Take Two (A psychological thriller)

‘Faster, she must be ahead of us.’

Halpin accelerated but even in the heavy rain he could see the road ahead was clear. ‘Boss…’ he said. ‘It’s not here.’

‘She must have gone down a side street,’ said Richards. ‘Turn around. Let’s go back.’

‘Boss, if she did, we’ve lost her. She could be anywhere by now.’

‘If? What do you mean? You think I’m fucking making this up?’

‘I’m just saying, boss, I didn’t see her.’

‘You saw the Audi?’

‘I guess.’

‘You guess? You fucking guess? What the fuck are you saying? You think I’m making this up?’

‘Boss, look, I saw the car but I didn’t see who was driving. How could I, what with all this rain and all? And you’re starting to spook me carrying on like this.  She’s dead. She’s at the bottom of the North Sea.’

‘Unless you fucked me over.’

‘Fucked you over? What do you mean?’

‘How the fuck do I know that you did what I told you to do? Maybe you let her out. Maybe she paid you off. How else do you explain the fact she’s alive and well and driving around?’

‘Come on, boss, you only caught a glimpse of the driver as she went by. It could have been anyone.’

‘Yeah? And who was ringing my bell? Answer me that?’

Halpin said nothing.

‘Just drive around for a bit. Keep looking.’

‘Sure. Whatever you want, boss.’  Halpin turned left into a side street lined with parked cars and they scanned left and right, looking for a white Audi. Fifteen minutes later they were still looking.  Eventually Halpin looked at his watch pointedly.

‘Okay, let’s leave it,’ said Richards. ‘We’d better not keep The Mint waiting.’

CHAPTER 64

Richards shared a bottle of Cristal with The Mint as they sat in a window seat surveying the models, footballers wives and minor television stars who made up the female clientele of The Mayfair.  There were some stunning women decked out in all their finery, but all Richards could think about was Carolyn and her watery death.

A couple of times The Mint had asked him if there was something wrong but Richards had forced a smile and said everything was fine.  Halpin sat with them, nursing a tonic and water.  The reason for the meeting was simple enough.   The Mint was brokering a major cannabis shipment for an Irish consortium and they had come up four hundred grand short. If Richards was interested, The Mint could get him in. The downside was Richards would only have enough for two runs which would make it slightly riskier.

‘But it’s a good ‘un, Warwick,’ The Mint had said, patting his leg. ‘We’re talking about a training yacht that has been completely rebuilt, they could put a team of dogs on it and they’d come up with nothing. They could drill a hundred holes and come up empty. And most of the crew are kids from broken families.  It’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a sure thing for a long time.’

Richards had agreed and they’d sealed the deal with a second bottle of Cristal.

They had left the bar at eleven. Halpin left first to collect the car, then called Richards once he was outside.  Richards hugged The Mint, blew kisses at the two Eurasian girls who were sitting either side of him, and headed outside. There were two photographers standing on the pavement but they paid no attention to him as he climbed into the Lexus. It had finally stopped raining but the roads and pavements were still soaking wet.

Richards lit a cigar and they drove in silence for a while. ‘Let’s swing by her house, Mick,’ said Richards eventually.

‘Her house?’

‘In Notting Hill Gate.’

‘Castle’s house? Are you serious?’

‘I just want to know for sure.’

‘Boss, what if the cops are there? What if she’s been reported missing and we turn up? The cops aren’t stupid.’

Richards turned and looked at Halpin.  ‘Are you going to second guess every decision I make, is that what’s going to happen? Because I’m not standing for that.’

‘I’m just telling you what I think, boss.’

‘Yeah? Well, if I want to know what you think I’ll fucking well ask you. Until then you keep your mouth shut, okay?’

Halpin nodded. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘But do me a favour and put the address into the SatNav will you?  I don’t know my way around that part of London. It’s out of my price range.’

CHAPTER 65

The SatNav announced they were about to arrive at their destination. Richards and Halpin looked around but there was nothing to indicate it was anything other than a normal, peaceful evening in one of London’s most expensive residential areas. ‘Just drive by, nice and slow,’ said Richards. ‘Her place is on the left. There’s a Japanese cherry tree out front.’

Halpin nodded and edged the car forward.  Richards could feel his heart pounding and he took slow deep breaths. He knew he was being stupid. Carolyn Castle was dead. The house was empty.  It couldn’t possibly have been her driving the white Audi.  It was stress, nothing more.  He needed alcohol, that would help him relax. A few drinks at the club and he’d be okay. He needed some female company, ideally long-legged and large breasted, someone to take his mind off Carolyn.