‘They could be in it together,’ Richard suggested.
Had both men killed Rosa and then colluded in the cover up? But Harper had ratted on his boss. When they caught up with Sulikov would he blame Harper in turn? Marta had told Janine that Harper was a weak man. Had he betrayed his girlfriend to Sulikov? Rosa had gone out that Monday afternoon, maybe Harper had lured her to his house. Then left her to Sulikov. Afterwards they wanted Stone to dispose of the body but didn’t want to link it to Harper’s house.
‘I think we should get a search warrant for Harper’s house,’ Janine said.
Charlotte crooned and cycled her legs.
‘I still can’t work out why Sulikov got so involved,’ Janine continued. ‘We know he’s got a fearsome reputation. Everyone’s scared stiff of him. He’s got an empire – goons to do his every bidding. He keeps it all at arm’s length – that makes sense to anyone with half a brain. It’s the likes of Stone and Gleason who do the dirty work, take the falls.’
‘Maybe-’
‘Oh, Tom!’ He’d knocked his drink over the table. Janine dived for a cloth.
‘Wasn’t me, it was Frank.’ Tom said quickly.
She mopped at the pool.
‘Wait,’ she said to Richard, trying to follow her train of thought. ‘All that stuff about giving Stone and Gleason a lift over the Channel – does that sound likely? Mr Big turned taxi driver.’
‘But he wasn’t going to drive them anywhere – it was an ambush; we know that. Wanted them dead.’
‘Why kill them himself?’
There was a pause. ‘Enhance his reputation,’ he suggested.
‘He wasn’t usually hands on.’ Janine rubbed at her forehead; there was something missing, just out of grasp, tucked away in her mind.
Janine stared at Tom sitting beside the imaginary Frank, sharing out raisins. Wasn’t me, it was Frank. Shifting the blame. Just like Harper who had blamed everything on Sulikov. A chill washed through Janine and her heart began to hammer. Harper, Sulikov. Could she be right? ‘Oh, God!’ she said urgently. ‘Richard, the photo of Sulikov. Has it arrived?’
‘Not yet.’
‘Get onto Poland and tell them to email it to me immediately – here. And double check Harper’s ID.’
She paced up and down waiting for the message to come through, her guts knotted, her face feeling aflame.
The familiar tone sounded. You have mail. One message and an attachment. She clicked on the message and watched it open. Richard was still on the line, watching at his end.
‘Got it,’ Janine said, her eyes racing over the text as she read it aloud. ‘Says Konrad Sulikov was born here. English mother, Polish father, moved there aged seven. Current whereabouts not known. Surveillance operation launched last year in connection with trafficking but we believe Sulikov was alerted to this and is in hiding. Photograph attached, jpeg file.’
