Chapter 4

Thursday 6.30am

Pain woke her, as it always did. Yesterday she had left drops of blood in the toilet, and that hadn't happened before. Then she remembered it was Thursday already, and felt her body cringing in anticipation. She knew it would be worse than last time; it always was. Her life had narrowed to days of pain and days of agony. The room and the awful food and the blank eyes of the woman who took her to the toilet. Before, she had sometimes been taken to the park where the men came in their cars, and she thought about the kind transsexual who had given her a postcard and told her to put a message on it. She had thought it was a trick and tried to make the message seem harmless but no-one had confronted her with it, and she had started to hope a little. Then when she had been told to talk to Nela on the phone, even though they were making her lie and try to trick her, the hope had grown for a while, but now it had gone, and when she looked for it, the man's face was grinning up at her.

My phone made its wake-up noise and I stretched. I was on the outside edge of Pilar's bed and she had one leg hooked over mine. I ran my hand over the soft curve of her hip and congratulated myself on my good taste. Reluctantly, I separated our limbs and rolled out of bed.

When I came out of the bathroom she was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, watching the coffee-pot and yawning. I leaned over and gave her a kiss.

'Mmmm, toothpaste, ' she said, 'I bet I taste awful though.' I kissed her again to show her that she didn't. Actually she did, but so what? Stage one is stage one. The coffee-pot began making its noises and she started to get up but I stopped her.

'Go back to bed.' I took two cups through, then sat on the bed and waited while she sipped. 'Get a bit more sleep if you can, ' I said, 'and I'll call you at nine.'

'I only woke up so I could kiss you goodbye, so come here.' She concentrated on the task and after a minute I disengaged.

'I'm in danger of coming back to bed, ' I told her, 'so I'd better go now.' I unhooked her arms from my neck and stood up. She made a snuffling noise, rolled over, and was fast asleep in about ten seconds. I put the cups in the sink and let myself out.

As I stepped out of the front door I looked around. There was a green Audi thirty metres up the street and I glanced into it as I passed. In the back seat a scruffy looking guy was fast asleep. Spain is getting more like England every day. I joined the queue at the bus-stop and thought about life. Last night had been unexpectedly intense. Careful: remember what happens. One day at a time is a good rule.

Twenty-five minutes later I let myself into the hostal, needing more coffee urgently. First things first. I'd almost finished setting up the tables when there was a noise behind me and I turned to see Anita.

'Hola, hermosa. Coffee?' She mumbled something and went back into the room. I fetched her a fix and tapped gently on the door. 'Here you are, love.' I handed her the cup and she grasped it as if it were the universal panacea. 'Did you sleep well?'

'Like a log, ' she said, 'and I feel so much better.' She stared into her cup. 'Did you come into the room last night?' Unusually for her she sounded shy.

'I needed to get some clean clothes, and I tucked you in and turned the light out. I didn't peep.' Only a white lie, honest.

'I woke up when the birthday party got back, ' she said, 'and I didn't have anything on, and I was covered up, and I couldn't remember doing it.'

'Don't worry. I won't tell anyone how loudly you snore, or... ' She tried to interrupt but there was a noise from reception and I escaped. Attending to women in bed was the story of my life this week. I've had worse jobs. At nine I called Pilar.

'Sí? ' Sleepily.

'Good morning to you, sweetheart, and how are you feeling?' There was a pause.

'Hola, Alex, cariño, where are you?' How quickly they forget.

'Doing breakfast and reminding you you'd planned to get up this morning. It's nine o'clock.' She groaned.

'I've got to do my legs and wash my hair, and iron something. Why didn't you call earlier?'

'Plenty of time, ' I said soothingly. 'When I finish here I'll come and inspect your legs.' There was a short silence.

'You can try, but don't arrive too soon or I won't let you in.' She paused again. 'And I need to phone Mum and... ' She was beginning to rev up and I interrupted her.

'There's people wanting coffee, love.' Second lie of the day: 'I'll be at your place by ten-thirty, OK?' She said yes, distractedly, and I went back to the dining-room. I was pouring and serving when Anita came in, wet hair tightly plaited, and made straight for the coffee-pot.

'Awake now?' With her pigtails and fresh-scrubbed face she looked about fourteen.

'Much more, ' she said, 'and much better. A bit embarrassed.' She glanced up. 'I won't tell if you don't.'

'Deal.' We looked at each other and grinned. 'Did you say the birthday people woke you up?' I asked curiously. She nodded.

'They were really noisy, but I was too comfortable to get up and hush them, and the sheets smelt of you, so I just snuggled down again and went back to sleep.' What is it about the way I smell? She went to get even more coffee and I took the chance to check the dining room.

'Can I have a favour back please, guapa? No-one's checking out today and there's a couple of things I need to do, so... '

'Go on, ' she said, 'you've made my day already. Give the nurse a kiss from me.' I gave her a kiss first, for luck. I needed a taxi and an abandoned car and a novelty-shop.

I approached Pilar's flat carefully, then slowed. The green Audi was still parked across the street, but now there were two people in it. Nipping round a corner, I hauled out my phone.

'Listen, love, is there a way in the back of your building without using the front-door?'

'Is someone following you?' she asked. Not a slow girl.

'Not exactly, ' I said, 'but I don't want to take any chances.'

'There's a fire-door but I don't know where it goes. Calle del Arroyo, I suppose. Do you want me to open it for you?'

'Do that, ' I said gratefully, 'and keep your phone with you.' I set off up the side street and was dithering when my phone rang.

'I'm in Federico's flat, looking out of his kitchen window and waving. Look up and to your left.' I turned and looked. I'd overshot, and I retraced my steps. There was a narrow alley running between two boundary walls.

'Go along there, ' she said, 'and down the steps, and I'll let you in.' My kind of girl. Safely in her flat I told her about the Audi. She went cautiously to the window.

'Too far away. Wait a minute.' She shot out of the door and I heard her clattering up the stairs. In a minute she was back with a pair of binoculars. 'Federico's, ' she panted. 'I have his keys so I can feed the cats when he goes birdwatching.' I edged the binoculars over the sill and recoiled involuntarily. Looking at me in nasty close-up was Pablo, aka Leather jacket, aka Alberto. Next to him was the guy who had been sleeping in the car earlier. I handed the binoculars to Pilar.

'Alex, why are they still looking for her?' That's a bloody good question.

'The other guy was asleep when I left, so they're probably not sure if I'm here or not. Why don't you stay at my place for a couple of nights? They'll either quit or stay here for ever. I don't mind which as long as they're not bothering us.'

'If they stay here for ever they'll definitely be bothering me, ' she said indignantly. 'And what do you mean, your place? It's full of Elena.'

'Please, don't make me worry about you as well, ' I haven't said the word, but better safe than sorry. She bit her lip, but went into the bedroom and I heard drawers being opened and closed. I went to help her choose attractive items to come visiting in, so it was a while before we let the fire-door swing shut behind us and began tacking up side streets to Plaza Castilla. Two hours later she swung her brother's Citroen Xsara into the public car-park closest to my flat. I took the ticket and put it in my wallet. Someone was going to have to start reimbursing me for all this or next year's cash-cushion would be very thin indeed. You'll probably have to see to the reimbursement yourself.

When we arrived at the flat Elena was cleaning my kitchen-cupboards. Pilar looked approving and I stifled a sigh. In the lounge I told her about Alberto and his pal.

'What did the other man look like?' she asked. I tried to describe him, but gave up when no bells seemed to ring.

'Listen up, kids, ' I said, 'because this is what we're going to do.' They wanted to argue of course, but I told them firmly that it was better to be naughty and safe than in deep shit. Pilar still looked uncomfortable and Elena tiptoed back to the kitchen.

'Alex, we could get into real trouble and... ' Distract her.

'There's other stuff too. Boring but necessary. I was going to try and do it this evening, but if you could make a start on it we could maybe fiddle some more time for ourselves.' She looked at me doubtfully. 'Not just for sex, ' I told her, 'Sex is fine, but it's only the icing. Cake's dull without icing and icing's sickly without cake.'

'I'm not a cake, ' she said, 'but I know what you mean and it's a lovely thing to say, but really, you're just trying to keep me happy while you do exactly what you've planned, aren't you?' Absolutely right. Fingers crossed.

'More or less. If we don't bend the rules a little then we've either got to go to the cops or spend the next God knows how long being careful. I don't mind going to the cops if Elena agrees, but as for peering over my shoulder... , sorry.' She was looking very serious.

'It's not just you: it's me and Elena, and Enrique's car, and now I can't go back to my flat, and it's all getting complicated.' I didn't remind her who'd got me into this or that this wasn't her game anymore. After a while she sighed.

'Do you know what I like?' she said. 'What I like is that you haven't tried to hug me or kiss me. Jorge was all over me like eczema when he was trying to persuade me about something.' I went on saying nothing. 'So go and do it, ' she said finally, 'and if it all goes wrong I won't say I told you so. And if it goes right you mustn't gloat. What pretend important stuff do you want me to do?' Back on board.

I told her briefly and she brightened. There was a good chance that she'd be able to find something helpful.

'I'm not going to ask Elena anything more just now. Today's going to be difficult enough for her. OK?' She came and straddled my lap until I was pinned.

'How can anybody be so hard and so soft at the same time? We'll do it your way, and we'll be kind to Elena so you don't feel bad. But keep explaining stuff to me. Please.' I put my hands on her buttocks and squeezed. Hard and soft, eh?

'Elena, ' I called, 'stop destroying the kitchen and come back here.'

She came in slowly and I felt like a complete shit for not liking her enough to remember how much effort it was taking her to seem calm. Pilar took one look and went over and hugged her, drawing her into a chair and leaning down to murmur in her ear. I went and looked for beer. The fridge was terminally tidy and the bottles looked as if they'd been polished. I opened one anyway wondered about tonight's sleeping arrangements. When I'd finished I stuck my head back into the lounge.

'Come on, kids, time to do it.'

As this was Spain, I was shamed into stopping for lunch, and it was gone four when we arrived in Calle Atocha. I knew the doorman at the hotel at the bottom of the street and he was happy to let me leave the car there for a small consideration. Elena shivered when we walked into the hostal.

'It is the first time I have felt cool for days, ' she said. 'Is this where you work?'

'When I'm not out looking for people, ' I said sourly, wishing them both far away. But I couldn't leave Elena in the car as if she were a stray dog, and if Pilar was to do what she was going to she had to be here too. I didn't have to like it though.

Anita appeared and looked at us. She kissed Pilar and waited.

'Anita, this is Elena, a friend of ours. Elena, this is Anita, who works here with me.' No reaction and I charged ahead. 'Pilar's needs to check some stuff on the internet. That's not going to inconvenience you, is it?' She said nothing and I felt I had to offer more. Sod it, she's almost a friend. In for a penny, in for a pound, the more the merrier, many hands make light work. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Shut up. 'She'll tell you all about it if you ask nicely.' Pilar looked surprised, Anita looked pleased, and Elena looked blank as the Spanish swirled round her. I felt nervous, but there are no reverse gears. 'All about it, I think, love. Don't lie except as an absolutely last resort.'

She gave me a hug, and blew in my ear. I pointed to the computer.

'Can you remember what you're going to start with?'

'Hoteles de Alterne, company registrations, Europol or Interpol if there's any way in for the public, spellings for Tzeka, any news sites that might have stories or names or pictures, follow the links, think laterally, ' she intoned. Anita looked startled.

'Don't worry, ' I told her. 'Pilar can explain, and maybe you'll be able to help' There were probably a lot of things about the grimy underbelly of Madrid that she knew about and Pilar and I didn't. I kissed Anita politely and Pilar properly, and Elena and I turned to leave. It looked as if conversation was going to break out the minute the door was shut, so I shut it.

When we got to the hotel garage I opened the hatchback, took out the toolkit and replaced Enrique's plates with the set that I'd liberated from a burnt out Honda on the Fuencarral industrial estate. Any cleverdick who clocked the car and made a note of the registration would be properly baffled.

'Right, ' I said to Elena. 'The sooner we start the sooner we finish, and the sooner we finish the sooner we can relax.'

'Relax with her when you've soothed the little Rumanian tart.' I looked at her sharply but the comment had come from deep down. My own levels of self-esteem are generally so high that I have problems imagining what it's like to be short of it, and I wasn't the person that Elena needed to talk to. As we approached Plaza Castilla, I turned and pulled in to the side of the road.

'Are you OK with this?' I asked.

'I am scared.' So what? 'You'll get over that, and I'm here, and Pilar hasn't disappeared like her friends have. Think that over. Now then, are you OK with this?'

She was silent and I sat and waited. Then she sighed.

'You are right about how I feel. Shall we look for this green car?' I let go the breath I'd been holding and reached over to the back seat for parcel number two.

'Put the toys on' I said. She pulled out a pair of oversized sunglasses and a glossy brown wig. When she put it on I scarcely recognised her, and the sunglasses finished the job. I stuffed my hair into a baseball-cap and put on my Oakley's. I looked at myself in the mirror. As usual, my ears were bigger than I liked: it still disappoints. I put the car in gear and looked for a gap in the traffic.

The green Audi was in its place, but there was only one head showing. Surely he was bored by now. I parked a hundred metres further on.

'We're going to cross the road and walk back up. Then we'll go up a side street and come back to the car that way. OK?' She gulped and nodded, and we got out.

As we approached the Audi I put my arm round her, turning her a little and nuzzling her ear through the wig, pretending to be murmuring sweet nothings. We turned the corner and I let go.

'Well?' She shook her head.

'I have never seen him before and I am not very good at cars, but there was quite often a green one there when we went out, and I am sure it was the same size.' Oh good. We arrived back at the Xsara. Elena was busy being quiet again and I set a course for the southwest edge of the city.

The Casa de Campo is big enough for almost everything. There's a lake and a zoo, a little theme-park, tennis-courts, and a cable-car that takes you to the middle of it all if that's what you want. I crossed the river and the buildings suddenly stopped; the road wound through clumps of the dumpy pines that are the only trees that thrive in the dry soil of the meseta. We approached the lake and I parked.

'No worries for you. Just look out for the van, and tell me if you see anyone you know.' I reached out and took her hand. 'You're in a locked car, you're in disguise, no-one can come near you, and we're going to do it now.' I reached unobtrusively into my pocket and turned my money over, just in case. Superstition lingers when you least want it to.

As we left the family part of the park the road became narrower and after a kilometre or so I could see figures a little way ahead. I didn't really know what to expect. The figures turned into women and I gawked like a provincial. Elena glanced at me.

'These are transsexuals; you need to go on a little further.'

'Are you sure?' I asked stupidly. She looked almost amused.

'Some of them are quite nice.' She was silent again. A little further on the girls began to look more normal, if leather hotpants can be called normal in July. I felt Elena stiffen.

'Over there on the right, ' she whispered. I slowed a little more and followed her gaze. Half hidden behind the pines was a dark red van. Her hand clenched again.

'There, with the blonde hair and red skirt, do you see? That is Jenica; she is nice. She is from Bucharest too, and we used to talk sometimes. She is much older than me though. I mean she is at least thirty.' People can be so cruel.

After another couple of kilometres the road curved back to the lake. I'd seen vehicles parked among the trees and in the rear mirror I'd seen a car pull up by one of the girls. A little further on I'd spotted an unpaved side-road. Reckless or cautious. Which would you rather? I parked by one of the terrace bars and went to buy two cold cans. I brushed against a bush as I came back and felt better. I popped the cans and handed one to Elena.

'You spent months dressed like that and having a completely fucking horrible time?'

'Yes, and it does not make me a bad person, ' she said as if reciting a lesson. I contented myself with patting her lightly on the shoulder.

'It is funny, ' she said, 'It felt almost like watching a film. What are we going to do now?'

'This Jenica, ' I said, 'If she saw you would she tell anyone?' Silence.

'No, ' she said finally. 'Not if she thought she was helping me. She is quite lazy and she does not mind having sex all the time because it is not very difficult, and she used to say that she was too old to do anything else but that I ought to forget Monica and just run away. I could not do that though, because she is my sister and it would have been like wasting everything. Why do you want to know?'

'We're going round again, ' I said. 'Get in the back and lie down.'

As we began the second circuit I found myself checking the rear-view mirror compulsively. Elena had gone into a flat spin when I told her what we were going to do, but when I'd offered her the choice of waiting at the bar or cooperating, she'd disappeared into herself and climbed into the back. I felt like a very apprehensive bully.

I couldn't see the blonde hair and red skirt so I drove the circuit again, and this time, a hundred metres past the van, I saw her and braked. I lowered the passenger side window and waited. Close up she looked older than thirty. I grinned at her and showed her a fifty-euro note. As she settled into the seat she put her hand on my thigh and squeezed. I couldn't feel a trace of desire in any part of my body.

'Go up the little road on the left, ' she said, 'and we'll find somewhere quiet.' Her Spanish was bad but comprehensible. I turned up the track and she reached over and plucked the note from my hand.

'Stop here, ' she cooed, 'and we'll enjoy ourselves.' She was moving her hand to my crotch when Elena sat up and she shrieked. I was glad I'd raised the window again.

The two of them were hugging and crying and talking and I didn't understand a word. I tapped Elena on the shoulder and mouthed 'ten minutes.' I kept checking the mirror and wondering how long commercial sexual encounters usually last. I didn't want to ask. Their talk began to sound more like conversation.

'Elena, time's up. If I were Alberto I'd be expecting Jenica back by now.' I started backing down to the main road while the girls clung to each other and kissed. Jenica tried to put the note back in my hand but I stopped her.

'She's got a target to meet. Tell her to take the money and don't let her argue.' A quick volley of Rumanian followed and Jenica kissed me. She smelt of sweat and tobacco and something that I couldn't identify. Then I identified it and wished I hadn't. She wriggled out of the car, and I shifted shakily into first and kangaroo-hopped away. Elena caught my eye in the rear-view mirror.

'You were really worried, not wanting her to lose money and everything, ' she said. She reached out shyly and touched my arm. 'It is not your fault.' I didn't reply.

In the hostal Pilar and Anita were talking. Pilar jumped up and hugged me, and I held on to her as if she were a winning lottery ticket. When she tried to kiss me I turned my head away.

'Not until I feel cleaner, ' I said, 'but after that, watch out. Elena can tell you what happened.'

In my room, I dropped my clothes on the floor and stepped into the shower, relaxing as the water slid over me. I shaved, even though there was no need, and washed my hair twice. By the time I was cleaning my teeth my Lady Macbeth mood was fading.

I came back into reception feeling almost normal. The girls were still talking and Pilar was translating for Anita. I looked in the utility-room. I was anxious to know what information Elena had collected, but unwilling to press her yet. Maybe I'm naturally sensitive.

I was saved from appearing indecisive by Ragnar. She came in through the front-door and before I could stop her had wrapped herself round me and was giving me a series of amateurish kisses on the mouth and neck. Over her shoulder I could see three faces looking at us out of the dining-room. Pilar's and Anita's had identical expressions of glee, Elena's was a study in astonishment.

'Thank you, thank you, ' gasped Ragnar, 'I do not know how to thank you.' She spotted the clock over the television and tore herself loose. 'I must get ready: he will be waiting and I must not be late.' She danced off down the corridor as Pilar came out of the dining room.

'Your face, ' she gasped. I wiped my mouth.

'What on earth has happened to her?' She choked.

'You must be careful with this power you have over women.' She could scarcely control herself. 'Lorraine told me about last night and your present and I told Anita.' She collapsed on to the sofa and rocked backwards and forwards. I looked at Anita, who was sitting at one of the dining-room tables with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking, and decided it was time for a beer.