CHAPTER 22
The hit man drained the last of the whisky, putting down the glass with a thoughtful look in his eyes. The name Brogan had opened a particularly interesting door for him. He had not mentioned anything about his reason for being in Glasgow, preferring instead to continue the fabrication about being an old army mate. Had that washed with the man calling himself Dhesi? He doubted it. There had been something in the man's expression as they had discussed their mutual friend, as the Pakistani had insisted on calling Brogan, that implied friendship was in fact the last thing involved. And how could he forget the man's words, directed at him in that soft, suggestive tone of voice?
A lot of money might be made for anyone who was willing to assist in disposing of troublesome elements from their part of the city.
A steely glint had entered these dark eyes as he'd dropped that bombshell into the conversation. Did he know? Or was he simply guessing that he'd blown these three men away?
The pub was busy at this time of the evening, a crowd of customers around the bar, calling to one another in loud voices that competed with the football match being shown on the television, a Manchester derby. He'd thought it safe enough to mingle with the populace here, knowing so many would be crammed into the place to see the widescreen 'I'V. And so it had transpired. Nobody gave him a second glance as most eyes were fixed on the players.
It was, he had to admit, a cracking match: there were players of international standing whose skill commanded that sort of attention.
The hit man could not give it his full concentration, having an habitual tendency to glance around him, his gaze often straying towards the door, just in case.
Part of him wanted to get out of Glasgow and head back south but a sense of caution stopped him. He hadn't committed himself to anything more than an agreement to meet up again with the Pakistani. He'd been treated with respect, he thought, remembering the tray of coffee and cakes ordered in that upper room, the dignified way in which Dhesi had handed him his cup and saucer.
And that other chap, who called himself the Hundi, he'd been graciousness itself. They needed something from him and he had guessed what that might be. Also, he wanted to know what it was he was being offered. Money, certainly, but perhaps the security of a bigger organisation within this city that might provide him with a better way out.
They wanted Brogan, that was clear. But there was more to it than this. A subtle hint that another job might be in the offing. Elements, Dhesi had said. The man sitting in a corner of the pub, nursing his glass, was oblivious to the sudden roar from the punters around him as Manchester City scored a goal. His grey eyes narrowed in thought.
Licking his lips, he savoured the taste of whisky in his mouth.
There was money to be made, a lot of money. Well, perhaps he'd hang about and see what was on offer.
Marianne imagined that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck, hot and moist as she ran. The street was in total darkness, the slippery cobbles under her feet threatening to trip her up. If she could just make it to the corner where the amber light from a street lamp spilled onto the pavement, then she'd be safe.
Her chest hurt and she could hear the footsteps behind her, pounding along in a purposeful rhythm.
She could tell without looking around that her pursuer meant her harm. If she didn't escape, she knew she would be killed.
With one almighty effort, Marianne lunged forward towards the light then felt herself falling, falling, falling through space.
'No!' She sat up, heart thumping.
It had been a dream, only a dream.
Turning, she looked at the illuminated digits on the clock by her bedside. Almost three, the dead hour.
Marianne forced herself to take a few deep breaths. The chill night air crept across her skin making her shiver. With one movement she stripped off her nightdress, rolling the sweat-sodden garment into a ball and hurling it away from her. What did it mean? tier dreams had always been imbued with some meaning before, hadn't they? Some people were visionaries, their dreams prophetic of things to come. Doctor Brightman had told her as much in his lectures, hadn't he? She frowned, unable to recall everything that the psychologist had said. Maybe she had read that somewhere instead? That other dream was past now, the terror gone for good. But this? What was this dream trying to tell her?
Marianne threw back the damp covers and scrabbled in the darkness for her clothes. She had to get out of here, she thought, the rising panic making her breathless.
That figure in the street last night, had he been following her?
Just like Ken used to. She shivered suddenly, the memory of his shadowy footsteps, his obscene whispers as he walked behind her vivid in her mind.
And these wrong numbers on the telephone. Wasn't that proof that something bad was happening? They were coming for her, that was the significance of this latest dream, surely?
It was not until she had drawn the bedroom curtains against the night that she dared switch on the lamp beside her bed. No one must know that she had gone until she was well away. Nor must anyone know where she was going. She gave a rueful smile. Even she didn't know where that would be, yet. Silently the woman dressed, aware of every creak as her feet hit the wooden floor.
Everything seemed unnaturally loud at this early hour, as if the room was holding its breath, listening.
She reached under the bed and drew out a well-worn suitcase then stood up to open the single wardrobe that contained most of her clothes.
The first coathanger clanged against the metal rail, making her jump. It was imperative that she made as little noise as possible. The other tenants in this service flat might be light sleepers. She didn't know if that was the case but every nerve in her body cautioned her to take the utmost care. Slowly she drew her clothes off the hangers, folding them into the case with an expertise born of much practice. Soon the wardrobe was empty and she turned her attention to the chest of drawers. Ken had trained her well, demanding that she be fastidious in her habits so all of her other garments were already folded neatly and it was a matter of seconds to place them in the suitcase.
Marianne looked frantically around the room. What else must she take? Books, of course, and her laptop. And toilet stuff. She tiptoed into the adjacent bathroom, picking items off shelves and cramming them into a plastic carrier bag. They would go into the rucksack along with the books.
In less than an hour she was ready. Her hand was still trembling as she tapped out a number on her mobile phone.
'Taxi, please,' she said, her mind already focussing on her destination.
She gave the driver the name of a hotel. It was in a busy part of the city, close to a railway station with an ever present line of taxis, convenient for the next step in her escape. It would do for a few nights until she could find another place to stay, somewhere near the university, she hoped, though by this time in the summer lots of student accommodation would already be taken.
Once or twice the driver tried to engage her in conversation but she remained silent, head turned towards the window, watching as the city drew closer. Blue lights in the trees shimmered, caught like stars in a web of foliage as they drove through the night. Her head turned from one side to the other as they entered an underpass, its shape outlined in dazzling purple. Glasgow at night was a myriad of colours, the city fathers having brought brightness into the inky dark. Marianne smiled, thinking of the different bridges that spanned the river. At this time of night a traveller might see lines of red, blue and violet reflected across the water's surface.
The journey from the West End into the heart of the city took only minutes. But in that short time Marianne had regained some of the calm that had deserted her. The woman who alighted from the cab straightened her back, head held high as she took a deep breath of night air.
'Okay, miss?' the driver asked and she turned, seeing him take her bags and lead the way into the foyer of the hotel. She gave him a handful of silver, noticing the gap toothed grin as he made a mental count of her
