“Like you wouldn’t believe. This makes me remember why I didn’t want to work in the city. Imagine having this all the time.”
“Some people thrive off it.” The final police van started to drive away. Alex watched it go. “You on shift again tomorrow?”
Ste nodded. “Then five days off. You?”
“Back in the day after tomorrow.” He had another rest day, one to spend at the festival, and then he and Abby were planning on another climb. “You want me to come in and help you with the paperwork?”
Ste shook his head. “Go home. Thanks for coming out. You definitely helped. I need to get myself down to the gym more. Bulk up a bit.”
Alex just laughed and headed on home, ready to get back into bed with Abby.
He wasthree streets away when he had the sense of someone behind him. Another half a street later and he turned into a garden that wasn’t fenced, just surrounded with laurels. Then he listened. Watched the leaves move with the shift of a person rather than a breeze. This was someone who wasn’t used to hiding and had no idea how to do it, which meant it wasn’t the same person who had followed Abby.
Alex had a good idea of who this was. He also had a good idea of the why. The festival was a good excuse for people to take a nosey at this small town that was growing in stature if not size. Which meant it was a good cover not just for the likes of Drew O’Malley and Heath Loneghan, but for those who usually needed the shadows to hide.
The figure was nearer, the sound of breathing audible.
Alex waited, remaining still, his heart beating normally. He’d done this many times before, waited for someone to pass so he could frighten them – all when he was a kid and always with Rayah or Jake or his brothers. It had stood him in good stead.
One footstep and a second told him where the person was. He counted to three and stepped out, the man who had been following him stopping abruptly and making a noise that sounded like a wounded animal.
For a second, Alex wondered where the nearest defibrillator was.
“Fuck! You scared the shit out of me!”
“You were following me. I’d like to know why.” He folded his arms, pretty confident that if a knife was on Kenny Gallagher’s person, it would’ve been in his hand now.
Kenny still didn’t have a T-shirt on, and given what the sweats were like, Alex figured he’d rushed out of bed like himself to get down to the fight.
“Not out here. Fuck, man. I’m wearing my missus’ trainers and I couldn’t grab a T-shirt quick enough. Can I meet you tomorrow… today? Shit, I need some sleep.” He pushed his hand through brown hair. “I need to get back home.”
“Yes. Where?”
“I’ll come to that house you’ve bought, the empty one. I can get in there with no one seeing. Say seven-thirty in the evening.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Kenny laughed. “Look, the people keeping an eye on Abby know where she is by now but they’re not going to touch her. We made it clear they needed to leave her alone.”
“How did you make it clear?”
“Ask your friend Drew. He only wears his halo when it suits him, you know.” Kenny grinned and a dimple emerged.
Alex shook his head. This he wasn’t getting into. “Who followed Abby? Was it one of Fletcher’s boys?” He mentioned the man he knew was Kenny’s boss, the sixty-year-old king of one of Manchester’s most powerful gangs.
Kenny laughed. “No. Tony Jones’ sent one of his boys to see if she knew where her sister was.”
“Why is Tony Jones interested in where Matilda is?”
Kenny shook his head. “Because Tilly’s a precious commodity. Her being hurt in any way, shape or form hurts me. A lot. And Tony Jones would like to hurt me. I’ll try to get to yours tomorrow. If I don’t turn up, don’t come looking. It means it wouldn’t be safe. Keep Abby away from her sister.”
“Tilly’s alive. And I want to keep it that way.” Kenny shivered. “If I don’t get home soon I swear my fucking nipples are going to freeze and drop off. We’re watching out for Amelia. You needn’t worry about her. And I’m sorry about the bar…”
Alex watched him start to walk off, heading back to the high street where he’d left his car, probably illegally.
He wanted to run after him, stop him from going, because although he now had enough knowledge to assume that Tilly was alive and well, and the reasons behind the break-ins and Abby being followed, he had another question.
Was Garrison, his boss, in the pocket of Alfie Fletcher?
