Dead Man's Gift 02 - Last Night Read Free Page A

scribbling down the details his phone rang. It was a blocked number, but he had a good idea who it would be. He excused himself and went into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.
    ‘Scope. Long time no speak,’ said T Rex. Hi voice sounded wheezy, as if it was something of an effort to talk.
    ‘I’ve got a job for you. And I need it done fast.’
    ‘The last time I did work for you, people ended up dead.’
    Scope was surprised T Rex knew about that, but then it wouldn’t have been too difficult to find out. He’d asked the hacker to find two different men, both of whom he’d later killed. ‘I don’t know anything about that. And no one’s going to die today. I just need you to ID someone for me. He’s a police officer called Frank, and he’s going to be based within a three-mile radius of Harlesden. He sounds middle-aged, and he’s likely to be reasonably senior. My guess is he’ll be plainclothes rather than uniform. Try DS rank and above and see what comes up.’
    ‘I’m good at what I do, Scope, but I’m not a miracle worker. How many coppers named Frank do you think work out of that stretch of north London? I’ll tell you. A lot. I need more than that. A lot more.’
    ‘He’s corrupt, so he may have been investigated before, and he’s also linked to a man called Phil Vermont, who’s some kind of petty criminal.’ Scope gave him Vermont’s address. ‘And this is urgent. I need results by 6 a.m. tomorrow at the absolute latest.’
    T Rex sighed loudly down the other end of the phone. ‘I can’t guarantee a thing, but I’ll do my best. And it’ll cost you, Scope. For something like this I’m going to need to charge three hundred an hour. More if things get risky.’
    ‘You know I’m good for it,’ Scope told him, hoping he wouldn’t insist on a down payment. ‘And if you get me the goods by six, I’ll throw in a grand in as bonus,’ he added, knowing that Tim would pay anything to get his son back and save his own skin.
    ‘Don’t take this as an insult, but I was hoping never to hear from you again.’
    ‘Sort this out for me and you won’t,’ said Scope, ending the call.
    Orla was sitting on the sofa, having already finished most of her wine, when Scope came back in. He finished his whisky in one gulp, wincing at the cheap burn as it rushed down his throat.
    ‘You look different,’ she said, staring at him. ‘Better.’
    ‘I was wearing make-up. I’ve taken it off.’
    ‘You don’t look the make-up-wearing sort.’
    ‘Appearances can be deceptive.’
    ‘So I see. Did you have any joy finding out who Frank is?’
    ‘Nothing yet.’ He yawned. ‘If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab a couple of hours’ sleep. It’s been a long day.’
    ‘I’ve only got the one bed, but you’re welcome to share it,’ she said with the kind of coy smile that probably worked wonders with most men between sixteen and sixty.
    Scope, however, wasn’t one of them. ‘No, thanks. I’ll take the sofa.’ He motioned towards where she was sitting. ‘When you’re ready, of course.’
    She stood up, a flash of anger in her blue eyes. ‘You don’t think I’m good enough for you? Is that it?’
    He faced her down. ‘On the evidence I’ve seen so far, no. I don’t.’
    ‘Arsehole,’ she said, stalking past him and slamming the door behind her.
    Scope lay down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for Orla, even though she’d behaved with total callousness towards Tim, and it seemed a few other men as well. She was clearly an intelligent woman, and from her accent it sounded like she’d come from a good home. It made him wonder when it had all gone wrong for her to end up in this sort of life, hanging out with lowlifes and hustling love-struck men twice her age. He wondered too when it had all gone wrong for his own daughter, Mary Ann, and how much he and his wife had been to blame.
    And then he stopped thinking about any of it because he knew it