‘Who’s your friend?’
‘Don’t you know? Jason Watson.’
‘Oh.’ Ross blinked and looked slightly more alert, like a chimp suddenly faced with a banana. ‘The guy who …?’
‘Yeah,’ said Jason. ‘That guy. Would you mind most awfully?’
Ross didn’t seem to mind having his accent mimicked and mocked.
‘Oh … I suppose so …’
He opened the door wider, letting them in and up the narrow, dark stairs to the flat above.
Jason was surprised at how un-posh it was. It would be a decent enough place if it was better looked after, but Ross didn’t seem to have the housekeeping gene. Piles of laundry covered the sofa and chairs and the floor was a minefield of ashtrays and half-empty bottles.
‘Excuse the mess,’ he said, yawning. ‘I’ve basically been working and sleeping and not much else. Grabbing the odd beer and cigarette in between. Can I offer you anything?’
‘Maybe a place to sit?’ suggested Mia, and Ross grabbed an armful of pants and socks and dumped them on an ironing board standing by the far wall.
‘Sure,’ he said. ‘Go for it. Mi casa es su casa etcetera.’
‘You always had lovely manners,’ said Mia, taking the one clea
r place and leaving Jason to lean against the mantelpiece, on which packs of Rizlas and dusty photographs lay together in chaos.
‘So, tea? Coffee? I’ve got wine, I think.’
‘It’s OK,’ said Jason. ‘We’ve just had coffee.’
‘Right.’ He perched on the arm of the sofa next to Mia. ‘So, to what do I owe the pleasure?’
‘You’ve got a cottage,’ said Jason without preamble.
‘Oh … well, yah. I inherited it from my parents but I don’t really use it – as you can see. I was going to sell up when Mum died last year, but I’m renting it out at the moment. Was that what you wanted? To hire it? I’m afraid it’s taken, for the time being.’
‘We know that,’ said Jason. ‘And we know who by.’
Ross blinked.
‘Then …?’
‘It might surprise you to know what he gets up to down there,’ said Jason. ‘Kidnap. Assault. Not your typical English country garden type of thing.’
‘Kidnap?’ echoed Ross. ‘Who? What do you mean?’
‘I was taken there against my will, and it was pure luck that I got away. Somebody else wasn’t so lucky. Last I saw of him, he had Harville’s goons on top of him, laying right into him. We might even be able to add murder to that list.’
Jason had a feeling this was a bit over the top, but it certainly succeeded in making Ross sit up and take notice. He paled under his stubble and reached with shaky fingers for his cigarette papers.
‘Who was this? Who was getting attacked?’
‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.’
‘Jase,’ reproached Mia. ‘Why not tell him? Deano Diamond.’
The cigarette papers slipped from Ross’s grasp.
‘What? The rock star? You’re kidding me.’