Wednesday 28 May 2014

The Woman with the Porcelain Neck pt 4


Missed parts 1, 2 and 3?
I tried to put Hristov off until Friday but he turned up at my office unannounced. At least this time he knocked. He sat waiting for me to speak. He looked a little impatient, I liked that.  I busied myself with nothing much, keeping him in suspense a little longer.  We’d do this on my terms.
‘So,’ I said, settling back into my chair. ‘The girl’s safe.’ I waited for his reaction but he remained calm. ‘But she doesn’t want you to know where she is.’ Again I paused. This time I could see a little flicker of anger in his eyes. ‘So my work here is done.’ I said, more in hope than expectation.
‘Mr Stanley,’ he said. I noted he’d got my name right. ‘I hired you to bring the girl to me. The girl isn’t here. So there’s still a job to do.’
‘The girl doesn’t want to come to you.’ I said and watched the blood boil in his temples. ‘There’s nothing more I could do.’
‘There’s always something you can do Mr Stanley. I don’t care what the girl wants. I care about what I pay you for.’
‘You haven’t paid me.’ I said boldly.
Hristov stood up, he had enough. He went to leave the office and then turned back. I looked up to see the barrel of a gun in my face.
‘Tell me where the girl is, Mr Stanley.’  Why was this joker so concerned about this strange woman with the porcelain neck?
‘I told you she’s safe.’ I said, brazening it out.
He took a step closer, the look in his eye confirmed what Andrews had told me, these guys were nasty. He was gonna pull that damn trigger.
‘Why are you so keen to know?’ I asked.
‘She’s my daughter.’ He said without missing a beat. I was not expecting that.
‘You put you own daughter on the game?’ I said.
He ignored my question. I don’t blame him. I’d have been embarrassed too. What a sleaze.
‘Tell me where she is,’ he said.
‘She’s safe’ I replied.
‘Tell me or wear a bullet Archer Stanley.’
I had little choice; he was going to shoot me. I gave him the address of the barman.
‘You’ll find her there.’ I said.
‘Thank you Mr Stanley, pleasure doing business with you.’ He put an envelope down on the table and turned and walked away, leaving just enough money to cover my expenses and not a penny more.
Luckily I had the barman’s number.  The girl picked up.

‘Get out now, Georgiev’s on his way.’ I said and then hung up, I'd done all I could, it was out of my hands now.

For part 5 click here

No comments:

Post a Comment