Sharp Turn - Marianne Delacourt [74]
Then I picked up Wal’s kitbag and shut the door on my way out.
Chapter 25
I LEFT THROUGH THE side door and crept down the street looking for the Calais. My nerves were shot to pieces and my legs trembled with fatigue. For the first time since Josh had hit me I registered how sore my jaw was and that my bottom lip had swollen to twice its normal size.
Every bush I passed seemed to hide another madman; every shadow made me fear that he had an accomplice.
I was in tears by the time I reached the car and locked the doors. When Wal popped up at my window shortly after, my heart stopped altogether.
I couldn’t speak as he unlocked the car with the key and got in.
He squeezed my shoulder. ‘Done.’
And we were out of there at last.
Wal made two calls on the way home. The first was brief, and consisted of him mainly listening. The second was to Bok, whose panicked voice I could hear from the passenger seat.
‘I’ve got her,’ Wal said, cutting him off. ‘Be home soon.’
I wet my lips and forced sound from my dry throat.
‘How did you find me? Whose car is this?’
‘Like to say that findin’ you was off me own bat, boss. But if it had just been down to me, you’d still be sittin’ in that chair wonderin’ what to do when the Finisher woke up.’
‘The Finisher?’
‘That’s what he’s known as.’
‘T-tell m-me,’ I stuttered.
He sucked in a long noisy breath and slowed down to under the speed limit. ‘Well . . . Cass got worried when you didn’t come back after the gym. She called your mate Martin from your phone.’
‘That was smart.’
‘Martin rang me and we met at your place. Then your rich guy turns up.’
I had to think for a minute. ‘You mean Nick Tozzi?’
‘Yeah. Turns out he’s had someone watchin’ you for a few days. Some ex-Forces guy who hires out. The Forces guy saw you go into the car park at the gym. When you didn’t come out he went to have a look, caught sight of the Finisher leavin’. Apparently he recognised him. Knows him from . . . you know . . . around.’
‘He called Nick?’
Wal nodded. ‘Tozzi and me jumped in his car and caught up with the Forces guy outside the townhouse. I talked him into lettin’ me go in with him.’
‘There was someone else with you?’
‘He took downstairs, I went up.’
‘I didn’t see him.’
‘Yeah. He prefers it that. When I told him you were okay, he vamoosed.’
‘Wh-where was Nick?’
‘Outside. We told him to watch the back in case someone came out that way.’
No wonder I hadn’t seen him. ‘So where is he now?’
‘Right behind us. He picked up his guy and they’re following us.’
I twisted in my seat but could only see headlights. ‘Can you pull over? I want to talk to him.’ I suddenly wanted to cry again.
Wal shook his head firmly. ‘He told me to take you straight home and that’s what I’m doing.’
I sank back into the seat, really beginning to shake now. I was safe but I didn’t feel it.
‘Leonard Roc’s number was in Josh’s phone.’
‘Shit.’
‘Yeah.’
‘The only other number was Viaspa’s.’
‘Shit.’
‘I think that Viaspa hired Josh to get rid of Barbaro and me and Lena Vine. Our names were on a list in his phone notes.’
‘Lena?’
‘She’s active in a lobby group called Stop Drugs in Prostitution. I think he hit Audrey by mistake. I think Leonard’s one of Viaspa’s main dealers and he faked the camera malfunction so he was out the back when Josh did his drive-by. That’s why his number is in Josh’s phone. I think that Kate rang the bell, went back into the lounge.’
‘Why would she do that?’
‘Leonard is supplying her. He’s getting his stuff from a nightclub owner in Northbridge.’
‘Shit,’ said Wal for a third time. ‘Murderin’ bastard.
And I thought . . .’
I stopped there because my teeth had begun to chatter.
They didn’t stop until I’d got home, had a shower and let Cass force-feed me a litre of water, a sweet Milo and a bacon sandwich.
She was pale and quiet and didn’t ask any questions.
When I’d finished eating, I let her give me some ice for my lip. After that, she stopped hovering over me and cooked breakfast