Page 57 of The Nameless Ones

‘He hurts, too.’

‘A bullet?’

‘Cancer.’

Most winced. ‘I am very sorry.’

‘They cut most of it out, poisoned the rest. Angel, I’m happy to say, is very hard to kill.’

Most raised both glasses. ‘Then dobré zdraví,’ he said, ‘for what it’s worth.’

Louis lifted his cup.

‘Good health,’ he said. ‘Have you found Bilbija?’

‘He was not so hard to find,’ said Most, producing a photograph of Luca Bilbija from his jacket pocket and placing it on the table. ‘He’s been spending money, which makes a man conspicuous, although this one has been spending it in the right way and in the right places, which makes him less conspicuous.’

Louis moved the photo closer. It was definitely Bilbija.

‘Where was it taken?’

‘At a casino in Zbraslav, south of the city. Very private. He has rented a house nearby, courtesy of the casino owners.’

‘Alone?’

‘Entirely. But there is a difficulty.’

‘Isn’t there always?’

Most added five more pictures to the first. They showed, from various angles, what looked like a fortified blockhouse: a single-story dwelling with narrow windows, surrounded by a high wall. The wall had a vehicle door built into its southern side, leading to a smaller entrance into the main house.

‘This is where he’s living?’ said Louis. He sounded incredulous.

‘It is not, I admit, the home of a man at ease with the world,’ said Most.

He tapped the topmost photo with a straw from one of his drinks.

‘See here? Cameras, on the outer and inner walls. It also has lights triggered by motion sensors, and an alarm connected directly to the casino’s private security system. The door into the house is reinforced steel, and the windows have security shutters of the same material. Even if the power is cut off, the house has a backup generator, and any failure automatically triggers an alert. The casino can also choose to involve the police, if required. There is, I’m informed, an understanding between them.’

Most handed Louis another photo, a trio of men in their fifties, one of whom was pointing a gun directly at the lens of the camera.

‘The Novákovi,’ said Most. ‘They own the casino, and Bilbija’s is one of five properties in the area that they keep for high rollers, the kind who prefer not to stay in hotels. They also rent them to those who may have certain security problems, including temporary difficulties with enemies or the law.’

‘What about that understanding with the police you mentioned?’

‘The police don’t ask questions of the Novákovi, as long as there’s no trouble,’ said Most. ‘Some of them even do security work on the side, officially and unofficially. You see here?’ He indicated the northern corner of Bilbija’s house. ‘That’s the guards’ residence. Two are present at all times. They’re relieved every forty-eight hours. The gate in the outer wall is opened, a car drives in, the occupants are checked by this camera on the inner wall, and only when the guards inside are satisfied that all is well do they open the door to the main house. The guards also take care of deliveries, so they bring in food, wine, women, whatever the guest requires.’

‘Weapons?’

‘Heckler and Koch UMPs, and Phantom pistols. But even if the guards were armed only with small stones, taking Bilbija at the house would not be an option. You might get to him, if you were lucky, but by the time you did, you would be surrounded. Fighting your way out, assuming you could, would involve killing police, and no one would be happy about that, including me.’

‘But Bilbija must leave on occasion,’ said Louis.

‘Only to go to the casino. He eats, he gambles, maybe he takes a woman upstairs to one of the private rooms, then he returns to the house.’

‘Let me guess,’ said Louis. ‘He doesn’t travel alone.’

‘He likes to drive himself – the Audi TT in the second picture is his rental – but an escort car from the casino arrives to bring him in, joined by a police vehicle. One car in front, one behind, and Bilbija in the middle.’

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