Underbelly (16 page)

Are you sure that you did?

Cecil wouldn’t kill me, that’s mad.

And you never saw Conrad Overton at Cecil Winston’s house?

No, I was only there that once.

Thanks, Thomas. I’m going to look into this
, Grey promised and he drew Conrad back to the forefront and updated him on what Thomas had said, infuriating Conrad.

That bullshitter! I’m glad he’s dead too, the lying scumbag. Winston must have double-crossed him. I’m telling you, he was there. Why would I lie?

I believe you’re telling the truth, but why would he lie?

Because he’s a loony. He’s been in the madhouse a couple of times.

That doesn’t mean he’s mad
, Grey said, Conrad striking a nerve.

Of course it does. I’ve got my flaws, Grey, but I’m the one telling you the truth here
, Conrad said vociferously.

I’m going to visit Cecil Winston to get to the bottom of it.

Good. Don’t go alone, don’t make my mistake.

Grey felt he had no option but to go alone and he asked Delgado if he could take him up on his offer of staying a little longer to leave Germaine behind while he went to California.

“
I thought you wanted to take her with you to Hollywood. Of course she can stay but she’ll want to go if you do.”

“
It’s business and I don’t want her with me.”

“
So it must be something more than messages or you’d take her with you. You’re not going to try and fight that Inge, are you?”

“
Thankfully not. It’s messages in a way – it’s a riddle I need to solve. Do you know anything of the California bluebloods?”

“
I couldn’t tell you about the Arizona ones, amigo. I’m curious, tell me more.”

Grey shared what he knew about Conrad, Thomas and their possible killer, Cecil Winston, and Delgado asked him what his plan was.

“
I’ll formulate it when I get there. I’ve got some ideas.”

“
Which are?”

“
They’re half-baked. I only found out any of this last night.”

Delgado went to work, giving some serious thought to all that Grey had told him. He believed in his friend’s powers and wanted to help him deal with this injustice and proposed an idea when he returned. He’d lied and said that his friend was ill (in Grey’s case not a total lie) and wangled a week off work to offer his assistance to Grey, who was reluctant to accept his aid in case the situation was dangerous.

“
If you go by yourself and leave Germaine here I still don’t get my bed back and I fancy a break from the sofa. You don’t know what you’re going into but you do know that two men went into Winston’s house alive and that was the end of them. There’s safety in numbers,” Delgado said, not prepared to take no for an answer.

“
This could be dangerous. Have a long think about it first, and then if you still want to come I’ll pay your train…”

“
No need, I’ve persuaded Carlos to lend me his car. I’m going to go and see Otilio tonight and persuade him to come too.” Otilio was Delgado’s boxer friend who Grey had not met but had heard a lot about. “You've only got a week to solve this before we have to come back, and I don’t see any point in going to his manor until we have more information or as an absolute last resort.”

“
I suppose it would be safer like that. We’ll have to warn Otilio of the dangers before he commits to coming. I don’t foresee calamity but I don’t fully understand the situation either.”

“
He’ll come regardless. Get your stuff together and we’ll be going in the morning,” Delgado said.

Grey had told Germaine all that he knew of the situation and she wanted to go with them and kept trying to talk Grey round despite his adamant refusal, his stance unwavering. Her determination to come impressed Delgado, for while he viewed any dangers as slight, they were dealing with the unknown and she wanted to share the risk. He made the situation easier for Grey by telling Germaine that there was no way he would drive her there, agreeing with Grey that it wasn’t the place for her. She conceded defeat and let them go on good terms, urging Grey to phone her as often as he could so that she knew that they were safe.

Delgado repeatedly honked the car horn outside Otilio’s flat before he went up to hammer on his door to get him out of bed, the pair of them coming down after twenty minutes and Otilio sprawled across the back seats as Delgado set off for California. Otilio had been out for most of the night and was tired and just exchanged a few pleasantries with Grey, asking him what he thought of the boxing and the fighters, both of whom he’d knocked out before, and in shorter time than 18 rounds. Grey found Otilio friendly and proved the adage of never trusting a book by its cover as he looked mean with his shaven head, short black beard and moustache with heavily tattooed arms and a heavyweight’s build. Delgado had told him the previous night that Grey was a medium, which he took in his stride, in no position to judge anyone. He had spent the last five years in prison after killing his cousin in a bar brawl, and, like Grey, he was persona non grata in his own family, making his true friends, like Delgado, even more important to him. Otilio slept for most of the morning and Delgado asked Grey if his plans were any more developed as he would have to pick a destination soon.

“
Fresno.”

“
Why go straight to his house?” Delgado asked, failing to see the logic.

“
Thomas says that Conrad is the spawn of the devil, while Conrad says that Thomas is crazy. I need to make my own impressions of Cecil Winston. You two stay in the car.”

“
Who says you’ll even get in, or that he’ll be home? I say we should do some research into their deaths first before we approach.”

“
Okay, but that can be done in Fresno.”

“
I think it’s just as well we’ve come with you. Being reckless is suicidal when you’re dealing with murderers.”

“
Manslaughter,” Otilio said from the back, still closing his eyes but beginning to feel more alert.

“
Relax, we weren’t talking about you,” Delgado said.

“
I know. We don’t know about this sort of thing, Del, why not go with his plan?” Otilio suggested, seeing no point skirting around the issue. He didn’t crave a showdown (he didn’t mind fighting but he wasn’t going to deck a geriatric) but it seemed preferable to detective work which would likely lead nowhere.

“
I don’t intend to knock on his door and ask him if he’s killed any heirs recently,” Grey said, trying to reassure Delgado that he wasn’t going to confront or antagonise Cecil Winston.

“
Okay, so you knock on the door and then what?” Delgado said, pushing him for his plan.

“
I’ll gauge the situation when I’m there.”

“
I’ll head to Fresno, but start thinking, because I won’t drive to his house without some sort of plan,” Delgado said firmly.

Grey asked Conrad and Thomas for their opinions, both desiring him to go straight to Cecil Winston to discover what befell them. Conrad told him to pretend to be a young businessman who had heard that he helped entrepreneurs as a way of getting his foot in the door, after which Conrad wanted him to beat him up. Grey chose just to follow the first part of his suggestion, which he brought up to Delgado.

“
All right, that’s not bad. However, you have to convince me of your business proposal first.”

“
I haven’t got one. Okay, okay, give me time,” Grey said. “Any ideas, Otilio?”

“
Sorry, pal, if I had any ideas for making money I’d already be doing them. Del, you’re smart, what do you think?” Otilio said.

“
I think I’m having enough trouble finding my way,” he said crossly. He heard how sharp his words sounded and he calmed himself down and said, “It’ll be too late to go to the house today. Once we arrive in Fresno I’ll give it some thought. Conrad and Thomas could be better help, Jimmy.”

Delgado was right and Grey knew it, having just asked for Otilio and Delgado’s help on the off chance and to include them. Conrad gave him several suggestions and Grey brought them up to Delgado and Otilio who found them presentable.

“
Fine, you might get through the door and discuss a business proposition – I don’t see where this leads you,” Delgado said.

“
I don’t either, but if I had all the answers there’d be no need for the trip,” Grey said. “I appreciate that I’m not doing it alone – I’m starting to realise that would have been a mistake.”

Grey offered to pay for their lodgings when they arrived at Fresno, as they were doing a favour for him, but Delgado was too proud and they ended up paying between them (Otilio was broke and neither minded covering him). Grey wanted to stay in and give the meeting some thought, but he wasn’t given the option as Otilio was determined to go out on the town and insisted they both came with him, stressing that if they wanted him to accompany them to the Winston manor they had to hit the bars with him. Beer helped Grey unwind a little and he only drank in moderation and was up early the next morning. Delgado was feeling a little more positive about the plan, which he insisted on going over again.

“
We drive to the manor. You and me go inside and Otilio stays in the car. We go over the business venture and then we leave and we can decide what we think of him and where to go from there.”

“
All right. He’s not going to confess, you realise that, don’t you?” Delgado said.

“
I know. Let’s just see what we get out of today.”

“
Shouldn’t you be wearing suits?” Otilio pointed out, surprised that they hadn’t thought of this themselves.

“
I thought about that, but then I realised that if we’re pretending we’ve got money we can dress casual,” Grey said.

“
You’ve lost me there, amigo,” Otilio said.

“
If you’ve got money then you’ve got the confidence not to dress formally – we’re not scruffy anyway,” Grey said, aware that he wasn’t explaining himself well.

“
You two aren’t, but I think I should come in too,” Otilio said. “You didn’t bring me just to keep the car seats warm, surely.”

“
He’s right,” Delgado said to Grey. “All of us should go in. I’ve got some clothes in my bag,” Delgado said, sorting some smarter clothes out for Otilio and after he was changed they set off, Grey taking the wheel and following Thomas’ directions. The Winston manor was fairly secluded, each house in the vicinity comprising of huge houses and grounds that housed enough trees for a small wood. Delgado pushed the gates open that led to the house and Grey drove up to the front door.

“
Are we using our real names?” Otilio said. He had paid little attention to the details of the plan and found that he needed a few points clarified.

“
I’m using my real name and I’m going to say you’re my associates and just use your first name. If you’d rather I used a different name please tell me now,” Grey said.

“
No, that’s cool. You’d be better off telling him we’re your employees if you want him to believe you," Otilio suggested.

“
He’s probably right,” Delgado said cynically.

“
Nah, let’s stick to what we discussed,” Grey said, unwilling to play that role. Grey took a deep breath as they approached the front door and knocked loudly.

“
If I’d known I was going to be an associate I’d have shaved today,” Otilio joked to Delgado.