Silence. Ryker moved the gun down, away from Walker’s head.
‘You’re finished, Ryker,’ Munroe said after a few seconds. ‘You hear me?’
But Munroe’s final protest was half-hearted. Green took hold of the lawyer’s arm and shepherded him out. The policeman groggily got to his feet. Munroe spouted some words to him in Spanish – Ryker didn’t catch them. The policeman nursed his neck then stepped through the doorway, followed by Munroe and then Green.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ Green said as he reached out to close the door behind him.
‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,’ Ryker said, a second before the door was pulled shut.
CHAPTER 41
‘Get up,’ Ryker said.
He moved around Walker, who got to his feet and then stepped away, cowering – none of the arrogance he’d displayed when Ryker had first met him remained.
‘What do you want?’ Walker asked.
‘The truth.’ Ryker put the handgun down on a coffee table. He didn’t need the policeman’s gun. He still had his Colt in his waistband if Walker were stupid enough to make any kind of move.
‘You don’t have to do this, Patrick!’ Munroe shouted from the other side of the door.
‘Yes, he does,’ Ryker said, his voice raised. ‘Go and relax. Make yourself a pot of coffee. If Walker is a helpful as I think he’s going to be then I won’t be long.’
Silence from the other side of the door. That was good enough for Ryker. Walker slumped down onto a sofa. Ryker stood over him.
‘I don’t want to hurt you, Patrick,’ Ryker said, sounding more genuine than he really felt. ‘But I need answers. And if you don’t leave me a choice...’
Walker hung his head. Ryker took that as a sign of compliance.
‘The note you received,’ Ryker said. ‘Tell me what it means.’
‘I haven’t a clue!’ Walker looked back up.
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘It was you who said you knew who sent it! Not me.’
‘I didn’t ask you who sent it. Do you want to die, Patrick?’
‘What? Of course not.’
‘Then talk to me. Because you've pissed off the wrong person.’
‘Who?’ Walker said, his confusion sounding real.
‘Tell me about Kim.’
‘What about her?’
‘Your wife’s identity was a sham. You knew that, right?’ The startled look in Walker’s eyes suggested that he didn’t. ‘Andrews was her maiden name?’
‘Y... yes. It was.’
‘But there was no Kim Andrews. The identity was fake. I want to know why, and who she really was.’
‘I’ve no idea!’ Walker protested. ‘I mean, what the hell are you even talking about?’
Ryker glared at Walker for a few seconds. His surprise and confusion certainly appeared genuine enough.
‘How did you meet her?’
‘How did we meet? It was here. In a bar. We dated. We married. We’ve been together for years.’
‘What about her family. Her parents.’
‘Her dad died when she was a teenager. She never knew her mum.’
‘You never suspected she wasn't who she said she was?’
‘No. Why would I?’
‘Never even the smallest inkling? Lack of friends? Awkwardness talking about her past?’
‘She talked about her past all the time. About school. Her jobs.’
‘What jobs?’
‘I don’t know. She worked in a shop, then a bar I think. She ended up as a nursery school teacher. She’s loved kids her whole life. It was the perfect job for her.’
Ryker could tell that Walker was having a hard time holding his emotions together. Talking about Kim was pushing him to the edge.
‘She worked here in Spain?’
‘No, before we met. I talked to her about going back to work but she didn't need to. It’s not like we needed the money.’
‘Why’d she come here?’
‘A boyfriend. Her ex. They moved out here together. He was an English teacher.’
‘Name?’
‘Jack.’
‘Jack what?
‘I’ve no idea what his second name was. We never met.’
‘You ever travel to England with her?’
‘No,’ Walker said. ‘Why would we? Neither of us have family there now. Are you saying... none of it’s true?’ Walker asked, sounding genuinely saddened at the thought. ‘That none of what she told me was true?’
Ryker paused. He got the sense Walker really didn’t know about Kim’s past. Walker hadn’t just made up what he’d said on the spot. There’d been no hesitation, no tell-tale signs of deceit, and Ryker was pretty good at spotting the signs. A big part of his previous life had been interrogation. He’d also been interrogated countless times himself. In training, and in real life. He knew the difference between a lie and the truth, and the difference between the truth and a well-orchestrated story. Walker’s surprise about his dead wife’s secret life was real.
‘I can’t tell you how much is true,’ Ryker said. ‘Because I simply don’t know.’
Walker’s eyes welled up, but he held the tears in and fought to keep his composure. ‘Why would she do that?’
Ryker looked away from Walker over to the stone fireplace. A row of pictures sat on top in a variety of crystal, wood, and metal frames. Each was of Walker and Kim, the happy couple, all smiles and love. They looked so... normal.
Ryker didn’t like Walker and didn’t trust him. But at the same time, the man’s wife had been murdered. Even though Ryker believed Walker was in some way responsible, he could also see the man was grieving. Still, Ryker was determined to get to the truth. He had to find out what Walker knew.
‘I loved her.’ Walker got up from his seat and went over to the fireplace. He picked up a large glass frame and stared down at it. ‘I really loved her.’
‘I’m sure you did.’
‘This picture... We were on our first holiday together. Thailand. She loved it there – the ambience, the culture. We went back twice.’
‘Never been,’ Ryker said, trying to sound interested.
‘We were so happy. We were always happy together. Kim was such an easy person to get along with, and when we found out she was pregnant... I’ve never felt so fulfilled in my whole life. Mainly because I knew how much it meant to Kim. A baby was the one big thing missing in her life.’
‘But you were sleeping with Eva Kozlov,’ Ryker said, bringing Walker back down to earth.
‘Fuck you.’ Walker returned the picture, averting his eyes from the stare of his dead wife. ‘You don’t know what Eva’s like. She’s evil. She lures people in. She plays with them then spits them out. She never wanted to be with me – not really. She just wanted to wreak havoc with my marriage.’
Ryker said nothing. Walker’s description of Eva sounded spot on. But it was all well and good thinking that about her with hindsight. Walker had still fallen into bed with Eva, more than once. He wasn’t exactly an innocent party.
‘And what about Andrei Kozlov?’ Ryker asked.
‘We’re good friends,’ Walker said, sounding unsure.
‘I went to visit him yesterday. Not long after I did, two heavies came after me.’
‘I heard.’
‘Who sent them?’
‘I don’t know.’