Fabian had better come through for her tonight, or she didn’t know what she would do. But what a fucking little weasel, asking her to pay for it! She’d like to see what he’d do if she made him pay for all the good sex he’d had off her. He wouldn’t be able to afford to look at her tits, never mind touch them.
Tony was still undressed when she went into the bedroom, standing in front of the mirror in all his glory, spraying Lynx all over his furry body. Almost choking on the toxic fumes, Melody sat down on the bed to dry her hair.
‘Room service never showed,’ Tony said, glancing at her in the mirror.
Smiling nervously at his reflection, she shrugged. ‘Oh, well.’
‘Oh, well, nothing,’ he snorted, turning suddenly and sauntering into the lounge. ‘I’m gonna bell the lazy bastards – see what’s taking ’em so long.’
Squeezing her eyes shut when she heard him yelling down the phone, Melody prayed he wouldn’t mention the sandwich she’d never ordered.
Coming back a few seconds later with the phone still clutched in his hand, Tony jerked his head towards the door.
‘They’re sending someone up to restock the booze. Get something on and let them in, will you? And don’t come back till I give you the all-clear,’ he said then, sitting down heavily on the bed. ‘I got a couple of calls to make.’
Pulling her dressing gown on, Melody did as she was told, pulling the door firmly shut behind her.
When the room-service boy had been and gone, she poured herself a neat vodka and switched the TV on. Sitting down on the couch then, she leaned her head back against the cushions and gazed unseeingly at the screen.
All day she’d been trying to hold it together and act like everything was normal. But Tony was getting on her nerves big time, and Fabian had really pissed her off. She didn’t know how much more she could take before she snapped and did something stupid.
Like drug Tony, take her credit cards and passport and book herself onto the first flight home.
And, as a parting shot, she might just let Tony in on her and Fabian’s little secret while she was at it. From the plane, of course. She wasn’t stupid enough to imagine she’d be able to tell him that little snippet face to face and survive.
But it was never going to happen, because she’d have to incapacitate Eddie as well – and there weren’t enough drugs in the world to knock out that big idiot.
‘You’ve had a call,’ Avril said when Leonard came in from the golf club that evening.
Folding her arms, she watched from the living-room doorway as he heaved his clubs into the cupboard beneath the stairs. Straightening up, he rubbed at the small of his back.
‘From?’
‘That girl, Jenna, from that nightclub you keep dragging me to,’ Avril told him, her tone conveying her disapproval. ‘Apparently, your friend Tony Allen is trying to contact you.’
‘Oh?’ Leonard’s eyebrows shot up.
‘Mmm. He called her for your number. Which I found a little surprising, actually, because I’d have thought he’d already have it if you’re the good friends you claim to be.’
‘Would you please stop saying friends as if it’s an insult,’ Leonard snapped. ‘And tell me exactly what she said.’
‘Exactly what I’ve told you. Tony Allen called her for your number, but she felt it inappropriate to give it to him without okaying it with you first, so she left his number instead.’
‘You’ve got Tony Allen’s number?’
‘Isn’t that what I just said?’ Sighing irritably, Avril shook her head. ‘Really, Leonard, these golfing sessions seem to be affecting your memory.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Leonard muttered, walking past her into the lounge and looking around. ‘I trust you wrote it down?’
‘Of course.’
‘Well, do you think you could tell me where?’
Avril’s nostrils flared as she inhaled deeply and pursed her lips. She had been in two minds about telling her husband about that call, and had only done so in the end because he’d have been sure to find out as soon as they next went to the club. It was annoying, though, for this to happen now, when she’d been so sure that Leonard was on the verge of giving up his new-found zest for the nightlife.
They had gone to that club every single night without fail for the first two weeks. But that had tapered off to just a couple of nights a week recently, and Avril had sensed that Leonard was becoming disheartened with the whole experience. And like any canny mother having to deal with a wilful child, she had therefore decided to stop complaining about it, knowing that if she allowed it to run its course Leonard would quit going of his own accord. Whereas if she were to try to make him stop, it was guaranteed to have the opposite effect. And it seemed to have been working. Until now.
‘Do you think I should call him?’ Leonard murmured, peering nervously at the number on the pad.
‘Well, that’s the only way you’re going to find out what he wants, isn’t it?’
‘I suppose so. Yes, you’re right.’ Nodding decisively, Leonard flopped down onto the couch and reached for the phone. ‘I’ll do it now.’
Going back to her chair, Avril picked up her knitting and feigned a lack of interest as he made his call.
‘Oh, hello, is that Mr Allen?’ Leonard said, sitting up straighter all of a sudden – as if, Avril thought, he were talking to a superior. ‘This is Leonard Drake. We, um, met at the club?’
Avril shook her head ever so slightly, wondering why on earth he was introducing himself as if it were he who had precipitated the contact.
‘Oh, no, it’s not a problem at all,’ Leonard said now, making Avril’s eyebrows pucker with irritation because he sounded so toadying. ‘Yes, I could be there. Absolutely. What time? Ten? Yes, that’s perfectly acceptable. Right, well, ten it is, then. I shall look forward to it.’
‘What did he want?’ Avril asked when he’d hung up.
‘To meet at the club tonight,’ Leonard told her, getting up and heading for the drinks cabinet.
Watching him out of the corner of her eye, Avril noticed that his hands were shaking.
‘I thought it was supposed to be urgent?’ she said quietly. ‘That was the impression the girl gave when she rang.’
‘Yes, well, he’s too busy to talk right now,’ Leonard said, pouring himself a Scotch. ‘Apparently, he would have liked to have spoken to me earlier, but nobody thought to let me know at the time.’
‘And how was anybody supposed to do that?’ Avril asked, knowing full well that he meant that she should have done it. ‘You left your mobile here.’
‘You could have reached me at the clubhouse. They would have called me in.’
‘Yes, well, I didn’t.’ Sighing, Avril laid the knitting aside again. ‘Still, I’m sure you’re quite satisfied with the outcome. I’ll just go and see what I’ve got in the wardrobe, shall I? Wouldn’t want to embarrass you by wearing something I’ve been seen in a thousand times already.’
‘Don’t put yourself to any trouble,’ Leonard said, smiling suddenly – which immediately roused Avril’s suspicions. ‘I know you don’t really like the place, so there’s no need for you to tag along if you’d rather stay at home tonight.’ Another smile. And a bead of sweat on the brow. ‘We’ll only be talking business, and it’s hardly fair to make you sit alone.’
Avril returned his smile, her teeth firmly clenched beneath her tight lips.
‘Not at all, dear. I shall be there for you, as always.’
Relaxed after a shower and a rest, Jenna went back to the club with her tail between her legs. Finding Fabian doing a stock check in the storeroom, she gave him a sheepish smile.
‘I just wanted to apologise for talking to you like that earlier. I was completely out of order, and it should never have happened.’
Getting a waft of Chanel No. 5, which evoked immediate memories of a particularly horny several-night stand with a foxy pole-dancer in Ibiza a few years back, Fabian’s handsome lips arced in
a secret smile.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said, flicking his gaze over her body. She looked great, as usual, and the sincerity in her gorgeous eyes made them an even richer shade of green. ‘Feeling better now?’
‘Much, thanks.’ Jenna smiled, reluctant to explain what had made her so jumpy earlier. He’d only think she was stupid for letting an idiot on the other end of the phone get to her like that – and he’d be right. ‘I just had a bit of a headache, but it’s gone now. Anyway, I wanted to set things straight with you before we open. And I promise it’ll never happen again.’
Knowing the power of magnanimity, Fabian gave her a reassuring smile. ‘It’s cool, Jenna. You’ve been working too hard, that’s the problem. Any time you want a break, just say the word. I’m more than happy to look after things.’
‘Isn’t that what I’ve been trying to tell you?’ Jenna raised an eyebrow. ‘I seem to remember that you were supposed to be booking yourself a holiday.’
‘Is that the time?’ Fabian said, grinning as he pantomimed looking at his watch. ‘Best get out of here before we get locked in. And who’s going to look after the place without us?’
‘Okay, I get the point. You don’t want time off. Well, fine. You just keep working till you can’t stand up for exhaustion.’
‘You and me both,’ Fabian quipped, waving her out and locking the door. Strolling up the stairs beside her then, he said, ‘So, it’s Vibes’s last night on Sunday?’
‘Mmmm,’ Jenna murmured, wishing that he hadn’t reminded her.
‘Thought of anyone to take his place yet?’
‘Don’t ask,’ she groaned. ‘I’ve been ringing everyone, and no one can step in at short notice. Marky Day’s going to call me later to let me know if his friend can do it, but I don’t know what we’re going to do if he says no.’
‘Glad you said that,’ Fabian said, grinning. ‘’Cos I know the perfect guy. Fresh in this morning from a winter season in Tenerife and looking for a residency, at least until summer.’
‘Can’t be too well known if he’s been out of the country,’ Jenna commented worriedly. ‘Won’t that be a bit of a risk for the weekend slot?’
‘Do you know how many Brits spend their summers partying in places like that?’ Fabian said. ‘And then they have to come back to this damp, dark dump, with nothing but memories to carry them through to the next year. Imagine how chuffed they’d be if they found out we’d got one of the guys who was spinning the tunes when they were having the best time of their lives. They’ll kill to get in. You watch. He’ll wipe Vibes off the map in no time.’
Still smiling, Jenna kept her mouth firmly shut. Fabian could think what he liked, but in her opinion Vibes was going to be a hard act to follow.
Still, she didn’t have an awful lot of options right now and something was better than nothing. And if this guy didn’t work out she didn’t have to keep him.
‘I’ll leave it with you,’ she said. ‘But I hope you’re right about him being good, or we’re in trouble.’
‘Oh, he’s good, don’t worry about that,’ Fabian assured her. ‘I’ll go and give him a ring – and hope I catch him before someone else snaps him up.’
7
Tony was dressed and ready to go when he came out of the bedroom. Frowning when he saw Melody dozing on the couch with the TV blaring, still in her dressing gown, her unstyled hair as dry as a scarecrow’s, he reached down and gave her a rough shake.
‘Yo! It’s time you was getting ready. Eddie’ll be here in a minute.’
‘Uh . . . ?’ Waking in confusion, Melody struggled to open her eyes. ‘What time is it?’
‘Eleven.’ Lighting two cigarettes, he passed one to her.
Dragging deeply on it, she shivered. ‘Christ, it’s cold in here. Have you got the air-con on?’
‘Jeez, you must be ill. It’s hotter than a goddamn furnace.’
‘I’m freezing,’ she moaned, wrapping the gown tighter around herself.
‘Go to bed if you’re not feeling right. Sleep it off.’
‘No! I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute.’ Jumping up, Melody stumbled into the bedroom.
Coming out of his own small room two floors up a short while later, Eddie trotted down the stairs and tapped on the door.
‘Ready?’ he asked when Tony let him in.
‘Near as dammit,’ Tony affirmed, pouring them both a drink and handing Eddie’s to him. ‘Just waiting on Mel.’
‘You get through to that guy yet?’ Eddie asked, going to the window to check if the taxi had arrived.
‘Yeah, he rang earlier. I said we’d meet him at the club.’
‘Reckon he’ll know anything useful?’
‘He’s got to know more than us,’ Tony said. Then, with a shrug, he added, ‘Whether or not it’s useful is anyone’s guess.’
Walking in just then, Melody peered at them suspiciously. ‘What you talking about, Tone?’
‘Nothing for you to worry about,’ he told her dismissively.
Casting a resentful glance at Eddie who was standing by the window, his face as impassive as ever, Melody folded her arms. These two were so far up each other’s backsides, it wasn’t even funny.
‘What you stewing about now?’Tony demanded, giving her a dark look.
‘I suppose he knows?’ she muttered accusingly.
‘Pack it in!’Tony barked, downing his drink and slamming the glass down on the table. ‘He’s family, so don’t fucking push it.’ Stalking to the door then, he jerked his head for them to follow.
Leonard and Avril arrived at the club at five to ten. Slapping his money down on the pay-desk, Leonard propelled Avril into the clubroom with a hand on her elbow.
Jerking her arm out of his grip, she said, ‘Don’t push, Leonard.’
‘“Don’t push”,’ he mimicked under his breath as she strode on ahead with her nose in the air. He’d push her, all right – right out of the bloody door with her suitcases if she carried on like this.
Following Avril up to the VIP lounge, Leonard headed for the bar while she went and found them a table. Glancing around while he waited for the waitress to fill his order, he spotted Tony Allen in a corner booth. The blonde hooker was with him again, and the weird tall man. But, thankfully, none of the sycophantic fan club was around for a change.
Scolding himself for feeling so nervous about this meeting, he reminded himself that once upon a time – many years ago, admittedly – he had prided himself on being able to tackle any situation head-on. He’d stood tall in his years as party news-spokesman, and had given confident, informative after-dinner speeches since retiring. So why on earth he was so nervous about approaching one man for a civilised chat, he didn’t know. Especially when the man had requested the meeting in the first place.
Telling himself to get a grip, Leonard downed both his and Avril’s drinks when they came, then tossed a ten-pound note to the waitress and marched across to Tony.
‘Hello, there. I hope I’m not late?’
‘Bang on time,’ Tony said, peering up at him with a hint of amusement in his penetrating eyes.
Christ, the guy was ugly. And fat. And where the fuck all that sweat came from was anybody’s guess, but it sure wasn’t normal.
‘Take a seat,’ he said after a moment. ‘Drink?’
Squeezing himself onto the bench seat, Leonard said, ‘Yes, thank you, that’s very kind. Scotch rocks, please.’
Ordering their drinks, Tony sat back and peered at him. Intimidated by the scrutiny, Leonard slipped a finger into his collar to loosen it as a trail of perspiration snaked down the side of his face.
The sight of it, coupled with the pungent stench of fear and excitement coming from his sodden armpits, made Melody’s already sensitive stomach flip.
‘’Scuse me,’ she muttered, lurching to her feet and scrambling to get out from behind the table without touching Leonard.
‘Where you going?’ Tony asked her sharply.
‘To the toilet,
’ she said. Then, to Leonard, who still hadn’t moved: ‘Will you please let me out!’
‘Yo!’Tony barked. ‘Don’t be rude to our guest.’
Melody opened her mouth to retort that Leonard was no guest of hers. But the look on Tony’s face stopped her.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled instead, giving Leonard a tiny sick smile. ‘Could you please let me out? I really don’t feel too good.’
‘Thought you said you was better?’ Tony frowned.
‘I thought I was,’ she lied. ‘Must be a bug.’
‘Best go back to the hotel, then.’ Turning to Eddie, he clicked his fingers. ‘Take her back, will you?’
‘No!’Melody yelped. ‘I’ll be all right in a minute, hon – honest. I just need to go to the ladies’ and splash some cold water on my face. Really, I’ll be fine.’
Watching as she made a dash for the toilets, Tony jerked his head at Eddie. ‘Go see if they got any antacids in the first-aid kit, or something.’
‘Actually, I’ve always found that peppermint cordial works rather well,’ Leonard volunteered. ‘That’s what my, um, wife usually takes when she feels under the weather.’
Nodding at Eddie, Tony waited until he’d gone, then took out a pack of cigars and lit one. ‘So, you’re married?’ he said, offering one to Leonard.
‘Oh, yes.’ Leaning towards him for a light, Leonard sat back and pointed Avril out. ‘That’s my good lady wife over there.’
Glancing at her, Tony saw the crossed arms and furious scowl. ‘She don’t look too happy.’
‘She’s fine,’ Leonard assured him breezily. ‘She’s just got a few things on her mind, that’s all.’
‘What, like wondering where her drink is?’Tony chuckled, noticing the lack of glasses on her table. ‘Think we ought to send her one over?’
‘Well, I, um, yes, I suppose we should,’ Leonard spluttered guiltily. ‘I was actually in the process of ordering when I spotted you.’
‘What’ll she have?’ Tony clicked his fingers at yet another waiter.
‘G-and-T.’
The Club Page 15