Screen Savers

Chapter 19

The rest of that day would have been a complete wash-out in filming terms, had we not scored enough usable footage before Noosh’s disaster.

As it was, with some hard work by the crew, we were able to bring our schedule forward and shoot the studio scenes which had been pencilled in for Wednesday. It was a long day, but I was happy; it meant that I could catch a flight to Glasgow next morning, back to Prim. I’d been missing her, especially in the aftermath of the Union Street incident.

I had another visit from the Old Bill in the evening, just as the crew were striking our set, from a detective sergeant and a constable sent along by Francey to take a formal statement. It made me feel that I was back at my old job, even though I was on the other side of the table.

The sergeant’s questions laid heavy stress on the gun. I didn’t tell him much more than I had told his boss; small, black thing, didn’t appear to have a revolver chamber so I guessed that it was an automatic. Mind you, I could have told him that it was a Walther. I’ve had one of those pointed at me, not once but twice, and when you’ve looked down the barrel of a gun you can almost remember its serial number. I kept that detail to myself, though; those were incidents which I definitely did not want to discuss with the police.

Instead, I asked him, ‘Why do you need to know?’

‘We pass it on to police intelligence.’ I bit my lip; it wasn’t the time for the old gag about contradictions in terms. ‘They can sometimes give us a steer about other crimes where that type of gun’s been used. We’re still looking for the bullet, of course; once we find that it might tell us whether that specific weapon’s been used in another incident.

‘It’s a bugger not havin’ it.’ He sighed in a way which hinted that, sod it, his life would have been much easier if they’d been able to dig a slug out of Noosh or me, or one of the extras.

I let it pass and waved them goodbye, then took a taxi out to the address in the west of the city which Noosh had given me. I wouldn’t have felt right if I had left without checking that her protection was in place.

Detective Superintendent Francey had been as good as his word. There was a car parked just across the street from her small granite bungalow; two guys were sat in it, and I guessed that they weren’t looking for unlicensed television sets. I gave them a cheery wave as I opened the garden gate, before they could start worrying about me. I don’t suppose many hitmen arrive by taxi, but I didn’t want anyone to get nervous.

In a way, stepping into that living room was like a trip into the past. I recognised the sofa, the two recliner armchairs, upholstered in soft grey fabric, and the low coffee table. They had all been in the flat in Castle Terrace, in Edinburgh, which she and Jan had shared. Noosh’s manner, too, was the same as it had been then; not unfriendly, but cool and appraising.

‘You all right?’ I asked her.

‘I’ve been better. I have a sore bum, for one thing.’ She smiled. ‘But at least it doesn’t have a bullet in it.’

‘You’re safe now, anyway. Those guys across the road are pretty obvious.’ I looked around the room. ‘Do you live alone?’

‘Oh yes.’ She nodded, pausing for a moment. ‘I don’t think I’ll live with anyone again,’ she ventured. ‘Too dangerous. There can be too much hurt involved.’

Suddenly she looked vulnerable, and I thought of her in a way I never had before. ‘Noosh,’ I said, ‘I’m sorry. I never meant for that to happen.’

‘I know you didn’t, Oz. Nor did Jan. But the two of you, you didn’t really know what you were doing then. You were afraid of commitment, both of you; it was as if you had decided that there were wild oats you had to sow before then.’ She chuckled, sadly. ‘I guess that I was the field; and so was Primavera.’ With her faintly European accent she pronounced the ‘v’ softly, almost as an ‘f’.

‘When you came to Castle Terrace with her that day, looking for help, at first I thought, “This is great. He’s getting out of Jan’s life at last.” That lasted for a few minutes, until I realised that it would have the opposite effect. There was something in the way you and Jan looked at each other that day, that told me how it would end.’

‘You might have told me, then.’ The words burst from me; I couldn’t keep the bitterness from my voice.

Her hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh Oz, my dear, I didn’t mean that. I could tell that you had to be together, that’s all. Even when you went off, all lusty for Primavera, I knew better than you did.’

‘You’ve changed a lot, you know. You were just a boy then, an irresponsible, crazy boy. But now you’ve grown up.’ She smiled at me again, as she never had before. ‘Now you’re a crazy man.

‘Seriously, after all that’s happened, I’m glad that things have worked out for you and Primavera. Like I said, she and I had something in common back then; we were both ditched. She must have loved you all along.

‘Just you two be lucky from now on.’

‘If you only knew the half of it, Anoushka. The way it’s been lately, lucky’s my middle name.’ I glanced out of the window, at my waiting taxi.

‘Look,’ I told her, ‘I’m dining with the gang tonight, so’ll need to be going.’ I took a card from my wallet and handed it to her. ‘There are all my numbers, home, office, mobile and e-mail. The boys outside will look after you, I’ve no doubt, but if you have any more trouble, or threats — or even if you just feel a bit nervous — get in touch with me any time.’

She walked me to her front door. Holding the round brass handle, she raised herself up on her toes and kissed me lightly on the lips. ‘Be good,’ she whispered. ‘I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. Luck doesn’t last for ever; but then, I suppose you know that more than most.’