She made to walk towards the door, but Candy grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip.
‘You ain’t going nowhere, and if I have to belt you one right across the boat, I will. Stephen wants a word, and by the sound of it you’ve annoyed him. If I was you I’d sit yourself down and think what you’re going to say to him when he arrives. He ain’t a bloke to cross. Believe me, I know.’
Donna saw the determined glint in Candy’s eyes, and the taut muscles in her heavy arms. Eyes shining with tears, she pulled herself free.
‘This is all disgusting, all of it! You’re scum, do you know that? Fucking scum! And I’ll see you lot blown wide open, you just see if I don’t.’
A high-pitched scream echoed through the house and Candy opened the office door instinctively, Donna hot on her heels. Outside was a young Sri Lankan male of about eighteen.
‘Keep hold of this lady, Kassim. Make sure she doesn’t leave here.’
The boy nodded, staring at Donna with a mixture of awe at her whiteness and adolescent lust. The three went along the corridor to the right of them. The child’s voice was a low moan now. Candy opened a heavy wooden door and entered a large room, Donna and Kassim hot on her heels.
The room was dirty. A stale odour assailed Donna’s nostrils. On the bed was a girl of about ten. Her long hair was tied to a heavy piece of wood across the end of the bed. Standing by it in just a white shirt was a tall thin white man. He had sandy hair and his face and body were red raw from too much sun. He looked frightened, and on closer inspection of the child Donna could see why.
The little body was lying awkwardly against the end of the bed. He had tried to turn her over on to her stomach and her hair had stopped the procedure. The little girl’s head was at an odd angle and blood was seeping from her mouth and nostrils. She was naked, and blood was smeared on the tops of her legs.
The man was pulling on his shorts, his breathing harsh in the still room.
‘What the fuck’s going on here?’
Candy swiftly examined the child. Then, taking Kassim’s hunting knife from his belt, she began cutting the girl’s hair to release her from her bonds, all the while talking.
‘Who let you in here, Mr Gainsborough?’
The man was standing staring at the child, whose moans were becoming less and less coherent.
Donna rushed to her side. Taking a hankie from her pocket, she wiped the child’s brow and face. The blood was lessening now.
‘It wasn’t my fault, Candy. She was struggling . . . She just kept struggling.’
Candy looked at the man in annoyance and said distinctly, ‘Well, so would you if someone had you tied by the hair. You shouldn’t even be here during the day. Who gave the say-so, eh?’
Mr Gainsborough, assistant manager in a Surrey bank and a married man, stood on his dignity.
‘I arranged it with Jake, actually. I prefer the daylight. I don’t like coming when it’s busy.’
The child free now, Candy laid her on her back. She stood up to her full height and said loudly, ‘I don’t give a monkey’s what you like and what you don’t like. No one ties up my girls - no one. It’s something I will not tolerate. Now my advice to you is to get yourself down the beach or to your hotel and come back tonight. Otherwise keep away, Mister. These kids only work nights while I’m here. Not all bloody day as well. Now piss off.’
She turned from him and said to Donna, ‘Help me get her into bed. He’s pulled the muscle, that’s all. Could have broken the poor little whore’s neck.’
Donna shook her head in consternation. The child was semi-conscious.
‘She needs hospital treatment, Candy. Take her to hospital.’
Candy stared into Donna’s eyes. ‘She’ll be all right. Now help me get her into bed.’
Donna’s voice shocked even herself as she bellowed: ‘This child is dying, you stupid bitch. He’s crushed her fucking windpipe! Jesus Christ, will you get her to a fucking hospital!’
Donna could feel hysteria rising up inside her like a dam. She had opened her mouth to scream once more when Candy punched her in the face. The next thing she knew, she was careering across the room, an explosion of lights in her eyes and a black haze of pain running through her cheekbone.
Candy stood over her, and the menace in her face and voice were not lost on Donna or Kassim.
‘Don’t you dare tell me what to do, lady. You come sneaking in here, causing hag with me and Stephen. Then you tell me what’s best for my girls. Well, the buck stops here. Kassim, take her to one of the rooms and lock her inside until Mr Stephen gets here. I don’t want to hear one word out of her, OK? And put Asheem outside the window in case she decides to try and escape that way. Mr Stephen wants her later, you understand! She goes nowhere.’
Kassim nodded, and helping Donna to her feet, he half-dragged, half-carried her from the room.
Donna’s face was on fire with pain and her mind was screaming with fear: fear for the child and fear for herself. Whatever she had walked into, it was far more serious than she had anticipated. She knew that her life was in danger, and the knowledge gave her fear a physical quality that overshadowed the pain in her face.
She knew that Stephen hated her, and now she had found out what was really going on, seen it with her own eyes, the thought of confronting him frightened her more than anything.
Big Paddy and Davey Jackson were both drinking tea in Donna’s kitchen, Dolly chatting away with her usual cheerfulness.
‘I told you the other night, I have no idea where Donna’s gone. I think it was Marbella, but I’m not sure. The girl needed to get away for a bit. Would you two like a slice of cake with your tea? I only made it yesterday, it’s lovely and moist.’
The two men shook their heads.
Paddy sighed. ‘Listen to me, Dolly love. Donna could be in a lot of trouble and we need to help her, so why don’t you just tell us where she’s gone?’
His voice was heavy with innuendo and Dolly feigned ignorance.
‘I just told you, I don’t know. Don’t be an arsehole, Paddy. What kind of danger could that girl be in anyway?’
She decided to turn the questioning around.
Paddy stood up, and for a few seconds his sheer size frightened her. She had to shake herself mentally and tell herself that this was Big Paddy whom she’d known for years, not some stranger out to mug her. He walked purposefully towards her.
‘I’m losing me fecking patience, Dolly. Now tell me where she is!’
She pushed him away with both her hands. ‘Are you threatening me, Paddy Donovon?’
Davey stood up, his open face troubled. ‘Come away from her, Paddy, there’s a good man.’
Paddy turned his head to face him. ‘Keep out of this, Davey, right?’ He whipped round to Dolly and with one large meaty hand, grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and pulled her head back painfully.
‘Tell me where she’s gone, old lady, or I swear before God I’ll beat the shite out of you.’
Davey’s voice was shocked. ‘Paddy, for fuck’s sake!’
‘Enough! Now tell me what I want to know. I told you - I’m losing me fecking patience.’
Dolly stared up at Paddy with terrified eyes. This was a man she had never seen before, a brute who frightened her witless. Her voice was frail as she said weakly, ‘She’s gone to Liverpool, that’s all I know. Where she went before.’
Her mind was working overtime to find a destination and now she had found one, she hoped against hope he’d believe her.
Paddy’s face screwed up in consternation. ‘Liverpool? What on earth for?’
Dolly began to cry softly, her voice drenched with tears as she said, ‘I don’t know, I swear to you. She told me not to tell a soul about it. She tells me nothing and now you know why. I can’t be trusted, I can’t be trusted! Oh Paddy, please let me go, you’re hurting me.’
He released his hold on her hair and snarled into her face, ‘If you’re lying to me, you old cunt, you’ll regret it.’
He stormed from the kitchen and Dolly slumped against the worksurface, holding her hand to her bruised neck.
‘I’m sorry, Dolly love, I didn’t think he’d—’
Dolly cut him off. ‘Go away, Davey. Whatever this is all about, I hope to Christ you both lose out by it, I really do. There’s something rotten going on and I hope to Christ you get your comeuppance. That’ll be me prayer from this day on.’
She turned away from him. Davey looked at the bent old back for a few moments before hurrying out of the house and to the car.
Paddy was already behind the wheel, his face like thunder. ‘If she’s gone to Liverpool, she’s gone to JoJo or Coyne.’
Davey nodded imperceptibly.
Paddy’s eyes were slits as he barked out, ‘Or she’s gone to Nick the queer. Either way, she could land the lot of us right in it. The stupid interfering bitch! Cox is missing too.’
‘Maybe they’re just sorting out the final details on the jump?’
Paddy nodded as he acknowledged this. ‘Could be - but I don’t trust him and I don’t trust her. There’s been too many rumours on the street. And that Donna, she’s been asking about too much. Stephen told me she’s into everything. Who knows what she’s sussed out, eh? And if she susses out about her big fine husband, she’ll sell him down the river like that!’ He clicked his finger and thumb. ‘And we’ll all go along with him.’
He thumped the steering wheel in temper.
‘We have to find out where she is, and we have to find out soon. Even Georgio would agree with that.’
Davey sat beside Paddy as they drove towards London. His heart was heavy in his chest; he wished he’d never got involved in any of it.
If Carol ever found out . . . he felt a rush of fear so acute he could almost taste it.
He hated it, hated all of it. It was greed, nothing but greed. Now Georgio was banged up, the merchandise was on the streets and he was in charge of distribution through mail order. Davey was in it up to his neck and knew he couldn’t get out.
Stephen arrived at eight in the evening, hot, dusty and angry. The hotel was just picking up and he walked through the front door with a fixed smile on his face. The sight of the children affected him not at all. He nodded pleasantly at the men and made his way to Candy’s office.
She was sitting drinking a large brandy and Seven Up. Her face was hard. Stephen closed the door gently behind him then said, ‘How much does she know?’
‘Too bloody much. She walked in here as if she knew everything, Stephen. Told me that she was out here looking over Georgio’s interests. Told me he had sent her.’
Stephen laughed nastily. ‘Oh, she did, did she?’
Candy nodded. ‘There was a bit of trouble and all while she was here. That geek Gainsborough tied up the little girl from Colombo. The stupid prat tied her to the end of the bed by her hair, if you don’t mind. Somehow, during his games, probably as he turned her over, her hair got wrapped around her neck. He crushed her fucking windpipe. ’
Stephen frowned. ‘Is she all right?’
Candy shook her head. ‘She’s dying slowly. She’ll be gone by the morning, I’d say. She’s stronger than I thought, to be honest. I think he damaged her inside as well. She’s bringing up blood, and bleeding from the nose. I’ve locked her in one of the rooms in the roof.’
Stephen sat down heavily. ‘And Donna saw all this?’
Candy nodded. She watched as he ran his hands through his thick dark hair.
‘Where’s Jake?’ she asked.
‘He’s still in Colombo. I left him there to sort out the other business. The police tried to close down the bar again.’
Candy closed her eyes. ‘It never rains but it pours, eh? I heard they’ve been shutting down a lot of the gay bars there. Give it a couple of weeks and we can reopen. It’s always the same. It’s just a show, nothing serious.’
Stephen shook his head. ‘Fuck that anyway, I’m more interested in what’s happening with that stupid bitch.’
He poured himself a large brandy. Then he said, ‘She’ll just have to be an accident, won’t she? Let’s face it, she won’t be the first British tourist to die through drinking and swimming. It happens all the time. Arrack is lethal out here with the tourists. There’s a heavy undertow on a few of the beaches, it’ll look all right. I saw it done myself years ago, in Phuket. I felt more sorry for the tour rep to be honest, she had to sort out all the details.’
Stephen laughed and Candy smiled grimly at him. ‘But that’s murder.’
He opened his eyes wide and said in a childish voice, ‘No! I never would have known! What do you think Gainsborough did today then? Had a little accident? Don’t go soft on me, Candy, I ain’t in the mood.’
She shook her head in amazement. ‘You’re as hard as nails, aren’t you?’
As she took a gulp of her drink and lit a cigarette, Stephen said, ‘I’m harder than that, Candy, and at the moment it’s just as well one of us is, ain’t it?’
‘What about Georgio then? Have you thought about him, what he might have to say about you topping his old woman?’
Stephen laughed nastily. ‘Fuck Georgio. Me and Lewis are rowing him out only he doesn’t know that yet. So just take me to Donna, will you?’
Candy opened the office door, her face a picture of disbelief at what she had just heard.
‘You’re a snidey bastard, Stephen.’ Her voice held genuine admiration.
‘That’s me, Candy - always a step ahead of the competition. Now, where the hell is she?’
‘I stuck her into one of the back bedrooms. Kassim’s outside the door and there’s another lad outside the window. She’s slippery. She is also traumatised at what she saw. Very vestal virgin, is our Georgio’s wife. Where the fuck he got her from I don’t know.’
Stephen grinned. ‘The Roman Road.’
Candy laughed in delight.
‘Amazing what you can pick up on the markets, ain’t it?’
Donna sat in the deepening twilight, her feet curled under her. She could smell the bedding and an odour of heavy greasy food. The kitchen must be nearby. Voices wafted into the room from the grounds and she guessed the hotel was open for business. All she could see in her mind was the child, and the blood. She had a raging thirst, but no appetite. Fear had made her bowels loose and she had had an uncomfortable time trying to hold everything inside her. There was no sanitation nearby. What was supposed to have been an ensuite bathroom was a dust-filled hole.
She could hear the movements of insects in the deepening gloom and had to stifle the urge to scream. As the doorhandle turned, she felt a wave of panic wash over her.
Stephen stood outlined in the glare of the corridor. As he switched on the light, Donna shielded her eyes with her hand.
Candy followed him into the room and said loudly, ‘Why didn’t you put the lights on, you stupid cow? Do you want anything to eat or drink?’
She sounded so normal, Donna felt for a split second that she was losing her mind.
‘How’s the child?’ Her voice felt rusty, as if she hadn’t used it for years.
Candy rolled her eyes. ‘I got one of the men to take her to the hospital. She’ll be fine.’
Donna licked dry lips. ‘No cars have left since I’ve been here, I’ve been listening out.’
Candy looked at Stephen in a ‘See what I mean?’ kind of way and shrugged.
‘I’ll get you a drink, all right?’
When she had left the room, Stephen walked over and sat on the bed.
‘Why did you come, Donna - eh? Why didn’t you keep your big nose out of it? You realise that I can’t let you leave now, don’t you? There’s too much at stake here. You saw and you heard too much. You’re like a fucking leech, do you know that? Like the spear in Christ’s side.’
His low sing song voice frightened Donna more than if he had struck her or shouted at her.
‘I see you’ve had a right-hander.’ He touched her swollen cheek softly with his fin
gers. Donna pulled her head away abruptly. It was almost a sexual act, a caress, and it made her feel sick.
‘Still the ice lady, eh? My God, you make me laugh. Georgio’s little virgin to the last. Do you know something, Donna? He fucked everything that walked. It was common knowledge to all and sundry. Alan Cox could have enlightened you, Georgio took enough of them to Amigo’s. Tall, blonde bimbos were his forte. Oh, don’t look so shocked. You must have known, must have guessed.’
Donna watched him with fearful eyes. Stephen was thoroughly enjoying himself, relishing seeing Miss High and Mighty brought so low.
‘Georgio masterminded all this.’ He lifted his arms to encompass the room. ‘It was after he visited Thailand with me the first time. I took him all over. As you know I love the place, always did. He loved it as well. Loved the girls. “They’re like pieces of meat,” he said. “Faceless, nameless, you can just do what you like and they don’t mind.” He bought bar girls at a dollar a time, three and four in bed at once. He loved all that, old Georgio, it appealed to him. Some were only twelve or thirteen. He drew the line at the really young ones. Always had that Victorian streak, did our Georgio.’
Donna put her hands over her ears. ‘Shut up! Shut up, Stephen!’
He dragged her hands down and held them firmly on her lap.
‘You know it’s true, Donna. You were the best front he could have for years, and you never realised it. He used to laugh at you behind your back. We all did, even Big Paddy. He’s in on all this as well as Davey Jackson. You thought they were all protecting you from me and the likes of me, and all the time they were protecting me and Georgio from you. Funny when you think about it, eh?’
Candy came back into the room with three glasses on a tray. She passed one to Stephen and one to Donna. Donna took hers but didn’t drink from it.
Stephen sipped his and then gave it to Donna.
‘Don’t worry, we’re not going to poison you.’ He laughed and shook his head. ‘You read too many fucking books.’
Donna sipped the Arrack and Coke then gulped at it, her throat swollen and sore, needing the coolness of the drink.
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