aware of every sound in the night air: the metallic creaking of the two engines as they cooled, the Geiger-counter clicks of the crickets on the hillside and the far-off rumble of a minibus heading* towards Sai Kung. Mickey looked up at Hastings, his eyes bright and inquisitive.
'Trousers,' said Hastings, squinting into the lights.
He heard the driver's door open and first one foot then another step on to the gravel. The door clunked shut, the sound echoing off the hillside.
'Who is it?' Hastings called. 'What do you want?'
Mickey took two paces forward, his hackles up. Whoever it was remained silent. Hastings put up a hand, trying to block out the blinding headlights.
'That's no way to greet an old friend, is it now, Hutch?' The voice was gruff, almost hoarse, the accent pure Geordie.
Hutch stiffened at the use of his real name. It had been a long time since anyone had used it. He screwed up his eyes, but he still couldn't see who it was.
The visitor walked to stand in front of the car, between the headlights. 'You don't look bad for a man who's been dead for seven years,' he said.
The man chuckled and it was the sound of rustling leaves, an ironic, bitter laugh devoid of amusement. He walked forward. As THE SOLITARY MAN 41 he got closer, Hutch could just about make out the man's features: he had grey hair, slicked back from his forehead and curly at the ends, thin lips, a nose that was slightly crooked. It was the man who'd been staring at him in the stadium. Billy Winter.
'What do you want, Billy?' he asked.
'Brandy and Coke would be nice.' Winter extended his hand, but Hutch ignored it.
Mickey and Minnie both took a step forward, their teeth bared in silent snarls. Hutch stroked the back of Mickey's neck. 'Trousers,' he said, his eyes fixed on Winter. 'How did you find me?'
'It wasn't hard.' Winter kept his hand out and eventually Hutch shook it. 'That's better,' said Winter. 'Can we go inside? It's like a sauna here.' He took a large white handkerchief from the top pocket of his jacket and wiped his forehead. 'And what's this business about trousers?'
'They're trained to obey key words,' said Hutch. 'That way no one else can give them instructions.'
'Yeah?' said Winter. He looked at the dogs. 'Sit,' he said. The dogs stared at him. 'What makes them sit?' Winter asked. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth as if he feared being overheard.
'Blue,' said Hutch. Both animals sat obediently.
Winter raised an eyebrow, impressed. 'Trained to kill, are they?'
'Do you want me to say the word?'
Winter grinned but didn't reply. He started walking towards the house.
'How did you find me, Billy?' Hutch asked.
'All in good time, old lad.'
Hutch hesitated for a moment, then he followed Winter. The front door had two security locks and Winter stood to the side 'I while Hutch opened them.
'Takes you back, doesn't it?' said Winter. 'All the locks. There's something about the rattle of keys, still gives me the willies, even now.'
'Yeah? I never give it much thought.' He pushed open the door and let Winter walk in first.
Winter frowned as he heard a rapid beeping noise. 'What's that?' he asked.
'Security system,' said Hutch. He walked over to a console on the wall by the kitchen door and tapped in a four-digit code. The beeping stopped. Mickey and Minnie stood at the threshold waiting for permission to enter. Hutch waved them through and they trotted obediently into the hallway. 'Through there,' Hutch told Winter and indicated the door to the sitting-room.
As Winter sat down on a long brown leather sofa, Hutch went over to a rattan drinks cabinet. 'No Coke,' he said.
'Brandy and ice'll be just fine,' said Winter, adjusting the creases on his slacks. He looked around the room. 'Nice place,' he said amicably. 'You wouldn't know you were in Hong Kong, would you? It's a little piece of England, isn't it?' He patted the arms of the chair with the palms of his hand. 'I must admit I was surprised to discover that a man
'Trousers,' said Hastings, squinting into the lights.
He heard the driver's door open and first one foot then another step on to the gravel. The door clunked shut, the sound echoing off the hillside.
'Who is it?' Hastings called. 'What do you want?'
Mickey took two paces forward, his hackles up. Whoever it was remained silent. Hastings put up a hand, trying to block out the blinding headlights.
'That's no way to greet an old friend, is it now, Hutch?' The voice was gruff, almost hoarse, the accent pure Geordie.
Hutch stiffened at the use of his real name. It had been a long time since anyone had used it. He screwed up his eyes, but he still couldn't see who it was.
The visitor walked to stand in front of the car, between the headlights. 'You don't look bad for a man who's been dead for seven years,' he said.
The man chuckled and it was the sound of rustling leaves, an ironic, bitter laugh devoid of amusement. He walked forward. As THE SOLITARY MAN 41 he got closer, Hutch could just about make out the man's features: he had grey hair, slicked back from his forehead and curly at the ends, thin lips, a nose that was slightly crooked. It was the man who'd been staring at him in the stadium. Billy Winter.
'What do you want, Billy?' he asked.
'Brandy and Coke would be nice.' Winter extended his hand, but Hutch ignored it.
Mickey and Minnie both took a step forward, their teeth bared in silent snarls. Hutch stroked the back of Mickey's neck. 'Trousers,' he said, his eyes fixed on Winter. 'How did you find me?'
'It wasn't hard.' Winter kept his hand out and eventually Hutch shook it. 'That's better,' said Winter. 'Can we go inside? It's like a sauna here.' He took a large white handkerchief from the top pocket of his jacket and wiped his forehead. 'And what's this business about trousers?'
'They're trained to obey key words,' said Hutch. 'That way no one else can give them instructions.'
'Yeah?' said Winter. He looked at the dogs. 'Sit,' he said. The dogs stared at him. 'What makes them sit?' Winter asked. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth as if he feared being overheard.
'Blue,' said Hutch. Both animals sat obediently.
Winter raised an eyebrow, impressed. 'Trained to kill, are they?'
'Do you want me to say the word?'
Winter grinned but didn't reply. He started walking towards the house.
'How did you find me, Billy?' Hutch asked.
'All in good time, old lad.'
Hutch hesitated for a moment, then he followed Winter. The front door had two security locks and Winter stood to the side 'I while Hutch opened them.
'Takes you back, doesn't it?' said Winter. 'All the locks. There's something about the rattle of keys, still gives me the willies, even now.'
'Yeah? I never give it much thought.' He pushed open the door and let Winter walk in first.
Winter frowned as he heard a rapid beeping noise. 'What's that?' he asked.
'Security system,' said Hutch. He walked over to a console on the wall by the kitchen door and tapped in a four-digit code. The beeping stopped. Mickey and Minnie stood at the threshold waiting for permission to enter. Hutch waved them through and they trotted obediently into the hallway. 'Through there,' Hutch told Winter and indicated the door to the sitting-room.
As Winter sat down on a long brown leather sofa, Hutch went over to a rattan drinks cabinet. 'No Coke,' he said.
'Brandy and ice'll be just fine,' said Winter, adjusting the creases on his slacks. He looked around the room. 'Nice place,' he said amicably. 'You wouldn't know you were in Hong Kong, would you? It's a little piece of England, isn't it?' He patted the arms of the chair with the palms of his hand. 'I must admit I was surprised to discover that a man
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