uniformed officers. Armstrong flicked the file open nonchalantly and looked at the girl’s picture.
‘She looks young in this picture. Vulnerable. I can see why men would react to her.’
‘What, you’re not a man?’
‘I try to keep the job separate.’
‘Good luck with that.’
The corner of Armstrong’s mouth twitched.
‘You heard of her room-mate, this Suzie Murray?’
‘Can’t say that it rings any bells. But I know the type.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘She’ll not be well disposed towards us.’
7
Cahill was late getting into the office. He walked past Logan’s room and raised a hand in greeting before going into his own room and closing the door. He took his jacket off and draped it over his seat, stood looking out of the window thinking that he should have stayed at home today.
Cahill glanced at a photograph on the shelf by his desk — him and Tom Hardy in uniform in the desert with their arms around one another.
He heard the door open and turned to see Logan come in wearing a pair of faded jeans and a navy blue shirt, open at the neck. Lately Logan had decided that he didn’t want to wear the CPO combats and polo shirt. It felt too much like a uniform. Cahill still wore his.
‘What’s up?’ Logan asked, seeing the fatigue in his friend’s face.
‘This thing in Denver…’
Logan sat on the couch.
‘Is it that soldier thing?’ Logan asked. ‘You and Tim Stark.’
‘We didn’t serve together.’
‘No, but you know what I mean. Army, Secret Service. Same thing, right?’
Cahill looked at the photograph again.
‘I know you, Alex. You’re pissed off at the attitude of the Feds and everyone else. You don’t like it when they give you the silent treatment. Just stirs you up even more.’
Logan smiled, knew that he was right about it.
‘You’re saying I’m a stubborn bastard who likes to pick a fight?’
‘I am.’
‘Tim’s got a family. You know what that’s like — making sure that they don’t come to any harm?’
Logan nodded. Knew all too well.
‘You think they’re in danger?’
‘Christ knows,’ Cahill said, standing. ‘But I’d hate to find out that anything had happened and I could have done something about it.’
‘You thinking of going over there?’
‘Yes.’
‘For how long? I mean, we’ve got contracts lined up here for the next six months.’
‘Tom can handle it. All the clients know him.’
‘This is for free?’
‘Of course. It’s for a friend.’
‘Well, if you feel that you need to do it, you should go.’
Cahill nodded, staring at Logan.
‘What?’ Logan asked.
‘Come with me.’
‘What do you need me for?’
‘Look, I know what I’m like. I fuck with people just to get a reaction. I only know one way of doing things and that’s to move forward. Pushing all the way.’
‘So?’
‘So, you’re different. You know the… softer stuff. How to talk. Negotiate. This isn’t the kind of operation I usually handle so I might be a little bit out of my depth.’
‘And I won’t be?’
‘Sometimes when you say that you’re a lawyer I can see people change. The way they react to you. They get careful with their words.’
‘Not the cops. Not usually.’
‘It’s a different world now. It’s run by the lawyers, not soldiers. That’s where the power lies.’
‘You’re saying people don’t fear violence or action so much as a sharpened pencil?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Me? I’d rather have a gun.’
‘What’s this about a gun?’ Tom Hardy asked as he came into the room.
‘They threatened me, Tom,’ Cahill said. ‘Scott Boston called last night and made it plain that it would not be good for me to keep asking questions about Tim.’
‘Scott doesn’t know you too well, does he?’
Cahill turned to Logan.
‘I’m going over there with or without you. Let me know your decision by the end of the day.’
He left the room without saying anything else. Logan looked at Hardy.
‘I think it would be a good idea if you went with him,’ Hardy told Logan. ‘He’s not good when he’s in this kind of mood. And it’s been a while since I’ve seen him like that.’
He walked to the door, pulling it open.
‘I don’t know,’ Logan said. ‘I mean, I’ve got Ellie and everything
…’
Hardy looked down and closed the door again.
‘This is where you repay some of that debt you’ve accumulated,’ he said. ‘This is how it works with us, you know?’
Logan knew. And both Hardy and Cahill had done more for him than he could ever do for them. More than he could ever possibly repay in kind.
‘I understand, Tom.’
‘I’m asking as a personal favour. Go with him and make sure he doesn’t kill anybody. Or, at least, anybody he doesn’t have to.’
8
Logan went to find Cahill to tell him that he would go to Denver with him. He wasn’t anywhere in the office. Logan walked to the reception desk.
‘Did Alex leave?’ he asked the woman there.
‘A couple of minutes ago,’ she told him.
‘Did he say where he was going?’
‘Said something about blowing off steam at the range.’
Logan said thanks and went to the elevator to go down to the underground car park. He was hoping to catch Cahill before he left for the CPO gun range at their building on the south side of the river — an old warehouse on Scotland Street.
Cahill’s car wasn’t in its usual spot so Logan got in his car and drove up the ramp to follow him.
