Rasul brooded by the French doors. The other side of the lake was lost to heavy rain, which shrouded everything in sheets of grey. Pearce sat on one of the Chesterfields watching the man who’d just seen his sister murder her lover. How did people rationalize this kind of horror? How did they cope with lives that took them so far from mainstream society? Pearce smiled wryly and looked away, suddenly questioning how he rationalized his own life. Taken in isolation, few events in his life made sense, but people’s lives weren’t snapshots; they were stories, coherent only as a chain of causation. This afternoon’s snapshot of Essi’s life, her murder of Jack, could have been seen as a brutal execution by a mobster’s daughter. But within the context of her story, his death was revenge for betrayal. She’d lost the man she’d loved and been manipulated by the man who’d supplanted him. Her brother and father had been falsely implicated in the betrayal and the damage to their business and all the friends and associates they’d lost had been as a result of Jack Gray’s treachery. In that context, his death made perfect sense.
The study door opened, and Deni and Abbas entered, looking grave.
‘She’s resting,’ Deni said. ‘Tarek and Waheed have disposed of the body.’
‘She killed him before he could tell us the name of the ship,’ Rasul responded.
‘I don’t think he knew,’ Pearce remarked. ‘He wasn’t holding anything back. Not by the end. He would have given up the vessel if he’d known.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ Deni said. ‘They stole the shipment of my biggest customer. My guess is they did it to create a shortage so he’d do a deal with them. It’s what I would have done in my younger days.’
‘Cresci?’ Rasul asked.
Deni nodded. ‘Ben Cresci, the head of the Cresci crime family. He threatened us if we didn’t replace his product. Then he went quiet, like we don’t matter to him anymore. If he’s done a deal with the Red Wolves, he’ll know when the ship is arriving. And if we know when it’s coming in, it won’t be difficult to figure out which ship is carrying their product.’
‘How do we reach this Cresci?’ Pearce asked.
‘We go see him,’ Deni replied. ‘Tell the men to get the cars ready,’ he instructed Rasul.
The Chechen’s son nodded and left the room.
Deni turned to Abbas. ‘I want you to stay with Essi. Look after her.’
Abbas nodded and left, and Deni took his son’s place at the window. Moments later, Pearce’s Ghostlink sounded its familiar tri-tone and he answered.
‘Go ahead,’ he said, aware Deni was watching him.
‘Sure. Uncle NSA is back,’ Leila said, referring to Clifton. ‘He and our French friend are working on the operation. They want to know when you’ll be home.’
‘Soon,’ Pearce said.
‘Kyle and I want to check out the bike repair place where I saw Angsakul,’ Leila revealed. ‘Check if Malek and Elroy are there. Uncle NSA brought some new toys. It’ll give me a chance to field-test them.’
‘Eyes only,’ Pearce said. ‘No engagement.’ He hoped she’d have the sense to follow his instruction.
‘Copy that. Stay safe,’ Leila replied, before she hung up.
Pearce pocketed the Ghostlink and looked up to see Deni studying him.
‘Cop?’ the Chechen asked.
Pearce didn’t answer.
‘I worked counter-intelligence during the Chechen War,’ Deni revealed. ‘It looks enough like one to fool most people, but whatever that thing is, it’s not a cell phone. And the way you talk, the way you move, the way you handled the interrogation.’ He shifted slightly and opened his jacket to reveal his holster, which was now home to a new pistol. ‘So I ask again, are you a cop?’
Pearce shook his head.
‘Spy?’ Deni asked.
‘No,’ Pearce said. ‘I have no interest in you or your organization. I’m here for the people who’ve tried to destroy you.’
Deni frowned. ‘Does Rasul know?’
‘No.’
‘My family and friends owe you their lives, but if I see you make one move against us, I will kill you,’ Deni said. ‘I won’t even hesitate.’
Pearce stared at the man, who held his gaze, and they stayed locked like that until Rasul entered.
‘The cars are ready,’ he said. ‘Let’s go.’