by G H Mockford
‘Detective Constable Chambers,’ she answered while reaching into her fashionable military style jacket. Her voice had a strong southern Home Counties accent and was likely to rub most residents of Manor Park up the wrong way. She was attractive, even with her stern blue eyes and seemingly joyless features. Perhaps this was the officer the boarders had talked about. She flashed her warrant card.
‘How can I help you, detective?’
‘I’m glad you’ve taken that attitude, Mr Bridges.’
‘Why? Have I done something wrong?’
‘That depends on why you lied to PC Yates.’
‘I lied?’ Stephen knotted his eyebrows and gave her his most disarming smile.
‘You informed PC Yates that you weren’t attacked, but you told the ambulance crew that you were. So, who were you lying to?’
‘I don’t consider it a lie. I was concerned about Edward, not myself,’ Stephen said.
‘Lying to a police officer is not a good way to gain our trust.’
‘I understand that now, detective.’
‘Quite frankly, Mr Bridges, we did think you’d given us a false name. But, you’re here where you said you work, and you check out.’
‘I realize Bridges probably sounded fake considering where we were, but I can’t help the name I was born with, can I?’
DC Chambers tipped her head to one side and Stephen realized he’d miscalculated the flippancy of his last remark. She stayed silent for a moment and said, ‘Why were you at the arches at that time of night?’
‘I’d seen Edward earlier that day, well, the day before I suppose as it was gone midnight and—’
‘And?’ Chambers interrupted.
‘Well, I know this probably sounds daft, but I had a feeling, you know, like something bad was going to happen, so I went back.’
‘You told PC Yates there was a man but he ran off. So, what really happened?’
Stephen stared at her, hoping his eyes gave nothing away. ‘I guess I must have surprised him, caught him in the act and he ran off. I chased and rugby tackled him, but he kicked out at me so I let him go.’
‘Edward doesn’t remember what happened when you arrived. He doesn’t remember much of anything, but it was clear he’d been attacked previously. Can you tell me anything about that?’
‘When I saw him earlier, I helped clean him up a bit, but I had to go so I asked the guys at Nanak’s Mission if they could help him.’
Chambers scribbled something down on a notepad that Stephen hadn’t even noticed she’d got out. ‘I’ve got to know Jay quite well. He speaks highly of you. Apparently,’ Chambers went on, ‘you spend a lot of time amongst the homeless. Why is that?’
Stephen hoped Jay hadn’t told her about his past. The Sikh seemed a discreet man, but he was also law abiding. ‘I’m a concerned citizen who likes to help,’ Stephen answered. He slowly brought his eyes up and looked her in her cold blue eyes, daring her to question his sincerity.
Chambers was silent for a moment and then blinked, breaking the trance. ‘Do you know why someone would want to hurt Edward or any of his friends?’
‘The homeless are often victims of assault. Sometimes they fight amongst themselves, but in my experience it’s often drunks. Young men on the way home from a night out who feel they have something to prove. If we’re talking specifically about the homeless community below Manor Bay Bridge, there’s been some issues with gangs from St Ann’s too.’
‘You consider yourself an expert on drunks?’ Chambers asked.
‘I’ve worked here long enough,’ Stephen said, motioning towards the bar.
‘So, what’s your “professional” opinion?’
‘Drink affects people in different ways. Some go hyper, some melancholic, but I’ll tell you the one thing that’s true of everybody.’
‘What’s that?’
Stephen lowered his eyes for a moment and then stared into her eyes once again. ‘A person’s true self comes out. Forget what people say about alcohol making them more confident - that’s a lie. Their masks come off, and we see them for who they really are.’
Chambers nodded. ‘And who’s the real you, Stephen?’
The use of his first name threw him for a moment, but he said, ‘I don’t touch the stuff.’
‘I don’t think there’s anything else to ask — for now. Here, take this.’ DC Chambers retrieved her wallet and slipped out her business card. ‘If you hear anything, let me know.’
Stephen nodded, took her offered hand, which gripped his back, and then watched her leave.
Six
Stephen sat and thought for a moment.
He was surprised the police were interested, but it was a good thing, for Edward anyway. It was no wonder the boarders treated him the way they had. If Chambers had talked to them the same way, they would have clamped right down.
The sound of customers entering The Manor drew Stephen’s attention to the front door. It was Old John, or O.J. to his friends. Not that he had any. He arrived at lunchtime every day and went home when Stephen or Cliff threw him out.
Stephen returned to the bar and waited for Annie to serve the old man.
‘Finally got yourself a friend then?’ Annie said to Stephen as the old man shuffled off to his usual table. O.J. always chose the one positioned next to the toilet and the fruit machine. On the odd occasion he had some pension left after he’d bought his daily beer he would play a game. Or ten.
Stephen nodded, humoring Annie’s comment. ‘Can I have two lemonades?’
‘That depends. Are you paying, or are we picking up the tab, as usual?’
‘How about this: if you throw in some food, I’ll start work as soon as I’ve finished talking to my friend.’
Annie rolled her eyes and poured the drinks. ‘And I get to go upstairs and watch crap TV, leaving you to manage on your own. Agreed?’
‘Agreed.’ Stephen smiled and returned to Michael, carrying two pint glasses of lemonade. He placed them on the table and watched as the teenager put the two parts of the broken truck together as if simply willing it would fuse the metal together.
Stephen gulped down some of his drink, took the sticky laminated menu out of the plastic table clip, made a mental note to wipe them all later, and slid it across to Michael. ‘Have whatever you like.’
‘Hello, Stephen. He’s a bit young for you, i’n’t he?’
Stephen turned and looked at Trev. The cook stood there in his checked apron. It needed a good wash. His sleeves were rolled up revealing his array of tattoos.
‘Very amusing. Do us a favor and stick to cooking, it’s slightly better than your sense of humor.’
‘Why did you say that?’ Michael asked, looking up at the chef.
‘Ignore him. We all do,’ Stephen replied.
‘Since there’s fuck all else to do around here, I’ll be your waiter today. What you having?’ Trev asked.
‘I’ll have a mixed grill since you’re offering,’ Stephen replied.
‘These on the house?’
‘Yes. I’m starting early to pay for it, not that it’s any of your business. And Annie and Cliff like to know I get one decent meal a week. I use the word ‘decent’ loosely, of course.’
Michael chose something to eat and Trev disappeared back into the kitchen with the order.
‘So, what do you have to tell me?’ Stephen asked.
‘That old soldier you’re looking for. I saw him.’
‘Last night?’
‘Yeah. I think I saw you too. You were with him at the food van, you know, the one the Sikhs drive. Well, I was down at the ramps, on my own. I was trying to get some practice in while no one else was around.’
‘I don’t remember seeing you.’
‘I waited in the bushes until I saw you go.’
Stephen nodded. He was curious now, hungry for answers, but he didn’t want to ask too many questions and frighten the teenager away. ‘And Edward? What about Edward?’
‘He was with
a girl, and another man.’
‘When did they arrive? Edward was all on his own when I was there.’
‘Shortly after you went. I skated for a while, but it soon got too dark, so I went home.
‘What were they doing?’
‘They were stood outside. There’s an area on the river bank that lights up if you stand in the right place. You can trigger off a security light on the side of the office building. Sometimes Ryan and his mates stay there for hours.’
‘Did you speak to them?’
‘No, why?’
Stephen felt his hopes begin to disappear. ‘I was wondering if you got close enough to get a good look at who Edward was with.’
‘I got close enough. The man looked quite clean, for a tramp. And the girl was beautiful.’
‘Beautiful?’ Stephen raised his eyebrows and color flashed on Michael’s face. The teenager took a long drink from his lemonade. When he at last put the glass down, Stephen asked, ‘Can you give me a more accurate description?’
‘I can do better that that,’ Michael said. ‘I could draw her. I could draw them all, I mean.’
‘I’ll see if I can get you some paper.’ Stephen jumped to his feet and began to leave the booth.
‘Hang on, it’s not as easy as that.’
‘Oh,’ Stephen said, feeling foolish. ‘When can you do it, then?’
‘Tonight.’
Stephen pushed his disappointment to one side. If he’d learned one thing over the last ten years, it was patience. ‘Okay. When can I have them?’
‘Slow down, man. Why are you so interested in this girl?’
‘Not just the girl — the man too. I didn’t know anything about the girl until you told me.’
‘Fair enough, but why?’
‘They might have been the last people to see Edward before someone...hurt him.’
‘Or perhaps they were the ones who hurt him.’
‘It’s possible. Either way, I need to find them.’
‘What about the police?’
‘What about them?’
‘Shouldn’t I be giving this information to them?’
Stephen could see Michael was getting more anxious. ‘Sure, of course you should.’
‘So why should I give it to you?’
‘I told you, Edward’s my friend. Look, you do these pictures and I may have something that can help you out. Something that will fix your problem and impress Ryan and his cronies,’ Stephen said, laying his hand on the broken skateboard.
Michael’s eyes lit up.
‘When can we swap?’
‘Eight o’clock. Lady Bay Academy, outside the front gates. Don’t be late. I can’t afford a TMS.
‘A what?’
‘Ten Minute Sanction.’
‘Oh, when you see what I’ve got for you, you’ll be taking the whole day off,’ Stephen said, smiling.
Seven
Stephen walked Michael back to the bridge, much to Annie’s annoyance.
As the teenager walked away, Stephen hoped he would see him in the morning. If he knew what the pair who were with Edward looked like, he could find them. And maybe they would know what happened to Edward or had seen him talking to someone else.
When Stephen returned to The Manor it was empty, as usual. Annie went straight upstairs to enjoy her part of the deal.
Stephen checked that O.J. had whatever drink he needed and then checked on some of the other regulars. Jackie and Jacqui were in, nursing a pint of stout each and making their way through their Sudoku books.
Once Stephen was sure everyone was seen to and served a group of builders who came in for a lunch of beer and crisps, he set about cleaning the menus and the table areas.
‘You’re early.’
Stephen didn’t need to look to know who it was. It was said in the complete opposite way to Annie, his wife.
‘Give us a hand,’ Cliff said. ‘The boot’s full. I’m not sure I can take much more. The cash and carry was hotter than Kingston.’ Cliff undid his bright yellow waistcoat, revealing the check shirt underneath. Then he loosened his bow tie. Cliff always insisted on wearing the real thing, not a clip on.
‘I went there once. It rained the whole time,’ Stephen said, turning to face his boss.
‘The Caribbean has a habit of doing that, but at least it’s warm. Not that I’ve been home for years.’ Cliff put his hands on his hips. The top button on his high-waisted trousers was open as usual to make space for his ever growing tummy. The waistcoat usually covered it up.
‘Oh sorry, I thought you meant Kingston-Upon-Thames.’
‘Very funny. Come on, we’ve got work to do.’
*
It was a slow night. A group of teenagers, who had some dodgy looking ID, came in, had one drink and left, clearly unimpressed with the vibe of the place. In the end, Cliff and Stephen sat in a booth and caught up with each other’s news.
‘Bloody hell. Perhaps you shouldn’t have any more weekends off if that’s what happens to you,’ Cliff said, reacting to Stephen’s retelling of the previous night. He sipped his Sheriff’s Tipple, clearly enjoying its hoppy aroma with a hint of sweet caramel.
‘You only give me one every once in a blue moon anyway,’ Stephen said in mock outrage.
‘You’re my best member of bar staff.’
‘I’m your only member of bar staff.’
‘True,’ Cliff smiled and changed the subject back again. ‘And you weren’t hurt?’
‘No. I’ve learned to look after myself over the years. I did karate when I was a kid, too.’
‘Oh yes, you won that local championship.’
‘That was a long time ago.’
‘Well, you be careful.’
The last orders bell rang and the two men turned and looked at Annie, who still had the bell-rope in her hand and an unimpressed expression on her face.
‘Time flies when you’re having fun,’ Cliff said, raising his glass with the Castle Rock Brewery shield emblazoned upon it.
‘I’ll wake O.J. up,’ Stephen said.
Once the pub had been emptied of the few customers it had, the bar area and coffee machine had been cleaned, and the fruit machines turned off, Cliff and Stephen went back to their booth for one last drink.
‘What do you boys talk about?’ Annie said, shaking her head as she walked to the door to the flat. She looked back at her husband. ‘Don’t be long, Cliffie.’
Cliff chuckled. ‘Looks like I’m on a promise.’
Stephen went pink. ‘Bloody hell, Cliff. Do you have to?’
‘Sorry. Anyway. I sense you were leading somewhere before we were interrupted.’
Stephen drank some lemonade and used the time to gather his thoughts. ‘It’s been ten years, Cliff. Do you think it’s time to give up?’
‘On Felicity? Maybe. On this old soldier, definitely.’ Silence fell for a few moments. ‘Tell me to keep my mouth shut, but don’t you think that it’s a hell of an assumption that she’s even living on the street?’
‘She ran away. That’s where they end up.’
‘That was ten years ago. She could be—’
‘Be what? Dead?’
‘It’s a possibility, Stephen. You know it. But that’s not what I meant. Ten years is a long time. She might not even be in Nottingham anymore. She could have a husband and a family of her own. She could be living like the other half do, somewhere nice, like Lowdham.’
‘That’s an awful lot of coulds.’
‘She ran away, Stephen. She chose to leave. Did she sound upset in the letter she left?’
‘I never saw it. Mum wouldn’t let me. And who knows with the written word. And who knows what her state of mind was. There wasn’t anything to suggest she was upset, or that she was going to leave that night when I took her to the fair, either.’
‘I’ve never had children,’ said Cliff, ‘but I’ve seen enough fifteen-year-old girls in this pub over the years. They think they know it all. Maybe some do. And, they’re often
very adept at manipulating their parents. And, she was a foster kid.’
‘So?’
‘Come on, Stephen. You know I’m not being mean when I say they’re often a bit. . .’
‘A bit what?’
‘Damaged.’
‘My mum had a philosophy about that.’
‘I know, Stephen. But listen, maybe Felicity had had enough of being pushed around from pillar to post. Maybe she thought she’d be better off on her own.’
Stephen shook his head, a mixture of frustration and growing annoyance. ‘It doesn’t make any sense. It never did. She was sixteen. She was entitled to more rights, more freedom. Social Services were even looking into getting her her own flat. Why run away? Why?’
‘People always have a reason for doing things. Perhaps there was something from her past?’
‘I don’t know anything about that part of her life.’
‘Well, maybe you should find out.’
‘There’s only one way to do that, and I doubt they’ll tell me. They wouldn’t tell me at the time.’
‘Maybe there were good reasons why your parents didn’t. But ten years have gone by and I doubt those reasons matter anymore.’
‘If only it were that easy,’ Stephen said, blowing through his lips.
‘You just need to knock on a door, or make a call. Or you could take the easier path and just forget about it and move on with your life. Ever since I’ve known you this is all you’ve done. I’m not even sure you could give it up, even if you tried,’ Cliff said, his eyebrows raised.
‘You make it sound like an addiction.’
‘Maybe it is. A distraction at least.’
‘A distraction?’
‘Forgive me. A bad choice of word on my part. Or maybe it isn’t. Maybe it is a distraction from what’s going on in your own life, or rather not going on. You’re a bright lad. Why don’t you go back to school?’
Stephen gave out a short laugh.
‘I’m serious,’ Cliff continued. ‘I never asked what your qualifications were when I hired you. I didn’t need to. I could tell you could count. I could tell you were good with people. You’re wasting your life away here, son. As much as I love having you here, she wouldn’t want that.
