The Mallorcan Bookseller (The 3R International Series Book 1) Page 13

  She went quiet and he thought he might have offended her. Did he sound too over protective or even patronising? Christ, she was an experienced OCG cop who didn’t need him telling her to be careful.

  “Lori? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be patronising or over protective, I’m sure you had it covered.”

  “It’s okay Greg,” she said quietly, “I do know what they are like. My husband was a cop and he was murdered by an OCG back when our boys were just little kids.”

  He paused, “I’m so sorry,” said Greg.

  “Look, can your daughter drop you off at my apartment? I could do with some company tonight,” said Lori, adding softly, “just company.”

  “Yes of course, I’ll be about 5 minutes or so.”

  She told him the address and he asked Terri to head for the city and explained on the way.

  “Talk about putting your foot in it,” he said.

  “Dad, you didn’t know. Don’t beat yourself up. You had one drink with her and she isn’t necessarily going to blurt out her entire life story, but she clearly thinks enough about you to ask you to go and keep her company,” she winked at him as she spoke.

  “You are incorrigible Theresa Anderson,” he said, “I’m far too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a woman in need.”

  As she dropped him off at Lori’s apartment block, Terri leant across and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  “Love you Dad,” she said quietly.

  “Love you too my lovely girl,” said Greg.

  *****

  Lori let him in and stood for a moment. She had been crying. He held out his arms and she fell into them.

  “Thank you for coming,” said Lori. “I was fine when I got back here. I’d had a great evening. First with you and then Sam, who is really good fun, but I think it was being away from home for the last few weeks and then just thinking through what that thug Sargsyan had said to me. It brought it all back, about my husband I mean. It’s so long ago, but it’s like yesterday. They killed him outside our home.” She went quiet. “I just needed to have someone close by me tonight”.

  He slept alongside her, holding her gently in his arms. She had changed for bed and wore a white cotton summer nightdress and she looked wonderful. Her breathing was fast and uneven to start with. He stroked her hair and back of her neck and gradually he heard her breathing become more relaxed as she moved into a deep and relaxed sleep. It was hot in her room and there was no air conditioning either, so he had taken his shirt and trousers off before getting into bed with her, but Lori hadn’t reacted, presumably because it was warm and he hoped more so, because she trusted him. He thought about what had happened during the day. He had only been here for just over twenty four hours. He was making some good progress on the case and he had met two beautiful women. Anna, from thirty years ago and Lori today and here he was now in bed with one of them, albeit in a caring role. He smiled, ‘the very essence of an English gentleman’.

  Lori woke before he did and it took her a moment to remember what had happened and why Greg was in her bed. Then she smiled and looked at him. He hadn’t hesitated when she asked him to come, even knowing that it was because she was thinking of her husband and didn’t want to be alone. She felt better this morning. The grief came over her every now and then, but for most of the time, she could control the pain of what had happened. She had been a police officer too at the time, a patrol officer, as the shifts made it easier for her to look after their two boys who were six and eight then. Afterwards, she took time off to look after the children fulltime before she made the decision ten years ago to become a detective and to take on the OCGs that had murdered the father of her children.

  She was now held in high regard within her team and her reputation had helped secure this current secondment to the GEO, tasked with disrupting OCG activity across the Balearics.

  She slipped out of bed and went to the kitchen and made coffee, bringing it back in to the bedroom. She leant over Greg and kissed him on the lips, waking him.

  “Good morning Señor Chambers.”

  “Good morning Inspectora Garcia.”

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. “You were a perfect English gentleman”.

  He just squeezed her hand and smiled. Now was not the time to pull her back into bed and make love to her. That was what he wanted to do, but it wasn’t perhaps what a ‘perfect English gentleman’ would do.

  “Why are you smiling?” said Lori.

  “I’m thinking about what someone, who wasn’t a ‘perfect English gentleman’ would do,” said Greg.

  She looked at him coyly.

  “Señor Chambers, I am shocked that you would think of taking advantage of a woman.”

  “But Lori, I was only thinking about what that other person would do. Remember, I am a perfect English gentleman,” said Greg, smiling, as he leaned up, took hold of her hands and kissed her gently on the lips.

  She didn’t know if she was pleased or disappointed that he didn’t do or say anything more after kissing her. She thought for a moment and decided she was pleased. She didn’t want to rush into anything, but she got the feeling he liked her as much as she liked him. She hadn’t really had anything she could call a relationship since her husband had died, despite her boys telling her to get back on the dating trail, so why was this different? She pulled away from him, slowly letting go of his hands.

  “Okay, I’ll shower first and then make some breakfast. Then we must work,” said Lori.

  “Yes, Inspectora!” He grinned. “I think we’re going to have a busy day”.

  ELEVEN

  Sonny looked at the latest data to come in from Intertech. There were some good options, particularly around the south and east of the City.

  He picked two and passed them across the table to Arman.

  “Get these looked at and come back with a recommendation. If the police are getting a bit too interested, then we should give them something else to think about.”

  “Okay boss,” said Arman and paused.

  “What’s up?” said Sonny.

  “I’m just thinking Boss, after last night and that Garcia woman, are you sure it’s a good idea to hit another place? Wouldn’t it be better to let things die down a bit?”

  Sonny looked at Arman, who immediately regretted offering his advice. Sonny was a dangerous man to cross, but he had only been trying to help.

  “Thank you Arman, but if I want your advice, I will ask for it,” said Sonny.

  As he admonished him, Sonny was reflecting that perhaps killing the MacDonald woman had not been one of his best decisions. It wasn’t the fact that he had killed her. He had seen and been a part of too much killing in his life to be bothered about taking another life, but it was now causing him an unnecessary distraction.

  Two things were niggling him. The first was Sergei. He had never known him to pull him up in front of the rest of the team before. That was embarrassing, but also a concern. As much of a friend as Sergei was, even though he was his boss, he knew Sergei was completely ruthless when it came to running his organisation. He had taken out one of his cousins only a month or so ago, when he suspected the cousin was skimming a little too much off the bottom line. So despite them being so close for twenty or more years, he knew Sergei wouldn’t hesitate, well true, he might hesitate, but not for long, in deciding to replace Sonny and ‘replace’ in his world was pretty permanent.

  The second thing was the police. That Garcia woman from the GEO, the one who was looking at the MacDonald murder. One of his informants in the local police was saying she was like a dog with a bone and after meeting her last night, it looked like she wasn’t going to let go quickly. He looked back at Arman, he saw him flinch perhaps expecting a backlash from Sonny, ‘but maybe,’ thought Sonny, ‘maybe, he has a point.’

  “On reflection my friend, you may have a point, so thank you for your advice. Still check out those two targets, but we’ll make a decision when we see how things are going,” said Sonny.
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  Arman flushed with pride. For Sonny to come back to him and thank him was a big deal. He still needed to mind his step, Sonny could call you his friend and still either kill you or give you a hug and a bonus. He was working hard to move himself up the organisation and if Sonny was willing to backtrack on what he had originally said to him, then he may have done himself some good in going up in Sonny’s estimation.

  “Thanks Boss, just trying to help”, but by this time Sonny was already walking out the door, leaving Arman to wipe a small bead of perspiration away from his forehead that he felt appearing when Sonny first ‘thanked’ him.

  Sonny had gone to find Alex and he found him looking over the deployments for the evening, now that he was one man down.

  “I need you to find out why we have a London cop on the island working with Garcia,” said Sonny.

  “Okay Boss. It was Sam Martínez wasn’t it? Maybe he’s half Spanish and back to see his family or something?” said Alex.

  “That’s a fair point, but why the hell is he then going around nightclubs with Garcia? Did he look like her boyfriend? It looked more to me like they were putting on a show with the doorman, as though they were looking for something or someone,” said Sonny.

  “I don’t know Boss, but I’ll get on it,” said Alex.

  “Find me later Alex. This is important,” said Sonny.

  Alex knew his boss well enough to know that urgent meant urgent and he would need answers by later today.

  *****

  They were sitting at the breakfast table.

  “I think it’s time I went home Anna,” said Bill Patterson, “before I outstay my welcome.”

  “Don’t be silly Bill, you’ll never do that, but I do understand. It’s always nice to be in our own place and our own bed,” said Anna, “but I think we should check with Sam and the police first don’t you?”

  Sam walked into the room saying, “Check with Sam about what?”

  “Whether you will release me on bail and let me go home officer?” said Bill.

  “Well you have been on good behaviour, so I suppose that counts for something,” said Sam, joining in the spirit of the conversation, before adding, “I was thinking a week to be on the safe side Bill. I know nothing further has happened in the last few days, but we shook a couple of cages last night, me and DI Garcia and so I’d rather you didn’t go home today. Is that okay?”

  “Shook some cages huh? Did you get anywhere? And before you answer, yes, I’ll stay, I just don’t want to be a burden,” said Bill.

  Anna sensed he probably didn’t want to go home just yet anyway, so smoothed things over saying, “Well that’s good, because I’ve already got tonight’s dinner sorted. Now what exactly do you mean, you ‘shook some cages’ Sam? I hope that doesn’t mean you were doing anything dangerous?”

  Sam looked at his mother and shook his head. It still slightly exasperated him that she looked upon him as a young boy and not an experienced London major crime cop used to tackling organised crime gangs, but he smiled.

  “I know, I’m just an interfering mother who worries too much,” said Anna.

  He gave her a hug.

  “No, it’s nice to have someone worry about me, but please don’t worry too much, okay?” said Sam. “But to answer your question, I was out last night with DI Garcia and we think we got somewhere in identifying at least the group who may be responsible for Sheila’s murder and so they may be tied up somehow with the people who scammed you Bill.”

  “Well that’s bloody good progress in just a few days,” said Bill.

  “Yes, it is and Mum, we have Greg to thank for two very significant finds, including one by his daughter. Did you know he had a daughter?”

  “No, but then again it was a long time ago Sam. So go on, what are you looking at?”

  “Well it seems that Sheila was also a victim of an Intertech scam, so that’s why it’s still a good idea you remain here Bill, just for a few days more,” said Sam.

  “Well I certainly won’t argue with that point,” said Bill.

  “And then Greg’s daughter has managed to find an image of the guy who stole the van that was involved in the burglary. Now obviously guys, this is confidential and we can’t go spreading this around, but it helps make the point as to why you should continue to stay here Bill,” said Sam.

  Anna took it all in. Greg had only been on the island a day or so and had managed to get two great breaks for the police. She knew he would be good when she recruited him and it looked like he hadn’t lost any of his old skills.

  *****

  Just at that moment, Greg was finishing off breakfast with Lori. They hadn’t stopped talking since they had woken up. He felt good, really good and better than he had for a long time if he was honest. It was all right working your butt off 24/7 but what was the point if you didn’t have anyone to share it with. Yes, he had Terri, but he didn’t want to be an anchor around her neck as she should be out finding herself someone too. She kept her love life close to her chest, so he had no idea if she was seeing anyone, but he did worry he was asking too much of her and that she might be missing out if she was too engrossed in 3R and not looking after herself.

  He suggested to Lori that it may be more appropriate if she went into work and he met up with her later. She agreed, in part she said, because she thought she might not be able to stop smiling and people might get a bit suspicious.

  “So are you a grumpy boss then?” he teased.

  “No, but I work with a team of very good detectives and one of them will surely spot something and make two plus two equal five, when we haven’t got past three,” she paused and whispered in his ear, “yet,” and then kissed his cheek.

  “Okay, I like your thinking. In the meantime, can the MacDonalds get back into their villa this morning?” said Greg.

  “Yes, of course.” She had just checked her emails and there was one there from her CSI, the crime scene investigator. “They’ve got some prints, but because there’s nothing around the point of entries, she thinks the offenders wiped it clean and so they are probably either Señora MacDonald’s or her husband’s,” said Lori.

  “Well good news anyway that they can get back into their place. Hopefully that might settle John. He’s very wound up at the moment. Only to be expected I know, but I don’t want him stressing too much as his heart is a bit dodgy at the best of times. I’m also going to have a catch up with your other man, the ‘younger’ one,” said Greg.

  “Oh good. Give him my love,” she teased him back. “Now come on, let’s go before I’m late,” and she picked up her keys, grabbed her sunglasses and headed out of the apartment and into the bright morning sunshine.

  *****

  Greg checked his watch. It was just past 8.00, so he rang Terri.

  “Hi Dad, everything okay?”

  “Yes, Lori just needed company and yes, before you ask, I do like her and we’re going for dinner tonight,” said Greg.

  “Good plan. A lady likes to be wooed. So what’s the plan for today? Shall I pick you up to grab a change of clothes?” said Terri.

  “Please. I’ll be at the junction by the police HQ,” said Greg.

  “Ten minutes, depending on traffic.”

  She took seven and he jumped in the Merc and they talked as she re-joined the morning commuter traffic going out of the city. She filled him in on a couple of key jobs, the one in Egypt she had left to come and help him in Mallorca and another one in London. “I’ve got some calls to make to check these are going okay, but otherwise I’m free for whatever you need me for,” she said, before branching off right into Portixol and then leaving the car outside her appartment in a free parking space zone.

  “If that’s Tommy doing the job in London, can you get him out as soon as you can? I think we’re going to need some back up,” said Greg.

  “I’ll get it sorted. We’re almost done with the London thing, so he can bring Simon as well.” They carried on talking as they walked into her apartment.
“You mentioned to the MacDonalds about seeing them at the villa today? What time are you thinking?”

  “They can get in this morning. Can you ring Chris whilst I’m in the shower? Tell him we’ll be across to update them, probably sometime this afternoon. I want to try to do lunch with Anna today if I can. She was a big part of me getting into the Service, so I want to make time for her for a catch up,” said Greg.

  “I’m on it,” said Terri.

  *****

  Jaz Kaur boarded the 08.50 British Airways flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mumbai and turned left as she boarded and took her seat in Business Class on the Boeing 787, before settling down with a glass of champagne. It took just under ten hours to get to London Heathrow, where she would then spend a couple of hours in the Airport stores and the BA Lounge before her next flight on to Palma.