Ruby thought of Michael, how desperately she missed him. Thomas Knox was clearly a perilous man to mix with, essentially lawless and without scruple, the sort of person who would always live by his own rules and to hell with whatever society might say.
‘I think he’s dangerous,’ she said.
‘Maybe that’s what you need: someone exciting.’
This drew a nervous laugh from Ruby. She reckoned she had more than enough excitement in her life for the time being.
‘Do you think you’ll get in touch with him?’ asked Vi.
Ruby thought it over. Well, did she? Since Michael’s death she had felt a bleak, aching loneliness that was close to complete despair. She would wake in the night, thinking I will never love again. That’s it for me. He’s gone. There’s nothing left.
‘No,’ she said, finally.
But when she got home later that same day, she found that Knox had sent her another letter, assuring her of his best wishes and asking once again if they could meet.
57
Tito was taking a keen interest in the foreign family. They were Swedish, Finnish, something like that. Gabe didn’t give a shit. Gabe and Tito stood near the woman when she was at the checkout with her little girl; her English was faltering, barely enough to conduct the exchange of money for goods. But she smiled a lot, and kept up a steady stream of conversation with the little girl, saying ‘Agneta’ often.
That was the little girl’s name, then: Agneta.
The child looked up at Gabe and Tito, and smiled shyly. Tito smiled back. Gabe didn’t bother. He’d never felt less like smiling. He was sick and tired of all this wandering about the countryside, he hated it now. All he wanted was to go home. He thought of leaving Tito to it, but he couldn’t do that; Tito would take offence, and Gabe had realized that you didn’t ever, ever, want to offend Tito if you valued your life. Besides, he had no money for trains. However this situation developed, he was stuck with it.
They returned to their tent, but Tito’s eyes were on the blonde woman and little Agneta as they walked to the far side of the site and a beige camper van parked there; a tall young man with white-blonde hair greeted them, took the shopping from the woman, swept little Agneta up into his arms. They could hear her tinkling laughter from where they stood.
Gabe was confused now as well as bored. Tito’s entire attention seemed to be focused on the family, and this puzzled him. For two days Tito did little but squat at the mouth of their tent and watch the comings and goings of the two attractive adults and their daughter. Then, when the family folded the awning on their camper van and loaded their belongings, Tito hurriedly began packing, telling Gabe to get a move on, they were leaving.
‘What is it with those two? How come you’re watching them?’ asked Gabe as he loaded up the Jeep.
Tito didn’t deign to give him an answer.
Now Gabe was starting to feel apprehensive. He didn’t know what Tito was playing at, but he didn’t like the feel of this, not at all.
They followed the little family at a discreet distance as they left the camp site. The man – Lars, they had heard the woman call him on several occasions – drove fast, and Tito sped along to keep up. Eventually Lars pulled into the car park of a pub that offered bed and breakfast. Tito drove on past, parked the Jeep up at the side of the road.
‘Come on,’ he said, and hopped out.
Gabe followed him reluctantly into the pub, and they ordered beer and sandwiches. The couple were nowhere in sight. Tito beckoned Gabe to follow him, then they wandered over to the table where the visitor’s book was laid out for B &B patrons.
Lars-Birger Blomdahl was written there, and today’s date.
The family were upstairs, being shown to their room.
Tito returned to the bar, apparently satisfied. Gabe trailed him to a table in the bar and soon their sandwiches came. Gabe found he couldn’t eat. He felt apprehension gnawing at his guts. Something horrible was going on here. Something frightening.
58
Even as Ruby sat down for drinks in the American Bar at the Savoy with Thomas Knox, she was thinking I shouldn’t be here. When she had talked to Vi, she had been sure that she wasn’t going to get involved. Then had come the second letter. Uncertain, she had slept on her decision, and what she now thought was this: Knox could perhaps be useful to her and more specifically he could be useful to Kit. According to Rob, Knox’s hard men and Kit’s had always shown respect for each other, the two firms working side-by-side without any trouble. And if she could get Knox further onside then that could only be a good thing.
She could see that Kit was really up against it, struggling to come to terms with Michael’s death and running the business, let alone facing the Danieri threat. And now there was this Gabe character to contend with, fresh out of prison and with a history of violence. Even if Kit could cope with him, she had been appalled to learn that Gabe had waylaid Daisy.
‘Does he think he has a claim on Michael’s estate?’ she’d asked Kit when he filled in the blanks for her, telling her about his visit to Joe’s.
Kit told her what Joe had said, trying to calm her fears by adding that he was going to track the guy down and sort him out.
But that would only mean more trouble, at a time when they had troubles enough. Ruby hated all this. Running the business, her stores – that she could cope with; that was sanity. But for as long as she could remember, there had also been that other element in her life, edging around her like a black fog, seeping into her peace of mind. The shady London underworld had always been there – first with her brothers, Charlie and Joe, then with Michael, and now with Kit. That world frightened her; she had never sought it but she seemed unable to escape it. The most she could hope for was to hold it at bay.
She almost wished she hadn’t agreed to meet Knox. From a distance, what she had planned seemed manageable; but now, seeing him close-up, talking to him, she doubted her own ability to control this situation.
‘What?’ he asked, catching her staring at him.
‘Nothing.’ Ruby quickly looked away, sipped her wine. The bar was busy, the low background hum of conversation and clinking glasses soothing her jangling nerves. She was struck by the beauty of the place; she had never visited before and she was captivated by its Art Deco splendour, by its gold walls, floral gold-and-black seating and low black lacquered tables.
‘Ruby.’
Ruby turned her eyes back to his.
‘Relax, will you? I don’t bite.’
She thought he probably would bite, if the occasion called for it. His vivid blue eyes were very fierce in a tanned face that was not much given to smiling. Despite his neat appearance, his cleverly tailored grey suit, the crisp white shirt and striped tie, despite the brushed straight blond hair and the sweet whiff of expensive sandalwood aftershave, she felt an aura of brutal power seeping out of Thomas Knox’s pores, like mist coming off a mountain.
‘You like it here?’ he asked her.
‘It’s beautiful.’
‘Some very famous people have used this for a watering hole. Monet. Katherine Hepburn. Sinatra…’
‘Really.’
‘Yeah, really. You know, I knew Michael – Mike – ever since school. I was gutted over what happened to him,’ he said, his eyes holding hers.
Ruby swallowed hard. ‘So was I.’
‘It must have been a shock for you.’
‘It was.’
‘But life goes on.’
Ruby looked up at him challengingly. ‘Does it?’
‘Yeah, Ruby. It does.’
‘Even if you don’t want it to?’ she asked.
He almost smiled. ‘Even then.’
Ruby sat back and sipped her wine.
‘How’s your boy coping?’
‘Kit?’ Now I should lie, thought Ruby. Now I should tell him that everything’s fine, that Kit’s coping magnificently. ‘Not well,’ she said instead.
‘Oh? How’s that?’ He eyed her curiously.
‘He drank a lot after Michael’s death,’ she admitted.
‘I heard he’d upset the Danieri boys. That’s not a good idea.’
‘A misunderstanding,’ said Ruby.
He was staring at her, gauging her reactions. ‘I heard he could have done the hit on Tito. That the two of them fell out over a woman.’
Ruby’s face was blank. ‘I didn’t hear that.’
‘You didn’t? That’s odd. Everyone else did.’
‘He’s very vulnerable at the moment,’ said Ruby, choosing her words carefully.
‘You can say that again.’
‘You and Michael were closely associated, I hear,’ said Ruby, her eyes holding his. ‘I’m hoping you will continue that association, that level of cooperation, with Kit.’
Thomas sat back and there was that smile again, very brief. ‘So that’s it. You’re rallying the troops. In case he hits trouble.’
Ruby nodded. ‘He’s going to hit trouble. I can see that. The more people he has behind him, the better.’
‘He’s a sound man, they tell me. And I know Mike valued him very highly. You must be proud.’
‘Do you have children, Mr Knox?’
He shook his head.
‘Then you’ve no idea what it’s like. The fear for them – it never leaves you.’
He was silent for a moment. Then he said: ‘All right. I’ll keep an eye out for your boy.’
Ruby heaved a sigh of pure relief. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘But what do I get out of this deal?’ he asked.
‘What?’
‘You get my boys and me helping out if we can, that’s fine.’
‘Could you find Gabe Ward?’ said Ruby suddenly.
‘That toerag son of Mike’s? I heard he was in stir.’
‘He’s out. And it looks like he’s gunning for Kit. Kit’s been trying to trace him to an address, but so far no luck.’ Ruby took a breath. ‘He stopped my daughter when she was leaving the store the other night. It frightened her badly. I’m not happy about that.’
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ said Thomas. ‘But, Ruby, a deal’s a two-way thing.’
‘What deal did you have in mind?’ she asked.
The fierce eyes bored into hers. ‘You and me.’
Ruby stared back at him, unblinking. ‘You don’t even know me,’ she said, feeling her mouth turn dry, feeling her heart start to pound hard and fast.
‘I’ve been watching you for a long, long time,’ he said in reply.
That was disconcerting. He’d been watching her – where? When she was with Michael? Watching her, coveting her, like she was a Ming vase or something? She’d seen the way he’d stared at her at the funeral. She had felt his eyes on her that day, several times. The remembrance made her uncomfortable.
‘I’m not for sale, Mr Knox,’ she said.
‘Who said anything about that? We’re doing a deal here.’
This was what she’d been afraid of. Dip a toe into the waters these sharks inhabited, and pretty soon you were up to your neck and wondering how the hell that happened. She’d brushed up against all this before. Did she really want to do it again?
‘I’m afraid the sort of deal you have in mind is totally out of the question,’ she said coldly.
He sat back in his chair, studying her.
‘And if I find Gabe?’ he asked.
Ruby swallowed hard. ‘Then I’ll be very grateful,’ she said.
‘How grateful?’
Damn, what am I getting myself into here? she wondered. She was going to have to handle this very, very carefully. She had underestimated the ruthlessness of Thomas Knox, but if she handled the situation the way she handled any other business negotiation, then perhaps she could come through unscathed. And she was doing this for Kit, she reminded herself. It was worth stepping onto the edge, taking a risk, to do that – even if he didn’t appreciate it, even if he went on hating her. Even if that never changed, she still wanted to help him. He was her son.
Ruby drained her drink and stood up. She looked down at Knox.
‘Why don’t you find him first?’ she said. ‘Then we’ll talk about gratitude.’
‘I’ve seen him,’ said Ruby.
‘Who?’ said Vi at the other end of the phone. She wasn’t at her London place, but back at the ancestral pile in Oxfordshire. Aged Anthony, her husband, spent most of his time there; he had no interest in city life, whereas Vi was a good-time girl right down to her expensive Italian shoes.
‘Him. Thomas Knox.’
‘Oh! Tell me more,’ prompted Vi.
Ruby had not long returned from her meeting with Knox. Unable to settle, she’d given up any idea of going to bed and instead phoned Vi. Now, what to say?
‘He’s… scary,’ she said finally.
‘Who is that?’ demanded a querulous male voice – Anthony’s, she thought – in the background.
‘It’s Ruby. You remember?’ said Vi.
‘Oh.’
‘Memory like a sieve, poor old darling,’ said Vi into the phone. ‘Probably hasn’t a clue who you are. But never mind that, tell me more about this Knox person.’
‘He’s got this aura about him,’ said Ruby.
‘Like what?’
Ruby remembered those hard blue eyes staring into hers. ‘Like… power, I suppose.’
‘And he wants to get closer to you. How thrilling.’ Vi sighed. ‘Lucky girl.’
‘But I’m not sure I want to get closer to him,’ said Ruby. ‘On the other hand, he’s saying that he’ll look out for Kit, so… maybe I should play him along a little.’
‘That sounds risky. Kit’s all right, isn’t he?’
‘I wish I knew the answer to that. He’s into such dangerous things these days, plus he’s obsessed with finding out who killed Michael. I’m frightened he might churn up something beyond his control.’
‘He ought to just let it go.’
‘I’ve told him.’
‘What difference would knowing make? Michael will still be dead.’
‘I’ve told him that, too.’ But he’d never, ever listen to me.
‘He’ll drive himself crazy with this,’ said Vi.
‘Hm.’
‘So – are you planning to see this fabulous man again?’ asked Vi.
‘I don’t know,’ said Ruby. ‘I want to help Kit…’
‘But it might cost you,’ finished Vi.
‘And how is life in Oxfordshire?’ asked Ruby, desperate to change the subject.
‘Too dull for words. Anthony took me out on the boat. We went fishing on the lake yesterday, he was trying to catch carp and I was catching a cold. I now know more about boilies than I ever wished to.’
‘Boilies?’
‘Ground bait, darling. Apparently the carp love them. I thought I might expire with boredom.’
After Ruby said goodnight to Vi and put the phone down, she sat there wondering what she was getting herself into. To keep Kit protected, she might have to go against her better judgement and see Thomas Knox again. To keep Kit protected, she’d do it. For that, she’d do anything.