of her hair as she tapped a foot to the music. ‘Before you ask, this one’s Jerry Lee Lewis.’

‘I’ll have some pie, if you have any.’

‘We’ve got apple crumble today.’

‘That’s fine. And another coffee? By the way, I was looking for a friend of my auntie’s who comes here. I can’t remember his name though.’

The waitress cocked her head. ‘And what’s your auntie called?’

‘Margaret Young. Maggie.’

‘Oh, the old lady from the Stockwell Park estate?’

‘Yes, that’s her.’

The waitress dabbed the corner of her mouth with a finger, catching a stray piece of lipstick. ‘You know her boys, then?’

‘Robbie and Clive are my cousins,’ said Fairburn. ‘It’s terrible what happened, getting sent to Russia like that.’

‘Okay, what does her friend look like?’ the waitress replied, her tone softening.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.