Screams in the Dark by Anna Smith Read Free Book Online

to walk from Maryhill Road into the city centre, stopping everywhere she could for a rest from carrying her suitcase. By the time she got into the city, she was just in time for the Post Office opening.She went inside and bought an envelope and stamp. Then she addressed it to Mrs Millie Murphy, carefully printing it so it wasn’t in her handwriting. She had considered the consequences of what she was doing, that police would become involved because a suicide note was now arriving at the Murphy home almost a week after Tony died. Of course they might suspect that someone swiped the note from his desk, and she was the first one on the scene. But they could prove nothing. They would prove nothing.
    She went for a coffee in the cafe close to the lawyer’s office before she started work. She took out the letter from Tony to Frank Paton. I told you we should stop. See you in hell, Frank  … What did it mean, she wondered? She sat back, recalling how Frank had come into Tony’s office and removed files from his desk and the safe. He had something to hide. And that made him vulnerable.
    *
    Arriving at the law firm earlier than usual, Tanya was surprised to hear voices coming from upstairs in Frank Paton’s office. She put her suitcase in a cupboard and climbed the stairs quietly. She stood outside and held her breath, listening hard.
    ‘It can’t go on like this, Billy,’ Frank said. ‘Tony’s dead. He killed himself over this. It changes everything.’
    ‘No it doesn’t,’ another voice said. ‘It doesn’t change a thing. You just carry on as normal.’
    ‘I don’t think I can.’ Frank’s voice was shaking.
    ‘You don’t have a choice, Frankie boy. You’re in this up to your fucking neck.’
    Silence. Tanya waited.
    ‘Look, Frank, you know the score here. You know what you agreed to do, and you’ve made plenty of money out of it, so you just keep going. You just provide the details and stuff, we’ll do the rest. Don’t start developing a fucking conscience now.’
    More silence.
    ‘By the way, there’s a bit of a problem. These two dickheads you gave us last week. One of them got away.’
    ‘Aw, fuck me, Billy!’
    ‘Don’t sweat man. It’s no big deal. It’s getting sorted.’
    Tanya could hear movement in the room and she scurried downstairs in time for the door of Frank’s office opening. He looked shocked to see her.
    ‘Hello Tanya,’ he said. ‘You’re early.’
    ‘Not really, Mr Frank. Only a few minutes. You are very early. Will I make some coffee for you?’
    ‘Yes, thanks Tanya.’ Frank stood at the top of the stairs as the two men came down. They walked past Tanya without even looking in her direction as they left.

CHAPTER 6
    As she drove out of the city and up towards the Red Road flats, Rosie kept ringing Emir’s mobile number, but there was no answer. It had been that way since Sunday night when she’d called him after she finally got Don and told him the Kosovan’s story. As predicted, he’d said the story was far-fetched, but wanted to meet Emir before he ran it past the bosses. He suggested a couple of detectives go to Emir’s flat to talk to him, but Rosie thought it would spook him and volunteered to bring him to the police station herself before she went into work.
    She was surprised to see two police cars and several uniformed officers outside one of the blocks of flats when she pulled into the car park. She got out of the car and approached a couple of young mums standing smoking, their toddlers asleep in pushchairs.
    ‘What’s happening?’ Rosie said.
    ‘Vigilantes,’ one of the young girls puffed on her cigarette.
    ‘Vigilantes?’ Rosie’s stomach sank.
    ‘Aye. They got another one of the refugees last night. A boy. Stabbed.’ The other girl looked at Rosie. ‘It’s not right that. Doesn’t matter what they’re getting from the council and stuff. Nobody deserves that. I mean some of these people have got weans and everything. They’re just like