29

‘They’re in Turkey.’

‘Turkey?’

‘Yes.’

‘Where in Turkey?’

Radu hesitated.

Abi spoke into his cell phone. ‘If this imbecile gives me one more featherbrained answer, saw off one of the kid’s fingers, okay?’ He glanced back at Radu. ‘The man who is holding the boy is mad. He likes doing bad things to children. Once he starts, I may not be able to stop him. Now tell me. Where are they?’

Radu stayed silent for a long time. He scanned the ground like a man searching for a lost coin. Then he looked up into the sky. ‘If I tell you, what’s to stop me calling and warning them?’

Abi gave a long drawn-out sigh. ‘Don’t act like you’re dumber than you are. You’re coming with us. You and the boy. What did you think? That we’d write down Sabir’s address on the back of an envelope and then leave you both to get on with the rest of your lives?’

‘Not the boy. You don’t need him. I will come.’

‘You still haven’t told me where they are. We’ll barter afterwards. Maybe.’

Radu continued with his perusal of the village. It was as if the walls of Samois itself might contain the answer to his problems. He spat into the dirt at his feet. ‘They’re in Romania. In a small village in the north of the country. With Yola and Alexi’s relatives. I don’t know the name of the village. This I promise. But I know roughly where it is.’

‘That’s cute. You don’t know the name of the village, but you know roughly where it is.’

‘This is true. I know how to get near there. But not what it is called.’

‘Anyone else in your camp know?’

‘Only me.’

‘I figured you’d say that.’

‘It is the truth. So help me God.’

‘Have they got a phone number?’

‘Yes. A cell phone. Pay-as-you-go.’

‘Who else has the number?’

‘Only me.’

‘That figures too. Give me your phone.’

Radu handed over his cell phone.

‘Can the boy square things for you with the rest of the camp? If we agree to leave him here, that is? And can he keep his trap shut?’

‘Yes. Yes to both. I go away all the time. I am a musician. But I must say goodbye to my wife, or she will worry. We married earlier this summer. She is pregnant. It will be difficult for her.’

‘My heart bleeds for you. But no. Get the kid to give her some cock-and-bull story as to why you’re heading off unexpectedly. There’s an emergency in Romania. Whatever. If you take me straight to Sabir, you’ll be nappy-changing in no time. If you cross me, your wife will be wearing widow’s weeds while she gives birth. Do you understand?’

Radu shook his head. ‘Why you want to do this? What have we done to you?’

‘Not you. They.’

‘What did they do to you?’

‘They killed my twin brother. Not to mention the rest of my family.’

‘No, they didn’t. They haven’t killed anybody.’

‘Caused their deaths, then.’

‘No. You caused their deaths.’

‘I don’t think you’re in a strong enough position to be lecturing anybody, Pikey. I’ll call my associates to come and pick us up. You tell the boy what you need to. If he, or anyone else, tries to get in touch with Sabir or any of his cronies, we’ll kill you. Is that understood?’

‘That is very clear.’