mistake. You don't want to mess with Johnny Drew.'
'We can't just do nothing.' Cindy protested. Jeff stared at the television and she shrugged. 'I'll put the kettle on then, shall I? Poor cow,' she added under her breath. Jeff was right about one thing: Johnny Drew was a piece of shit. Cindy hoped they'd put him behind bars and throw away the key.
12
Pub
Carter and Black went to check out the rest of the shops. The dark-haired girl stared at them balefully from the doorway of the flower shop as they walked down the parade. Next door was a Chinese take-away. The DI brandished a mug shot of Johnny Drew at the girl behind the counter, who looked at it then thrust a menu at them. When Carter displayed his warrant card, the girl nodded and muttered something they couldn't understand. Black showed her a picture of the victim.
'She nice girl.'
'Did you know her?' the DS asked slowly. 'Her name's Angela, Angie.'
'Nice girl,' she grinned at him.
'Come on,' Black urged his companion. 'What's she going to tell us? That Drew liked chop suey?'
'Ah, chop suey, very good. You want order?' The Chinese girl nodded emphatically, and her ponytail bobbed up and down.
Their next stop was a newsagent's. The young man behind the counter peered short-sightedly at Johnny Drew's picture and nodded, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
'Think he lives upstairs somewhere. Drives a flash car. Is that the guy?'
'Have you seen Angela Waters in here?'
'Who?'
'His girlfriend.'
'Sorry, mate. Didn't know he had one. I don't know the geezer. Just seen him around. She gone missing then? I can put a note in the window if you like. No charge seeing as it's police business.'
'No. Thank you, but no.'
A rundown pub on the corner was their last stop. The sergeant raised his eyebrows at the grimy exterior, but cheered up when they went inside. A gas fire with fake coals flickered a welcome in one corner and a warm smell of baking hit them as they reached the bar. A blackboard inside advertised 'Pie and Chips' as the special.
'What sort of pie is it?' Black asked. 'That smell's making me peckish.' He ordered pie and chips twice. Carter showed his ID at the bar and asked about Johnny Drew.
'Johnny Drew? Johnny Drew?' the barman mused aloud. The DI showed him a picture, which he recognised straight away. 'Yeah, I know the guy. Comes in here a lot. You with the drug squad then?'
Carter raised his eyebrows slightly and shook his head. 'We just want to ask a few questions about him, that's all. Did his girlfriend, Angela Waters, come in here with him?'
The barman's eyes opened wide. 'Angela Waters?' he repeated. 'That the girl was killed in the park?'
Carter leaned forward across the bar. 'Where did you hear that?' he asked softly.
All at once the barman was cagey. 'Couldn't say,' he answered, scratching his head. 'Just talk. I hear all sorts, standing here. Tell you what though,' he went on, suddenly inclined to be helpful, 'you might ask old Brian Burrows. He lives next door to Johnny Drew.' He nodded at a man sitting hunched at a corner table by himself. 'He knows most of what's going on round here. Don't believe all his stories though.' He laughed. 'Give him half a chance and he'll be telling you how he won the war single-handed. Won't say which war, mind.'
'Give us two halves and whatever the old guy's drinking,' Carter said. He carried two glasses over to the old man who glared up at him suspiciously from under bushy grey eyebrows. Carter sat on the only free chair at the table. Black pulled another one over.
'Here, what you after?' Brian Burrows asked. Bowed shoulders rose inside his filthy jacket and his head swivelled on his scraggy neck, looking from Carter to Black and back again. The detectives showed him their warrant cards and Black explained the reason for their attention as Carter put a drink in
'We can't just do nothing.' Cindy protested. Jeff stared at the television and she shrugged. 'I'll put the kettle on then, shall I? Poor cow,' she added under her breath. Jeff was right about one thing: Johnny Drew was a piece of shit. Cindy hoped they'd put him behind bars and throw away the key.
12
Pub
Carter and Black went to check out the rest of the shops. The dark-haired girl stared at them balefully from the doorway of the flower shop as they walked down the parade. Next door was a Chinese take-away. The DI brandished a mug shot of Johnny Drew at the girl behind the counter, who looked at it then thrust a menu at them. When Carter displayed his warrant card, the girl nodded and muttered something they couldn't understand. Black showed her a picture of the victim.
'She nice girl.'
'Did you know her?' the DS asked slowly. 'Her name's Angela, Angie.'
'Nice girl,' she grinned at him.
'Come on,' Black urged his companion. 'What's she going to tell us? That Drew liked chop suey?'
'Ah, chop suey, very good. You want order?' The Chinese girl nodded emphatically, and her ponytail bobbed up and down.
Their next stop was a newsagent's. The young man behind the counter peered short-sightedly at Johnny Drew's picture and nodded, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
'Think he lives upstairs somewhere. Drives a flash car. Is that the guy?'
'Have you seen Angela Waters in here?'
'Who?'
'His girlfriend.'
'Sorry, mate. Didn't know he had one. I don't know the geezer. Just seen him around. She gone missing then? I can put a note in the window if you like. No charge seeing as it's police business.'
'No. Thank you, but no.'
A rundown pub on the corner was their last stop. The sergeant raised his eyebrows at the grimy exterior, but cheered up when they went inside. A gas fire with fake coals flickered a welcome in one corner and a warm smell of baking hit them as they reached the bar. A blackboard inside advertised 'Pie and Chips' as the special.
'What sort of pie is it?' Black asked. 'That smell's making me peckish.' He ordered pie and chips twice. Carter showed his ID at the bar and asked about Johnny Drew.
'Johnny Drew? Johnny Drew?' the barman mused aloud. The DI showed him a picture, which he recognised straight away. 'Yeah, I know the guy. Comes in here a lot. You with the drug squad then?'
Carter raised his eyebrows slightly and shook his head. 'We just want to ask a few questions about him, that's all. Did his girlfriend, Angela Waters, come in here with him?'
The barman's eyes opened wide. 'Angela Waters?' he repeated. 'That the girl was killed in the park?'
Carter leaned forward across the bar. 'Where did you hear that?' he asked softly.
All at once the barman was cagey. 'Couldn't say,' he answered, scratching his head. 'Just talk. I hear all sorts, standing here. Tell you what though,' he went on, suddenly inclined to be helpful, 'you might ask old Brian Burrows. He lives next door to Johnny Drew.' He nodded at a man sitting hunched at a corner table by himself. 'He knows most of what's going on round here. Don't believe all his stories though.' He laughed. 'Give him half a chance and he'll be telling you how he won the war single-handed. Won't say which war, mind.'
'Give us two halves and whatever the old guy's drinking,' Carter said. He carried two glasses over to the old man who glared up at him suspiciously from under bushy grey eyebrows. Carter sat on the only free chair at the table. Black pulled another one over.
'Here, what you after?' Brian Burrows asked. Bowed shoulders rose inside his filthy jacket and his head swivelled on his scraggy neck, looking from Carter to Black and back again. The detectives showed him their warrant cards and Black explained the reason for their attention as Carter put a drink in
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