other?”
She looked at him, eyes narrowed behind a veil of smoke as if weighing him up. “You got any of that Scotch left?”
“Sure.” Nick held the bottle out and she crossed the room, all swaying hips beneath the long fur coat. She took a long swig and cast her eyes around the room again.
“Okay. I heard Ramona was dead. I wasn’t surprised; she’d been acting strange, kind of scared the last few days. I knew about her and this officer and she’d told me about this place.” Lucia gestured around the room with one hand. “Experience has taught me it’s better to be prepared, so I lifted her keys one day and got a set cut. Just in case.”
“How very convenient. Who else’s keys have you got?”
She smiled. “A few people’s. You never know when you might need a bolt hole, or a place to lift some valuables from. Like I said, experience is a wonderful teacher.”
Nick had a sudden thought, about his own apartment, but he kept quiet.
“After you scared the Brigadier off, I thought I’d swing by here for a look, to see if I could pick anything up. Guess I was too late.”
“I guess you were.”
“Now…” She came and stood in front of him, proffering the bottle. “How about you?”
“Someone hired me to look into Ramona’s death,” he lied. “The Brigadier told me about this place, so I thought I’d come take a look.”
“Someone?”
Nick handed the bottle back and shrugged. “A concerned party. I can’t tell you who – client confidentiality and all that – but I would say, perhaps, another acquaintance of hers.” Nick looked at her without guile and could tell she wasn’t swallowing it. Then he didn’t believe her either.
“And what have you found out?”
“Not much. Ramona was having an affair with the Brigadier. I don’t think he did it. Maybe another jealous lover?”
“Why did you tell the Brigadier to leave the club?”
Because I didn’t want him to get caught up in this. He has a family and a reputation to uphold.”
She gave a snort. “I see. That is very gallant. So why did you try and stop those men following him?”
Nick gave a shrug, “They didn’t look very nice.”
“Hmm!” She paced the room and crossed to the heavy wooden shutters that barred the window. “You know, Nick. I don’t think you’re being very honest with me at all.” She opened the shutter and gazed out into the night then turned to face him. “I don’t think you’re being honest at all.”
Nick heard the front door open again and he shot a look of alarm at Lucia, shooting to his feet. She didn’t move.
“I didn’t lock it,” she smiled.
Nick cursed and leapt for the door, her laughter ringing in his ears. He ran straight into the business end of a Luger pistol held by the blonde German man. The German shook a finger at him and pushed him back with the pistol.
“Going so soon? Have a seat,” he snarled, shoving Nick heavily back onto the bed.
Nick flicked his eyes from the gun barrel over to the window. If looks could kill, Lucia would already be on the floor and dying. She gave an apologetic shrug and turned to close the shutter.
“So, who is he?” the German asked, looking at Nick.
“We’ve been through all that. Just get him to tell us what he was doing here and what he knows. What he told me I don’t believe for a minute.” She glided across the
She looked at him, eyes narrowed behind a veil of smoke as if weighing him up. “You got any of that Scotch left?”
“Sure.” Nick held the bottle out and she crossed the room, all swaying hips beneath the long fur coat. She took a long swig and cast her eyes around the room again.
“Okay. I heard Ramona was dead. I wasn’t surprised; she’d been acting strange, kind of scared the last few days. I knew about her and this officer and she’d told me about this place.” Lucia gestured around the room with one hand. “Experience has taught me it’s better to be prepared, so I lifted her keys one day and got a set cut. Just in case.”
“How very convenient. Who else’s keys have you got?”
She smiled. “A few people’s. You never know when you might need a bolt hole, or a place to lift some valuables from. Like I said, experience is a wonderful teacher.”
Nick had a sudden thought, about his own apartment, but he kept quiet.
“After you scared the Brigadier off, I thought I’d swing by here for a look, to see if I could pick anything up. Guess I was too late.”
“I guess you were.”
“Now…” She came and stood in front of him, proffering the bottle. “How about you?”
“Someone hired me to look into Ramona’s death,” he lied. “The Brigadier told me about this place, so I thought I’d come take a look.”
“Someone?”
Nick handed the bottle back and shrugged. “A concerned party. I can’t tell you who – client confidentiality and all that – but I would say, perhaps, another acquaintance of hers.” Nick looked at her without guile and could tell she wasn’t swallowing it. Then he didn’t believe her either.
“And what have you found out?”
“Not much. Ramona was having an affair with the Brigadier. I don’t think he did it. Maybe another jealous lover?”
“Why did you tell the Brigadier to leave the club?”
Because I didn’t want him to get caught up in this. He has a family and a reputation to uphold.”
She gave a snort. “I see. That is very gallant. So why did you try and stop those men following him?”
Nick gave a shrug, “They didn’t look very nice.”
“Hmm!” She paced the room and crossed to the heavy wooden shutters that barred the window. “You know, Nick. I don’t think you’re being very honest with me at all.” She opened the shutter and gazed out into the night then turned to face him. “I don’t think you’re being honest at all.”
Nick heard the front door open again and he shot a look of alarm at Lucia, shooting to his feet. She didn’t move.
“I didn’t lock it,” she smiled.
Nick cursed and leapt for the door, her laughter ringing in his ears. He ran straight into the business end of a Luger pistol held by the blonde German man. The German shook a finger at him and pushed him back with the pistol.
“Going so soon? Have a seat,” he snarled, shoving Nick heavily back onto the bed.
Nick flicked his eyes from the gun barrel over to the window. If looks could kill, Lucia would already be on the floor and dying. She gave an apologetic shrug and turned to close the shutter.
“So, who is he?” the German asked, looking at Nick.
“We’ve been through all that. Just get him to tell us what he was doing here and what he knows. What he told me I don’t believe for a minute.” She glided across the
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