Every Second Counts

Chapter Eleven

IT'S QUITE UNREAL that while I am out of it with only my alcoholic brain as company and I vow I'm going to cut the video link for good with the girl in the dark room because all she seems to do is cause me great pain, is when I realise who Reuben Houston's acquaintance is. And how I can track her down...by myself. Although I know the girl in the dark room is completely wrong about The Fixer. He's a man with integrity, but not to everyone. I'm not that stupid. But he will be loyal to those who pay him and by now I have given him sizeable wads of money. That's his business. However, at the moment, the girl in the dark room is right. I can find Reuben Houston by myself. I just hope to God I can remember my plan when I'm sober.

* * *

Of course when I awake I'm lying as per usual on the cold tiles of Red's apartment. My back aches, my left leg is numb and my eyeballs feel as if they have been sandpapered. That's what crying half the night does to them. I awake to a slobbery fish smelling tongue on my face and I think because I'm about to retch that it is Floppy's slobber and breath that is the cause of this. I realise this is not the case after I have batted my gentle dog out of my way, pulled myself up from the floor and notice the empty bottle of vodka lying beside me.

I groan. But, by the time I make it to the bathroom I have reminded myself that the bottle of vodka was only half full in the first place. It is a win. But, I know it was a full bottle a couple of nights ago, so it is a small win!

This small win is not why I go into a frenzy of excitement. I know who Reuben Houston's acquaintance is. I can remember exactly what I realised last night. Of course it is a miracle I can even remember last night! My immediate person of interest is in fact also one of Patrick's clients. Her name is Maggie Bancroft. She was on my list to call on while I was impersonating an Interpol agent when I was trying to uncover a Russian connection to Patrick. I never got to visit Maggie because when I uncovered Patrick's terrible crimes my original plan took a massive dive which ended with me taking matters into my own hands. And dealing with Patrick in my own way.

As part of my hoax investigation I had broken into Patrick's office and snapped many of his clients summaries. Maggie Bancroft's details along with several other current clients at the time of Patrick's death, have now been downloaded from my phone and are stored on my computer. Apart from Reuben Aberdeen (now known as Reuben Houston) I have never looked at them since Patrick died. This knowledge is an adrenalin rush and I virtually fly to my laptop and spark it up. When I open the file and bring Maggie's details up, somewhere in my unconscious brain, the girl in the dark room fights for my attention. Sod her. I won't acknowledge she knew how to play me to get this information, even though it's true. Her reward is that I won't axe our video link on Fridays after all. My heart beat increases just thinking about the ghoulish one hour I force myself to endure every week. I know it's taking a toll on me. My skin has got that pasty look and I have had to use a tighter belt notch or my jeans would be around my ankles. But, it's a small sacrifice. And, I remind myself although I'm lighter in weight, I am stronger physically. I might have let my chores around the house slip and I'm hardly going into work anymore...one excuse after another...but I am crystal clear how my gym workouts and kickboxing classes are going to be paramount to my future safety and I have not compromised on either.

I flex my muscles and hope that the next time I'm in combat with an assailant, I can dish out punishment that befits their crime.

Maggie Bancroft is 33 years old and lives in Baltimore Street a couple of suburbs away from me. She has been going to Patrick for over two years. She is grief stricken, her six year old son was the victim of a hit and run. As with the other clients, Patrick has updated her records saying she was making good progress. I gag. The thought that Patrick may have forced himself on her like he did to Fiona and the others makes me slam my computer shut. Blood rushes through my veins at breakneck speed, the room starts to swim and I feel lightheaded.