Berlin (Leo & Allissa International Thrillers Book 3) by Luke Richardson (my reading book txt) 📕

“His parents have sent me to look for him,” Leo said.

From somewhere nearby, an animal called out, though the sound was quickly lost beneath the bullying growl of the city.

“His family sent you?” The Russian’s inflexion didn’t make it clear whether it was a question or a statement. Leo nodded, still dazed by the bright beam of the torch.

“You come from Brighton?” the speaker asked. Closer now.

Again, Leo nodded.

A bike clattered past them. Although its rider was an invisible force in the darkness, the light attached to its handlebars illuminated the man for a moment. Leo got a flash of the green coat, the thin pale face, the closely cropped hair.

“Yes, I come from Brighton,” Leo said.

“Minty’s parents sent you?” the man asked again. Leo found his use of Minty’s first name reassuring. The muttered words that followed reassured him further. “He said they would be worried about him. I can see why…” the man trailed off.

Leo focused on the man. Did this mean he had spoken to Minty?

“Well?” the man said, snapping his focus back onto Leo and shaking the torch. “Minty’s parents send you, yes?”

“Yes,” Leo said quickly.

“What’s the name of his brother?”

“Charles Rolleston,” Leo said. “He came to see me a few days ago. He said that the family was suspicious about his death and wanted me to find out what had happened.”

“I don’t believe you.” The beam of light held steady. “I think you are working with them. Is a very clever plan. Get an Englishman to pretend. Very clever. But not clever enough.”

“Wait,” Leo said. “Listen to this.” Leo scrolled through his phone and selected the recording he’d made from Charles’ answerphone. “This is the message Minty left on Charles’ answerphone on the night he was supposed to have died.”

Leo pressed play. Minty’s voice strained from the phone’s small speaker. The beam of light held steady.

“I’m just here to see what happened to him,” Leo said after Minty’s voice on the recording had trailed off into the noise of the rumbling train. “His family are very concerned.”

“You are alone?”

“Yes,” Leo said.

Leo felt the man grab his bicep. The Russian said nothing as he began to pull Leo through the darkness.

“What? Wait, where are we going?” Leo yelled.

The Russian stopped and pulled a phone from the folds of his coat. He barked a few words into it and then turned to Leo.

“We are going to see Minty Rolleston, of course.”

57

Anafisa sat behind the wheel of her Maserati Levante and looked at her phone. She’d just received the call she was waiting for. The call to go and pick up Borya. She tapped the steering wheel with her thumb. Was she really going to do this?

She liked Borya. Their time together had been good.

She also liked her fingers still attached to her hands, though. And she liked money.

She was in Olezka’s debt, and this would set the record straight. And it would give her a nice little pay packet too. Anafisa looked at herself in the rear-view mirror. Beneath the makeup, she was tired. That money could make her life a whole lot easier, that was for sure.

Anafisa thumbed the screen of the phone and held it to her ear.

“Borya has just called,” Anafisa said. “I’m collecting him now and taking him to Teufelsberg. He’s meeting Minty Rolleston there.”

Anafisa heard Olezka mutter.

“I can see your man behind me already.” Anafisa glanced across the street. The black Jeep was still there. “He can follow me if he wants, but do you really want Borya getting any more suspicious?”

“Okay, okay,” Olezka grumbled. He spoke to someone in the background.

“Olezka, after this I owe you nothing more. My debt is paid.”

Anafisa ended the call and started the Maserati.

58

The man let go of Leo’s arm when they got back to the road. Leo thought about running. He could disappear back into the park or out into the city in seconds. But then he wouldn’t find out where Minty was.

The noise of the city was louder here. Music thudded from the bar across the road and traffic growled around them. Leo watched the man pull the phone out again and give some instructions. He spoke in Russian. The phone he used was a simple, low-tech handset. A “burner.” There was only one reason someone would use a phone like that. The man in the green coat didn’t want to be traced.

A large, red car emerged from the stream of traffic and mounted the kerb ahead. Leo recognised the trident of the Maserati logo.

“Come now,” the Russian said, walking toward the car.

Leo glanced at the man.

“Get in.”

Leo took a deep breath and opened the door. This man knew where Minty was. Leo didn’t have a choice.

The car smelled of tobacco smoke and sweet air freshener. With the doors closed, the sounds of the city sank to a whisper.

The driver was a woman with long dark hair. She examined Leo in the mirror, then pulled out into the traffic. A bus behind them was forced to brake and protested with horns and lights.

“What’s… where are we going?” Leo asked.

Without replying to Leo, the Russian spoke to the driver, who passed back a white pipe.

“We’re going to see Minty,” the Russian said. “He’s in a safe place.”

The man packed the pipe with tobacco, then lit it.

“They used to say,” — the Russian looked out at the passing city — “that the night was darker in the East. I’m not sure anymore.” He took a drag on the pipe and exhaled through the window. “I have lived in this city almost my whole life… I have lived here and worked here. I feel like I have fought my own battles for this city.”

The Maserati made quick progress through the quiet streets.

“But it’s time for a change around here,” the Russian said, exhaling again. “I’m sorry, how rude of me. I have not even introduced myself. I am Borya.”

Leo took the hand and introduced himself. Borya’s grip was firm and