her the two thousand. “Look after that, love.”
“You’re going yourself, George?”
“Why not? I’ll keep an eye on Harold. Find a raincoat for me and an umbrella.”
“Yes, George.”
Levin took a computer printout from his briefcase, with a photo of Roper on it and his address. Moon picked it up and checked it, then handed it to Harold, who looked and shrugged.
“Piece of cake.”
Moon said to Levin, “You coming or are you just watching from afar?”
“I’ll see you after your successful completion, or let’s hope I do.”
“That will be entirely satisfactory.”
“So you trust me not to vanish into the night?”
“Oh, absolutely. I’ve dealt with your people on many occasions. Why would they let me down? There’s always a next time. I’m well aware how powerful they are.”
“I’ll see you later, then.” Levin turned to Ruby. “And you.”
“God, but you’re a cold-blooded bastard.”
“It’s been said before.” He grinned, brushed past her, went down the stairs and back to his Mercedes, got in and drove away. He made it to Regency Square. There was plenty of parking at that time of the evening. He found one very close to Roper’s place, pulled in, switched on the radio and sat there listening to it and waiting.
Roper, busy at his computers, had had enough and his stomach told him as much. There was an Italian on the corner of the square by the main road. They always did well by him and his wheelchair. He pulled on his reefer coat and a cap in the hall and went out into the rain.
Levin saw him at once, and so did Moon and Harold, who’d just arrived and parked at the side of the square.
“How convenient,” Moon said.
“How do we do it?” Harold asked.
Moon nodded down to the main road. “I always prefer to keep it simple. It looks nice and busy down there. We push him along the pavement and simply let go. He’s bound to run in front of a truck or something.”
They got out of their car, Moon put up his umbrella and they crossed the road as Levin watched. He had an insane desire to laugh. Did those cretins really think it was going to be that easy?
“Dear God almighty,” he murmured.
Harold had a hand on one side of Roper’s wheelchair now, Moon on the other. “Be a nice gentleman now,” Moon said, “and you’ll come to no harm.”
“Come to no good, you mean,” Roper said. He eyed the two of them. “I’ve been here before. Last time it was the Mafia. What’s your religion?”
“I wouldn’t dream of telling you, love.”
“Ah, well, then we can’t do business, I’m afraid,” Roper said. Then he took a silenced Walther from the right-hand pocket of his wheelchair and shot Harold through the side of his knee.
He went down with a curse, and Moon said, “Oh, my God.”
Roper grabbed him by the coat. “What’s your name? Come on, quick, or I’ll give it to you, too.”
Moon was in such a panic, he told him. “Moon—George Moon.”
“Who sent you?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t seen him before in my life.”
He pulled away, turned to run, and Roper shot him in the right thigh. He hit the pavement, writhing. Roper said, “Remember this—somebody tried to mug you and it went wrong. That would be a good line if you want to stay out of court when the police come.”
“Yes,” Moon babbled. “Yes.”
Roper went down the square, taking out his mobile and dialing 999. “Ambulance needed in Regency Square. Two men down. Looks like a shooting.” The operator asked for his name, but he switched off and called Dillon.
“Sean, I’ve had a spot of bother.” He explained what had happened. “I’ll wait for you in the Italian restaurant at the end of the square.”
“I’ll call Billy and we’ll be with you soon, and I’ll notify Ferguson. I don’t like the sound of this. First Hannah, now you. I think you’d be better off in the Holland Park safe house.”
Ruby was upstairs at the Harvest Moon when the bell sounded at the alley
“You’re going yourself, George?”
“Why not? I’ll keep an eye on Harold. Find a raincoat for me and an umbrella.”
“Yes, George.”
Levin took a computer printout from his briefcase, with a photo of Roper on it and his address. Moon picked it up and checked it, then handed it to Harold, who looked and shrugged.
“Piece of cake.”
Moon said to Levin, “You coming or are you just watching from afar?”
“I’ll see you after your successful completion, or let’s hope I do.”
“That will be entirely satisfactory.”
“So you trust me not to vanish into the night?”
“Oh, absolutely. I’ve dealt with your people on many occasions. Why would they let me down? There’s always a next time. I’m well aware how powerful they are.”
“I’ll see you later, then.” Levin turned to Ruby. “And you.”
“God, but you’re a cold-blooded bastard.”
“It’s been said before.” He grinned, brushed past her, went down the stairs and back to his Mercedes, got in and drove away. He made it to Regency Square. There was plenty of parking at that time of the evening. He found one very close to Roper’s place, pulled in, switched on the radio and sat there listening to it and waiting.
Roper, busy at his computers, had had enough and his stomach told him as much. There was an Italian on the corner of the square by the main road. They always did well by him and his wheelchair. He pulled on his reefer coat and a cap in the hall and went out into the rain.
Levin saw him at once, and so did Moon and Harold, who’d just arrived and parked at the side of the square.
“How convenient,” Moon said.
“How do we do it?” Harold asked.
Moon nodded down to the main road. “I always prefer to keep it simple. It looks nice and busy down there. We push him along the pavement and simply let go. He’s bound to run in front of a truck or something.”
They got out of their car, Moon put up his umbrella and they crossed the road as Levin watched. He had an insane desire to laugh. Did those cretins really think it was going to be that easy?
“Dear God almighty,” he murmured.
Harold had a hand on one side of Roper’s wheelchair now, Moon on the other. “Be a nice gentleman now,” Moon said, “and you’ll come to no harm.”
“Come to no good, you mean,” Roper said. He eyed the two of them. “I’ve been here before. Last time it was the Mafia. What’s your religion?”
“I wouldn’t dream of telling you, love.”
“Ah, well, then we can’t do business, I’m afraid,” Roper said. Then he took a silenced Walther from the right-hand pocket of his wheelchair and shot Harold through the side of his knee.
He went down with a curse, and Moon said, “Oh, my God.”
Roper grabbed him by the coat. “What’s your name? Come on, quick, or I’ll give it to you, too.”
Moon was in such a panic, he told him. “Moon—George Moon.”
“Who sent you?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t seen him before in my life.”
He pulled away, turned to run, and Roper shot him in the right thigh. He hit the pavement, writhing. Roper said, “Remember this—somebody tried to mug you and it went wrong. That would be a good line if you want to stay out of court when the police come.”
“Yes,” Moon babbled. “Yes.”
Roper went down the square, taking out his mobile and dialing 999. “Ambulance needed in Regency Square. Two men down. Looks like a shooting.” The operator asked for his name, but he switched off and called Dillon.
“Sean, I’ve had a spot of bother.” He explained what had happened. “I’ll wait for you in the Italian restaurant at the end of the square.”
“I’ll call Billy and we’ll be with you soon, and I’ll notify Ferguson. I don’t like the sound of this. First Hannah, now you. I think you’d be better off in the Holland Park safe house.”
Ruby was upstairs at the Harvest Moon when the bell sounded at the alley
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