by Adam Croft
The solicitor leaned forward. ‘Detective Chief Inspector, I really feel we must—’
‘Shut up,’ Damian said. ‘Just shut up, alright?’
‘You’re the boss,’ the solicitor murmured, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.
‘Look, all I know is some people were approached to do some jobs for someone and they asked me to join them. I said no.’
‘Why’s that?’ Jack asked.
‘Cos I’m sick of working for tossers.’
‘I had no idea you and I were so similar, Damian. We’ve bonded at last.’
‘Look, I didn’t want to go back inside, alright? You know what it’s like in there. People give it all that, but it’s fucking shit. There’s no-one who actually likes it, no matter what they say. No easy cash is getting me back in there.’
‘Who approached you, Damian?’
‘A mate.’
‘What’s his name?’
‘I’m not telling you. He’s not connected to all this.’
‘Is he one of the three men we showed you earlier?’
‘I just said I’m not telling you, alright?’ Damian’s voice was growing in volume.
‘How does it feel to be a grass, Damian?’ Jack asked, spotting the chink in the man’s armour.
King looked visibly angry. ‘Fuck off. Get out of my fucking face.’
The solicitor leaned forward again. ‘Detectives, I really think perhaps we should take a short interlude to—’
‘Absolutely correct,’ Culverhouse said, cutting him off. ‘Interview terminated.’
Jack and Wendy stepped outside the interview room, leaving Damian King and his brief to their own devices.
‘Speak to the custody sergeant and get him bailed,’ Jack said.
‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously. We’ve got fuck all else right now. We need to get the custody clock stopped before we waste any more time. You and I both know what happens next. We let him go, he goes back home and panics. He calls whoever the mate was who tried to get him involved. He’ll make contact. He has to. Get his calls and texts tracked. I’ll arrange covert surveillance of his home.’
‘How? You’ll never get authorisation for that.’
‘I don’t need authorisation to stick a couple of fat fucks in a Vauxhall Vectra for the night. If they happen to spend it looking at Damian King’s front door, there’s nothing illegal about that either.’
Wendy chuckled inwardly. She knew exactly who Jack was talking about based on his description of them, and she hoped Steve and Frank didn’t have any plans for the evening.
39
That evening, Jack sat on his sofa, staring at the television. It was showing some sort of documentary about the history of TV game shows, but he wasn’t really watching. His mind was elsewhere.
He’d managed to talk Steve and Frank into staking out Damian’s place tonight. It was the sort of operation which would usually require special authority, but Jack wasn’t one to worry about due procedure. In any case, it didn’t have to be official. What was wrong with two blokes sitting in a car all night if they wanted to? The only worry would be that any evidence obtained might not be admissible in court, but they could worry about that later. There were ways and means.
In any case, that wasn’t the main thing on his mind right now. Emily was upstairs in her room. He imagined she’d be doing what she usually did — either watching TV or listening to music with her headphones on while she texted friends or played games on her phone.
He knew he needed to bring up the subject of the hospital visit — of her pregnancy — but he didn’t know how. His natural instinct, as always, was to be direct. The standard Jack Culverhouse response would be to barge in, get straight to the point and tell her how it was. But even he knew that approach didn’t always work — and certainly not with Emily.
Being subtle was difficult for Jack, though. He wasn’t the most subtle person in any conceivable way. And anyway, how on earth could he be subtle while bringing up a subject like this? It wasn’t possible. Not for him.
His third option, as he saw it, was to give her the space and opportunity to come to him. His biggest worry was that she hadn’t felt able to confide in him already. That was hardly surprising, seeing as she’d spent the vast majority of her life away from him and had only come back into his life relatively recently. But it still hurt.
He wondered if perhaps he could drop a few hints somehow. Maybe touch on the fact he was proud of her growing up into a young woman, and that she’d almost certainly meet challenges and life changes along the way, but that he’d always be there for her. To him, though, that sounded too much like heavy hinting. And, in any case, it definitely didn’t sound like him.
While he was mulling this over, Emily came downstairs and into the living room. Jack noticed she was carrying a rucksack.
‘Alright?’ he said, more due to a lack of other conversational ideas than anything else.
‘Yeah, fine. I was thinking of going to stay at a friend’s place tonight, if that’s alright.’
Jack looked at the rucksack, knowing she’d done more than just think about it. She was ready to go. ‘Oh right. Which friend?’
‘Oh, you don’t know her. She’s having boyfriend trouble.’
Jack nodded. ‘Well, she’s more than welcome to come over here if she likes. Change of scenery might help. I can put the camp bed up in here.’
‘I think she just wants to be at home, really.’
‘Right. Okay. Look, I wondered if we could have a chat, actually. There’s something I need to speak to you about. Is there any chance you might be able to stay in, and I can drop you over to hers in the morning instead?’
‘I dunno,’ Emily said. ‘She really needs me. She’s got a bit of a history of harming herself and stuff, so I think it’s for the best that I go. She seemed to really want me to. Practically begged me, in fact.’
Jack thought about this for a moment, and nodded slowly. ‘Alright. Well, how about I drop you over there? It’ll save you walking and it means we can at least have a chat in the car. I mean, it’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing I suppose.’
Emily contorted her face and shook her head. ‘Nah, I could do with the fresh air. Anyway, it’s not far. Just round the corner, really. In fact, I should probably get going.’
Emily reached for the door handle, and Jack’s heart lurched.
‘I know you’re going to see Ethan, Emily.’
There were seconds of silence, during which Jack realised he’d been holding his breath. He desperately tried to gauge Emily’s reaction from the back of her head, and wondered for a moment if he’d managed to throw it all away.
‘How?’ came the eventual whispered reply.
‘I just do. It’s my job to know when people are hiding things, no matter how well they think they’re hiding it.’
‘What, and you think I’m the same as one of the criminals you deal with at work? You think I’m trying to hide something from you? Go on, then. What is it? What am I trying to hide?’
‘Emily, this isn’t the time or the place.’
‘Yes it is. You were the one who wanted me to stay in and have a chat thirty seconds ago. So come on. What did you want to talk about? Was it this? Was it Ethan?’
‘In a manner of speaking.’
Emily held eye contact with Jack. She could clearly see something in his eyes, and Jack could see in hers that she’d noticed. They were straying too close to the truth for her to go any further, and Jack knew he had to be the one to take control of this situation.
‘Look, Em, I know you think parents are daft old duffers who don’t know anything about life, but I’ve been there. Trust me, it only feels like yesterday I was your age. I remember everything. I know how it feels. I know the things that go on. I didn’t live in Victorian times, you know.’
Emily’s voice was almost a whisper. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Em, listen. I know. The mood changes. Being ill. Forgetting things. And… And you were seen going into the hospital yesterday morning. With Ethan.’
Emily’s face flushed white as he spoke. ‘Who?’
‘What?’
‘Who saw me?’
‘That doesn’t matter.’
‘Yes it does. No-one you know even knows what I look like, other than Chrissie and she was at school. It was you, wasn’t it?’
‘Wendy Knight knows what you look like too.’
‘Was it her?’
Jack swallowed. ‘No.’
He could see the tears welling in Emily’s eyes as she nodded her acceptance, knowing implicitly what had gone on.
‘You had no right to do that,’ she said, her voice breaking as the tears began to cascade down her cheeks. ‘This is my life, Dad.’
‘I know that. Trust me, I do. And I’m a part of it. I’m your Dad. You should be able to tell me these things.’
Emily snorted. ‘Are you serious? You follow me around town and spy on me, then reckon I should use you as some sort of shoulder to cry on? You’re fucking crazy.’
‘Em, I didn’t spy on you.’
‘Sounds like it to me.’
Jack stood up and walked towards her, trying to embrace her.
‘Get away from me!’ Emily stepped back, closer to the door, and Jack did as he was told. He had no desire to push her away any further.
‘Em, come on. Let’s talk. I’m not angry, I promise.’
‘Well I fucking am! Do you want to know something? Do you want to know someone who doesn’t treat me like this? Ethan. He’s been solid. He’s looked after me every step of the way. So don’t you dare talk to me about being there for me.’
As Jack’s heart sunk in his chest, he watched as Emily closed the door behind her and strode purposefully down the driveway towards the road.
40
Damian had spotted the two coppers straight away. The fat bastards didn’t exactly blend into their surroundings, no matter how much they thought they did.
He’d thought about waving to them as he walked past, but decided against it. That’d only spook them into disappearing and trying something else. It’d be much funnier to let them sit out there in the freezing cold all night, thinking they were James Bond and Jason Bourne.
He peered out of his bedroom window and down onto the street below, and could see two fat bellies through the windscreen of their car. He wanted to laugh, but was keen not to create too much movement. He didn’t want them to know he’d seen them.
He was standing a few feet back from the window, with the lights off, so he was fairly sure they hadn’t spotted him. It was just over three hours ago that he got home, so they’d been sitting there at least that long — probably longer. He kind of felt sorry for them, in a way. He decided he was going to have a bit of fun.
He went downstairs, put on his shoes and opened the front door. Having closed it behind him, he walked down the short path, opened the gate and headed off down the road. When he got to the car with the police officers in it, he stopped and knocked on the side window. After a second or two, the window was wound down.
‘Evening, officers. Bit cold out tonight, so I just wondered if you’d like a cup of tea or a choccy biscuit?’
The fat fucks looked stunned. They didn’t know what to say. Damian decided to come to their rescue.
‘Actually, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to. Just thought I would ask ‘cos I’m off to bed now. It’s that one up there, by the way. The one with the flag in the window. Pop a note through the door if you want Weetabix for the morning, yeah?’
Damian smacked his hand playfully on the roof of the car a couple of times, beaming from ear to ear as he walked back to his house. That should shit them up. Stupid twats, thinking they know it all.
He let himself back in, sat down on a kitchen chair and took off his ankle tag. He didn’t see the point in the things, personally. They were a piece of piss to get round. It wasn’t even a game any more; it was almost boring.
He put on a jacket, opened the back door and let himself out into the garden. At the end of the garden he unlatched the gate and stepped out onto the public footpath. Of course, they had no-one watching the back of the house. That’d be too easy for them. They liked to make life difficult for themselves. Twats.
Even though they’d done a shit job of it, Damian was still pissed off that they’d even tried. They were hell bent on trying to fit him up for it. It didn’t matter how many alibis he gave them, nor how good his brief was. He didn’t know what they hoped to get out of it. Did they think he was going to slip up or decide he’d had enough and admit to everything? They were idiots if they did.
He was protected. He was untouchable. If only those clowns knew what was going on, they’d know there was no way in hell they were able to pin anything on anyone. And even if they did, they’d be taking themselves down with it. It’d be like a three-way fire fight, with everyone pointing their gun at the bloke on their left. There were only two ways it could end: everyone quietly walked away, or everyone went down with the ship. And they had far more to lose than he did.
Even so, it frustrated the fuck out of him. There was no way he was going to sleep with those fat bastards sitting outside. If only he could drop the big one, there was no way they’d keep pestering him. They’d have no choice but to leave him alone. But he couldn’t. Not yet. That frustrated him.
He vaulted the wall onto Windermere Street and looked both ways down the road. He walked a little further down, then crossed and headed up a side alley, before knocking on the door of 23a.
The door opened a few seconds later, and he stepped inside. The ambience was just as he knew it, and he could already feel the stirrings inside him.
‘Good evening, Damian,’ the man said.
‘Alright. Is she in?’
‘She’s not, actually. But I was hoping you might pop in. We’ve got a new girl for you. Very high class. Someone I think you’re going to like.’
Damian wasn’t sure. He’d always had the same woman, had grown attached to her. He hadn’t planned on proposing to her for nothing. ‘I dunno. Might just be easier if I come back another time. When’s she in?’
The man shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But I promise you, this new girl is super special. Trust me. First time’s on the house. Just so you can see exactly what you’re missing out on.’
Damian smiled. ‘On the house?’
‘Absolutely. And if you don’t come out of there an hour later with an even bigger smile on your face, you can have her for nothing any time you like.’
Damian couldn’t help but grin. Things were starting to look up.
41
Jack’s eyes were once again transfixed on the television, but taking in none of it. He’d been desperate to go after Emily, but knew it would only make things worse. In any case, he knew where she was. She’d be at Ethan’s house. He could almost guarantee it.
He stood up from his chair, walked into the kitchen and took a bottle of white wine out of the fridge, pouring himself a glass large enough to keep him happy but small enough to ensure he could still drive if he needed to.
When he got back in the living room, he noticed his mobile phone vibrating on the arm of the sofa. It was Frank Vine.
‘Yes, Frank,’ he said, answering.
‘Bit of a problem, guv,’ Frank said. ‘We’ve been spotted.’
‘What do you mean you’ve been spotted?’
‘I mean he walked straight out of his house, bold as brass and came over to the car. He called us out.’
‘Fuck’s sake. Where’s he gone now?’
‘To bed.’
‘To bed?’
‘So he says, yeah.’
‘Jesus Christ, Frank. How the hell did you two manage to fuck that up? All you had to do was sit in a car and look inconspicuous.’
‘Yeah, well it’s not easy to do round here. It’s more difficult than it sounds.’<
br />
Jack let out a sigh. ‘I’m pretty sure you two would say the same about breathing. Right, well you might as well knock off. No point you sticking around. He’s hardy likely to give us anything now he knows you’re sitting outside, is he?’
Jack hung up the phone and sat down on the sofa, taking a large mouthful of wine. No sooner had he done so, his phone rang again. He half expected it was Frank ringing back and was about to answer the phone with a string of expletives before realising it was Chrissie.
‘I got your voicemail,’ she said.
It took him a few seconds to realise what she was talking about. He couldn’t recall a voicemail. But then he remembered having called her to apologise for not getting back to her the other night.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘It’s fine.’
‘Good. That’s pretty much what I was ringing you to say, too.’
‘Then everything’s fine.’
‘Yep.’
‘Good.’
‘Good,’ Chrissie said.
Jack took a deep breath. ‘Listen, today’s been shit. Do you fancy heading over here to keep me company? Nothing saucy. I just fancy having someone else around.’
‘Haven’t you got Emily?’
‘No. Long story, that one.’
‘Oh right. Well, I can’t really. Sorry.’ Chrissie’s voice sounded different, as if she was thinking about something entirely different.
‘What have I done?’ he asked.
‘You? Nothing.’
‘So why are you being weird?’
‘I’m not,’ she said.
‘Chrissie, come on. I’ve had enough of people being off with me today. I don’t know if there’s something in the water, or what. Just tell me what’s up.’
Chrissie stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking. ‘I can’t come over, Jack. Something happened.’
