Page 107 of The Shadows Beyond
Cinn wanted him, and as soon as they flew home, Julien was going to show him exactly how much he wanted him in return.
Three knocks on the door, followed by silence.
“Sure we’ve got the right address?” asked Elliot, eyebrows crinkled as he scanned the dilapidated exterior of the small block of flats. An array of small windows, all dark, sat above window sills featuring peeling layers of glossy paint.
The curtain of the window nearest to them twitched. Moments later, heavy footsteps sounded behind the door. Julien hovered behind Cinn with Elliot, shuffling his weight from one foot to the next.
The door opened a crack.
Then flew wide.
“Buns! You came!” A young man stood in the doorway. He ran his hand over his buzz-cut blond hair. “I knew you would.”
Elliot snorted. “Buns? Please don’t tell me… like, cinnamon buns?”
The man grinned, friendly and warm. “Gave ’im that name his first day with us. He never did make them for us though, eh, Buns?”
Cinn groaned and let out a tired sigh. “Please forget you heard that immediately.”
After clutching Cinn to him with a whack on the back, the stranger reached out his hand to shake Julien’s. “Bradley. Cheers for coming all the way here.”
Bradley.Bradley Harrison.The name Cinn had given him, to transfer the money Tyler needed.
After following Bradley down a tiny corridor to the interior entrance to his flat, they were shepherded into a small kitchen. The room was a chaotic blend of mismatched dishes piled precariously in the sink,crumbs scattered across a chipped linoleum floor, and faded wallpaper peeling at the corners. A burnt toast smell hung in the air, even though it was almost eight p.m.
Julien pushed himself against a cupboard, hard pressed for standing space. The flat wasn’t warm; all three of them kept their coats on.
Bradley flicked his kettle on, then turned to them. “So, you’re that Julien, eh? Tyler often talks to Cinn in here.” Bradley nodded towards a phone on the wall. “Your name crops up a lot,” he continued, giving Julien a mischievous look that he interpreted as,not that Tyler enjoys it.
Bradley turned to Cinn, flashing him a grin. “Tyler’s been tight-lipped as ever about what the devil you’re up to in Switzerland. All hush-hush, is it?” His gaze shifted between Julien and Elliot, a touch of scrutiny in his eyes.
“Something like that,” Cinn said uneasily.
“Well, beats heading back to the slammer, I reckon,” Bradley remarked with a sigh. “I was proper gutted when I heard you got pinched. As for Tyler, mate, let me tell you, he was crushed. Took off like the wind, and I didn’t lay eyes on him for days.”
“Where is he now?” Cinn rifled through Bradley’s cupboard, producing four chipped mugs.
Bradley’s eyes darkened. “I’m sorry to tell you that Richter’s got him. That bastard. I warned Tyler a thousand times to steer clear of dealing for him again. But did he listen? Hell, no. Stupid fucker. I would throttle him, if Richter wasn’t doing it for me, anyway.” Bradley banged his fist against the counter. Perhaps Julien would have an ally in Bradley.
“What do you mean, Richter’sgothim?” Elliot said. “As in, he’s locked him up somewhere?”
“Somewhere, yeah. He grabbed him off the street yesterday. I told him not to leave the house as well. No clue where he is. I keep my nose well clear of that world now.” A hint of bitterness tinged Bradley’s tone. “Ionly got the information about Richter grabbing him through a friend of a friend.”
Cinn passed out the mugs of tea he’d made, then closed his eyes in a dreamlike state to take a sip. Julien almost laughed. Apparently, any tea bag they found for him in Switzerland wasn’t the same.
Cinn set his mug down, then leaned against the table, crinkling his forehead. “I think I know someone who can relay a message to Richter. A kid that works for him. I was with Tyler when he spoke to him a few times. We can head out in a minute, see if he’s at his usual spot.”
“Worth a try, then,” said Elliot, who glanced at the door, clearly already wanting to be free of the claustrophobic kitchen.
“You lot can crash here tonight,” Bradley offered, and Cinn promptly expressed his gratitude, leaving Julien little room to politely decline. Elliot shot him a panicked look, but Julien shrugged in defeat. There was no way he was leaving Cinn here unprotected. “There’s a single in Tyler’s room, then there’s a sofa and a floor.”
Bradley opened the kitchen window and lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke out into the cool night air.
“Alright. We’ll be back later, then,” said Cinn. “Thanks, mate.” Draining the last of his drink, Cinn yawned before heading to the door, tugging his beanie further down on his head.
Once they were back in the freezing, early December chill, Julien and Elliot trailed behind Cinn as he marched them through numerous residential streets and a small play park to reach the top of a high street.
“Oh!” said Elliot. “There’s a fish and chip shop over there.”
