“Oh, settle down, Luigi,” Toys said, stepping back and waving the man toward a pair of comfortable chairs by the window. “If I’d wanted you dead, you be on your way to the morgue right now. Now sit down and stop pissing your pants.”

Luigi sat. Toys pulled the other chair to a safe distance and lowered himself into it.

“I need information,” he said.

“I … I don’t do that anymore,” said Luigi quickly. “I’m out of that business. I swear.”

Toys crossed his legs and rested the hand holding the pistol on his thigh. “I have a sound suppressor in my pocket,” he said. “Shall I screw it in place and see how many kneecaps I need to blow off before you stop telling lies?”

“No—no!”

“Then let’s try this again. I need information. You have information because you always have information. You’re no more out of the game than I am.”

Luigi licked his lips and clutched the arms of the chair with nervous fingers.

“What kind of information?”

“Ah, there we go,” said Toys, smiling. “I’m looking for a few people. Now, you’re going to want to take the piss and pretend you’ve never heard of them. I understand why. They’re scary people, and if they ever found out you were telling me anything, they would do very bad things to you. Very bad indeed. You’re already starting to sweat. You never did have the stomach for this. God only knows how you got into the information trade.”

Luigi stared at him.

“I will say three names,” continued Toys. “You can give me a price for information. I’m willing to negotiate, and if things go well, there’s a bonus on top of it. But … if you lie to me, or if you tell anyone I was here … well, really, do I need to be explicit with what those consequences might be?”

“No…,” whispered Luigi. Sweat really was bursting from his pores and running down his cheeks.

“Here are the names,” said Toys. “Try not to shit your pants. Neither of us needs that.”

Luigi wiped sweat from his eyes.

“Kuga. Otherwise known as Harcourt Bolton Sr.”

Luigi stiffened as if ten thousand volts shot through him.

“Rafael Santoro.”

Tears broke from Luigi’s eyes.

“Joe Ledger.”

Luigi put his face in his hands.

“Good,” said Toys. “Clearly you know them. Now, let’s have a nice little chat.”

CHAPTER 55

PHOENIX HOUSE

OMFORI ISLAND, GREECE

Bug popped the top on his sixth Red Bull, tilted back, and drank a third of the can. The first five had just about helped him reboot his brain and get his mental circuits back online. Maybe the sixth would ignite some optimism, though he rather doubted it.