Rough Cut: Rosie Gilmour 6 Read Online Free PDF

Where you off to?’
    ‘The Albany. Guy found dead in a hotel bedroom. I got a tip from one of my cop pals. A chambermaid found some guy naked on the floor with a belt round his neck.’
    ‘Why are the cops into that? I’m surprised they’re notjust saying it looks like suicide, or one of those kinky sex jobs. Do they think someone’s done him in?’
    ‘Dunno yet. But I’m going to take a run up, and see what’s going on. I’ll give you a shout once I get a handle on it.’
    Rosie was already punching a phone number into her mobile: Don, a detective sergeant in the Serious Crime Squad, who’d been her close friend and police inside source for years.
    ‘Don. Howsit going?’
    ‘Rosie. The very woman. I was going to buzz you to see if you fancied a drink later.’
    ‘Good idea. What about the dead body on the floor at the Albany. Did somebody bump him off?’
    ‘Don’t know yet. But it’s who he is that’s of interest to us.’
    ‘Who is he?’
    ‘Ever hear of a Pakistani gangster by the name of Ahmed Malik?’
    ‘Nope. From around here?’
    ‘Initially, Glasgow. But moved down south years ago. Manchester or Bradford. He’s a major racketeer now, involved in fake passports, identity cards. And, wait for it, we’re hearing from the boys down at Scotland Yard that he’s been dabbling in diamond smuggling.’
    ‘Diamond smuggling? Pakistanis? That’s a new one on me. We looked at a guy a few years ago who was making fake passports for illegal immigrants he was bringing in towork in restaurants. I’d have thought that was the level of stuff they did. But diamonds?’
    ‘Word is that there’s a bigshot Pakistani boss down in Manchester – his name is Sahid Khan – and this guy was working for him. Malik was a glorified delivery man.’
    ‘So what was he doing up here?’
    ‘That’s what we’re trying to find out. Tell you what, Rosie. It’s too early to get any real picture here. Why don’t I meet you later at O’Brien’s and maybe I’ll have some more.’
    ‘Great. We’ve got a young reporter up at the Albany anyway, sniffing around.’
    ‘Okay. See you later.’ Don hung up.
    Rosie sat down at her desk and checked her screen for anything on the wires about the dead body. Nothing so far. She picked up her mobile and punched in a number.
    ‘Omar. What you up to, pal? I need to pick your brains on a couple of things. Do you fancy a coffee? I’ll come up to the West End if you can take afford to some time out from your empire.’
    ‘For you, Rosie, anything. See you in fifteen minutes.’
    She hung up and headed back down the stairs.

Chapter Four
     
    ‘Right. Run that past me again, Nikki . . . You got the call from Julie that you both had punters to meet . . . She went to see hers at the Thistle, and you went to the Albany.’
    ‘That’s right, Gordy.’
    Nikki’s mouth was so dry she could barely get the words out. This was the first time she’d met big Gordy MacLean in person, but his reputation was enough to scare the shit out of her. Nobody ever crossed him and lived to brag about it. Anyone who did was usually found face down in the Clyde, or trussed up and buried in a shallow grave out in the country – and, rumour had it, they weren’t always dead when it happened. He looked like a mean bastard too, his eyes piercing her as though he could see she was lying through her teeth. She could feel her face redden. She chanced a glance at Julie sitting next to her, who gave her as reassuring a look as she dared. Nikki cleared her throat. She took a breath, hoping the story she andJulie had concocted this morning would be believable. It had to be.
    ‘Yeah. That’s it. The guy didn’t talk much at all, just wanted straight sex. He seemed alright and was keen enough, if you know what I mean, when he took his clothes off. But when he tried to have sex with me, he couldn’t manage it. So, after a couple of attempts – and I mean, I was doing everything I could for him – he just