Hard Girls (26 page)

He had trusted Des with his life and, like Kate had always said, trust was great between couples, but in business it never hurt to take a gander at the books now and again on the QT.

She was a shrewdie was his Kate and, as much as she had annoyed him and, make no mistake, she had fucking nearly had him demented with fury, he knew in his heart that she was the only person he had ever really been able to trust one hundred per cent. Considering she was a Filth, that in itself was no mean feat. Anger was a strange thing, once it had burned itself out, all that was left, more often than not, was the truth. And the truth of all this was, he felt like a drowning man without her stabilising influence, without her level-headed approach to life. He knew he could tell her
anything
and she would stand by him, just so long as he took the time to
tell
her, just so long as she didn’t find out before he had. Now that kind of trust was impossible to buy, and even harder to find in the world. Especially his world.

Pat poured two large brandies and passed one to Peter Bates, who knew then and there that he was almost forgiven. But only almost, it would take a while to get back the usual camaraderie. Peter was confident though that if he kept his head down and his arse up he would be completely forgiven. He learned his lessons well. He only hoped that he’d remember.

Annie and Kate were finally at home, and both were aware that they had to talk properly about what had occurred earlier in the day.

‘I’m having a glass of wine, do you want one?’

Kate smiled gently. ‘I think I need one, don’t you?’

Annie’s earlier flash of euphoria was lones, dates, amo

Chapter Fourteen

‘This is Jemimah Dawes, I think you should listen to what she has to say.’

Miriam’s voice wasn’t loud, but she was being what Kate would call forthright. It was as if she was proving her worth to them all, and Kate knew she had good reason to feel as she did. None of the people at the station, police or civilian, had much time for her at all, and her husband had not fared any better. Like all holy Joes, they put people’s backs up. They judged everyone by their own standards, as did most people in the world admittedly, except other people’s standards were not so high. Miriam and her husband had set themselves up from day one. Praying and talking about faith were all well and good, but when it was a constant mantra to anyone who would listen, it became wearing. It wasn’t that people didn’t believe, it was just that they felt they should worship, or not worship, privately. Alec Salter had not been as bad as his wife, but he had been hard work nonetheless. A very ugly man, with a problem with hirsuteness, he was a real holy roller and he had been brought up in a children’s home and had met Miriam there. No wonder he’d become a social worker and had run a halfway house before getting the job at Victim Support. They were a well-matched couple and, except for their determination to do good, they would have fitted in. Their holier-than-thou attitude succeeded in alienating everyone around them. Especially given that in a police station people see the worst of humanity on a daily basis.

Kate smiled at Miriam in a show of what she hoped was solidarity, with a hint of apology and more than a smidgeon of humble pie. Whatever it took to keep them all on an even keel.

Then Kate focused her attention on the girl as she smiled tentatively at them all. She looked what3"> 
 
 

enwhogue eventually she was, and Kate saw Annie get out a notebook as they settled down on the well-upholstered sofa. In the background, Kate heard Miriam in the kitchen making them all tea.

It was late, but the girl looked chipper. Her make-up was perfect, her clothes were well pressed.

As Miriam walked back into the room, she said with authority, ‘Young Jemimah is giving up the life and starting afresh. I have got her a grant to help her set herself up, keep her afloat until she finds gainful employment. I ascertained that she wants to make a fresh start in Spain, and I think that’s best for her. Away from all she knows, Jemimah will hopefully find it in her heart to turn over a new leaf. I have given her a few numbers out there should she need further help. Now, young Jemimah was good friends with a couple of the girls who died. I have been counselling her about her grief and about the life she is currently leading, and she opened up to me about the darker side of her job. She told me about a man who attacked her one night and she felt lucky to come out of it unscathed. It turns out this same man also frightened a number of the other girls as well. I told her then that she needed to talk to you.’

Kate looked into Miriam’s eyes, she was really trying to help them. As much as it galled her, Kate knew she had to do some serious grovelling in the near future and she was prepared for just that. She knew immediately that Annie Carr was feeling exactly the same. It was a sobering experience.

Miriam poured them tea, and even handed round a plate of digestives, and it felt almost surreal. Settling her huge bulk on a chair by the window, Miriam said gently, ‘Go on, child, tell them what you told me.’

Jemimah cleared her throat. She was nervous of the police, but that was natural. She was also worried that if she said too much she would be expected to give evidence or something. She wasn’t prepared to put her face or her name in the frame unless she had to.

‘Look, before I say a word, I think you should know that I have no interest in becoming part of your investigation. I mean, not publicly anyway. I just want to help if I can.’

Annie smiled reassuringly. ‘That’s your prerogative, Jemimah, just tell us what you know.’

Jemimah took a deep breath. She
would
tell them the truth. After all, she’d be gone in a few days and if it helped, then that was all to the good. Plus, the bastard had hurt her, and she wanted to see him pay for it. If she had reported him herself she would have been laughed out of the Bill shop, no matter what these two might think to the contrary. Girls like her were still classed as Untouchables, especially where the male Filth were concerned.

‘It was a Saturday night and I was working out of a flat in Merton Street. It’s a nice location, quiet like, you know?’

Kate and Annie both nodded their agreement.

‘Well, I had a call earlier on, at about six-thirty, from this bloke who called himself James. He arranged to come and see me at nine-thirty. Well, when he arrived, he was well on the drink. Not falling over, like, I don’t mean he was pissed as such. But he was mean, if you can understand that. Some of the men are aggressive. Not all of them, in fact, the majority are nice as pie, but every now and then you’ll get one that we refer to as a harmer. It’s strange, but they are all alike. Not in looks but in their behaviour. They swagger in like the fucking dog’s gonads and they always want a bit more than you are offering to give. They think they’re for him.’ft to looky entitled to do what they want because they’re paying you. Well, he was like that. He smells, reeks of beer and cigarette smoke, and he is also unkempt in his personal appearance. He wears a suit and that, but it’s seen better days. He also has a strange look about him, his features are off-synch. He looks like he’s had a stroke or something. But it’s not immediately noticeable, it takes a while before you realise what looks wrong.’

Jemimah picked up her tea and sipped it slowly. ‘Well, he was all hyped up. Loud and crude. And I knew he was going to be trouble. We offer a drink to the men, you know, if they’re nervous. He insisted on me getting him a vodka shot, and he also insisted that I get naked, sooner rather than later. I told him I wanted me money up front and he refused. Just refused down and out. He told me he would pay me if, and when, I had performed my duties to his satisfaction. Those were his exact words.’

She sipped at her tea again and, suddenly, talking about it to people who were actually interested, who cared, upset her and, for the first time in years, she cried. It occurred to her now, with the police and Miriam sitting there, that she really could have been killed. She could have been tortured and murdered. It was a sobering thought. Until now, she had not fully appreciated the danger she had actually been in. Her answer had been to run away, but then that was her answer to everything. It always had been. First from home, then from the care system, and she had done all right for herself up until now. But she had no intention of hanging around too long for these people to question her further; who knew, if he found out, he might come back and look for her.

‘Miriam said that telling you would help other girls, and I agree with her. I think this man needs to be stopped. He has a vicious streak, he really enjoys the fear he creates. I was left with a badly bruised face and a cigarette burn to my arm.’ Jemimah held her arm out to show them.

‘How long ago was this?’

Jemimah thought seriously for a few moments. ‘A few weeks ago. He got the number from the paper. We have adverts in there, you know, masseuses et cetera. But he’s local, I know that much.’

‘How do you know that?’ Annie’s voice was low, and she leaned forward in her chair to listen even more attentively.

‘He used a cab service to get here, but he left on foot. Now, Merton Street is not somewhere you could find on your own, it’s on the outskirts. But he left his wallet on the table and it was open. He had a Grantley Library card. He also had a Blockbuster membership card.’

Kate and Annie both knew that Jemimah had trounced his wallet. They also knew that it was likely being caught in the act had caused the trouble in the first place. It wouldn’t be the first time a girl had found herself on the receiving end of a punter’s anger over a near robbery.

‘Did you get a last name?’

Jemimah shook her head. ‘It was foreign, I can’t remember it. I couldn’t even pronounce it.’

Kate smiled ruefully. ‘And you say some of the other girls were also victims?’

Jemimah nodded. ‘A couple. I’ve just found out. None of us had mentioned it before. Stupid really, now I think about it. We don’t do it often enough, talk about who is safe and who ain’t. And even then, of course, you only talk to the girls you know. If he’s good enoughc { font-size: 1.5rydone it to other girls, girls we don’t know, strangers, then we wouldn’t know about it.’

Kate nodded. ‘Can you give me a description of him? Hair colour, style, that kind of thing?’

Jemimah nodded solemnly now. ‘I’ll never forget him, put it like that.’

Kate smiled at Lionel Dart, but she could feel the animosity coming off of him in waves.

‘Bit early for you, Lionel, if you don’t mind me saying.’

He hated that Kate Burrows called him Lionel, hated that she felt she was better than him even though he knew she had good reason for feeling that way. Well, he could finally mark her card and get her out of this station, once and for all. He smiled then, and she saw the tiny, pointed teeth of a predator. He
was
a predator, in every way. She was almost looking forward to this.

Kate sat down opposite Lionel without being invited, another thing she knew he didn’t like. He was a bully and, like all bullies, he was basically a weak individual. She loathed him, and she knew that the feeling was mutual.

‘So, what can I do for you, Lionel? I assume it’s about the name and description Annie and I provided last night. We obviously want to keep this in-house, don’t want the press getting wind of it. By the way, I think we should move the press even further away from the station house. Not only do they make it difficult for access, I also think that people are now nervous about coming here to be questioned and subsequently being caught by journalists or the TV cameras. What do you think?’

Lionel shrugged nonchalantly. ‘I think, Kate, that you should consider taking yourself off this case, even though you are a consultant. After all, you are retired. And in any case, I’m going to bring in a new lead detective.’ Lionel smiled, trying to look like a benevolent uncle.

Kate sat there, stony-faced.

‘Not that we don’t appreciate your expertise, or the valuable assistance you have always given this station and its regular policemen and women, Annie Carr in particular. But as it has now come to light that Patrick Kelly has too many connections with the women involved, I feel it’s not really appropriate for you to be part of this investigation. As I’m sure you understand, the press could really make something of this, and it would dilute any lines of inquiry. Dare I say it, it could even shed doubt on to any arrest that might be procured.’

Kate smiled. It was a nasty,
I know something you don’t
smile. ‘God, Lionel, you do talk fucking shit at times.’

She lit a cigarette, ignoring the no-smoking policy and his outraged expression. She was pleased to see the fear now on his face. She pulled a plain buff envelope from her bag and she knew he could see his name, written in large black letters.

‘You can’t talk to me like that.’

Kate laughed then, a harsh, smoky laugh.

‘Oh yes I can. Now you listen to me, you fucking moron. I know everything there is to know about you. I’m not with Pat any more, which makes you think you have the upper hand. But suppose I was to get a bit snidey, eh? I know about you too. I know where all the bodies are buried.’

Kate let her words sink in before saying, ‘I also know that you were acquainted with at least two of the dead girls, thanks to for him.’ft to lookyPeter Bates. I understand that you got them free, gratis. How lucky are you? So as far as associations are concerned, I think we could reliably look in your direction, don’t you? There has never been any reason to question
my
honesty or
my
integrity. Or have I got this all wrong? Only I wouldn’t want to pass this lot on to your boss, a personal friend of mine, and Patrick’s, come to that, as I am sure you know, if you think it’s all lies.’

Lionel could feel the blood draining from his body, then he felt the heat envelop him at what she had just revealed. But Lionel Dart had always been a man who looked after number one, that had always been his priority over the years, and it was not about to change now. He hated this woman, but his ire would have to wait.