Stone Cold Red Hot - страница 38

We drove through the New Hulme; a huge development initiative that had replaced the massive Crescents, curving high rises and the nearby deck-access blocks with human-sized housing. I could see the graceful line of the Hulme Arch, over Princess Road, a symbol of optimism. Like Pauline had said this was the second attempt to renovate the area. Would it work? The houses looked nice enough, there had been a huge consultation exercise with the communities in the area as part of the project. They’d knocked down the old buildings but how would they get rid of the poverty, nestling like mould, spores ready to bloom and start the process of disintegration all over again?

I pulled the wig off, delighted to be rid of it. I rubbed at my head and the back of my neck. The driver did a double take in the mirror. Opened his mouth and shut it again.

A bit later. “Been waiting long?”

“No, my car’s been nicked.”

“Left it round there?”

“Yeah.”

“Have the shirt off your back round there, you know. You see that documentary the other night? Car crime capital of Europe, Manchester is. They ship some of them across to Russia, Lada’s and that. Others they do a make-over drive them down to Brum or over to Liverpool. Lot of money in it. A mate of mine, he’s parked outside the Palace, on Oxford Street, right, got a cab like…”

I switched off and gripped the edge of my seat as he cornered the junction onto Princess Parkway. I grunted now and then while he regaled me with stories of autotheft. The narrative was seamless, one anecdote rolling into the next. When I did tune in again I noticed he’d an amazing eye for detail. “So she says, ‘it’s OK, I left the shopping in the boot,’ Marks and Sparks were doing a special offer on ready meals for one and she’d stocked up like. Now, she doesn’t eat meat but she’s mad on fish so there’s all these heat-and-eat dinners going off and the police thought they’s got a body in the boot…”

Home at last.

“So what do you do?” he asked as I fished out my purse.

“I’m a private investigator.”

He laughed.

I looked at him.

“What, you’re not winding me up?”

I pulled out one of my cards and passed it to him.

“Bloody ‘ell,” he said.

I gave him a tenner.

“So what do you do, missing persons and that?” He rummaged for change in a little bag.

I thought of Jennifer Pickering. “Yeah, that sort of thing.”

“Not missing cars though, eh?” he cackled.

“Ha, ha.” Rapier-like wit.

“Security and that, CCTV, bugs?”

“No, I don’t do much of the high tech stuff.”

He handed me my change and I tipped him.

“Ta. See, I’ve got a mate who might be interested in this,” he waved my card. “His old man’s done a bunk. That the sort of thing you do?”

“Yes.” He still seemed to doubt me, his eyes flicked me up and down. “What’s with the wig then?”

I leant forward. “I’m in disguise,” I confided and removed the specs. “I don’t usually dress like this.”

He laughed with relief. “Had me worried then,” he shook his head, “those glasses.”

Those seat covers.

We said goodnight. I could imagine I would become a new addition to his stock of city tales. “I picked up this woman right, grey hair, painful glasses…”

Digger the dog greeted me at the door, had a sniff of my mac and sloped off, tail wagging slowly, back to sleep in the kitchen.

What would happen to Digger if Ray moved out? I felt a rush of panic. Ray adored the dog although I’d actually brought him home in a fit of guilt after his owner had died while helping me on a case. I’d quickly realised I was not a doggy person but Ray came to the rescue. It would be awful if Ray left Digger here with me, the dog would pine away. And if he took Digger, Maddie would lose a beloved pet as well as Tom and Ray. I couldn’t think it through then, I was bone tired. I needed something to eat or I’d sleep badly. I made some quick porridge, smothered it in golden syrup and stirred in some thick Greek yoghurt. Perfect.

I was upstairs in the bathroom, brushing my teeth when Maddie cried out. I went in to her.

“There was a thing, Mummy, in my dream.” She was sitting bolt upright, her face crinkled with anxiety. I sat beside her and put my arm around her.