Red Centre by Chris Ryan Read Free Book Online

Hex. 'What does that prove?'
    'Very little, at this stage,' said Paulo. 'Hex, could we do another search on Sancho Pirroni? Let's see what we can find out.'

7
    W AKING THE D EVIL
    Sancho Pirroni was watching the TV. He was sitting on a wooden stool at a breakfast bar in a small kitchen. A half-door stood open to the back yard, letting in afternoon sunlight that bathed the pine units in a honey glow. Sensing the day's fiercest heat was now past, the crickets were ticking in the shrubs around the house. in all respects it seemed like a tranquil afternoon in an ordinary dwelling at the edge of the Daintree Rainforest.
    Heather, his girlfriend, walked in from the yard, shopping bags in each hand. 'Hi, Peter,' she called cheerily. 'Peter' was the name Heather knew him by, like the other locals. She had no inkling of his past, though she did know he wasn't the kind of man who liked to be crossed.
    Pirroni spoke without looking at her. 'Where's the tape?'
    Heather had been dreading this moment. She didn't know why she had been sent to get the tape, or how her boyfriend had expected her to do it, but she was absolutely clear about one thing: failure was not an option. Yet she had failed. She had walked around crying for a while and had then called in on a friend. After a few hours of chatting and shopping she started to think it might all somehow blow over, and by the time she stepped out of the taxi with her bags she felt a lot better. But when Pirroni asked that question it was as if icy fingers had gripped her heart.
    'I couldn't get it, darling,' she said quickly. She didn't dare look at him, so she busied herself packing away the shopping. 'Short of mugging the journalist, what could I do? She wasn't letting it go. Anyway, I thought you wouldn't want to attract attention. How would it have looked if I'd done something silly?'
    Heather realized she was talking too fast. She forced herself to slow down: 'The programme's tonight. Maybe they won't show your bit. Or we could have another go. It'll probably be all right anyway. I'm sure I can get it later.'
    Pirroni didn't look at her. His expression was blank. That made it easier for Heather to look at him. She wished she hadn't. From where she stood at the worktop, she now saw that, tucked into his waistband, was a pistol.
    Heather took three deep breaths and then moved to the bread bin. 'I was going to make some bruschetta. What would you like on it?' She spoke brightly. Doing something domestic made her feel she could restore normality. She hoped he would play along.
    Pirroni was silent for a moment. Then he said, 'No, I don't fancy bruschetta. In the larder there's a margarine tub, though, with a snack in it. I'll have that.'
    Heather looked at the shelves and saw a small plastic container. She pulled it out. 'It feels empty,' she said, weighing the tub in her hand.
    She realized that Pirroni had got up and moved across the room. She peeked around the larder door and saw him pick up the phone and pull out its aerial.
    'Who are you phoning, darling?'
    'The flying doctor.'
    'Are you feeling ill? Do you need the number?' Anxiety was making her gush, try to be over-helpful. She told herself to shut up.
    'I've got the number,' said Pirroni, tapping on the keypad. He entered the number but did not press dial. 'Now, why don't go ahead and fetch me that snack.'
    Heather started to relax. She even managed a smile. 'Sorry about the tape, darling,' she said.
    'Yeah,' Pirroni said.
    Heather peeled the lid off the box.
    She found herself looking at a large black spider. Its body was longer than her finger, and it had a hard, glossy carapace. To her horror it reared up on its hind legs. She screamed and tried to fling the tub away from her.
    The spider moved like lightning. Its long fangs made contact with her finger and sank in through the nail. Heather immediately felt a pain searing through her finger and up her arm. She tried to jerk away, to shake the spider off, but it clung fast,