by P. F. Ford
‘I’ve been checking up on a few things that were said about you. Like this thing about you being drunk and disorderly and attacking some guys.’
‘That’s bollocks,’ I said. ‘I was walking home minding my own business when I was attacked by them. Three of the buggers all armed with baseball bats.’
‘That sounds like the sort of thing Nugent the Nutter would arrange,’ said Slater. ‘You haven’t been pissing him off as well, have you?’
‘Let’s just say it was a misunderstanding.’
‘Well, whatever it was,’ said Slater, ‘there’s no trace of it in our nick. As a crime, it seems to have mysteriously disappeared, but I bet it could very quickly reappear, with you as the villain, if the boss wants it to.’
‘Your boss is mates with Nugent, is he?’
‘I have my suspicions,’ said Slater. ‘But don’t you know Nugent too?’
‘Knowing someone isn’t a crime yet, is it?’
Slater conceded the point. ‘Fair enough,’ he said, ‘as long as you’re not too friendly. Anyway, what I’m most interested in is this old case you’ve been looking at. It’s not an ongoing investigation, as my boss claimed, it’s an unsolved, closed case. So I’m wondering why he’s so upset about you looking into it?’
So now we’d got to the million-dollar question. But I still wasn’t sure I could trust this guy.
‘Well, here’s my problem,’ I said. ‘I’m looking into the case of a small boy who disappeared thirty years ago. I want to try and help his mother achieve some sort of closure. The thing is, it seems I’m being deliberately obstructed by the very institution that failed to do the job properly when the trail was fresh. And now an officer from that same institution wants to know what I’ve discovered.’
I let him absorb that for a moment. ‘You can see my problem, surely?’
‘You still don’t trust me,’ he said.
‘Got it in one. I’m sorry, but I’m going to need a bloody good reason before I tell you anything.’
His next question surprised me. ‘What have you got on old man Nash?’
I must have shown my surprise.
‘I’ve looked at the summary notes,’ he explained. ‘It seems a bit weird he only identified one suspect, don’t you think? And if Nasty’s after you, it figures you’ve got something on his old man.’
I tried to look non-committal.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘if you’ve got something on the old man, do you really think you can prove it on your own? Nasty will stitch you up before you can prove anything. And he’s good at it. I know he’s done it before, but he’s so good I couldn’t prove it. Like I said earlier, you need my help and I need yours. Tell me what you’ve found and I’ll make a promise to you that I’ll follow it up and get the case reopened.’
He sounded genuine enough, but we were too close to risk messing it all up now. I needed to check this guy out, but how could I do that? Who could I trust? And then I had an idea. I knew just the person.
‘I’m sorry I don’t seem to trust you, honestly,’ I said, hoping he would understand. ‘But I need to be sure. Can you give me twenty-four hours?’
‘I don’t have much choice, do I?’ he said reluctantly. ‘I’m on duty in the morning. I’ll have to come over later.’
‘I’ll be here.’
We shook hands, then just before he left, he added a warning. ‘By the way, Nash knows who you’re working with.’
‘Yeah, I know. Pete got stopped by two of your lads yesterday.’
‘He knows about the old guy too.’
A look of panic crossed my face.
‘Don’t worry.’ Slater tried to reassure me. ‘I don’t think he’s in any danger. It’s you he’s got it in for.’
As I closed the door behind him, I hoped he was right.
Chapter Fifteen
‘Well, look what the cat’s dragged in! It’s Batman!’ Nugent, looking and sounding more like Boycie than ever, looked over my shoulder. ‘What? No bodyguard tonight?’
This was an acknowledgement of the fact that Positive Pete usually rode shotgun when I came here. But I knew how much Nugent got on his nerves so I’d decided to leave him out of it this time. Besides, I was pretty sure Nugent didn’t regard me as an enemy.
‘He had something important to do,’ I said. ‘Anyway, I’d like to think I don’t need a bodyguard to come in here.’
‘And you’re right. You don’t,’ Nugent said, grinning. He nodded approval to the giant behind the bar, who started to pour me a pint.
I looked around the deserted bar. ‘It’s quiet in here, isn’t it?’
‘They’re all in the other room watching Miss World on TV. Bloody philistines.’
He looked me up and down approvingly. ‘You don’t look too bad for someone on the wrong side of Nasty Nash,’ he acknowledged. ‘But let me know when you’re ready for some advice about improving your appearance.’
I accepted the insult with the same good humour in which it had been delivered. Stepping back to get a good look at him, resplendent as usual in an immaculate three-piece suit, I shook my head slowly.
‘Nah,’ I said, ‘I’ll pass on that offer if you don’t mind. I’ve no desire to look like an estate agent.’
‘There’s no need to be offensive,’ he said, sniffing.
My pint sat invitingly on the bar. I started to reach for my wallet, but Nugent shook his head. ‘On me,’ he said.
I offered my thanks and took a mouthful. There was no doubt they served an excellent pint of beer in here.
He tilted his head enquiringly. ‘I’m sure you haven’t come here to exchange sartorial tips, so what can I do for you?’
‘I need to know if you’re behind all this shit I’m getting from Nash.’
Just for a moment, he looked taken aback. ‘Well, don’t beat around the bush, will you? Say it how it is.’ He was clearly trying hard to sound offended, but he didn’t quite manage to pull it off.
‘I can’t afford to pussyfoot around,’ I said. ‘Things are starting to get a bit heavy. I’m just trying to work out who I can trust and who I can’t, that’s all.’
‘Thank you so much for that vote of confidence,’ he said huffily. ‘I thought we’d got past all that and we had some sort of understanding.’
‘Don’t try and make me feel guilty,’ I protested. ‘It’s only a few weeks ago I was in bloody hospital because of you.’
‘You’re not still going on about that are you? I told you it was an accident.’
I shook my head in wonder. ‘You’re amazing, Nugent, do you know that?’
‘Well, thank you,’ he said proudly.
‘That’s not a compliment! I mean your idea of right and wrong is just unreal. Don’t you ever venture into the real world?’
‘Look,’ he said patiently, as if he was talking to a five-year-old. ‘Let me explain. I’ve told you before I actually like you and your dad-’
‘His name’s Pete.’
‘Yeah, that’s him. Well, anyway, I actually like you two. And the reason is it’s not often I meet people I can trust. I mean in my business they’re mostly a load of crooks. You can’t trust any of them.’
I couldn’t help but smile at his audacity. I mean here he was, the biggest crook in town, and he’s telling me how crooks can’t be trusted.
‘You know, Nugent, I have to hand it to you. You really are amazing.’
He smiled indulgently at what he perceived to be a compliment. ‘You just keep remembering that and, like I said, we have an understanding.’
We had a brief time-out to enjoy our drinks.
‘A little birdie tells me you’ve been associating with known criminals,’ he said. He tapped his nose and winked. ‘Know what I mean?’
‘That arsehole turned my flat upside down,’ I said, sighing.
‘I did warn you about him.’
‘Did you tell him?’ I asked.
He sighed patiently. ‘There you go again,’ he said. ‘Are you terminal
ly thick or what? I don’t tell him anything. I told you, he tells me things I need to know. If he’s seen you here, it means he’s spying on you, not that I’ve told him. And, if he’s doing that, you must have him worried.’
‘So how come he leaves you alone? What have you got on him?’
He smiled wickedly and tapped his nose again. ‘Enough to keep him under control. Let’s put it this way: if he steps out of line, he’ll be finished. Know what I mean?’
‘What can you tell me about Nash’s DS, Dave Slater? Is he bent too?’
‘No way! Detective Sergeant Slater is one of the good guys – straight as you like.’
‘You almost make that sound as if you respect the guy,’ I said.
‘That’s because I do. The fact we’re on opposite sides doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate someone who does his job well. Honestly, if he’s on your side you can definitely trust him.’
‘He’s a bit concerned about my relationship with you.’
‘Well, he doesn’t need to be,’ said Nugent. ‘We just drink in the same snooker club, that’s all. There’s no law against that.’
He had a point. You could question the morality of my choice of company, but there was nothing illegal about it.
So, Nugent reckoned Dave Slater was one of the good guys. I felt quite relieved. Slater had been right when he said I needed his help. I mean, what was I going to do with Tommy Nash? Make a citizen’s arrest? Ha! I didn’t think so. Much better to hand it all over to the professionals and get it done properly.
I was a little uncomfortable about having to turn to Nugent for an opinion, and about trusting his opinion. I wondered what that said about me. Should I start to have a look at my own morals? Or was it just the case that sometimes you have to make unfortunate compromises to get where you want to go?
I reasoned that it would be stupid to trust Slater without question, hand over all our evidence, and then find out he was in league with Nash. But even so, why was I so happy to trust a thug like Nugent?
It was just after nine o’clock when I got back to my flat. I felt quite depressed by it. The girls and Pete had worked really hard to help me get things up straight but we’d had to throw away a lot of stuff that had been damaged.
There wasn’t much to eat either. Apparently, it’s not unusual to find stolen goods in refrigerators and deep freezers (or at least, that was the excuse they had used), so the contents had been dragged out and strewn across the floor. There were only two mugs left unbroken, but at least that meant I could make a cup of tea.
The TV had been broken too, so I resolved to have an early night, and tomorrow morning I would do some shopping to start returning my flat back into my home.
Chapter Sixteen
Like many guys, I’m not a great one for shopping. I like to know what I want, and where to get it. That way, a shopping expedition doesn’t last long enough for me to get bored. So the prospect of spending a large part of Tuesday traipsing from shop to shop, not really sure of what I wanted, wasn’t inspiring me.
I had woken up starving, which was a bit of a pity as there was very little to eat. However, there was a ready-made solution on my doorstep. To be precise, it was just around the corner from my doorstep. I had the good fortune to live above Sophia’s tea shop, which, since the arrival of Jelena, was now open most days and offered superb food.
What was once a mostly empty shop in a quiet back street was fast becoming a popular haunt for a growing, and appreciative, number of customers. They had even taken on a third member of staff to help them cope. And it wasn’t just the excellent food that attracted so many people; Jelena’s happy brand of cheeky charm was drawing people in like a magnet.
This time of morning was quiet in the shop, so Jelena had time to thoroughly spoil me. Not that I had any complaints, of course. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat chatting to me as I ploughed through a huge breakfast. I told her how much I wasn’t looking forward to my day.
‘Not like shopping?’ It was one of her favourite pastimes.
‘I can think of things I would rather be doing.’
‘You need make fun.’
‘Sorry, but I just can’t see any way I could make shopping fun.’
‘If I come you have fun,’ she assured me. ‘But work all day.’
I was almost relieved to hear that. Much as I loved Jelena’s outlook on life, I wasn’t sure I could cope with her teasing me all day long.
‘I’m glad to hear Sophia’s making you work,’ I teased. ‘Where is she anyway?’
Never one to miss an opportunity to try to embarrass me, Jelena saw her opportunity. ‘Is that lovebird calling?’
I felt myself redden. ‘Look,’ I said, ‘about the other night-’
‘When you sleep Aunt Sophia?’ she interrupted, grinning wickedly. ‘When is next date?’
You see what I mean? Can you imagine spending a whole day being teased like this? Then I had an idea.
‘Here’s a word for you to look up and learn,’ I said. ‘Impertinent. Have you got that?’
I spelt it out for her as she scribbled it down on her order pad.
‘Impertinent,’ she repeated. ‘What mean? Is good word?’
‘It’s the perfect word for you, young lady. You’ll see why when you look it up.’
It had been Sophia’s idea – to help Jelena to improve her English, she would give her words to look up and learn.
Now it was Jelena’s turn to have an idea. ‘I have idea. Take Aunt Sophia shop with you.’
‘I couldn’t do that. I’m sure she’s far too busy.’
‘No. Tuesday quiet day. We manage shop okay. Make next date. Is good, yes?’
When Jelena finished with ‘is good, yes?’ it usually meant she had made her mind up, things were settled, and whatever she had suggested was the solution. As far as she was concerned, Sophia was going shopping with me.
‘Don’t you think we should ask her first?’
She leaned across the table and lowered her voice.
‘She need spend time with nice man. She like you. Is good. No argue.’
Oh. Right. That’s told me, then.
The bell tinkled above the door and Sophia glided into the shop. She looked a little bashful when she first saw me, but then a gorgeous smile took control of her face.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘How are you?’
‘Alfie has question for you,’ announced Jelena, before I could say anything.
Sophia gave me an enquiring look.
‘Err, no, it’s nothing really,’ I said. ‘She’s teasing.’
Sophia looked at Jelena and shook her head. ‘Well, there’s a surprise,’ she said.
‘I’ve just told her a new word,’ I said.
‘Yes,’ asked Jelena suspiciously. ‘What impertinent? Alfie say it good word for me.’
Sophia laughed out loud. ‘Oh yes,’ she agreed. ‘That’s a very good word for you. It’s perfect.’
Jelena gave me an impish look. ‘Alfie need someone go shop with. I tell him you happy go.’
She poked her tongue out at me as she rose from the table and headed for the kitchen. ’Now I go check impertinent.’
I didn’t quite know what to say to Sophia. She obviously wouldn’t want to come shopping for household stuff with me, but at least she didn’t look as uncomfortable as I felt.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ I mumbled. ‘She seems determined to...’
The sentence tailed off as I wasn’t sure what I was really trying to say. Sophia sat down opposite me. Now she did look uncomfortable.
‘Jelena thinks I need to spend more time with you,’ she said quietly. ‘She thinks it’s time I realised that not all men are like those from my past.’
‘Ahh!’ I said, not sure where this was going. ‘And what do you think?’
‘I don’t know what I think.’ She sighed, staring at her hands. ‘I like you, and I had a lovely time the other night. But I’m frightened at the same time. I know you think I’m
cool and that I look as if I’m in control, but that’s just like a wall I’ve built. I’m actually quite scared.’
Wow! And I thought I was the one with a problem.
‘I’ll let you into a secret,’ I said, watching her face. ‘You’ve probably noticed I make lots of silly mistakes, like saying the wrong thing. That’s because I’m scared. So we’re both scared.’
She gave me a sad little smile. ‘So what do we do now?’
Her hands were on the table in front of her. Very deliberately, and slowly, I reached across and put my hands on hers. She watched my hands all the way. I half expected her to pull away, but instead, she looked up into my eyes.
‘I’m going shopping now,’ I said, ‘and it would be really nice if a lady with style and class would like to come along and help me. I’d really appreciate her advice about what to buy.’
She said nothing but continued looking at me as if trying to make up her mind.
‘No strings,’ I added. ‘Just friends.’
She gave just the slightest nod of her head. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I think I know a lady who can help you with that. She’ll be with you in five minutes.’ She gave me another beautiful smile and headed off to get ready.
Slowly, I let out the breath I had been holding. I thought she was so cool, and all the time she was just as nervous as me! I was roused from my thoughts by the sight of Jelena marching towards me brandishing a wet cloth.
‘Impertinent, huh?’ She grinned. ‘I show you impertinent.’
It’s a good job I was closer to the door or I might not have escaped...
I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed shopping. But then, of course, it wasn’t the shopping I had enjoyed, it was the company. Being with Sophia filled me with delight on the one hand and with sadness on the other. I’d had a pretty crap marriage with Gloria, and Positive Pete had suffered at the hands of his ex-wife Marie, but neither of us had had to endure the sort of thing Sophia had gone through.