Hostage to Murder by Val McDermid Read Free Book Online Page A

the gleaming coffee machine. While she fiddled purposefully with taps and spigots, Lindsay continued to scan the place. The bar area occupied the front of the café, but beyond she could see a bigger room. Wooden booths lined the back wall, but the rest of the space was occupied with round metal tables and Italian-style chairs with slender chrome legs. At two of the tables, lone women sat with coffee cups, cigarettes and newspapers.
    Lindsay paid for her drink, then said, “I’m looking for Rory McLaren.”
    The barmaid smiled. “The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Merchant City.” It came out with the smoothness of a familiar line. “She’s no’ been in yet.”
    â€œShe’s got a regular table, right?”
    The barmaid leaned on the counter and pointed through to the
back room. “Farthest booth at the end. She expecting you?”
    Lindsay shrugged. “I suppose that depends on how confident she is of her pulling power.”
    The smile widened to a grin. “She’ll be expecting you, then. Go away through. Mind you, there’s no telling when she’ll show up. If she’s not in first thing, it could be quite a while.”
    â€œThat’s OK, I’m not in any hurry.”
    â€œAye well, all good things come to those who wait.”
    â€œWill you have one with me while I’m waiting?”
    The barmaid raised her eyebrows. “Aye, all right. I’ll have a Diet Irn-Bru, if it’s all right with you.” She reached into the chill cabinet and pulled out a can, popping the top and taking a swig.
    â€œDo you mind telling me your name? Only, I reckon there’s a fair chance I’m going to be in here quite a bit, and, ‘Hey, you,’ isn’t really my style.”
    â€œOh God, not another smooth operator,” the barmaid sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling.
    Lindsay grinned. “Truly, that wasn’t a line. I might be doing a bit of work with Rory, and from what she’s told me, this is where it all happens.” She shrugged. “I prefer to be on friendly terms, that’s all.”
    â€œWhat sort of work?”
    â€œI used to be a journalist. And Rory seems to think I could be again.” Lindsay’s self-deprecating shrug was perfectly calculated.
    â€œShe can be very persuasive.”
    â€œSo I’ve heard. But you need to be in this game. So humour me that I can still cut the mustard and tell me your name.”
    The barmaid grinned. She had a tiny diamond inlaid in her left canine. It added shock value to the smile. “I’m Annie,” she said.
    â€œAnd I’m Lindsay.” She looked around. “Rory tells me she keeps pretty busy. Plenty stories coming in all the time.”
    Annie nodded. “Everybody knows her in here. You’d be amazed the things she picks up just hanging out. It was slow at the start, but these days she’s always got something on the go. Mind you, I’m surprised she’s thinking about working with somebody else.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œNo disrespect, but Rory’s no’ exactly what you’d call a team
player. She likes her own company too much. Half the baby dykes in here are in love with her, but she never takes advantage. See Rory? She figures out what she wants and goes for it, and hell mend the hindmost. And people see that, and they trust her because of it.”
    â€œSo you’d recommend working with her?”
    â€œYou could do a lot worse.” Annie took a long swallow of her drink and put the can down behind the counter as another customer approached.
    â€œI’ll let you get on,” Lindsay said, sliding off her bar stool and making her way through to Rory’s booth. She smiled at the “Reserved” sign on the table, eased herself on to the padded bench seat and stared at the pile of morning papers neatly stacked against the wall. Her morning’s research had been productive, and