‘Of course. But both you and I know it’s easy enough to sneak in and out from a quiet spot on a dark night, pay a skipper, no questions asked.’
‘Any relatives, known associates…?’
The Super flicked open a page on the pad in front of him on the desk. ‘Benny O’Connor – your gunshot victim. I sent a couple of the lads over to the hospital to question him and at the mention of Rufus Malone he started singing like a ruddy canary. Sounds as if he’s a very frightened man. He says Rufus has been in the UK two or three weeks; told Benny he was staying at an amusement arcade in Southend called Partyland and then at another place out Essex way.’
‘And…?’ prompted Hunter.
‘Partyland, it turns out, has had a visit from some hard boys. They wrecked the place.’
Hunter nodded. ‘Someone else is looking for Rufus Malone.’
‘Looks that way.’
‘I’m thinking Max Carter; that would fit with the description the nurse gave of the man who assaulted O’Connor. What about the Essex address?’
‘O’Connor reckons it’s a derelict property. Claims he doesn’t have an actual address.’
‘Can we get a fix on that?’
‘I think we should try. And there’s another person of interest we’re on the lookout for – name of Dickon, nasty little tit with a record as long as your arm, but we can’t find him. Hasn’t been seen in any of his usual haunts and his friends claim they’ve no idea where he’s got to. And there are still some Delaney family members in Ireland. Living at a place called Fallowfield Farm in Limerick. Maybe this Rufus could be thinking of making his way there? I dunno. This goes beyond making waves for the American boys, don’t you think? This is about tracing an abducted woman, a British citizen.’
They were heading for Essex. Steve was driving, with Max in the front passenger seat. Layla was crammed in the back between Alberto and Sandor, and she was thinking she might choke from all the testosterone floating about in there. The mood in the car was grim.
‘Layla?’ said Alberto quietly.
She didn’t answer: she stared out at the encroaching night.
‘Oh for God’s sake,’ he muttered.
Layla turned a freezing glance on him. ‘What?’ she hissed.
‘Can we try and behave like grown-ups?’
Layla’s eyes flashed with temper. ‘Oh sure. You’d love that, wouldn’t you. Sorry – I wasn’t aware I was being juvenile.’
‘Well, you are.’
Layla leaned forward and said for his ears only: ‘My dad would kill you if he knew what you did to me.’
Alberto opened his eyes wide. ‘Yeah? He’d better just get in line. We made love. Get over it.’
‘Made love?