Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6) (8 page)

'Hang on I'll come with you.'

Lasser raised an eyebrow. 'Why do you always go in pairs?'

Emma flicked her hair. 'It's so we can talk about you behind your back.'

'I'd like to imagine that's a joke but somehow I think you're being serious.'

Med dropped her napkin onto the table. 'Your ears should start burning in the next thirty seconds so be warned.'

He watched as they made their way past the group of men, all three turned to watch. Lasser felt the first stirrings of anger.

Picking up his drink, he took a long pull watching them closely over the rim of the glass.

To take his mind off the morons, he pulled out his phone to check for messages. As expected the box was empty.

When one of the men stood up and disappeared around the corner Lasser sat up, the other two men were whispering to one another and then one of them glanced across the room towards him and flashed a smarmy grin.

'Tossers,'
he mumbled darkly.

Both were dressed in flash suits; they had that oiled look of sales representatives away from home and desperate to play the field.

Popping another chip into his mouth, he chewed and swallowed, before taking another glug of Guinness.

The one who had his back to Lasser glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'What's your problem?'

Dragging out his wallet, Lasser slid a tenner free and pushed himself to his feet before walking over to the cigarette machine. Both men watched as he crossed the room weaving between tables as he approached.

'Do we have a problem, Mister
?'

Lasser stopped and looked down at the man who had been giving him the eye; his friend sat opposite and licked his lips as he saw the look on Lasser's face. He looked to be about thirty and overweight, his gut strained at the buttons of his cream coloured shirt.

'Leave it, Paul
,' he said to the man sitting opposite.

Paul threw him a look of disgust. 'What are you talking about, Don, this
idiot's
been giving me evils all night.'

Lasser ignored them and moved around the corner, Medea and Emma were standing in the narrow passageway, the third idiot was standing in front of them with his arms spread wide blocking their path.

'Come on just one drink where's the harm in that?'

'Look, just move out of the way,' Medea said, when she saw Lasser approaching her eyes sprang wide in alarm.

'Is everything alright, Med?'

The man turned and looked Lasser up and down. 'Come on, pal, I was just asking them if they wanted a drink, there's no need to play the
caveman.
'

'Do you want a drink from this man?' Lasser asked jabbing a finger forward.

Medea shook her head and squeezed past the drunk. He blinked in confusion and then spotted Emma making her move. 'Come on, sweetheart, he's just being greedy, he doesn't need two of you.'

'Get out of my way right now
!' Emma snapped.

When he shot out a hand, she gasped, her eyes suddenly alive with fear. Lasser stepped forward and grabbed the collar of his jacket; the man shot backwards and then spun around and threw out a fist. Lasser slapped it down before slamming his knee between the attacker's legs, the force lifted the drunk from his feet, and then he collapsed onto the red chequered carpet his face ripped with agony. His left hand waved in the air as if he were hailing a passing cab, his right cupped the crown jewels.

Emma looked down at the man in astonishment, Medea grabbed Lasser's sleeve.

'Let's go,'
she hissed in his ear.

'I haven't had my sweet yet, Med,'

'Your sweet!'

'Trust me doing a runner isn't a good idea.'

Emma stepped over the prostrate figure, her face flushed with colour.

'Can you believe he won't leave until he's had his pudding
?' Medea hissed.

Emma looked up at Lasser as if truly seeing him for the first time.

'Like I said, trust me over this,' taking Medea's arm, he led them back to the main room. As soon as they sat down, he turned and headed back to where the two men were sitting, watching him in confusion.

Lasser loomed over the table. 'Your friend’s had an accident; he's around the corner...'

'What the fuck do you mean an accident?
'' Evil eye snarled.

'His bollocks accidently collided with my knee.'

When the man tried to rise, Lasser placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. 'Don't even think about making a scene, pal. Now, I suggest you go and help him while I finish my meal and don't get any ideas about hanging around outside waiting for me, because if you do I'll make sure you spend the night in a cell.'

'
But
...'

Lasser flipped out his warrant card. 'I bet you weren't expecting that were you?'

The man glared, his friend nodded. 'We don't want any trouble, mister; I mean, we only came in for a quick drink.'

'So, drink up and bugger off,' he said before heading back to where Medea and Emma sat watching him wide eyed.

By the time he sat down the two men had vanished down the narrow passageway.

'I still think we should go,' Medea repeated anxiously.

'Listen, Med, if we'd made a run for it chances are they would have come storming out looking for trouble, as things stand it's sorted.'

'
But
...'

'See,' Lasser nodded, and Medea turned to see the three men walking towards the door, the attacker was being held up by his two friends, his face pasty white, a length of drool dangled from his slack bottom lip. As they reached the door, the overweight one looked over and gave a sickly smile. Lasser grinned and waved a hand in return, a few seconds later they stumbled through the door and vanished.

Lasser turned and smiled across the table.

Medea was fiddling with the clasp of her purse. Emma was watching Lasser with keen intent.

Picking up the menu, he flipped it over. 'I think I'll have the spotted dick.'

'Unbelievable,'
Medea said.

21

The pungent stink of draw hung heavy in the air, Donny watched as Sarah pulled hard on the joint, her skirt riding up as she slumped back into the grubby beanbag.

'Good stuff, eh, Sarah?'

She tried to smile and nod but her head felt as if it were filled with helium, she felt her neck begin to elongate as her head tried to pull itself free from her shoulders.
'Cool,'
she mumbled.

Donny smiled before reaching for the syringe. 'I've got something here you might like.'

Sarah stretched her legs out; Donny could see her black panties ride into view. Sliding a hand down the front of his jeans, he rubbed at his rapidly growing cock.

'What do you say, you wanna try it?'

'Told you I've got no cash,' she mumbled.

'Come on, girl, there are other ways you can pay.'

Sarah grimaced, Donny was sitting on the floor in front of her his dark hair seemed to be swaying back and forth like seaweed caught in the pull of the tide.

'I've got a boyfriend.'

Donny frowned, as expected he'd found Sarah in town staggering down Market Street pissed out her mind. Five minutes later she was in the van and all it had taken was the promise of a fat joint and a six-pack of white lightening. It had been over three months since he'd last seen her and she hadn't had a boyfriend back then, in fact, all she'd had was a raging coke habit and a drink problem.

Donny picked at a scab on the back of his left hand, the Chemist had told him to only choose people who wouldn't be missed. Anyone with a family or close friends was to be left alone.

Typical, he thought as he flicked the scab across the room. 'What's his name then?' he asked.

'Whose name?'

'Your bloody boyfriend
.'

Sarah blinked at him and smiled. 'I can't remember.'

Donny grinned and slid his hand onto her leg. 'So, what do you say, I give you some of this,' he jiggled the syringe in front of her eyes. 'And you give me a nice slow blow job?'

'I don't want any of that
shit
, I told you I don't inject anymore.'

'It's top stuff, Sarah, you'll be buzzing for hours,' he slid his fingers further up her leg.

Sarah slapped at his hand.
'Fuck off, Elliot
, I told you I had no
cash
and there's no way I'm putting my mouth anywhere near your bits. I've seen you coming out of the clap clinic.'

'Piss off, that weren't me,'
he felt the flush of embarrassment creep across his face.

Sarah dropped the joint into the ashtray before yanking her skirt down, her eyes suddenly brittle with anger.

'Colly Roberts.'

Donny blinked in confusion. '
What
?'

'My boyfriend is Colly Roberts,' she smiled when she saw the panic on Donny's face. 'Yeah, you heard me and if he finds out what you've been doing then you know what he'll do to you.'

Donny leapt to his feet. 'Hey, Sarah, come on you never said anything about
Colly!'

'Yeah well, now you know.'

'Look this has been a mistake, I mean, we're just chilling...'

'So, what's that shit in the needle?'

'Forget it, Sarah, just take the booze and go.'

Sarah sat up straight, her face framed with a fringe of dark hair her eyelashes thick with old mascara. 'Where'd you get it, Elliot?'

'Piss off, Sarah, I'm not telling
you
that.'

'Maybe you'll tell
Colly,
' she said as she scrambled to her feet.

Donny Elliot felt the panic twist into fear. Colly Roberts was a local dealer with a vicious temper, if Sarah told him about what had happened he would come straight to the flat kick the door down and torture Donny until he squealed. Under normal circumstances, this would be bad enough but the truth was Donny had no idea who was making the stuff. All he did was collect the small bag from the litterbin and follow orders.

Sarah jabbed out a finger; it was hard to fathom five minutes earlier she'd been nice and mellow. Now her face was twisted with malice, her eyes alight with fury.

'I'm gonna tell Colly you've been dealing on his patch,'
she snarled as she headed for the door.

Donny plucked at the sleeve of her jacket in desperation.
'Sarah, please you can't do that!'

'Watch me, you prick!'

She was half way across the room when Donny snatched the syringe from the floor and lunged forward.

Sarah heard him coming and spun around, her hands forming claws, her false nails lashed out and Donny ducked before plunging the needle into her left thigh. Sarah reeled backwards and slammed into the door her mouth sprang wide in pain.

'You fucker!'
she hissed.

Reaching down she tried to pluck the needle from her flesh but Donny scampered forward and crashed into her, his right hand scrabbled with the plunger. Sarah spat into his face the saliva sliding down his cheek.

'Cunt!'
she barked and then her eyes were suddenly empty of all emotion.

Donny stepped back as she slid down the door and collapsed to the floor, her head fell forward onto her chest her straw like hair obscuring her face.

Elliot's chest was rising and falling with the sudden exertion, his mind clattered with fear.

'Oh shit!'
Falling to his knees he placed a shaking hand on her shoulder.
'Sarah, wake up!'

She toppled sideways and Donny sprang back as her head slammed into the corner of the doorframe.

'Fuck!'
He dragged a hand through his hair and looked around the room in terror. Then he leaned over the body and tried to listen, when he heard nothing he slithered back to his knees and lifted her arm feeling for a pulse. After half a minute, Elliot let the hand fall to the floor with a thump. He sat back and looked down at the body, his mind felt stagnant. If Colly found out about this, he was dead, there would be no reprieve and no amount of begging would save him. Suddenly Donny leapt to his feet and lashed out; his trainer sank into Sarah's stomach, the body lurched.

'Stupid fucking bitch!'
he spat before going into the kitchen and dragging the roll of bin bags from under the sink.

22

Forbes had pulled onto Knutsford services and slept for three hours before setting off again, when he saw the Wigan sign, he eased the car back into the nearside lane before driving down the slip road. His brain gradually began to wake up as he headed towards the town centre. This was the first time he had ever been north of Birmingham, and Wigan wasn't at all what he'd expected. He'd always had this image that the further north you went the dirtier the country became. He had visions of endless factories spewing fumes into a broiling sky, the people would all look like something from a Lowry painting, stick thin and penniless.