Blood Whispers Read online

  Moran nodded and replied, ‘And the knife throwing is pretty hot too!’

  Seconds later Keira was standing in the doorway of the living room holding the presentation box containing the knives.

  ‘Surprising talent,’ said Aquino as his opener.

  ‘Why surprising?’

  ‘I mean it’s not something you see every day . . . you know . . . a woman throwing knives.’

  ‘Unless you’re in the circus, I suppose,’ chipped in Moran.

  ‘A woman?’

  ‘A person! It’s an unusual skill to have, is what I mean. You been doing it long?’

  ‘It’s sort of a family tradition.’

  Gary Hammond made the introductions. ‘Keira, these are Officers Joe O’Donnell and Mitch Taylor. Flew in from Berlin yesterday. They wanted to have a chat. Gentlemen: Keira Lynch.’

  Moran made like he was about to shake her hand, but Keira didn’t move. ‘D’you guys have ID?’

  Aquino raised his eyebrows. ‘You’re the first person to ask that.’

  ‘You wanna see them?’ said Moran.

  ‘If you don’t mind.’

  Moran and Aquino fished out their identity cards and offered them over to her. After a cursory glance she handed them back. ‘I’ve never seen one before so I don’t know what they’re supposed to look like.’

  ‘So why ask?’ replied Moran, already getting the sense that this was not going to be an easy ride.

  ‘Why not?’ Keira placed the box of knives on a drop-leaf table sitting in front of the lounge window. ‘Let’s sit outside. We don’t usually have weather like this in Scotland, and I’ve been feeling a little claustrophobic of late.’

  *

  Rebecca Rey stood vigil at the far end of the neat little garden while Moran, Aquino, Hammond and Keira pulled up chairs and sat at a wooden table on the small patio area just outside the kitchen door. Orlaith followed them out with a tray of tea and coffee then disappeared back inside. The sun was still low in the morning sky, but it was already starting to get warm.

  Aquino was still pursuing the knife-throwing line. ‘I thought you might have a picture of Mister E Zeze pinned to your block of wood there,’ he said, removing his jacket and hanging it on the back of his chair.

  ‘I would if I could remember what he looked like,’ Keira said matter-of-factly. ‘My mind has blanked out everything, but his scent.’

  ‘His scent?’ Moran screwed up his face.

  ‘He wears a weird cologne . . .’

  ‘. . . that doesn’t suit his skin type,’ said Hammond, finishing off her sentence and earning himself a look from the two agents, like that was a new one to them.

  ‘What type of cologne?’

  Keira caught the exchange of looks between the three men. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

  ‘Have you seen the stuff on the news and in the papers this morning?’ Moran asked her.

  ‘I’ve watched the news, but I haven’t read anything yet.’

  ‘It didn’t come from us, Keira,’ added Gary quickly. ‘When I find out who’s responsible I’ll bloody crucify them.’

  Breakfast News on the BBC had led with the story that traces of heroin had been found in Keira’s flat, leading to speculation that the shootings had been drug related: it went on to say that police were investigating links between Keira and high-profile Glasgow crime lords.

  ‘What d’you think is going on?’ Moran probed.

  ‘Should I have a lawyer present?’

  ‘It’s not a formal interview,’ interjected Gary, ‘just a chat.’

  ‘I don’t know what’s going on,’ she said after a brief pause. ‘It looks like someone may be trying to discredit me.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I’ve no idea. “Blur the picture”, perhaps, who knows? I feel like I’m part of a game, but no one has told me the rules yet . . . if there are any.’

  ‘D’you know how the heroin got there?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Okay, why don’t you kick things off: tell us what you know and where you think it’s at and we’ll try our best to answer as many questions as you might possibly have?’

  ‘Because I didn’t ask to see you, you asked to see me, that’s why. The onus isn’t on me to tell you anything, the onus is on you to explain to me what the hell this is all about.’

  Gary Hammond shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  ‘I appreciate that,’ Aquino said gently. ‘Unfortunately the glue we’re using to stick all the bits together is strong enough to give us a headache, but not to hold anything in place. We were hoping you might know something that would help.’

  Keira sat staring back at the two agents in silence.

  ‘Anything you can think of to make it any easier for us to find out what happened to our colleague Ed—’ started Aquino, but Keira interrupted him.

  ‘It’s not my job to make your life easier. I’m sitting here with a head full of memories I’d rather not have, and I suspect it’s because of some shit that you or those like you are involved in. So don’t come in here acting like Mister and Mister Nice Guy and expect me to start reliving it all so that you can have an easy life. You asked to see me, remember?’ Keira’s tone was controlled and measured as she continued. ‘Either tell me what you feel I need to know or go away and leave me the hell alone.’

  Aquino could see Moran preparing to take her on and jumped in. ‘Woah, woah, let’s just take a step back and come at this from a different angle. You’re right, we should be giving you information, not the other way around. Our problem is we have a few gaps in our story that we were hoping you might be able to fill, make these events hang together a little better. But let’s set that aside for the moment; that, as you have correctly stated, is our problem, not yours. We just wanted to come here and tell you what we think is going on, hopefully put your mind at rest as much as possible given the circumstances, then leave you in peace to get your life back on track.’

  The expression on Keira’s face was still difficult to read.

  Aquino kept going. ‘We’ve been keeping a close eye on Fisnik Abazi’s activities for some time now in an effort to gain enough intelligence on him, not only to cut off his supply chain, but to close the son-of-a-bitch down entirely. The operation he has been running has a global reach, far beyond his capabilities, and we wanted to know why and how. We found out that he was using US military aircraft to smuggle his merchandise, not only into Scotland, but on from here, into the States. The only way that was possible was if someone from within the military was colluding. But every time it looked like we were closing in something would happen that would mess our game. That’s when we started to have concerns that someone closer to home was also helping him.’

  ‘Someone from within the CIA,’ cut in Moran.

  ‘We had no clues, no intel, nothing to point the finger at anyone from inside any of the operations we were running. Then bam! Edwin Kade gets brained by one of Abazi’s hookers and suddenly the whole thing falls into place. We were on the edge of closing this whole game down when, not only does the girl get whacked, but Kade too. Leaving us floating on a sea of crap in a leaky life-raft.’

  ‘Once again,’ added Moran.

  ‘What was in it for Kade?’

  ‘What’s in it for any of these guys? Money! Turns out he’s got bank accounts all over the place full of cash. Deposits bags of cash every time, like he’s a shopkeeper or something: in fact that was his cover story.’

  ‘There was a small bag of heroin found at his flat too,’ chipped in Gary Hammond. ‘We just had it confirmed this morning that it was from the same batch that Abazi’s putting out on the street. And matches the traces found in your apartment also. All from the same supply.’

  ‘Why not close Abazi down sooner?’

  ‘If we’d taken Abazi out, two minutes later someone else would have stepped in. We wanted to get a handle on the entire smuggling operation, then terminate the whole goddamn thing.’

  ‘Was there any
political pressure put on Patrick Sellar to release Kaltrina Dervishi?’

  The question came from left field. Aquino wasn’t expecting it. ‘Who’s Patrick Sellar?’ He already knew the answer, but was buying himself time to think.

  ‘The Advocate Depute. He released Kaltrina Dervishi on to the street. He was also in line to be the lead prosecutor in the Abazi case – were Abazi ever arrested.’

  Aquino shrugged. ‘Oh yeah, him. Well, he was under no pressure from our side. We wanted her alive. She was to be a key witness. We certainly let British Intelligence know we had an interest in her, but I wouldn’t say that ran as far as influencing a member of your judiciary to make a decision that was – or wasn’t – in the best interest of everyone concerned.’

  ‘He mentioned to me that she would have no right to appeal if a deportation order was taken out against her, because she was considered a threat to this or some other country’s national security. Would that other country have been yours?’

  Aquino looked to Moran.

  ‘Possibly,’ conceded Moran.

  Keira was slipping into lawyer mode. These guys came across as convincing, but all the best liars did.

  ‘So in that sense, wouldn’t you agree there was undue pressure placed, not only on my client, but on a representative of the law who is duty bound to remain impartial?’

  ‘No, I wouldn’t agree. The intention was to close down a major drug-smuggling ring – not to mention the side-effect that would have on the trafficking and prostitution that hangs off its back. The girl was the first breakthrough we’d had in bringing that about. In retrospect, using the whole deportation thing wasn’t a smart way forward, but we were desperate. We were simply trying to find excuses to hold on to her as best we could without breaking any rules. But we’re getting off the point. If this Patrick Sellar hadn’t released her we’d all be in a much better position. We’re still not sure why he did that.’

  Keira let the conversation hang for a moment, then said, ‘How does any of this help me get my life back on track?’

  ‘The word from Langley is that Abazi has called in the removal van.’

  ‘Who’s Langley?’

  She already knew the answer, but she’d learned from years of dealing with guys like this that it usually paid dividends to let them think they were smarter than her. The feeling of superiority they enjoyed meant they tended to underestimate her, which in most cases always proved to be an advantage.

  ‘Sorry, Langley is the CIA headquarters in Virginia.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Anyway, we think Abazi may have fled to Europe already, leaving behind a handful of his men to tidy up. If there are any positives to take, it’s the fact that he’s no longer in business. He knows we’re coming after him. And without Edwin Kade guarding his ass, he knows we’ll be successful this time.’

  ‘And Engjell E Zeze?’

  ‘He’s nicknamed the Watcher. That’s what they first called fallen angels: Watchers. It’s like he’s supernatural or something. The literal translation of his name is Angel Black. We have no idea where he is. But, this is what I was going to say: we don’t think you were ever intended to be a target. The problem, as we see it, is that you were the last contact the girl had. Abazi’s probably figuring she’s told you everything that’s going on, so he might as well take you out as well. I would urge you still to be cautious, but Engjell E Zeze works for Abazi, and with Abazi gone I can’t see why E Zeze would still want you dead. I think the risk to you has been considerably lessened.’

  Moran’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said, pulling it out and checking the message. ‘D’you mind if I quickly reply to this? I had an important meeting scheduled for tomorrow in the States, I just need to cancel it. Excuse me, it won’t take a second.’

  Moran stayed where he was and punched in a number.

  ‘Hi, it’s Officer Mitch Taylor here, just a quick message to say I won’t make the meeting tomorrow, something has come up. I’ll be back in the States at the start of next week, so I’ll call you then to rearrange. Apologies for any inconvenience.’ Moran hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. ‘Sorry, but if I didn’t do it now I’d have forgotten and caused all sorts of problems.’

  Aquino hadn’t taken his eyes off Keira the whole time. She still wasn’t giving much away, but looked a lot more subdued. ‘You figure you’re in possession of any information that might keep Abazi coming after you, Miss Lynch?’

  Keira returned his stare. ‘No.’

  The only information Keira was withholding now was about Kaltrina’s son, Ermir, which as far as she was concerned was none of their business.

  ‘You figure there’s anything you want to tell us, might help seal Abazi’s fate?’

  She shook her head. ‘No.’

  ‘Then I guess we’re all done,’ said Moran as he pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘If you think of anything that might be of use, we’re staying at the Crowne Plaza, and this,’ he handed her a scrap of paper, ‘has our cell numbers while we’re here. Abazi will be so busy looking over his shoulder for us, he won’t have time to come looking for you.’

  *

  The atmosphere in the unmarked police car was tense as it sped along the road on its way back to Glasgow. Gary Hammond could tell the two Americans weren’t happy.

  ‘Does anyone else feel like they’ve been kicked in the balls?’ said Aquino.

  ‘You get the feeling she’s not telling us everything?’ Moran directed the question at Gary.

  Gary was reluctant to give his opinion. ‘I don’t know. She’s been through a lot in the last few weeks. I think maybe she’s just had enough. She’s under a lot of pressure.’

  ‘You think maybe she is involved in handling the drugs?’

  ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘It wouldn’t be the first time the lawyer turns out to be one of the main players.’

  ‘Not in this case.’

  ‘All I’m saying is, you might want to take a closer look.’

  *

  ‘We leaving tomorrow?’ asked Moran.

  ‘We’ve still got some work to do. We’ll leave when we’re done.’

  The two officers were standing in the lobby of their hotel waiting for the lift to arrive. ‘I’m gonna take a shower, try and freshen up a little. You wanna eat here or try to find somewhere in town?’

  ‘Let’s grab a few beers at the bar, then we can decide . . . You think she knows what’s going on?’

  ‘I think there’s something she’s not telling us, but that’s as far as it goes. If she was on to us, we’d know about it by now.’

  ‘You think it was subtle, making that call with the two of them sitting at the table?’

  Moran looked round at him and smiled. ‘Did you like that?’

  ‘Not particularly.’

  ‘What?’ protested Moran. ‘All they heard was me cancelling a meeting in the States . . . what’s wrong with that?’

  ‘And how did a bag of smack find its way into Kade’s apartment?’

  ‘No point being subtle about it. We gotta make this guy out to be badder than bad. We give these guys plenty of evidence that’s all pointing in the same direction, there’s only one conclusion they can come to – Edwin Kade, guilty as charged. You wanna know where they found the bag of heroin?’

  ‘In his holdall?’

  ‘Man, you’re too good.’

  ‘You can be such an asshole sometimes, you know that?’ Aquino shook his head.

  ‘Turns out our source was correct about it being placed in the lawyer’s apartment, too. For whatever reason, it must have been removed – but not before some of it spilled on the kitchen table. I was reading through some of the scene-of-crime reports Hammond gave me and, bang, there it was: “Traces of controlled substance confirmed as heroin”.’

  The lift arrived and the two men stepped in.

  ‘Not enough to put her away for a long time, unfortunately,’ continued Moran, �
��but enough to grab a few headlines and fuck her over.’

  Thirty-three

  St Andrew’s Cathedral sat on the north bank of the River Clyde near Glasgow’s city centre. It was illuminated by large uplighters that made the building stand out against the dark, cloudless sky. The back two pews of the cathedral were taken up by Nick-Nick Carter, Big Paul and a handful of each of their respective gang members. They had gathered there at the Holy Man’s request to ‘pray for the departed and those on the metaphorical platform edge who were about to receive their one-way ticket to the afterlife in the form of a bullet’.

  Even though there was obvious tension between the rival gang members, the rest of the congregation seemed oblivious to the stony-faced men.

  ‘It’s like visiting hours at the remand centre,’ muttered Nick-Nick, shaking his head.

  Big Paul leant across Edi Leka, who was sandwiched between him and the Holy Man, and whispered, ‘We’ve found the little fuck.’

  The Holy Man shot Big Paul a look. ‘You’re in the Big Man’s house now, brother. Keep that sort of language for your own home, not in here.’

  Big Paul didn’t even blink. ‘He’s holed up in a bed and breakfast on the South Side. Wan eh Nick-Nick’s guys saw him out at the off-licence buying some cheap cider and followed him.’

  ‘What’s it called?’

  ‘Ah don’t know: Magners?’

  ‘The bed and breakfast,’ the Holy Man said coolly.

  ‘Ah’m just messin’ with you. It’s called the Ewington, in Queens Park. More a hotel really, but it’s B-and-B rates. Nice set-up. Too good for that wee shite.’

  ‘Are you sure it’s him?’

  ‘No mistake. Man, there’s wanted dead or alive posters all over town. Even my ma knows what Jay-Go looks like.’

  Edi Leka sat staring ahead, pretending he was listening to the priest. The rumour circulating after the incident at Jay-Go’s flat was that Yogi Bearcat had tried to rob Jay-Go: that’s why he got whacked. After shooting him in the head, Jay-Go had gone into hiding, taking the Holy Man’s money and Abazi’s kilo of heroin with him.