Blood Tracks Page 16

  The men exchanged knowing looks.

  “You spend more time at Clare’s house than your own,” Kylie said.

  “I like being with her and the family. Anyway, she’s a wonderful woman,” Tom replied enthusiastically.

  “Mmm, wonderful,” Kylie repeated, knowingly.

  Tom rolled his eyes and changed the subject. “Where’s Declan?”

  “He got off sharpish. His landlady is making him stew.”

  Tom pulled a face. “Do you think the boy might be a bit slow?”

  “No!” Kylie protested. “I think he’s sweet and he’s keen to learn the business. Really keen, Tom.”

  “If you say so, Kylie,” Tom said, turning the main lights off and switching on the alarm. “Everyone out!”

  There came the sound of keys turning in the outside locks and footsteps walking away.

  Only then did Declan come out of his hiding place. He was convinced now that he knew what the numbers on the paper meant. He looked around the vast, silent warehouse and steeled himself. He had a lot of searching to do.

  Declan tried Stevie but the voicemail kicked in yet again.

  “Why haven’t you got your phone on?” Declan said in frustration. “I need you, now! This is urgent. I think I’ve sussed out the code on that paper. I think it’s one of the sacks of cocoa beans that came in on today’s shipment. I’m in the warehouse right now, looking for it.”

  Declan knew that they’d stored all of today’s shipment on Aisle One, so at least that narrowed down his search, but his heart sank as he looked at the thousands of sacks piled on the mile-long shelving. He couldn’t chance using the forklift truck to move any sacks, in case the noise aroused suspicion from outside. He tried to be methodical. First he had to locate lot number fifty-four and then check every sack in that section. He started on the first bottom shelf and checked the numbers on the mounds of sacks. He struggled to read the red print on the sacking in the glow of the warehouse nightlights. The shelves were so deep that he had to crawl to the back of them to reach all the stock. Despite the air conditioning, as he pulled and pushed sack after sack, beads of sweat started to run down his face.

  This could take all night, he thought, as he climbed up the rolling ladder and began searching the next shelf.

  Outside, the port that never slept was still working at full throttle and every creak, shout and clatter was making Declan so twitchy that when his phone vibrated in his pocket, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

  “Oh, Mrs. Mac, it’s you.”

  “Yes, Declan, it’s me,” she said sternly. “But where are you? Your dinner’s on the table. You’re not in the pub, are you? You may work with men but you’re only a boy, just you remember that. You’d have been far better off with Mr. O’Rourke at the funeral parlour. He’s teetotal.”

  “No, don’t worry. I was just about to phone you. I’m working tonight, so I won’t be home until really late.”

  “What? But you usually finish work at five,” she said, puzzled.

  “Yeah, I do normally but this is just a one-off. One of the docker crews at the quayside has offered me a night shift. I can’t pass it up. It’s good money.”

  “Oh, I’m proud of you, Declan,” she trilled. “Working so hard. Wait till I tell your mammy.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Mac. Don’t wait up, okay?”

  As he ended the call Declan suddenly panicked. What if Tom comes back to find the sack? Say he catches me by surprise and finds me in here? What do I do? What do I say? Tom said he was going to Clare’s for tea. I need to know his movements. I need to phone Gina.

  “Hi, Gina, is Tom there?” Declan said.

  “Yeah, very close, actually.” Gina flashed a look at Tom, who was sitting opposite her at the kitchen table.

  “Could you keep an eye on him for me? Let me know if he leaves,” Declan asked.

  “Gina, no mobiles at the table,” her mum chastised. “Who is it anyway?”

  “Don’t tell her,” the paranoid Declan whispered.

  “It’s Becky,” Gina answered.

  “Oh,” her mum said, pleasantly surprised. “Well, that’s lovely. I suppose if it’s Becky you can take the call.”

  Gina put her hand over the receiver, whispering to her Mum, “I’ll take it outside. She’s traumatized. I think she’s been dumped.”

  “I wouldn’t use my mobile at the table if you let me have one,” Danny chipped in.

  “Danny, how many times do I have to tell you? You don’t need one until you go to Rylands,” his mum said impatiently.

  Gina scurried out of the back door and into the yard. “Declan,” she whispered, “what’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” he said unconvincingly.

  “Either you tell me, or I’ll tell my mum that Tom is up to something,” she threatened.

  “You can’t do that! We can’t prove anything yet.”

  “I’m willing to take my chances. This is obviously about Tom, so I want to know exactly what you’re up to.”

  “That’s blackmail,” he hissed.

  “It’s for your own good. I want to help.”

  Declan groaned. “I’m in the warehouse. I think I’ve sussed out what those numbers mean.”

  “What! And you weren’t going to tell me?”

  “I’ve only just worked it out and I could be wrong,” Declan protested.

  “So, what do they mean?” she asked excitedly.

  “I think the numbers identify a particular sack of cocoa beans from a particular shipment. You were right; the end numbers are a date, but they’re the date the ship left Africa, not the date it arrived here. That shipment came in today so I think that sack is in the warehouse right now and I need to see what’s inside it.”

  “Oh my God! I’m coming to meet you.”

  “No, you’re not! It could be dangerous.”

  “Then you don’t want to be there on your own, do you?”

  “I didn’t know you were some kind of bodyguard in your spare time,” he retorted. “Anyway, I could be here all night and still not find this thing.”

  “All the more reason for me to come. Two pairs of eyes will be quicker than one.”

  “But I’m locked in. So even if you got past the port gates, you won’t be able to get into the warehouse.”

  “Don’t underestimate me,” she said confidently. “See you as soon as I can get away.”

  “No! Don’t, Gina! Gina?” Declan was talking to himself.

  Gina played the dutiful daughter. She couldn’t do enough for her mum. She volunteered to tidy up the kitchen before joining them in the living room. She sat next to Danny on the floor without making a detour to touch the urn. This caused her mum and Tom to exchange pleased looks.

  As the chat show on the TV blurred out, Gina watched Tom out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting in her dad’s armchair as if he was the man of the house. Her mum was on the sofa close by. Gina bristled as she saw Tom reach across to her mum and squeeze her hand. Her mum’s cheeks flushed. Gina held her tongue and bided her time.

  It wasn’t long before Tom rose from the armchair and announced, “I should be getting home.”

  “Already?” her mum said.

  “I need an early night,” he answered.

  This was Gina’s chance to put her plan into action.

  “Phone!” she said suddenly, waving her mobile at them.

  “I didn’t hear it go off,” Danny said.

  “It’s on vibrate, dunce. It’s Becky.” Gina walked out of the room, chatting. “Hi, Becky. How’s it going?”

  She stood just outside the door having her pretend conversation for all to hear, and, by the time she came back into the room, Tom had his jacket on and was ready to leave.

  “Mum, Becky’s invited me for a sleepover,” she said hurriedly.

  “Oh, that’s nice, love. I’m so glad you two are friends again. When is it?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Tonight? It’s a bit short notice, isn’t it? And it�
��s a school night. Sorry, Gina, I’m going to have to say no.”

  “Oh, come on, Mum! She needs me. She’s in the middle of some boy crisis and it’s really nice of her to ask me, because you know how crap I’ve been with all my friends since Dad died.”

  “Don’t say crap,” her mum said.

  “But, Mum, I’m just beginning to get back in with them. It’ll really help me. You went on and on at me about going out with my friends more, and now I get the chance you won’t let me! Becky’s going to think I don’t like her and everything will be terrible again, just when things were getting better,” Gina pleaded breathlessly.

  “But what about school?”

  “Becky’s mum’s dead sensible. She won’t let us stay up too late and she said she’d drive us to school in the morning. I’ll just take my uniform.”

  She could see that her mum was wavering.

  Tom intervened, whispering, “Go on, Clare, let her go. It’ll be good for her. You know I’m right. Wasn’t I right about the urn business?” He looked pleased with himself.

  “Well, I suppose you need a break, a bit of fun. One late night won’t be the end of the world, will it? I’m just happy that you’re getting on with your old friends again.”

  Her mum smiled and hugged her. Gina swallowed her guilt.

  “This is so unfair,” Danny wailed. “I want to go on a sleepover on a school night.”

  “You can…when you’re sixteen,” Gina smirked.

  “This is age discrimination. There’s probably a law against it.”

  “Get over it, Danny.” Gina kissed her squirming brother.

  “Why don’t I drop you off?” Tom said. “It’s dark out there.”

  “Thanks! I’ll just grab my stuff.” Gina ran upstairs, throwing her uniform into her schoolbag.

  They’d only been travelling a couple of minutes when Gina piped up, “It’s just here.” She pointed to the end terrace on the street opposite the entrance to the docks.

  He stopped the car. “Have a good time, Gina. And just remember – I’m the one who persuaded your mum to let you come here tonight. I’m on your side.” He patted her knee. She flinched, opening the car door urgently and jumping out.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, perplexed.

  “I’ve got to go,” she said, unnerved. “I’ll go down the alley. They never use the front door.”

  Gina disappeared down the stranger’s alleyway. She waited and watched as Tom drove off and then rushed to the end of the street, just in time to see his car turning into the entrance of the docks.

  She phoned Declan in a panic. “Declan, he’s just driven into the docks!”

  She heard a clatter as Declan nearly fell off the ladder. “Shit!” he said. “I’ve got to hide.”

  Gina didn’t have to wait long before she saw a juggernaut, signalling to turn into the docks to pick up cargo. She ran across the road and hid by the side of it, out of sight of the security hut and the nightwatchman. As the barrier went up, she entered the port using the monstrous lorry for cover.

  Meanwhile, Tom was turning the keys in the warehouse locks.

  The alarm sounded a warning as he opened the door. He hurried over to the panel and punched in the code to silence it. Declan watched as Tom started up one of the forklift trucks and headed towards Aisle One.

  Gina had never been allowed in the docks at night and creeping around it now, she was spooked. Floodlights blazed everywhere and she scuttled from one pocket of darkness to the next, trying to avoid the gaze of an army of CCTV cameras.

  As she approached the quayside, she stood transfixed by the sight of ghostly ships emerging from the rolling fog, their horns bellowing as they came in to dock; their immense bows looked ready to crash through the quayside, destroying everything in their path.

  A crew of dockers in their luminous uniforms came towards her, like fireflies. She ducked between piles of crates. As they walked past, she felt something brush against her legs in the darkness. She put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Looking down, she saw a black rat, nearly the size of a cat, scurrying away.

  As soon as she dared, Gina made a run for it, heading past the freight trains. She gazed anxiously up at the cranes, which were lowering vast containers onto the waiting carriages. She made it to the complex of warehouses. Fleets of lorries, their headlights on full beam, were standing outside many of them, but all seemed peaceful at the cocoa warehouse, with just one lone car at its entrance.

  Gina started walking briskly towards it when, from round the corner, a sudden torch beam threatened to expose her. She dropped to the ground, her knees and hands splashing into a pool of diesel oil. The security guard’s radio crackled and she heard him reply.

  “No, it’s as quiet as the grave tonight. I’ll just finish my route and come back. Put the kettle on, will you? I’m freezing.”

  Gina didn’t move a muscle as the torch beam passed over her head and the security guard went on his way.

  She ran behind Tom’s car and phoned Declan.

  “What do you want, Gina?” he whispered. “Tom’s in here.”

  “I know. Let me in. I’m outside.”

  “What? No! Go home!”

  “Security will catch me. You’ve got to let me in. It can’t be hard. The warehouse is big enough for him not to see you.”

  Declan knew that she wouldn’t go away until he did. He snuck out of his hiding place and painstakingly edged his way between the aisles towards the door. When he reached it, he eased it open, flinching at every creak.

  He pulled Gina inside and out of sight.

  “For God’s sake, Gina. What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to help,” Gina whispered, her eyes shining with adrenalin.

  “Help!” he hissed. “You’re going to get us both caught. This isn’t a game.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” she said earnestly. “I need to be here. What if whatever’s in that sack has something to do with my dad’s death?”

  “I’m going to see what Tom’s doing. You stay here,” Declan whispered to Gina.

  He crept to the end of Aisle One and poked his head round the corner. He could see Tom in the truck about halfway down the aisle. His boss was using the forklift to lower a stack of sacks from one of the upper shelves, but Declan was too far away to really see what Tom was up to; he had to get closer. He started to crawl along the piles of sacks on the bottom shelves and got as close as he dared before taking out his phone ready to take photographic evidence.

  The warehouse fell into silence as Tom cut the engine and jumped down from the truck. With his back to Declan he began sifting his way through the sacks before separating out one in particular. Declan leaned out from the shelf, his phone poised to take the photo, but Tom turned round! Declan froze. He’s going to see me!

  There was a sharp tug on his jeans and Declan felt himself sliding backwards and out of sight. He turned and gave Gina a wide-eyed smile of gratitude. Neither of them dared speak. Tom stepped over to the truck and picked a gleaming knife from the seat. He kneeled down in front of the sack and slit it open like a butcher. Declan and Gina strained to see, but Tom’s back blocked their view. Tom started to rummage around inside it, cocoa beans spilling out all around him. After a moment, he pulled something out, inspected it and put it in his jacket. He then climbed back into the forklift and proceeded to carefully lift all the other sacks back onto the shelf. When he’d finished, he turned the forklift off and gathered up the open sack and all the spilled cocoa beans. Gina and Declan pressed themselves against the back of the deep shelf as he passed by on his way to the exit, carrying the open sack. He reset the alarm, turned off the main lights and left, locking Declan and Gina inside.

  “What do you think it was?” Gina asked, scrambling out from the shelf.

  “Don’t know. Couldn’t see,” Declan groaned.

  “Are we locked in?”

  “Yep. He’s put the mortise lock on.”

  �
��Well, should I call the police?”

  “And tell them what? That he’s come into his own warehouse and taken something out of one of his own sacks? They’re not going to be interested. We’re the ones who aren’t meant to be in here. If you phone the police, we’re the ones who’ll end up in trouble.”

  “So we’re here for the night?”

  “Yeah, unless…”

  “Unless what?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he answered, distractedly. “I’d better phone Mrs. Mac, make up some excuse for not getting home. What about you? How are you going to explain this?”

  “I’m all sorted,” Gina said with a mixture of pride and guilt. “My mum thinks I’m at a sleepover.”

  Declan walked out of her earshot and made his call.

  “Yeah,” said the gruff voice.

  “Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?” Declan said. “I’ve left loads of messages. Why didn’t you get back to me?”

  “My phone’s been off. I was on a job,” Stevie replied.

  “Well, it’s your loss, because Cotter has just been in the warehouse, taken something from one of the sacks of cocoa beans and left.”

  “What the hell was it?”

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t see.”

  “You’re useless!”

  “Get lost! You should be thanking me. I’ve just found out that Cotter’s probably involved in some sort of smuggling racket.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “How should I know? He left the warehouse and now I’m locked in here.” Declan omitted to say that Gina was there too. He knew it wouldn’t go down very well with Stevie.

  “Well,” Stevie scoffed, “it won’t do you any harm. You can just sit tight until someone opens up in the morning.”

  “But how am I going to explain being locked in the warehouse all night?”

  “Use your bloody initiative, soft lad! You don’t want Cotter finding out you were there. Listen, you’ve done okay,” he said begrudgingly. “I’ll speak to you in the morning.”

  Tom looked in his rear-view mirror and saw the blue lights flashing in the darkness. His instinct was to put his foot down, try to outrun them but, as if they could read his mind, the siren began to wail its warning. He pulled over onto the hard shoulder and took a deep breath, smoothing his hair back with his hands.