Page 103 of Between the Lies

The DCI snarled and gripped Robert’s collar using his free arm. ‘Shah got what he deserved. And so will you.’

Nina screamed when Dickheadson backhanded her so hard, she fell to the ground. Robert growled. The bastard hadn’t just done that?

Robert smacked the hand that held his collar and replied with a knee to Dickheadson’s torso. The blade skittered across the ground. Dickheadson cursed, fisted his hands then kicked Robert in the side.

Robert fumbled, almost slipping on a discarded banana peel – oh, the irony – then ducked to avoid another kick. Above him, Dickheadson grunted and his balance faltered. Nina. She’d pushed him.

‘No, this is between me and him.’ Robert rolled up his sleeve and waited. Dickheadson reached into his pocket and retrieved another knife.

His plan was obviously to use that knife to make Robert comply. After all, in the years Robert had worked for the man, Dickheadson had always bullied people. So he’d assume Robert or Nina would take one look at the sharp edges and do his bidding without so much as a fight. Big. Fucking. Mistake.

Robert and Dickheadson circled, standing close enough for either to attack as the seconds ticked on.

Holding up two fingers, Robert gestured for Dickheadson to make the first move. And like a bull seeing red, Dickheadson charged. But Robert sidestepped the man and shoved, and the DCI thunked to the ground, groaning. To make sure he stayed down, Robert kicked him.

But Dickheadson proved to be faster. He rolled away then hopped up again, and the two men grappled – kicks, punches, uppercuts and shoves with grunts punctuating their fight. Robert had indeed underestimated his boss.

Still, Robert’s thirst for victory, revenge – the man had slapped Nina – and retribution for the years he’d had to obey the dick won out. Somewhere between a punch and a kick, Robert found absolute calm. He wasn’t punching his boss – no, he’d discredited his authority as a DCI, abused people he’d sworn to protect, aided a criminal – gone against everything Robert had ever considered the responsibility of the job.

Robert leaped, grabbed Dickheadson’s shirt and, using his momentum, thumped them to the ground. He punched Dickheadson’s face then used his training to incapacitate the man.

‘Do you have zip-ties?’

When no one replied, Robert turned to see the spot Nina had stood at. But she’d vanished. ‘Nina?’

Under him, Dickheadson spat, ‘Even she walked away from you.’

A cluster of footsteps echoed through the alley, then a torchlight hit Robert. Dickheadson laughed. ‘One day you’ll rot in hell.’

Seething, Robert struck, and the man slumped, unconscious. Finally.

‘Robert! Nina said— Shite!’ Cheryl’s voice neared. ‘What did you do?’

The white torchlight fell on Dickheadson, highlighting his prone figure.

‘Do you know?—?’

‘Hold it.’ Robert cut Cheryl off, reaching into Dickheadson’s pocket. He pulled out a pack of what appeared to be small diaries – passports. Robert flipped through them. ‘These look familiar?’ He passed a few to Nina, who’d appeared just behind Cheryl.

Then he rummaged through other pockets.

‘Hey, look,’ a male voice – Joshua’s – joined in. Something plopped on the ground next to Dickheadson. ‘I found a bag.’

Nina crouched beside Robert and unzipped it. Passports – lots of them. ‘He had this on him when he got to me.’ Nina gripped Robert’s arm. ‘These passports are in evidence bags.’

Cheryl cursed. ‘He stole them from the evidence room.’

Still crouched on the ground, Robert rummaged through the bag. ‘Aye, these passports must’ve been at the storage facility Shah ran – remember, there were a few lockers the employees weren’t allowed to touch? When the man got taken out, the police probably collected these as evidence.’

‘Shit!’ Cheryl kicked Dickheadson. ‘He’s scum.’

‘Aye, but he isn’t the only one.’ Robert stood up. ‘We need to go – now.’

CHAPTERFIFTY-ONE

Nina tracked Robert as he paced. They’d reconvened at Billy’s bar. Once more, Billy had kicked his patrons out and shut the pub. It felt wrong to ask him to shut down his place of business, and Nina intended to compensate him for his trouble. But the man had a protective streak in him a mile wide, and he was as invested in their case as she was.

It warmed her heart to see the people assembled around her. While they weren’t all here for her, they believed in the same thing she did, and were willing to fight for it.

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