Read I Saw You for Free Online

the harsh squawk of the gate as it was opened and closed. She sat up. She stood and tiptoed to the window. She pressed her face to the gap in the shutters. The garden was empty. The
street outside was crowded with cars. A group of teenagers were sitting on the sea wall. They were laughing and shouting at each other, their movements exaggerated, stylized. She stepped away from
the shutters and got back on to the bed. She was cold now, and tired. She wrapped the eiderdown around her body and closed her eyes. And she slept.

S IX
    ‘You went to see her yesterday. She was so pleased you took the time. Thanks. You liked her, I’m sure.’ Heffernan raised his pint in salute, then took a deep
swallow. He sank down on the bar stool and tugged at his tie. ‘Jesus, it’s hot today. You’re a lucky swine. Got your retirement in the middle of the hottest summer on record.
It’s murder out at the airport, these days. Who’d want to be a guard in Immigration at a time of record effing population change?’ He groaned. ‘We’d a nasty scene
today. Another bloody Nigerian trying to bring in a couple of girls.’
    ‘What is it about Nigerians? They’re something else, aren’t they?’ McLoughlin picked up his glass and swirled it around. ‘Prostitution, drugs, what was
it?’
    Heffernan shrugged. ‘Probably both. The girls were headed for a meat market somewhere. The poor little things. The guy went crazy when we challenged him. The kids had no passports, no
visas, no nothing. He insisted they were his daughters. And when we told him we were sending them back to Lagos, he head-butted Derek Flynn. You should have seen it. Blood all over everything. His
and Derek’s. We had to cart both of them off to the Mater.’
    ‘And is Derek OK? I suppose he’ll need an AIDS test, poor bugger.’
    ‘Your man was clean, so that’s one thing in his favour. We arrested him for assault but he’ll be out on bail before you can spit. He already has refugee status. So we
can’t do anything with him. Unless we can catch him pimping. He’s a nasty piece of work. His wife came to the hospital. Lovely woman, three kids hanging out of her. And you could see
she was shit scared of him.’ Heffernan drained his glass. ‘Same again?’
    McLoughlin stared balefully at his drink. Mineral water. Even the thought of it depressed him.
    ‘Ah, come on, Michael, have a proper drink. You’re making me feel miserable. Just the sight of your gloomy expression is enough to put me right off.’
    ‘OK, OK, I’ll have a bottle of lager, Heineken, Carlsberg, something like that.’
    ‘Thank God for small mercies.’ Heffernan made a mock bow. ‘Now at least I can relax. Hey, Joe,’ he craned over the bar, ‘when you’re ready.’
    He’d wanted to go home after the pub. But Heffernan insisted. He was meeting Janet for a pizza and he wanted McLoughlin to come too. He could see that they were both
determined he was going to help Sally Spencer. Or was it more like a bit of middle-aged matchmaking, he wondered. Now that Heffernan and Janet were married and happy they wanted everyone else
sorted out. He sat in the restaurant and listened while they laughed and joked and enjoyed each other’s company. He was pleased for Tony. He deserved it. He’d suffered for years under
the yoke of a dreadful marriage to the vindictive cow who was his first wife. He’d seen his kids go through hell. He’d lost touch with them for long periods, but somehow this marriage
had made it better for them all. They’d even been on holidays together. They had the photos to prove it.
    ‘Look at these, Michael.’ Janet put the prints on the table. ‘We had such a good time.’
    ‘Where in Spain was it?’ McLoughlin tried to sound enthusiastic.
    ‘A little village called Jimena, an hour or so from Málaga. Up in the hills. In fact we stayed in a house that belongs to a friend of Sally’s daughter.’ Janet spread out
the photos so he couldn’t avoid them.