Downstairs, Harris’s mother was still hunched over her desk.
‘Lovely son you’ve got there,’ Caelan muttered as she strode past. She was ignored.
Ewan stood when he saw her, his face anxious. His eyes went to her throat, and Caelan saw his expression darken. Johnny came clattering down the stairs and nodded to the other bodyguard, who stepped away. Caelan took Ewan’s hand and squeezed.
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Time to go.’
Ewan flung a look of hatred at Harris’s heavies, then up at the ceiling.
‘What did that bastard—’
‘Leave it, please,’ Caelan said, beginning to drag him towards the door. The bodyguards were laughing, each giving a little wave as they stepped onto the street.
‘Are you okay? What the hell happened up there?’ Ewan demanded.
‘Let’s just get away from here,’ Caelan told him. She had been shaken by her encounter with Harris, but now she knew she needed to put some distance between them. She was raging too much to think clearly, and in her job that could be fatal.
Ewan didn’t argue, didn’t ask for explanations, and she was grateful. They walked quickly, hand in hand again, though after what Harris had done, Caelan had to force herself not to recoil from the contact.
It was only when they were on the Tube, speeding away from Harris’s patch, that she began to explain what had happened. Ewan listened silently, still holding her hand, staring at the floor of the carriage with his jaw clenched. When she’d finished, he turned to her.
‘He could have—’
‘I know what he could have done,’ she said quietly. ‘He didn’t. Anyway, I wouldn’t have let him get that far.’
Ewan nodded. ‘Sorry.’ He blew out his cheeks. ‘What now?’
‘We talk to Reuben, as instructed – we were going to anyway. And we’ll need to check in.’
He nodded again, knowing that she meant with Penrith. Caelan also wanted to speak to Adele Brady to ask if any progress had been made on the enquiry into Nathan Nash’s death, but Brady had said not to approach her directly. ‘You know, on second thoughts, Reuben said to meet him later, at the club,’ she said. ‘Why don’t we see the boss, then go and get a few hours’ sleep? Don’t know about you, but I’m dead on my feet.’
‘Good plan.’ Ewan hid a yawn behind his free hand. ‘You said something about hotel rooms?’
‘Well, we can’t go back to the house. There’s a place in Southwark they sometimes use. One of the chain places – nothing fancy, but clean and comfortable.’
They sat quietly for a while, Caelan beginning to realise that Ewan holding her hand was now giving her comfort, rather than feeling like an imposition. She wasn’t attracted to him, never could or would be, but he was a good friend and a safe, reassuring presence. She shifted slightly, and he glanced at her, misinterpreting the movement.
‘Sorry, I thought we were still…’ He sat up straighter, releasing her hand, but she shook her head and took it again. Looking up at him, she saw he had realised what she needed him to do, and they sat in companionable silence until the train arrived at Westminster.
‘Why didn’t you kick the shit out of him?’ Penrith asked.
Caelan shrugged. ‘Didn’t think you’d approve.’
‘Never stopped you before.’
‘We’re looking for people traffickers, and Harris seems a good place to start. He treats women with contempt, like property. He thinks it’s his right to touch them when he chooses, to insult them and beat them.’ She paused. ‘Why didn’t I kick the shit out of him?’
‘Because you’re a professional,’ Penrith said. ‘Harris isn’t worth it, not unless it’s necessary to subdue him.’ He gave Caelan a hard stare, which she took to mean that he understood how close she had been to having to put Harris out of action, and that he wasn’t impressed with the risks she’d taken.
‘Earlier you mentioned a mutual friend,’ she said. ‘Did you mean Adele Brady?’
‘I did. She was going to call to update you, but we didn’t think it wise in the end. You’re supposed to be undercover, after all.’
Caelan frowned. ‘Update me about what?’
‘Tim Achebe and Jen Somerville have quietly been asked to look into the attack on Mulligan.’
‘But—’
Penrith held up a hand. ‘They’re already working on Nathan Nash’s death. I know. The point is, they’ve been involved in trying to persuade Mulligan to work with us from the start. They know him, and some of his background. Maybe you should speak to them about both cases.’
Caelan closed her eyes for a second. ‘We’ll need some rest first.’
‘Fine.’ His expression said it wasn’t, but even Penrith recognised exhaustion when he saw it. ‘I’ll ask Tim and Jen to come to you. There are rooms reserved for you.’ He named the hotel and location.
‘Not the usual place, then?’ Caelan said.
‘No. We’ve used it a little too often. Safety first and all that.’ Penrith peered into the mug that sat close to his right hand. ‘Bugger. Empty. I won’t offer you coffee because you’ll only hang around for longer.’
‘You’re all heart.’
‘It’s interesting that Harris has asked you to spy on Reuben Nash for him,’ Penrith mused. ‘Hopefully it’ll help us out too.’
‘If I can get Reuben to trust me, maybe.’ Caelan leant her head against the back of the chair, a dull pain beginning to pulse in her temple. ‘Have you heard any more about Mulligan?’
‘No change. There’s a guard outside his room now, as I told you. No more phone calls trying to find out where he is, as far as I know.’
‘Harris already knew about the attack on him.’
Penrith considered it. ‘Jolene Townsend?’
‘Maybe.’ Caelan thought back to the previous evening. ‘When Mulligan mentioned that he needed to raise some cash, Jolene suggested he speak to Harris. She must know something about how he makes his money.’
‘She told us Mulligan was a nobody when we spoke to her earlier,’ Ewan pointed out. ‘If that was true, why would she think Harris might have a deal for him?’
‘Everyone keeps telling us that. She also said, “What’s he got to do with—” as though something was going on that Mulligan wasn’t a part of,’ Caelan said.
‘And what did she mean?’ Penrith demanded.
‘No idea,’ Caelan admitted. ‘I couldn’t press her without looking suspicious.’
‘What’s suspicious about it? Your cousin’s been attacked and left for dead. And you want to know what happened. Go back to her. She knows something.’ Penrith pulled a face, frustrated. ‘I’m beginning to think you were right and none of this is worth the effort. Let them all kill each other if that’s what they want to do.’
‘Except Lucy Mulligan is still missing,’ said Ewan.
There was silence, then Penrith sighed.
‘We should have been more forceful with Mulligan. He must know more than he’s told us, and now we can’t speak to him at all.’
‘He told me he was doing his best to point us in the right direction, but swore he didn’t know who was involved,’ Caelan said.
‘And that was when we should have beaten it out of him.’ Penrith screwed up his face to show he was joking. ‘As we can’t do that, especially now that someone else has had a go at him, let’s go over the possibilities. Mulligan made a point of taking you places where you’d meet Stefan Harris, Reuben and Nathan Nash and Jolene Townsend. What about Leyton Grey?’
Caelan shrugged. ‘We saw him at Stand and at Reuben’s. Mulligan made him out to be a simple barber, but it seems he knows some of Mulligan’s friends. I think he stays on the list.’
‘What else do we know?’ Penrith opened a desk drawer, took out a pad of paper and a pen and began to scribble.
‘Reuben Nash and Stefan Harris can’t stand each other. Harris wanted to buy the club Reuben now owns but the bloke who sold it wouldn’t accept his bid because he also hates Harris.’ Caelan paused, collecting her thoughts. ‘We should probably track down whoever sold it to Reuben.’ She watched Penrith make another note. ‘And Harris says the club can’t be making much of a profit so he wants to know where Reuben’s money is coming from.’
‘Don’t we all.’ Penrith tapped his pen against his front teeth. ‘Maybe Reuben Nash is the one Mulligan was trying to point you towards.’
‘Could be. Anyway, I’m seeing Nash again later,’ Caelan said.
Penrith glanced at Ewan. ‘Don’t you mean “we are”?’
‘I’m not invited,’ Ewan told him.
Penrith focused on Caelan instead. ‘Is that wise?’ he asked.
‘If we want him to talk, I think it probably is. Believe me, I’m not looking forward to it.’ Caelan touched her jaw with her fingertips. It was tender, aching.
‘Let Nash see what Harris did to you,’ Penrith advised.
‘He can hardly miss it,’ Ewan said, anger clear in his voice. Penrith looked at him but didn’t comment.
‘What about Jolene Townsend?’ he said.
‘She admits to having a casual relationship with Reuben. Mulligan hinted she’s a con artist, but she also works in a newsagent’s, owned by her uncle. She knows Harris is a major dealer but backed away when Mulligan said he owed Harris money.’ Caelan shook her head. ‘I don’t know, maybe she’s afraid of Harris. She knows everyone Mulligan has introduced us to, but he seems protective of her.’
‘Protective of her, yet he also told you she’s a confidence trickster. Interesting,’ said Penrith.
‘You think it was a hint?’ Caelan gritted her teeth. ‘Why did he have to be so bloody cryptic? And when I spoke to him this morning, just when he seemed to be about to trust me and possibly tell me more, he—’ She gave Penrith a sharp look. He gazed back at her.
‘He…?’
‘He was smacked around the head with a baseball bat.’
Penrith gave a slow nod. ‘And I was the only person who knew what he’d said to you. Did I sneak out and do it myself, or send someone else after him? I see your dilemma.’
‘Oh shut up, Ian. I’m wondering whether Mulligan contacted anyone while he was being taken back to Greenford. The officers with him would have noticed a phone call, but he could have sent a text without them realising.’
‘We don’t have his mobile, and it’ll take a while to find anything out without it,’ Penrith reminded her.
‘I know.’ Caelan covered her mouth as she yawned. ‘This is hopeless. Could you ask Jen and Tim to give us time to get some rest before they show up, please?’
‘You have four hours.’ Penrith checked his watch. ‘Starting now.’
Caelan pushed back her chair. ‘You’re a shit, you know that?’
He grinned. ‘It’s been mentioned. I want to speak to you after you see Reuben Nash.’
Ignoring him, Caelan headed out into the corridor with Ewan at her heels. As they made their way back onto the street and towards the Underground station, Ewan said, ‘Likes to keep us on our toes, doesn’t he?’
‘Dancing to his tune, you mean,’ Caelan said.
‘I don’t have any other clean clothes, or a toothbrush or razor.’
She nudged him. ‘Use your credit card. We have them for a reason, you know.’
His smile was uncertain. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Definitely. I need stuff too, but just the essentials. At the moment, sleep is my priority.’
‘Mine too.’
All at once, Caelan wanted to be alone. ‘Then I’ll see you at the hotel. There are probably rooms reserved for Jen and Tim too, so they look like guests rather than visitors.’ She checked the time on her phone. ‘See you soon.’
She walked away without looking back.
Ninety minutes later, Caelan was in her hotel room. She ran a bath, making sure the water was as hot as she could stand it. Lying back in the bubbles, she felt herself relax for the first time since she’d been at her parents’ house. While she’d been doing the hurried shop for clothes and toiletries, she’d bought a flannel, and now she soaked it in the scalding water and held it to her bruised face and then her throat. She closed her eyes, knowing she couldn’t linger for long. Two and a half hours’ sleep wasn’t going to be nearly enough, but she had learnt early in her career to make the most of a chance to rest whenever the opportunity arose, however brief.
She shampooed her hair and soaped her body, wincing again as she washed her face and throat. Once dry, she went through into the main bedroom, made herself a coffee and climbed into bed. Being reminded of her injuries had given her an idea, but she wouldn’t be able to act on it until she had spoken to Achebe and Somerville.
Settling back on the pillow, she scrolled through the news on her phone while she drank her coffee. Though exhausted, she knew she was going to find it difficult to sleep. Now that she was alone and there were no distractions, Lucy Mulligan’s face appeared again in her mind. Where was she? What was she going through? With Mulligan himself lying helpless in hospital, Caelan felt even more of an obligation to find his sister.
She didn’t want to look too closely at what her motivations might be, knowing that despite everything she knew Mulligan had done, all he stood for, she felt responsible for the attack on him. At the end of their last conversation, in the cell at Acton, he had shown glimpses of conscience, of vulnerability. Something had shifted between them, especially when he had begged Caelan for help and agreed they should trust each other. How much more might he have said had they had the opportunity to talk again? She knew Mulligan was wily, but at that moment, he had appeared sincere. He had volunteered the information about the man who had provided him with the phone in Belmarsh, and Caelan knew it was because he was becoming increasingly concerned about his sister, whatever he said and however hard he tried to convince them that he couldn’t care less.
She turned off the lamp, put the phone on the bed beside her. As usual, there was plenty of room. Hers was a lonely life, not compatible with having a partner or family. Seeing her parents and their comfortable, loving, familiar relationship had reminded her again how alone she was – her job had seen to that. Some might say her commitment to her work was the problem rather than the job itself, as Nicky had told her more than once, but undercover work was all or nothing. It had to be.
Now, though, as she had reminded herself, she no longer worked directly for the Met. Her time could be her own, if she wanted it to be. She would still need to work, but allowing herself more time to relax, to enjoy herself, to see her family was now possible.
Closing her eyes, she rolled onto her side. Less than two hours to sleep.