Читать книгу Remain Silent - Susie Steiner - Страница 17

His path to the bedroom has been blocked by Edikas.

‘The police want to talk to you,’ Edikas says. ‘I am not going to take heat from police for you.’

‘I can’t—’ Matis says.

‘You can. You can talk to them without telling them anything. This is easy. You forgot this, you don’t know that.’

Dimitri, who is increasingly man-marking Matis like a concerned nursery maid, has joined them, towering over squat, fat Edikas.

‘Hey, he doesn’t want to,’ says Dimitri.

Edikas says, ‘What’s it got to do with you?’

‘He’s my friend.’

‘Urgh, I’ve had enough of all this friendship bullshit. This was the problem with Lukas. Useless! You’re here to work.’

‘Leave him alone,’ says Dimitri, almost shouting.

‘It’s all right,’ soothes Matis. He notices Edikas fiddling in his pocket, and before he can react, Edikas’s fist comes up and out, a heavy metal fitting over his knuckles as he punches Dimitri in the face.

‘You come with me,’ Edikas says, pushing a stunned Dimitri towards the bedroom. He orders the men who are lying about on mattresses to leave. Just before closing the door, Edikas puts his head out and whistles, and the dog comes bounding up the stairs and slinks into the bedroom.

Matis hears Dimitri shout ‘Please! No!’

Hears growling, snarling, a cry of pain, then Edikas whistles and says, Enough, calling the dog off.

The door opens. Edikas walks down the stairs, the dog trotting alongside him.

Matis enters the room to find Dimitri on the floor, clutching his leg. The trousers are torn and there is a gash on his calf, bleeding profusely.