Ice Diaries (14 page)

Gemma thought about this. “So
have you got a lot of treasure?”

“No.” His voice was grave;
all laughter had left his eyes. He’d done one of his
disconcerting mood flips. “We did have, but someone took it.”

“Who?” said Nina. All heads
were turned towards Mike.

He took a sip of his dessert wine. “I
think you’ve met Morgan?”

Nina nodded, her eyes bright with
curiosity. “Yes. I know he was with you. But he never told us
anything about his past. He never talked much at all.”

“That figures. Before the snow he
used to work for me. When I first knew him he was earning peanuts
loading trucks, and I thought he was better than that. He’s not
just muscles, he’s got a brain when he chooses to use it. But
he’s his own worst enemy. I gave him a job in my organization,
then when the snow built up I said he could come with me. We were
friends, or so I thought. He went off one night with my sled –
my snowmobile – and everything we’d spent a year
collecting. I was hoping to catch up with him and persuade him to
give us back our share.”

“That’s terrible! What made
him behave like that?”

Mike shrugged. “Greed.” He
smiled down the table at Archie. “One of the seven deadly sins.
And a bit of envy, that’s another.”

Nina shook her head, deploring Morgan’s
low behaviour. She was enjoying herself. “I can’t say I’m
surprised. I didn’t take to him while he was here. He had no
manners, and I know that may sound trivial, but I find it’s
often indicative of deeper personal flaws.”

“He didn’t have a
snowmobile though, did he Tori?” Charlie said.

“No.”

Mike said, “Maybe he just didn’t
let you see it.”

Without meaning to, my next remark came
out hostile and rather loud, so that all eyes slewed in my direction.
“He did have a knife cut on his ribs, though. How did he get
that?”

“He lost his temper and tried to
stab Eddie. Eddie defended himself.”

Eddie nodded, not meeting anyone’s
gaze. I said to him, “So you’re a better fighter than
Morgan? You surprise me. Because he’s bigger than you and a
Jiu-Jitsu black belt.”

Eddie went a dull red but didn’t
say anything. Serena’s gaze was steadfastly on her lap. Mike
said, “There’s more to fighting than Jitsu. Eddie’s
a boxer.”

“But good with a knife as well
apparently.”

“Morgan’s knife – but
I’m not defending either of them. It was a dispute that got out
of hand, an ugly brawl that shouldn’t have happened. If you
want to blame anyone, blame me. I’m in charge, and I failed to
stop Morgan getting hurt.”

Nina rushed in to forestall an awkward
silence. “I’m sure whoever’s fault it was, it
wasn’t yours. From what I’ve seen of –”

A piercing scream interrupted her.
Serena jumped to her feet, chair clattering to the floor behind her.
While we were disagreeing over Morgan, Rosie had woken up unnoticed
and decided to explore. Paws gripping the rim of Serena’s
dessert dish, her nose twitched as she busily investigated its
contents.

Ice Diaries ~ Lexi Revellian

“She made an awful lot of fuss,”
Greg said thoughtfully, as we walked back together through the snow.
“Rosie wouldn’t have hurt her.”

“Suddenly appearing out of
nowhere made it worse, I suppose. But Serena didn’t have to be
such a total wimp about it, especially after we’d told her
Rosie was a pet. D’you want to come in for a coffee? It’s
still quite early.”

The party had broken up not long after
Rosie’s unscheduled appearance. The last part had been taken up
with people fussing over Serena on the sofa, soothing her and
fetching glasses of water and commiserating. On the other side of the
room Nina was ticking Greg off in a furious undertone, accusing him
of wrecking her party, while I simultaneously told Nina to get a
life, and if that was the worst that ever happened to Serena she was
a very lucky woman. Nina started doing that thing of closing her eyes
when talking to me as if to shut out my viewpoint, which never fails
to irritate. Archie came over and said the party hadn’t been
spoiled, that no bones had been broken and it had provided an
interesting finale to the evening. Before we left I overheard Nina
tell Mike that Greg had learning difficulties and was a cross we had
to bear. I glared at her. Luckily Greg didn’t hear as he’d
gone to get changed for the walk home.

The snowmobiles zoomed past us on our
journey back. We waved. As Greg and I approached Bézier, we
could see Mike’s people milling about on the balcony in the
cold light of a gibbous moon. Something was up. It seemed unlikely
they’d caught Morgan, or noticed a small spare component had
gone missing. Probably some unrelated matter. We went inside and Greg
lit the tea lights while I fed the stove and put water to heat for
coffee.

I was pouring boiling water into mugs
when there was a noise on the balcony. I looked up as Mike slid open
the door and came inside without asking. Hong, Eddie and Big Mac
followed, closing the door behind them. None of them were smiling,
and men that size need to smile or they look menacing. Mike’s
cordiality too had been left behind at the Barbican; his face was
cold and hard. He walked straight up to me.

“Someone’s been in my flat
while we were out tonight.”

My heart began to beat fast. “Well,
it wasn’t me or Greg. We were with you at Nina’s all
evening.”

“I don’t think for a moment
it was you or Greg. I know who it was. Morgan.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I’m
beginning to think you’ve got an obsession with that man. What
makes you think anyone’s been in your flat?”

“Because I’m not stupid. In
particular, I’m smarter than Morgan. I don’t keep my
brain in my muscles. I put a light dusting of ash on the floor and a
black thread across the doorway so I’d know if someone called.”

“Even so, and even if it was
Morgan, which I doubt, I don’t see what it has to do with me.”

“Let me enlighten you, then. I
think you told him we’d be out tonight. I believe you know
where he is. I thought so three days ago and I’m certain now.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Nor do I,” said Greg.

Mike ignored him. He came close to me,
and stopped with his face inches from mine. His eyes were
black-flecked amber in his dark honey-coloured skin. I could feel his
warm breath on my face as he said, “You know where Morgan is,
and it’s not far from here. You’re going to take me
there.”

I maintained a bold front. First rule
when dealing with a bully, don’t show fear. “Wishful
thinking. Just because you want a lead on him doesn’t mean I’ve
got one.”

He stared at me for a moment longer,
and turned to Greg. “Greg, go outside with Eddie and Hong.”

Greg said, “I haven’t had
my coffee yet. I’ll wait.”

“This won’t take long. You
can wait outside.”

“You go home. I’ll see you
later,” I said. Better for it to be just me if things were
going to get nasty. Greg picked up his jacket and scarf.

“You won’t need those,”
said Mike.

“No, I will, it’s cold.”

Mike turned to Hong and Eddie. “Take
him outside where we can see him and don’t let him run off. Mac
will relieve one of you in ten minutes, if you’re still out
there.”

Hong and Eddie put on their hats and
jackets and gloves and forcibly escorted Greg, wearing only his
cardigan over his trousers, outside. A blast of icy air and powdery
snow came in as they closed the glass door. They stood a few paces
either side of Greg, a short distance away beyond the balcony. He was
saying something but they ignored him. He looked at me and called my
name, though I couldn’t hear him through the double glazing,
then moved towards me. They shoved him back; he lost his footing and
fell. He picked himself up and looked from one to the other, not
fully understanding, and put his hand protectively over the pocket
that held Rosie.

“Let him back in!”

“When you tell me where Morgan is.”

“I can’t tell you what I
don’t know. Get Greg back in here and let’s discuss it
calmly. Then maybe I can help.”

“The only help I need from you is
Morgan’s whereabouts.”

“I’m not telling you
anything while Greg’s out there!”

“I can wait. We’ll see how
you feel in thirty minutes, shall we? With this wind and a
temperature of what, minus five I’d say, frostbite isn’t
going to take long. Half an hour out there and Greg can say goodbye
to his fingers and nose. Are you going to sit here and watch it
happen when a few words from you could save him?”

For a moment I felt sick, then anger
flared through me.

“You evil bastard.”

I lashed out at his face. He flinched
away, but the punch connected. As I flung myself at him and grabbed
his throat Big Mac leaped towards us. Huge hands gripped me from
behind and hauled me off. I kicked and struggled until Mac got hold
of my arms and bent one up my back, and pain immobilized me.

Coughing, Mike got himself a glass of
water and drank it, then came and stared at me. Oddly, there was
admiration in his eyes, and speculation. “You’ve got more
courage than most of the women I’ve met, and I’ve met
quite a few. You’re nice looking, too.” He ran a finger
down my cheek and neck. I strained away from him. He said
reprovingly, “You should make the best of yourself every day,
not go around dressed like a tomboy.”

“I couldn’t care less what
you think, and I don’t want your advice.”

He ignored this, pursuing his own line
of thought. “I wonder why you’re covering up for Morgan?
Perhaps you think he’ll take you south. If he says that, he’s
stringing you along. He won’t keep his word. You don’t
know him very well. But on reflection that may be in his favour.”
He sneered. “You just see the bulging muscles and the handsome
face, you have no idea how devious, sneaking, greedy and disloyal he
is. He’d sell his own grandmother, and pull out her gold
fillings first.”

“I’m surprised you worked
with him for two years, then.”

“He’s good at covering his
tracks. That’s how he imposes on people. You’re making a
big mistake. I suggest you reconsider.”

“Bring Greg in.”

“For an intelligent woman you’re
being stupid.” He pushed a stray bit of fringe from my eyes to
get a better look at me. I hated being held there, unable to get
away, while he patronized me and worse, touched me. I hated being in
his power.

I spat in his face.

Not something I’d done before, or
ever expected to do. There was a pause. He didn’t move. I
couldn’t read his expression. Only my anger stopped me being
very frightened indeed about what would happen next.

He wiped my saliva off and slowly
licked his finger, eyes never leaving mine, creeping me out. “You
have a lovely face, Tori. It’s a shame to risk it. A waste. But
you give me no choice.” He spoke abruptly to Big Mac. “Take
her outside with him, then come back here. Tell them to keep her
there till she’s ready to say where Morgan is.”

Mac frog-marched me through the door,
pushed me towards Greg and went back in. Greg looked pleased to see
me, then worried. The air was very cold, and the light wind
penetrated my thick sweater and velvet top with no trouble at all. I
wrapped my arms round my shivering body, hands in my arm pits.

“Why is Mike making us stand out
here? I’m cold. I’m worried Rosie will get cold.”

I muttered, “He thinks if we get
cold enough I’ll tell him where Morgan is.”

“But you don’t know where
Morgan is.”

I said nothing. I tried to put my fear
to one side and think. Of course, I could tell Mike he was hiding
somewhere he wasn’t, say Centre Point. If I did, he’d
probably let Greg go. But he’d take me with him because he
wouldn’t trust me to tell him the truth, and when he found I’d
been lying the consequences for me would not be good. He was mad and
strange and fancied me, a bad combination when I was in his power. Or
I could betray Morgan, take Mike to the real place in the Gherkin,
and watch while his three cage fighters beat Morgan up or worse,
because I could not imagine Morgan simply handing over the gold and
telling where the ACE was. And even if he did, they’d still
beat him up. But at least Greg would be out of it. His teeth were
chattering already. Soon mine were too. I tried heating my hands on
my neck, and cupping my nose to warm it.

The two men watched us impassively from
several metres off, one each side; for the first few minutes Mike
strolled around in my flat picking things up and putting them down
again, glancing through the window from time to time, then he went
and sat with Mac at the kitchen counter, talking, relaxed. I saw him
laugh. My nose, ears and fingers were beginning to hurt from the
cold, competing with the ache in my sore knuckles and arm. Fear came
over me in dark waves, rising higher, driving out rational thought. I
remembered photographs I’d seen of Everest climbers who’d
suffered frostbite; I hadn’t understood why they would risk
something so terrible for the sake of saying they’d climbed to
the highest point on earth. I imagined my nose and fingers freezing,
going black; I imagined being crippled and disfigured for life. I was
not brave enough to face that. I was going to have to tell him.

“Tori,” Greg whispered,
“Can you make them let us go home? I’m cold.”

His face was white and pinched. It
doesn’t take long to get frostbite, it’s irreversible and
there is no cure; you just watch the flesh mortify. All doctors can
do is amputate the dead fingers or toes. I’d have to tell Mike.
Morgan would have to look after himself. I’d wait as long as I
could bear in hope of a miracle. Maybe Mike was just trying to
frighten us, and didn’t intend to leave us here long enough for
us to get frostbite. Any minute he’d send one of the men to get
us.