“Thought you only went after killer indies, not houders,” Mick sneered.
“I go after killers – period,” Josiah snapped. “And Tyler is definitely a killer. Will you make a statement, Mick? I can take you back to Inquisitus right now if you will.”
“And I’ll be in the clear? For throwing her body in the water and not reporting it?”
“Yes – I can arrange for you to receive immunity from prosecution for testifying against Tyler.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll arrest you. One way or another, you’re coming back to Inquisitus with me. Whether it’s as my prisoner or my witness is up to you.”
Mick glanced at Alex. “He sounds just like Tyler.”
Alex shrugged. “He’s not – but he’s just as dangerous, in his own way.”
“Which one of ’em would you back in a fight?” Mick demanded. “I wanna be on the winning side here, Alex, so tellme: which one of these bastards is gonna win? Tyler or the indiehunter?”
“It’ll be a bloodbath,” Alex replied, leaning in. “But my money’s on Joe. He loves a fight, and he’s never lost one yet.”
“Never saw Tyler lose, neither.” Mick sat back in his chair, studying them both.
“Solange was good to you, Mick,” Alex said softly.
“Yeah, but she wouldn’t expect me to die for her.”
“Is Tyler still paying you?” Josiah asked suddenly. Tyler was paying the rent on Ted’s shop, so it wasn’t an unreasonable question.
Mick shrugged. “He was – ’til I got into trouble with the law a while back, then it stopped. I went to see him, and he laughed at me. Said that since I had a criminal record, and I like a drink or two, nobody’d believe a word I say, and he was done paying me off. Fucker.” He cleared his throat. “Tyler’s men follow me sometimes. They always let me know they’re there – that’s the point. It’s a warning. If I step outta line, he’ll give the order, and I’ll be gone. One night, coming home from the pub, dead drunk – all they’d have to do is throw me in the water and hold me down. I bet they wouldn’t send any fancy Inquisitus investigator in a posh suit to find out what happened to me.”
“So, you’re still his indie, then.” Josiah gave an offhand shrug, catching the flash of fury in Mick’s eyes. “You’re still doing his bidding, so you might as well still be wearing his ID. You’ll never be free unless you testify, Mick. I can guarantee your safety – we’ll keep you in a safe place until the trial.”
Mick glanced at Alex again. “I liked her too, y’know,” he murmured. “Sometimes, in my dreams, I see her lying on the floor, all that beautiful hair covered in blood, and I wake up screaming.” He reached for the can of drink he’d stashed beneath his chair, downed it in one go, and then stood up. “C’mon then. I’m fucked either way, and I swore I’d never letTyler fuck me over again, so it might as well be this bastard here.” He glared at Josiah.
Alex gave Mick an impulsive hug, which Mick returned with surprising gusto. “Hope you’re right about him,” he muttered into Alex’s neck, still looking at Josiah. “Because if he goes down, he’ll take us all with him.”
Mick fell asleep in the back of the duck, head back, mouth open, snoring loudly. Alex kept shooting him little glances over his shoulder.
“Worried he won’t go through with it when we get there?” Josiah asked.
“Even if he does – look at him,” Alex said despairingly. “I might not be much of an investigator, but even I can see he’s hardly star witness material.”
“He’s a start.”
“You think you’ll be able to persuade someone else to testify?”
“Yup.”
Alex put a hand on his arm. “Who? I know you told Mick that Ted was going to testify, but he isn’t.”
“Isn’t he?” Josiah glanced at him.
“Shit.” Realisation dawned in Alex’s eyes, and he removed his hand as if stung. “If Ted doesn’t agree to testify, you’re going to try and strong-arm him into it, aren’t you? The way you just did with Mick.”
Braking sharply, Josiah swung the duck to a halt by the side of the road. Then he turned to Alex. “Do you want justice for Solange or not?” he demanded. “Ted is a witness, and he’s as guilty of getting rid of her body as Mick. I hope he’ll step up and do the right thing if I give him some time, but if he doesn’t, then yes, I am prepared to arrest him. So, the question is – do youhave the stomach for that, or are you going to back out on me now that the going is getting tough?”
Alex gazed at him guiltily. “I don’t want to ruin Ted’s life.”
“You knew this wouldn’t be easy.”
