‘And you think he knows what happened to Ruby,’ Cook said.
Burton nodded.
‘He’ll be back, sooner or later. Then I’ll have a word.’
‘I know where he is,’ Cook said.
92
‘We need to talk,’ Cook said, as the doorman stepped back into the doorway. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.
‘Tell the old man they were doing a good job of it – didn’t just dump me straight away,’ Cook continued.
‘He’s upstairs,’ the doorman said.
‘I’m not here for him,’ Cook said.
‘What’s he doing here?’ the doorman asked, looking suspiciously at Burton.
Cook realised they knew each other, after a fashion. Two adversaries who’d faced off across the busy road, hour after hour, day after day.
‘Same as me,’ Cook said. ‘Looking for Ruby.’
‘You saw her,’ Burton said, ‘after the bus was hit.’
The doorman looked up, into the stairwell. The powers that be.
‘Tell me,’ Cook said, ‘and that’ll be an end to it.’
‘She was running across the road,’ the doorman said, his shoulders slumping, his decision made. ‘Got into a shouting match with another guest. Nasty woman, always looking for a fight.’
‘She wasn’t on the bus?’ Cook asked.
The doorman shook his head.
‘She was back over my side of the road. Must have got hit. She was bleeding. I didn’t see much else.’ He pointed to the bandage over his eye.
‘Where did she go? Burton asked. ‘You must have seen something.’
The doorman shook his head.
‘I thought she was all right,’ he said. ‘I remember thinking she was taken care of.’
‘An ambulance?’ Burton guessed.
The doorman started to nod, then stopped.
‘A car,’ he said. ‘Had something written on it. Like where it would say police. I saw it drive off.’
‘Someone took her?’ Burton asked.
‘He didn’t take her,’ the doorman said. ‘He helped her.’
‘We need more,’ Burton said. ‘For God’s sake.’
The doorman shut his eye. Thought. Shook his head.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
