His mind shied away from the implication. Pain and violence had always demoralised him.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Baird asked roughly, shining the light ful on Rico’s face. ‘Losing your guts?’
‘What are you going to do with her?’ Rico whispered, holding up his hand to shield his sweating face.
‘What do you think?’ Baird said. ‘She can tell us what we want to know. Someone’s got at her to spy on you, and we want to know who.’
He bent over Zoe, loosened the tape round her mouth and jerked it off.
‘Hel o, Toots,’ he said, kneeling by her, ‘I warned you how it’d be. Now you better start talking.
Who’s behind your racket?’
Zoe stared at him, terror in her eyes.
‘Let me go!’ she gasped. ‘Rico! Make him let me go! You’l be sorry if you don’t! I’l make trouble…’
Baird slapped her face, and her words choked off in a scream.