MORNING SERIAL
“THE painter turned out to be brave,” Viktor said.
“And dumb,” Illie said “And predictable,” said Viktor. “And full of surprises,” said Illie.
“Are you going to kill me?” I said.
They looked at each other. “No,” Illie said. “You see, I have a problem, and that is that I have already decided that you are my friend. Friends fall out, sure. But real friends share a bond.”
Even at this low ebb I was having none of it.
“You killed Lou,” I said. “F***. Do you want me to kill you? Is that it?” Illie said. “Goading me. Where do you think that is going to get you?” He came down the step and took a few paces toward me. “You’re talking about the waitress?” He looked back at Viktor who nodded confirmation. “I didn’t kill her.”
“Viktor,” I said, tossing a glance at Illie’s henchman.
Illie looked back at him and then at me. “No.” He shook his head as one might to a child. “Viktor went to speak with her. I needed to know who she worked for.”
“She worked at The Castle, Illie. She was just a f***ing waitress,” I said.
“Ah, my dear painter friend. No. She was no waitress. She was working for someone who was looking for Evgeny and the girls. And she’s not the only one on the island. We have heard rumours from my people back in Russia that they had been looking here. Whispers always sprout up over time. The kind of people who were looking… well, they live on whispers like that, like hyenas live on discarded bones. So I was waiting for people like your waitress to show themselves. You told her we were here. And then we get a night-time visit. So Viktor had to go and speak with her. But he didn’t kill her.”
“None of this makes any sense,” I said.
“I couldn’t find her,” Viktor said stepping forward. “Likely she was already dead. Killed by whoever she passed the information onto.”
I shuffled my legs under me and sat my behind down in the dirt.
> The Golden Orphans by Gary Raymond is published by Parthian www.parthianbooks.com
CONTINUES TOMORROW