The Front

by Mandasue Heller

  Still . . . If needs must.

  When Jake finally picked up the intercom phone there was no one on the other end. Hanging up, he went to tell The Man. Less than a minute later, there was a knock at the door.

  ‘What the fuck?’ The Man hissed. ‘Go tek a look, Jake – and be careful.’

  Jake went to peep through the spyhole. He hadn’t pressed the buzzer to release the door, so no one could have got in that way. And it certainly wouldn’t be a neighbour. So who the hell was it?

  It was the girl, Linda. Standing in the hallway, pulling at her little skirt and flicking her hair into place.

  ‘It’s that slut!’ Jake snarled. ‘What do you want me to do?’

  ‘Shit!’ The Man frowned. ‘What’s she doing here?’

  ‘Preening herself for all the world to see,’ Jake spat.

  ‘Bring her in!’ The Man snapped tersely, annoyed that she’d got past the security door without waiting for an invitation. She was starting to do his head in. She’d been amusing for the first week, but now she was becoming a pure irritation. She seemed to think she was something special. It was time to disillusion her.

  ‘Shall I give her a slap?’ Jake asked eagerly.

  ‘No! I’ll sort this one,’ The Man said. Standing, he held his hand out to Max. ‘I appreciate your help. And don’t forget, I’ll make it worth your while if—when you find this Melly.’

  Max shook The Man’s hand. ‘Yeah, okay. I’ll check you later.’

  He followed Jake to the door, leaving without a backward glance as Jake dragged the girl inside, slamming the door behind him.

  Wriggling away from Jake, Linda quickly ducked past him and ran into the living room. Rushing over to The Man, who was sitting again, she bent forward to kiss him.

  ‘What’s this shit?’ he snapped, sticking a hand up to keep her at bay. ‘Who said you could come round here?’ he went on frostily. ‘And how did you get in?’

  She faltered. This wasn’t the greeting she’d expected. ‘A – a man came out while I was waiting, so I just came up . . . Thought I’d save him—’ she shot a wary glance at Jake ‘—having to buzz me in.’

  ‘You don’t ever come here without being told to!’ The Man shouted, waving his hand angrily. ‘You think I want people seeing you come here in broad daylight? Cha! If I want you, I’ll tell you!’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she whined. ‘I thought you’d be glad to see me? Anyway,’ she added sulkily. ‘I’m your girlfriend. I should be able to come and see you without making an appointment!’

  The Man jumped up furiously, pushing her to the floor. ‘Don’t you ever get sarcastic with me, bitch! And who said you’re my girl? Eh? Did I say that? You’re giving yourself airs, bitch!’

  Linda covered her head with her arms when he raised his hand menacingly. ‘Simeon . . . please! I didn’t mean to make you angry. What did I do wrong?’

  ‘You got ideas above your station, fool.’ Jake grinned nastily. ‘No one comes here without an invitation – no one!’

  ‘But . . . but you’re always here,’ she cried. ‘Why can’t I come when I want to?’

  ‘What?’ Jake snarled. ‘You questioning my right to be here?’

  The Man reached down and yanked Linda up from the floor. Throwing her down onto a chair, he towered over her, pointing a finger towards Jake as he yelled into her face: ‘He is my spar! Whereas you are just a fucking tart! See the difference?’

  He leaned closer then, forcing her to cringe back as he pinned her with an icy stare. ‘You don’t mean that to me!’ He snapped his fingers in her face. ‘Got that?’

  Tears spilled from Linda’s huge, terrified eyes. Rolling over her spidery lashes, they ran down her cheeks and splashed onto her breasts. As The Man watched their progress, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Reaching out, he yanked the material of her top down, frowning darkly at the welted stripes and teeth marks adorning her breasts.

  ‘Jake?’ he demanded, turning to look at Jake over his shoulder. ‘You do this?’

  Jake shrugged. ‘Yeah . . . so?’

  The Man tutted, releasing the material. ‘What the hell you playing at, man? I told you not to hurt her.’

  ‘She didn’t bleed,’ Jake said. ‘Anyhow, she enjoyed it!’

  The Man shook his head and turned back to the girl. She cowered away from him. The last thing she’d expected was for Jake to tell him what they’d done. What would he do to her now?

  ‘This true?’ he asked, a slight smile lifting his lip. ‘You enjoy that shit?’

  ‘N-no,’ she spluttered. ‘I – I . . .’

  ‘Could be useful,’ he said, ignoring her as he looked back at Jake, a glimmer of an idea forming in his mind. ‘Some a them big-money men like it like that, don’t they?’ he mused. ‘It’s usually hard getting these bitches to oblige. I reckon we could make a mint with this one if she likes it rough.’

  ‘W-what do you mean?’ Linda whimpered fearfully.

  The Man leaned over her again, smiling now, his voice low and velvety. ‘I mean, it’s time we sorted out that nice little place I’ve been promising you, eh? You’d like that, wouldn’t you, darlin’?’

  She nodded, relieved that he wasn’t going to kick her out, but confused by this sudden change in his mood.

  Standing, he pulled a wad of money from his pocket and handed it to her. ‘Tomorrow, I want you to go and buy yourself some nice, sexy things. Don’t be getting none of this cheap shit you been wearing, though . . .’ He plucked at her skimpy silver halter neck. ‘Get some real sophisticated stuff, then go to a girlie place and get some nice innocent stuff: pretty little dresses, and ribbons for your hair, yeah?’

  She nodded, taking the money.

  ‘And here, darlin’,’ he went on, holding out a little folded wrap. ‘Go and sort yourself out, there’s a good girl. You look a fucking mess.’

  Linda smiled happily, licking her lips as she took the wrap from him and tottered off to the bathroom. She’d sort out all that stuff about the big-money men and what-have-you later. For now, she was just glad she wasn’t in The Man’s bad books. And glad to have this little wrap of happy powder to kiss all those silly little fears away.

  ‘Get on to Marie,’ The Man told Jake when she’d gone. ‘Get her to sort a place out. In fact, tell her to come over tonight. I want her to see this one – suss her out.’

  ‘What time?’ Jake asked. ‘You got Max coming over later too, don’t forget.’

  ‘Marie’s cool. It don’t matter what she hears.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe Marie’s cool – but she’s not,’ Jake countered, nodding towards the bathroom.

  ‘Not yet,’ The Man agreed. ‘Anyhow, Max will ring before he comes.’

  ‘I’ll tell her to come at one,’ Jake said, heading for the phone.

  13

  When Paul entered the main bar of The George, the first people he saw were DCI Jackson and his fat friend. They were sitting at a wonky table facing the door and he felt himself blushing as they simultaneously looked his way. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to recognize him. He breathed a sigh of relief. One meeting with Jackson had been enough of an unnerving experience. The last thing he needed was to feel self-conscious in his social time.

  He went to the bar to get himself a pint and looked around for Eddie. Spotting him in a crowded booth overlooking the pool table – out of Jackson and Mac’s view – he made his way over and slid onto the bench seat beside him, nodding hello to the others already seated.

  ‘We’re not staying long, are we?’ he asked quietly. ‘Jackson’s round there. I feel funny having him watching me.’

  Eddie laughed. ‘I’ve just invited them to come with us. I didn’t think you’d mind.’

  Paul nearly choked on his beer. ‘Tell me you’re joking!’

  Eddie slapped him on the back and said, ‘Do me a favour! Do I look like a brown-noser? They always come in here for a couple when they’ve finished for the day. What you so nervous of him for, anyway?’ he asked teasingl
y. ‘What you been doing, you naughty lad?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Paul said. ‘It’s just that I spoke to him this morning and – I don’t know.’ He shrugged. ‘He just made me feel a bit weird.’

  ‘Scared you shitless, you mean?’ Eddie grinned. ‘Ah, don’t worry about the old Dragon Master. He’s all right – if you avoid him like the plague!’

  ‘I intend to,’ muttered Paul.

  ‘Anyway, never mind them,’ Eddie went on, pushing himself to his feet. ‘We’ve time for another pint before we set off. What you having?’

  ‘Lager, thanks.’ Paul drained his glass quickly and handed it over.

  ‘How are we getting there?’ he asked when Eddie came back a few minutes later.

  ‘Cab,’ Eddie said. ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m planning to get well and truly plastered before the night’s through, and there’s no way I’m driving with that pair of dykes, Nesbitt and Wotserface, on drunk-driver watch!’

  ‘Fake-Man Blake?’ Paul volunteered, having heard the unflattering term being bandied around the station.

  ‘That’s the one!’ Eddie laughed. ‘Shit! Wouldn’t they just love to pull us in for driving under the influence? They’d have us in cuffs and down at the station faster than they could turn that vibrating truncheon of theirs on!’

  Laughing along with the others at the table, Paul began to relax. Maybe tonight wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  An hour – and two drinks – later, the group made their noisy exit.

  ‘Haven’t I seen that lad somewhere before?’ Mac gestured with a nod towards Paul Dalton as the group straggled out.

  Jackson looked over. ‘Yeah. A bit ago when he came in!’

  ‘No.’ Mac shook his head. ‘Somewhere else. He’s one of ours, isn’t he?’

  ‘Oh, that’s right.’ Jackson nodded. ‘He was there this morning. I talked to him and he kept blushing.’

  Mac laughed. ‘The effect you have on people! They call you the Dragon Master, you know?’

  Jackson chuckled. ‘Yeah, I know. But they don’t know I know. They forget we’re shit-hot detectives and it takes us two minutes to learn their every little secret!’

  ‘Talking of secrets,’ Mac said, suddenly serious as he remembered something that had been bugging him all day. ‘Did you notice how shifty the Singh family were this morning?’

  ‘I noticed how bloody quick they were to get the shop open!’ Jackson said, tutting disapprovingly. ‘Times change, eh, Mac? Bloody hell, it was unheard of in my day. If someone in your family died – never mind got murdered – the whole place would shut down for a month at least!’ He shook his head. ‘Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t understand this whole the-show-must-go-on business.’ He sighed, picking up his empty glass. ‘Another?’

  ‘Thanks.’ Mac handed over his empty glass.

  Jackson headed off to the bar, leaving Mac to mull over his suspicion that the Singh family weren’t altogether kosher. It wasn’t just the indecent haste with which they’d opened up the shop – although he had to agree with Jackson on that. Times had changed – for the worse. There was something else. He’d been a bit too busy today to put his finger on it, but something about the nephews niggled him.

  ‘They need looking at,’ he said when Jackson came back.

  ‘Who do?’ Jackson asked.

  ‘The nephews – the family altogether.’

  ‘Why? What’ve you got?’

  ‘Just a hunch.’ Mac shrugged, taking a swig and licking the foam off his moustache. ‘Something about them doesn’t sit right. Remember when they got there this morning?’ he went on, eyes narrowed with concentration. ‘The big one, Guppy – Guptar Wotsisface? Well, I thought it was a bit suss how he kept bugging us to let them in. Like all he was bothered about from the time they got there was getting access to the shop, even though his uncle was lying in a pool of blood in the back yard. Just doesn’t feel right, that.’

  ‘Maybe he couldn’t face seeing his uncle in that state,’ Jackson said. ‘Does funny things to people when they lose a loved one in those circumstances.’

  Mac shook his head slowly. ‘No, it wasn’t that. He was the one who did the ID, if you remember, and he went straight in without a flicker of emotion.’

  Jackson considered what Mac was saying. He hadn’t paid too much attention at the time but, on reflection, he supposed Mac was right. The eldest nephew had been very matter-of-fact in his viewing of his uncle’s body. No tears, no shock – nothing. If anything, Jackson reflected, he’d looked pissed off. And he’d certainly sounded it when he’d been barking at his brothers in their own language – not a word of which Jackson had understood, which was probably why he’d switched off and not noticed the untoward behaviour.

  ‘If you ask me,’ Mac continued, ‘he was more concerned about getting in the shop than anything. Like he was worried about something inside. Something he didn’t want anyone else to get to first.’

  Jackson frowned. ‘I know what you’re saying, Mac. Trouble is, it’s only a gut feeling – not that I don’t trust them, especially yours – but that’s all it is at the end of the day. We’d never get the go-ahead to go over the shop. Not while it happened outside and the nephews aren’t suspects. Their alibis are watertight.’

  ‘Nothing’s watertight,’ said Mac. ‘And if we’re looking for motive, what goes on inside the shop might have some bearing.’

  ‘We’ll have a hard time proving they’re involved,’ said Jackson. ‘They’re on the video leaving the shop through the front door at twelve-fifteen, and Singh triple-locked the door behind them. They went straight to The Pink Casino down Canal Street, and the casino’s video shows all three arriving at twelve twenty-five, while the shop video shows Singh leaving by the back door at twelve thirty-seven. There’s no way they could have done it. It’s just not possible.’

  ‘All right, so maybe they didn’t do the dirty work themselves,’ said Mac. ‘Maybe they paid someone to do it for them? It’d be easy enough, and they’ve definitely got the funds.’

  ‘It’d be easy enough to arrange,’ Jackson agreed. ‘The place is crawling with scum capable of it. Good thing is, most of them are so stupid they’d slash their own throats for a few quid.’

  ‘Good thing?’

  ‘They’re all so bloody thick,’ Jackson explained, ‘that it wouldn’t take us long to weasel it out of one of them if someone had been paid by the family.’

  Mac nodded, taking another drink and letting out a loud burp. ‘We’ll take a look through the files tomorrow and line up some likelies, eh? Drag ’em in and give ’em a shake-up.’

  ‘We’ll need something pretty solid before we start ruffling any big bastards’ feathers,’ Jackson said. ‘It’s my bet the Singh family would sue the bollocks off us if we started casting aspersions without a bloody good reason. So we’ll follow your hunch – but quietly.’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Mac, draining his glass. ‘Another?’

  The party was in full flow when they arrived. They didn’t have tickets, but Eddie managed to get them in with a flash of his badge – and a promising wink at the two giggling young nurses manning the ticket table. ‘All professionals together, eh, girls?’

  As Eddie lingered to take the nurses’ phone numbers, the others wandered inside to find a table. Paul stayed with Eddie, determined not to end up sticking out like a sore thumb.

  Inside, the place was packed to the rafters. ‘Who the hell’s looking after the patients?’ Paul hissed.

  ‘Bugger the patients,’ Eddie said. ‘I need a bit of tender loving care myself!’ Spotting three nurses chatting at the end of the bar, he nudged Paul, motioning towards them with his head. ‘Mine’s the blonde. Come on!’

  Paul followed as Eddie pushed a path through the heaving bodies to the nurses. The blonde Eddie had earmarked was gorgeous, the other two plainer – one particularly so. As tall as both Paul and Eddie – and wider than either – she had a large, flat face and dull, dark blonde hair. Her warm,
sparkly-eyed smile took Paul totally by surprise.

  ‘Hi,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘I’m Jane.’

  ‘Er – Paul,’ he said, shaking her hand. ‘And that’s Eddie.’ He gestured towards his colleague who was busy chatting up the blonde.

  Eddie turned and nodded hello, pulling an almost imperceptible face when he spotted Jane. Paul squirmed, embarrassed by his bad manners, but Jane didn’t seem to notice – or, if she did, she didn’t let it show.

  ‘This is Vanda,’ she said, introducing Paul to the other nurse. ‘And the one whose bottom seems to fit your friend’s hand so perfectly—’ she nodded towards Eddie, who was indeed fondling the blonde’s backside ‘—is Asia.’

  Paul raised a brow. ‘Asia? That’s unusual.’

  ‘Unusual girl,’ Jane whispered with a giggle. Leaning closer she added: ‘As your friend is sure to find out if he carries on.’

  Paul looked at her quizzically. She laughed, then cupped her hand around his ear to whisper something. Almost choking, he shot a look at Eddie and wondered if he should warn him. Then he decided not to. Let the lecherous sod find out the hard way, he thought.

  When Eddie went off to dance with his conquest, Paul didn’t mind because he was having a good time with Jane and Vanda. It was almost an hour before they spotted an empty table. Paul sent them to grab it while he bought a round.

  ‘So,’ Jane said when they were seated. ‘You’re a copper, are you?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right. This is my second year.’

  ‘Ah, a baby,’ Vanda said. ‘Thought you were too polite to have been at it long.’

  ‘Where are you stationed?’ Jane asked.

  ‘Moss Side,’ he told her.

  ‘Oh, we get a lot of your lads in,’ she said. ‘They’re regulars down at Cas, aren’t they, Van?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Vanda nodded. ‘Never a night goes by without one of your lot bringing someone in in handcuffs. It makes it very difficult to treat them, you know.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ Jane added thoughtfully. ‘And they’re always so beat up. Makes you wonder what goes on in the back of the police vans!’