Страница 35 из 80
Alex managed a weak smile. “Don’t worry about them,” she said, looking up at the ceiling. “They’re always at it. You should hear them when they make up.”
A
“ . . . Is when you’re making up. But we’re not breaking up. Michael and me, that is. At least I hope we’re not. I’m just a bit confused at the moment. And scared.”
“I’m not surprised,” said A
Alex gave her a suspicious glance. “I don’t know if I should be talking to you. You’re police, after all. He said . . .”
A
“No. Stay. Please.” Alex sucked on her lower lip as she thought, then she said, “OK. It’s not as if I’ve got anyone else I can talk to about it.”
“Oh, thanks a lot.”
“I didn’t mean . . .” Alex patted her chest and laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
A
Alex clasped her hands together and hung her head. “I don’t know where to start,” she said. “Well, I suppose I do. I mean, you already know the start, when you came to see me yesterday. I can hardly believe it was only that long ago.”
A
“That’s why you asked me about Michael’s blood type?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew all along it was the same, but you didn’t tell me?”
“I was going to. I almost came back to tell you last night, but I knew it would only worry you, and it’s not as if there was anything I could do about it. Besides, there was no need for it. It’s a blood type that belongs to thirty-five percent of the population.”
“That’s all right. I suppose I should thank you. As it was, I had a sleepless night anyway.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t seem surprised or overjoyed to hear that Michael is alive.”
Alex turned away, avoiding A
A
“He’s scared, I think. Worried about us. But he’s alive.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me that. He said it was for my own good.”
A
“He was ringing from a pay phone, I think. You can probably trace it through my mobile. I don’t know about those things. But it doesn’t matter. He won’t be there anymore.”
“Will you tell me the number, anyway?”
Alex fumbled with the mobile and showed it to A
“Of course.”
“For what it’s worth, you’re probably right, and he’s far away from there by now. Does he still have his car?”
“I don’t know. I suppose so. He can’t have much money left by now, though.”
A
Alex thought for a moment. “He doesn’t know much,” she said. “All he told me was that Morgan texted him and asked him for help on a job at the old hangar. Morgan was probably into all sorts of dodgy things Michael didn’t know about. Michael said he drove out there and saw something he shouldn’t have. Since then he’s been on the run. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s scared. Can’t you see?”
“Maybe that’s the case,” said A
“But I don’t know where he is! Can’t you believe me?” She held out her finger. “Do you see that?”
A
“I didn’t trap it in the door. A man came by last night. He pretended to be police. He even had an identity card, though I didn’t get a good look at it. He wanted to know where Michael is. He threatened me. Me and Ian. I shouldn’t even be talking to you now. He’s probably watching me. He’ll kill us. Both of us.”
A
“But he said he’d hurt Ian. He broke my finger and he said he’d hurt Ian. I didn’t tell him anything because I don’t know anything, but he still believes I do. Why won’t you believe me?”
“I do believe you,” said A
“As if I’d forget,” said Alex, and proceeded to describe her unwanted visitor to A
“If I introduce you to a police sketch artist,” she said, “do you think you could help him work on a likeness?” There were computer programs far more complex and accurate than the old Identikit format now, but A
“I think so,” Alex said. “But I have to go to work tomorrow.”
A
“He gave me a phone number.” Alex took the card out of her purse. “He said it would be untraceable, but I suppose you can try. You know about these things. Can you really find him?”
“We can do our best,” said A
Alex shook her head. “Just me. When he handed it to me. Then I put it away.”
“So he handled it?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“He wasn’t wearing gloves or anything?”
“No.”
“OK. That was stupid of him. Helpful to us, though.”
“I think he believed he’d scared me so much I wouldn’t dare talk to you. He was almost right, too.”
A