Bitter Sweet Read Online Free

took in his face. She drew a breath and turned to me, her expression revealing confidence.
    ‘Martha’s getting out.’
    ‘Quitting?’
    Ivonne’s long fingers raked through her hair which came to just below her shoulders. ‘That’s what she said.’
    ‘Did she say why?’
    ‘Sort off. Had to press her for an answer. Told me she has a bad feeling, told me to be careful.’
      Martha was almost a legend within the trade, having worked since she was a teenager. She acted as a mother-figure for a lot of the girls, her depth of knowledge and her wisdom was unparalleled. The news came with a feeling of abandonment – she couldn’t have chosen a worse time to quit.  
    Markus shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
    I avoided looking at Markus; Ivonne could do her own explaining. She tended to act the bimbo, but her eyes were firmly set on the customers’ wallets, and she didn’t waste her earnings on expensive trinkets with designer labels. She had a plan for getting out; the escorting was a means to an end, one in which she was planning to go back to her own country.
    ‘Comes as a shock, Martha quitting,’ I said. ‘Not the best timing – at least not for us.’
    Ivonne glanced at her bright-red fingernails before looking at Markus. ‘Markus has done bit of minding,’ she said.
    Mike cringed.
    Ivonne reached across and ran her fingers along Markus’s hairless forearm. The gesture was sensuous.
    ‘Good to know,’ I said, addressing Markus.
    He again shifted his weight from one foot to the other. ‘If you want me to keep an eye open for you, just let me know.’ His voice was deep with an intriguing mixture of the local dialect and of his own from Eastern Europe.
    ‘Sure, let me think about it, okay?’
    I led them to the front door, and returned to see Mike with a worried look on his face.
    ‘I don’t like it that Martha is quitting,’ I said, dropping on to the leather sofa opposite him.
    ‘Nina,’ Mike said, leaning forward. ‘I don’t know the significance of Martha, but having Markus about is not a good idea.’
    ‘Why’s that?’ I asked, a little surprised by the conviction in Mike’s voice.
    ‘He’s the type who’ll attract trouble. It’s a bit like an alpha-male dog – some dogs will steer clear, others will bristle and want to fight.’
    ‘See what you mean. Some guys will think they have to square-off. Play the male macho.’
    ‘Exactly. And it won’t solve the problem if some gang or hoodlum is trying to muscle-in on the sex trade in the city.’
    ‘So you don’t think Markus will keep that type away?’
    ‘No, not if they’re determined.’
    ‘Any answers?’
    ‘Yes,’ Mike said, leaning back against the sofa. ‘But first I’ll need to do a bit of research – talk to a friend of mine. In fact, Markus might just be the key.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘If some gang—’
    ‘We don’t know that yet.’
    ‘Whatever. Things are stacking up – two sets of girls from south-eastern Europe, funny goings-on with the CCTV cameras, rumours. Shall I go on?’
    ‘No, you’re right.’
    ‘You should go and talk to this Martha. Find out what she knows, why she’s quitting.’
    I sat upright. Mike’s certainty had cut through the woolly feeling created by the flu, a feeling which had been coming and going all morning.
    ‘The point is,’ Mike said. ‘If someone is watching this building, be it via the CCTV, or whatever, the sight of Markus strolling about is going to make them come looking.’ 

6
     
     
     
    Ivonne had called. The Albanian had booked an appointment with her, she was worried and didn’t know whether to have Markus on hand in case something went wrong. I’d phoned Mike and he had come up with a plan to provide both Ivonne and I with an element of reassurance. The plan, however, contained one risky aspect; Ivonne and I were to upload a tracking program on to the Albanian’s phone. I hadn’t like the idea, but had gone along with it. I assumed