Hot Revenge Box Set 4

Chapter 22

Three hours later, it's been an instructive and productive afternoon.

I've followed Wonder Boy through half the neighbourhood including, to my satisfaction, four more of the addresses on my list. And all of those on my address list not visited are a good distance away, certainly more than walking distance.

So, I have my connection...

Legitimate businesses held under the sway of racketeers and crime barons, too scared to resist having their addresses used for whatever purposes their overlords choose… and that’s assuming they even know about it.

The pieces of the jigsaw are dropping nicely into place.

As evening falls, I’m still trailing Wonder Boy. He’s not called anywhere new for a while and seems to be headed for some specific destination. His swagger’s worn off and he’s walking more slowly.

How far’s he going?

I long since lost track of where I am, but I’ve set my mapping app to follow my progress. I’ll be able to both find my way back to my hotel and return here when I want to.

Abruptly, Wonder Boy vanishes into a doorway. It’s late for a store to be open so, as I approach, I assume it’s a bar or a restaurant. Instead, I find a public lavatory. Hanging back, I wait and watch.

A couple of minutes later, he re-emerges, the spring back in his step following his former path. Only a few doors down, he takes a left.

At first, in the failing light, I think he’s turned a corner. But instead, he’s turned in to what looks like the entrance lobby to private apartments. And unlike his previous calls, he doesn’t just barge in. Ringing the bell, he waits, and after half a minute, the door opens to admit him.

It’s almost dark now, so I find a shadow to lurk in and wait. Ten minutes later, Wonder Boy’s not reappeared.

There’s no concierge that I can see, simply a dark space beyond the entrance door. The ground floor is in darkness. On the next floor, a couple of apartments are occupied, silhouettes moving behind the windows, the blue shimmer of a TV.

On the fourth storey, balconied windows are brightly lit, at the front, and when I check around the corner, at the side too. Figures move in the light. I can’t make out the details, but several people are moving around inside, mostly male… But there’s another…

Is that a woman?

Then I see Wonder Boy, standing at the window, lighting up a cigarette.

Keeping to the shadows as much as I can, I make my way to the door. Someone’s taking their security seriously. The door is solid, well-constructed and the lock is a high-quality multi-action model. I could break in…

… but where does that get me?

… Inside a building that likely has similar locks on the inner doors and corridors. And I’d still not be able to see what was going on in the apartment.

Hmmm…

The apartment is four floors up, but each floor is balconied, front and sides. So long as I can avoid being seen…

Piece of cake…

A quick foray around the side of the building…

Enough street lighting for me to see what I’m doing, but out of view of the main road…

A trash bin and a drainpipe get me onto the first balcony level. From there it’s easy. The balconies are sturdy, steel bar and mesh fronts and it’s simple to clamber onto the side-rail… a brief balancing act as I reach… and I grab for the next level then haul myself up.

Still, it’s more of an effort than I expected. Several of the rails are hung with washing, draped with pots and windows boxes. Carefully, I negotiate my way around them, trying to disturb as little as possible.

This was easier when I was thirty…

… or forty…

Gotta give this stuff up…

But after a couple of minutes, I’m at the right level and I have merely to scramble around one apartment balcony to the next, and then again…

Why are they all in the dark?

Not just dark, but shuttered up, closed completely…

But I don’t have time to dwell on that. I’m at my destination. A balcony with glass-fronted terrace doors, standing open to the night air, with only a mosquito screen blocking my way.

Hugging the wall, a quick peek through the first window…

A bedroom… An unoccupied bedroom. A door on the far side is closed, light visible through the gap at floor level, and from beyond, the sound of voices…

The screen is the roller-shutter kind, clipped at the base from the inside, but inserting the point of my knife unclips it. Gripping the tag, I let it roll up slowly, trying to keep the squeak of the spring to a minimum, then suppress a curse as one of the night-biters Squees by my ear…

Moving silently, half an eye on the door, I step inside.

It’s a woman’s room: a large double bed, mirrored wardrobes, dresser: all expensive, high-quality. Now I’m inside, another exit is visible. Moving carefully to keep my footsteps silent on the tiled floor, I press an ear to door…

Nothing…

light spills

through, easing the handle,

darkness and silence. A quick glance back at the other door and I flick on

It’s huge. One wall is lined with shelves, another racked with hanger rails.

spilling over with bags and hats. The

the fuck needs so

have this

a magpie’s tumble of coloured bling. Earrings are scattered through the mess, all singles. I don’t see a matched pair. As I try to shut the drawer

try the next drawer. More

and mascaras, blushers and shadows, designer perfume and cheap scent,

woman needs

moving carefully, I back out. A quick search of the rest of the room reveals more of the same. Chock-full wardrobes. Jammed drawers. Wigs,

of nail varnish bottles stand in ranks on the dresser. The drawers are

What else?

tables… A pair of lamps. A plastic tumbler and a bottle

drawer: hairbrush. A bottle of paracetamol.

book. ‘Poisonous and Psychoactive

of

slide the

me. Something missing. I can’t put

What?

comparison with

Ah, yes…

single photograph. Not one. Not a picture on the wall. No personalisation of any

certainly female. And it’s a voice I recognise, gabbling away in

Juliana…

out to Eastern Europe. Ten years of crawling through the mud,

What does she want?

of slitting my

high ground. Jenny, who was standing beside you…

around the crap and bling she’s filled her

she wants? Or just what she uses to

photos. Nothing personal. Even a hotel room has a cheap

What’s going on here?

What’s in her head?

a similar age to my Jenny. Had a

All my fault…

Juliana’s taken a very different

To change her stars…

Mitch…

Sinking myself inside

…

Focus, Man…

life is full

couldn't give a shit about

What’s going on?

good with this

Wish Michael was here…

here long enough. Slipping out, I lower the mosquito mesh again, clip it back into place and make my

anything through the glass, apparently bragging about something. As he turns enough that I get a decent view of his face, his eyes are staring wide, pupils huge

Cocaine?

drug of choice around

of the others

vintage collection of rifles, mainly AK-47s and AK-74s so far as I can

I didn’t

I couldn’t take out this lot

Glock isn’t enough to

to kit

What else?

my position to get a different

Bingo!

Juliana…

sitting beside a man counting out cash, comparing it to

Wonder Boy’s takings?

tablet. Across the room, another man

not wanting to

Cash-Counting-Man nudges her, offering a bunch of notes. Her grin widens

her eyes keep flicking across the

Still playing her games…

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