“From the bathroom you can jump onto the roof of the store below.”
“Did Lena say that she’d seen some records of these shipments?”
Sergei looked frightened.
“Did she ever say that she’d seen a record of it in Lu’s house? Is that how she was making the notes?”
Sergei started to shake again.
Field walked to the window overlooking the street. A green Citroen sedan pulled up outside the cafe. He turned back to Sergei. “We did not give you our names, and you do not know who we were.”
Sergei nodded. He looked utterly wretched.
Field went into the bathroom, opened the window, and dropped down onto the flat roof. Caprisi came down behind him. He did not look at the American until they had clambered down to the street and walked clear.
Field stopped to light himself a cigarette. “So now you’re following me, too.”
“I don’t trust you on your own, polar bear.”
“Cut the polar bear crap,” Field said.
“You’re going down and I don’t want to see it.”
“Well then, close your eyes.” Caprisi was looking at him with concern, possibly even affection, but Field couldn’t tell which. He felt he’d lost the ability to distinguish between what was real and what was imagined. “I’m a grown man, Caprisi, and I’d be grateful if you could refrain from following me. I don’t want to shoot you by mistake.”
Caprisi’s eyes were steady, his face hardening. “I can’t force you to help yourself, Richard, but we had an understanding—that we needed to exercise extreme caution—and you’re breaking the rules.”
“Whose rules are they?”
“You’re supposed to be running the girl, remember? Using her for us. How long do you think you can go on flailing around like this before her owner discovers what is going on?”
“I’ve discovered there are no rules.”
“You’re behaving like this is a game.”
“I can assure you, it’s not a game to me.”
“You were the one who wanted to take him on, Field. We are trying to catch a killer, and in the process bring down the man who protects him.”
“I thought Macleod wanted to clean up the city.”
“Macleod knows what he is dealing with.”
Field sighed. “And so do we. A powerful Englishman. The most powerful in the city.”
Caprisi looked at him. “I hope that is what your mind is on, polar bear. I really do.”
“Charles Lewis?”
“It fits. It more than fits. Lena talked about a powerful English taipan. She finds out and makes notes about drug shipments that are being moved through one of his factories. Lu cleans up after him in order to keep the syndicate operating. It must be Lewis. It all points to him.”
“But . . .” Field’s brow furrowed. “I mean, he’s an arrogant bastard, and I know he likes to hurt women, but why would he risk everything?”
“Rich people don’t like to kill anyone?”
Field pictured the Chinese girl at the club, handcuffed and whimpering. Then he thought of Natasha and Lewis. “I’ve got to go.”
“Go where?”
“Just something I need to do.”
“I’ve said my piece, Field.”
“Yes, I heard it.”
Caprisi stared at him.
“You won’t follow me this time, will you?”
“Just make sure no one else does. They’re interested now.”
“What’s got them interested?”
“At a guess, the other girls. Ignatiev and Simonov. Lu must know we know about them. Perhaps the killer is beginning to get nervous. Perhaps, beneath his customary air of cool, Lewis is getting worried.”
Field looked at Caprisi for a few moments, then turned away.
Forty-two
The Sisters of Mercy Orphanage was situated halfway down Avenue Joffre, a solid, white building set back from the road behind a tall iron gate, which squeaked as Field opened it. He walked down two steps and through a colonnade of stone pillars to a cavernous entry hall, which was cool after the heat of the street. It smelled of damp, paint
