And, think about the story. Had she got one here or not?
Certainly she had one about homeless people, there were so many stories to tell. She could take pictures as illustration, too. Not just of the people, but of the surroundings. If she could get to the roundabout on the outskirts of Norwich and speak to the people in tents, well, that would make a fabulous article. She could even trace their lives back to where they came from. It would have to be run by Heath, but she knew he went with anything she suggested. On the whole.
But it had all begun with one event: the disappearance of Rick Winterton, or, strictly speaking, the two disappearances of Rick Winterton.
Before she could puzzle over it some more, Ethel’s tail began to thump and a shadow fell across her.
‘Cora,’ Alex said, looking up, surprised. ‘How did you find me?’
‘I went to your flat but I couldn’t get in. A nice man in a wheelchair told me you’d gone out with a dog and he thought you were going down the footpath. I took a chance.’ She bent down and stroked Ethel. ‘You’ve picked up Martin’s dog.’
‘I couldn’t let her sit in a dog pound, I wanted her to be here for when Martin came back.’
‘If he comes back.’ Cora buried her face in Ethel’s coat.
‘I wouldn’t do too much of that. I’ve only just given her the flea and tick tablet.’
Cora looked up, a crooked smile on her face. ‘I don’t mind. She’s a lovely dog, aren’t you, Ethel? It’s going to be a different kind of life for her with you, isn’t it? You’d better make sure she will want to go back to Martin.’
Was Cora giving her some sort of warning here? ‘I will, don’t worry. A few days’ pampering won’t do her any harm. Anyway, have you come all the way from Norwich to see me?’
Cora looked tired, her skin was grey and her coat crumpled. Her curls were scraped back in a ponytail. The bruise on her cheekbone was turning purple. Alex could see the blue of her uniform at her neck. Alex knew she should be asking her questions.
Cora shook her head. ‘No. I’ve been working overnight at Ipswich.’ She brushed away some stray hairs from her forehead and sat down next to Alex. ‘I had a call this morning. I thought you’d like to know.’ She swallowed and licked at the side of her thumb. ‘Tiger’s been found dead.’
Alex sat up straighter. ‘Tiger? But I only saw him yesterday. When I gave him that photograph.’
Cora nodded. ‘He’d been showing it around a great deal apparently.’
‘So—?’
‘Overdose. He was found late yesterday afternoon.’
Alex slumped back on the bench. ‘Oh.’
‘No, Alex, not “oh”.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Tiger didn’t do drugs.’ Cora’s voice was tight.
‘What?’
‘Booze, yes. Fags when he could cadge them, but never drugs. He always said he had stooped low enough. He wasn’t one of those who took drugs to get through the day. You’ve met Tiger. You know what he’s – was – like.’
‘What are you saying?’
She shook her head. ‘It couldn’t have been an accident; he wouldn’t have suddenly decided to shoot up some heroin. I’m saying I think he was murdered.’
‘Murdered?’
Cora nodded. ‘What other explanation is there? He was found slumped in that bloody underpass with a needle sticking out of his arm.’
‘Someone must have seen something?’
Cora shook her head. ‘Either nobody did see anything or they have been frightened into keeping quiet.’
‘I see.’ Oh, Tiger.
‘I got your email with the CCTV picture, but I didn’t recognize either of the men. I was hoping—’
‘That you would and it would lead us to Rick?’
‘Guess so.’
‘Cora,’ she hesitated. ‘Did it look to you as though Rick got into the van willingly?’
‘No. I don’t know. Possibly.’
Her answer came too quickly.
‘One other thing, Alex—’
Alex looked at her. Was she changing the subject?
‘I went to that hostel on Magdalene Street yesterday evening before work to talk to Karolina.’
Alex took a breath in. ‘I thought we were going to talk to her together?’ For a split second she felt a flicker of resentment. This was her story. Then sense prevailed. It was Cora’s brother they were looking for, it was her story too.
‘I couldn’t wait. Anyway, it was pointless.’ She shrugged. ‘She’s gone.’
‘Gone?’
‘Yes. Apparently one of those men came back and she went with him.’
‘I wonder why?’
‘One of the other residents there said he’d probably offered her a job.’
‘She did say,’ began Alex, slowly, ‘that when they first spoke to her they offered her a job cleaning.’
‘She must have decided to take it.’
‘Except she promised she wouldn’t do anything without talking to me. And she has got my number.’
‘Obviously you’re not as important as you think you are.’
Alex felt as though she’d been slapped. ‘What?’
Cora shook her head. ‘Sorry, sorry. I’m tired. I don’t know what I’m saying. Ignore me.’
Alex nodded. She knew Cora was tired and under enormous strain. ‘Though the fact remains that Tiger is dead and now Karolina has disappeared, or, at any rate, gone off without making contact. Of course, you may well be right and she didn’t think about ringing me.’
‘And you haven’t found out anything else that might lead us to Rick?’
Alex could hardly bear the hopeful look on Cora’s face. ‘No. Except—’
Cora gave Ethel a final pat and stood. ‘Except what?’
‘Look, I found some glass.’
‘Glass? What do you mean?’ Her body language was impatient – she was looking around, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, touching her hair, her mouth. She looked as though she was about to take off.
‘I went back to where the Land Rover crashed. There was nothing there—’
‘Of course there wasn’t, they would have cleared it all up.’
‘Who would have, Cora?’
She waved her hand. ‘Never mind, go on.’
Alex decided she would come back to that point. ‘I found glass that I think came from either one of the lights or indicators—’
‘How do you know it’s not an old bottle or something?’
‘I don’t.’ Alex was trying to be patient. ‘That’s why I’m going to take it to the cops and they’re going to examine it forensically.’
Cora looked at her, eyes wide. ‘You’ve told your policeman friend about it, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, why?’
Her face drained of colour. ‘So they know we’re still looking for Rick?’
‘Of course, what’s the problem?’
‘I thought we were doing it together? Just us two? You’re a journalist, Alex, aren’t you supposed to chase a story to the very end on your own?’
‘I have to ask the right people questions. Sam is going to hurry the glass through forensics. There’s a friend of his who—’
‘Sam? DI Sam Slater? That’s your policeman friend?’
Alex nodded.
‘Okay.’ She stared into the distance.
‘Cora, what’s the problem? Tell me about the Riders. Tell me about why it was a bad idea to go to the police with those pieces of glass. Have the Riders got something to do with Rick having disappeared?’
Cora shook her head, then: ‘The Riders are poison.’
‘Cora, I know that—’
‘You can’t trust them. Not even Jamie. He might seem harmless, but he’s not. They’re all the same, the whole lot of them.’ Cora was pale and she nibbled some more at the skin on the side of her fingers. Alex noticed that her nails were bitten down to the quick. Cora saw her looking and pulled her jacket sleeves down over her ha
nds.
‘Jamie has nothing to do with the family business.’
‘Is that what he told you?’ She laughed harshly. ‘And you believed him?’
‘Cora. I know Rick went to the same school as the Riders. Did you know that Boney – Nigel Bennet – went there too? What is it you’re not telling me?’
She heard David’s voice in her head warning her that there was more to Cora than met the eye.
Cora jumped up. ‘I’ve got to go. I’m going to crash at a friend’s for a few hours before my next shift.’ She glared at Alex. ‘Please. You’ve got to find Rick. He’s all I have. But look—’ She shivered and looked all around before her gaze alighted on Alex once more. ‘Don’t trust any of the Riders as far as you could spit at them.’ She leaned down until her face was level with Alex’s. Alex could smell the sourness of her breath. ‘Listen to me, Alex, that family is toxic.’
She grabbed Cora’s wrist. ‘Tell me why!’
Cora shook off Alex’s hand. ‘Ask your precious Jamie. Don’t forget, the worst predators hide behind the shiniest smile.’ And suddenly she was gone, running down the path.
‘Cora, wait,’ Alex shouted. ‘What do you mean? Tell me, please.’ She tried to follow, but Ethel was having none of it. No, siree, she moved in her own good time.
Cora turned the corner and was out of Alex’s sight.
Damn. Why wouldn’t Cora talk to her?
She walked back slowly to the apartment, the beautiful day now turning grey and misty once more. Rain was in the air. Her good mood had well and truly buggered off, but she was pleased to see her car was in its parking spot, so she was mobile again. Thank you, Paul.
She pushed open the bottom door, Ethel padding in behind her.
John Watson came out of his flat. ‘I saw you coming, my dear.’
‘Are you all right, John?’
‘Oh yes, thank you. Having a little trouble with eBay.’
‘EBay?’
‘Yes. I’m trying to buy this beautiful dish with cascading black glass grapes but it’s not going through. And I’m getting threatening emails from eBay saying they will hang, draw and quarter me if I don’t pay up.’
He looked so mournful that Alex wanted to laugh. ‘I’ll come over later and see if I can help.’
‘It’s this new iPad you see, that my brother bought me. I’m having a bit of trouble.’ He shook his head. ‘Old dog, new tricks.’
‘I’m sure you’re better than you think. Take it slowly, that’s all I can say. I’ll pop over in a little while.’
‘Thank you, my dear, but I wouldn’t want to spoil your day with your brother.’
Alex, who had started up the stairs stopped. ‘My brother?’ Her heart started hammering. She didn’t have a brother.
‘Yes.’ John beamed. ‘I hope it was all right, to let him in, I mean. He said he had a key to your flat. That you’d given it to him yesterday when he came visiting. He said you were going to do some shopping with him, buy him some new clothes. And, if you don’t mind me saying, I think that’s a very good idea. He’s very alternative, isn’t he? I do hope—’ He faltered when he saw her face. ‘I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?’
Alex shook her head and forced herself to smile. She didn’t trust herself to speak.
‘Are you sure you’re all right, dear? Only you look a little pale.’
She nodded and forced her lips into a smile. ‘I’m fine, John. Thank you.’
She waited until he had shut his apartment door behind him before she carried on climbing the stairs, Ethel snuffling behind her. Her palms were sweating and her mouth was dry. She was aware of holding her breath. She had been right when she had thought someone had been in her apartment looking round, disturbing the air, touching things. Was she doing the right thing, going up to her flat on her own? Shouldn’t she call the police and say there was an intruder in her apartment? Probably. But she wanted to know who it was.
She did have an inkling.
The door to her apartment was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and walked in, hoping the thudding of her heart couldn’t be heard.
The door slammed shut behind her.
She whirled round, Ethel’s lead still in her hand.
Boney.
Alex almost laughed, thinking of John greeting Boney. ‘A bit alternative’. A bit of an understatement. And her instinct had been right. Not that it was any comfort now. ‘What are you doing here?’ She tried to keep her voice steady. ‘Get out of my apartment now, please.’
‘Or what?’ He grinned. ‘You’ll set Martin’s mutt on me? Come on, let’s be friends now. I’m only paying you a social.’ He leaned back against the door.
‘A social?’ She stood her ground.
He rolled his eyes. ‘A social call. A bit of a gentle—’ He pulled on his long, fleshy earlobe. ‘Let’s call it a bit of a warning.’ Boney gave her a wide smile, his sharp incisors menacing, his piercings wobbling gently. His head had been freshly shaved. All in all, Boney was someone she wouldn’t want to meet on a dark night. In fact, she didn’t want to meet him anywhere at any time.
‘You broke in the other day, didn’t you?’
He nodded. ‘To get the lie of the land, so to speak. Easy enough, if you know how. If I were you, I’d beef up your security. You wouldn’t want just anyone breaking their way in. Now, why don’t we sit down and have a cup of coffee? Give the mutt a Bonio. She always liked those.’ He held out his hand to Ethel, who thumped her tail and gave his fingers a lick.
Traitor, thought Alex, standing her ground.
Boney sighed. ‘So are you going to be hospitable and offer me a coffee?’
‘No. I want you to go, Nigel.’ She would not be intimidated.
Another smile. ‘Clever. How did you find that out?’
‘It wasn’t hard. And you were at school with the Riders and Rick.’
‘What a clever little journalist you are.’
‘So get out before I call the police.’
‘I don’t think you’ll do that.’
‘Try me.’ She folded her arms.
‘I don’t think you’ll do that because you don’t want anything to happen to that son of yours, do you? Gus, isn’t that his name Where is he now? York University, isn’t it?’
She tried not to gasp. ‘How do you know that?’
‘Let’s say a little bird told me, love. And there’s your sister. Wouldn’t want anything to go wrong, what with a big exhibition happening and all that.’ He clicked his fingers. ‘Not to mention Cora. Fucking busybody she is.’
‘How do you know all this?’ she whispered, her bravado gone.
‘Because I’m Boney. King of the homeless.’ He puffed his chest out. Alex wanted to punch him. ‘I left Nigel behind a long time ago.’
All at once he moved away from the door and seized her wrist so hard she cried out in pain. His skin was soft and clammy. His eyes burned out of the multiple sharply angled black tattoos on his face. He took Ethel’s lead out of her hand and dropped it on the floor. Ethel slunk away to her bed, emitting a sharp fart as she went. ‘That bloody dog doesn’t improve, does she?’ he said, fanning his hand in front of his face.
The effeminate gesture made Alex want to laugh. She stopped herself. She didn’t want to appear hysterical.
‘Now, Alex, let’s go and sit down.’ He dragged her into the kitchen and pushed her onto a chair.
She rubbed her wrist, but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction, wanting to wait and see where this visit was going. Outside the sunshine had well and truly gone and the dark clouds threatened rain. The cry of a solitary gull sounded mournfully outside the window.
Boney put the kettle on and took two mugs and the jar of coffee out of the cupboards. ‘See,’ he smiled, ‘I know where everything is. That’s the good thing about scoping a place out first.’
‘I could scream, you know.’
Boney sighed. ‘You could. And who would help you? The one-legged g
uy downstairs? It would be a shame if he lost the use of his other leg. Anyone else about? I think they’re at work, aren’t they? You see, that’s the disadvantage of working from home – everybody else works in an office.’
‘Except you.’ Surreptitiously, she wiped her palms on her jeans. Keep calm, that’s what she had to do.
‘I have my office. It’s not conventional, that’s all.’ He smiled. ‘I like being among the dead. They are most interesting to talk to.’
The kettle boiled and Boney made the coffee, opening the fridge for the milk. ‘You know, I’m a bit disappointed in you, Alex. I thought you’d have a fancy coffeemaker, or at the very least one of those pod things. Instead I have to slum it with instant.’ He reached up into a cupboard and brought out the sugar, giving himself three heaped teaspoons.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ he said, seeing Alex watching him. ‘I’m sweet enough already.’
He pushed a mug across to Alex, some of the liquid slopping over the sides. ‘And don’t even think about throwing it at me. I’ll have people looking for – and finding – your Gus before you’re out of the door.’ He smiled.
That smile was getting on her nerves. ‘You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.’
‘Giving you a friendly warning, like I said.’
‘A warning?’
He crouched down in front of her. ‘Stop looking.’ His breath, at once rancid and fetid, assaulted her senses and it took everything she had not to recoil from him. She would not show any fear. She’d been in worse situations than this.
‘What do you mean?’ Her voice did not wobble one bit. This man thought he had power over her, he thought he was something special. He wasn’t. He was a sad specimen of a man. She looked him in the eye. ‘You’re a nasty piece of work, do you know that? Peddling your drugs around the city, getting people hooked. Giving them even more problems than they already have.’
He gazed at her for a long minute, then stood and took a noisy sip of his coffee. ‘Stop meddling. Don’t look for Rick Winterton any more, it’s not worth it. We will find him eventually.’
Gone in the Night Page 15