he’ll be long
gone, but any weirdo will do.”
“They’re all weirdos. Show me someone normal around here.”
“She’ll do for a start. Pull over.”
Wendy slid the car to stop beside a forty-something woman. She
wore a black miniskirt, black high-heeled pointed boots, black
patterned hosiery and black lipstick that, as she smiled, cut her face in
half.
“’Ello Mikey, don’t ‘ave to ask what you’re doin’ daaahn ‘ere, do
I? You arfta anover discount, are you?” She leant down toward his
open window and rested a thin white arm on the door. Light from the
sex shop behind her gathered in the fair hairs on her forearm.
“Now, now, Elizabeth, don’t give me Mikey or even the micky.
There’s people here who might not understand your sense of humour
and go off telling others that I’m a customer.”
“Oooh, Mikey, are you insinuating that I’m a strumpet? Everyone
knows that men with a todger as big as yours gets it for free.” She leant
down a bit further so that her white blouse sagged and showed him her
dark nipples. She looked across at the grinning PC. “’Ello, Wendy
darlin’ , you all right? You’re not getting sexually harassed by this man
are you?”
“I’m all right, Lizzy. I can hold my own.”
“Yes, darling, I’ve heard you can. Better than most, I heard. Well,
darling, even so, if he asks you to take it up the arse make sure you get
a decent dinner out of it. None of this Big Mac Pizza House shit.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Mike Wilson tapped his nose. “You heard about the business back
there?”
“Who hasn’t, darling? It’s all over the Square. All the plods
knocking about is messing with the trade. We’re thinking of reporting
you to the Department of Trade and Industry.”
“Didn’t see anything, hear anything?”
“Not a thing, darling. First we knew about it was the ambulance.”
“What about last night?”
“That was just a one-off at the time so it didn’t cause a stir. Oneoffs
is happening all the time, you know that. Disgruntled punters or
pissed-off managers who think you’re holding back. But these girls are
civvies. They wouldn’t know a trick from a treat.”
“Be a good girl and ask around.”
“For you Mikey, anything. If there’s so much as a whisper I’ll be in
touch.”
“Appreciate it.”
She gave him an intimate little smile while her eyes brimmed with
melancholy. She blinked and looked across at Wendy again. “You take
good care of him, Wendy darling. He’s one in a million.” With that she
stood upright and faded into a crowd that had gathered outside the sexshop
window.
PC Wendy Booth slid the car back into traffic. Lizzy’s final look
had opened a tap of emotion and she swallowed hard before finding
her voice. “First time I’ve heard a pimp called a manager.” She threw
him a sideways glance. “One in a million, eh?”
“These girls are very astute. You could learn a few things, Wendy
Booth.”
“If ever I want evening classes, Skip, I’ll know where to come.”
“Don’t you fancy me, then, PC Booth?”
“I do, I do, and I’m having to hold myself back from jumping all
over you, but I’m great mates with your wife and I love your three kids
to bits so I’ll just have to live with it.”
Sergeant Mike Wilson nodded and said, “Right. So you’re a lesbian
then, are you?”
Chapter 9
Eleven years ago Donna Fitzgerald had joined the force as a seventeenyearold cadet. It had been her ambition for as long as she could
remember and she had never considered an alternative career. She had
passed the interviews, the physical and psychometric tests and joined
the force in August, she remembered, the month that produced the
worst crime figures. She was also reasonably happy to be one of the
few officers at Sheerham schooled in the bedside manner; hers was the
sympathetic ear for the victims of rape and domestic violence and
other serious sexual assaults. She could have been part of a Sapphire
Unit and
gone, but any weirdo will do.”
“They’re all weirdos. Show me someone normal around here.”
“She’ll do for a start. Pull over.”
Wendy slid the car to stop beside a forty-something woman. She
wore a black miniskirt, black high-heeled pointed boots, black
patterned hosiery and black lipstick that, as she smiled, cut her face in
half.
“’Ello Mikey, don’t ‘ave to ask what you’re doin’ daaahn ‘ere, do
I? You arfta anover discount, are you?” She leant down toward his
open window and rested a thin white arm on the door. Light from the
sex shop behind her gathered in the fair hairs on her forearm.
“Now, now, Elizabeth, don’t give me Mikey or even the micky.
There’s people here who might not understand your sense of humour
and go off telling others that I’m a customer.”
“Oooh, Mikey, are you insinuating that I’m a strumpet? Everyone
knows that men with a todger as big as yours gets it for free.” She leant
down a bit further so that her white blouse sagged and showed him her
dark nipples. She looked across at the grinning PC. “’Ello, Wendy
darlin’ , you all right? You’re not getting sexually harassed by this man
are you?”
“I’m all right, Lizzy. I can hold my own.”
“Yes, darling, I’ve heard you can. Better than most, I heard. Well,
darling, even so, if he asks you to take it up the arse make sure you get
a decent dinner out of it. None of this Big Mac Pizza House shit.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Mike Wilson tapped his nose. “You heard about the business back
there?”
“Who hasn’t, darling? It’s all over the Square. All the plods
knocking about is messing with the trade. We’re thinking of reporting
you to the Department of Trade and Industry.”
“Didn’t see anything, hear anything?”
“Not a thing, darling. First we knew about it was the ambulance.”
“What about last night?”
“That was just a one-off at the time so it didn’t cause a stir. Oneoffs
is happening all the time, you know that. Disgruntled punters or
pissed-off managers who think you’re holding back. But these girls are
civvies. They wouldn’t know a trick from a treat.”
“Be a good girl and ask around.”
“For you Mikey, anything. If there’s so much as a whisper I’ll be in
touch.”
“Appreciate it.”
She gave him an intimate little smile while her eyes brimmed with
melancholy. She blinked and looked across at Wendy again. “You take
good care of him, Wendy darling. He’s one in a million.” With that she
stood upright and faded into a crowd that had gathered outside the sexshop
window.
PC Wendy Booth slid the car back into traffic. Lizzy’s final look
had opened a tap of emotion and she swallowed hard before finding
her voice. “First time I’ve heard a pimp called a manager.” She threw
him a sideways glance. “One in a million, eh?”
“These girls are very astute. You could learn a few things, Wendy
Booth.”
“If ever I want evening classes, Skip, I’ll know where to come.”
“Don’t you fancy me, then, PC Booth?”
“I do, I do, and I’m having to hold myself back from jumping all
over you, but I’m great mates with your wife and I love your three kids
to bits so I’ll just have to live with it.”
Sergeant Mike Wilson nodded and said, “Right. So you’re a lesbian
then, are you?”
Chapter 9
Eleven years ago Donna Fitzgerald had joined the force as a seventeenyearold cadet. It had been her ambition for as long as she could
remember and she had never considered an alternative career. She had
passed the interviews, the physical and psychometric tests and joined
the force in August, she remembered, the month that produced the
worst crime figures. She was also reasonably happy to be one of the
few officers at Sheerham schooled in the bedside manner; hers was the
sympathetic ear for the victims of rape and domestic violence and
other serious sexual assaults. She could have been part of a Sapphire
Unit and
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