happens.’
‘How?’ After the initial shock, Cass had a feeling he knew the answer. What was it Mr Bright had alluded to back in the Covent Garden church all those months ago? He’d somehow protected Cass from Freeman?
‘It was part of my deal, not sending anyone after you: out in two. I couldn’t stay in my old manor, of course.’ He spread his hands wide. ‘But the world is a big place. And I had plenty of money and investments. That was the other part of the deal.’
‘By the looks of things it’s all paid off.’
‘You could say that. I’ve been playing the markets. Got some good insider info here and there, made myself some respectable money.’ He grinned and nodded over at the thugs standing at a polite distance from their conversation. ‘I’ve always kept my hand in the old business, here and there, but I’ve been a bit more discreet. I quite like my new-found respectability.’ He picked up his glass and tilted it atCass. ‘But don’t make any mistake: for a long time I wanted to fucking kill you – and I don’t mean just fucking kill you; I wanted to rip your skin off strip by strip and then let the boys break every bone in your body. But you were lucky: what I wanted more was to spend my life free and with a few quid in my pocket.’ He sniffed. ‘It still sticks in my throat though. Guess that’s why I’ve always kept an eye on you.’
‘Seems like everyone’s always had an eye on me. It must get crowded for all of you in those shadows.’
‘Still a cocky sod, then.’
‘It’s part of my charm.’
‘There were people out there with an eye on you long before I added myself to the list. Guess I just couldn’t stop wondering why men like Bright and Solomon would be interested in a fucked-up copper like you.’
Hearing the names spoken aloud felt like yet another blow to Cass’ solar plexus. Bright and Solomon . Even though Mr Bright had alluded to paying Brian Freeman off in some way or another, Cass hadn’t expected the old gangster to know his nemesis’ name. Nor that of the serial killer who called himself the Man of Flies, and who had died in a blaze of supernatural light.
‘What do you know about Mr Bright and Mr Solomon?’ He glanced over to one of Freeman’s men. ‘And where are my cigarettes?’
‘Interesting pair, weren’t they?’ Freeman smiled. ‘I reckon Bright would have been happy just to have had me and the boys done in and have that be the end of it – that’s the feeling I got when he first came to see me. I was strapped up in the hospital and high on all kinds of painkillers, but I still knew he had to be someone fucking powerful to get past the armed guards.’
His crumpled pack of cigarettes, a lighter and anexpensive crystal ashtray appeared on the coffee table, and Cass lit one. Freeman didn’t complain, but neither did he have one himself. Cass had never taken the old man for a quitter, but in this instance he must have been wrong.
‘Bright did all the talking and Solomon – I didn’t know his name then – he just stood in the background.’
‘And they offered you a deal you couldn’t refuse just to leave me alone?’
‘Something like that.’ Freeman’s eyes darkened. ‘Of course I’m no mug, and I wanted to check them out. Sent a couple of the lads to follow them around, that kind of thing. They never came home, and at that point I realised that I didn’t actually have a choice.’ He paused. ‘I’ve got cleverer about looking into them; I’ve learned the ways of subtlety since then.’
‘How did you get to know who Solomon was?’
‘Strange one, Solomon.’ He leaned back against the sofa, his drink in hand. ‘I quite liked him, as it goes, back then, anyway. There was something almost spiritual about him. Maybe it was just that he had those kind of looks that you can’t help liking. He was a handsome bastard – and you know I’m no poof – but he was. He drew people to him like a movie star or
‘How?’ After the initial shock, Cass had a feeling he knew the answer. What was it Mr Bright had alluded to back in the Covent Garden church all those months ago? He’d somehow protected Cass from Freeman?
‘It was part of my deal, not sending anyone after you: out in two. I couldn’t stay in my old manor, of course.’ He spread his hands wide. ‘But the world is a big place. And I had plenty of money and investments. That was the other part of the deal.’
‘By the looks of things it’s all paid off.’
‘You could say that. I’ve been playing the markets. Got some good insider info here and there, made myself some respectable money.’ He grinned and nodded over at the thugs standing at a polite distance from their conversation. ‘I’ve always kept my hand in the old business, here and there, but I’ve been a bit more discreet. I quite like my new-found respectability.’ He picked up his glass and tilted it atCass. ‘But don’t make any mistake: for a long time I wanted to fucking kill you – and I don’t mean just fucking kill you; I wanted to rip your skin off strip by strip and then let the boys break every bone in your body. But you were lucky: what I wanted more was to spend my life free and with a few quid in my pocket.’ He sniffed. ‘It still sticks in my throat though. Guess that’s why I’ve always kept an eye on you.’
‘Seems like everyone’s always had an eye on me. It must get crowded for all of you in those shadows.’
‘Still a cocky sod, then.’
‘It’s part of my charm.’
‘There were people out there with an eye on you long before I added myself to the list. Guess I just couldn’t stop wondering why men like Bright and Solomon would be interested in a fucked-up copper like you.’
Hearing the names spoken aloud felt like yet another blow to Cass’ solar plexus. Bright and Solomon . Even though Mr Bright had alluded to paying Brian Freeman off in some way or another, Cass hadn’t expected the old gangster to know his nemesis’ name. Nor that of the serial killer who called himself the Man of Flies, and who had died in a blaze of supernatural light.
‘What do you know about Mr Bright and Mr Solomon?’ He glanced over to one of Freeman’s men. ‘And where are my cigarettes?’
‘Interesting pair, weren’t they?’ Freeman smiled. ‘I reckon Bright would have been happy just to have had me and the boys done in and have that be the end of it – that’s the feeling I got when he first came to see me. I was strapped up in the hospital and high on all kinds of painkillers, but I still knew he had to be someone fucking powerful to get past the armed guards.’
His crumpled pack of cigarettes, a lighter and anexpensive crystal ashtray appeared on the coffee table, and Cass lit one. Freeman didn’t complain, but neither did he have one himself. Cass had never taken the old man for a quitter, but in this instance he must have been wrong.
‘Bright did all the talking and Solomon – I didn’t know his name then – he just stood in the background.’
‘And they offered you a deal you couldn’t refuse just to leave me alone?’
‘Something like that.’ Freeman’s eyes darkened. ‘Of course I’m no mug, and I wanted to check them out. Sent a couple of the lads to follow them around, that kind of thing. They never came home, and at that point I realised that I didn’t actually have a choice.’ He paused. ‘I’ve got cleverer about looking into them; I’ve learned the ways of subtlety since then.’
‘How did you get to know who Solomon was?’
‘Strange one, Solomon.’ He leaned back against the sofa, his drink in hand. ‘I quite liked him, as it goes, back then, anyway. There was something almost spiritual about him. Maybe it was just that he had those kind of looks that you can’t help liking. He was a handsome bastard – and you know I’m no poof – but he was. He drew people to him like a movie star or
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