Fallen Angel by Kevin Lewis Page A

smile, but it came out as a slight sneer. ‘Well, I don’t get out much these days, so I thought I might as well combine seeing you with a little bit of sightseeing.’
    ‘Really?’ Stacey looked around her. There was nothing to see but rubble. ‘Maybe I’m missing something, but isn’t that sort of thing usually a lot more rewarding if you go somewhere more interesting?’
    ‘Not always the case, Stacey,’ Jack replied. ‘This place is supposed to be haunted. I’m pretty sure that ghosts only come out at night. And I don’t think either of us would want to miss those, would we?’
    They stared at each other for a few moments. FinallyStacey broke the silence. ‘No more games, Jack. What do you want from me? I’m guessing it has something to do with that depot robbery.’
    ‘What robbery was that, then?’
    ‘Don’t play the idiot. It doesn’t suit you, not any more.’
    Jack eyed her suspiciously. ‘You on the job or something? Is that the reason you agreed to meet me, to question me about the fucking depot job? You trying to pull the wool over my eyes?’ He took another draw on his cigar and let the smoke escape from his lips slowly. ‘That’s not the way our arrangement works, sweetheart, and you know it. We both have too much to lose for either of us to ever turn on the other.’
    ‘Jesus, Jack, it’s got your fucking MO all over it. And if that’s as clear as a bell to someone like me, it’s only a matter of time before the Flying Squad realize it too, if they haven’t already.’
    Jack smiled. ‘You trying to tell me something, Princess?’
    ‘I’m just telling you what you already know. And don’t call me that, I always hated it. Even when I was a teenager.’
    Stacey took a deep breath. If she was going to get what she wanted, she was going to have to start again. ‘Listen, Jack. I’ve had a hell of a week. I don’t know why you called me, but the only reason I agreed to meet with you is that I need something. I need a favour. You’ve heard about this kid being kidnapped and murdered.’
    Jack brightened up and smirked big and wide. ‘Yeah, of course, it’s all over the place.’
    ‘Well, here’s one thing you haven’t heard. Something you won’t hear anywhere and you need to keep a hundred per cent confidential. You understand me.’
    Jack’s voice was suddenly serious. ‘Okay.’
    ‘The final money-drop for the kidnap, it was on the Blenheim Estate. Block C.’
    ‘You don’t think –’
    ‘That it was down to you? Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. But you and I both know that nothing moves in or out of the estate without your people knowing about it. If this guy had set up a drop, he must have been hanging around scoping it out. Your people must have seen something.’
    Jack moved thoughtfully to his right, sat down on a low pile of bricks and ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. ‘This drop-off, was it arranged for around 5.30 p.m. last night?’
    ‘It started at 5 p.m. and was given the runaround to the Blenheim Estate, so they would have been there, say, 5.30, 5.40.’
    ‘Some of the guys got spooked because there was a bunch of armed coppers milling around just after that. And now there’s a bunch of uniforms and forensic guys around there.’
    ‘Now you know why. You think you can help me out?’
    Jack stood up, brushing the dust from the seat of his jeans with the back of his hand. ‘I don’t know, Stacey. What’s in it for me?’
    ‘Be serious, Jack. This is different. We’re talking about someone who goes around killing kids here. I was always led to believe that you took exception to that kind of thing, that you’d be eager to help out in any way you could.’
    ‘I need a favour.’
    Stacey felt a tiny chill run down her spine. ‘What?’
    Jack took another long final drag on his cigar, then dropped it to the ground and crushed it with the heel of his boot. He looked up at Stacey. ‘There’s an informant in the outfit. I’m certain of