Second Shot

“Yesterday.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Simone open the rear door of the Range Rover and lift Ella onto her booster cushion on the backseat. “He showed up at the hotel.” I tried to remember the exact wording. Had Lucas actually said he’d spoken to Neagley? I scanned my memory. Maybe not, but he’d certainly given that impression.

Simone had finished buckling Ella into her seat now and I started walking towards the car. She had already climbed into the passenger seat as I did so, and I saw the brake lights flare as Lucas shifted the transmission out of park.

“Lucas said that when O’Halloran didn’t get back in touch with him after their meeting he’d tried to call him,” I said quickly, breaking into a jog. “I assumed you thought he was on the level or you wouldn’t have passed on the details.”

“Charlie, I didn’t pass on anything,” Neagley said, sounding anguished now. “I haven’t spoken to the guy. Not a word. I don’t know how he found your client, but it wasn’t through me.”

Suddenly, the Range Rover swung out of its parking space. I abandoned the call, slamming the phone shut as I slipped and slithered across the icy surface that separated me from my principals. I didn’t even have the breath to curse. I could only watch as the big car picked up speed away from me between the rows of other vehicles. I made a mental note of the plate, the call I was going to have to make to the police already formulating in my head.

At the end of the row, the Range Rover’s brake lights came on and I put on a burst of speed in the vain hope I might still catch them, skidding on the icy ground. A moment later, they had pulled away again and for a second it looked like Lucas was heading straight for the exit. Then he swung round in a big lazy semicircle and headed back down the next row, towards me. I cut through the line of cars and practically threw myself in front of him. As it was, he had to hit the brakes hard enough for Simone’s head to snap forwards in the passenger seat. She looked startled, with the first beginnings of annoyance on her features.

My gaze swapped across to Greg Lucas but the way the light reflected on the glass meant I couldn’t see his features clearly.

I waited a beat, then walked down the side of the car and snatched the rear door open, scrambling in through the gap. By the time Simone and Lucas looked round, I’d already half-launched myself between the front seats, fist clenched ready to strike at the man’s throat. I knew I could take out his voice box with my left hand and yank the gear lever back into neutral with my right before he had a chance to pick up enough speed for the resulting accident to do us any damage. He would make very little noise as he died, and Ella-seated directly behind him- wouldn’t see enough to traumatize her too badly. Simone I’d worry about later.

Then Lucas swiveled in his seat and smiled at me.

“Sorry, Charlie, I didn’t mean to scare ya,” he said, sounding almost genuinely penitent. “I was just coming around to pick you up there.”

I pushed myself back into my seat slowly, uncurling my stiffened fingers and taking a deep breath to dilute the adrenaline that was coursing through my system. I checked his face carefully. Was it my imagination, or did the smile not quite reach his eyes?

“Of course you were,” I said softly, letting the double answer play out. “I never thought you were doing anything different.”

Nine

I didn’t get the opportunity to tell Simone about my conversation with Frances Neagley before we arrived at our destination, by which time I felt it was already too late. The only good thing was that Ella had nodded off soon after our last rest stop and so I could give my full attention to our current situation.

Greg Lucas lived in a small town called North Conway in the White Mountains, about three hours north of Boston, and the contrast from the dark and serious city was marked. North Conway was picture-postcard pretty, for the most part, with clapboard houses painted a variety of pastel shades. Very few had garden fences separating them, adding to the friendly feel, like there was no need to keep out strangers. Like nothing bad could happen here.

Christmas fairy lights still decorated the shop fronts, even in early February. And there did seem to be a lot of shopping available, outlets mostly, boasting just about every famous name designer brand I’d ever heard of. When I remarked on this, Lucas smiled and explained there was no state sales tax in New Hampshire.

“This time of year, people come to North Conway mainly to ski, but when they’re done on the slopes there’s plenty for them to spend their dollars on,” he said, flashing a quick smile. “Keeps the wheels turning.”