by Carol Wyer
‘What do you talk about?’
‘Man talk.’
‘Such as?’
‘You never talked man talk, officer? Football, dirty jokes, women, you know?’
‘They tell you much about themselves?’
‘Sure. I know they came from London. I have friends down there too. We talked about the nightlife down there.’
‘What about personal things?’
‘You kidding me? I’m a deejay not a psychiatrist. We just chat and drink beer.’
‘What about Daisy? You ever talk about her?’
‘Oh, man! Daisy was hot. She only had eyes for Gavin though. She was sex on legs and she sucked him right in.’
‘Did he often talk about her?’
‘Mentioned her quite a few times. You would, though, wouldn’t you? A hot chick like that after you.’
‘She was after him?’
‘For sure. She had him in her sights and went full pelt for him. He didn’t stand a chance. Kirk and I used to take the rip out of him. She wanted him to keep it under wraps while she was working here but it got out. She might have thought she was being subtle but she was not – no way! He’s still crazy about her but she won’t move in with him and it’s driving him nuts. I don’t get it. She was all over that man and she won’t move into a nice house with him… Maybe she’s holding out for a ring on her finger first.’ He stuck his headphones to one ear and pressed some buttons. The tempo changed as a new track began playing. His head and shoulders moved to its rhythm.
Murray had to shout even louder. ‘You ever hear anyone complain about the brothers?’
‘No way! The bros are great guys. We all get on really well. Like one big happy family!’ His sentences rattled like rapid gunfire, accompanied by jerky movements to his music as he spoke.
‘You got any idea who might have burnt down their house?’
‘Nah,’ he said.
Lights strobed quickly across the darkened room, lighting corners then turning them instantly back into darkness, and Murray caught sight of Clark talking to two women. He maintained his questioning while keeping one eye on the women. Both were dressed in tight, strappy dresses and killer heels. One had two-tone hair with the top section blonde and the bottom half red or a deep brown. Murray couldn’t be certain of the actual colour but there was something furtive about them both and her in particular – the way she cast anxious looks in his direction as they spoke.
‘You can’t think of anyone who had a problem with Gavin or Kirk?’
‘I’m usually focused on the vibe on the dance floor. That’s my chief concern. I speak to my bros when I get here and when I leave, but I don’t know anything about any grievances or problems. I just spin the decks. I don’t pay any attention to what’s going on anywhere else. Got to keep the crowd happy.’
Murray glanced at the two women. They were still by the door, deep in conversation. Judging by the head shakes and hand gestures, they were arguing. The shorter one tugged at the other’s hand. The other woman pulled back.
‘You ever seen this girl?’ Murray showed him the picture of Roxy.
‘I have no idea. If she was here, I’d never know. When that floor is thumping, you can’t see anyone’s face… it’s just a giant mass of bodies. Sorry.’
‘You heard of her – Roxanne Curtis, known as Roxy?’
‘Doesn’t ring any bells. What music are you into? Hip-hop? Garage?’ DJ Crush asked.
‘I’m a bit out of touch. I listen to playlists of modern pop and some rock.’
DJ Crush grinned, revealing the gap between his teeth. ‘I figured so. You should come in one night and listen to some real music.’
Murray looked over to the door again but the women had vanished. He thanked the man, and casting about as he descended the steps, he spotted them disappearing through the curtain in the direction of the toilets.
Clark had vanished too and Murray seized the opportunity to pursue the women. Pushing the curtain aside, he found himself in yet another dark corridor with arrows pointing towards the toilets. He hovered outside the ladies’, straining to hear any sounds from within, and when none were forthcoming, he knocked on the door. There was no response so he pushed it open and walked into the room that smelt of jasmine or some other summer scent he couldn’t identify coming from a perfumed air freshener plugged into the wall. The cubicle doors were ajar and the place empty. The only sound was a dull rhythmic thudding of music.
He tried the men’s toilets to no avail so he continued along the corridor, where he rapped on Kirk and Gavin’s office door, simultaneously calling out as he pushed it open and walked into a small room furnished minimally with two back-to-back desks and some filing cabinets. A computer was switched on; the screensaver, a picture of a party night at the club. There was nowhere to hide, so where had the two women gone? He tried the room opposite, ‘Staff Only’, which was fairly small with lockers and benches, much like those found in gyms, but to the rear of the room was a set of stairs. He took them and came through a fire exit door that took him into the party room. Twenty to thirty people had turned up since he’d last been in here and were milling about in groups, some shoulder-swaying in time to the Fun Boy Three track that now played. A man was serving at the bar alongside Lola, who was engaged in making cocktails. He moved along the dimly lit corridor and waited outside one of the private rooms, wondering if the women were inside.
Lola appeared with a tray of drinks and stopped short when she recognised him.
‘Hi again,’ he said.
She threw him a dark look. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I already told you. I’m investigating the fire at Kirk and Gavin’s house. I’m checking the whereabouts of everyone who knows and works for Gavin and Kirk. I was hoping there’d be someone I could talk to inside this room.’
‘There’s no staff other than Clark and Kirk in there and I can’t let you disturb the guests. They pay a lot to use the private rooms.’
‘Why? What’s special about them?’
‘They’re private. That’s what’s special about them. Now, would you excuse me?’
‘Sure.’
He moved aside to let her knock on the door, and as soon as her taps were answered, she slipped into the room quickly before the door closed again. Murray moved off. He hadn’t been able to see much in that brief moment, but he’d spotted the blonde and red hair of the woman who’d stared at him and who had tugged at her friend’s hand.
While Murray was talking to the deejay, Ian was engaged in conversation with Bryan, a twenty-something bar attendant. He didn’t have anything to say about Daisy, who he claimed he barely knew, and didn’t recognise Roxy’s photo or her name. Ian asked about the brothers.
‘I only really pass the time of day with both of them,’ he said, leaning on the counter. ‘They’re usually busy with the guests. They might come over and ask if everything’s okay or request some drinks be sent over to a table, but generally I don’t spend time with them. I can’t think of anyone who hates them enough to burn down their house. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad word about them.’
‘No grumbles about pay or work conditions?’
‘I’ve worked in much worse places. It’s a decent atmosphere here.’
‘Pretty busy though.’
‘Some nights it’s madness, others it’s not too bad.’
Two women had been hanging by the door, like they couldn’t make up their minds to come in or go out again.
‘You know those two women?’ he asked Bryan.
Bryan looked around the room. ‘Which two?’
‘By the door.’ As soon as he’d spoken, the women slipped away towards the toilets.
Bryan shook his head. ‘Can’t see who you mean.’
‘Never mind.’ Ian had finished his questions and headed back to the entrance. The girl there might know who the women were.
She was alone. ‘Hi,’ said Ian.
‘Hi.’
‘W
e’re investigating the fire at Gavin and Kirk’s house but also seeing if anyone knows this girl. You didn’t tell us your name earlier. What is it?’ He held the photo back and waited for her to respond, which she did.
‘Olga.’
‘That’s a pretty name. I’ve never met an Olga before.’
‘You have now.’ She gave him another smile, which he returned.
He revealed the picture, and as she looked at it, her lips rubbed together and she swallowed hard.
‘No, sorry. I can’t help you. I don’t know her.’
Ian wasn’t sure he believed her. ‘The name Roxanne Curtis or Roxy doesn’t mean anything to you?’
She swallowed again. ‘Nothing. I’ve never heard of her.’
‘You sure?’
‘Honestly, I’ve never heard of her or seen her.’
He waited for more but she had nothing else to add. He offered her a smile before asking, ‘What are Gavin and Kirk like to work for?’
‘They’re good to work for.’
‘You get along well with them?’
‘I’d say so but we’re not like friends or anything. They say hello and pay me. That’s about it.’
‘Can you think of anyone who would be angry with either of them for any reason?’
‘Staff members?’
‘Yes, or anyone else you can think of.’
She rubbed her lips together in thought and then shook her head.
‘You never heard anyone complain about them?’
Again, she shook her head. There was nothing to suggest she was lying when she said, ‘I really haven’t.’
‘Do you know Daisy Goldsmith?’
She cocked her head to one side. ‘Yes, I know Daisy but I haven’t spoken to her since she left. She was a bit up herself so we didn’t have much in common.’
‘You knew about her relationship with Gavin?’
‘Who didn’t? It was obvious. She was all over him like a rash. She thought we didn’t know, but we all did.’
‘One last question: the women who came in a few minutes ago. Do they work here? Kirk asked us to only interview staff members.’
‘They’re regulars. They don’t work here.’
‘Thank you. I don’t want to annoy any of the guests.’
‘Guests!’ She giggled.
‘What? What have I said?’ he asked, his teeth flashing.
‘It sounds so funny. Like they booked into a hotel or something.’
‘Do you know their names? I guess you must do if they’re regulars.’ He’d backed her into a corner.
She gave a light shrug. ‘I don’t know their full names. The one with the coloured hair’s called Crystal, the other’s Sandra B.’
‘That’s an odd name.’
‘They have another friend who comes in with them sometimes, also called Sandra – she’s Sandra M.’
‘That’s very helpful. Thank you.’ He’d finished his questions in time. More clubbers turned up and waited to be stamped. He went back inside and bumped into Murray.
‘Not found out anything about Roxy or who might have burnt down the house,’ Murray said.
‘Me neither but I did find out Daisy chased after Gavin and everyone here knew they were in a relationship.’
‘Yeah, I got that info too. Funny cos she told Lucy and Natalie differently. You didn’t happen to spot a pair of women in strappy dresses, did you? One had her hair in a sort of two-tone effect.’
‘Crystal and Sandra B. They’re regular clubbers.’
‘How the fuck did you find that out?’
‘Charmed it out of Olga on reception.’
‘The babe with the big eyes? Kudos to you.’ He grinned before adding, ‘I’m sure those women were both in one of the private rooms upstairs with a group of guys. I can’t be sure, but the way Lola clammed up about the private parties and the fact they kept me shut out of the room makes me suspect something was going on.’
‘Lap dancing?’
‘Yeah, most likely. Still, I can’t see how it’s relevant to the fire or to Roxy’s death, so we’ll call it a night.’
‘Suits me.’
Natalie lay flat on her back, her eyes tightly shut. Judging by the sighs he periodically made, David was also awake, but there was no way she was going to engage in any conversation with him. Leigh had been in a foul mood all the way home, angry that her mother had come to collect her.
‘You made me look stupid,’ Leigh says as they drive away from Katy’s house.
‘How did I do that?’
‘Dad said I could stay until ten. I felt like some little kid being told to come home.’
‘I think you’re exaggerating. I was friendly. I apologised to Katy and Jade for taking you away.’
Leigh ignores her and stares out of the window.
‘Don’t let’s fall out over this. You have school tomorrow. You haven’t finished term, even if Josh has.’
‘It’s only just gone eight.’
‘And I bet you haven’t done all your homework for tomorrow yet. You know you always leave it until the last minute.’
Leigh folds her arms. Natalie has hit a nerve.
‘Leigh, can we not argue about this?’ Waves of tiredness wash over Natalie as she slows down and waits at the traffic lights.
‘Dad said I could go to Katy’s. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.’
Natalie sighs inwardly. David’s caused this problem. If only he’d made proper arrangements and agreed an earlier pickup time, this ridiculous squabble wouldn’t be happening. She makes one more attempt.
‘I know, sweetheart, but you’ll see them both tomorrow at school, won’t you?’
‘If they still want to hang out with me and don’t think I’m some sort of loser.’
‘They won’t think that at all because you’re not,’ she says.
‘Why couldn’t Dad come and fetch me?’
‘I volunteered and he’s sorting out pizzas for supper,’ says Natalie, unwilling to say anything that might alert her daughter to the cracks in her parents’ relationship. Leigh is sensitive, and having already run away once because of her parents’ arguments, Natalie doesn’t want to raise suspicions now.
‘I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. I didn’t mean to.’ She hopes her daughter will back down and stop sulking but she doesn’t. Instead, she picks up her mobile from her lap and texts the friends she’s only just left. Natalie bites her tongue and puts the car into gear. Handling tetchy teenagers is a skill and she’s not sure she’s really got the hang of it.
Natalie let the thoughts rattle around her head for a while. She should have tried to defuse the tension between her and David but she had no energy or inclination to talk, and the tightness in her chest prevented her from making any comforting gestures towards him. Instead of looking after the children, he’d sat around drinking and feeling sorry for himself. She knew she ought to have more compassion and understanding – after all, she knew why he was unhappy – but she didn’t want to expend any more emotion in this direction. She shut her eyes and Mike’s face appeared. No. You mustn’t even go there.
She directed her thoughts back towards the investigation. That was safer ground. What was the link between Roxy and the Lang brothers? She brooded on the subject for a long time, going back over what they’d discovered and coming to the same conclusions until she gradually felt herself drifting, sleep beckoning her into its bottomless abyss.
Eleven
Monday, 2 July – Morning
‘Come on, Leigh!’ David’s voice was edgy. Of their two children, Leigh had always been the sluggish, slow-to-respond one in the mornings, and now Josh had finished his examinations and no longer had to attend school, it was a marathon getting her ready on time. ‘Leigh! It’s quarter to eight. Breakfast’s ready. Get a move on.’
David rolled his eyes at Natalie and was about to say something when their daughter finally appeared, eyes still heavy with sleep and school tie draped around her neck.
�
�Come grab some toast. Josh!’
Josh emerged from the sitting room, a folder in his hand.
Natalie gave an approving nod at her son’s appearance: gelled hair, neatly ironed shirt, black trousers and polished shoes. ‘You look very smart. Good luck.’
‘I’m only handing out my CV, Mum, not starting work today.’
‘I know, but appearances count and you’ll impress them.’
‘We’ll see you later,’ said David, and he leant in to kiss her on the cheek.
She accepted it with a smile, fully aware her children were watching. ‘Have a good day,’ Natalie said breezily.
‘Sure. Maths and double science,’ said Leigh moodily.
David ushered them into the kitchen, and as Natalie slipped on her shoes and heard Leigh complaining loudly that her brother had eaten the last of her favourite cereal, she was glad she could escape to work.
Murray concluded his report on the previous evening’s activities.
Lucy sat back in her seat and said, ‘Daisy chased after Gavin cos she thought he was a wealthy catch, and now she’s got him, she’s no longer interested in him?’
‘That’d be my take on it,’ said Murray. ‘She doesn’t want to move in with him although DJ Crush thinks she’s holding out until Gavin proposes to her.’
‘Do we still keep her in mind?’ Ian asked.
Natalie’s head moved up and down slowly. ‘I think so, if only because she doesn’t have an alibi for the night Roxy died.’
Lucy asked, ‘What do you think was happening in the private room that the hostess and bouncer didn’t want Murray to see?’
‘Could have been lap dancing. A group of blokes turned up and Kirk took them upstairs, then the women arrived soon afterwards. I didn’t want to rattle any cages by insisting they let me in,’ said Murray.
Natalie unfolded her arms and agreed with him. ‘You did the right thing. You were there to ask about Roxy, the fire and Daisy. If whatever the Lang brothers are up to is relevant in any way to this investigation, then it’s a different matter and we’ll act accordingly. For now, we’re still trying to work out how and why Roxy gained access to their house on Linnet Lane. I’ve not yet received the full pathology report but it is almost certain she died of smoke inhalation. We can assume she was asleep, unconscious or completely unaware that the house was on fire. Pinkney is still running tests on her and we’re waiting on toxicology reports. I suggest we try her friends today. Lucy, Ellie knows you, so would you speak to her again? Maybe she knows more than she said she did. Talk to Boo’s mum too. Boo said they saw Ellie smoking with another girl and two boys. Let’s see if we can find out who they were. Tanya Granger is on her way around to see how Cathy’s doing before we interview her again.’