Crash Course by Derek Fee (pdf to ebook reader .txt) 📕

put one into your knee to make sure that you don’t bother me. Two, I pistol-whip Morweena and while she’s still with us I start to put out burning cigarettes on her pretty face. Three, unless the hard questions get answered first, she ends up with a face which looks considerably worse than yours.”

Doc moved towards him.

“One more step…” Barrett levelled the gun at him. “And you get the one in the knee. You have thirty seconds to tell me all or we begin with the numbers.”

Doc stood where he was. The major rule when you’re undercover and rumbled is to lie like a trooper and do whatever you must to stay alive. “Mark thought that you were responsible for sabotaging our boat. He sent me here to get some evidence against you.”

“Oh, Doc, my son.” Barrett grinned. “I wish you’d decided to play straight.” Barrett stood up from the bed, moved quickly to Morweena, and struck her a blow with the back of his right hand.

“You rotten bastard.” Doc moved forward but Barrett levelled the gun at him and he stopped. He’d be no use to Morweena with a bullet in his knee.

“That’s the boy,” Barrett said moving back to the bed. “No more Ring around the Rosies, if you don’t mind. Morweena only gets hurt when you try to put one over on me. Let’s have the real story and let’s have it bloody damn quick.”

Doc looked at Morweena. An ugly weal was rising on her right cheek. “Our boat was sabotaged and you’re the prime suspect. That’s the truth.”

“You see, I might believe you if I wasn’t aware that you’ve been going around poking your nose into other people’s business.”

He launched another punch at Morweena that sent her flying across the room. “I’m sure that you’d be willing to accept a bit of punishment to hold back the real reason you’re in my room. But there’s a world of pain waiting for Miss Penhalion. You get to watch her suffer for your obstinance.”

“Okay,” he said. “Don’t hit her again. Mark thinks that you’re involved with a drugs gang. He told me to search your room for evidence.”

Barrett sat forward, his full attention on Doc. “Does he now? And where did he get that impression?”

Morweena picked herself up and stared at the two men. “Would somebody please tell me what’s going on? Has the world gone mad? Put the gun away, Graham.”

“He didn’t tell me,” Doc said.

“What would he do if you found some incriminating evidence?”

“He didn’t tell me that either. I’m only the hired help.”

“Who are you?”

“An old soldier looking for the main chance.”

Barrett took a pillow from the bed, crossed to Doc, and put the pillow against his knee. “Who are you and who is Kane? I’ll count to three. One, two…”

“I’m Detective Sergeant John Watson and Kane is a detective sergeant at the Met.”

Morweena looked at Doc. “You’re policemen? But you’re a mechanic. And Mark? He’s also a policeman?”

Doc nodded. “I’m sorry. We’ve been looking for Barrett and his mates. Barrett killed Tom Bell’s daughter. We knew the killer was a powerboat racer but we didn’t know which one.”

“And now you’ve found me,” Barrett said when Doc had finished.

‘You used us,’ Morweena said in a whisper. ‘It was all a charade.’

He tossed the pillow on the bed. “Get into the wardrobe.”

Doc stood up and shuffled to the wardrobe.

“Inside.” Barrett motioned with the gun.

Doc reversed into the wardrobe and dropped to the ground.

Barrett smiled. “I think I’ll enjoy this.” He struck Doc as hard as he could on the temple.

Doc’s head fell forward.

Morweena rushed to the stricken man. There was blood pouring from Doc’s head. “You’ve killed him.”

“Depends how hard his head is.” He motioned Morweena away and closed the wardrobe.

“You’re a callous bastard.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” He took a small notebook from his pocket and tossed it on the bed. “There’s a phone number on the first page. Pick up the phone and make the call.”

She did as he said.

“Now put the phone on speaker.” The phone on the other end was ringing. “Now sit on the bed. If you move, I’ll kill you.”

Barrett sat on the bed but kept the gun pointed at Morweena.

“Yes?” Safardi’s voice sounded irritated.

“It’s Barrett. I was right. Kane’s dirty. I found his pal searching my room at the hotel. Watson and Kane are coppers. They’ve been looking for us.”

“That is most unfortunate,” Safardi said. “Where is Watson now?” he asked.

“He’s indisposed,” Barrett said.

“Permanently?”

“Possibly. I have Kane’s girlfriend, Morweena, here with me. She may prove useful.”

“I agree. I’m sending the plane to fetch you. Pedro and some of my men will be with you within two hours. I want Morweena here as soon as possible. Understand?”

“Completely,” Barrett said and put the phone back on the cradle.

“What do you think of that? We’re going on a little trip.”

Chapter Forty-Six

The sun streamed down on the CD-plated white BMW 730 as it passed through the great plain which is the centre of Spain. Kane sat quietly in the rear of the car with his eyes closed. They had cruised along the Spanish autoroutes with the air conditioner turned up full and salsa music screaming from the stereo system. Jaime sat in the passenger seat beside one of the men from the villa. A second guard sat beside Kane.

The events in the Doñana had seriously disturbed Kane. Up to that point, tracking down Safardi and his gang had been an adventure. The death of the man in the pine glade had turned it into a deadly earnest game. He kicked himself for being so naive. How could he ever have thought that people earning millions of dollars from the drug trade would simply roll over and give up because he had exposed them? He had opened Pandora’s box and in doing so had put himself and perhaps those close to him in the most terrible danger. Safardi and his trained killers would not blink an eyelid while cutting their throats.