Blood Bought

by Robin Roughley

  113

  May looked at Adam Stokes's Facebook page, recognising the man from the mill her brain misfired, and suddenly she was back to the night of the attack and a face swam into view leering over her. It was a younger version of the face that now looked back at her from the computer screen. Stokes was standing in front of a gym called Thorpe's, it was a selfie, Stokes grinning, his right arm raised, his bicep bulging, the false tan colouring his face.

  Scrolling down the basic information, his profile stated that he was single and into keeping fit and having a good time. '''A good time''?' she whispered, her mouth forming a snarl.

  Closing her eyes, she drew air in through her nose and held it, counting the seconds before letting it out through her mouth in a slow hiss.

  Feeling the calm descend, she logged off the tablet and rose from the sofa before crossing the room and grabbing her waterproof jacket from the back of a chair.

  At the door, she stopped and looked back into the room as if taking a final look at her home, her face hardened, and she snatched the door open and left, her stride long, her face set in frigid lines of fury.

  114

  Bannister took a bite from the hot sausage roll as Lasser rolled a cigarette between his fingers.

  He waited for the DCI to finish the pastry before sparking his lighter and touching the flame to the cigarette.

  'You left Roger at the house?' Bannister asked as he unscrewed the lid from a small bottle of apple juice and took a sip.

  'Yeah, he's going over Moss's computer, luckily Gemma Haslam had the password so that should save some time.'

  'And he'll give you a ring if he finds anything?'

  'He knows the score.'

  The DCI took another sip from the bottle. 'The question is what do we do next?'

  Lasser slid the window down and blew the smoke through the gap. 'I don't follow?'

  Reaching out, Bannister plucked the pack of cigarettes from the dashboard and lit one. 'We have Minnie Burrows dead, Clark and Bartle murdered in the woods, Randal Archer thrown from a bloody window. And now we have Moss gutted like a wet fish, and our only witness, Stokes, is a lying shit. Not to mention the bloody Viners, I mean we need more people on this but Odette's faffing about in the Lakes and…'

  'She's making the most of her rest days and don't forget that's what you wanted.'

  Bannister scowled through the cloud of swirling smoke. 'OK, don't rub it in.'

  Lasser looked out through the windscreen, for once it looked like it had the makings of a decent day. The wind was still blowing but at least the sky was clear of dark clouds. They were parked on the Tesco car park again, the store closed till ten o'clock, a solitary trolley stood in the middle of the vast, empty space.

  'We need to decide what to focus on because right now my head's up my arse,' Lasser admitted.

  Bannister glanced at him and grimaced at the image. 'Poetic as ever.'

  Lasser shrugged. 'What do you want me to do?'

  Bannister cracked a mighty yawn. 'Right, fuck this, we're neither use to man nor beast when we're half asleep. I'll get Chadwick and Cooper to find out all they can about Moss, and Stokes can bloody well stew.'

  'But…'

  'Get home, Sergeant, if Roger rings then you'll have to crawl from your pit and get cracking, but for now we need some sleep.'

  Before Lasser could utter a word, Bannister opened the door and leapt out of the car.

  Yawning, Lasser looked at the cigarette before tossing it from the window as Bannister drove away.

  Slotting the car into gear, he followed the DCI off the car park and headed along the deserted road. Driving past the turning for his estate he smiled as he thought of Jackie on the boat.

  Checking his mirrors, he increased his speed, the car gliding forward as the tiredness seemed to fall way.

  Ten minutes later, he turned right onto the small patch of gravel by the towpath.

  Stepping out, he breathed in the fresh air, stretching his arms towards the sky and rolling his head from side to side.

  Locking the car, he walked down to the path and turned left before heading under the canal bridge. When he saw the boat he smiled, Jackie was on the towpath, her back to him as Poppet gambolled on the grass.

  He saw a waft of smoke trail over her right shoulder, then the dog spotted him and started to bark.

  Jackie turned and raised a hand, the smile growing as he trudged towards her.

  When she saw the dark smudges beneath his eyes the smile slipped a little.

  'I know I don't look my best,' he said, coming to halt in front of her.

  'Are you hungry?'

  'Starving, last thing I had was the hot chocolate you made me.' he admitted.

  'Right, well, after you left I couldn't sleep so I got the pots and pans out and got busy and the casserole's done, so why don't you get a bath before you eat?'

  'You have a bath on board?'

  'Well, I used to wash in the canal, but I found it played havoc with my hair.'

  Lasser found himself smiling as Poppet stood before him, her tail wagging.

  Reaching down he patted the dogs head. 'I asked for that, but I've no clean clothes, and…'

  'I can put them in the washer and then dry them in no time.'

  Lasser felt his face start to heat up again and wondered at it, and then Jackie clicked her fingers and Poppet trotted over.

  'Come on, let's get you sorted,' she said.

  Lasser followed her onto the boat and then his stomach rumbled as he caught the rich scent of the casserole. Taking a deep sniff, he closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them again Jackie had vanished.

  He waited, unsure whether to move deeper into the living space but then she reappeared with a grey towelling robe.

  'I've put the plug in and some relaxing bath salts, now do you want a brew to take in with you?'

  'Are you sure about this?' he found himself asking.

  Handing him the robe she nodded. 'I'm positive.'

  'I'll have a brew if you're having one.'

  'Hot chocolate?' she asked.

  'Please.'

  'No problem,' she turned and this time he followed her towards the kitchen area,

  watching as she flicked the kettle on.

  'I take it you've had a rough night?' she asked, turning towards him.

  'You could say that.'

  'Well, when you've had your bath you can use my bed to get some sleep.'

  'Why are you doing this?' Lasser asked, and then winced as she glanced up at him.

  'I like looking after waifs and strays, Poppet was a rescue but she's happy now.'

  'So, I'm a waif and stray, am I?' Lasser asked as he broke into a smile.

  Jackie looked him up and down, a thoughtful look on her face. 'More like a chained-up scrapyard dog.'

  Lasser found himself laughing at the image. 'I've been called a lot of things in my time but that's a new one.'

  Pouring the hot water into the cups she added some sugar and a splash of milk to his hot chocolate and handed his drink over, leaving her coffee black.

  'Go and get your bath, if you leave your clothes outside the door I'll get the washer on.'

  'Yes, boss,' Lasser carried the drink and robe through the boat until he reached the bathroom on the right. Hot bubbly water was nearing the top of the tub and he turned it off before hanging the robe on a hook.

  Lifting the phone from his pocket he placed it on the closed toilet seat and stripped off. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist and opened the door.

  Jackie was waiting, he smiled tentatively as she held out her hands and took the bundle of clothing.

  'Nice tattoo,' she looked at the raven on his chest, the black wing curled over his broad shoulder.

  'Say ''Hello'' to Walter,' he replied with a smile.

  'Neat bird, naff name and you could do with something for all that bruising,' she said, her eyes serious as she turned and walked away.

  Shutting the door, he d
ropped the towel and climbed into the hot water, his eyes closing as he sank down into the bubbly depths.

  The water lapped at his chin, the porthole's frosted glass was flooded with light and within seconds Lasser was asleep cocooned in the water's warm embrace.

  115

  Tim Mander looked down at the moorland, the wind blowing into his face as the hang-glider rode the thermals.

  Lifting his gaze, he could see the reservoirs in the distance, the bright morning sun sparkling on the ruffled water.

  As soon as he had opened the bedroom curtains he had known it would be a great day to get up in the air. An hour later, he had driven up the rutted lane, getting as high as he could before parking up and getting ready to take to the air.

  Now, he felt all the stresses of daily life vanish as he looked out at the wonderful views. He could see sheep in one field and cows in another, then he glided over the woodland below. Most of the trees had lost their leaves though one or two of the evergreen variety appeared vivid beneath him.

  Swinging his body to the right, the glider banked and then the trees gradually ended, and he was back over the open moors, the wind lifting him higher, his face lit by a wide grin. Spotting the black car parked over to the left, he twisted his hips and headed towards it, the wind howling in his ears. When the body came into view, Mander gasped and twisted the handrail in front, the sudden change in direction snatched at the material above.

  'Easy lad!' he shouted in an effort to calm his jittering nerves as he adjusted the angle.

  He passed over the body and then banked around for another look, the figure was sprawled in the tufted grass, he could see his arms outstretched, the driver's door of the car stood open.

  Mander swallowed the sudden sense of fear as he looked for somewhere to land.

  116

  Andrew Viner snatched at the wheel, seeing the bend hurtle towards him.

  His heart thudded, his blood-tinged hands gripped the wheel as the car rocketed around the curve.

  When the lay-by came up on the left, he slowed down and pulled into it before resting his head against the wheel. Every time he tried to think his mind couldn't get past the image of his father, the back of his skull caved in where the rock had slammed into him.

  'Oh my God,' he whimpered.

  He had murdered his father and left him out in the open by the side of his car and eventually he would be discovered and then…

  Viner groaned in anguish as he realised that soon the police would be looking for him. He thought of the dark-eyed copper called Lasser sitting opposite him in a small windowless room. He would see through to the truth, no matter what he tried to say or do the copper would hound him until he cracked, and the truth came out, and then he would be locked up for life, and as his father had rightly said he wouldn't last six months inside.

  The terror gripped him in its tight embrace and he started to cry, then an image of his mother flashed into his mind and he found himself hunting for the phone in his pocket. Pulling it out, he swiped the tears from his eyes before searching for her number.

  Seconds later, it began to ring, and he leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, lips mumbling a silent prayer as he waited for her to answer.

  117

  Lasser wolfed down the food, his stomach rumbling, his short hair still damp from the bath.

  Jackie was in the kitchen area pouring out fresh apple juice.

  Walking over, she placed his glass on the table. 'Looks as if you were ready for that,' she said sitting down opposite.

  'I'm starving,' he agreed as he continued to fork the food into his mouth.

  Poppet was busy eating her breakfast from a metal bowl, her tail wagging.

  'You grab food when you can?'

  'The truth is I get great food at home, but the problem is I don't get home very often.'

  'You're a good cook then?'

  Lasser finished the last of the food and sighed before shaking his head. 'God no. I cook a mean omelette but that's about it.'

  Jackie pushed the hair back from her face. 'How can you eat well at home, who does the cooking?'

  'Oh, I get you now,' Lasser said as he took a sip from the glass. 'I have a friend, Karen, she's staying with me at the moment and she's a great cook.'

  'Girlfriend?' Jackie asked.

  'No, just a friend, I'm just helping her get back on her feet, she's had a rough time lately and…'

  His phone started to ring, he felt the usual sigh start to build then his face fell as he lifted it from the table and checked the screen. When he saw Bannister's name flashing he knew he would soon be heading out again after only an hour's sleep in the bath.

  Tapping the screen, he reached for his cigarettes as Jackie watched him closely.

  'Morning again,' he said pulling a cigarette free.

  'Where the hell are you, I've just called at your place and Karen says she hasn't seen you for two bloody days?'

  'I'm at Jackie's,' he replied.

  'What are you doing there?' Bannister asked.

  'I've just had something to eat and…'

  'Never mind that, Frank Viner has been found dead out near Rivington Pike.'

  'Dead?' Lasser asked as he grabbed his lighter and sparked up.

  'Yes, and he didn't die of natural causes, some bastard smashed the back of his head in with a chunk of rock.'

  Lasser glanced up, Jackie was watching him, yet he saw no shock in her eyes just a kind of sadness at the news.

  'Do we have any idea what he was doing up there?' Lasser blew the smoke towards the open window.

  'Not yet, but I'm hoping to hold a séance, who knows, perhaps Viner will give us the name of his killer, then you won't have to drag your sorry arse from the boat.'

  This time Jackie hid the smile behind a raised hand and Lasser gave an apologetic shrug at Bannister's acerbic wit.

  'What do you want me to do?'

  'I'll head up there now, I want you to follow up on Scott Moss, see what else you can find out about the man.'

  'I was going to go and check on May Linton, see what she has to say for herself.'

  'Linton?'

  'Yeah, I told you about her, she was the woman that Moss flew across the desk trying to get at.'

  Bannister grunted 'Right, you see to that and then I want Andrew Viner found.'

  'You think he could have been the one with the chunk of rock?'

  'No idea, but we know they didn't get on, and I want a word with the slimy little sod.'

  'No problem.'

  'As soon as I've got this sorted I'll give you a bell, and you'd better have an update for me, Sergeant.'

  'Yes, Mien Führer.'

  'Daft bastard,' Bannister retorted before the screen flashed and turned blank.

  At last, Lasser let the sigh escape his lips as he rubbed at his tired eyes.

  'Do you ever actually manage to get some proper sleep?' she asked.

  'Not really.'

  'I'll check on your clothes, but chances are they will still be on the damp side.'

  'Don't worry, it's bound to rain at some stage, I'm used to getting wet.'

  Jackie headed over to the dryer that continued to spin, opening the door she pulled out the shirt. 'Not too bad,' she said, lifting out the rest of the clothes.

  Dropping the stump of the cigarette into the ashtray, Lasser pressed the handle on top and the cigarette vanished into the metal container.

  'Thanks,' he said, grabbing the clothes and heading towards the bathroom.

  By the time he emerged, Jackie was washing Lasser's plate in soapy water.

  She turned and looked at him over her shoulder before drying her hands on a towel. 'Listen, if you ever want somewhere to hide then you know where I am,' she said with a smile.

  'There's no hiding from my boss, but thank you for the warm bath, and the food was delicious.'

  'Well, I made loads so if you want to come back and finish it then you're more than welcome. I don't eat much, and I hate to see food waste
d.'

  'I could come back later… if that's OK?'

  Jackie smiled and nodded. 'I'd like that.'

  Dipping his head, he quickly kissed her cheek, breathing in the subtle scent of jasmine, his heart starting to quicken as he pulled back and smiled.

  'Right, I'll catch you later.'

  He walked down through the boat and she watched him climb the two steps, at the door he turned and raised a hand before vanishing.

  The dog trotted over to her and sat down, tail swishing on the wooden flooring. 'Well, Poppet, what do you think, is he one of the good guys?'

  Poppet let out a single bark, her tail increasing in speed.

  Jackie smiled. 'I agree,' she said before tossing the dog a treat from her pocket.

  The dog wolfed it down and Jackie Francis laughed, suddenly aware of a sense of anticipation deep inside.

  118

  As Lasser slid the key into the ignition his phone rang again. This time it was Roger.

  'I've looked through Moss's computer and there not much of worth on it I'm afraid.'

  Starting the car, Lasser tried to get his brain into gear as well as his car. 'What, nothing at all?'

  'Not really, he was a bit of a petrolhead, so he visited loads of performance car sites, and he did spend some time on porn sites but nothing weird, just basic stuff.'

  'OK, I have another job for you. I want you to try and find out about a woman named May Linton.'

  'Am I looking for anything in particular?'

  'Not sure, she worked at a place called Walkers in town, according to Moss's ex-girlfriend she was responsible for Moss getting the sack.'

  'Right.'

  'See if you can get her address, I'm going to have a ride to Walkers' offices, but chances are it will be closed on a Sunday, so I need to know where Linton lives, and anything else you can find out about her would be appreciated.'

  'Well, I'm five minutes away from the station, so I'll start on it as soon as I get there.'

  'Good man,' Lasser said as he ended the call and drove up to the traffic lights.