Caelan left the shop after thanking Arif, the food forgotten. She passed Kadim as she hurried up the street, his head down against the rain, or more likely to avoid meeting her eyes. He didn’t acknowledge her and she ignored him too to protect him.
She needed to speak to Penrith, but with seven grand of drug money on her back, she also needed to keep moving. Deciding to take a chance she ducked into a doorway, trying to shelter from the drizzle, and took out her phone. He answered immediately.
‘What now?’
She told him what she’d heard. ‘Nash is now busy raising rents so high the current tenants can’t afford to pay them, and doling out beatings if anyone stands up to him.’
‘Nash is investing in property? Interesting.’
‘And he’s also just handed over seven grand in used notes.’
‘To you?’ Penrith chuckled. ‘You must have your persuasive head on.’
‘It’s a loan, for me to give to Harris. Seems I have two masters now. Well, three.’
Penrith’s tone sharpened. ‘You’re going to play them off against each other? Be careful.’
She ignored him. ‘I don’t see how the club brings in enough money for Nash to be buying up property, not in London, not even with the dealing that goes on in there.’
Penrith was silent. Caelan pictured him frowning, pinching his lower lip. ‘You mean you think he’s our people trafficker?’ he asked.
‘Harris says he doesn’t know how Nash makes his money, and even if he’s increasing the rent on the places he already owns, the sums don’t add up.’
‘And you believe Harris? I thought he was your prime suspect?’
‘He’s an arsehole who treats women like shit, but he doesn’t appear to have the money Nash does.’
‘Even though he allowed Mulligan to have a load of coke on a try now, pay later basis?’
‘Jolene Townsend owes Harris too, but Nash let me borrow seven thousand pounds without thinking twice. He allowed me a good long look inside his safe. I’d guess there was about a quarter of million in there.’
‘Really.’ Penrith sounded unimpressed.
‘And a box that might have contained a gun.’
‘Might have?’
‘I couldn’t really go and examine it. I guessed Nash would be watching me.’
‘Maybe he wanted you to look inside.’
‘You told me our three unidentified victims were shot in the back of the head,’ she said.
‘Correct.’
‘Which sounds like an execution.’
‘Right again. You think Nash pulled the trigger?’
‘I don’t know. It’s just—’
‘Guesswork. We can’t rely on guesswork. You said Leyton Grey has money, Jolene Townsend’s a con artist. Either of them could be organising the trafficking, or it’s possible none of the people Mulligan has pointed you towards are involved. We don’t know. We need something concrete.’
There was another pause.
‘Have you found Tom Haslam?’ Caelan asked as she tried to press further into the doorway. The temperature was falling along with the drizzle, the moon a blur above her.
‘No,’ Penrith said. ‘And before you ask, we still don’t know where Ryan Glennister ran to, or where Lucy Mulligan is either.’ He sounded weary, defeated. It was unlike him. ‘There are no updates on Nathan Nash’s death, or the attack on Mulligan. You need to keep pushing for answers.’
‘I don’t even know what the questions are.’
‘Now who’s talking as though they’re in a soap opera?’ Penrith bit back. ‘What are your plans?’
She rubbed her eyes, exhaustion clawing at them again. ‘I need to give this money to Harris. After that, I’ll be speaking to Nash, on the phone, and then… I’ve no idea. I need some rest. I’m hoping either Achebe and Somerville come up with something, or you decide to bring me in.’
He sniffed. ‘Cancel the operation? Why would I?’
Caelan didn’t answer, watching the drizzle glimmer and dissolve under the street lights. She needed to get out of the rain. She doubted the rucksack was waterproof, and turning up to see Harris with a bag of soggy banknotes wouldn’t be ideal.
‘Where will you take the money?’ Penrith asked.
‘I’ll need to ask Harris, but I’m not going to his house.’ She baulked at the thought. ‘If he wants the cash, he’ll have to meet me somewhere else.’
‘Keep me informed.’ Penrith rang off, leaving Caelan staring at her phone. Should she call Ewan? She didn’t know where he was, though if he had any sense, he would be back at the hotel, catching up on sleep. She would have liked some backup, but dragging him out into a cold, wet night seemed pointless when she had no intention of spending a second longer than she had to with Harris.
She found Harris’s phone number, her stomach clenching. He didn’t answer immediately, but when he did, she could hear talking, laughter.
‘What do you want?’
‘I have some money for you.’
Harris laughed. ‘Yeah? Won on a scratch card, have you?’
‘Where do want me to bring it?’
‘How much have you got?’
‘Seven.’
More laughter. ‘Seven? Why are you bothering?’ There was some muffled rustling and Caelan heard him talking to whoever he was with. ‘My mum will still be at my office. Take the money there. I’m busy tonight.’
He ended the call and Caelan put her phone in her pocket, relieved to have sidestepped seeing him again.
‘Stop here, please.’ Caelan said to the cab driver. He turned in his seat to stare at her, bemused.
‘You called a taxi to bring you to… more taxis?’
She handed him a twenty-pound note. ‘That’s right. Keep the change.’ She scrambled out and he drove away, still shaking his head.
There was only one Kwik Kabs vehicle parked at the kerb. Caelan hugged the rucksack to her chest. She was soaked, exhausted and pissed off. More than ever, she was sure Mulligan had been spinning them a line, trying to keep himself out of prison.
Harris’s mum looked like she hadn’t moved since Caelan and Ewan had walked out of the building hours before. She had a headset on and was scribbling on a notepad, a cup of coffee by her elbow. She hadn’t heard Caelan come in, and almost leapt off her chair when she tapped her on the shoulder.
Spinning around, she pulled off her headset and threw it onto her desk. ‘Shit. You trying to kill me?’
There was a hint of accent in her voice that Caelan couldn’t place. She held out the bag.
‘Stefan told me to leave this with you.’
The woman took it from her. ‘I know. He called me.’ She peered inside. ‘What’s this? Saved your pocket money?’
Caelan hesitated. She needed a lift back to the hotel, but she wasn’t going to let anyone from Kwik Kabs drive her there. ‘Just give it to Stefan,’ she said.
Mrs Harris dropped the bag at her feet, waving an impatient hand as though shooing Caelan away. She put her headset back on and picked up her pen. As Caelan turned away, she heard the door open.
The woman who marched inside was young, auburn-haired and clearly raging. She marched up to Caelan and stuck a finger in her face.
‘I need to talk to you,’ Lucy Mulligan said.