Razor entered by the unlocked back door. After removing his mud-encrusted trainers, he washed his hands and slurped down two full mugs of water before looking into the lounge.
Kev, flat out on the sofa, was snoring into the book propped up on his nose. Alex lay asleep on the carpet by the radiator, an almost empty special edition bottle of Laphroaig whisky at his side, a chunky hand-knitted Aran sweater wrapped around him. Razor had coveted such a garment since visiting the bleak but beautiful Aran Islands with Flit soon after their wedding, when money was tight, luxuries beyond their means and just being together was enough. He couldn’t decide whether he was angry with Kev and Alex for guzzling his favourite whisky and purloining his sweater or just happy because Flit had still cared enough to buy him thoughtful presents.
After thinking about it for a few moments, he decided against giving Alex a good kicking. Instead, he seized control of his sweater, marvelling at its weight, its softness and the intricate patterns of the knitting. Next, he finished the last drips of whisky, appreciating its smoky, peaty flavours and the glow it gave him before remembrance of everything he’d lost and of the loneliness of life without her made tears well up. Practicalities took over. He returned to the kitchen, made tea and cheese on toast, and by the time he’d satisfied his stomach, he felt warm and as if life might be worth living. Sooner or later, he’d have to contact the police and explain about the body in the broom cupboard, among other things.
He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
With Kev and Alex still out for the count, he treated himself to a long, soothing bath, luxuriating in the simple pleasures of hot water and soap, and trying to recall the good old days and Flit. Despite this, Miranda’s image kept intruding, offering hope that life might provide another taste of the sweet pleasures he’d once so idiotically taken for granted.
Thoroughly cleaned, he stepped from the bath and towelled himself dry as the muddy brown bathwater ran away. Then, for the first time in his life, he wiped round the bath and returned to reality, though with hope that Miranda would turn up again very soon.
After dressing, he headed downstairs. She wasn’t there, but Kev, though red-eyed and bleary, was awake. ‘You found your way back then?’
‘No thanks to you,’ said Razor. ‘You abandoned me to the fog.’
‘Fog? It was a fine, sunny day when we left.’
‘Why did you leave?’
‘Alex wanted breakfast.’
‘You could have woken me.’
‘I tried, but you told me to get lost… though not in such polite terms.’
‘I don’t remember,’ said Razor, ‘but if I did…’
‘You did.’
‘… then I’m sorry. How did you open the door?’
‘Easily—it wasn’t stuck.’
‘But it was solid last night,’ said Razor.
‘I can’t explain that. I am in the darkness of ignorance.’
Razor sat down beside him on the sofa. ‘While you two were enjoying my best whisky, I was stuck in a fog so thick I could barely see my own feet. I don’t know what would have happened if Miranda hadn’t turned up.’ He shivered.
Kev looked up. ‘Miranda?’
‘She brought me back.’
‘I thought she might have,’ said Kev.
‘You sent her?’
‘She’s not one to be sent by any man. Over hill, over dale, through bush, through briar, through flood, through fire, she wanders everywhere. Though she turns up unexpectedly, she does turn up, and in your case she appears when you need her most. You are one of the lucky ones.’
‘I’m glad she does. Is she back yet?’
‘You mean back here?’ said Kev. ‘No.’
‘When do you expect her?’
‘When she turns up and not a moment sooner. She is a free spirit; she has the spirit to do anything.’
Razor rolled his eyes. ‘Are you talking Shakespeare again?’
‘Partly, mate. The bard has a way with finding the right words.’
‘How do you know so many quotes?’ Razor demanded.
‘I was an actor in a previous life.’
‘Why not now?’
‘All the world’s a stage, mate, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many parts. Time moves on and changes all men. Familiarity lessens what was once important. The thing is I’d played all the theatrical roles I’d ever wanted to, and it was time to move on.’
‘So you became a thief.’
Kev shrugged. ‘I’m sorry we drank your whisky.’
‘It’s alright,’ Razor admitted. ‘I didn’t know I’d got any.’
‘But if we hadn’t already drunk it, we could drink it now.’ Kev looked comically distraught.
Razor laughed. ‘Good point, but Miranda said she discovered more than whisky.’
‘She found a nice sweater.’
‘And the other thing,’ said Razor. ‘She told me she’d found what Alex was looking for.’
Alex twitched at his name, but showed no other sign of consciousness.
‘She did find something,’ said Kev, ‘but I don’t know what. It’s small.’
‘Show me,’ said Razor.
‘I haven’t got it…’
‘Then where the hell is it?’
‘I was trying to say I haven’t got it on me.’ He glanced at Alex who was still fast asleep. ‘Miranda considered it prudent to conceal it again. It’s behind a jar of pickled pigs’ feet.’
Kev, swaying a little, crossed to the cupboard under the stairs where Flit used to store tins and bottles of unusual cooking stuff. He pulled out something small and silvery and returned. As Razor stood up, holding out his hand, Alex barged into him, knocking him to the carpet.
‘Are you alright?’ asked Kev, looking down with concern as the front door opened and slammed.
‘Yeah… I think so,’ said Razor, checking.
‘Then stop groaning.’
Razor sat up. ‘Did he take it?’
‘He took what was in my hand,’ said Kev.
‘Then I’d better catch him.’ Razor pulled himself upright.
‘I wouldn’t worry—he’ll be back.’ Kev smiled.
‘What are you grinning at?’
‘I guessed he was feigning sleep, so swapped the real thing for a cigarette lighter.’ Kev reached into his pocket. ‘This is what he wanted.’
‘It’s a USB flash drive,’ said Razor, taking it. He paused. ‘Why did you have a lighter? You don’t smoke do you?’
Kev shook his head. ‘No, I found it in the cupboard, next to the cigarettes.’
Razor frowned. ‘That’s weird—neither of us smoked. Well, Flit used to, but gave up because I didn’t like it.’
Kev said nothing.
Razor bristled at the way he didn’t say it. ‘You think she started again, don’t you?’
‘I have no idea, mate.’
‘Why would she? And why would she hide them?’
‘On such topics I confess ignorance, that curse of god—though they weren’t hidden.’
‘They might as well have been,’ said Razor. ‘I’d never look in there. Perhaps they belong to Alex.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Kev, looking unconvinced.
Razor didn’t believe it either—they had to be Flit’s. She’d started smoking again, and he’d failed to notice even though he’d hated the taste of stale cigarette smoke on her lips before she quit. When had they last enjoyed a proper kiss? All he could recall in the months before her death were quick pecks on her cheek as he hurried to work. If Kev had not been there, he would have cried again. Instead, he sniffed, pulled himself together and examined the USB stick.
‘Why would anyone want to steal that?’ asked Kev. ‘Is it valuable?’
‘Not as such, but I assume it contains information that’s important to him.’ Noticing Kev’s expression, Razor laughed. ‘Good God! You are a genuine ignoramus. This little stick contains electronic data that can be read when plugged into a computer.’
‘I see. Do you have a computer?’
‘Of course… at least I think so. I let Alex borrow Flit’s laptop—he said there was important work stuff on it. Funny, I don’t remember him bringing it back. However, I think my old one is still upstairs. I haven’t used it since… you know?’
He led Kev to the room they’d kept as an office. Once upon a time, it had been tidy and organised. Now, papers, folders and books lay strewn across the carpet, all the drawers were out and empty and all the shelves were bare. ‘They’ve ransacked it!’
‘I believe you,’ said Kev, ‘even though it looks much like the rest of your house when I first got here. Where’s your computer?’
‘It was on the desk,’ said Razor, paddling through the sea of paper until he stubbed his toe on something hard. When he’d finished swearing, he bent down and retrieved his old laptop from the litter.
‘Now what?’ asked Kev.
‘I’ll boot it up, if it’s not broken,’ said Razor, putting it back in its rightful place and pressing the button. When, somewhat to his surprise, it had started normally, he plugged in the USB stick. ‘Let’s see what we’ve got.’ He put his leather swivel chair back on its feet and sat down, filled with excitement and trepidation. ‘There are some files.’
‘What do they say?’ asked Kev, leaning over his shoulder.
‘Let’s see.’ Razor clicked. ‘Dammit, it’s asking for a password.’
‘Meaning?’
Razor sighed. ‘It means I can’t access the data… that is I can’t see what’s on it, unless she wrote the password down somewhere, or I can guess it. If I can’t, the contents might just as well be in Timbuktu.’
Kev’s face suggested bafflement. ‘Why would they be in Timbuktu?’
‘I just mean the data is inaccessible.’
Kev looked glum for a moment and then brightened. ‘Perhaps Alex knows it.’
‘Unlikely, and even if he does, why would he tell us?’
‘We could persuade him.’
‘How?’ asked Razor, wondering if Kev was hinting at violence.
‘By letting him have the stick thing, but only after we’ve seen what’s on it.’
‘I doubt that would work and, anyway, he’s scarpered.’
‘He won’t be far away. He put so much effort into trying to find it that he won’t give up easily. I had to get him drunk to stop him searching.’
‘And, of course, you had to share the bottle,’ said Razor with a grin.
‘It’s rude to let a guest drink alone.’
Razor felt frustration rising. ‘There’s no use talking about it if he’s not here.’
Kev was smiling. ‘I have a feeling he’ll turn up soon. He’s desperate.’
‘Miranda thought the same.’
‘Yes, he’s gone from searching when he could claim a legitimate reason for being here, to ransacking the place and resorting to violence. Now he’s apparently prepared to kill, so, yes, I’d say he’s desperate.’
‘I wonder why?’
‘So do I,’ said Kev, ‘and also why now? He’s had months. What’s changed?’
Razor shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea. He’s strange. Why did he stay here and get drunk when he could have got away?’
‘I may have hinted that I’d found it and that someone was taking it to the police.’
‘Nice work,’ said Razor. ‘Let me try something.’ He tapped at the keyboard. ‘Bloody hell, I’m in!’
‘How?’
‘She’d used my first name… not the most secure password.’
Kev leaned over Razor’s shoulder and peered. ‘What’s all that about?’
‘It’s a directory—a list of files with dates.’
‘Is that all?’ asked Kev. ‘I was hoping for something interesting.’
Razor clicked on the first file. ‘Let’s see what we’ve got.’
Some hours later, he got up to switch on the lights, surprised to be alone apart from a mug of tea on the desk. He took a slurp—it was cold. Reflected in the window, his image looked keen and alert, much like his old self, apart from the bristly head and bruises.
Kev sauntered in. ‘Are you alright, mate?’
‘Yeah. Thanks for the tea.’
‘You’re welcome. I didn’t think you’d noticed. Have you found anything?’
‘I have. I’ve looked through several files and they are very interesting indeed.’
Kev glanced at the screen. ‘It’s just rows of numbers.’
‘Numbers that tell a story.’
‘What story?’
Razor, excited and back doing something he understood, paid no heed to the creak on the landing. ‘This is evidence that Alex was up to no good.’
‘In what way?’ asked Kev.
‘He’s guilty of…’
‘Embezzlement on a massive scale,’ said Alex, strolling in.
‘Told you he’d be back,’ said Kev unnecessarily.
‘Flit found out didn’t she?’ said Razor turning to face Alex. ‘That’s why she was spending so much time with you.’
‘Her name was Felicity and, yes, Raymondo, she found out. She led me to believe she was interested both in me and in a share of the money. I admit to being flattered by her attention, but it turned out she was honest and loyal to the company as well as to you. She took me in completely, and it turned out that she was brilliant at hiding stuff.’
‘My name is Raymond and your game is up,’ said Razor. ‘Why are you here?’
‘I want the memory stick.’
‘No chance.’
‘I thought you’d say that, but let’s not be hasty. Perhaps you’ll be interested in hearing my proposition?’
‘Why should we?’ asked Kev.
‘Yes, why should we?’ asked Razor. ‘I have the information and from what I’ve seen, and I’ve only had a cursory look at about a tenth of it, you’re screwed.’
‘What do you intend doing?’ asked Alex.
‘I’ll hand it to the police. You’ll be looking at a long stretch in prison.’
‘You’re probably right, but there may be a better option—you could not tell the cops and I could split the proceeds with you both.’
‘How?’ asked Kev, looking interested.
‘Half to me. After all, I did the work and took the risks, and the rest split how you like. It’ll be safe money.’
‘Not a bad offer. From what I’ve seen, we’d all be millionaires, or thereabouts,’ said Razor.
‘Thereabouts,’ said Alex. ‘I could manage on half of the profits, though obviously I had wanted more. Of course, if they’d promoted me like they should have, I wouldn’t have had to do it.’
Razor laughed. ‘Of course you wouldn’t.’
‘I deserved that promotion for all the work I’d put in for the company. Since they were too stupid to see it, I struck out on my own. When you come to it, it’s every man for himself and loyalty is for idiots. Now, what do you say to the deal?’
Razor shook his head. ‘Not a chance.’
‘Let’s not be hasty,’ said Kev.
‘Your little buddy has way more sense than you. Give me the stick, I’ll take it, get away and wire you your share. How about that?’
‘Bloody hell, Alex. How stupid do you think I am?’ said Razor. ‘Do you honestly think I’d fall for such crap?’
‘Not really, but I hoped you would. I wouldn’t cheat you.’
An incredulous noise, half snort, half laugh burst out of Razor. ‘Sure you wouldn’t and even if I believed you, the data is still going to the police. I’m honest, like Flit was.’
It was Alex’s turn to snort. ‘Now, you’re having a laugh! After all this time I can’t believe you’re still denying what you did to her.’
‘I did nothing,’ said Razor, getting to his feet, his fingers bunched into steel fists.
‘You could have been brave, but you chose to let her die under a lorry.’
Razor slumped back into his chair, a piercing chill stabbing through his guts. ‘Shut up!’
‘What does he mean?’ asked Kev.
‘Nothing. He’s lying.’
Alex sneered. ‘Does the truth hurt, Raymondo?’
Razor, close to tears, trying to block his ears and fearing he might whimper, wanted to hurt Alex, to shut him up forever, but his strength had drained away and the half-healed wound in his soul was bleeding again.
‘I’ll tell you what he did,’ said Alex glancing at Kev. ‘When the mugger accosted them in the alley, that cowardly piece of shit cowering in his chair ran away, leaving his wife behind.’
‘She ran with me,’ Razor murmured.
‘You never even looked back. Even when she fell, you could have pulled her to safety, but…’
‘I tried,’ Razor’s voice cracked. Tears trickled down his face.
‘Liar!’ Alex screamed. ‘She reached out, but you let her die.’
‘No!’ Razor’s legs buckled. He fell to the floor and curled up amid the papers. He’d heard it all before and the screaming face of his nightmares came into focus—it had been Alex all the time. Distorted memories of the night after the funeral returned, of getting drunk into a stupor and Alex, his face distorted by rage and contempt, bellowing accusations at him until he passed out. It was unbearable. What a snivelling, useless coward he’d been.
‘Hold on a minute,’ said Kev. ‘How do you know all this? Unless you were there?’
Razor couldn’t breathe as he awaited Alex’s reply.
It took a moment as long as time. ‘Yes, I saw it happen.’
‘You were there? But you didn’t help,’ said Razor, sitting up. ‘You didn’t even come forward as a witness. Why not?’
‘I had no wish to implicate myself.’ Alex sighed. ‘The truth is I guessed Felicity was onto me and set up a tracker in my office. I caught her copying the files. She said she was going to show them to the boss. Obviously, I didn’t want that. I argued with her, but she wouldn’t listen to reason and I thought I’d had it. Fortunately, the boss was at a conference, so she couldn’t do it straight away. Even so, I thought I’d had it until I overheard her telling one of the secretaries she was going to the cinema with you. I came up with a plan and it might have worked if she’d gone straight to meet you, but she didn’t—she came back here first and hid the USB stick.’
‘She wanted to change,’ said Razor, remembering how lovely she’d looked that night in her new dress.
‘Were you the mugger?’ asked Kev before Razor could think straight.
‘Of course not—she’d have recognised me. I gave the job to our late lamented friend, Kane.’
‘I doubt anyone’s lamenting him,’ said Kev.
‘No, probably not. I went to school with him and his brother, you know? I kept in contact because their skills occasionally came in handy. Kane should have been the right man for the job, but he goofed. No one was meant to get hurt.’ Alex laughed. ‘Well, that’s not quite true. I’d asked him to hurt you, Raymondo, a bit—quite a bit in fact, but not her. Despite everything, I still liked and admired her. But enough. Give me the stick and I’ll say no more about your pathetic cowardice.’
Razor roused himself and got to his feet. ‘Come and take it, if you dare.’
‘I feared you’d be unreasonable,’ said Alex and shrugged. ‘I can’t beat you in a fight and you know it, so I must take other actions.’
‘What actions?’ asked Kev, his face radiating suspicion.
‘Destroy all the remaining evidence.’ Alex pulled a plastic bottle from under his jacket. ‘I’ve already dealt with Heartfields.’
‘No!’ said Kev, catching on before Razor’s brain could register fear.
Alex, grim and determined, unscrewed the bottle and squirted the contents around the room.
‘It’s petrol,’ Kev yelled. ‘Get out of here!’
But Alex already had the lighter in his hand.
‘Don’t be a fool,’ said Razor, his eyes widening and his mouth drying as he saw the danger. ‘I’ll give you the stick.’
‘Too late. Sorry,’ said Alex, clicking the lighter.
A flash. Fire was everywhere. Time went into slow-mo as Alex lit up like a bonfire and staggered around, shrieking and smashing into things. Kev backed into a corner, the papers around his feet igniting. Razor’s shirt front smouldered and his skin hurt. Death would take him now he’d stopped looking for it, and in a most horrible way. He fell out the doorway onto the burning landing.
There was no hope.
A small dark figure darted towards him.