by Mark Hayden
I picked him up and carried him out of the station with Saffron a long way behind. I found a quiet corner and gave Scout a treat. Saffron finally came up and gave me a filthy look.
‘It’s like this,’ I said. ‘I want to do a sting on them, and I want you to do it. And record it on video, so I asked Li Cheng the best way to stop covert filming being blocked by magick, and he said the best person for that was yet another of your cousins in Oxford. GG? Something like that.’
‘The Great Geek. Heidi’s daughter.’
I rubbed my forehead. I was already getting a sun headache. ‘Heidi has a daughter?’
‘Yes, but they don’t speak. It was Heidi who gave her the nickname, and that’s one of the reasons they don’t speak. GG’s good, if a bit odd.’
‘Of course she’s odd. She’s a Hawkins. We haven’t got the time or budget to see her, so I asked for an alternative. He said “go clear.” He also said you’d know what that means. Then he said, and I quote, “She looks like a Hawkins and sounds like a Hawkins. She needs a disguise.” That’s why I asked you to pack something you wouldn’t be seen dead in.’
She looked appalled. ‘I didn’t think you were being serious. I packed my outdoor gear because I thought we might be getting dirty.’ She shoved her finger into her hair. ‘How do you expect me to get a wig over this lot?’
‘No idea. That’s why we’re going to the experts. We’ll walk in, I’ll say that I’m a TV producer, you’ll say that you’re an investigative reporter and we’ll let them sort it.’
She considered this for a second, and pulled her hair back from her face. ‘Who should I be?’ She struck a few theatrical poses and looked around for a mirror. Sadly, the outside of Birmingham station was not designed with narcissists in mind. It was yet another 180 degree rotation in attitude; not a concern in itself, but something to watch.
‘You need to think like a junior Mage who needs the money and is willing to take bribes,’ I said, in an effort to clarify things.
She looked uncertain. ‘How do you know that’s what they’ll try.’
‘Why is there no reference to them in Mack’s notes? Got to be worth a try.’
‘Okay.’ She shook herself down and hunched her shoulders. ‘Hiya, I’m the new Watch Captain…’
Ouch. It was quite a good Geordie accent, but she clearly thought of Vicky as being someone who needed the money. She does, but Vicky would never take a bribe. ‘Whoah, Saffron. Captain Robson is far too well known. Try someone else.’
She opened her mouth to deny it, then closed it and closed her eyes. ‘Alright? I’m takin’ over from McKeever. Same deal.’
‘Much better. The wig shop’s round this corner, and then you can go mad and get yourself a new outfit.’
‘Please tell me you’re not coming shopping.’
‘You’re not Mina, so no. I’ll spin them a yarn at the wig shop then leave you to it. There’s a train to Lichfield at 11:03.’
‘You know you’ll have to stay in or near the station in Lichfield.’ She waved her hand as a sort of advance apology. ‘No offence, but you’re packing so many aggressive magickal items that a half decent sorcerer will know there’s heat in town. If they look.’
‘I thought my items were shielded.’
‘As individual items, they are. It’s just the general vibe, you know? A bit like seeing a tank coming down the street on CCTV. You don’t know who’s driving, but it makes you take an interest.’
That was good to know. ‘C’mon Scout, we’re off.’
We sat in different compartments on the train. ‘Helps me get in character,’ said Saffron. I’m telling you, this girl has a future as an actress if she loses her magick.
The wig was expensively cheap – it cost the King’s Watch a packet for Saffron to look like she’d had platinum ombre shading put into naturally dark hair. I’d asked her what had inspired the overall look, and she’d said, ‘I thought of the cleaners at the Cherwell Roost. They dress like this.’
I tried not to wince when she said that. Changing her attitude to people who do an honest day’s work was above and beyond today’s mission. And then another thing struck me: the Hawkins family cleaners also have a much larger cup size, it would seem. The only problem was that she didn’t look like any Mage I’ve ever come across.
I’d asked her what going clear means, and she’d said it was when you bring your magick, internal and external, into a state of rest. It’s how the more powerful Mages sleep at night, and how they play cricket without cheating. Unfortunately, it also means she won’t be able to use her Sight. I weighed up the risk, and decided that Bertie wouldn’t have pointed us in that direction if there was a real threat. I knew where Saffron had gone, and that it would take six minutes at a steady jog for me to get there, so I didn’t start worrying until a quarter of an hour had passed.
Lichfield City station does not have a lot to entertain a Watch Captain, never mind the Watch Captain’s hyperactive Familiar. Border collies (when not asleep) have a very low threshold for boredom and are very sensitive to moods. If I got stressed, Scout would go off the scale, so I looked around for something to entertain him. The forecourt was paved with standard 24” paving slabs, and some bizarre memory gave me an idea.
Believe me, a six foot tall man playing hopscotch with a large puppy gets a lot of attention. It was good fun though. If you’re wondering, Scout had to play by jumping, not hopping, and every time he got one right, he got a treat. That dog is a fast learner.
I was almost disappointed when Saffron messaged me: Got it. Let’s see if your hound can follow my scent. Saff.
I’d piled up our bags, including Saffron’s clothes, and got her dress out for Scout to sniff. ‘Find Saffron!’ I said. ‘Find her!’
I think he cheated at first and set off the way he’d seen her walking (with a big roll of her hips) rather than sniff her out. After a couple of minutes, he started dipping his nose to the pavement and weaving from side to side. He made a positive turn into the open air shopping mall, and right again when we were inside. After that, he seemed a little uncertain, and he sat down. There. His brown eye went green for a second, something that Myfanwy and I had discussed while Mina was playing with him in the garden. Could Scout use magick to track people, particularly Mages? It seems he can.
With a woof and a wag of the tail, he set off out of the mall, through some back streets and onto Tamworth Road. At the end, where I knew he’d need to turn right for Tetty Johnson’s House, he got confused again, shaking his head and whining. I wonder…
I gave a tug on the lead. ‘This way, boy.’ He was reluctant at first, then got excited. Saffron must have doubled back on herself and re-crossed her own trail. Scout found her two minutes later, sitting outside a coffee shop and using her phone. She’d even bought me a cappuccino.
She eyed Scout carefully. ‘Did you find me? Or was it daddy?’
‘I am not that dog’s father, and it was him who found you.’
‘Well done, you manic mutt,’ she said, and gave him half a chocolate brownie. Suddenly, he liked her a lot more.
There was a padded envelope on the downwind chair, next to my coffee. I lit a fag and peered in the envelope. Stuffed full of twenty pound notes. ‘Excellent work, Saffron. Any problems?’
‘No. They were expecting someone, and they just didn’t know whether that person would be on the take.’ She looked at me, concern written all over her face. ‘Do you think this is endemic in the Watch?’
‘I hope not, otherwise Hannah will have us carrying out sting operations all over the country. What does family legend have to say on the subject?’
She looked down. ‘They’re not very complimentary about the Watch, but I’ve never heard them say anything about them – us – being bent.’ She looked up again. ‘Do you want to know what my mother said when I broke the news about my commission?’
‘I’m hoping she said, “What a brilliant opportunity to learn from that fine body of Mages.” Go on. Disappo
int me.’
‘She said, “Why you want to join that bunch of musclebound knuckledraggers, half-wits and no-hopers is beyond me.”’
That was a bit extreme. ‘And why did you want to join? If you don’t mind me asking.’
‘A chance to see some action. A chance to sniff around magick that’s normally well hidden. A chance to test out new Artefacts. And also, it’ll be what you said.’
‘Oh? What am I supposed to have said?’
‘I’ll bet you said, “She wants to rub her family’s nose in it.” There was some of that, yes.’
It was time to change the subject. ‘Have you checked the covert video?’
‘All present and correct. I’ve just backed it up to the cloud, too, in case they try to erase the hard drive on the camera. And I looked up Doctor Johnson. Now I understand what you were on about with checking my spellings. Makes my cover name a bit embarrassing.’
‘Go on.’
‘I told them I was Sammy Johnson.’
I felt my mouth drop. ‘You called yourself Samuel Johnson?’
‘Sammi. With an “i”. We had a cleaner called Sammi. The Johnson part must have popped out of my subconscious.’
I shook my head.
She looked at me accusingly. ‘You said his name was Dr Johnson. I didn’t know what his first name was, did I?’
I gave Scout a scratch. ‘If you’ve only just looked him up now, how did you find Tetty Johnson’s House?’
‘It’s known as Tetty’s. I rang one of my uncles last night. He knows a Mage who knows a Mage who knows all the disreputable magick emporia.’
I put my coffee down. ‘And it never struck you that his friend-of-a-friend might tip them off?’
‘God, no. This uncle’s not a Hawkins. He would die rather than admit any connection to the Watch.’
‘I thought all the men took the Hawkins name.’
‘He’s my dad’s sister’s husband’s brother. I think. He’s young enough to have tried chatting me up without it being sleazy. That’s how I got his number.’
‘Do you want to get changed before we go back.’
She thought for a moment. ‘No. That was fun, and if I stay in character, it’ll keep them guessing.’
I stood up and shared some of the luggage.
‘What’s it like in there?’
She grinned. ‘You really need to see it for yourself.’
‘At least tell me who you dealt with.’
‘There’s someone mundane out front.’ She shouldered her rucksack and we set off. ‘She called out the owner when I triggered some of the Wards. One of them rang a really loud bell. You needn’t have bothered staying at the station: that place is so shrouded in protection you could have a fleet of tanks outside and they wouldn’t notice.’
‘Squadron.’
‘What?’
‘Tanks come in squadrons, as do aircraft and horses. Only ships come in fleets.’
‘Noooooo. Reeeally? I never knew that.’ She was back in character. I shook my head and lengthened my stride.
Lichfield is a small cathedral city that most people only come across in pub quiz questions. It has a lovely historic centre, and that history is mostly Georgian. Even away from the main centre, most of the buildings are made of characteristic small bricks with elegant windows. I was about to ask where to go, when Scout ducked through the arch of an old coaching inn and barked loudly.
I looked up. A signboard over the arch told me that I was about to enter Red Lion Yard – Home of Boutique Shopping. Through the arch and into the old coach yard, and already my skin was tingling with the heat of Lux. I looked around, and all the shops were boarded up except one. Tetty’s Hats said the cursive gold script on the blacked out window. They had got the signwriter to add images of improbable headgear, too. To make absolutely sure they got no unexpected customers, there was a large Closed sign on the door.
I bent down to unclip Scout’s lead. ‘Stay here,’ I said, gesturing round the yard. He got that. He also ran up to one of the shuttered shops and started barking. ‘Has he sensed something?’
‘Smelt something, more like,’ said Saffron.
‘Eh?’
‘That’s his food bark. It’s different to his magick bark or his you sucker bark.’
‘Don’t tell me you’re a dog whisperer.’
‘No. I’m young, that’s all. I haven’t spent years sitting next to helicopter engines.’
‘I am not going deaf!’
‘No need to shout. His food bark is slightly higher pitched, that’s all.’
‘Scout! Here.’
When he’d torn himself away from the alleged source of food, I went up and pushed on the door of Tetty’s Hats. Booong. Saffron was right about the bell. I went inside and …
Found myself in a hat shop. Or millinery workshop, to be accurate. A few examples of the art were arranged on long poles near the front, and most of the room was taken up with benches, stackable crates and works in progress. It was mostly dark, with only a daylight task lamp illuminating the milliner herself. She didn’t look up.
‘Through there,’ whispered Saffron.
There was a track from the front door to the right, avoiding the hat space and leading directly to another door. This one was emblazoned with a rampant red lion; not the old pub sign, but something painted especially. Yes, it was a lion, and yes it was red, but not like any heraldic red lion I’ve ever seen. Something tickled my memory, and I tried to mentally scratch it. No good. I shrugged and opened the door into the den.
‘Very nice.’
We were now in some part of the old pub, as reimagined by a Scandinavian restauranteur, and that’s what is was: a restaurant. Even I could smell cooking from here. No wonder Scout had gone bananas.
‘Where is everyone?’
‘They only open in the evenings. Here she comes.’
A very tall woman of African heritage in chef’s whites emerged from a screen that hid the entrance to the kitchens. She did not look happy when she saw us. She strode through the restaurant, wiping her hands on a towel.
‘What do you want now? And who’s this?’ she said. Her heritage was African, but she’d learnt her English down the road in Birmingham.
I touched the Badge of Office on my gun, and she recoiled with horror. ‘Watch Captain Clarke. We need to talk about this.’ I put the envelope on one of the tables. They were already laid out for tonight’s service. ‘I should point out that my colleague recorded you as well.’
‘So? It’s just a fee for you to keep my registration private.’
I placed my finger on the envelope. ‘This is evidence. If I take it in, you’ll be prosecuted for bribery. I don’t think either of us want that, do we?’ I slid it in her direction, disturbing the cutlery. ‘On the other hand, if you take it back, I’ve got no evidence.’
She shoved the envelope on to a chair and seemed more concerned about rearranging the cutlery. ‘What do you want?’ she said.
‘You can start by telling me about this place.’
‘It’s a restaurant.’
‘I hope your food’s better than your jokes.’
‘I wasn’t joking. It’s a restaurant. That’s it. We serve food to Mages who want to eat Nigerian fusion cuisine with other Mages, and who want to dine in peace. We’re one of the few places outside London that don’t have the Daughters of the Goddess or the King’s Watch or some other bunch of jackboots breathing down our necks every five minutes.’
‘There was twenty grand in that payoff. That’s close to a year’s income on the minimum wage. That buys more than silence.’
She took the towel out of her waistband and polished one of the wine glasses. ‘He’d give me a name, sometimes. Ask if I’d seen them and who they were with. That’s all.’
I nodded. I’d got enough for now. ‘Do I need to book ahead?’
‘You are not coming here during service. Ever. If anyone except Tetty knew you’d been here, I’d be bankrupt or dead in a day. B
oth, probably. Are we done?’
‘I need your contact details.’
She frowned. ‘Didn’t Mack give them to you?’
‘He buggered off to the States and left me with a crock of shit. I just guessed he was on the take and that you were paying him. Turns out I was right.’
Fury rippled across her face. I would not want to be her sous chef right now. ‘My name is Fadesike. You can get my number from Elizabeth.’ With that, she returned to the kitchen, her back rigid with anger.
‘Elizabeth?’ said Saffron.
‘Tetty.’
Back in the hat shop, I coughed politely and the milliner looked up. ‘Fadesike said you’d give us her number. Could I have your card as well? There may be a wedding in the offing.’
‘Sure. Pass me a leaflet from over there.’ She looked up Fadesike’s number and wrote it on the leaflet.
‘Thank you.’
Back in the coaching yard, I called Scout over and clipped on his lead.
‘Wedding?’ said Saffron, still in Sammi mode. ‘Did you propose over the weekend? Can we expect a visit from an enraged snake woman?’
Under the archway, I noticed a mailbox unit with flaps for each of the businesses. Interesting.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll let you know if I propose to Mina. You wouldn’t be interested in the wedding. It’s just village gossip.’
‘I asked for that, didn’t I?’
‘You did.’ We were well away from Red Lion Yard now. I turned and pointed back to it. ‘What do you reckon, Sammi?’
Saffron had been rolling her shoulders as if they ached. ‘I think it’s time to put Sammi away for now. That wig woman pulled my hair so tight when she cornrowed it that my scalp aches. And these chicken fillets are chafing my nipples something rotten.’ She grinned. ‘Was that too much information?’
‘I’ve heard much worse complaints about women’s body armour. There’s a pub near the cathedral with a beer garden where we can leave Scout while we eat.’
‘Then let’s go to the cathedral first. I need to find a decent sized toilet, and I’ll have to put a Glamour on before we go in.’
And so it came to pass that an illusory Saffron Hawkins, to disguise the fake Sammi Johnson, went into the cathedral. The real Saffron Hawkins emerged a good while later.