by Anna Smith
Adrian’s Bosnian friend had found out yesterday that Fiorina was living in the apartment above the whorehouse with other girls. His friend said she looked just as spaced out as them.
‘It’s so quiet here,’ Rosie said, scanning the darkened empty street. ‘Scarily quiet.’
‘That’s good though. It means we’ll be able to get away fast. Christ, Rosie. I can’t wait to get back to Glasgow.’
‘Yeah. Me too.’ Rosie thought again of her father alone in the flat. ‘I’ve been away for ages now. That first month up in Jerez seems like years ago.’
‘Sssh … Did you hear that?’ Javier interrupted.
‘Yeah, like a car backfiring,’ Matt said.
‘No, it’s gunfire. Inside the place. Something’s kicked off.’ He switched on the engine. ‘We better get ready.’
‘Shit, there it is again.’ Rosie glanced at Javier.
‘If something doesn’t happen soon, someone will call the cops and they’ll be all over the place.’ Javier watched the building.
‘Look! The side door!’ Rosie saw it burst open and a figure emerged from the shadows. ‘It’s Adrian! He’s got a girl with him.’
‘Fuck!’ Matt said. ‘Someone’s after him.’
The squat guy chasing Adrian grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him round. Another shot, then another, and the guy fell. Adrian tried to run, holding up the girl, whose legs couldn’t keep up with him.
‘Open the door,’ Javier said.
Adrian was almost carrying the waif-like girl now as he got to the car. He bundled her inside and then dived in himself.
‘Quick, let’s go. They are coming.’
The car screeched away wheels spinning. Out of her side window Rosie could see two guys running.
‘They just got into a jeep, I saw them.’ Javier sped up one-way streets towards the edge of town.
‘You okay, Adrian?’
He was breathing hard. The girl was crying, her head buried in his chest.
‘Mama,’ she sobbed. ‘Mama.’
Adrian spoke to her in his language and patted the back of her head. He turned to look out of the rear window.
‘I don’t see anybody behind us. Maybe we lost them already. They are mostly English in there, the henchmen in the bar, so maybe they don’t know the roads so well.’
‘What happened?’ Rosie was almost scared to ask.
‘It was bad. Jake Cox was there in the back room. And Leka, and one other man, English. I don’t know who he is. Was. I knew my sister would be in that room with them because they had her working there for the night. My friend told me this. They use the girls for themselves after the poker game. That is why I had to go tonight.’
Rosie turned around to look at him. If his sister had been held by these scumbags for nearly three months, then tonight wasn’t her first stint in the whorehouse, that’s for sure. By the look on Adrian’s face, he knew that too.
‘We heard the gunfire,’ Rosie said.
Adrian nodded.
‘Did you shoot all three of them?’
Adrian looked back at her. He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. Rosie wondered if he’d killed Jake Cox. That would be a result in itself. But whoever he killed had help, because now she could see in her wing mirror the jeep was gaining ground.
‘Christ, they’re behind us now.’
‘Come off here, Javier. Quick. This road.’
‘I know a back way to get to the place we are going,’ Javier said. ‘Leave it to me.’
Javier took the next slip road. The tyres screeched as he about-turned and sped through an industrial estate and out the other side.
‘There he is. My friend. He is flashing the lights.’ Adrian pointed to a deserted piece of wasteland at the edge of the estate.
They pulled up and Adrian got out of the car and carried his sister, helping her to stand upright. Rosie got out.
‘We don’t have much time, Rosie.’ He stepped forward and hugged her. ‘Thank you, my friend. I will not forget this.’
‘What will you do, Adrian?’
‘I have to get away from here. I will go home for a while, take my sister back to our mother. I am safe there. I will come to Glasgow. I am coming back, but I don’t know when. When it is safe for me.’
‘Goodbye, Adrian. Hurry. You must go.’ Rosie swallowed the lump in her throat. She would probably never see him again.
Javier and Matt got out of the car and went forward to shake Adrian’s hand. As they did, everyone froze with the sound of screeching brakes.
‘Shit!’ Javier said. ‘Get back in the car, Rosie.’
But it was too late. Bullets smashed the rear window of their car and two, maybe three, pinged off the doors. Adrian pushed his sister to the ground and fired back, bullets ricocheting off the jeep, smashing their windscreen. His friend dragged Fiorina into the car.
‘Hurry, Adrian,’ he called. ‘Hurry.’
Rosie heard more gunfire. Headlights plinked out. The gunfire stopped. She was about to dive onto the ground beside Matt when she felt an arm go round her neck. She heard a shot whizz past her head as she was dragged backwards. Then she saw Javier slumped on the ground groaning.
‘Oh Christ, Javier.’ She tried to struggle, but she could feel the metal of the gun pressed at the side of her head.
‘Shut the fuck up.’ The voice screamed in her ear.
The shooting stopped. Rosie saw Adrian standing with his gun pointing.
‘Let her go,’ he shouted.
‘Fuck you,’ the voice rasped, dragging Rosie backwards towards his car.
Rosie struggled to breathe as the arm tightened around her neck. From the corner of her eye she could make out Matt lying face down on the ground beside their car, terror in his eyes as he raised his head.
‘Let her go or I’ll shoot.’ Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his face ashen.
‘On you go, prick. Shoot and she gets it first.’
Rosie’s eyes snapped shut with the explosion of the shot, which almost burst her ears. She couldn’t feel any pain. The arm around her neck slackened, but it dragged her and she stumbled backwards. He made a gasping sound as she fell on top of him.
‘What the fu—?’ Rosie was off her attacker in a flash and on her knees, confused. Then she saw Javier, his body raised a little, with the gun in his hand.
‘Javier.’ Rosie crawled towards him. ‘You shot him.’
Javier slumped back, clutching his stomach, a patch of blood spreading quickly across his shirt.
‘Javier. Oh, Javier. You saved my life.’
‘Fuuuck!’ He winced, blood running through his fingers.
‘Oh Christ, Javier.’ Rosie bent over him, lifting his head.
‘Don’t worry, you can pay me double. Now get out of here, Rosie. Get in the car and go.’
Adrian came over, the gun still in his hand. He knelt beside Javier.
‘Good shot my friend.’
Javier almost smiled.
‘Get out of here, Adrian, you have to. I’ll be okay. Go.’ He struggled to speak.
Adrian got up and looked at Rosie.
‘I must go, Rosie.’ He looked distressed.
Rosie nodded through tears. Adrian got into the car and drove off, quickly gathering speed.
‘Rosie,’ Javier grabbed her hand. ‘Listen to me.’ His breathing was laboured. ‘Take my mobile out of my pocket and look for the name Jose. Call the number.’
Rosie rummaged through his trouser pocket. Her hands trembled as she scrolled down and pressed Jose. It rang several times.
‘Fuck, it’s ringing out.’ But as she spoke, the voice answered.
‘Jose?’ Rosie said.
‘Give me the phone.’ Javier put his hand out.
He shoved the phone to his ear and spoke in Spanish. From what Rosie could gather he was giving a location. The bloodstain on his shirt was spreading across his chest.
‘Rosie, listen to me. They’re on their way. My friend Jose, he’s a cop. They’re co
ming with an ambulance. You need to get out of here. Now.’
‘I can’t leave you like this.’
‘Yes you can. You have to. You have all the Vinny tapes. They’ll take them off you and we’ll all be in the shit if they start asking where the bastard is. Get out of here now, for Christ’s sake.’
‘Oh, Javier.’ Rosie was crying.
‘He’s right, Rosie.’ Matt bent down and touched Rosie’s shoulder. ‘We need to go. They’ll be here for Javier, he’ll be fine. Won’t you Javier?’
‘Yes’, he said, his tone hoarse, his breathing becoming laboured. ‘Matt. Get her out of here. Go. Please. Go.’
‘Come on, Rosie.’
‘I’m sorry, Javier.’ She leaned down and kissed him on the lips.
‘I’ll call you, Rosie. Don’t worry. I’m okay. It’s not as bad as it looks. Just go.’ He winced, gripping his stomach.
‘Come on, Rosie.’ Matt pulled her by the arm.
They got into the car and Matt sped out of the car park and back onto the other carriageway heading for Malaga airport.
‘I can’t believe we just left him there, Matt. He didn’t even have to come with us tonight. What if he dies?’
‘He won’t die, Rosie. It might not be as bad as it looks. They’ll be there in a few minutes and he’ll be in hospital by the time we get to the airport. Come on.’ Matt reached over and ruffled Rosie’s hair.
She tried to compose herself.
‘What are we going to do with this car, Matt? It’s got fucking bullet holes in it.’
‘We’ll just dump it at the far side of the car park and hope they won’t check it till the morning. Let’s hope we’re gone by the time they notice it.’ Matt chuckled.
Half an hour later they were through check-in and security, and sitting in the departure lounge at Malaga Airport along with all the other holidaymakers in their cut-off trousers and suntans. Matt went to the bar and Rosie sat alone, tears welling up behind her dark glasses.
Her mobile rang and she blinked back the tears trying to see who was calling her. It was her GP back in Glasgow. It could only be bad news.
‘Rosie.’
‘Simon. Is it my father?’
‘I’m afraid so, Rosie. He’s in hospital. I had to admit him. Where are you?’
‘I’m at the airport in Malaga. I’ll be home in the morning. Is it bad, Simon?’
‘He’s not good, Rosie, he has an infection. Pneumonia. Just get here as soon as you can.’
CHAPTER 43
‘Where are you, Gilmour?’ McGuire’s was the first voice Rosie heard when she switched on her mobile as soon as they arrived at Glasgow.
‘We just landed. On my way out of the airport as I speak.’ Rosie and Matt walked briskly through the baggage hall.
‘Come straight here. I’ve read your big sit-down with the Lennons. Great stuff. Just come here and we’ll have a chat’
‘That sounds ominous.’
‘No, no. Some things to go through. Some decisions on just how we play it.’
The taxi was waiting in the usual spot and the driver waved at them when they emerged outside and into the rain.
‘Rain. Now there’s a surprise,’ Rosie said as they walked towards the car.
‘I don’t care if it’s blowing a blizzard, Rosie. I’m just glad we’re back. Christ almighty, I honestly thought that was it last night.’
Rosie said nothing. She thought of Javier, and automatically pulled her mobile out and punched in his number. No answer. She had been crying on and off during the entire flight and she could see by the look on Matt’s face that he was beginning to think she was falling apart. She told him not to panic. It was a combination of relief, worry about her father and Javier, and sheer exhaustion. She’d be fine when she got back to the office. But she couldn’t get Javier out of her mind. The fact that they’d walked away and left him bleeding on the ground … If he was dead she would never forgive herself. She rang the mobile again. Still no answer.
‘Leave it, Rosie.’ Matt seemed to know without even looking who she was phoning. ‘He’ll be in the hospital. His phone will be switched off.’
‘What if he’s dead, Matt?’
‘He’ll be alright. Come on. Stop worrying.’
They got into the car. She should call McGuire, tell him she was going to the hospital first to see her father. He would understand.
‘You going to your flat first, Rosie?’ the driver asked.
‘No,’ Rosie replied. She looked out of the side window. ‘Straight to the office.’
‘You look wrecked,’ McGuire said, when she walked into his office.
‘Thanks, Mick. It’s good to be back.’ She gave him a sarcastic look and threw herself wearily on his leather sofa.
‘Christ, Mick. I am so knackered. I just want to sleep.’
He watched her for too long.
‘What’s up?’ she said.
‘Nothing. You do look exhausted, Rosie. It must have been fucking awful. That fire and the kids and stuff. Are you sure you’re alright? I just want to go through a few things with you, then you can go home and sleep.’
‘I’m alright.’
‘Great.’ He rubbed his hands vigorously, and called up her copy on his screen. ‘As I said, all great stuff. They must have loved you when you brought up the shagging line. Christ, I wish I’d been a fly on the wall for that. What was it like?’
‘Well, you could say it got a little frosty.’ Rosie rubbed the tiredness from her eyes.
‘I’m sure. Anyway, Rosie, I’ve made a decision. Fair play to you for having the cheek to ask them about it, but I’m not using any line at all about the shagging.’
‘What?’ Rosie was surprised, but a little relieved. At least she knew she’d told the full story.
‘Well, I talked to the lawyers about it. Number one, Jenny Lennon doesn’t go into all the juicy details – unless I can hear her head rattling off the headboard it’s not enough for me. And number two, we don’t have anything from Jamie O’Hara. He’s a lawyer, he’s not daft. Never in a million years is he going to admit to shagging her, so I’m going to save you the hassle of asking him. And to be honest, I don’t need to complicate their lives by exposing their ill-timed get-together. So I’m just going to leave it out, give them a break. They’ve been through enough. The interview is great without it. And the pictures are brilliant.’
‘If I’m honest with you, Mick, I’m glad. I agonised about putting the line in the story or leaving it out, but thought I’d let you make the decision.’ She smiled. ‘You’re just a big softie, really, you know.’
He looked at her and wagged a finger.
‘Aye, sure. But don’t you go making decisions on what you’ll leave out in a story, madam. That’s my job. You’re not the editor yet.’
‘Yeah. Not yet.’
‘But I am using the line about the Russian hooker and his dirty old dad. I know Martin Lennon isn’t saying anything much about, or so it seems in your story.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Unless you’re holding out on me?’
Rosie shook her head.
‘He didn’t want to talk about it. He specifically asked not to mention it, Mick, because he’s worried that this might not be over yet. I mean if you’re talking juice here, the stuff about the Russian mafia involvement is the kind of juice that could get someone killed.’
‘The line has already been hinted at in the Sun, but no real detail. We’ve got too much detail not to go with it … Fuck it, I’m doing it.’
‘Fine. Your decision.’
‘Right. That’s that then.’
McGuire sat back and put his feet up on the desk. He took his specs off.
‘So, tell me about the Vinny tapes and what you’ve got.’
He buzzed Marion and asked her to bring them in some coffee.
Before Rosie started to talk about Vinny, she told him about last night, about the shoot-out in the whorehouse. He almost fell off his chair when she told him she thought Adrian had
shot Jake Cox.
‘He also shot Leka, the Albanian mafia guy. I think he may have killed him. And there was some other hoodlum there who got shot too, but I don’t know who he is.’
‘Jesus, I don’t believe this.’
‘Oh, believe it, Mick. Strap yourself in. Because this is going to get a lot worse.’
She told him about the car chase and about Javier getting shot. She tried hard not to break down when she described how he saved her life and they’d walked away and left him bleeding on the ground.
‘You did the right thing, Rosie.’ McGuire could see she was upset. ‘If you hadn’t, you’d be in a Spanish jail right now, in possession of child porn tapes. It’s easier to deal with all of that from here than with you stuck abroad. We’ll get him checked out from this end. We’ll make sure he gets looked after.’
‘Thanks, Mick. He’s a good man. He didn’t need to be there with us last night, but he wanted to. I feel like shit for leaving him like that. I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘He’ll be alright. Now tell me about the Vinny tapes.’
Rosie told him what Javier had seen in the tape, and that there were several other tapes where children were being sexually abused or posing naked. The tapes would need to be passed on to the police.
‘You might want to have a look at them first. I think they’ll be pretty grim,’ Rosie said.
‘Maybe a look. To see the extent of what’s there before we hand them over.’ He folded his arms. ‘So where is this bastard Vinny now?’
The image of the soles of Vinny’s sandals flashed up in Rosie’s head.
‘I don’t know.’
McGuire sat forward.
‘Yes, you do, Gilmour. It’s written all over your face.’
Rosie did a half smile and looked away from him.
‘He’s in a very large hole in the ground.’
