Poisoned Cherries by Quintin Jardine Read Free Book Online Page B

okay, given the gym work I was in the habit of doing ... and as having curly blond hair, and green contact lenses.
    The dye job I could live with, but I saw a problem with the contacts. I can’t stand having even a tiny piece of grit in my eye.   I was sufficiently worried to call Miles ... the apartment came complete with a phone and cable television.
    He laughed when I told him about my problem.   “You say you’re okay about the dye job?   Did you ever see the remake of The Jackal?   Christ, you might not be flavour of the month with Dawn right now, but I still wouldn’t do that to you.   You can forget the contacts too.   Dark hair and blue eyes will do for the part.
    “How’s tricks, anyway?”
    His amiability reassured me; Miles had given me an easy time of it as director of my first two projects.   I didn’t know if I could handle it if he started to have a go at me on set.
    “Fine.   Everything’s fine.”
    “How are the girls?”
    “The baby’s great and so’s her mum.   Susie’s going back to work herself in a couple of days, once the new nanny’s settled in.”
    “Nothing changes, eh.   She’s a powerhouse, that girl.   You two gonna live together?”
    “Part-time, probably.   I’ve rented a place in Edinburgh; that’s where I am now.   You’ll like it, I think.”   I described the apartment.
    “Sounds great,” Miles said, when I had finished.   “You’re right; I plan to shoot as much of this movie as possible on location, so we’ll need a place for rehearsals, team meetings and so on.
    “In fact, there’s one I’ll set up right away.   I’ve hired a technical adviser, an ex-policeman.   He’s got the script, and he knows the book.
    I want him to brief the cast before we start shooting, but first I want
    to meet him myself.   Your place will bg perfect for that.   Dawn and I
    get into Edinburgh on Wednesday.   I’ll arrange it for Thursday morning,
    ten sharp, then we’ll have a cast meeting that afternoon.   Gimme the
    address and phone number, and I’ll circulate them to him and everyone
    else.”   5
    I did as he asked then went back to the book.   The more I read about the now dark-haired Andy Martin, the more I realised how tough he was supposed to be.   I hadn’t lifted anything heavier than Susie for ten days, so I called the Edinburgh Club, the best fitness centre in town, and checked out their opening hours.
    I booked myself in for Monday morning, then went back to Detective Chief Inspector Martin.   I’d have read it from cover to cover had I not begun to feel hungry, at around seven o’clock.
    I checked the fridge and found it almost bare, apart from some milk, a few tomatoes and an egg.   I was almost out of bread too .. . Susie and I had only picked up a few groceries and had sent out for pizza the night before.
    I was also out of transport.   A car can be an inconvenience in central Edinburgh, but these days not having one is a bigger inconvenience still.   I had almost decided to take a taxi to Sainsbury’s, when the obvious occurred to me.   I was a lad alone in the city; where else would I go?
    I hadn’t seen Ali in a couple of years, but I knew he’d be there; the boy really was open all hours.   His shop was a bit more than halfway down the Royal Mile, round the corner from my old loft and still no more than ten minutes’ walk from my new digs.
    He was behind the counter when I walked in, his back to the door as I closed it silently.   As usual he was wearing a turban; if it was meant to be white it wasn’t, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided that it was cream.   I don’t know what religion Ali is, and I’ve never asked.   I do know that with him the turban is a fashion statement, nothing more.
    “Shop!”   I called out; he spun round, eyes widening as he saw me.
    “Hey,” he yelled, startling an old lady who was peering into the frozen food container.   “It’s the fuckin’ Oz man; the