the guy who’d been on the cigarette packet Aprilia.
“You’re in or you’re out, mate – now more than ever,” the Ducati rider was saying, pointing an accusing finger. His voice sounded tight but it was difficult to tell just how wound he was without being able to see his face.
“I’m in, Paxo, believe me!” Jamie protested. He was trying not to sound desperate and not quite succeeding. He flicked his eyes nervously in my direction and lowered the volume a touch. “I just can’t believe you’re still going ahead after what’s happened.”
“We’re too far along to back out now,” William said, his tone placid, almost lazy. “Life’s a risk. You either take it or you may as well just give up now.”
Life’s a risk. I remembered my defence of idiots like him to MacMillan and felt my anger climb. So it seemed that Slick had been road racing when he’d had his final crash, despite having a passenger on board. I got off the bike and yanked my helmet off, glaring at Jamie. He wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“Does it mean nothing to you that your mate Slick’s dead because of what you lot have been up to?” I demanded bitterly. “Not to mention the fact that Clare might still lose her legs?
“Now look—” Jamie began earnestly.
All I did was turn my head slightly in his direction. He shut up.
“When I spoke to Clare yesterday she reckoned they were deliberately brought down,” I went on, my attention back on William and the Ducati rider Jamie had called Paxo. “Who have you been annoying enough that they want you dead?” It was overly melodramatic, but I was aiming for shock value.
“We don’t know what you’re on about, Charlie,” William said evenly, but I hadn’t missed the little anxious glances they’d shared.
My patience didn’t so much run out then as it petered to a stop. I hadn’t expected to be taken into anyone’s confidence but being treated like I was stupid was always going to sting.
“OK,” I said wearily, shrugging. “Whatever.” I began to turn away towards the entrance.
“Hey Charlie, hold up there, will you?” Jamie called after me. I stopped and looked back. “Just give me ten minutes,” he said to Paxo, his tone close to pleading. “Wait here, yeah? I’ll be right back.”
Paxo cocked his head towards William. The big guy lifted one shoulder in lacklustre assent.
“Ten minutes,” Paxo warned, making a big show of checking his watch. “Then we’re out of here. With or without you.”
Jamie gave them an anxious nod and hurried after me.
“Funny how you never mentioned last night that you run with the same crowd as Slick,” I said as we walked into the hospital reception area.
“You never asked,” he said.
I eyed him for a moment. That much was true. But the very fact that he hadn’t volunteered the information as soon as I’d mentioned Slick’s name was suspicious in itself.
“I’m asking now,” I said. “Bit off your home ground, aren’t you?”
“William works for one of the ferry companies and they come over to Ireland a lot,” Jamie said after a moment’s pause. “That’s where I met them. They’re a fun bunch to ride with, that’s all.”
“Oh, a laugh a minute, by the looks of it,” I said. “So, what the hell was that all about?”
He shrugged like he was trying to shake off a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, nothing,” he said lightly.
“It didn’t look like nothing,” I said. “You want to end up like Slick? You carry on using the roads for a racetrack you’re heading the right way. It will catch up with you in the end – just like it did with Slick.”
Just for a moment there was a flicker across Jamie’s good-looking face.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Charlie,” he said, the smile belying the words. “Until you do, why don’t you keep your nose out of it, OK?”
It was
“You’re in or you’re out, mate – now more than ever,” the Ducati rider was saying, pointing an accusing finger. His voice sounded tight but it was difficult to tell just how wound he was without being able to see his face.
“I’m in, Paxo, believe me!” Jamie protested. He was trying not to sound desperate and not quite succeeding. He flicked his eyes nervously in my direction and lowered the volume a touch. “I just can’t believe you’re still going ahead after what’s happened.”
“We’re too far along to back out now,” William said, his tone placid, almost lazy. “Life’s a risk. You either take it or you may as well just give up now.”
Life’s a risk. I remembered my defence of idiots like him to MacMillan and felt my anger climb. So it seemed that Slick had been road racing when he’d had his final crash, despite having a passenger on board. I got off the bike and yanked my helmet off, glaring at Jamie. He wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“Does it mean nothing to you that your mate Slick’s dead because of what you lot have been up to?” I demanded bitterly. “Not to mention the fact that Clare might still lose her legs?
“Now look—” Jamie began earnestly.
All I did was turn my head slightly in his direction. He shut up.
“When I spoke to Clare yesterday she reckoned they were deliberately brought down,” I went on, my attention back on William and the Ducati rider Jamie had called Paxo. “Who have you been annoying enough that they want you dead?” It was overly melodramatic, but I was aiming for shock value.
“We don’t know what you’re on about, Charlie,” William said evenly, but I hadn’t missed the little anxious glances they’d shared.
My patience didn’t so much run out then as it petered to a stop. I hadn’t expected to be taken into anyone’s confidence but being treated like I was stupid was always going to sting.
“OK,” I said wearily, shrugging. “Whatever.” I began to turn away towards the entrance.
“Hey Charlie, hold up there, will you?” Jamie called after me. I stopped and looked back. “Just give me ten minutes,” he said to Paxo, his tone close to pleading. “Wait here, yeah? I’ll be right back.”
Paxo cocked his head towards William. The big guy lifted one shoulder in lacklustre assent.
“Ten minutes,” Paxo warned, making a big show of checking his watch. “Then we’re out of here. With or without you.”
Jamie gave them an anxious nod and hurried after me.
“Funny how you never mentioned last night that you run with the same crowd as Slick,” I said as we walked into the hospital reception area.
“You never asked,” he said.
I eyed him for a moment. That much was true. But the very fact that he hadn’t volunteered the information as soon as I’d mentioned Slick’s name was suspicious in itself.
“I’m asking now,” I said. “Bit off your home ground, aren’t you?”
“William works for one of the ferry companies and they come over to Ireland a lot,” Jamie said after a moment’s pause. “That’s where I met them. They’re a fun bunch to ride with, that’s all.”
“Oh, a laugh a minute, by the looks of it,” I said. “So, what the hell was that all about?”
He shrugged like he was trying to shake off a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, nothing,” he said lightly.
“It didn’t look like nothing,” I said. “You want to end up like Slick? You carry on using the roads for a racetrack you’re heading the right way. It will catch up with you in the end – just like it did with Slick.”
Just for a moment there was a flicker across Jamie’s good-looking face.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Charlie,” he said, the smile belying the words. “Until you do, why don’t you keep your nose out of it, OK?”
It was
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