Lasser frowned, put the food down and reached for the bottle of wine.
Half an hour later they were sitting in the lounge, Lasser felt fat and full, his feet plonked on the coffee table, Medea leaning back against him. Emma sat opposite nibbling on a poppadum.
'And you're sure you don't mind me staying?' she asked.
Lasser waved a languid hand. 'It's been a rough few days for you Em, you stay as long as you like.'
She smiled and nodded and then her face seemed to crumple. 'Have they managed to get the car out of the water yet?'
Lasser cleared his throat. 'To be honest I'm not sure.'
Emma rocked back and forth slowly in the IKEA bouncy chair. 'That's fine,' she whispered. 'I just wondered.'
Lasser watched her closely, the chair picking up speed, her left foot tapping at the floor in agitation. 'You know Emma there are people you can talk to about what happened, I mean, if you want I could sort it for you?'
Medea turned to him in surprise. 'You could?'
'Well yeah, I mean, it's been a traumatic time and...'
'Are you going to seek counselling?' Emma asked.
Lasser looked at her nonplussed. 'Me?'
'Well I'm not the only one who nearly died out there,' she nodded toward the window.
Lasser sighed. 'OK I'll keep my nose out but if you change your mind then give me a shout.'
Medea snuggled back into his shoulder.
Emma slowed the chair down as if suddenly aware of her body language. 'I promise if I need help then you'll be the first one I come to.'
Lasser stifled a yawn and found his eyes closing, he could hear Medea and Emma talking in low tones their words lost to his brain as it sank deeper towards sleep.
Questioning the locals in the Vic had turned into a fruitless exercise, there had been ten blokes locked in the pub, seven of them had been half crocked, and the other three had been the ancient codgers who had been playing dominoes in the corner, their rummy eyes glazed with age.
After ten minutes of grunts and shrugged shoulders, Lasser, much to Bob's disappointment, had unlocked the door and watched as they blinked into the fading light before shuffling outside.
Bob had watched them leave with distressed eyes.
'So what do you want to do?' Lasser had asked as Odette fastened her coat, sweeping the ponytail from her collar.
She turned and looked at the Landlord. 'You never finished telling us about Mr Hancock did you Bob?'
'There's not much to tell, he used to come here almost every night, then it fell to two or three, but he always turned up sooner or later.'
'Married?'
'Nah I don't think so.'
'Family?'
'Well he had a brother but he's doing stir, and I think his parents are long gone.'
'Do you have any idea why this brother is serving time? Lasser asked.
Bob frowned. 'Summat to do with drugs I think.'
'And you're sure he never had a girlfriend?'
Bob adjusted a stack of beer mats on the bar. 'I said he was never married, I didn't say he didn't play the field.'
Lasser could feel his frustration go up a notch. 'So come on can you give us a name?'
'Afraid not.'
'Right Sergeant I think we're done here,' Odette said as she headed for the door.
'Hang on I haven't finished!'
They turned together; Bob scratched the side of his nose with a bony finger. 'There was one girl and like I said I don't know her name...'
'So why are you telling us?' Lasser asked through pinched lips.
'Because she was here the night you lot turned up and carted Sharon Cliff away.'
Odette was suddenly striding back towards Bob who took a step back in surprise.
'Explain?'
Bob licked his lips and turned his pleading gaze towards Lasser who shrugged at him as if to say you're on your own pal.
'Right, let me think,' he paused for a moment and then nodded as if thinking back to the night of the attack. 'This girl was with Hancock but I know I hadn't seen her before, I mean, I don't really know what went on, but she was the one that Cliff attacked.'
'Why didn't you mention this sooner Bob?' Lasser asked.
'Because until I saw Davy Hancock on the floor I'd bloody forgot.'
'Forgot?'
Bob looked befuddled. 'Aye I forgot, I mean, it's not against the law is it?'
'So Cliff went for the mystery girl with a bottle, and what happened did Hancock get involved in any way?'
Bob shrugged. 'I'm not sure, it was busy that night and by the time I got over there Cliff was being held back by Sarah Clark so I got straight on the blower to you lot. I remember Hancock balling and shouting as he headed for the door...'
'With the girl?' Odette asked.
'Well yeah, she looked shook up but he just kept pushing her to the door, and Cliff was screaming her head off, you know effing and blinding.'
'Can you remember what she was saying?' Odette asked.
Bob blushed. 'I can but I'm not saying words like that in front of you.'
Lasser ran a hand across his head. 'I know she looks like an English rose Bob but believe me you won't make her blush.'
Odette looked at Lasser in surprise and then smiled.
Bob cleared his throat. 'Well she was shouting things like 'slag' you know nasty stuff.'
'Anything else?' Odette asked.
Bob squared his shoulders. 'She said I'll fucking kill you, you bitch cunt. There now are you satisfied?' Bob snapped before spinning away, his face burning with embarrassment.
'Lasser wake up!' Medea gave his shoulder a shake.
Lasser blinked his eyes open and yawned. 'What time is it?' he mumbled.
'Half past twelve.'
Stretching his arms towards the ceiling he looked bleary eyed around the room. 'Where's Emma?'
'She helped me clear up and she's just gone to bed.'
Lasser shook himself and shivered.
'Listen I'm going to make a brew why don't you go and get some sleep.'
'Are you sure?'
'Positive, besides knowing your luck as soon as your head hits the pillow Bannister will be on the phone.'
'God, don't say that, I'm knackered,' he said as he scrambled to his feet.
'Go on I'll be up soon.'
Lasser dipped his head and kissed her on the mouth before trailing across the room. At the bottom of the stairs, he sighed as he began to climb on weary legs.
He barged through the bathroom door, his brain still half-asleep. When he saw Emma slipping into her bathrobe, he snapped his head away.
'Shit, sorry,' he hissed and shot back onto the landing his face burning with embarrassment.
Emma watched him go before pulling the robe around her naked body, she shivered.
98
Doc Shannon ran his fingers through his beard, male grooming done for the day, he smiled at Odette before slipping a white lab coat over his red checked shirt. 'So how long will you be working in Wigan for Miss Noble?'
Lasser stood near the door of the morgue, watching in amusement as Shannon tried to turn on his dubious charm.
'I'm not sure yet Doctor...'
'Please call me John everyone else does.'
Lasser blinked in surprise.
'Only if you promise to call me Odette?'
'Odette, that's an unusual name.'
Lasser cringed it was like watching an awkward blind date where the man has already fallen in love whilst the woman is trying to work out an exit strategy.
'My grandmother was French Canadian and she always loved the name.'
'I'm not surprised, well I must say it makes a nice change not to have Bannister here barking orders.' Shannon grinned through the beard. He looked like a lumberjack who had come in from the frozen Canadian wastes to paint the town grey.
'Well John as much as we'd like to stand and chat we have a busy day ahead of us.' Lasser said.
Shannon frowned as Lasser cal
led him by his first name. 'Right, right, well you've got another one Sergeant.'
'Another one what?'
Shannon looked at Odette and shook his head as if Lasser was a dim-witted moron.
'Hancock was killed using the same combination of drugs that killed the others.'
Lasser felt his mouth fall open in disbelief. 'Are you sure?'
Shannon wagged a sausage like finger. 'Now you sound like Bannister, and of course I'm sure, the needle went straight through the jacket and entered the man's forearm.'
Just then the door banged open and the man himself charged into the room as if he were a one man drug bust.
'Well this is wonderful,' he barked. 'Two officers in the boozer and in walks the killer and sticks his needle of doom in some bugger and you two don't see a bloody thing!'
He jabbed a finger at Lasser. 'I mean, what the hell were you doing, having a drink or perhaps you were playing a game of pool?'
Odette flicked a glance at Lasser before turning to Bannister. 'Come on, sir, we had no idea what was going to happen. We were there for a legitimate reason, and we tried our best to save Hancock...'
Bannister sliced a hand through the air. 'I knew putting you two together was a bad idea, it's hard enough having to listen to his bollocks without you getting in on the act.'
Odette folded her hands behind her back, but kept her eyes glued on Bannister.
'And you can turn off your laser vision Odette I'm made of asbestos I don't burn easily.'
'Yes sir,' she replied with a straight face.
Bannister huffed. 'See Lasser, Noble here is a DI and she calls me sir, I mean, I know she doesn't mean it but at least she makes a token gesture.'
'Right sir.'
Bannister glowered and then his shoulders slumped. 'You can imagine what Mills will say when he hears about this. Two of my best officers and the killer walks straight past them while they're helping themselves to the complimentary nuts.'
Lasser thought of making some lame quip, but Bannister looked on the verge of losing it big time.
'We've got the CCTV unit checking the cameras on the street, maybe they’ll pick something up?' Odette offered.
Bannister didn't look overly impressed. 'So come on Doc you told me on the phone it was the same guy, so what else can you tell us?'
'Actually I never said it was the same 'guy' I said it was the same concoction of drugs, I mean, you could be looking for more than one person.'
Bannister folded his arms. 'Thanks for being the prophet of doom, Doctor, I really appreciate your valuable input.'
'My pleasure,' Shannon replied with a grin. 'Now as I was saying the same drug was used and I'd say in roughly the same quantity.'
Lasser parked his arse on the corner of Shannon's desk. 'Which means since Sharon Cliff's death the killer is happy with the results?'
Shannon nodded. 'I think that's a safe assumption Sergeant.'
Bannister pulled out a chair and sat down. 'And according to the landlord of the Vic, Sharon Cliff and Sarah Clark knew one another?'
'That's what he said,' Odette said. 'And it's obvious the two women knew Hancock.'
Bannister's frown deepened. 'Right, well that's something I suppose, but we still don't have a link to Crank or Sheldon.'
'Maybe there isn't one, perhaps the killer just used them both as a trial run?'
Bannister flicked a look of annoyance towards Lasser. 'Why go to the bother, why not just go straight for the people on your list?'
Lasser thought for a moment before answering. 'Maybe Elliot didn't know there was a list.'
Odette tugged at the ends of her scarf. 'That makes sense; Elliot was the one sticking in the needle but not the one mixing the drug.'
Lasser pursed his lips. 'We know Elliot was a scumbag, maybe he just had his eyes fixed on the glittering prize, blinded from reality by the thought of all that hard cash.'
'When all the time the real killer has no interest in the drugs trade, he simply wants revenge.' Odette nodded to herself as if satisfied with the thought process.
Bannister suddenly leapt to his feet. 'So the question is how long is this sodding list and who's on it?'
The room fell silent; Doc Shannon shuffled a bundle of files into order. 'Maybe that's it perhaps the killer’s finished.'
'Believe me Doctor we never get off that lightly,' Bannister replied with a huff.
'What about the girl in the bar?' Lasser pondered.
'I hardly think it likely Lasser; she gets some abuse from Sharon Cliff, so decides to go on the rampage with a hypodermic syringe and a pocketful of death.' Bannister shook his head.
'It was more than a bit of shouting and screaming, Cliff went at her with a broken bottle.'
'I'm aware of the facts but the girl was led away by Hancock, isn't that what you said?'
'Well yeah but...'
'So, she hardly sounds like the violent type does she?'
Lasser sighed. 'I suppose not.'
'What about the Mellor brothers?' Odette asked.
Bannister wandered over to the window and looked at a view consisting of the hospital car park and the special burns unit. 'We're keeping an eye on them, though to be honest we have nothing to tie them to any of this. Last night they both went home and didn't leave their houses till eight this morning and when Mills finds out he's not going to be happy.'
Lasser opened his mouth to say. 'Fuck Mills,' then he looked at Odette who flicked him a smile.
Lasser closed his mouth; he'd known Odette Noble for all of twenty-four hours, so slagging off the Super in front of her was probably not the wisest thing to do. The thought that he had almost let fly brought a frown to his face. If it had been DI Chadwick or Cooper standing in front of him, he would have kept his gob closed. Lasser folded his arms, she might be a woman, but that didn't mean she couldn't still turn out to be a ‘class A bitch’.
'So what do you want us to do?' Odette asked.
'Check with the CCTV guys see if they can come up with anything.'
'No problem.'
'And then get back out there and dig, you'll find Lasser is most at home when he's rummaging through the shit, aren't you Sergeant?'
Lasser turned on the grin. 'I love it sir,' he said.
Bannister turned and headed for the door, before he reached it, he stopped and turned. 'Did you ever catch up with the woman in Leigh?'
Lasser looked nonplussed. 'Who are we talking about?'
Bannister rubbed a hand back and forth across his head as if trying to fire his brain into life. 'Christ what was her name, you said she was a friend of Mary Sheldon.'
'Kylie Frodsham?'
Bannister clicked his fingers. 'That's the one.'
'No not yet.'
'Why not?'
'Because Roberts took a dive off the roof and then I took a dip in the reservoir, and then Hancock...'
Bannister grunted. 'Excuses Sergeant, it's not good enough now make sure you check her out,' he said before dragging the door open and storming from the room.
Odette turned and raised an eyebrow. 'A dip in the reservoir?'
'Don't ask,' Lasser said as he pushed himself up from the edge of the desk.
'You're looking at a hero Odette, Lasser here threw himself into a swirling cauldron of dark water. He risked everything to drag a woman from a sinking car.' Shannon grinned widely.
'Impressive stuff,' Odette said as she fastened her jacket.
Lasser could feel the heat in his cheeks. 'Sod off Doc.'
'And so modest Odette, I tell you he's a throwback this one.'
Lasser hurried for the door.
99
When Nick Shaw pulled back the curtains and saw Dave Pitt on his doorstep, he felt his bladder loosen.
Pitt looked at him with his deadpan piggy eyes before pointing at the door.
Nick licked his lips and nodded before swishing the curtains closed, his stomach rolled with the sickness welling up inside. He hesitated torn between making a run for i
t and answering the door, precious seconds ticked away as he hovered in indecision.
Then the door rattled in its frame and Shaw knew that if he did try to run, then the door would come slamming off its hinges and Pitt would barrel into the house snatching him in those huge arms before he could unlock the back door.
Nick moved to the living room and looked down the narrow hallway, the huge silhouette of Dave Pitt blocked out the light coming through the glass panes of the door.
'Fuck,' he hissed in a terrified whisper and shuffled forward on unsteady legs.
As soon as the door clicked open, Pitt slammed forward sending Shaw reeling back, his hands slipping on the magnolia walls as he fought for balance.
'Please!' he gasped as he fell hard onto his arse.
Pitt didn't utter a word, instead he grabbed Shaw by the hair and yanked him upright.
When Nick opened his mouth to scream, Pitt slammed a giant fist forward, the blow shattered Shaw's two front teeth and split both lips.
When the body started to slump Pitt yanked hard on the mop of brown hair and Shaw squealed through a froth of crimson and clawed at Pitt's massive forearm.
'I don't have the time to fuck about with the likes of you Shaw, now who was Elliot getting his gear off?'
Nick Shaw heard the words but the meaning was lost beneath a swelling tidal wave of pain.
Pitt frowned and shook him by the hair, Shaw yelped and then he was being propelled through the living room and into the kitchen. Yanking out a chair, Dave slammed him down before stalking over to the sink. Turning on the tap, he watched as Shaw rested his forehead on the table top, a thin pool of blood spreading from beneath his head.
Dave frowned, that was the problem with jobs like this, he was good at beating people to death, but all this pussyfooting around drove him crazy. He flexed his arms, his old mum had always told him he didn't know his own strength, perhaps she'd been right.
Turning the tap off, he picked up the bowl of cold water and upended it over the back of Shaw's head. The beaten man snapped upright with a gasp, the diluted blood flowed onto the floor, pitter-pattering on the lino. Shaw jittered like a man trapped in the electric chair with the juice flowing. Dropping the bucket onto the floor, Dave clamped his hand over Shaw's face and twisted his head towards him.
'You awake, you piece of shit?'
Shaw tried to nod but the pain was too much.
Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6) Page 27
