‘By my desk,’ Leon said, straining under the load as they carried the policeman into the cabin.
Leon dumped Michael into a swivel chair. He used all his strength to straighten him up, then turned and spoke to Dave.
‘Make yourself scarce, son.’
‘You’re not gonna kill him are you?’ Dave asked, as he backed away.
‘I’m not the murderer in this room,’ Leon said angrily. ‘We’ll just be having a little talk. Take your lunch break and lock up the gates on your way out. I don’t want customers wandering in.’
Michael’s eye flickered open and he made a sudden lunge at Leon. The big man shoved him back into the seat, as Dave headed out.
‘That temper’s gonna wreck your life, Mike,’ Leon said, as he grabbed a handkerchief out of his trousers and threw it across the desktop.
Michael used it to mop the streaks of blood running out of his nose.
‘Seventeen grand, Leon.’
Leon smiled. ‘Remember during the Cold War, Mike? Remember mutually assured destruction?’
Michael looked bewildered, as he spat a mouthful of blood into the handkerchief.
‘The Russians and Americans had so many nukes pointing at each other that neither side dared use them. If the Yanks nuked the Russians, the Russians would nuke ’em back. It’s the same with you and me, Mike. We know too much about each other. If we start slinging mud and threatening each other with the law, it ends up with us both going down. So whatever scam you’re trying to pull with that car, I suggest you drop it.’
‘Charlotte could have died,’ Michael screamed. ‘She’s three years old.’
‘Don’t start that up again,’ Leon shouted, putting his hands on his head. ‘I don’t understand how you’ve got yourself worked into this state over the car, Michael. But whatever’s behind this, you’ve got to learn to control yourself. The last time you lost your cool like this, you ended up throwing Will Clarke off a rooftop. I don’t know how you’ve got the face to come in here trying to scam me after that. You’d be doing life if I hadn’t got Falco to deal with the witness statements.’
Mike waved his hand dismissively. ‘Falco wasn’t your personal property. That old fart’s taken more bribes than he’s had hot dinners.’
‘Not for you he wouldn’t have,’ Leon said. ‘Falco hates your guts.’
‘What happened to Will Clarke has got nothing to do with the car,’ Michael spat. ‘You ripped me off.’
Leon bunched his fist in Michael’s face. ‘You say one more word about that car and I swear I’m gonna knock every tooth out of your head. That BM was pristine and now it’s out of warranty. I want you out of here, Mike. Get in your little white nee-nah and don’t ever come back. And if you feel like sending any more of your police buddies over here, remember what I said: if you bring the law into this, you’ll be on the chopping block too.’
35. FALCO
12:46
‘Rewind it. I want to hear that bit again,’ John ordered.
Lauren twirled the jog/shuttle controller built into the keyboard and Leon Tarasov’s voice came out of the loudspeakers.
‘… trol yourself. The last time you lost your cool like this, you ended up throwing Will Clarke off a rooftop. I don’t know how you’ve got the face to come in here trying to scam me after that. You’d be doing life if I hadn’t got Falco to deal with the witness statements.’
‘Falco wasn’t your personal property. That old fart’s taken more bribes than he’s had hot dinners.’
‘Not for you he wouldn’t have … Falco hates your guts.’
‘What happened to Will Clarke has got nothing to do with the car … You ripped me off.’
Lauren hit the stop button. ‘I wish he’d admitted it, instead of saying about the car.’
John smiled. ‘Lauren, by the time you’ve been in this game as many years as me, you’ll have given up expecting it ever to be that simple. Leon’s accusation is still powerful evidence, and Michael did nothing to deny it.’
‘The name Falco sounds familiar,’ Kerry said. ‘I’m sure I’ve seen it on a document somewhere.’
John shrugged. ‘If you think you can remember something, go have a look in the files. I’ll ring and check with Millie.’
John grabbed a telephone, while Kerry dashed into the other room to rummage through the filing trolleys.
‘Millie,’ John said, when she answered. ‘What does the name Falco mean to you?’
‘Hang on, I’m still in the community centre,’ Millie