Hiding the Past

by Sofia Grey

  “C’mon. Come here.” He raised his hands to her.

  With a little smile to Maria, she stood and moved into his embrace.

  He buried his nose in her hair. She felt good. Always so fucking good.

  “Be careful, Jack. In case he’s telling the truth.”

  “Always am, babe.” He nuzzled the side of her neck. “We’ll head out in a couple of hours, but Aiden will stay here with you.” He looked up and met Maria’s gaze. “What about you? Should we see you home safely?”

  “I’m staying a bit longer.” Maria turned to her laptop. She seemed to be working on an email. “I might stay the night, actually. Especially if you two are going to be back late.”

  “Yeah. Good idea.” Claiming Juli’s lips for one final kiss, he tore himself away and went back to planning the night ahead with Tanner.

  *

  Nathan didn’t cope well with confrontation. The blow-up with Shaz left him shaken and stressed for the evening, with a mountain of extra jobs that she’d normally do. At least the hard physical labour would give him something else to focus on. As he mucked out the stables and mixed the feeds, he tried to think about Anita’s proposal. With the horses turned out into the field for the night, he swept the last part of the stable block and set off to do his rounds.

  Irina sat on the doorstep, her pale eyes following him as he moved around the yard.

  She lifted her head, as though hearing something. Moments later, Nathan heard footsteps and a murmur of voices approaching. He put away the broom, and ran water to wash his hands and splash the dust off his face. He was grubby and sweaty after the workout, and not really in the mood for visitors.

  He relented when he saw Daisy’s pink cheeks and happy smile, even though she clutched Charlie’s hand as though she was afraid he’d run away. With them came a guy he recognised from Kate’s drinks evening, and a tall, muscle-bound stranger. Nathan glanced over his shoulder at Irina. She peeped around the doorway at the little group, a beaming smile spreading across her face.

  “Hi, Nathan,” said Daisy. Her smile was infectious. “I’m not sure if you already know Alex?”

  Nathan rapidly wiped his wet hands on the back of his breeches and shook the offered hand. “Hello again. I guess you must be Daisy’s employer?”

  “Yeah. For the moment.” He gave her an indulgent smile.

  “And this is Andrei.” Daisy pulled the stranger forward, and they also shook hands. “Andrei is one of the roadies for the band, and he’s Polish. He can be our interpreter so that we can talk more to Irina. Do you mind us coming over so late?”

  “I don’t mind at all. It’s a great idea.” Nathan beckoned Irina over, and she sidled across the yard, blushing fit to burst. Now what?

  “Irina, this is AJ.” Daisy gestured to Alex.

  Huh? What did she just call him? Nathan was even more confused when Irina giggled and simpered over the guy. Then the penny dropped. “I’m guessing from her reaction that you’re another musician?”

  Alex grinned. “Yeah, we play in the band together, with Sylvie, my wife. You met her at Kate’s.”

  It was funny, really. Shaz would have been wetting herself with two rock stars here. Perhaps it was just as well she’d gone.

  Andrei held out a hand to Irina and spoke quietly. Her eyes widened at his words, but then her mouth seemed to crumple. Tears trickled down her face, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand, rattling off a torrent of words.

  He answered her briefly, then looked at Nathan. “We’ll sit on the wooden bench out here. It’s nice and quiet.”

  Never having hung out with rock stars before, Nathan had to admit they came across as ordinary guys. Charlie was the more arrogant of the two, while Alex seemed far more laid back. They chatted idly over a beer, and talked about Anita’s proposal for the stables. Nathan tried not to watch Daisy, while being conscious of her every move. He forced himself to laugh at one of Charlie’s funny stories, but it was hard to relax. He was never sociable at the best of times, and after the drama today, he longed to crawl into bed and tug the covers over his head.

  “Here they are,” Daisy said, when Irina and Andrei joined them in the kitchen. The girl looked tired, but her tears were gone. She accepted the chair that Nathan pulled out for her, and joined them at the table. Andrei preferred to stand, leaning against the sink.

  Nathan gave Irina a gentle smile, and Daisy reached across to squeeze her hand. All eyes were on Andrei.

  “She won’t tell me much,” he said, “other than that she’s terrified of being caught, either by her handler or by the police. You already know that she came to Holyhead on the ferry, with some other girls. Well they were attacked when they docked. The other girls were all hurt, but Irina managed to escape by hitting one of the men over the head with a chair. She thinks she killed him. She’d been planning to run away when they docked anyway, otherwise she would have been hurt with the others. A lucky escape.”

  He gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment. “She made arrangements to meet this guy who’s going to rescue her, but she doesn’t know his name; he called himself by a codename, Serenity. And she’s asked if I’ll go with her to the station. Apart from that, we talked about her family, where she went to school—just background, really. I asked if she wants to call her parents, but she doesn’t want to worry them.” He shrugged. “I’ll come back tomorrow and talk with her more.”

  There was little more he could do. Tomorrow was Friday, and Irina might well be disappearing altogether on the Saturday if her friend turned up. Would Nathan ever get to the bottom of this mystery?

  Nathan said goodnight to his visitors, and then set off to do the night rounds of the stables and check on his horses. Irina looked happy in the kitchen, flicking through a glossy magazine Shaz left behind. Shaz loved to read about the rich and famous, and pore over celebrities photographed in exotic locations around the globe. Perhaps Irina was looking for pictures of Charlie and Alex?

  Today had been painful. Nathan needed quiet time to himself. His thoughts drifted back to Daisy.

  He’d been starved of female affection for two years, locked into a vicious, destructive spiral with Shaz. The first time a girl smiled at him as though she actually liked him, and he was lost.

  *

  Maria laid the plans with Juli, with care. As a final touch of genius, she’d brew a pot of extra strong coffee and lace Aiden’s mug with ground-up sleeping pills. With luck, he’d be dopey and wouldn’t put up much of a struggle when they released Yanni. Juli had fresh clothes for him, they’d grab his painkillers and antibiotics, and Maria would distract Aiden while she stole his sidearm. They’d handcuff Aiden to the bed, get Yanni to Juli’s rental car, and then Maria would go back and release Aiden, while Juli disappeared with Yanni. Easy.

  Except, Maria wasn’t going to let it happen quite like that.

  She gave Juli the coffee too.

  Juli grimaced as she drank. “It’s bitter. How many scoops did you put in the pot?”

  “Plenty. It’s not only got to disguise the taste for Aiden, but it also has to keep us awake all night.” Maria glanced at her watch. “The guys won’t be back for hours. We may as well rest up now, while we can.”

  Juli nodded and sprawled on the sofa with Yves’ notebook in her hand. Maria continued working through her emails. Aiden was busy on his laptop in the kitchen area, and all was quiet. Juli started yawning. Within half an hour, she was flat out, snoring gently.

  Maria covered her with a blanket from the bedroom. “Sorry, hun,” she whispered. “I can’t let you do this.”

  It was now or never. Aiden, damn him, appeared to be wide awake, his coffee untouched by his side. He glanced up when Maria walked into the kitchen.

  “Juli’s asleep. She was exhausted.” Maria leaned against the counter and smiled at him, while trying to see what he was working on. Smart guy, he locked out his screen and turned to face her.

  “Was there something you wanted, Maria?”

&nb
sp; “Yeah, actually.” She dug into her pocket. “I’ve got a problem with my phone. Would you mind taking a look at it?”

  “Sure.” He held out his hand.

  Maria felt a moment of guilt, but she couldn’t let it stop her. She pulled out her mobile stun-gun. As Aiden waited patiently, she twisted the device, pushed it hard into the palm of his hand and flicked the switch.

  Twelve million volts zapped into his body. There was a crackling noise. A sharp ozone smell. A look of disbelief on his face. And then he screwed up his eyes, his hand falling away and back arching as his body jerked. A groan of pain. He was hurt, but not down, slumped on the stool, his muscles rippling and eyes blinking in disbelief.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She pressed the stun-gun into his upper arm while he was still recovering, and blasted him again. This time, he toppled off the stool and lay in a twitching heap on the tiled floor.

  He was still conscious, but only just. She took his sidearm and examined it. A Glock 17. She’d used one before on the range. There was no separate safety catch, and the clip was fully loaded. She picked up his cell phone from the counter, then—with the fur-lined handcuffs she used on Tanner—attached Aiden to the heavy marble-topped kitchen table. He wouldn’t be down for long, so she had to move quickly. She scooped up the pills from the cupboard and dropped them into her open tote bag, along with the discharged stun gun. Who would ever expect a Taser to be disguised as a cell phone? Genius. She never imagined she’d use it.

  Maria grabbed the bag of clothes from Juli’s room, snatched up the handcuff key, and went to release Yanni. He sat alert and ready in bed, a wary look crossing his face when he saw her.

  “Come on, sunshine. We need to move.” She released his wrist, disconnected the cuffs from the bed frame, and dropped those into her bag as well. They might be useful later. “Get dressed. Do you need help?” She tipped the clothes onto the bed—jeans, shirt, zippered fleece jacket. She didn’t want to steal Aiden’s phone, so she dropped it in the top drawer of the dresser, along with the key to his cuffs. The guys would find them later.

  Yanni pulled on the jeans, shoved his feet into boots lying beside the bed, and gave her an inscrutable stare as he eased into the fleece. “Where’s Juli?”

  “She’s not coming. I’m riding shotgun, or you’re staying here. Your choice.”

  “What just happened? I heard a noise.”

  “I knocked out your guard, but he’ll be up again soon.” He didn’t query this. Just finished tying his laces and stood, a little wobbly.

  When he took a step he was unsteady on his feet, so she snaked her arm around his waist, taking care to avoid his wound.

  After a second, he leaned against her. He felt strong and muscled, his body radiating heat. “Thanks,” he said.

  He must have seen Aiden sprawled on the floor and Juli sleeping on the sofa, but he didn’t say anything. They left the apartment, and Maria pressed the call button for the elevator.

  “Do you have a car here?” Yanni asked.

  “Yep. In the basement car park.” As the elevator doors opened, she said, “I’m sticking with you. I want to know if you were telling the truth about Irina.”

  Dark eyes gazed at her, a hint of a smile on his face. “And after that?”

  She held his gaze and kept her face blank, her voice hard. “After that, I get to decide what happens.”

  *

  Gloria’s was quieter this time. Jack and Tanner had a table to themselves, and the same enthusiastic hostess as the previous night. They stayed in character, loud and vocal, bought plenty of drinks, and lavished attention on the dancers. The hostess made sure they were looked after, as the club started to fill around them.

  An hour later, they figured it was time to act. Tanner beckoned the hostess. “Hey, gorgeous.” He exaggerated his normal Houston accent, drawling like a Texas ranch hand. “We’re lookin’ for a real good time, y’know.” He gestured toward Jack. “My buddy here tells me y’all have special girls for hire.”

  She beamed back at him and winked at Jack. “Both of you? If you go now, you can beat the queue.”

  The queue? She was serious?

  They ambled out of the main area behind her, through a set of heavy velvet drapes, and into a smaller room. Dimly lit, at first glance it resembled a doctor’s waiting room, with chairs around the walls. A second look, and Jack took in pictures he wouldn’t see gracing any standard surgery, and a receptionist who left almost nothing to the imagination. Four guys sprawled on seats along one wall, talking lazily amongst themselves. Jack and Tanner sat opposite. Moments later, a singleton joined them, the hostess disappeared, the drapes closed, and the show began.

  Ten young women—girls—filed into the room from a concealed door, each wearing just a thigh-high satin wrap. Their faces looked bored, and they strolled around the group, parading themselves. It was a cattle show. The men were offered the goods and had to make their choices.

  The singleton picked first. A whippet-thin redhead took him by the hand and led him through the door. The group of four debated noisily, while Tanner and Jack looked at each other.

  “Hey, Freckles.” Tanner leaned forward, to speak to a waif-like brunette. She stared blankly at him. “You gonna show me a good time?”

  Her mouth lifted in a forced approximation of a smile. “Good time, yah.” She sounded German. Tanner extended his hand, grinned broadly at Jack, and followed her.

  Jack waited, pretending to be stuck for choice. The four guys opposite made their selections and disappeared with loud whooping catcalls. There was only Jack left, and several girls watching him. The smallest and youngest-looking also appeared the most frightened, so he picked her. She might be the easiest to talk to. Eyes downcast, she slipped her small hand in his and led him away.

  They went down a darkened corridor, up a half-flight of stairs, and then they met her minder, a solid block of muscle, tattooed on every visible inch of skin, including his face.

  “Evening,” he sounded amiable. “It’s fifty for a blow, hundred for full sex. Extras are… well, extra.” He grinned at his own joke. “Cash or card?”

  Jack dug out his wallet and handed over five twenty-pound notes. “How long do I get?”

  “Twenty minutes. Anything over is charged in blocks of five minutes.”

  Jack nodded and followed her into a small room. The door closed securely behind them. Rock music played from somewhere, probably to drown out the sounds from the other rooms. It wasn’t too noisy to talk though, and that was all he intended to do.

  She unfastened the tie belt, and the robe slipped to the floor, to reveal her scrawny naked body. Christ, she was thin. And young. Jack had never been with a hooker before. What was the correct protocol? He hesitated, unsure what to do.

  The girl smiled and pulled his hand, tugging him to sit on the bed beside her. Seconds later, she was tugging at his shirt and reaching to unfasten his jeans.

  “Whoa. Not so fast, honey. How about we just talk first?”

  She paused and looked at him fully, a frown on her face. “Talk?” She shrugged, then resumed her attack on his jeans.

  “Hold on.” Jack removed her hands from his fly. He let go and smiled at the look of surprise on her face. “I’m Jack. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Sapphire. Look, d’ya want a fuck or no?”

  Foreign? Kinda. She sounded Scottish. And though her tone was feisty, she still looked petrified.

  Jack gave her a puppy-dog smile. “This is a bit new to me. My buddy brought me here, and then disappeared with a girl. Could we talk?”

  “D’ya mind if I have a fag?” She meant a cigarette.

  He shrugged. “Be my guest. I’m guessing you still get paid if I don’t perform?”

  She produced a packet of cigarettes from a bedside drawer and a lighter, lit up and inhaled deeply. “D’ya want a massage or something? You’ve paid, after all.”

  “Actually, I’m after information.”

  Fuck. That wa
s the wrong thing to say. Her face shuttered, and she tugged the robe back on, firmly tying the belt while stubbing out the cigarette. “Are you the filth? I’ve only offered you a massage.”

  “No, I’m not the police. I’m looking for a friend of mine.”

  Her light-blue eyes flashed, and she glanced towards the door and back to him. “I can’t tell you anything. I don’t know anything.” If Jack thought she looked frightened before, that was nothing. Her hands shook as she opened her cigarette pack again, dropping several on the floor. It took several jerky clicks of the lighter, before she could inhale noisily again. Turning away from him, she gazed at the tiny window and the grimy lace curtain.

  “I’m looking for a foreign girl. She was supposed to be coming here this week,” said Jack. “Her name’s Irina. Have you heard of her?”

  Sapphire dropped the lit cigarette, cursed, and stooped to pick it up. Her eyes looked huge in a pale face, her dark hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Even though she wore thick, bright make-up, she looked criminally young. How old was she?

  “Please, go.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “I really canna talk to you.”

  He glanced at his watch. “I’ve only been here a few minutes. Won’t they get suspicious if I leave too early?”

  “Fuck, yeah.” She chewed on her fingernails.

  He stared at her.

  She gazed back, indecision written all over her face.

  “Okay.” Jack pulled out his wallet. “How much? What does it cost, for you to tell me where I can find her?”

  “Oh God.” She rapidly lit another cigarette from the glowing end of the previous one. “A ton. A hundred. But for fuck’s sake, don’t say it was me. Please.”

  Luckily, he had some cash left. He handed it over, and watched as she tucked it inside her cigarette packet. Her movements were raw and jerky. What drugs was she taking? Speed, maybe. Was that how she’d spend his money?

  If Yanni was telling the truth, Sapphire might be another victim of the industry. Jack couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.