Page 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

R obert strode through the doorway, his shoulders brushing across the doorframe. A few people shot a glance his way, then turned away to hide their faces.

The people here could smell his warrant card, even if he hadn’t carried one for a while now. And whatever they thought of him dwindled tenfold when they caught sight of Robert’s companion.

Nina had her hair tied up and wore tight trousers paired with a black distressed-leather jacket. Appreciative eyes lingered on her. And it did not sit well with Robert. He didn’t like the primal animal inside him that wanted to place an arm around Nina. That same animal had kept him up last night, begging him to get off the sofa and climb into Nina’s bed.

If he’d done that or tried now to stake a claim on her, he knew she’d chop his manhood off. Hell, he’d never felt such an urge before, even when he’d been married.

And Anne with her blond hair and blue eyes had been beautiful, yet he’d felt secure with her. Not that he was dating Nina. Not by a long shot.

Besides, Nina could be lying to him. They’d had a long conversation about what had happened to her, and everything she’d told him made sense. Unless it was all a big fat lie…

She’d been chasing up a lead and had gone to that building as she’d been instructed to. They’d asked her to head to the back door of the building. She had, and the next thing she knew, she’d woken up next to a dead man – Jonas, her camera guy.

Despite the shock, she’d escaped, leaving Jonas’s body behind. Only, on her way back home, Shah had chased her, so Nina had disappeared.

Her explanation fit – he had to admit that much. If she’d been inside that building during the fire, on the top floor no less, she wouldn’t have escaped.

Or the fire services would have found her.

It occurred to him that she might’ve set the fire and escaped before it took hold. Fire did a great job of burning through evidence. But the look in her eyes when she recalled finding her camera guy dead…

Robert hadn’t yet allowed himself time to let it all sink in; he’d just willed his brain to move on. They’d paired up and were now looking for Anne’s killer.

‘Robert!’

The bellow rang out in the room, cutting off all conversation. Only the TV buzzed in the background, its voice at a low murmur.

The man who’d called out his name emerged from behind the bar, his arms wide and the grin on his face large enough to light the entire room. The man waddled, thanks to arthritis and a couple of heart attacks caused by his affection for regular chippy dinners. His grin showed off his yellow teeth, reminiscent of a past life spent with drugs.

Robert returned the man’s grin and embraced him. Billy Burns barely reached Robert’s chest, but the man wound his arms around Robert and thumped him on the back.

‘Oh, the big man’s here, eh? It’s been ages. I’m sorry about your missus – what a tragedy it was.’

Another thump and Billy released Robert. Then his gaze moved to Nina, and a sly grin appeared on his face. ‘A smooth operator, are you? Not the best place to bring a nice lady on a date, if I say so myself.’

Nina’s eyes were wide.

To a stranger, this welcome might seem very weird, Robert supposed, given that most patrons at Billy’s bar had a record with the police, including the owner himself.

He wound an arm round Billy’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. ‘This is Billy. He runs this place.’

Billy bobbed his head, his chest puffing out a wee bit. ‘Aye, all this is mine, aye. All above board and all that.’ He thumbed Robert’s chest. ‘This man saw to it. A heart of gold, he has. You chose well.’

‘I-I…’ Nina glanced at Robert. ‘We aren’t together.’

Robert’s heart twisted painfully at those words. He cleared his throat. ‘That’s right. That’s Nina. We have a few questions regarding the fire.’

Billy understood at once what fire Robert was referring to. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed, and Billy patted Robert’s arm. ‘It’s fucking shite, it is. Sometimes, I don’t understand why it’s the good ones that suffer. But aye, Joshua said as much to me, so he did. He said yous would pop by. He comes over from time to time just to check up on me. I asked him about you, and he said you wanted answers, and that shite prick of a boss of yours won’t let yous get them.’

Robert nodded. ‘I’m on leave at the moment. Well, you know how the boss can be. I trust when I do end up jobless, there’s a job for me here.’

The tense lines on Billy’s face dissolved, and he cackled. ‘Ah, lad, for you, always. You’re one o’ the good ones. But you dinnae need a job. You should be a PI, like… like that big man… Eh, I cannae remember his name, but aye, lots of good you’ll do for Glasgow.’

Nina took a step forward, closer to Billy, and stuck her hand out. ‘I’m Nina, and, well, we are kind of working as PIs at the moment, investigating the fire. It is all, of course, on the down-low.’

Billy’s eyes darted around the place. The pub was dark on the inside, the walls leaden with smoke gathered in the years before the government banned the use of cigarettes indoors, and the floor sucked at your shoes. If you stood in one spot for too long, you’d probably get stuck to the floor. And the people in here – many slumped over pints at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon – might spend the night in custody…

Robert knew it and ignored it. They weren’t engaged in any criminal activities, and he wasn’t a cop at the moment. Besides, Billy was trying to make the best of what life had thrown at him. And on principle, Robert refused to upend the livelihoods of people like him.

His perusal finished, Billy waved towards the back of the pub. ‘Too many eager ears here.’

They headed around the bar and through another doorway. Robert’s shoulders once again bumped the doorframes, but he focused on the area around them. He’d never been back here before.

Billy had led them into a small alcove that doubled as his office space and locker room. Bags sat against a wall, and coats hung on rungs. There was just enough space for the three of them. A table had been shoved against the wall, and the room had one chair.

‘It’s not much. This area is just for me and the lads… um, my employees, I mean,’ Billy said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

It wasn’t much better than the bar area, though pinned to the wall above the desk was a child’s painting. It said, ‘To daddy,’ in stocky, block letters.

Robert leaned against the doorway. He could hear the murmurs in the main bar resume once again.

‘Daisy said she met with you,’ Billy said. ‘I told her I’d ask around for you.’

Robert jerked his chin towards Nina, who was standing in the middle of the room, as if unsure what to do with herself. ‘We need some information. Harish Shah. He owns or rather owned, a nightclub. Have you heard of him?’

Judging by the narrowing of Billy’s eyes, Robert’s hunch had been spot on.

‘That bastard,’ Billy muttered. ‘Do I know him? Like I know a dead rat when I see one.’

Nina’s sharp inhale reverberated through the room. ‘What do you mean?’

Billy crossed his arms. ‘I heard it was his nightclub that caught on fire. It was the same night your wife died, wasn’t it? And I knew I needed to ask around. Heard nothing different than the usual. But Shah is a sleaze. Most people who steal do it to provide for their families, make ends meet, or because the drink or the drugs eats away at them…’

The man paused, his eyes haunted. Robert wanted to reach out to Billy. Once, over a pint after a late shift, Billy had told Robert of his own struggles with drugs. And Robert respected Billy for all that he’d overcome.

‘Shah is a thief?’ Robert asked, hoping to pull Billy from his thoughts.

Billy’s eyes regained that shine. ‘Aye, he’s an absolute arsehole. He’s rolling in it. Doesn’t look like it; he looks like he could be on the streets. And that club of his… He walks around like he’s one of us, but hell, he has too much money. And he does it for the kicks – encouraging young boys to do drugs, drink, or allowing young girls to sell their bodies. I’d spit in his face if I ever met the man.’

Nina crossed her arms. ‘So you haven’t actually met him?’

‘I’ve heard of him, and his lot.’ Billy tapped his nose. ‘And my folks don’t lie. My pub might not be much, but if a client comes here stoned or drunk when they should be at work, I take them.’ Billy pointed at Robert. ‘Take them to the folks Rob told me about.’

Nina’s hair swayed when she snapped her head towards him, lips pressed tight, eyes narrowed.

Robert shrugged. ‘It’s a charity for the homeless, and they also have an extensive rehab program.’

‘What did I say about good people?’ Billy stabbed a finger at Robert again. ‘He’s a catch. Shah on the other hand… Word on the street is he set his place on fire on purpose for the insurance money.’

A cold shiver zinged down Robert’s spine. He stared at Nina. Shah had told them Nina was the one responsible for the fire. And according to Nina, Shah had chased after her too…

But Shah had motive to set that fire. Could he have accidentally killed Anne? Robert tried to suck in air, but his lungs wouldn’t work.

A man – Nina had killed her male colleague…

His ears pounded, as if someone was smacking a hammer against them. Robert pushed off the wall. He had to get out – now. His legs carried him out of that tight space, straight through the dingy pub and into the cold air.

He gasped, trying to swallow the freezing air. Oh God, oh good God, had he truly been so wrong?