swearing.
‘Come on, now.’ One of the Big Issue sellers moved towards Bobby. ‘S alright. Calm down, calm down. It’s Bobby, isn’t it?’
‘Bugger off,’ said Bobby though his manner was less aggressive. ‘What you looking at?’ He shrieked at the Saturday afternoon crowd gathering round.
The busker playing the saxophone stopped and bent to collect his change.
‘I’m as good as you. I was in the army. BFPO BFPO …’ He couldn’t remember the number. ‘I had a wife and an ‘ouse. I had a wife.’ He stopped, suddenly bewildered. He rubbed at his mouth with the back of his sleeve, teetering on his feet. The men at the stall selling inflatable hammers, umbrellas and socks, four pairs for a pound, were watching.
‘Sit down, mate,’ the Big Issue bloke nodded to the benches in the middle, ‘have a rest. Come on.’ He put his hand out.
‘They want to clear them off the streets,’ a woman’s voice rang out. ‘Beggars.’
‘Keep away.’ Bobby’ eyes narrowed. Spit flew as he spoke to the paper seller. ‘I know your sort. You’re just like the rest.’
The vendor moved away, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
‘Well, I’ll show you. I’ll show you. I know how to look after myself. I was a soldier. BFPO. Yes sir!’ he shouted. Fumbled in his coat. Coughed and hawked a gob of phlegm to the floor. He withdrew the knife with a clumsy flourish. ‘Used to be bayonets. See?’ He pushed it at the boy. ‘See?’
‘Aw, hell,’ said the vendor taking another step back. The store guard at New Look punched in the code to call the police from the Arndale Centre.
*****
Dean told Douggie everything. By the time he’d finished Douggie was in no mood to giggle.
‘What am I gonna do? I’m not going down again, Douggie. No way. It’d kill me, man. And Paula …’ He stumbled to a halt, eyes hot, mouth dry
Douggie shrugged. ‘Stay here, man. That’s fine. Long as it takes.’
*****
While she waited to start the briefing, Janine took round Eleanor’s sponsorship form.
Butchers methodically entered an amount and returned the form. Janine looked. ‘50p – Total!’ she said in disgust. ‘Push the boat out, Butchers, why don’t you.’
She turned to Richard. ‘Come on, our Eleanor’s sponsored skip. Good cause.’
He smiled and took it from her. She watched and did a double take as he offered a pound a lap. ‘She’ll do the whole lot, you know,’ she warned him. ‘Serious skipper.’
Richard shrugged.
Rachel Grassmere arrived and Janine put the form away and moved to the front of the room in front of the boards that already held details about the case. Time to begin the briefing. Her throat went dry and she felt her chest tighten. Nerves. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin, determined to show the team that she could handle it.
‘Good afternoon, everybody. DS Butchers,’ she nodded to the plump, ginger-haired man who wore one of his collection of appalling character ties, ‘and DS Shap.’ Ferret-faced Shap cocked his head, a half-smile on his lips. She knew Shap to be an effective detective, quick off the mark but a little too lax about playing by the rules. The opposite of Butchers, in fact, who had struggled to make Sergeant and was a stickler for detail.
‘DC Jenny Chen.’
Chen was new, a bit of an unknown quantity. Tall, willowy, gorgeous-looking. Janine wondered whether her beauty would be an asset or a handicap in the job.
‘DI Richard Mayne,’ Richard lifted a hand in greeting as she introduced him, ‘back from far flung parts, he’ll be my second in command.’
‘And Miss – erm …’ Damn! She’d gone blank. She stared at the woman, forensic specialist, mid-length blonde hair, lovely face. Rachel … Rachel … she felt her face get warm. Just as panic began to kick in Rachel helped her out.
‘Grassmere.’
Janine smiled, nodded her thanks. ‘Grassmere, from Forensics. Good to see you all. So what have we got?’ She
‘Come on, now.’ One of the Big Issue sellers moved towards Bobby. ‘S alright. Calm down, calm down. It’s Bobby, isn’t it?’
‘Bugger off,’ said Bobby though his manner was less aggressive. ‘What you looking at?’ He shrieked at the Saturday afternoon crowd gathering round.
The busker playing the saxophone stopped and bent to collect his change.
‘I’m as good as you. I was in the army. BFPO BFPO …’ He couldn’t remember the number. ‘I had a wife and an ‘ouse. I had a wife.’ He stopped, suddenly bewildered. He rubbed at his mouth with the back of his sleeve, teetering on his feet. The men at the stall selling inflatable hammers, umbrellas and socks, four pairs for a pound, were watching.
‘Sit down, mate,’ the Big Issue bloke nodded to the benches in the middle, ‘have a rest. Come on.’ He put his hand out.
‘They want to clear them off the streets,’ a woman’s voice rang out. ‘Beggars.’
‘Keep away.’ Bobby’ eyes narrowed. Spit flew as he spoke to the paper seller. ‘I know your sort. You’re just like the rest.’
The vendor moved away, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
‘Well, I’ll show you. I’ll show you. I know how to look after myself. I was a soldier. BFPO. Yes sir!’ he shouted. Fumbled in his coat. Coughed and hawked a gob of phlegm to the floor. He withdrew the knife with a clumsy flourish. ‘Used to be bayonets. See?’ He pushed it at the boy. ‘See?’
‘Aw, hell,’ said the vendor taking another step back. The store guard at New Look punched in the code to call the police from the Arndale Centre.
*****
Dean told Douggie everything. By the time he’d finished Douggie was in no mood to giggle.
‘What am I gonna do? I’m not going down again, Douggie. No way. It’d kill me, man. And Paula …’ He stumbled to a halt, eyes hot, mouth dry
Douggie shrugged. ‘Stay here, man. That’s fine. Long as it takes.’
*****
While she waited to start the briefing, Janine took round Eleanor’s sponsorship form.
Butchers methodically entered an amount and returned the form. Janine looked. ‘50p – Total!’ she said in disgust. ‘Push the boat out, Butchers, why don’t you.’
She turned to Richard. ‘Come on, our Eleanor’s sponsored skip. Good cause.’
He smiled and took it from her. She watched and did a double take as he offered a pound a lap. ‘She’ll do the whole lot, you know,’ she warned him. ‘Serious skipper.’
Richard shrugged.
Rachel Grassmere arrived and Janine put the form away and moved to the front of the room in front of the boards that already held details about the case. Time to begin the briefing. Her throat went dry and she felt her chest tighten. Nerves. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin, determined to show the team that she could handle it.
‘Good afternoon, everybody. DS Butchers,’ she nodded to the plump, ginger-haired man who wore one of his collection of appalling character ties, ‘and DS Shap.’ Ferret-faced Shap cocked his head, a half-smile on his lips. She knew Shap to be an effective detective, quick off the mark but a little too lax about playing by the rules. The opposite of Butchers, in fact, who had struggled to make Sergeant and was a stickler for detail.
‘DC Jenny Chen.’
Chen was new, a bit of an unknown quantity. Tall, willowy, gorgeous-looking. Janine wondered whether her beauty would be an asset or a handicap in the job.
‘DI Richard Mayne,’ Richard lifted a hand in greeting as she introduced him, ‘back from far flung parts, he’ll be my second in command.’
‘And Miss – erm …’ Damn! She’d gone blank. She stared at the woman, forensic specialist, mid-length blonde hair, lovely face. Rachel … Rachel … she felt her face get warm. Just as panic began to kick in Rachel helped her out.
‘Grassmere.’
Janine smiled, nodded her thanks. ‘Grassmere, from Forensics. Good to see you all. So what have we got?’ She
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