Screams in the Dark (17 page)

‘You are very lucky, Emir.’

‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘But when the light comes …’ His eyes grew dark. ‘Not so lucky.’

Rosie sat forward.

‘What happened?’

‘In the light, I can see things on the table. Blood and skin, I think. Not animal skin. Human skin. I saw like bits of the brain. Maybe animal brain, or human, I don’t
know. But it was brain, because my friend in Kosovo’s brother was a butcher. I saw before the brain of a sheep.’

Rosie felt a clutch in her stomach.

‘You see anything else, Emir?’

He nodded, swallowing. Then he shook his head, and fell silent.

‘What, Emir? What did you see?’

He took a deep breath. ‘In a corner, there is like a big bin. The cover is on it, but the bin is full. I was … er … curi? Curis?’ He screwed up his eyes. ‘I forget how you say the word.’

‘Curious.’ Rosie said.

‘Yes. Curious.’ He paused. ‘But I wish I didn’t look.’

‘Why? What did you see?’

Emir puffed his cheeks out.

‘Pieces,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Pieces from bodies. Human. For sure. A piece of a foot. Bones. But not of animals. Bones with no flesh – like the leg here.’ He pointed to his shin. ‘I saw one foot.’ He shook his head. ‘They are killing people and cutting them up in that place. My friend Jetmir. They took him there. I know I will never see him again.’ Tears came to his eyes. ‘Who are these people, Rosie, who do this? Why?’

They sat in silence, Rosie watching him weeping softly and wiping his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. She reached across and touched his hand, then held it tightly while he wept.

Eventually, he spoke. ‘Sorry, Rosie. I am so sad. Jetmir and me are so close friends since children. I miss him. I am so alone now and I am frightened.’

‘You’re not alone, Emir.’ Rosie said, feeling a catch in her throat. ‘I will help you. I promise you.’

He looked at her and then at the table.

‘So,’ he sighed. ‘I climb out of the window and I run and keep on running until I am far away from that place. I slept in a field and sometimes at night in an old building, and walk in the daytime back to the city.’

Rosie watched him as he stared into space. She knew she should phone Don immediately and ask him to come and get Emir and protect him. But right now that’s not what he needed. Right now, he needed some care, a bath and some sleep.

‘Come on, Emir. Let’s go and get your wound fixed up.’ Rosie stood up.

‘Where are we going?’

‘To my house,’ she said, knowing she was breaking every rule in the book. ‘We’ll deal with everything tomorrow. Come on. Let’s go.’

CHAPTER 17

It was after eleven by the time Tanya came through the revolving door of the Holiday Inn and outside onto the forecourt. She glanced across at the taxi rank, then up at the clear night sky, brightened by a new moon. She stood breathing in the warm night air, trying to shake off the images of the last hour in the third-floor hotel room. Another sleazy businessman in transit, with too much money and time on his hands, sampling the discreet delights the city had to offer if you dropped the concierge at the front desk a bung for his trouble. She put her hand inside her shoulder bag and touched the notes she’d stuffed there on her way from his bedroom to the lift. He’d paid her an extra twenty for being so understanding after he’d taken so long to get an erection that Tanya had just about given up on him. She decided to walk to the Merchant City rather than spend the money on a taxi. She was looking forward to a long hot shower.

It was only after she crossed George Square and headed towards Ingram Street that she started to feel a little
uneasy. No real reason for it – just a sensation of panicky edginess. She looked over her shoulder just in case anyone was following her, but there was nothing, only the odd car passing or stopped at the traffic lights – no different from any mid-week night when she might have been heading home. The streets grew quieter the further away she went from the city centre, then deserted, and more silent by the time she reached St Andrew’s Square. She quickened her step, wishing now she’d taken a cab. By the time she got to the front door of her apartment block, she was a little out of breath and cursed as she dropped her keys on the ground. She bent down to pick them up. Then her blood ran cold.

‘Tanya.’

It was Josef’s hand on her shoulder. She stood up slowly, shock running through her as she turned to face him.

‘Josef.’ Her throat felt tight. She braced herself for him to strike her.

‘Please, Tanya.’ He put his hand out to touch her hair and she flinched. ‘Please. Don’t be afraid.’

Tanya felt her knees shaking. She swallowed, and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

‘Please, Tanya,’ Josef touched her face gently. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.’

Tanya could smell the alcohol and cigarettes on his breath. She looked up at his face, unshaven, and his hair dishevelled. His eyes softened, and somewhere behind them, she thought she could see the man he once was when they first met in London in what now seemed like another life.

‘What do you want, Josef?’ she managed to say.

‘My Tanya.’ He whispered, shaking his head. ‘My beautiful Tanya.’ He stroked her face with the back of his fingers. ‘Please forgive me.’

‘How do you know where I live?’ She turned her head away from him.

‘I followed you.’

‘You followed me. Tonight?’

He nodded slowly, fixing her with his gaze.

‘Why? What do you want?’

‘Please Tanya. I want to say I’m sorry. To prove to you I’m changed.’ He stepped a little closer to her, almost pinning her back to the door.

‘You … you raped me.’ She felt trapped.

‘Please Tanya. Please forgive me. I have been in hell since that day. I want to die. I cannot live without you.’

She shook her head, sniffing.

‘No, Josef. It’s over.’

She watched as he started to cry. Tears rolling down his face.

‘Please, Tanya. Let me come in. Please. Just let me talk to you. That’s all. Just to talk. Don’t leave me out here.’

They stood for a moment, with only the sound of their own breathing. A couple strolled past them and into the apartment block next door.

‘Okay,’ Tanya looked at him coldly. ‘You can come in just to talk. But we are finished, Josef. You understand?’

He nodded.

She turned around, put the key into the lock with trembling fingers, then opened the door and went inside.
Josef followed her in, and they climbed the two storeys to her door.

Tanya put the kettle on, watching from the corner of her eye as Josef glanced around him.

‘Is a good place here, Tanya.’ He licked his lips. ‘Better than where we were.’ He looked at her. ‘I am still there, but not for long. Is too much money.’

‘Then you should find yourself a job, Josef. That’s what everyone else does.’

He sat down quietly, and Tanya could sense him watching her as she made coffee. She crossed from the small kitchen area and handed him a cup, sitting on the chair opposite him and lighting a cigarette. He reached over and took one from her packet without asking her.

‘You have a good job these days, Tanya.’ His expression was blank.

‘If you’ve been following me, then you know.’ She drew on her cigarette and inhaled deeply, shooting him a defiant look.

Her stomach was in knots. She’d made a mistake inviting him in. At least he was calm so far, but she knew he could flip at any minute. She desperately wanted to pour herself a vodka to settle her nerves, but she didn’t dare because she couldn’t risk giving him any more alcohol.

‘I know you are working again. I saw you go into the hotel tonight and come out later.’ He looked at the floor, then at Tanya. ‘You are with the escort agency again?’

She nodded, saying nothing. They sat in silence, the air heavy with tension.

‘You should go now, Josef,’ Tanya said. ‘I’m tired. I want to go to bed. I have to work in the office in the morning at eight.’

Josef said nothing, but he didn’t move. She got up and went into the kitchen.

‘Please, Josef. I think you should go. We have nothing to talk about. I want to be alone.’ She turned to face him.

Josef didn’t speak, but Tanya could see in his eyes the rising anger. Her legs felt weak. She leaned against the worktop for support. He got up and came towards her.

‘Tanya,’ he looked at the floor hesitantly, then at her. ‘I need some money. I have nothing. You can see that. Can you give me some money?’

Tanya shook her head. She saw his fists clench at his side.

‘Josef. I need my money.’ She lifted her bag, and rummaged inside it. ‘I can give you twenty pounds. But that is all. Then you must go.’ She brought out a twenty-pound note and held it out to him.

He looked at it and smirked.

‘Twenty pounds? You were in the hotel for over an hour. It must have been more than a blow job!’ He snorted.

‘Take it.’ She thrust the money at him. ‘Take it and go.’

In a flash, he grabbed her handbag. A menacing sneer broke over his face as Tanya reached for the bag, tried to wrest it from him. He jerked his hand back.

‘Give me my bag.’

‘Shut up!’ he said, his eyes blazing. He stuck his hand into the bag.

He pulled out a wad of notes and made a soft whistling noise.

‘You have been a busy little whore. Haven’t you.’

He caught hold of Tanya’s wrist and twisted it as she reached out and tried to snatch the money.

‘Stop it. You’re hurting me.’

Josef pushed her back against the sink, squeezing her wrist.

‘You’re going to break it, Josef. Let it go.’ Tanya pleaded.

He pushed the money into his pocket, and slapped her face hard. Tanya felt dizzy and her legs buckled a little. She leaned on the worktop for support as he slapped her again.

‘You tell me to go find a job. You think what you do is a job? Slut!’

Tanya felt her face burn and blood trickle from her mouth. She blinked, looking at the red rage in Josef’s eyes, and as she did so, her hand slid along the worktop to where she kept the knives. As he came towards her, ranting, she grabbed the knife and stabbed him on the shoulder.

‘Bitch!’ He caught her hand and twisted her arm until the knife dropped. He touched his shoulder where the knife had nicked him. Then he punched her hard on the face. She saw the room sway as she slumped to the floor.

*

Tanya didn’t know how long she’d been out, but when she came to she slowly lifted her head from the floor and saw that it was getting light outside. She rubbed her eyes as she began to focus, and saw that all the drawers
in the kitchen units were opened and their contents emptied on the floor. She crawled along the floor, her head pounding, her wrists stiff and swollen. Slowly she got to her feet and went to the sink, splashing water onto her face. She ran her mouth under the tap and spat out blood. She staggered to the living room and saw that all the cupboards were open. He must have ransacked everything looking for her money.

Suddenly her stomach dropped: the letter. She went back into the living room and quickly opened her bag. The money was gone. So was the suicide note to Frank Paton she’d taken from Tony Murphy’s desk.

‘Oh God, no!’ Tanya went into her bedroom and flopped onto the bed. She wept until she drifted off to sleep.

Later in the morning, she got stiffly out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. Her mobile phone was in her jacket pocket. She punched in the number and waited for the answer.

‘Rosie. It’s Tanya. Please, can you come here? I need to talk to you.’

*

Across the city Frank Paton was just walking into his office when the phone rang on his desk. He put down his briefcase and lifted the receiver, then walked around his desk and sat down.

‘Mr Frank Paton? Can I speak with Mr Frank Paton?’

The foreign accent had to be a refugee. Frank was irritated at having to take the call without knowing who it was and having their file in front of him. He looked at his watch. He was early. The temp secretary wasn’t due
in for another ten minutes. He would have to deal with it, whoever it was.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Frank Paton speaking. Who is this please?’

‘It is Josef. The husband of Tanya.’

Frank was surprised. Perhaps he was phoning to tell him Tanya was ill or something and wouldn’t be in. He hadn’t even noticed when he arrived if she was already upstairs in another area.

‘Oh, hello Josef. I don’t think Tanya’s in yet, if that’s who you’re looking for.’

‘No,’ Josef said. ‘I want talk with you, Mr Paton.’

‘Me? Okay. What’s the problem?’ There was no answer, though Frank could hear Josef breathing. Bewildered, he said, ‘Hello? Josef?’

‘I must see you,’ answered Josef now. ‘I have information. I have something you will want.’

‘What?’ Frank’s mind was thrown into confusion. ‘What do you mean Josef?’

Silence again, but for Josef’s heavy breathing, which made Frank uneasy. Then Josef spoke. ‘I have the letter. To you, from Murphy, the dead man. Your partner.’

The words exploded in Frank’s head and he jumped to his feet.

‘What are you talking about, Josef?’ Frank felt sick.

‘You know what I mean. He wrote letter to you before he kill himself. You want I read?’

Frank sat back down, his legs weak. Jesus Christ! He couldn’t speak. Josef broke the silence.

‘I read letter to you.’

Frank sat with his hand over his mouth as Josef read the letter in his fractured English, stumbling over some of the words. But the content was loud and clear.

‘Stop.’ Frank said. ‘Where did you get this letter?’

‘Where do you think?’ Josef was sarcastic.

‘Listen, you cunt. If you have something that has been stolen from this office you are in big trouble. I make one phone call and you’ll be in jail by lunch time.’ Frank’s face burned.

‘So you will call the cops? I don’t think so.’

The sneer in Josef’s voice put Frank into a blind rage and he gasped for breath. Slow down, he said to himself. Think clearly. He had to get this letter. Fucking Tony and his fucking guilty conscience.

‘What do you want?’ Frank’s tone was measured.