Part 33 (2/2)

'Hey, Doc! Am I pleased to see you!'

I waved. Big smile, big surprise. I still couldn't see any cameras His eyes narrowed, trying to make out who I was.

'Fancy seeing you here, Doc!'

I got nearer, looking down so my face was covered by the baseball cap.

He c.o.c.ked his head to the side, trying to get a better look at me. 'Do we-'

'Know each other? Yeah, course we do.' I grabbed his hand with my right one, making sure he felt the weapon dig into him, and embraced him with my left. 'f.u.c.k me about and I'll cut you.'

His body shuddered as he tried to step back. I gripped him and dug deeper.

'Please, take what you want. I won't say a word to anyone, I promise.'

'Shut up! Get into the car!'

He nodded, wild-eyed.

I pulled away from him, my right hand still gripping him and my left hand on his shoulder, controlling him.

He was flapping big-time.

'Don't look at me. Look at the floor.'

A car mounted the ramp to my half-left, its tail lights glowing red as it made its way to the exit.

'Just stay calm, all right? Don't do anything. You got kids? Think of them.'

He shook his head, which made him more of a d.i.c.khead. I would have said yes, to make my a.s.sailant think he had the leverage.

'Then think of your wife. Got one of those?'

I let go as another car swung towards us. 'Go to the driver's side.' I made sure I stayed level with him, the far side of his Volvo as a Prius glided past us. We got in together. I jabbed the knife against his crotch as he went to put his seatbelt on. 'Not yet. Don't look at me. Face the front.'

We were inches from a bare concrete wall, with his reserved parking sign drilled into it at head height. His nostrils flared as he breathed. I knew what was going through his head. He was working hard at not f.u.c.king up here. He wanted to get this nightmare over and done with.

By the look of him, he hadn't shaved since I last saw him.

'Give me your phone.'

I could hear a couple talking behind us. I saw them in the wing mirror. They didn't notice us. Even if they did, they'd probably do the city avoidance thing and not want to get involved. They'd rather walk past and see if their suspicions were right when they watched the ten o'clock news.

He pa.s.sed over an iPhone. I took it with my left hand, and kept the other holding the knife to his b.o.l.l.o.c.ks. 'Lean forward. Head on the wheel.'

I tapped the calendar icon. He had loads of appointments today until three forty-five, and then it went blank. On Sunday evening he had a chess game. I a.s.sumed that was what it was - it just said, 'Chess'. Maybe it was the musical. I didn't care. There was still no indication of what or with whom. No dinner parties booked, nothing else going on.

'Please, just take everything. I won't say anything.'

'f.u.c.king shut up!'

I hit the number list. 'Who's Gillian? You made a call to her at ten oh eight this morning.'

'She's my receptionist. I was a little late and ...'

The only other call was the one he had just made. 'Who's M?' I pressed a +1 310 number, Los Angeles.

'My mother, she doesn't sleep so well and-'

'Give me your wallet.'

'Now you've got to let me go. I have nothing else. Take the car!'

I opened the slim brown leather folder. Besides cards, there was about PS150 in crisp twenties and tens, straight from the ATM. There were no family snaps. He should at least have had a baby picture in there, even if it wasn't his. It gives you far more chance of having your wallet returned.

His driver's licence gave an address in Stanmore Hill in North London. The house number was followed by a B. He lived in a flat.

'Get the keys, left hand. Turn on the engine.'

'Just take everything.'

I pressed the knife harder into his crotch. 'Turn on the engine.'

His left hand fished for the key and the diesel was soon ticking over. I powered down the window and smashed the phone onto the concrete. I kept his wallet. It joined the other steak knives in my pocket.

'Now sit up, and belt up.'

Breathing heavily, he did as he was told. Sweat ran from the back of his head down the front of his face and nose, and was now trying to make its way onto his chin. He glanced across and got his first view of me as I pulled down my hood. When he saw who it was under the gla.s.ses and cap it was like the opening of a floodgate.

'Oh, my G.o.d! They made me do it! I'm so sorry, I-'

'Who? Who made you do it? Tresillian? Julian?'

'Who - what? Look, I don't know. Two guys visited with me. Heavies. They said this was your scan, and they gave me the drugs. I swear. I had no choice. Please-'

He lost it. His hands came up, pleading with me. 'They made me! Please believe me! I don't know anything ...'

I pressed the knife down further. 'Calm down.' I pointed at his face. 'You got no wife or kids over here? You on your own?'

'Yes.'

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