Guts for Garters

by Linda Regan

  ‘That sounds like everyone around here,’ Alysha said flatly.

  Georgia glared at her. ‘The question was have you seen two youths, together, matching that description? The boy wearing denim was taller than …’

  ‘No.’

  Georgia stared at Alysha and then turned to Lox. ‘I’m glad you’ve given up working the streets.’

  Lox looked blankly at her, and then flicked her eyes to Alysha.

  ‘You look well, I’m very glad to see,’ Georgia continued.

  Again Lox turned to Alysha. It was obvious she relied on her. But would it be possible that there might be a morsel of truth in the fact these girls were starting a gang? They’d sworn to Georgia that they were going straight. If they formed a gang then they would have to start fighting over territories, and they might need weapons, sell drugs to make money … Georgia really hoped that wasn’t going to happen. She wanted them to stay away from crime and have better lives.

  ‘So who’s been killed today?’ Panther asked again.

  ‘Word travels fast around here,’ Georgia said, holding her gaze.

  ‘There’s half a million feds around the estate, and Magpie’s been cordoned off,’ Panther said screwing up her face in disbelief. ‘It don’t take a genius to work out someone’s been murdered.’

  ‘Two people, actually,’ Georgia said. ‘A retired couple, Mr and Mrs Wilkins, from Magpie block. Do you know them?’

  Panther nodded solemnly. ‘I think I know who you mean,’ she said.

  Georgia turned back to Alysha. ‘Can I have a word?’ she said. ‘In private.’

  Alysha rolled her eyes to Heaven and turned to the other two. ‘Can you beat it for a bit? I’ll bell you when I’m finished. It won’t take long.’ She turned back to Georgia. ‘All I know is what them kids on the bikes have been shouting.’

  ‘Which is?’

  ‘That there’s another murder over on the Magpie, and asking us to pay ’em to know who it is.’

  Georgia thought about finding those kids, and asking if they had seen the two hooded youths hanging around the Magpie, but she knew they would just lie, waste valuable time. ‘I’ll meet you back at your flat in a few minutes,’ she said to Alysha. ‘I want to talk to you and it’s safest there. No one will see us talking.

  Alysha glared angrily. ‘You don’t live round ’ere, so you don’t know what’s safe or safest, or who’ll see what.’ Her dark eyes looked frightened as well as furious. ‘What is it you want, now? You keep pushing me.’

  Alysha was right, Georgia realised, and right now she was frightened and had reason to be. At this moment, everyone was watching everyone, noticing who talked to who, and where and when on this estate, and someone was killing because of it. Chances were the Wilkinses had been seen, or overheard, talking. It was Georgia’s responsibility to protect her informants; she had failed the Wilkinses. She couldn’t let anything happen to Alysha. Alysha was a teenage girl, who survived more or less alone on this crime-ridden estate, whose mother came from the same part of the Caribbean that Georgia’s mother did, and who, if Georgia had of been lucky enough to have had a daughter of her own, would very likely, have looked exactly like Alysha.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said softly. ‘I need to find two youths who earlier were wearing grey hooded tracksuit tops, one was shorter than the other. Any idea who I am looking for?’

  ‘I haven’t heard, or seen, anything.’ Alysha said turning away. ‘I’ll bell you if I do. OK?’ She turned and started to walk away.

  Georgia raised her voice and her tone hardened. ‘No, it isn’t OK, Alysha.’

  Alysha stopped and turned back. She looked confrontational now.

  Georgia walked up to her, keeping her voice down. ‘I have information that you are pulling a gang together. That you are setting up your own criminal empire. What do you say to that?’

  Alysha looked down, then up, and then burst out laughing. ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘That you’re pushing class A drugs,’ Georgia continued straight-faced, ‘making money from prostitution by training girls up for the streets, and importing dangerous weapons.’

  Alysha looked down then up again, and then lifted her eyebrows as she turned to look sideways. She then turned back and looked at Georgia. ‘Do you really think if I was, that I would have to put my own neck on the line to sell information to you?’ she said quietly. ‘Do you really think that?’ She shook her head and sucked in air, ‘I had you down as sharp.’ Then she raised her voice, and her tone hardened. ‘Who told you that shit? Harisha fucking Celik, was it? To get himself looking squeaky clean. I already told you, he’s importing weapons, and he’s killing people …’

  ‘That’s a big accusation, Alysha. What have you got to back that up? How do I know it isn’t you using that lock-up for storing arms?’

  Alysha’s eyes shifted upward and then sideways to check she wasn’t being watched. ‘I’ve given you good info before,’ she said. ‘That should be proof enough. And, I’m on probation. I want a better life, for myself and for the kids round ’ere. You want proof that Celik is storing arms around here. Ask anyone, and no one will answer you, cos they wouldn’t dare say a word, cos they are shit scared of what he’d do to them if they did. That should be proof enough. Why are they shit scared of ’im? Cos he has guns that he’ll use if he needs to. I’m risking my life bein’ your snout, and you should pay me very well for it, because I’m doin’ your job for you. An’ I ain’t earning money any other way. No way am I doin’ tomming no more.’

  Georgia studied her. ‘I do pay you.’

  ‘Not enough.’ Alysha lowered her voice. ‘I told you what Celik’s about. An’ I also told you I’m finished with all that whorin’ and stuff. You know I’m on probation, why would I want to start some criminal empire? I got mates, ain’t no harm in hanging out wiv your mates. You just saw my mate Lox. She ain’t doing the streets no more, she’s gonna start a girl band. She’s got a great voice.’ She screwed her mouth sideways and raised her eyebrows, ‘And I ain’t being funny, but you ain’t thinking Panther is a tom, are you?’ She squeezed her lips together and raised her eyebrows again. ‘What bloke would pay for her to do him? If she laid on top of him, she’d squash him.’ She batted her eyelashes, ‘An’ she looks like a bloke.’

  Georgia had to agree there.

  ‘We hang out, an’ we stay out of trouble, and we’ve got plans. Tink is gonna open a beauty and hair shop, make an honest living, an’ we are gonna keep on at the council till they make our estate good again. See, what you gotta look at is the long picture, if you raise the next generation right, then all this guns and drugs and killings could stop. But someone’s gotta help the kids. You could help us.’

  ‘That’s not my job,’ Georgia said, though she knew what Alysha said made sense. Alysha had made many mistakes, but, like Lox and Panther, she had been a victim of the real criminals, and was now trying to make something of herself. Serious Crime department knew that Harisha Celik was a drug baron who imported weapons, they just couldn’t prove it. Alysha had given them good information in the past, helping to put criminals away, so why would Georgia believe Celik and not Alysha?’

  ‘I am risking my ass talking to you now, big time.’ Alysha said. ‘For my own good, I should just walk away.’

  Georgia shook her head. ‘We’re doing stops and searches all over the estate at the moment. I’ll search you, to make it believable. Turn round and put your hands against the wall.’

  An anxious look crept over Alysha’s face.

  Georgia noticed. ‘Please don’t tell me I’ll find anything?’

  Alysha threw her eyes northward and clicked her teeth with her tongue. ‘There you go again. Not trusting me. No, course I ain’t carrying.’

  ‘OK. Turn around and put your hands against the wall, you can talk to me while I search you.’

  ‘Jeee-sus!’ Alysha said as she obeyed.

  ‘OK, what do you know about Mr and Mrs Wilkins?’ Georgia asked, patting Alysha’s body u
p and down.

  ‘They was well-liked. They minded their own business, never said nothing to no one, and never made trouble.’ She paused and then said ‘Did they inform for you too? Cos now I’m very scared if they did.’

  ‘You’ve no need to be,’ Georgia just stopped herself putting a reassuring arm on Alysha’s shoulder. ‘You’ve got my number. Ring me anytime, and I promise I’ll come to you. As far as I know they weren’t informants, not in my squad, but I’ll check that out, and let you know for sure.’ She patted her on the back, as if finishing off the body search. ‘I want you to ask around, and then ask some more. I need to find those two youths, and I need information on the Wilkinses, all their comings and goings, who they talked to, especially who they have talked to recently. I am going to find out who killed them, and I am going to make this estate a safe place for you all to live on.’

  ‘It’ll be over the lock-up. They had a car, kept it in a garage. Harisha stole the car. It was the talk of the estate. No one minded him nicking the car, but then the insurance wouldn’t pay the Wilkinses, cause the car keys was gone with the car. Harisha nicked the keys a day earlier. He had got one of his bastard henchmen to mug the old lady and steal her handbag as she came home from getting her pension. Her keys wsa in her bag. He let himself into her flat, took the car keys, and drove the car away, then threatened to hurt her if she told the insurance the truth, so she didn’t and the Wilkinses never got no insurance payout. They couldn’t buy a replacement car, they ain’t got the money, so that prick Harisha took the garage over. That’s the one your lot are sniffing round now. Harisha uses it.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me all this before?’

  ‘People was in earshot.’

  ‘You mean he’s threatened the Wilkinses before?’

  She shrugged. ‘That’s what he’s like, never even gave them no money for stealing their garage from them. I bet them machetes he imported from Europe was in there at some time, but they’ll be somewhere else by now. He moves things about all the time.’

  ‘What have you found out about Melek Yismaz, Harisha’s girlfriend?’

  Alysha cast a glance to the ground, and then looked up again. ‘I’d say she’s with him cos she’s too scared not to be. He threatens, bullies, and sexually abuses his women.’

  Georgia thought that sounded right. ‘Did you find anything out about Zana Ghaziani?’

  ‘She don’t live on this estate. She hung out with Burak Kaya, so she would be involved with them SLRs. She was burned though.’ Alysha shook her head and said almost to herself, ‘SLRs are cutters. They cut you in bits.’ Her head turned back from the wall to look at Georgia. ‘That’s why it’s weird she was burned.’

  ‘Keep your mobile open,’ Georgia told her, ‘the new one, with the new number that I bought you, I’ll be ringing you in a couple of hours. I need information on who went near the Wilkins flat earlier today, and who has visited or spoken to them recently. Especially, I want to know who those two youths were who were leaving the Magpie earlier.’

  ‘And I want money,’ Alysha said very strongly. ‘I’m risking my neck here for you, big time. You have gotta make it worth my while.’

  ‘I’ll get you some money,’ she said to her.

  ‘I’ve just given you some really good info there,’ Alysha said, looking Georgia in the eye. ‘I would like a very big wad for that.’

  ‘Find out who those hooded youths were that I asked you about, and I’ll give you a bonus.’

  ‘Enough to buy a new slide for the kids’ playground,’ Alysha persisted. ‘Or you speak to the council again about the state of our kids’ play area.’

  Georgia shook her head. ‘I’ve tried talking to the council for you. I’ll get you some money,’ she said sincerely.

  She walked on. Her mind turning over what Alysha had told her. If Harisha Celik didn’t give the Wilkinses money, then where did the wad of cash on the hall floor in their flat come from? The Wilkins were pensioners. Was that their life savings, and did their killers intend stealing it from them, and were, then, disturbed? If so, by who? Her and Banham, possibly? The hooded youths, she saw earlier would then be prime suspects, but finding them was like a needle in a haystack. She’d have to hope Alysha came up with something. Alysha was right about the estate needing so much doing to it. Top priority should be the CCTV.

  Her phone trilled. She checked the screen. It was Banham.

  ‘Is Alison on her way over?’ he asked as she picked up.

  ‘After she’s picked up Wajdi Ghaziani, he’s working at his shop. I spoke to Sergeant Green, Melek Yismaz wants Harisha Celik charged with rape. Alison has her statement, so we can arrest Celik and bring him in again.’

  ‘Alison was at the post-mortem this morning, and left halfway through, what do you know about that?’ Banham asked her.

  Georgia threw her eyes to heaven. Not all this again. She wasn’t interested in Banham and Alison’s private life, they could sort it out themselves. ‘I wasn’t at the post-mortem, so how would I know if Alison was there, sir.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Sir, with respect, DI Grainger is the senior investigating officer on this enquiry, so it isn’t my place to tell her what not to do.’

  ‘She’s not answering her phone.’

  ‘Have you tried ringing Barry or Eric, they were meeting her?’

  ‘Meet me at the edge of the Magpie. We are going to the Ghazianis’ shop.’

  She took another intake of breath. ‘Sir, again with respect, I’m looking for two youths who probably have vital information on the Wilkins murders.’

  ‘Well, you’re not having much luck finding them.’ His voice had risen in volume. ‘So put Sergeant Green on that, and come with me.’

  ‘I want to pick up Harisha Celik up again. I’d like to lock him in a cell so he can’t go missing. I strongly suspect he’s involved somewhere in these murders. We have an accusation of rape against him, so we can arrest him.’

  ‘Well done to Alison for that, then,’ Banham said. ‘OK, take Sergeant Green and uniform backup with you. I’ll go over to the shop.’

  ‘Will do, sir. I also need to have a chat with the SOCOs at the lock-up down here. Our informant insists that Harisha Celik has, at some time, kept firearms and drugs in there and the dogs are making a lot of noise, so I’m on my way round to check that out first.’

  ‘I’ll meet you there. Why do you think Alison isn’t picking up her phone?’

  Georgia wanted to say, because Banham was getting on her nerves, as much as he was on hers, but she didn’t.

  ‘She’s probably got no signal,’ she said instead.

  Thirteen

  There were only two SOCO officers still working at the lock-up as Georgia walked up the alley. Georgia immediately recognised one of them: his name was Tony James, an officer originally from Ghana. Georgia had had a brief fling with him when she was a young DC. Tony seemed pleased to see her. His white teeth gleamed against his skin as he smiled and his brown eyes twinkled.

  ‘Good to see you,’ Georgia said, noticing he was holding a see-through evidence bag between his thumb and forefinger, which looked to contain a piece of silver foil.

  ‘A little find that might make you want to buy me a drink by way of a thank you,’ he said grinning as he handed Georgia the see-through bag. ‘And we’ve found traces of firearms and cocaine having been in here.’

  It wasn’t silver foil, Georgia realised, as she slipped see-through gloves over her hands to examine the contents inside the evidence bag, it was a silver letter S, part of a broken charm or pendant. The design was identical to the tattoo on Burak Kaya’s forearm.

  She ignored the hint of a drink invitation, he was always trying, but the affair was history for her, she had no care to rekindle it. ‘Well done,’ was all she said as she turned to see Banham hurrying up the path. The estate kids were also still hovering at the edge of the path, on their bicycles, trying to listen in, so she waited till Banham was directly beside her before discreetly showing him t
he silver S.

  ‘Found inside the lock-up,’ she told him, ‘Along with traces of cocaine, and firearms residue. As I’m pretty sure the S doesn’t stand for Saint something or other, my next guess is South London Rulers. I’m going to enjoy questioning Harisha Celik again,’ she said.

  ‘He’ll deny it, and it is only circumstantial,’ Banham warned her. ‘Charge and hold him for rape. We have the written statement that Alison has taken from Melek Yismaz, but we’ll need more than a broken silver charm to pin a murder on him.’

  ‘I’m convinced he’s guilty as hell,’ she said.

  Banham nodded. ‘So hold him on a rape allegation while we test his clothes, and you can re-search his flat. He won’t expect that, his defences will be down, and we may find something. Get a warrant though. Is Stephanie on her way over? ’

  ‘As we speak.’

  ‘Good. I’m going to the Ghazianis’ shop. You and Stephanie take a team of uniforms with you when you pick up Celik. Get your request in for the warrant first, and make sure that there is a strong police presence left down here. The press are going to be everywhere on this and we need to be seen to be doing something. So keep up the door to door, however futile you believe it to be. I’ll meet Alison and we’ll head back to the station, and I’ll interview Celik with you.’

  ‘Sir.’

  He handed the silver S in its evidence bag back to Tony. ‘Well done,’ he told him, ‘Get it in for DNA testing asap.’ He then hurried off towards his car.

  ‘He’s like a clingy child,’ Georgia said to Stephanie as they climbed into Georgia’s car and clicked their seat belts in. ‘He doesn’t seem to want Alison out of his sight. I couldn’t stand it.’

  Stephanie shook her head and threw her eyes to heaven. ‘I don’t blame her for avoiding his calls.’ She pulled a bag of prawn cocktail flavoured crisps from her pocket and as she pulled on the bag to open it, some of them went flying onto the floor of Georgia’s car