Slur: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 1

by Heather Burnside

  Chapter 24

  Sunday 3rd August 1986

  Julie stood outside the café in the pouring rain. The downpour was so heavy that even her umbrella couldn’t protect her as large droplets splashed against the ground and ricocheted against her legs. She was ten minutes early so she knew she’d have to wait. The thought of sitting inside occurred to her but she didn’t want to miss them; the occasion was far too important. After a couple of minutes Vinny arrived.

  ‘What you doing stood out here? You’ll catch your death of cold!’ he announced.

  ‘I didn’t want to miss you.’

  ‘Don’t be daft, I’d have found you. Come inside and we can keep a lookout for Rita through the window.’

  Julie allowed herself to be led inside but she insisted on sitting as near to the window as possible. While Vinny went to order two cups of coffee, Julie tried to peep through the heads of the customers so that she could catch a glimpse of Rita walking through the door. Before long she was rewarded with a view of her friend who strode towards their table as Julie waved.

  The other customers were soon aware of Rita’s arrival as she noisily pulled out a chair and plonked herself down on it.

  ‘Jesus Christ, you could have picked a better bleedin’ day!’ she declared. ‘What’s all this about anyway? You were like the bleedin’ secret service on the phone.’

  ‘Shsh,’ whispered Julie as she noticed an elderly couple on a neighbouring table watching them avidly.

  Just at that moment Vinny reappeared carrying a tray containing two cups of coffee and two cakes. ‘Hi Rita, what do you fancy?’

  ‘Well seeing as how they don’t sell what I fancy here, I’ll settle for a coffee,’ she replied.

  Vinny swiftly headed towards the counter, his cheeks beginning to flush.

  ‘You rotten sod!’ said Julie. ‘You know how you embarrass him.’

  ‘I know,’ giggled Rita. ‘That’s why I do it.’

  When she had finished laughing, Julie began to explain to Rita why she had asked her to meet her and Vinny.

  ‘I couldn’t give too much away on the phone,’ she said. ‘My dad was earwigging and I’d rather they didn’t know too much at the moment; not until things are sorted out anyway. I don’t want to build their hopes up.’

  Having gained Rita’s fixed attention, she continued. ‘Vinny’s told me all about that bloody Les dealing drugs and we’ve decided to go to the police. I thought it would be better not to meet at Vinny’s; you never know who’s watching.’

  She stopped and looked upwards to see that Vinny had returned, carrying Rita’s cup of coffee and a cake. ‘I was just telling Rita what we’ve decided to do,’ Julie added. Julie and Vinny looked towards Rita for a response to their proposition.

  ‘Suits me,’ Rita replied. ‘I’ll come with you but I don’t think you’ll get anywhere with them bastards.’

  ‘It’s got to be worth a try though,’ said Julie.

  ‘Oh yeah, it’s worth a try but like I said, I don’t think we’ll get very far. It’s too hard to prove he was dealing drugs for one thing, and that’s if the coppers can even be bothered to go and check it out. As far as they’re concerned, we killed Amanda.’

  Julie became aware of the people sitting at nearby tables who were now focusing on their conversation. Although Julie had deliberately chosen a café that was located miles from their homes, she was taking no chances.

  ‘Quiet,’ she said, to which Rita shrugged her shoulders in defiance.

  ‘I agree with Julie,’ said Vinny. ‘It’s got to be worth a try, and if we get nowhere then we’ll have to decide our next move.’

  ‘Hear, hear,’ Julie affirmed. ‘I’m not giving up now, not when we’ve found out what that bastard’s up to and we’re getting the blame!’

  ‘Right, sup up and let’s go down to the station then! There’s no time like the present,’ said Rita.

  --------------------

  Sunday 3rd August 1986

  Inspector Bowden was going through one of his pacing sessions. These often occurred when he was trying to solve a crime and he would stride up and down the office, throwing out ideas to his subordinates in the hope that they would latch onto some vital clue that might tie up the case.

  ‘Think about it Sergeant Drummond!’ he commanded. ‘We have a motive of sorts. For starters, the suspects were drunk and out to have a good time, and as part of that good time they wanted to see Amanda Morris make a fool of herself.’

  He began to tick off each point on his fingers.

  ‘Secondly, we can place them at the scene of the crime, which I believe to be the Portland Bars, where they were seen putting something into Amanda Morris’s drink.

  ‘Thirdly, the Portland Bars did have a previous problem with a former member of staff who was a known drug dealer, and the suspects have frequented this establishment for the last two years.’

  He was just about to discuss the evidence given by Leslie Stevens when a uniformed officer approached him.

  ‘We have Julie Quinley, Rita Steadman and an unknown male in reception waiting to see you sir,’ he interjected.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Inspector Bowden as he rubbed his hands together in glee. He then turned towards Sergeant Drummond. ‘Well, well, it looks like we might have the final piece of the jigsaw. My guess is that they’ve come to confess; probably can’t live with it on their consciences any longer.’

  ‘What about the man, sir?’ she asked. ‘Who do you think he is?’

  ‘Probably a solicitor.’

  He marched out of the office door and into the corridor.

  --------------------

  Sunday 3rd August 1986

  Julie was the first to notice Inspector Bowden approaching. How could she fail to recognise his stern demeanour? Even the sight of him sent a shiver down her spine as she recalled the night she had spent in the cells and the torment of his unrelenting interrogation.

  He didn’t speak to them; he didn’t need to. For most people a mere sign given by Inspector Bowden would be enough to summon them into action. That sign was a nod of his head towards an interview room as he carried on walking. They followed behind.

  Inside the interview room Julie saw a table with four chairs, two on either side. The inspector sat on the far side and nodded towards the two chairs opposite him. Vinny stepped aside allowing the two girls to be seated, and then looked inquisitively at the inspector for an indication as to where he might sit. The inspector touched the empty chair on his side of the table, pushed it slightly and then nodded towards the two girls.

  Julie guessed that Inspector Bowden thought he was too high and mighty to move the chair for Vinny, and preferred to leave him guessing. She had become used to his tactics by now, and watched as Vinny obliged by placing the chair next to hers before sitting down.

  ‘To what do I owe this pleasure?’ asked Inspector Bowden.

  Julie spoke with animosity. ‘We have some information that might assist with your enquiries.’ She emphasised the last four words in a parody of police procedure.

  Julie then watched the expression on the inspector’s face change from smug to confused.

  ‘Carry on!’ he instructed.

  Before Julie had a chance to continue, Vinny spoke. ‘I’ve seen Amanda Morris’s boyfriend dealing drugs.’

  Inspector Bowden adopted a blank facade and did not speak, forcing Vinny to carry on. Julie noticed Vinny fiddling nervously with the zipper of his jacket before he continued. “The bastard’s got to Vinny as well,” she thought.

  Vinny took a defensive line. ‘I think he must have given Amanda the drugs that killed her after she got back home that night.’

  ‘Steady!’ commanded the inspector. ‘Where is your proof that he was dealing drugs?’

  ‘I saw him doing it in a nightclub.’

  ‘That does not count as proof. It is merely your word against his.’

  Rita, who had remained uncharacteristically silent until now, suddenly spoke. �
�It’s up to you to find the bloody proof; that’s your job isn’t it? Vinny’s just telling you what he’s seen.’

  ‘Do you really expect me to take the word of one of your associates?’ Inspector Bowden asked.

  ‘He’s my boyfriend actually,’ Julie replied, ‘and he doesn’t lie, and we’re not murderers either.’

  Rita stepped up the argument. ‘I bet you’ve not searched his bloody flat, have you? You’ll find plenty of drugs there if you bother to look.’

  ‘Mr Stevens’ flat was searched when he reported the death of Amanda Morris, and my officers found nothing. Therefore Mr Stevens isn’t a suspect. We only have your word that he is involved in drugs.’ The inspector nodded towards Vinny, ‘And I find it all too convenient that you have found a suspect at just the right moment when it might enable you to divert attention from yourselves. However, that tactic will not work I’m afraid especially as all the evidence so far points in your direction’

  He emphasised this last sentence by pointing at Julie and Rita in turn.

  ‘You bastard!’ shouted Rita.

  ‘If you’re not careful, I will arrest you for disturbing the peace.’

  Julie nudged Rita and beckoned her to be quiet.

  ‘Now then,’ Inspector Bowden resumed. ‘I had hoped that you had seen sense and that you had come here to make a confession. However, if you persist in denying your guilt, we will have to find another way to prove it and that will be only a matter of time.’

  ‘You’re bluffing,’ Rita yelled. ‘You haven’t got a bloody thing on us. How can you have? We haven’t done nowt!’

  Julie could see that Rita was beginning to lose control and she herself was also becoming angry. She rose from her chair and slammed it back towards the table. At the same time she grabbed Rita’s arm. ‘Come on, we’re going! We’re wasting our bloody time Rita; he doesn’t believe a word we say.’

  ‘I’m not leaving here till he takes us seriously!’ shouted Rita, but Julie could see that it was a lost cause and she sought Vinny’s help as they led Rita away from the interview room and out of the building.

  ‘Well, what now?’ asked Vinny. As both girls glared at him, he raised his hands in mock protest. ‘Sorry, don’t blame me, I tried.’

  ‘Come on, we’re not waiting around here,’ said Julie.

  ‘I feel like getting pissed out of my head,’ said Rita.

  ‘Let’s go and find a pub then and maybe we can decide what to do next,’ said Julie.

  Chapter 25

  Sunday 3rd August 1986

  It was a popular pub and was difficult to find a quiet table where they could have a discussion without being overheard. After a good look round they spotted a table in the corner where they would be out of earshot of the many regulars who were dotted about the place.

  ‘Are you all right for time Vinny?’ asked Julie.

  ‘Yeah, fine.’

  ‘What about you Rita, can you spare the time?’

  ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got nothing important on today. Anyway, we’re here to sort this out and that’s what we’re going to do.’

  ‘OK, well I’ve got an idea to put to you both.’

  Vinny and Rita listened as Julie began to outline her plan.

  ‘I think we should find the evidence ourselves. It’s no good catching him in the act at a nightclub. We’ve already done that and the police won’t believe us. But if he is dealing drugs then you can bet your life that his flat’s full of them.’

  ‘I hope you’re not thinking what I’m thinking,’ said Rita.

  ‘Dead right! I think we should break into the flat. It’s the only way to find the proof we need.’

  ‘Oh yeah, and what do we do with it then?’ asked Rita. ‘Go to the police and tell them we just happened to stumble across it in Les’s flat? They won’t believe us and, even if they do, we’ll end up getting arrested for breaking and entering.’

  ‘I’ve thought of that. We’re going to make sure that the police find the drugs themselves.’

  ‘How?’ asked Rita and Vinny in unison.

  ‘Well, first we have to break in and make sure the drugs are there. Then, we’ll start a fire in another room. Just a little one, but we’ll do it near the window where it can be seen. After I’ve legged it from the flat we’ll call 999, report a fire, and leave the drugs where the firemen can see them when they go in to put the fire out. They’ll have the police there in no time.’

  ‘Jesus Julie, have you gone off your bleedin’ head or what?’ asked Rita. ‘What if he catches you in the act? You don’t want to go messing about with him. He’s a nasty bastard! Anyway, you’re going to make yourself more ill the way you’re going on.’

  ‘If he’s a drug dealer he probably spends most of the evenings dealing in pubs and clubs. We trace his movements first and when we’re pretty sure that he’s likely to be out for a while, then we’ll make our move. What’s the alternative Rita? Letting him go free will make me more ill. Once we’ve got him arrested I can finally hold my head high.’

  ‘Julie’s right,’ Vinny added. ‘We need to make sure that the police find evidence of him dealing drugs. Then maybe they’ll take us seriously and start questioning him about how Amanda died. But I won’t have you doing it Julie. It’s too risky and you’re in enough trouble already. I’ll do it.’

  ‘No you won’t! I’m not getting you in trouble as well. It’s my problem and it’s up to me to sort it.’

  ‘Any problem of yours is my problem as well Julie. I’m doing it and that’s that!’

  Julie and Rita were stunned into silence by Vinny’s unusual display of authority until Rita broke the silence by saying, ‘Right, me and Julie will act as lookout then. When do you want to start tracking him?’

  Now that they had all reached agreement about their course of action, they spent the next couple of hours planning their surveillance operation, which was to commence the following weekend.

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  Monday 4th August 1986

  Julie was filled with trepidation when she returned to work after being off for two weeks. Although she was feeling more positive due to the recent turn of events, and the anti-depressants that her doctor had prescribed, she didn’t know if she felt ready for work. “But,” she thought to herself, “If I keep putting it off I’ll never be ready. It’s better to face up to it and get it over and done with.”

  She arrived early, determined not to hide from anybody. She had decided to brave it out and let them know that she had no reason to go into hiding or to feel ashamed of herself.

  Norma was already there and her enthusiastic greeting was encouraging.

  ‘Hello stranger, nice to see you back! How are you feeling? You look a lot better than you did.’

  Julie had been in contact with Norma by telephone over the last two weeks and told her that she intended to return to work, but Norma had advised against it. ‘Wait a bit longer, let the dust settle,’ she had said. Julie therefore surmised that Norma was surprised to see her back and was doing her best to make her feel welcome.

  ‘I feel a lot better,’ said Julie, ‘although I don’t know if I’ll still be saying that by the end of today.’

  ‘Well Julie, it certainly can’t get any worse, can it? You might even find that a few people have mellowed towards you since you were in work last. I’ve made sure that I’ve told your side of the story to some of them anyway.’

  ‘Has everyone been talking about it then?’

  ‘A few, but what do you expect? It’s not an everyday occurrence is it? But don’t let that bother you Julie. If anybody says anything, you just make sure you tell them the truth, and if they don’t want to believe you then sod them!’

  Julie changed the subject, not wishing to dwell too much on the unpleasantness that was sure to surround her once the employees of Belmont Insurance Company began to arrive for work.

  ‘We think we’ve found out who really did it anyway.’

  Norma’s jaw dropped. ‘You’r
e joking!’

  ‘No, really! A lot has happened in the last few days.’

  Julie then told Norma all about Les’s drug dealing, and their visit to the police. Finally she told her about their plan to set up the evidence for the police to discover, adding that they had, in fact, already begun to watch Les’s flat.

  ‘Jesus Julie, you’re going to end up in a lot more trouble if you’re not careful!’

  ‘What’s the alternative?’ asked Julie, but before Norma had a chance to respond the first of Belmont’s employees arrived. Julie was greeted by scowls and tut tuts from the three women as they approached the lift.

  The situation was repeated for the next half hour until the last of the staff entered the building. Eventually Julie switched off and stared right through them as she continued to answer telephone calls.

  At lunchtime she left the building and walked around the shops so that she wouldn’t have to eat in a hostile environment. Julie was relieved when she visited the ladies, however, as somebody had taken the trouble to scrub the graffiti from the walls, leaving just a vague shadow of the words that had once dominated the cubicle.

  At five to five, to Julie’s relief, Rita arrived in reception. Julie was delighted at Rita’s show of support and they left Belmont Insurance Company together.

  ‘How did it go then?’ asked Rita.

  ‘Bad enough but don’t worry Rita, they won’t get to me this time. I can’t wait till we prove that bastard Les guilty; they’ll all be licking my arse then, wont’ they?’

  ‘Yeah they will, and you just keep thinking that whenever it gets you down.’

  ‘I’ll be all right Rita, honestly. It helps having Norma to talk to. I was telling her about Les, and she thinks we should …’

  ‘You what?’

  ‘I told her about Les dealing drugs. What’s wrong with that, Rita?’

  ‘What else have you told her?’

  Julie’s reply took the form of a guilty expression on her face.

  ‘Jesus Julie! You haven’t told her that we’re going to break into his flat have you?’

  ‘It’s all right Rita, Norma won’t tell anyone.’

  ‘Well let’s hope she bleedin’ doesn’t otherwise we’re all in the shit! You want to be careful Julie. We still don’t know if it was Les that killed Amanda. It might just be a coincidence that he’s a drug dealer. That Jackie could still have done it.’