Read Online The Solitary Man by Stephen Leather - Free Book Online

who spent so much of his time in solitary confinement had decided to hide in the most crowded city in the world.' Mickey and Minnie stood by the french windows, watching the visitor. Winter stared back at them. 'Sit,' he said. The dogs didn't move. 'Blue,' said Winter, louder this time. The( dogs remained standing, their ears pricked, their mouths slightly open. 'What's wrong with them?' Winter asked Hutch.
    'They're trained not to obey strangers,' said Hutch, heading towards the kitchen with an empty ice bucket.
    Winter glared at the Dobermanns. 'Stay!' he said authoritatively. The dogs stood stock still. 'Gotcha!' said Winter.
    When Hutch returned with the bucket filled with ice, Winter and the dogs were still staring at each other.
    'You look better without the beard,' said Winter. 'Made you look like a bit of a wild man, you know. The glasses suit you, too. They make you look almost intellectual. I nearly didn't recognise you.'
    'Thanks for the character analysis,' said Hutch, without warmth. 'How did you know where I was?' He poured a large measure of brandy into a glass and dropped in three cubes of ice.
    'Looked you up in the phone book,' said Winter. Hutch gave him his drink. 'Aren't you having anything?' Winter asked.
    Hutch shook his head. 'How did you . . . ?' Realisation dawned. 'Eddie Archer.'
    'Best paperwork in the business,' said Winter. He sipped his THE SOLITARY MAN 43 brandy and smacked his lips in appreciation. 'Oh, yeah, your passport runs out in two years. Eddie asked me to tell you not to apply through official channels. It's genuine, but the birth certificate isn't. He'll fix you up with a new one, but you ought to know that his prices have gone up substantially.'
    'So much for honour among thieves.'
    Winter grinned. 'You always said you were innocent, Hutch.'
    'You know what I mean.'
    'I've known Eddie a lot longer than you. We grew up together in Newcastle . . .'
    'Spare me the deprived childhood story, Billy. I know it by heart.' Hutch went over to a wood-framed armchair and sat down. Mickey padded over to stand next to him but Minnie remained with her eyes fixed on Winter. 'So you heard that my body wasn't in the plane, and you paid Eddie a visit. Who else knows?'
    'Just Eddie. And me.'
    'What do you want, Billy?'
    Winter studied Hutch as if wondering how to phrase his reply. He swirled the brandy around his glass. 'I need you to do a job for me.'
    'What sort of a job?'
    'The sort only you are qualified to do, Hutch. I need you to help me get a guy out of prison.'
    Hutch shook his head. 'I'm not going back to the UK.'
    'He's out here. In Bangkok.'
    Hutch sighed deeply. 'Billy, I run a kennels. I train dogs. I breed Dobermanns. I don't break people out of prisons.'
    'You're the best. You escaped from Parkhurst, you got clean away.' He paused, then smiled slyly. 'Almost clean away.' He put his brandy glass down on a hardwood side table, then took a large cigar from his jacket pocket and lit it.
    'I can't help you. I've too much to lose.'
    'Exactly,' said Winter. The two men locked eyes. Minnie growled, sensing the hostility in the room. 'Don't make me force you, Hutch.'
    'I can't help you.'
    'You don't have any choice.'
    'We were friends, Billy.'
    Winter shook his head. 'This is nothing to do with friendship. You're coming with me to Bangkok tomorrow.'
    'And if I refuse?'
    'You can't refuse. I make one phone call to Plod and you go back to finish your life sentence, plus whatever they add on top for your escape.'
    'You'd grass on me?'
    'I don't think I'll have to. But a threat isn't a threat unless I have the balls to go through with it. And believe me, Hutch, I've got the balls.'
    Hutch glared at Winter. 'You bastard,' he said.
    Winter shrugged. 'Sticks and stones, old lad. Sticks and stones.' He took a long drag on the cigar and stood up. The two Dobermanns watched him intently. Winter stared back at them. He took the cigar out of his mouth and snarled at the dogs.
    'Don't tease them,' warned