Dead Won't Sleep
Page 26
Rosie glanced at the window and closed her eyes. Jesus. A psycho. She wiped blood from her nose and tried to breathe.
He was silent while he listened on his phone.
‘Aye . . . Yep, right . . . Okay, boss, that’s fine.’ He put the phone in his pocket and looked at Rosie. ‘He says I’ve to take you for a swim.’ He chuckled, shaking his head. ‘He’s some fucking man.’
He walked out of the living room, and Rosie could see him in the kitchen through the serving hatch. He opened her fridge and drank from a bottle of lemonade, then opened one of the cupboards and came into the living room eating from a packet of crisps.
‘I’m starving,’ he said, sitting on the couch. He took another handful of crisps and threw the packet over his shoulder. He switched on the television. ‘Might as well settle down. It’s better to wait till first thing in the morning for a swim. Do you not agree?’ He smiled and turned back towards the television. ‘But if you can remember an address between now and then, let me know.’
Rosie eased herself up so she was sitting. She wanted to ask if she could have a drink of water, but she was terrified. She looked around the room for ideas of how she could escape. How she could possibly take him on. She knew she had a hammer under the sink. But she could never get near it. And even if she could, she wouldn’t know what to do with it.
He stood up and went towards the window. Rosie sat forward, watching. He opened the doors and went out onto the balcony and stood staring. Rosie saw him take the bag out of his pocket again and dip his finger in. He rubbed some on his gums, and stuck some up his nose. She looked around the room, and her eyes fell on the brass candlestick on the dining table. She stood up, her legs shaking, and she was across the room in a second. She crept up to the balcony. Please don’t turn around. He lit a cigarette. Then, as hard as she could, she brought the candlestick down on the back of his head. But he didn’t fall. He turned around, his eyes blazing. He roared.
‘Bitch. Fucking bitch. Look!’ He ran his hand across his bald head and felt the blood. ‘Look what you’ve done!’
Rosie backed away, but he grabbed her and threw her against the wall. She slid down. He lifted her up and slammed her head several times against the wall. She could see him. Then she couldn’t. She tried to scream. Then blackness.
She could feel the movement of the car and hear the voices. Maybe it was a dream, but the pain shooting through her face was real. She opened her eyes. Pitch black. She pushed her hands up and they hit the metal. She was in the boot of a car. Jesus Christ! She could hear laughing and loud voices somewhere. The car was moving and she winced every time it went over a bump. Then it stopped. She held her breath. The voices were quieter. She closed her eyes as she heard the boot opening.
‘Get her out. Hurry. In case someone comes down here.’ She recognised it as the fat man’s voice.
‘There’s never anybody down here,’ another voice said. ‘Maybe the odd whore with a punter, but that’s all.’
‘Hurry up. Just get her to fuck. I need to get my head fixed. It’s fucking killing me.’ The fat man’s voice.
Rosie opened her eyes as two men reached into the boot and grabbed her by the legs. Pain seared through her body. The fat man lifted her arm and they hauled her out. They tried to stand her up, but her legs gave way.
‘Please.’ Rosie’s voice was weak. She blinked, and from one eye she could make out where she was. She could see the railings on the River Clyde walkway. The lights across the river were Kinning Park. They dragged her towards the railings.
‘Please,’ Rosie said. ‘Please don’t do this.’ She felt sick rising in her stomach. Her head was spinning. They pushed her against the railings and she could see the blackness of the water. Hail Mary, full of grace. She saw her mother’s face. Beloved.
Bang! The gunshot echoed in the darkness. One of the men who was holding her collapsed. Bang! The fat man was down. She slumped onto the railing. The other man who was holding her let go. He turned around long enough to see the gunman pointing the gun at his stomach and firing. He fell to the ground. Rosie covered her head with her hands, waiting to be shot. She lay against the railing.
‘Rosie?’ The voice was unmistakable.
‘Adrian . . .’ She could feel him lifting her, carrying her, running away from the quayside.
‘We must hurry,’ Adrian said. ‘We must hurry, my friend.’ He took her towards a car and sat her in the back. The light, as he opened the door, stung her eye.
‘You are hurt, Rosie. Oh Rosie, I am so sorry you are hurt.’ He jumped into the driving seat. ‘I will take you to hospital. The Royal. It is close by.’ He switched on the engine, reversed and screeched off the quayside onto the road. Rosie was sobbing with shock and pain.
‘Don’t cry, Rosie. You will be all right, I promise.’ He sped through the city. She passed out.
When Rosie woke up she could only see out of one eye. She squinted, trying to make out where she was. She turned her head, and through the glass partition she saw nurses in a corridor. She strained her eyes, trying to make out the figure at the edge of the bed. It was Adrian. He smiled as he touched her hand. It began to come back to her.
‘Oh Adrian.’ The tears hurt her face. ‘Adrian.’ She squeezed his hand.
‘Ssssh, it’s finish now, Rosie. They are gone.’ He gently touched her head.
‘How?’ Rosie was confused. She tried to remember what had happened. It was coming back. ‘Adrian, how come you were there? I don’t understand.’
Adrian moved close and pulled up a chair so he was sitting beside her. His voice was almost a whisper.
‘I came to your flat, Rosie,’ he said. ‘I get no answer on your mobile, and I wanted to talk to you, to see if you were all right after last week. I saw the story about the policemen in the newspaper and on the television, so I think, okay, I will visit my old friend. And I had something to tell you. But that’s not for now.’
Rosie couldn’t believe it. She shook her head. ‘But how did you know what was happening?’
‘Well, when I came near your house, I was first of all in the street and I look up and see the fat man on the balcony. To make sure, I came into the building when somebody opened the front door, and when I come to your door, I hear shouting inside, and I recognise his voice. From last week. I never forget things like that. I listen very hard, and he was asking for me, where he could find me. I think that is what he is saying, yes?’
She nodded.
‘But you did not tell him.’
‘No.’
‘Very brave,’ he said. ‘So, I waited outside and I watch, and I see them bring you out and put you in the boot of the car. I could not believe it.’
He told her he stole a car parked outside and drove after them. ‘I had the gun. I knew I can shoot them all in the street at your house, but I didn’t want to in case the cops come. Then they would send me back to Bosnia. So I followed.’
‘Jesus, Adrian! They would have killed both of us.’ Rosie lifted her head, but the pain shot through her.
Adrian shrugged. ‘But they did not. They won’t kill anybody any more.’ He stood up. ‘Listen, Rosie, I have to go. I must go away from Glasgow for a little time now in case somebody comes to look for me. And also because I have something I must do. I told the nurses that I found you in the street. I give them a false name. I have to go before the police come, but I will be in touch, Rosie, I will see you again some day. I promise.’ He squeezed her hand, then turned and left.
Rosie sank back into the pillow. If it hadn’t been for the pain in her cheek she would think she was dreaming. Two nurses came in, smiling.
‘Hallo, Rosie,’ one of them said. ‘Back in the land of the living. You have a visitor.’
She saw McGuire appearing behind them. When he saw her, his expression changed.
‘Gilmour, for Christ’s sake! Look at the state of you.’ He came towards her. ‘Jesus. I wouldn’t like to see the other guy.’
Rosie tried to smile.
The other guy. If only he knew. He sat down and she told him what had happened. He cursed himself for allowing her to go back to the flat by herself after the story appeared. He looked genuinely upset.
Rosie suddenly thought of TJ.
‘What time is it?’
‘Eight-thirty,’ McGuire said, looking at his watch. ‘Not going somewhere, are you?’
Rosie turned her head away. Tears came to her eyes. She asked for her mobile and rang TJ’s number. It rang and rang. She looked at her missed calls. One was from TJ at seven this morning. She tried his number again. It rang and rang, but there was nobody to answer it.
It lay in the rubbish bin where TJ had dropped it, as he made his way to the departure gate at Glasgow Airport.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A WORD of gratitude to a whole bunch of people I’m so fortunate to have around me. Firstly, my sister Sadie, who listens to all my moans and always finds a way forward, and my family – including all my fantastic cousins – for their love and support; my friend Carole Malone who introduced me to the redoubtable Ali Gunn – thank you, Ali, for loving the book and having such a big heart; my closest friends who laugh with me in the good times and cry with me in the bad – especially Mags McGowan and Betty Gillick, whose names I shamelessly hijacked for one of my characters; my friend Franco Rey, for his encouragement; my brilliant editor Jane Wood, who keeps me on my toes, and the top team at Quercus.
Thanks, also, to Dr Marjorie Black, Consultant Forensic Pathologist at Glasgow University for her expert advice. And finally, my mum, who was my heart, who didn’t live to see this, but who will be forever on my shoulder, inspiring me.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE