Page 81 of We Chase Shadows

‘I said to her,’ says Mike, ‘Trudy, we don’t burn down nunneries.’

‘Sue,’ says Sue.

‘I said to her, Sue, we don’t burn down nunneries,’ says Mike.

‘So Brooks just disappeared,’ says Rosie, taking the offered spliff from Sue. ‘New passport, new identity, different country?’

‘That’s what we all reckoned,’ says Sue. ‘Best thing to do if you think they’re coming after you. Clean start. Eventually they give up looking unless you’ve killed someone.’

‘But he’d have needed help?’ says Amy.

Steve has been thinking this too.

‘Course,’ says Sue. ‘Got to get out of the country, got to have all your business accounts set up, find a new place.’

‘Bit of plastic surgery?’ says Rosie.

‘Wouldn’t do any harm,’ says Mike. ‘Bust your nose and fix your teeth.’

‘Though Baldy’d just need a wig,’ laughs Sue.

Steve thinks that’s actually not a bad point. If Connor Brooks was becoming a new person, hiding all traces of his old identity, why is he still bald? There will be an explanation for that somewhere. Change enough about yourself to fool the authorities, but keep enough the same that your rivals know you’re still in business?

‘Do you know who would have helped him?’ asks Amy. ‘Back in 2001?’

Mike shrugs. ‘When you’ve got a lot of money, you’ve got a lot of friends, eh?’

‘Anyone in particular though?’ asks Steve. ‘Anyone who might still be around?’

Unlikely. But worth asking. You never knew when a useful connection might crop up.

‘In Málaga, no,’ says Sue. ‘Cashpoint Trev used to knock about with him, but he’s dead.’

‘Tunisian Derek went to Dubai,’ says Mike. ‘And then died.’

‘Friends from home?’ Steve asks. ‘He must have still had contacts in London?’

‘Not my world,’ says Mike. ‘Sorry, old son, we’ve been out of Britain too long.’

‘What was the name of the one who came here that time?’ says Sue.

‘Narrow it down, woman,’ says Mike.

‘Baldy was helping him sell steroids at the gyms?’ says Sue. ‘Nice fella. Lovely, velvety voice.’

‘Yeah, he’d have helped,’ says Mike. ‘Well put together he was.’

‘You don’t remember his name?’ asks Amy.

‘Now you’re asking,’ says Mike. ‘What was he? Vic?’

‘It wasn’t Vic,’ says Sue. ‘It’s not far off though. Viv?’

‘Vern!’ says Mike.

‘That’s it,’ says Sue, grabbing Mike’s cheek. ‘Still got all his marbles, this one.’

‘Vern Blackwood,’ says Mike. ‘That was the fella’s name. Now, can I get anyone a top-up?’