Page 272 of The Hallmarked Man
‘I was getting a bad vibe!’ shouted Danny. ‘All right?’
‘What fucking bad vibe?’
‘From Branfoot?’ said Robin.
‘Yeah,’ said Danny.
‘What happened?’ said Robin, trying to forestall Richard.
‘I was… walking home one night,’ said Danny haltingly, ‘’n I was followed. Big geezer. I sped up, he sped up. I started to run, so did he. Taxi come along and I flagged it down. I looked back, the bloke was running off in the opposite direction… Branfoot knows people, rough people through his – you know – his bullshit charity stuff. Blokes who’ve been in jail and are up for a bit of cash… he told me once he’s the only man in London who knows as many pigs as criminals… I stayed home for a few days after I was followed but then Isaw the geezer again. He was hanging round in the street, looking up at my windows.’
‘Is that when you decided to come home?’ asked Robin.
‘Not straight away. But then this mate of mine called and said fucking Craig was going around talking about how I was gonna be “taken care of”. So – yeah – I packed a bag, waited till the bloke hanging around left for the night, called a taxi and went straight to the airport.’
‘The friend who tipped you off that Branfoot was going to “take care of you”,’ said Robin, ‘is this the same person who told you Branfoot thinks you were the body in the silver shop?’
‘Yeah,’ said Danny. ‘The bloke who was meant to kill me must’ve told Branfoot that was me.’
It was apparent to Robin from Richard’s expression that he’d previously taken Danny’s account of what had made him flee London as either exaggerated, or complete fiction. The arrival of two strangers in pursuit of his brother had clearly come as a shock, but Robin could tell that listening to Danny repeating his story to a third party, especially a third party who was providing confirmation of it, had tipped Richard into a state of alarm he’d hitherto escaped.
‘Well, Branfoot’s not gonna think that body was you for ever, is he?’ Richard said hotly. Pointing at Strike and Robin he said, ‘If they found out, so can bloody Branfoot! How long d’you think it’ll take for him to work out you just came home to Mum?’
‘Look, justfuck offout of this, it’s got nothing to do with you!’ said Danny angrily, standing up so quickly his chair fell over backwards.
‘Danny, please sit down,’ said Robin. ‘Please.We want to help.’
She looked at Strike, inviting his agreement, but as Strike currently wanted little more than to thump Danny himself, he said nothing.
‘You, help?’ Danny said to Robin, and she heard the fear beneath his aggression. ‘How canyoubloody help? You’re making it bloody worse! I’m safe as long as he thinks I was the body in the vault, and here’s you trying to prove it wasn’t me!’
‘Well, the obvious way to remove the threat would be to—’
‘No,’ said the de Leon brothers together.
‘He’s not bloody going public,’ said Richard.
‘I’m not talking to the press, no fucking way,’ said Danny.
‘Our mum doesn’t know what he’s been up to,’ said Richard. ‘And she’s not gonna know, either. She only lost our dad last year.’
‘If I talk, Branfoot’ll makesureI’m bloody finished off,’ said Danny.
‘But what Branfoot’s doing is illegal,’ said Robin. ‘He’s filming people without their consent, and if—’
‘They all took money on film, there’s no proof,’ said Danny. ‘If I talk—’
‘But your brother’s right, Danny. When that body’s identified—’
‘Then I’ll go somewhere else,’ said Danny wildly.
‘You’re going to live in hiding for ever?’
‘If I have to!’
‘Christ almighty, what afuckingmess!’ exploded Richard, also standing up. ‘I stuck up for you with Dad, Dan, but Christ’s sake, I’m starting to think he was—’
Danny lunged at his brother; Richard parried his punch, but Danny kept attacking, driving Richard, who appeared not to want to retaliate, back up against the kitchen cupboards. Strike now dropped the packet of peas, heaved himself back onto his feet, interposed his bulk between the brothers and pushed Danny backwards with one large hand on the younger man’s chest.
