Sleep Tight
Page 17
Ruby nodded, impressed by his knowledge. ‘Yes, I’ve spoken to the liaison officer. Sharon’s down on her list as being spoken to – for all the good it did. All of our street girls have been on high alert since the murders, and even more so now that two of their own have been killed. Unfortunately, their addictions overrule any reservations. For most of them, it’s business as usual. Given Sharon’s told the officer where to shove their help, I’d like to approach it in a different way.’ She threw him a grin. ‘Don’t look so worried, it shouldn’t take long.’
Luddy glanced from left to right before lowering his voice. ‘Something tells me this visit isn’t by the book.’
Ruby shrugged. ‘I’m not asking you to do anything that’ll get you into trouble. I can go on my own. . .’
Luddy grinned. ‘You’re joking me, aren’t you? Anything to get out of the office.’
Ruby smiled. Once the most cautious of the group, Luddy was developing an adventurous streak. She was a bad influence.
‘Good,’ she said, unable to stop the smile spreading over her face. ‘I’m going to the loo. Here are the keys of the motor. You’re driving, I’ll see you out there.’
A quick pit stop was needed at their local convenience store. A box of chocolates, milk, bread, soup, ham and tomatoes were contained in her shopping bag, along with a six-pack of beer.
‘Bit of an odd time to do your shopping,’ Luddy said, casting an eye over her grocery bags as Ruby shoved them in the footwell of the car.
‘They’re not for me.’ Clicking her seat belt into place, she did not elaborate further. Buying alcohol on duty was strictly forbidden, but it was a small rule that Ruby was willing to break if it helped her carry out her plan.
* * *
Minutes later, they were at their location. ‘I recognise this street,’ Luddy said as he turned the corner. ‘It was in briefing.’ Boarded-up shops lined the road, their windows daubed in purple and red graffiti tags. Frayed from the wind, a tattered British flag hung from the window of the occupied flats above. On the pavement below, a man in a beanie hat and combat jacket sat slumped with eyes open, high on whatever cocktail of drugs was racing through his veins. Ruby could not imagine what it must be like to have drug users and prostitutes walking the streets outside your home all day.
‘It’s where the toms hang out,’ she said. ‘Uniform is patrolling a few times a day, but they’re still out here. Look…’ She pointed to a hard-faced brunette hanging around the corner. ‘Ten flippin’ degrees and she’s wearing a T-shirt and skirt.’
Her elbows clamped to her side, Sharon Connors peered at their car as it approached, most likely in the hope of business.
‘Pull in next to her, and wind down your window,’ she said to Luddy. ‘And for God’s sake, relax. I don’t want her running off.’ Ruby cast a sideways glance to see his knuckles tightening over the steering wheel. He would make a terrible undercover officer; Luddy always wore his heart on his sleeve.
As the car came to a halt, Sharon approached. She stuck her head in through the window of their vehicle.
‘You’re bleedin’ Old Bill, aren’t ya?’ she muttered. ‘I’m not on the game, I’m waiting for a friend.’
‘Sure you are,’ Ruby said, as Sharon spun off the same old line. That was what they always said. It was unfortunate that she recognised them – it meant having to go straight to plan B. ‘Get in the car.’
Sharon hesitated, her eyes flicking left to right. But Ruby had caught sight of her ridiculous heels. She would not be running anywhere in that get-up.
‘C’mon,’ Ruby said, ‘I just want a word. You must be freezing your tits off in this weather.’
‘Get lost! All you give me is grief.’ Sharon swivelled on her heel far more eloquently than Ruby would have given her credit for.
But Ruby wasn’t ready to give up on her just yet. ‘Stay here,’ she said to Luddy, before jumping out of the car. Taking three sharp strides, she grabbed Sharon by the forearm, tightening her grip as the girl squealed in annoyance.
‘Gerroff me!’
Ruby gave her a shake, almost sending her toppling into the gutter. ‘What’s it gonna take to get it through your thick skull that you’re in danger?’ She tapped the side of Sharon’s head three times, and the girl flinched as she pulled away. But Ruby was quicker and caught her by the wrist. ‘We’ve tried it the nice way, now we do it my way.’ Dragging her over to the car, she opened the back door.
Luddy’s eyebrows shot up in anticipation of Ruby’s next move.
‘I ain’t going with you,’ Sharon said. ‘Get your filthy copper hands off me!’
‘Just chill,’ Ruby said, bundling her into the back. She slid in beside her, grateful she had thought to check the child locks were in place before they left. ‘I’ll pay you for your time, twenty quid for twenty minutes. Now, do you want the money or not?’
‘What choice do I have?’ Sharon bleated, pulling at the car door handle, which wouldn’t open. Folding her arms, she flounced back on the seat, her lips in full pout. ‘If I don’t go with you, I’ll end up being nicked. Isn’t that right?’
‘Totally,’ Ruby said, with a satisfied smile. ‘So what’s it going to be?’
‘Forty quid,’ Sharon said, still pouting.
Ruby snorted with laughter. ‘Pull the other one. I’ll give you twenty and no more.’ She turned to Luddy. ‘Drive on if you will. Oh, I’ve always wanted to say that.’
Luddy turned on the engine and the weathered Ford Focus grumbled into life. Lately, there had been a ticking sound, and Ruby made a mental note to report it, but for now her aim was to get Sharon to safety.
‘Where are we going?’ Sharon said, peering through the smudged window. Needles of rain began to tap the glass, and she shrank back in her seat and wrapped her arms around herself.
‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ Ruby said, turning up the heating dial.
But by the time they reached Ruby’s flat, Sharon was swearing like a drunk.
‘She’s got an impressive repertoire,’ Luddy smirked as he parked up outside Ruby’s block of flats. ‘Her and Ash would get on just fine.’
Ruby imparted a tight smile, knowing that Sharon and Ash would get on a bit too well. Had he used her services too?
Sharon didn’t like surprises, Ruby could see that; the irony was that she was laying herself open for the biggest surprise of all by touting for business on the street where a murderer prowled.
Luddy had been to Ruby’s flat just once before, and his expression spoke volumes as he walked through the door. But it was easy for him, brought up in a nice semi in the suburbs. He had a somewhat privileged background, unlike Ruby, who had to fight for everything she got. It was healthy to live where she did, she told herself. Helped keep her feet on the ground.
‘Blimey,’ Sharon said, her annoyance temporarily forgotten. ‘Is this your place? It’s worse than mine.’
‘Have a seat, this won’t take long.’ She took the shopping from Luddy. His face paled, suggesting his enthusiasm for bending the rules had melted away.
Ruby prodded at the remote control until the television came to life. Her thirty-storey block of flats was a concrete mammoth. Satellite dishes sprouted from the side like mushrooms, with the occasional hanging basket softening the outlook. Ruby had only invested in Freeview, and she flicked on some random music station playing hip-hop loud enough to drown out their conversation. It competed with the usual thump, thump, thump of drum and bass from next door.
‘Sandwich?’ Ruby said, quickly making one up from the groceries she had just bought. ‘Here,’ she placed it on the cigarette cratered coffee table. ‘It might do you some good.’
But Sharon sat with her eyes on the door like a rabbit captured for sport.
‘Time we got down to business,’ Ruby said, taking a seat beside her.
She turned to Luddy, who was still hanging around near the door. Hands deep in pockets, he bounced on the soles of his feet. His discomfort was painfu
l to watch. Ruby decided to put him out of his misery. ‘Can you wait in the car, mate? This won’t take too long.’
Slowly, Ruby checked her appearance in her compact mirror, running a line of lipstick over her mouth. She smacked her lips together, smiling to check that none had trailed against her teeth. She liked red – it made her feel empowered, in control.
As Luddy left, Sharon raised an over-plucked eyebrow. ‘What’s the real reason you’ve brought me here? You want me all to yourself, is that what it is?’
‘I’ve got a proposition for you,’ Ruby said with a sigh.
Chapter Forty-One
‘You live with your boyfriend, don’t you?’ As far as Ruby knew, Sharon didn’t have a pimp on board ready to beat her up if she didn’t meet her quota. But her boyfriend was more than capable of manipulating her into heading out to the streets.
Sharon looked at her with a measure of distrust. ‘What’s it got to do with you?’
Ruby reiterated everything she knew about Doctor Tanner and how she believed that Sharon was next on the list.
But Sharon simply stared lifelessly into space. ‘I’ve already told you lot, I can take care of myself.’
‘Don’t you get it?’ Ruby said, unable to believe what she was hearing. ‘Lisa, Ellie, April… they’re all dead. You’re next. There’s no such thing as a safe punter any more. I’m working as hard as I can to get this guy off the streets, and I don’t want your death on my conscience.’
Flopping back on the sofa Sharon stared up at the ceiling, allowing her tears to streak down each side of her face. ‘It’s alright for you, with your good job and copper friends,’ she sniffed. ‘I’m an addict. You don’t know what it’s like.’
Ruby exhaled an exasperated breath. Was she speaking a different language or something? She was trying to keep her alive. ‘Believe it or not, I care about your sorry arse, and not because of what I can get out of you. I know you don’t work the streets for fun, you do it because you have to.’ Ruby knew about Sharon’s background after a lengthy chat with the liaison officer. ‘That fella of yours. . . how can he let you put your neck on the line? Do you think that’s what a caring relationship involves? I care more about you than he does, and I barely know you. Why else would I be risking my job to keep you somewhere safe?’ She checked her watch, tutting at the time that had ran away since her arrival. ‘This is the plan. You’re staying here tonight, away from your boyfriend. You can text him if you like, tell him you’re down the station helping us with our enquiries.’
‘I can’t stay here. In your place? Why?’
‘Because it will keep you safe.’ Ruby pointed out her window to the streets below, where a monster prowled. ‘Tanner’s out there looking for you, I can feel it.’ She returned her gaze to Sharon. ‘I’ve bought soup, chocolates and even beer. Chill in front of the TV, veg out. I’ll be back soon in a few hours and we can talk about it then.’
‘I need a fix, that’s what I need. Get me some gear. Please. There’s a dealer the next floor up, just get me what I need and I’ll stay.’
The fact that there were dealers living in the same block of flats came as no surprise. Ruby had turned a blind eye to their activities in the hope of a quiet life. There was no way she was going to approach them now. Besides, she didn’t need to. If she wanted drugs, she knew where to get them. But her risk taking would only stretch so far.
Ruby dipped her fingers into her trouser pocket and pulled out twenty pounds. It was all she had, but enough to get Sharon through the night. ‘I’m leaving this on the coffee table,’ she said. ‘If it’s gone after you leave I won’t say a word. But please, wait for me to get back so we can talk about this together.’
Staring at the cash, Sharon bit her bottom lip so hard it turned white.
‘Sharon, focus. Do you want to live, or are you playing with your life because you just don’t want to be here anymore?’
The answer was instant. ‘Of course I want to live. What sort of a stupid question is that?’
‘Because you’re playing Russian roulette.’ Ruby folded her arms. ‘There’s one bullet and, say, six chambers. Each time you go out on the streets represents a chamber in a gun. So you spin the chambers, and each time you tout for business you put that gun to your head and pull the trigger. Think about it, you’re playing with your life.’
‘I don’t want to hear it,’ Sharon said, blinking back the tears filling her red-rimmed eyes.
But Ruby continued. She had to hammer her message home. ‘And it’s not an easy death. He doesn’t gently lull women to sleep, he tortures them. Why doesn’t that frighten you? Because if you want to end it all, there’s a lot nicer ways to die.’ Ruby’s belief that Sharon was suicidal seemed to make her think.
‘I want a new life,’ Sharon blurted, her words strained. ‘I know Billy’s no good for me. It’s just that he’s got me through some tough times in the past. But maybe you’re right. If I can get myself out of this, then he will too.’
Finally, she’s starting to see sense, Ruby thought, although she wasn’t naive enough to believe that all was well. ‘You have to be strong enough for the both of you, otherwise how’s he going to feel if you end up dead?’
‘I know, I know,’ Sharon said, giving her a sideways glance.
But Ruby was not finished with her yet. Picking up her bag from the side of the sofa, she slid out a photo, moving the sandwich aside to place it on the coffee table before them. ‘This is Ellie after that monster finished with her. He left us a message, this freak, operated on her while she was alive – and she would have felt every slice of pain.’
Sharon clamped her hand over her mouth, ‘I knew her,’ she whispered between her fingers. ‘I knew her.’
‘And you knew April, too, didn’t you?’ Ruby said, placing her photo beside Ellie’s.
Sharon retched at the sight of April on the mortuary table. April with her mouth open, devoid of a tongue.
‘He cut her tongue out. Can you imagine being awake and not being able to fight? He keeps them for days, suspended between life and death. I can’t comprehend going through that sort of pain for five minutes, never mind three long days.’ Ruby paused for breath. ‘These girls were just like you. April was due to move to Essex to be near her family, but she took just one more punter.’ As the tears trickled down Sharon’s cheeks Ruby could see her words had the desired effect. She didn’t know if April or Ellie were alive when Dr Tanner worked on them, but she had to be graphic to show Sharon where she was going to end up. ‘When I get back, we’ll talk about getting you into a women’s refuge. I can get you safeguarding. I can. . .’
‘I shouldn’t have shouted at you,’ Sharon said, wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve. ‘You were only trying to help.’
‘The shouting I can deal with,’ Ruby said, ‘but if you report me for bringing you here then I’ll be removed from the investigation. Nobody knows the case like me. I’m willing to put my neck on the line to catch this monster. Do you understand what I’m saying? Because he’s coming to get you, I can guarantee that.’
Sharon offered up a small smile. ‘I won’t dob you in, I ain’t no grass.’ She wiped her eyes, but no amount of rubbing could shift the dark shadows beneath. She stared at Ruby. The hatred she harboured had dissipated, replaced by a quiet respect. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get those pictures out of my head,’ she said, swallowing back tears. ‘Are you sure they suffered?’
Ruby nodded. She could have been kind, but the truth had to be brutal. Just like the world outside. It was the only way to open Sharon’s eyes.
Sharon lowered her head, her limp hair hanging around her face. ‘Catch him, yeah? Get the bastard and make him pay.’
‘I will.’ Ruby stood up to leave. ‘Help yourself to food,’ she said, noticing the sandwich had remained uneaten.
‘There’s only one thing I need,’ Sharon said, snatching the twenty-pound note from the table in the living room. Plucking her phone from the sofa where Ruby had left
it, she began to make a call.
Chapter Forty-Two
Luddy was leaning on the bonnet of the car, his face a mixture of fear and admiration. ‘How did it go?’
‘She thought I brought her here because I wanted her body,’ Ruby smiled sadly. ‘But I’ve managed to persuade her to stay just for safekeeping.’
‘Well, there’s an image,’ Luddy said, grinning as he hopped into the car.
‘Eww! You make sure you just keep it there.’ She pulled across her seat belt after sliding into the seat beside him. ‘I don’t want anyone else knowing, I just need to keep her safe until I get back from work.’ Sharon had proceeded to call her boyfriend and tell him she was safe. With the promise of a fix on her return, he seemed satisfied with the explanation.
The car engine produced its familiar knocking sound as it turned over, and Ruby reminded herself for the second time to book it in for repair.
‘Sharon’s not going to listen, you know,’ Luddy said, bringing Ruby back to the task in hand. ‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned about working girls, it’s that they don’t trust people enough to accept help. People have let them down most of their lives. She’ll be gone when you get back.’
Under normal circumstances Ruby would have teased Luddy about his so-called knowledge of street girls. But it wasn’t funny, none of this was. She sighed, hoping she had not put herself on a path of forced retirement. ‘Well, if it keeps her out of danger for a couple of hours then I’m happy,’ she said. ‘Now put your foot down, or we’ll be caught up in the traffic. Downes will be wondering where we are.’
But there was no breaking the speed limit as far as Luddy was concerned, and he took the journey to the station with his usual caution. He pressed the brake pedal as the car rolled up to a set of traffic lights, glancing at Ruby as he waited for the lights to turn. ‘What are you going to do if we find Mandy? Hunt her down and bring her home too?’