Uncoiled Lies: a stunning crime thriller

by Liz Mistry

  Anastazy leaned close to her, put his index finger under her chin and jerked her head upwards. Serafina made her expression neutral. He leaned in closer until she could smell a nauseous combination of nicotine and garlic. Trying not to flinch, she held her breath and waited. As if in slow motion, he lowered his mouth to hers and captured her lips, thrusting his tongue between them, as if he owned her. Then his hands reached up and grabbed her breasts, squeezing tightly, causing a small squeal to leave her mouth. Serafina heard her brother’s sharp intake of breath, as if from a distance and a single tear, escaping her closed eye, rolled down her cheek. Reaching up, she surreptitiously touched her crucifix, praying that, Jacob would find the strength to ignore Anastazy’s provocation.

  After what seemed like an eternity, he lifted his mouth from hers and leered into her face before tugging her hair hard. ‘You are mine, Serafina, don’t you forget it!’ He pushed her away and marched over to the door. Hesitating, he turned and allowed his malignant gaze to drift over each of them in turn before speaking. ‘You know what will happen if you speak out of turn about that boy, don’t you?’ When Serafina nodded, he smiled and said, ‘I’ll be back!’

  After the bang of the front door had signified his departure, Serafina stood motionless, her eyes closed. Had that really just happened? Her heart began to slow and her thoughts became more ordered. Anastazy had just issued a warning and she knew it was one she would have to pay heed to. The way he’d punched her mother made his intentions perfectly clear. She glanced at her mum who Jacob had seated at the kitchen table. She held a damp rag to her mouth and her eyes shimmered with tears. Jacob spoke reassuring words into the silent room. Her father hadn’t moved since Anastazy’s departure.

  Serafina pushed out her tongue to lick her dry lips and the sharp taste of nicotine made her stomach heave. She rushed over to the sink and vomited.

  19:25 The Fort

  It was one of those nights when all Gus wanted to do was get out of The Fort. He’d already taken an hour out for a swim up at the university but it didn’t seem to have hit the mark… He still felt lethargic and although some of his anger with DCS Hussain had receded, the lingering tension in his shoulders persisted. He knew he needed to let it go before it consumed him. He was also pretty fed up that Shahid Khan had still not been found. The police had gone to his uncle’s house in Birmingham, interrupting the wedding and, no doubt, doing sod all for community relations in the process, but Shahid had already left for Bradford. To date, there’d been no sight of him.

  Looking out the window, the heat from the radiators blasting onto his face; he wished he was anywhere but here. Heaton woods would be a great place to be. Well, maybe not at this time of night in the dark and probably not in the torrential rain that had just begun to splatter against the window, distorting his reflection in the glass. He turned away, considering packing up for the night when his desk phone rang. It appeared that Shahid Khan had presented himself voluntarily for interview and was now in an interview room. According to the duty officer, Shahid had said he’d learned of Trixie’s murder from his bouncer, on his return from a family wedding in Birmingham and had come to ‘help you lot catch the bastard who did this.’

  Gus walked down the corridor to the interview room with Alice in tow. The duty officer had, as per Gus’ instructions, put Shahid in one of the less hospitable rooms and Gus had waited half an hour before entering the room. No reason to make it easy for Khan: after all, at the moment, he was one of their main suspects. Gus was intrigued that Khan had opted to come into the station. There was no love lost between him and the police, so what had prompted his compliance?

  Khan, Gus presumed, was still wearing his wedding clothes. The Asian suit was far too ornate to be normal daily wear, besides which Gus reckoned Khan wasn’t the sort to wear traditional clothes if it wasn’t for a special occasion. Gus nodded at Shahid and sat down, Alice beside him, whilst Shahid continued to pace the floor, the fabric of his suit rustling as he moved. Gus’ eyes narrowed as he tried to gauge the younger man’s mood. Shahid looked upset, his eyes were red rimmed and Gus wondered if this was because of Trixie’s death. Clearing his throat, he began, ‘Well, Mr Khan, it’s really good of you to come for this little chat. Could you confirm that you are Shahid Khan?’

  Khan, pulled a chair out and sat straight backed in the chair. In an exaggerated gesture he raised his arm, elbow bent and flipping his cuff back with a finger, he looked at the state-of-the-art Rolex watch on his wrist. He looked at Gus and inclined his head. Gus could almost feel the frustration oozing from the other man’s pores. He didn’t feel bad for keeping him waiting. Gus had had too much experience of being messed around by Khan to spare him even a moment’s sympathy. He’d waited for hours for this interview and he was bloody sure it would be on his terms.

  ‘Could you confirm verbally, Mr Khan?’ said Gus, his voice pleasant. As ever the contrast between the two pimps struck Gus. Where Bazza Green was seedy and made your skin crawl, Khan was smooth, clean shaven and, when not decked out for a Muslim wedding, could easily pass for any young professional working in a bank or office. His usual clothes were designer smart and, if the thick gold chain that hung round his neck had anything to do with it, top of the range. No Asda sale items on his shoulders, thought Gus, making a mental note to reassess his own wardrobe. Khan was a living advertisement that crime actually did pay… and big bucks by the looks of it.

  Gus was pleased that for the time being, Khan had opted not to contact his lawyer. He seemed perfectly relaxed. Obviously got a good alibi, thought Gus. Leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, Gus noted with interest, the way his right leg jogged on the spot, as if he were channelling all the nervous energy contained in the well- muscled body into that one limb.

  ‘Good wedding?’ asked Gus sifting through a pile of papers he’d brought into the room with him.

  ‘What?’

  Whatever Khan had been expecting, it wasn’t that. He frowned and then leaned forward. ‘Yeah, great wedding. Loads of hot totty and booze. Bridesmaid was a bit of a goer.’ Then scraping his chair back from the table he jumped to his feet and shouted, ‘What the fuck’s the wedding got to do with owt?’

  DS Cooper tutted and tapped her foot on the floor whilst Gus raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

  ‘Okay, okay,’ said Shahid, running his fingers through well gelled hair. He hooked the chair with his foot and dragging it towards him he sat back down. ‘Typical Muslim wedding, you know? Never got near any girls, stayed with the blokes and compared cars and watches. Satisfied?’

  Gus nodded, ‘Glad you enjoyed yourself. Tell me where you were on Thursday night?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Thursday night?’ repeated Gus ‘You got a hearing problem? I can speak louder if you like.’

  Shahid shook his head. ‘You can’t think I did this. Fuck! Trixie was my girl, you know. Bet it were the same fucker that offed Camilla and Starlight. You should be out looking for that sicko. I came in to try to help you lot, cos I care about her… cared about her.’ He took a deep breath and looking beyond Gus’s right shoulder he added, ‘We were going to get married.’

  Gus considered this for a moment. Shahid did look distraught. His usual arrogance was toned down a notch and Gus’ experience told him that Khan was covering up just how cut up he was about Trixie’s death. The fact that he’d turned up without coercion was a first for Khan. In Gus’ previous dealings with the man it had been like pulling teeth.

  ‘You care about Trixie, right?’ he waited for Shahid’s nod, then, ‘Well answer the question.’

  Khan shrugged. ‘Here and there, you know? Round and about.’

  Gus released an exaggerated sigh and leaned back, crossing one leg over the other as if he was settling in for the long haul, ‘Look we’re all here for the same thing. Be more specific and we’ll be able to rule you out of our enquiries. Where’s here, there, round and about?’

  Shahid raised an eyebrow, that told Gus i
n no uncertain terms that he was sceptical of Gus’ good intentions. ‘Forgive me if I don’t fully believe that you’re not trying to fit me up for this. You know fine and well you had me in here and raked me over the coals about Camilla, poor cow, then again after Starlight. Stands to reason you’re trying to put Trixie on me but, you see, this is different. She was my girlfriend. I wouldn’t hurt her.’

  Gus leaned forward, ‘You still haven’t answered my question, Shahid. Thursday night. Think back. I want all the gory details’

  ‘Oh, for crying out loud, why are you wasting time with me? It’s obviously a sicko punter on the loose. You should be out there looking for him, not hassling me. That’s what I pay me taxes for. To fund the likes of you.’

  ‘Well, I’m not so sure about your taxes, Shahid but, if you like we can go into that another time?’ Gus looked Shahid straight in the eyes until the younger man looked away, seeming a little less sure of himself. ‘Right, Shahid. Last time. Thursday night, where were you? And I promise I won’t bring up your tax situation again.’

  ‘Fuck’s sake. If it’ll get you off my case, I was with Trixie till about eight or so, then I was at The Delius. Imti does this underage disco thing on a Thursday night, so I worked upstairs in the office. Trixie was supposed to phone me at tenish, but she didn’t. I kept ringing and ringing her but she didn’t pick up.’ His voice caught and he rubbed his sleeve over his eyes and bit his lip. He stared straight ahead for nearly a minute then, with a belligerent expression on his face he looked at Gus. ‘I was in the office all night till closing. Then me and Imti drove to Birmingham for the wedding.’

  Shahid looked down at the table and sniffed. ‘I was cursing her, you know? Thought she was with Bazza. She’d promised me she wouldn’t go with him, no more. Not now. Bastard made Trixie his pet. She hated it, his sweaty paws all over her. Made my skin crawl. But I were taking her away from all that.’

  When he saw another tear roll down Shahid’s cheek, Gus signalled to Alice. ‘DS Cooper will get you a drink. What do you want?’

  Shahid shook his head. When he spoke his voice was full of despair, ‘The only thing I want is Trixie. Find who did this to her.’

  ‘That’s the plan.’ said Gus, ‘Where did you go with Trixie on Thursday? Somewhere nice and quiet?’

  Shahid nodded.

  ‘Aah, yes, I know the sort of place you mean. Quiet and secluded where you can be a bit intimate, yeah?’

  Shahid nodded, ‘Yeah, that’s right’

  Gus continued, ‘Dim romantic lighting? Maybe moonlight and a few stars?’

  Again, Shahid nodded, his shoulders hunched. He looked defeated but Gus wasn’t finished yet. He needed to be sure. Glancing at Alice, he continued, ‘What have I missed out, DS Cooper’

  Alice folded her arms and shook her head, ‘Beats me, sir’

  Gus snapped his fingers. ‘Oh that’s it. I’ve got it. It’s the scent I forgot?’

  Shahid looked puzzled, ‘What scent?’

  ‘That distinctive aroma of rotten vegetation, stale sex and sweat from the druggies that can only be found at Lilycroft allotments.’

  Shahid’s mouth gaped open and his face paled. Without waiting for him to recover, Gus said ‘That’s where we found Trixie’s strangled body.’

  Shahid shot to his feet, his chest heaving. He put his hands over his ears like a small child. ‘Shut up, shut up, shut up.’ He chanted backing into the far corner of the room.

  Gus glanced at Alice who shrugged, her eyes telling Gus she was as unsure of Shahid’s guilt as he was. Gus leaned over the table and in a quiet voice said, ‘Sit down, Shahid, sit down.’

  But Shahid was too far gone to respond. Leaning against the wall for support he allowed his body to sink to the floor and with his elbows resting on his knees he cradled his head and wept. Gus stood and walked over to stand beside him. He gently pulled the other man by the arms until he was upright and, arm round his shoulders he walked him over to sit back down at the table. Meanwhile Alice had gone to the door and ordered a mug of tea for Shahid. When it arrived she poured in two sachets of sugar and pushed the mug over to Shahid saying, ‘Drink.’

  She handed him a tissue and then sat down beside Gus. After a few sips of tea, some colour returned to his cheeks. He pushed the mug away and wrapped his arms round his body, rocking to and fro, in the same way he’d learned as a boy in mosque school, when he was learning the Quran.

  Gus broke the silence. ‘Look at me, Shahid. We know you were with her cause we’ve got a DNA match to your sperm. Do you deny it?’

  Shahid shook his head ‘No, she was my girl so I met her Thursday cause I was going to be away for a few days and yes, we had sex. Why shouldn’t we? We’re getting married?’

  ‘Not any more, you’re not.’ said Gus, his voice gentle.

  Shahid nodded in acknowledgement and fresh tears flowed down his face. ‘Where is she? I need to see her.’

  Gus laid a gentle hand on his arm, ‘Later, son, later, okay? I need to get your statement.’

  Shahid nodded and straightened up. Taking a deep breath, he said, ‘Okay, I’m ready. Trix and I met up around twoish. She told me that she’d told Bazza she was on. Having a period, like?’ He glanced at Alice as if for confirmation, and when she nodded he continued.

  ‘We walked about in town for ages but we were always on the lookout in case somebody saw us so we ended up at the allotments and, well, you know we were having a laugh and we made love.’

  ‘I don’t get it Shahid. You’ve got plenty of dosh. Why didn’t you take her to a hotel? I mean, if you were getting married, I’d have thought you’d have wanted to treat her… not shag her down Lilycroft allotments like any old whore?’

  Shahid rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. ‘I know, I know! We normally did go to a hotel. Don’t know why we ended up there. We were just mucking around like and one thing led to another and then I needed to get back and she needed to avoid Bazza. I wish to fuck I’d never gone near that fucking place with her.’

  Gus waited to give Shahid a chance to compose himself, then when he seemed to have calmed down he said, ‘So, when did you leave, Shahid?’

  ‘Well at around eight or half past. We thought we heard someone and she were worried that it might have been Je–’ He hesitated and then said, ‘One of the other girls, who’d tell Bazza she was with me. Then she’d lose her free rent and all.’

  Gus nodded, stood up and paced the room for a few seconds.

  ‘Look Shahid, don’t get me wrong, I sympathise with your loss but I’m just not getting it. Why was she still working for Bazza if you two were getting married? What did it matter if she lost her free rent – you’re loaded? Why was it all kept such a secret? Do you see where I’m coming from, Shahid? It doesn’t add up.’

  Shahid’s face flushed and some of his earlier arrogance returned. ‘It’s true. I loved her and I wanted to get married, look after her.’ He lowered his eyes and wringing his hands together on the table top, he added in a voice so quiet, they barely heard his words, ‘She were pregnant. We were going to have my baby.’

  ‘Then why not just whisk her away from Bazza? You’re not scared of him, are you? Unless of course that’s why Camilla and Starlight were killed. Was that Bazza’s way of warning you off his pet?’

  Shahid shook his head, ‘Nah, he’s not got the guts to do owt like that, not Bazza!’

  ‘No, then who killed the girls? We’ve got three dead working girls, one of whom is your girlfriend and who works for Bazza. It stinks of turf war to me, Shahid. Especially when you tell me Trixie was scared to leave Bazza. That doesn’t tally with you saying he didn’t have the guts to kill your girls. Makes me wonder if you and Bazza were sorting things out between yourselves. If Bazza’s so gutless why was Trixie so scared of leaving him?’

  Shahid glared at Gus. ‘It weren’t fucking Bazza that was the problem. It were Jessica, okay?’

  Gus frowned and pretended to be confused. ‘Why would Trixie’s best
friend not want her to get out of this life?’

  Shahid snorted. ‘You having a laugh? You know damn well Jessica’s my half-sister and you also know, because that fucking Hussain bitch will have delighted in telling you, that Jess and I don’t get on. That’s why it was so awkward for Trixie. She didn’t want to tell Jessica she were seeing me. Jess would’ve gone ballistic if she found out.’

  ‘You telling me Jessica didn’t know about you and Trixie?’

  ‘Nobody did. It were a secret.’

  Gus felt that Shahid’s words rang true. Going by what Sadia had gleaned from Jessica, she wouldn’t have been happy at all about Trixie and Shahid, but was that enough of a reason to keep it all a big secret. He decided to push a bit more, ‘Still don’t get it Shahid. You sure it’s not all about Jessica blaming you for her mother’s death? After all Jessica thinks you killed her, doesn’t she? Maybe you did. Maybe if you were capable of killing Millie Green all those years ago, you’d be capable of killing two of your “girls” and your girlfriend now.’

  Shahid groaned, ‘Aw for fuck’s sake, maybe I should just lawyer up now. I didn’t before because I just wanted to help you find who killed Trix, but now you’re just taking the piss. Dragging up Millie. Fuck! I loved her. She were like my mum. I’ve spent the last twenty years trying to convince Jess I’d nothing to do with it and now you lot are dragging it all up. If I knew who’d killed Millie, I’d have given them up and, sure as fuck, if I knew who killed Trix, I’d make sure they were sorted, okay?’

  Gus nodded at Alice to take over and watched as she rested her arms on the table and with a sympathetic look on her face said, ‘See Shahid, what DI McGuire is wondering is, that maybe Trixie wasn’t so keen to settle down and play happy families with you. Maybe she heard how you Muslim lads make your white wives cover their bodies and hair and stay at home looking after the kids?’