you?’ he said shakily.
‘No, don’t be ridiculous,’ Laurie snapped. ‘This isn’t a Bond movie.’ She looked to Flaxie for something more convincing.
‘If anyone wanted to silence him they’d have done it before he spoke to the police,’ he pointed out reasonably.
Liking the logic of that Laurie was about to speak again when Flaxie’s mobile started to ring.
‘That’ll be him,’ Flaxie declared, snatching it up. ‘Hello,’ he bellowed down the line, while blocking his other ear. ‘Yeah, it’s me.’ He gave the thumbs-up. ‘Where the hell are you?’ He listened, screwing up his eyes as though it might improve his hearing. ‘What!’ he suddenly exploded. ‘You’re kidding me. Tell me you didn’t do that. Oh shit, man. Oh shit . No, I don’t fucking well understand … We had a deal … Yeah, I hear you.’ He listened again, then said, ‘You’ve really stitched me up here. Why didn’t you …? No, tomorrow’s no good.’
As he snapped off the call Laurie’s heart was thudding.
‘Someone else got to him,’ Flaxie said, sounding as wretched as he looked.
‘What do you mean?’ Gino demanded.
‘I mean, he’s been paid for his story. We had diddly to offer, so he went to someone who had dough.’
‘That someone being …?’ Laurie said, feeling the icy burn even before his eyes told her the answer.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
‘Oh God, no,’ Gino groaned.
They both looked at Laurie.
Not only her lips, her whole face had turned pale. ‘What I’d like to know,’ she said through her teeth, ‘is if that bastard got to him before you did, Flaxie, or if he let you set up the meeting, then snatched him right from under my nose.’
‘You’re making it personal, Laurie,’ Gino warned.
‘You’re damned right it’s personal,’ she spat. ‘Where Elliot Russell’s concerned everything’s personal.’
‘Laurie, he’s a seriously heavyweight player,’Gino reminded her. ‘I know you’ve got your issues with him, but professionally, you’ve got to face it, you’re a minnow and he’s …’
‘A shark. I hope that’s what you were going to say,’ she butted in, her face tight with fury. ‘But he’s worse than a shark. So never underestimate him, Gino, and never, ever trust him.’
Knowing Laurie couldn’t be rational where Elliot Russell was concerned, Flaxie said, ‘Pinkton’s willing to talk to us tomorrow, tell us everything he’s told Russell. No fee.’
‘By midnight tonight Elliot Russell will have sold the exclusive to the highest bidder,’ she seethed, ‘and every other paper in town will have it in time for second edition, including ours. He’ll do a deal with one of the boomers who’ll write it up as though it were his and we’ll be sitting right there, sick as pigs, and twice as stupid. Well, to hell with that,’ she snarled, grabbing her bag. ‘This is war, and while he might have won this round, he’s not going to bloody well win the next.’
Chapter 5
DID PEOPLE THINK she was guilty too? As the murderer’s wife she had somehow to be involved? Was that why they all stared? Or was it just that she felt guilty? But she mustn’t allow herself to feel that way. Above all she had to resist that common failing in women, the way they assumed blame for events beyond their control. And they had been beyond her control, she must always remember that; if she didn’t she’d be on a sure route to breakdown or something even worse. No, what she felt was tainted. Yes, tainted, because there wasn’t much about the past three weeks that hadn’t felt like a contamination.
Beth didn’t think anyone had followed her from the station. She hadn’t noticed anyone, but they weren’t always easy to spot, like the day she’d taken Dillon, Georgie’s dog, for a walk. She’d had no idea a photographer was stalking her until Dillon had suddenly run at him barking. He’d got his picture, though; it had made the late edition of the London evening
‘No, don’t be ridiculous,’ Laurie snapped. ‘This isn’t a Bond movie.’ She looked to Flaxie for something more convincing.
‘If anyone wanted to silence him they’d have done it before he spoke to the police,’ he pointed out reasonably.
Liking the logic of that Laurie was about to speak again when Flaxie’s mobile started to ring.
‘That’ll be him,’ Flaxie declared, snatching it up. ‘Hello,’ he bellowed down the line, while blocking his other ear. ‘Yeah, it’s me.’ He gave the thumbs-up. ‘Where the hell are you?’ He listened, screwing up his eyes as though it might improve his hearing. ‘What!’ he suddenly exploded. ‘You’re kidding me. Tell me you didn’t do that. Oh shit, man. Oh shit . No, I don’t fucking well understand … We had a deal … Yeah, I hear you.’ He listened again, then said, ‘You’ve really stitched me up here. Why didn’t you …? No, tomorrow’s no good.’
As he snapped off the call Laurie’s heart was thudding.
‘Someone else got to him,’ Flaxie said, sounding as wretched as he looked.
‘What do you mean?’ Gino demanded.
‘I mean, he’s been paid for his story. We had diddly to offer, so he went to someone who had dough.’
‘That someone being …?’ Laurie said, feeling the icy burn even before his eyes told her the answer.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
‘Oh God, no,’ Gino groaned.
They both looked at Laurie.
Not only her lips, her whole face had turned pale. ‘What I’d like to know,’ she said through her teeth, ‘is if that bastard got to him before you did, Flaxie, or if he let you set up the meeting, then snatched him right from under my nose.’
‘You’re making it personal, Laurie,’ Gino warned.
‘You’re damned right it’s personal,’ she spat. ‘Where Elliot Russell’s concerned everything’s personal.’
‘Laurie, he’s a seriously heavyweight player,’Gino reminded her. ‘I know you’ve got your issues with him, but professionally, you’ve got to face it, you’re a minnow and he’s …’
‘A shark. I hope that’s what you were going to say,’ she butted in, her face tight with fury. ‘But he’s worse than a shark. So never underestimate him, Gino, and never, ever trust him.’
Knowing Laurie couldn’t be rational where Elliot Russell was concerned, Flaxie said, ‘Pinkton’s willing to talk to us tomorrow, tell us everything he’s told Russell. No fee.’
‘By midnight tonight Elliot Russell will have sold the exclusive to the highest bidder,’ she seethed, ‘and every other paper in town will have it in time for second edition, including ours. He’ll do a deal with one of the boomers who’ll write it up as though it were his and we’ll be sitting right there, sick as pigs, and twice as stupid. Well, to hell with that,’ she snarled, grabbing her bag. ‘This is war, and while he might have won this round, he’s not going to bloody well win the next.’
Chapter 5
DID PEOPLE THINK she was guilty too? As the murderer’s wife she had somehow to be involved? Was that why they all stared? Or was it just that she felt guilty? But she mustn’t allow herself to feel that way. Above all she had to resist that common failing in women, the way they assumed blame for events beyond their control. And they had been beyond her control, she must always remember that; if she didn’t she’d be on a sure route to breakdown or something even worse. No, what she felt was tainted. Yes, tainted, because there wasn’t much about the past three weeks that hadn’t felt like a contamination.
Beth didn’t think anyone had followed her from the station. She hadn’t noticed anyone, but they weren’t always easy to spot, like the day she’d taken Dillon, Georgie’s dog, for a walk. She’d had no idea a photographer was stalking her until Dillon had suddenly run at him barking. He’d got his picture, though; it had made the late edition of the London evening
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