‘He’s out of his depth—’

‘He doesn’t care. He’s blinded to logic – he just wants to save Abigail Harrop. Probably to make up for the fact that he couldn’t save the others. And that,’ she said curtly, ‘is why Golding’s doing our job.’

She rose to her feet, indicating that their conversation was over. The closeness between them was suspended, her irritation absolute.

‘Find Golding.’

‘Where?’

‘I don’t know, just find him!’ she shouted. ‘Start with his home, his work, every place he’s been lately. I won’t have another death on my conscience. Talk to his neighbours, his colleagues – do whatever you have to do but find him. And quick.’

68

Incredulous, the principal stared at Megan Griffiths, then hurriedly unlocked the door of the walk-in fridge.

‘What the hell—’ Ben snapped, moving out into the laboratory and looking from Megan to Mark Steinman.

Steinman was the first to talk. ‘Dr Griffiths saw you break in—’

‘I didn’t break in! I work at this bloody hospital!’ he roared, rubbing some feeling back into his hands and stamping his feet as he stared at his registrar. ‘Have you lost your mind?’

Shame-faced, Megan Griffiths blustered. ‘Everyone knows you’ve been behaving oddly—’

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake!’

‘I saw you come in. You didn’t turn on the light,’ Megan blundered on. ‘It seemed odd.’

‘And locking someone in a fridge doesn’t?’

‘You’ve been under a lot of pressure—’

‘Don’t try to psychoanalyse me! I’m not the crazy one here. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you’ll have to wait a bit longer for your promotion, Dr Griffiths.’

Enraged, he brushed past both of them, Steinman moving with him towards the door.

‘What were you doing here?’

‘Looking for a specimen I was having examined—’

‘In the dark?’

‘There’s a light inside the fridge. I can vouch for that,’ Ben retorted, glancing at his watch and quickening his steps as he headed for the stairs. It was eight twenty-five p.m.

‘You’ve been put on leave—’

‘But not suspended!’

‘Where are you going?’ Steinman demanded as Ben moved off.

‘What’s it to you? I’m on holiday, remember?’ he countered, running down the steps. At the bottom he glanced up and saw two tiny figures peering down at him from the top floor. ‘Dr Griffiths?’ he called.

She leaned over the banister to hear him.

‘Yes?’

‘Don’t take me on again.’ His tone was warning. ‘You’ll lose.’

Running to his car, Ben followed the directions he had been given, driving towards Gardenia Street and parking. On the corner several youths were lounged against some steps, smoking, and an older man turned to watch Ben as he passed. There were no smiles, no welcomes of any sort, only a sullen menace as Ben walked over to the shop in the middle of the row. On the door hung the notice CLOSED. Ben glanced at his watch – eight forty-five p.m. Putting up one hand to shield his eyes from the street lamp, he looked in at the window. Rows of herbs and dried concoctions swung from meat hooks and wooden racks. Underneath packets of teas and bags of maize a row of fruit came into view, and then suddenly he heard the unmistakable sound of a monkey screeching.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Looking up, his eyes searched the darkness. The lettering was hardly discernible in the dim light. But then he saw, red as blood, the words – MAMA GALA’s.

Flicking on his mobile, Ben heard it ring out.

‘Come on, Roma, pick up. Pick up!’ he whispered urgently, but as it clicked over to answerphone he rang off without leaving a message.

Looking down Gardenia Street to make sure that no one was watching him, Ben moved round to the side of the shop. As he peered through a window, a parrot cawed, alarmed, and Ben spotted the outlines of several other cages in the gloom. As quietly as he could, he moved down the narrow alleyway, making for the back yard, and in that instant a light came on in a window overhead.

Startled, he stepped back as two figures appeared on the street beyond, blocking his way, another driving up in a car and pausing by the kerb side. Standing his ground, Ben watched as a tall black man got out of the driver’s seat and came over to him. He knew without being told that this was Emile Dwappa. Without hearing a voice or being given any hint of his identity, Ben knew that this was the man who had caused his brother’s death.

He had a patina of menace, well-honed, experienced. It spoke of a multitude of cruelties and a complete indifference. Even in his walk there was an impression of savagery. He engaged no one’s notice, returned no one’s eye contact, and when he came up to Ben his body jutted forward like the blade of a knife.

He was, in that instant of recognition, truly terrifying.

‘You couldn’t wait for our appointment?’

Ben shook his head. ‘No, I couldn’t wait.’

‘You should have,’ Dwappa replied, beckoning for Ben to follow him.

Unlocking a side door, Dwappa pushed it open, the odour of herbs and sage taking a swing at both of them as Ben entered first. He was anticipating an attack, his hand automatically going into his pocket to check that the Stanley knife was still there. In the dimness he could just make out the cages, and the rows of meat hung up on butcher’s hooks. The smell of sawdust and animal urine caught at his throat as Dwappa showed him into the shop, gesturing for him to take a seat at a round table in the office behind.

‘You found me. That was smart,’ Dwappa said, sliding into his chair, his eyes on Ben. ‘How?’

‘Mostly luck,’ Ben replied, sitting down opposite the African, his eyes moving towards the street outside. God! he thought helplessly. Why hadn’t he left a message for Roma? Why hadn’t he said where he was going? No one knew about Gardenia Street. No one had any idea where he was. And unless he was very careful, no one would ever know what happened to him. ‘You abducted my partner.’

‘Yes.’

‘Is she all right?’

‘You know why I took her?’

Ben played for time. ‘I want to see her—’

‘I bet you do.’

‘I need to see her. See she’s OK.’ He could smell the monkeys outside and hear the soft footfall of someone overhead.

‘You know what I want,’ Dwappa began. ‘The skull’s a fake. I want the real one. Then I’ll give you back your woman.’

Ben smiled distantly. ‘Of course you will. Then you’ll just let us walk out of here.’ He looked around. ‘She is here, isn’t she?’

‘Give me the skull.’

‘No, not until I’ve seen Abigail,’ he said, his mouth drying. There was only so long he could stall. Only so long before he had to admit that he didn’t have it. ‘Let me see her.’

‘Have you got the skull with you?’

‘I want to see Abigail,’ Ben replied, his tone hardening, his eyes fixed on the African’s face. ‘You killed my brother, didn’t you? And Diego Martinez? And Francis Asturias?’ He could feel a cold draught blow across his face. Someone had opened a door somewhere. Somewhere close. ‘Why did you kill my brother? Why didn’t you just take the skull off him?’

Impassive, Dwappa toyed with a dirty coffee cup in front of him.

‘You made him suffer.’

‘Not me.’

‘Who?’

‘Jimmy Shaw.’

‘And what happened to him?’

Dwappa’s expression didn’t alter a jot. ‘He died.’

‘Who murdered Diego Martinez?’

‘Jimmy Shaw.’

‘Francis Asturias?’

‘Who’s Francis Austeris?’

Ben sighed. So his old friend hadn’t betrayed him. Poor Francis had been just one more piece of collateral damage.

‘He was killed—’

‘Jimmy Shaw must have done it.’ Dwappa sighed, bored already. ‘I didn’t kill anyone—’

‘Yes, you did. Whether you organised the killings or you did them yourself, it’s the same thing,’ Ben replied as the draught intensified. ‘Let me see Abigail.’