Speak No Evil (11 page)

‘He bumped into someone, I think,' Renny said. ‘I think they might have followed him.'

Pez looked at Renny, clearly wanting to speak and wanting permission. Renny stared at the other boy, silencing him. Pez's head dropped. He said nothing.

‘Who was this person that he bumped into then?'

‘Dunno his name, like,' said Renny. ‘But he's a dealer. Off the estate.'

‘Would you recognize him again?'

Renny shrugged. Affected a look of disinterest. ‘Dunno.'

Tess risked a glance over the wall. She saw individuals on the periphery of the group who made no attempt to join in, who only spoke when spoken to and who, from the way their hands were moving about faster than a street-corner card shark, were dealing.

Tess felt excitement rise with her. She sensed she was on to something here, an aspect none of her colleagues or rivals – and they were all her. rivals, really – had discovered yet. This could be the break, her entrance into the big time. She tried not to let her excitement show, tried to remain professional.

‘So which one is he?'

‘The one in the baseball cap,' said Pez.

Tess took another look. ‘They're all wearing baseball caps.'

‘Well, he's one of them, then,' said Renny, smugness in his voice. ‘So where's the rest of our money?'

‘Aye,' said Pez, shuffling about as if he had worms, ‘where's wor money, like?'

‘You'll get your money, don't worry,' said Tess.

‘Good,' said Renny.

‘As soon as you tell me which one followed Calvin.'

Anger flashed in Renny's eyes. Even in the dark Tess saw it, catching in the streetlight, shining like a blade.

‘That wasn't the deal,' said Renny. ‘You bitch.'

‘Deal's changed, boys,' said Tess, thinking quickly, trying to make the situation work for her as smoothly and cost-effectively as she could. ‘You held out on me. Didn't tell me the whole story, did you? Now if you'd said all that at the beginning we'd have had a different deal. But because you didn't tell me the truth, well … that changes things.'

‘Bitch,' said Renny again, and at that moment Tess felt sure that, boy or not, he could do her some serious damage.

Negotiate from a position of strength, Tess thought. No matter what. ‘Deal's a deal,' Tess said, hoping there was no fear in her eyes. The boy was beginning to unnerve her. ‘Take it or leave it.'

Renny said nothing. Pez looked between the two of them.

‘Well, gentlemen,' said Tess, making to move, ‘if that's everything, then thank you for a wonderful evening—'

‘Stay where you are.'

All three of them looked up. Four figures stood over them, the outwardly pointed flashlight beams rendering them nothing but dark outlines, hulking with menace.

Tess was the first to speak. She stood up. There was no need for secrecy now. ‘Who the fuck are you?'

‘Detective Inspector Nattrass,' the speaker said, holding out a warrant card. ‘And you are?'

‘Tess Preston, the
Globe.
These boys here were just giving me a tour of the area, Detective Inspector.'

‘Well, your tour guides have just led you right into a police surveillance operation. So I suggest you ask them to show you some other sights.'

Tess felt that familiar thrill run through her again, the one she felt when hunches were played out and everything started knitting together. ‘Would this surveillance operation have anything to do with the murder of Calvin Bell, Detective Inspector Nattrass?'

‘Just go back to your hotel room, please, Ms Preston. Better still, take yourself off home.'

‘But Detective Inspector—'

‘There will be a press conference in the morning. If you're still here, we'll see you at that. But for now I suggest you leave. Or my men will have to escort you.'

Tess realized she had no option but to do as she was told. She looked at the boys. ‘Well, boys, gonna show me back to civilization?'

The three of mem trudged off. It didn't matter whether Renny came up with a name or not Tess was on to something.

She knew it.

Losing a child. It was the worst thing that could happen to a mother. Anne Marie knew that. It was something that she carried with her every second of the day. Something that, no matter what she did with the rest of her life, she could never fully atone for. Because there was a part of her that would never allow it.

As she searched the estate for Jack and felt that panic rise once again, she knew, not for the first time, what it must feel like. She had to find him. Get things sorted out. Once and for all. Sort it and move forward.

And then she saw him. Or someone she thought was him. In the only quiet spot on the estate. Sitting on a bench at the top of the hill, looking down over the Tyne as it slopped along to the North Sea, the lights of the tall riverside apartments twinkling, throwing fairy-tale reflections into the water, making that kind of life look unattainable from where Anne Marie stood.

She walked up to the bench. Jack was sitting there, legs pulled up to his chin, arms wrapped round his calves, MP3 player clamped to his ears.

She sat down next to him. If she didn't know better, she could start believing in God again.

‘Hello, son,' she said.

He looked up, startled, turned off the music. He gave her a look that said he was pleased to see her but that gradually became fearful.

‘I've been worried sick about you,' she said. ‘Where've you been?'

He shrugged. ‘Just walking. Here and there.'

‘Why didn't you come home?'

He sighed, rocked backwards and forwards slightly. ‘You were fighting.'

‘No, we weren't.'

‘You were going to fight.'

Anne Marie's turn to sigh. ‘I was worried about you.' She looked at the empty wrappers beside him. ‘Is that my dinner?'

He looked fearful again. ‘He'll kill me.'

Anne Marie caught the hurt in his eyes as, having spoken his words, he looked away. Her heart broke. She remembered her training, her counselling. She kept her voice calm. ‘No he won't. I won't let him.'

Jack rocked.

‘I won't let him hurt you ever. I won't let anyone hurt you ever.'

They sat there in silence. Eventually, Anne Marie gently placed her arm round Jack, her bandaged hand resting on his shoulder. He moved into her. They sat like that for a while, neither speaking, neither moving.

‘Come on,' she said eventually, ‘let's go home.'

Jack nodded. Got up and followed her.

Nothing's sorted, she thought. Nothing's different. Just another ceasefire. Another little piece of peace. Maybe that's it, she thought. Maybe that's all you can expect.

They walked back to the flat in silence.

‘Look.' It was Pez who spoke. He was pointing across the open forecourt, stopped moving to do it. The other two followed his gaze. Tess saw a skinny teenage boy, hair perhaps a little too long for the area, and a woman, presumably his mother. Dressed like an ageing goth or rock casualty on her night off. Heavyset, long-haired.

‘It's that kid from school,' said Pez. ‘The new kid. The weird one that wouldn't give you his trainers.'

Renny just nodded, clearly not happy to be reminded of that loss of face in front of a stranger. Tess tried not to smile. She looked again at the mother and son. They moved beneath a streetlight and her face was suddenly illuminated. She jumped. Thought for a minute she knew her.

‘She just arrived, you said?' said Tess.

‘Aye,' said Pez.

‘Where from?'

‘Dunno. The lad talks funny like.'

Probably talks properly and you can't understand him, thought Tess. ‘Has he said anything about where he's from? Dropped any clues?'

‘Nah.' Pez again. Renny clearly found the subject of the boy uninteresting. ‘We don't have that much to do with him.'

Tess nodded, not really listening. She was watching the mother. Even in this light and from this distance, she thought, there was definitely something familiar about her. Her looks, the way she walked. And the boy. Something connected to the boy …

It was like spotting an actor on TV and not being able to place what they had appeared in before. She thought it was something important, though. She would give it some thought. Hope an answer came to her.

Renny stopped walking. Pez did likewise. Tess joined them.

‘Money,' said Renny, sticking his hand out in as threatening a manner as possible. ‘Now.'

‘Whoa there, partner,' said Tess. ‘Remember what I said. Deal's a deal. You come up with the goods, I come up with the money. Might even be something more in it for you both if you come up with enough.'

Renny moved in closer. ‘And if we don't?'

Tess swallowed, hoped the boy-thug couldn't sense her fear. ‘Then I've got your details,' she said patting her pocket. ‘Like I said, would whoever's at that address like to know you're holding out on them?'

Renny took a step back. Tess's words had clearly jolted something in him. There was someone at that address that the boy was clearly scared of.

Tess took that as her cue to leave. ‘See you tomorrow, lads.'

She walked off, thinking. The police, the boys, that woman. Plenty going on, if she could just join up the dots …

She smiled to herself.

Not a bad nights work.

‘Family,' she says. ‘Toughest bond in the world. Or should be.'

He agrees with her.

‘But I've learned somethin' over the years. Your family isn't what you were born with. It's not biological. It's what you make it.'

‘True.'

‘I mean, Fenton Hall, Mr and Mrs Everett, Joanne … they were like family to me. I mean, I even took Joanne's name and she was pleased about that. Really pleased. I got a good feelin' about it too. Felt connected, you know?'

He does.

‘But we weren't related. Not really. Blood, an' that. You know what I mean?'

‘I know exactly what you mean.'

‘Sometimes you don't choose your family. Sometimes your family chooses you.'

‘You're right' he says. ‘Dead right. And it's a good feeling to be part of something like that. To belong.'

She nods, looks out of the window while she answers.

‘Mostly,' she says. ‘Sometimes.'

9

Donovan drove fast, hoping he wouldn't be pulled over for speeding, hoping he didn't have enough alcohol in him to matter if he was.

The phone call had been completely unexpected. Of all the people it could have been, his ex-wife Annie was the last person he would have thought of. There was no greeting, no attempt to find out how he was or what he was up to. Just pitching straight in, her voice frantic, desperate.

‘Don, it's Abby. She's …'

A sick sense of déjà vu overtook Donovan as he immediately feared the worst. ‘What? She's what?'

‘She's gone.'

Donovan's legs began to shake. He felt like they were about to give way. ‘Gone where?' Disappeared?'

There was a pause as Annie realized what he was thinking. When she spoke again the heat in her voice was slightly lower. ‘No, not like that. Gone. Left us.'

Not
me
, Donovan noticed,
us
. He didn't think the phrasing was accidental.

‘OK. She's gone where?'

‘She … there was an argument. She … she walked out.'

‘Has she been in touch? Have you heard from her?'

‘No.'

Donovan sighed. ‘Shit.'

‘She took Michael's credit card, though, when she left.'

‘And has it been used? Have they traced it?'

A stifled sob down the phone. ‘Yes.'

‘Where?'

‘Newcastle.'

Wendy Bennett had been sitting opposite him while the call was going on. He had turned away from her once he realized who was calling; no matter how much he liked her, this conversation wasn't for her. He gave his full attention to Annie.

‘Newcastle. So she was looking for me.'

‘Well, who else does she know up there?'

Donovan felt anger rise as an initial response to her outburst, wanted to reply in kind, but swallowed the response down. It wouldn't help. But after all these years, he thought, they still knew which of each other's buttons to press.

‘Have you tried calling her?'

‘Of course I've tried calling her. Her phone's switched off. Just goes to voicemail.'

‘OK. Let's think rationally. If she's looking for me she'll have gone … does she know about the house? What happened to it?'

‘What? I don't know. Yes, I think so. I told her.' Another sigh. ‘Oh, I don't know.'

‘I'll have to assume she doesn't, then. I'll try there first. Then the old work address.'

‘Just, just … do something …' It sounded like the fight had gone out of her. Donovan could imagine her standing there, the worried expression on her face. How her forehead would crinkle when she frowned or was upset. Klingon brow, he used to describe it as, back when they still found things like that funny, when they could laugh as a couple.

‘I will. Don't worry, Annie, if she's there I'll find her.'

‘You'd better,' she said angrily.

She knew he would do his best. He knew her anger was not aimed at him, merely displaced impotence.

‘What were you arguing about?'

‘What?'

‘Why did she leave home?'

Silence, then a sigh. ‘I don't think we need to discuss that now. It's not important. Just find Abby. Please.' Her voice choked off as she hung up.

Donovan had then pocketed his phone. No matter how disappointed he was at the way the evening had turned out with Wendy this had to take precedence. He waited until her cab had pulled away then ran to his car and drove off as fast as he could.