Page 69 of We Chase Shadows

‘And he kills people,’ says Steve.

Tommy points a piece of steak on a fork in Steve’s direction. ‘He kills people is right. Addicted to it. You kill people, people wanna kill you, stands to reason, don’t even argue.’

‘I wasn’t going to argue,’ says Steve.

‘Damn right you weren’t,’ says Tommy. ‘Got more sense.’

‘Have you ever met him?’ Rosie asks.

‘Sure,’ says Tommy. ‘We met up in Vegas, the whole lot of us one time.’

‘Six of you, right?’ asks Amy.

‘The guys, yeah,’ says Tommy. ‘The big six. All in the same business. Thought we should come to an understanding. I take North America, Mika takes Scandinavia, Jakob Eriksson takes Western Europe and North Africa, you know the sort of thing.’

Rosie pushes an airport photo of Jakob Eriksson across the table.

‘This is him?’

‘That’s him,’ says Tommy. ‘Funny-looking dude, but who’s judging? Some people might say I look funny, you know. You think I look funny?’

‘I think you look very average,’ says Rosie.

‘Average is right,’ says Tommy. ‘Not too this, not too that. Everybody’s gotta stand out these days. Pink hair, clown pants. Knock it off.’

‘What was he like?’ Steve asks. ‘Jakob Eriksson?’

‘Quiet,’ says Tommy.

‘I bet a lot of people are quiet when you’re around,’ says Rosie.

‘Not you, it seems,’ says Tommy. ‘Didn’t say as much as fifteen, twenty words all day, lot of nodding. But I liked him.’

‘You liked him?’ asks Amy.

‘Sure,’ says Tommy. ‘Nice vibe to the guy. I take people as I find ’em.’

‘So you carved everything up between you?’ says Rosie. ‘The six of you?’

‘Agreed to stay out of each other’s way,’ says Tommy. ‘We were all making money, no need to rock the bus, eh?’

‘And how has that worked out?’ Amy asks.

‘How’s it worked out?’ laughs Tommy. ‘Oh, badly. Very badly. Of the six people in that room, only three are still alive.’

‘You?’ says Steve.

‘Last time I checked,’ agrees Tommy.

Rosie holds up her cocktail glass, and a waiter gets the message. ‘Jakob Eriksson?’

‘Unless you know different,’ says Tommy. ‘You make sure and tell me if you do, huh? You keep me in that loop, I hate to be out of a loop, it drives me crazy.’

‘And Vern Blackwood makes three,’ says Steve.

‘Your pal Blackwood, right,’ says Tommy. ‘He doesn’t do the exact same thing as the rest of us, doesn’t have the brass balls for it, but close enough that he has an interest. And he was a useful go-between. Everyone there hated someone, but no one hated Vern.’

‘That’s why he’s still alive?’ says Steve.