Blood Bought

by Robin Roughley

  '''A grand''!' Bannister's voice rose in disbelief.

  'I tried asking him what he did once, but he never gave me a straight answer, most of the time when I'm unfortunate enough to bump into him, he's usually coming home as I head to work and he's usually drunk.'

  'Do you know his father?' Lasser asked.

  Her hand slipped from the door as Lasser looked at her with his dark eyes.

  'He owns this apartment block, so, yes, I've had some dealings with the man. In fact, he was here earlier and from the sound of things he wasn't happy.'

  'He was here at the flat?' Bannister enquired, his voice rising slightly.

  'I was just heading out and I saw Mr Viner let himself into the apartment, I assume he has some kind of master key but as soon as he opened the door he was shouting his son's name.'

  'I take it he wasn't in?'

  'To be honest I'm not sure. I didn't hang around to find out, but I know Andrew's car wasn't on the car park, so I assume he hadn't been home, which is the norm really.'

  'Right, well, thank you for your help,' the DCI said.

  'Do you mind me asking what he's done? I mean I live here alone and to be honest he's always made me feel a little uneasy.'

  'Uneasy? In what way?' Lasser asked.

  A hint of colour rose in her cheeks then the look of unease slipped back onto her face. 'About six months ago, I'd been working late and by the time I got home it was dark, Viner was just parking up as I was getting some shopping from the boot. At first, I thought he was hanging about to help me with the bags, turns out I was wrong. I grabbed a couple – you know stuff that needed to be put in the fridge – and left the tinned stuff in the boot.'

  'He didn't offer to get the heavier bags for you?' Bannister asked, his own face forming the familiar frown.

  'No, he was standing at my shoulder looking into the boot, but he never said a word. I closed it and he followed me inside…'

  'He didn't say anything to you?' Lasser interrupted.

  'Not at first and to be honest he made me nervous, that's why I decided to take the stairs rather than the lift. I didn't fancy getting in there with him, but he followed me anyway.'

  'He stayed behind you, didn't he?'

  Again, she glanced at Lasser, her face flooding a deeper shade of red. 'I know it sounds daft, but I could feel his eyes boring into me and then he touched me.'

  Bannister sighed heavily, Lasser slipped his hands into his pockets, hands clenched in fists as they waited for her to continue.

  'I spun around but he was just standing there grinning at me. I should have ripped into him, but to be honest back then a lot of the apartments were empty, waiting for people to move in, and I suddenly realised that if I'd made a scene then there was no one here to help.'

  'What happened next?'

  The woman swallowed the remembered fear before rubbing her hands together, her eyes flicking from one to the other.

  'He did it three more times, by the time I reached my front door I was terrified, I remember trying to get the key into the lock and he just stood by his door sneering at me. When I got in I just burst into tears.'

  'I'm not surprised,' Lasser said, his eyes full of compassion.

  'I didn't know what to do, I thought about ringing the police, but I knew he would simply deny it and it would be my word against his.'

  'So, you did nothing?' Bannister asked.

  'I rang the landlord, you see back then I didn't know they were related. I'd only been here a few weeks and I didn't know anything about Andrew.'

  'What did Viner say when you told him what had happened?'

  Outside the light was fading rapidly, the sheep just ethereal blobs of grey.

  'He came straight here, and I explained about what had happened. He listened to what I had to say without telling me he was Andrew's father.'

  'He left that till the end?' Lasser said.

  She nodded, her eyes suddenly shimmering with unshed tears. 'I couldn't believe it, he let me come out with it all and kept his mouth closed. Then he told me it was his son living across the landing and that I must have been mistaken in some way.'

  Bannister had his teeth clamped together as he listened to the sound of her distress.

  'By the time he'd finished talking about his son I started to doubt if it had actually happened at all. He painted a picture of his ''boy'', as he called him, being the salt of the earth. I wear a skirt for work and he hinted that perhaps it would be best not to take the stairs next time and wear something a little longer.'

  'He tried to blame you?'

  She attempted to smile as Lasser asked her the question, instead tears slid free, Bannister whipped one of the McDonald's paper serviettes from his pocket and held it out.

  She took it gratefully before dabbing at her eyes. 'He made it sound as if I had been provocative in some way, you know, leading him on.'

  Lasser felt his dislike of the Viners grow as the woman continued to cry silently.

  'Do you know if Viner ever had a word with his son?' Bannister asked.

  She sniffed and nodded her head. 'As soon as he left me he went straight across the hallway and banged on the door. I heard Frank Viner shouting, like really shouting.'

  'Did you hear Andrew at all?'

  'No. It was just the father, and then about twenty minutes later I heard a door slam and I went to the window and saw Frank Viner leading his son to the car.'

  'Leading him?' Lasser frowned.

  'He had hold of his arm and he pushed Andrew into the passenger seat and then they drove off.'

  'And what about since then?' Lasser enquired.

  The tissue continued to dab at her eyes as she sniffed again. 'I try to avoid the man. Most of the time it's OK as he tends to get in late, so I manage to get to work without seeing him. But occasionally he's there when I get home and he glares at me as if he wants to say something but daren't.'

  'Because he's scared of what his father might do?' the DCI suggested and went to fold his arms but changed his mind.

  'That's what I think, yes,' she replied.

  'Well, thank you for being so honest,' Bannister said as he lifted a card from his pocket and held it out. 'If you ever feel uneasy or just want to talk then please just give me a call and we'll come straight over.'

  Plucking the card from his hand, she looked down at the name and number. 'Thank you, I appreciate that, but you still haven't told me what he's done.'

  Lasser waited for Bannister to say the usual ''no comment'' line, when the DCI didn't he glanced at him, seeing the anger on his face.

  'The truth is Andrew Viner is a low-life who we suspect has been sponging off his father for years, he's used to getting his own way and we're going to put a stop to all that.'

  Lasser felt his eyes widen in surprise.

  Bannister looked at the woman and then he broke into a smile. 'Thank you again for the help,' he said before giving Lasser the nod.

  By the time the lift doors opened, Rose had moved back into the flat and closed the door.

  'The more I hear about Andrew Viner the more I dislike the little prick,' Bannister snarled as they stepped into the lift.

  'Yeah well, I've never met the father but why would he let his son get away with shit like that, and why would he keep forking out cash to keep him in a place like this?'

  The lift door closed, Bannister looked at Lasser, his face like a slapped arse.

  'Right, well, why don't we go and ask the man?'

  Lasser found himself smiling, though there was no warmth in his black eyes.

  'Easy, buggerlugs,' the DCI warned as the lift started the downward journey.

  92

  Barry Dyer looked through the spyhole and grimaced when he saw Frank Viner standing outside the door.

  'Shit,' he hissed under his breath as Viner hammered on the door again, his face red with anger, his eyes narrowed.

  'I know you're there, Dyer, so open the bloody door or I'll kick it down!'

  Dyer
hesitated, trying to decide if he should risk ignoring the demand.

  When the door rattled in the frame he almost yelped in fear.

  'Last fucking chance!' Viner bellowed.

  Dashing forward, Dyer slid back the chain and turned the key, the door was thrust open and he only just managed to jump out of the way.

  'He's not here,' he managed to get the words out as Viner stormed into the flat.

  Dyer wiped the sweat from his brow, rooted to the spot as Viner barged passed and slammed open the bedroom door.

  'Look, Mr V, I told you he isn't here and…'

  'Don't ''Mr V'' me, you fucking little shit. I want to know where my son is?'

  'He was here last night but he was gone by the time I got up.'

  Viner glared at him. 'So, you were with that idiot son of mine at The Oak when he got breathalysed?'

  Dyer nodded, scared to say anything in case Viner flew at him.

  Frank Viner moved closer, his eyes sparking with anger. 'What's that shit on your mug?'

  Dyer blinked in confusion before lifting his hand to his face, his fingertips came away dusted white, and he felt his stomach muscles clench.

  'I…'

  'It's coke, isn't it?'

  Dyer closed his eyes as the panic turned to fear despite the fact that Andy had often told him that his dad used to do some dealing in the past.

  When he opened his eyes, Frank Viner was standing right in front of him, his wide face florid.

  'Where is he?'

  'Please, I don't know I…'

  Frank Viner might have been in his fifties, but he could still move fast when he needed to his. His fist slammed into Dyer's already broken nose, with a grinding and cracking the bones shattered again.

  Dyer screamed and crashed back against the door, hands flapping in the air he slid down to his arse.

  'You've been giving my son coke, haven't you?' he demanded.

  Dyer coughed and one of his front teeth rolled from his bloodied mouth. 'It wasn't me,' he mumbled. 'Andy was the one who got the shit, not me.'

  Viner drew his leg back and then suddenly he stopped as he realised that Dyer was telling the truth. After all, wasn't his son a prize fucking idiot, a backstabbing, blackmailing little cunt who had sponged off him all his life?

  Dyer blinked as he felt the darkness close in around him, he could see Viner looming over him and he felt his bladder twitch in terror.

  'Where would he go to if he wanted to stay out of my way?'

  Dyer tried to shake his head, but the movement caused his stomach to lurch and then the spew of vomit shot from his mouth, yellow mixed with threads of bright red blood.

  Stepping to one side, Viner looked on in disgust before nudging Dyer's shoulder with his boot, watching as he slipped to the side, his eyes closing, his mouth slack as he hit the floor.

  Yanking the door open, Viner pulled hard to shift Dyer's slumped form. Slamming the door behind him, he stormed for the stairs, his anger rising as he tried to think where his bastard son could be hiding.

  93

  By the time May left the cinema it was dark, traffic weaved back and forth on the car park as people tried to make a quick exit to avoid the inevitable jam at the traffic lights.

  She paused for a moment, sure enough Moss's car was still there, though there was no sign of anyone in the vehicle.

  Hovering by the exit, she waited as people moved around her, scanning the faces that came and went.

  Seconds later, she walked over to her car, her eyes still roaming, searching for Moss even as she beeped off the alarm. Reaching the vehicle, she quickly checked inside, reassured nothing had been tampered with she slid behind the wheel and locked the doors. Just as she slid the key into the ignition and started the engine she saw Moss hurrying from the bar situated by the side of the cinema. She clicked on the lights, grinning in pleasure when Moss broke into a run, no doubt desperate to get back to his car before she drove away.

  May hesitated for a moment, selected first gear and pulled out from the parking space. She drove past Moss's car and then glanced into the mirror, watching him yank the door open and vanish from sight as he dived behind the wheel.

  May waited and waved out a couple of cars that were trying to edge into the building queue.

  Every few seconds, her eyes moved to the mirror and sure enough she saw Moss bully his way into the traffic. She heard a horn blare and the smile on her face grew wider still.

  Straightening in her seat, her hands closing over the wheel in a firm grip as the calculating side of her mind took over.

  Rolling her head to relieve the tension, she drew air in through her nostrils and held it, counting to ten before she slowly let it escape from pursed lips.

  The traffic edged forward, and she followed, her body starting to thrum with adrenalin.

  But then, the small voice of reason whispered in her mind.

  'If you kill Moss the police will come looking for you.'

  May blinked as she thought about the words. It was true, if Moss died then the police would ask questions and the answers would lead them to her apartment door. They would ask about the argument at work and they would want to know her whereabouts on the night that Moss died, and being at the cinema, providing them with her ticket could prove counter-productive.

  The lights changed to red, May tapped the brakes and brought the car to a halt.

  The question was would they be able to link her to his murder? When they looked into her past they would ask all the questions about the attack, and she would be forced to relive it all, forced to drag up the memories she had tried so hard to quell. Moss would be found in Leigh, less than two miles from the cinema and then there was the other man to consider, the one who would be making his way to the old mill for his fun and games.

  May frowned as she tried to think through the maze, trying to weigh up the risks involved.

  The truth was Moss was after revenge, and if she drove away and lost him tonight then he would not give up, he would simply return to her home and wait for another opportunity to make her pay for what had happened.

  'Now or never,' she whispered.

  The lights changed to green and she drove off and turned right, when she saw Moss follow, three cars behind, the smile leached back onto her face.

  No matter what happened she would make sure that both men died, and then if time allowed she would simply continue making her plans, looking for another bastard male who thought he was God's gift, another lamb to the slaughter.

  The fury rose through her mind, and this time May Linton let it have full rein, her lips drew back in a snarl as she drove down the road, Scott Moss following close behind.

  Dead man driving, she thought as she closed in on her destination.

  94

  Lasser stifled a yawn, flashing a cursory look at Bannister who sat hunched over the wheel, concentrating on the road ahead as they made their way to Frank Viner's house in the sticks.

  Pulling out his phone, Lasser started to type a text message, Bannister glanced at him.

  'Who are you texting?' he asked, slowing down as the traffic came to a halt.

  'Odette,' he replied.

  'What for?'

  Lasser looked at him and raised an eyebrow. 'I'm just saying I hope the weekend is going well and she's having a nice time.'

  'Christ, leave the poor woman alone.'

  Lasser's finger hovered over the send button. 'What are you talking about?'

  Taking advantage of the red light, Bannister fumbled two cigarettes from the packet and lit them both before handing one over. 'It's her weekend off, if you send her a text then she'll reply asking how things are going at this end. Then you'll have to tell her about Viner's son and before you know it she'll be ringing you up to get the low-down and it will ruin her weekend.'

  Lasser frowned and glanced back at the screen, Bannister was right, Odette would feel obliged to reply when she should be having a good time with the new man in her life. Lasser blinke
d in surprise as the expected pain didn't flare in his mind. Hitting the delete icon, he slipped the phone back into his pocket before taking a pull on the cigarette.

  Bannister grunted in approval as the traffic started to move forward again. 'Do you think Andrew Viner was involved in Minnie Burrows's death?' he suddenly asked.

  Lasser felt the cogs in his mind start to turn, he pictured Viner fuming in The Royal Oak, being abusive to Jenny behind the bar, his eyes full of insolence as if he were untouchable, a man who could do what he wanted and get away with it because his father was always there to take care of any problems. Just like he had when he had groped Rose Minter on the stairs as she made her way to her apartment. Then an image of Minnie flashed through his mind, abused and strangled and dumped by the side of the road.

  He imagined hands around her throat and then he superimposed Andrew Viner's face onto the shadow killer, eyes alight with hatred as he took what he wanted without any fear of recrimination.

  'Yeah, I can see the bastard doing something like that,' he replied.

  Bannister slid the window down and the smoke was whisked out into the night. 'OK, then, what if Viner killed her and his father found out what he'd done?'

  Lasser turned to look at the DCI. 'Frank Viner might try to clean up the mess, he'd try to make sure the truth never came out.'

  'And if Archer had seen Viner with Minnie Burrows on the night she died then his father could have used the Fellows brothers to get rid of Archer before we caught up with him and the truth came out.' Bannister pondered.

  'Agreed,' Lasser replied, the cigarette clamped between his teeth.

  Bannister's eyes shone bright with anger. 'Spare the rod, spoil the child,' he replied.

  Lasser glanced at him. 'Precisely.'

  95

  Andrew peered in through the small mullioned window, his eyes wide, the pupils dilated as the coke crackled through his brain.

  He had woken from the dream, one in which he had come to his father's house and slaughtered the old bastard before making off with the cash he knew was hidden in the cellar. He thought back a couple of weeks to when he had persuaded Daz Black to come to the house to kill his father. Andrew had told Black about the safe, he had even given him the combination and told him to take any cash that was there, but something had gone wrong and his bastard father was still alive, and worse still Andrew knew his father would have worked out what had happened and would be out to find him.