Page 14 of The Lost Zone (Dark Water #3)

“We need you to come into Inquisitus and testify about what happened that night, Mick,” Josiah interjected.

Mick glanced at him derisively. “You think it’ll be that easy? I testify, and Tyler rolls over and dies? Fuck off.” He tried to get to his feet, but Josiah shoved him back down again.

“Alex told me you helped to dispose of her body. That makes you an accessory to her murder.”

“You’ve got nothin’ on me – and nothin’ on Tyler without me.”

“Is that so?” Josiah raised an eyebrow. “Do you remember Ted Burgis?”

Mick went very still. “What about him?”

“We paid him a visit earlier.”

“And he agreed to testify against Tyler? I don’t believe you.”

“Why not?” Josiah leaned forward. “He loved Solange, and he hates Tyler. Why wouldn’t he agree to testify?”

“Because Tyler beat the spirit out of us all years ago, that’s why – him included.” Mick pointed at Alex. “I saw it happen. I was fucking well there.”

“And yet here he is, wanting justice for Solange. If Alex is prepared to testify, what makes you think Ted isn’t, too?”

Mick looked at Alex, and Alex looked back, still implacable.

A confused expression creased Mick’s brow. “I thought he broke you into a million tiny pieces,” he said.

Alex shrugged. “That’s what I wanted him to think.”

Mick stared at him, and then his face broke into a grudging grin. “You always was a sly bastard.”

“I’m going after Tyler and I’m going to win,” Josiah rapped out. “If you don’t help me, then I’ll make damn sure you go down with him.”

“Who is this nutter, Alex?” Mick asked plaintively.

“He’s the indiehunter – you’ve probably seen him on the screen.”

“How do you feel about being someone’s IS again, Mick?” Josiah asked “Because that’s what’ll happen if you don’t help us.”

“The indiehunter?” Mick looked at him with a new respect. Despite his hatred of the soubriquet, Josiah had to admit it could be useful at times.

“Thought you only went after killer indies, not houders,” Mick sneered.

“I go after killers – period,” Josiah snapped. “And Tyler is definitely a killer. Will you make a statement, Mick? I can take you back to Inquisitus right now if you will.”

“And I’ll be in the clear? For throwing her body in the water and not reporting it?”

“Yes – I can arrange for you to receive immunity from prosecution for testifying against Tyler.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll arrest you. One way or another, you’re coming back to Inquisitus with me. Whether it’s as my prisoner or my witness is up to you.”

Mick glanced at Alex. “He sounds just like Tyler.”

Alex shrugged. “He’s not – but he’s just as dangerous, in his own way.”

“Which one of ’em would you back in a fight?” Mick demanded. “I wanna be on the winning side here, Alex, so tell me: which one of these bastards is gonna win? Tyler or the indiehunter?”

“It’ll be a bloodbath,” Alex replied, leaning in. “But my money’s on Joe. He loves a fight, and he’s never lost one yet.”

“Never saw Tyler lose, neither.” Mick sat back in his chair, studying them both.

“Solange was good to you, Mick,” Alex said softly.

“Yeah, but she wouldn’t expect me to die for her.”

“Is Tyler still paying you?” Josiah asked suddenly. Tyler was paying the rent on Ted’s shop, so it wasn’t an unreasonable question.

Mick shrugged. “He was – ’til I got into trouble with the law a while back, then it stopped.

I went to see him, and he laughed at me.

Said that since I had a criminal record, and I like a drink or two, nobody’d believe a word I say, and he was done paying me off.

Fucker.” He cleared his throat. “Tyler’s men follow me sometimes.

They always let me know they’re there – that’s the point.

It’s a warning. If I step outta line, he’ll give the order, and I’ll be gone.

One night, coming home from the pub, dead drunk – all they’d have to do is throw me in the water and hold me down.

I bet they wouldn’t send any fancy Inquisitus investigator in a posh suit to find out what happened to me. ”

“So, you’re still his indie, then.” Josiah gave an offhand shrug, catching the flash of fury in Mick’s eyes.

“You’re still doing his bidding, so you might as well still be wearing his ID.

You’ll never be free unless you testify, Mick.

I can guarantee your safety – we’ll keep you in a safe place until the trial. ”

Mick glanced at Alex again. “I liked her too, y’know,” he murmured.

“Sometimes, in my dreams, I see her lying on the floor, all that beautiful hair covered in blood, and I wake up screaming.” He reached for the can of drink he’d stashed beneath his chair, downed it in one go, and then stood up.

“C’mon then. I’m fucked either way, and I swore I’d never let Tyler fuck me over again, so it might as well be this bastard here. ” He glared at Josiah.

Alex gave Mick an impulsive hug, which Mick returned with surprising gusto. “Hope you’re right about him,” he muttered into Alex’s neck, still looking at Josiah. “Because if he goes down, he’ll take us all with him.”

Mick fell asleep in the back of the duck, head back, mouth open, snoring loudly. Alex kept shooting him little glances over his shoulder.

“Worried he won’t go through with it when we get there?” Josiah asked.

“Even if he does – look at him,” Alex said despairingly. “I might not be much of an investigator, but even I can see he’s hardly star witness material.”

“He’s a start.”

“You think you’ll be able to persuade someone else to testify?”

“Yup.”

Alex put a hand on his arm. “Who? I know you told Mick that Ted was going to testify, but he isn’t.”

“Isn’t he?” Josiah glanced at him.

“Shit.” Realisation dawned in Alex’s eyes, and he removed his hand as if stung. “If Ted doesn’t agree to testify, you’re going to try and strong-arm him into it, aren’t you? The way you just did with Mick.”

Braking sharply, Josiah swung the duck to a halt by the side of the road.

Then he turned to Alex. “Do you want justice for Solange or not?” he demanded.

“Ted is a witness, and he’s as guilty of getting rid of her body as Mick.

I hope he’ll step up and do the right thing if I give him some time, but if he doesn’t, then yes, I am prepared to arrest him.

So, the question is – do you have the stomach for that, or are you going to back out on me now that the going is getting tough? ”

Alex gazed at him guiltily. “I don’t want to ruin Ted’s life.”

“You knew this wouldn’t be easy.”

“Yes, but…” Alex looked down. “I didn’t think it would be this kind of hard.”

“So, what’s it to be?” Josiah demanded. “Solange or Ted? Tell me, Alex.”

“You’re a mean bastard,” Alex growled.

“Yeah, I know.” Josiah shrugged. “What’s your answer?”

“Solange,” Alex said quietly. “But if you arrest Ted, I’ll hate you as much as I hate myself.”

“Understood,” Josiah said grimly.

Josiah drove to a charity shop and bought Mick a set of clothes that were at least clean and covered up his huge belly.

Then they went to a café where he got enough food and black coffee down their witness to sober him up before he gave his statement.

Neither he nor Alex had eaten since breakfast, so they filled up, too.

Josiah glanced at his holopad for Reed’s latest update and saw that Esther had called him several times. Grimacing, he tucked the device away again; he wasn’t ready to face his boss yet.

It was dark by the time they returned to the duck, but Mick was at least walking in a straight line.

Reed looked up from his desk when they arrived at the SID, doing a double take when he saw Mick.

“Suspect?” he queried, jumping to his feet.

“Witness,” Josiah replied.

“To Dacre’s murder?” Reed looked astonished. “That’s fantastic. I was wondering why you wanted that information earlier, but I should know better than to doubt you by now, sir.”

Josiah gave an evasive smile. “You ready, Mick?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Mick looked like a very big fish out of water. He scuffed his shoes on the polished floor and cast a sideways look at Alex. “I can do this. I’m not scared of Tyler,” he said, looking precisely that.

“Tyler?” Reed queried. “Is he still a suspect?”

“It’s complicated,” Josiah sighed.

Reed grabbed Josiah’s arm and pulled him over to one side.

“I should warn you that the boss has been looking for you all day. She says you’ve been avoiding her calls.

I told her you were busy chasing down leads, but she wasn’t happy about not being kept in the loop.

I hope you’ll have something good to tell her when she finally catches up with you. ”

“I will,” Josiah said firmly, because the alternative didn’t bear thinking about. “Do you have anything to report? Any news on the woman who posted the gun?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Reed clicked on his holopad, and a holopic of a pretty woman with blonde hair materialised in front of them. “Meet Tara Henley. I tracked her down and interviewed her today. Watch this.”

“I remember posting the parcel,” Tara said. “I was being a bit of a good Samaritan. A man asked me to post something for him as he was in a rush and it was raining. It didn’t seem a big deal – I was going that way anyway. He asked very politely. I do hope I didn’t do the wrong thing.”

“Not at all. Can you give us a description of the man?” Reed asked her.

“He was a little taller than you, I’d say. Nothing else about him really stands out. He just looked… ordinary.”

“What colour was his hair?”

“I didn’t see it – like I said, it was raining, and he was wearing a hooded coat.”

“Any idea how old he was?”

Tara paused and then shrugged. “Between twenty and forty, maybe.”

“That narrows it down,” Josiah muttered dryly.

“I only saw him briefly, and he was wearing this big coat with a hood,” she repeated. “Sorry, I can’t remember more.”