Hard Girls (2 page)

Annie and her ilk were put into the job
because
they were women, and consequently they had to prove themselves worthy of their promotions rather than having earned them first. It was all arse up, and let’s see how we can look good to the world. Certain people were given key jobs, key promotions, for all the wrong reasons.

It was hard for Kate to admit it, but she actually felt that the old days, when women had to really graft to get forward, had been better for the women involved. At least then you knew you were there because you could do the job. Not because the powers that be had to fulfil a quota. Or they were frightened you would take them to a tribunal. It was hard then to even get someone to listen to your complaints, let alone do something about them. Kate loved the law, she felt the need to see people get justice, to see them get some kind of redress when they were wronged. Kate knew that it was when people were suddenly made victims, were stripped of their decency, left feeling vulnerable and frightened that they needed the law most. It was then that they needed to feel there was something bigger than them, something stronger than them.

Annie was like Kate in her heyday, and she loved her for that. She was a good policewoman. Annie also respected experience, and she was not only open to Kate’s advice, she was also willing to absorb anything that Kate could tell her about her own experiences, she wanted to know everything and anything that could help her to achieve her goals. Kate valued her interest, needed it in many ways, she was so grateful that Annie wanted her and her expertise, it was an honour to be a part of Annie Carr’s career. She knew that this woman would really make her mark. She would go far, but she would be lucky enough to achieve her success at a younger, more impressive age. She was not as naive as Kate had been. She was really on the ball. She was aware of just how corrupt and how dangerous the world was for a fema behind the steering wheel. . cle in the police force. She also knew the pitfalls and the benefits available to anyone with the brains to sit it out.

Kate felt as if she continued to be in the loop, was still needed and, for someone like her, whose job had been such a big part of her life, had defined who she was, that was seriously important in itself. Annie Carr was her protégée, and Kate would personally make sure that she was given all the help she needed to reach the top of her game.

Patrick Kelly was tired out, and it was annoying him. He knew he wasn’t in the first flush of youth but, all the same, he wasn’t in his dotage. Things had been quiet recently. He still kept his hand in with his businesses but they were more or less legitimate these days. He’d pretty much handed the reins over to younger men since his friend Willy Gabney had died. The truth was he was bored. He knew he needed an outlet. Like Kate, he needed to be doing something. Something new. The trouble was, he didn’t know what that something might be.

He poured himself a large Scotch, though he knew it was far too early and, as he sipped it, he looked around him. He had a beautiful home, but in reality, he didn’t really see it any more. He didn’t care about it now, didn’t feel any pride or satisfaction in it. He just lived there and, as much as he loved being so settled, enjoyed his home being a refuge, he had not really looked at it for a long time. Now that he
was
looking he saw it as if for the first time. It was lovely, he knew it was something that most people would be proud of. Most people would see it as an achievement, as something they could regard as the pinnacle of their success. But Pat just saw it as a nice drum, and as his home with Kate. Nothing more. But she had put her mark on it, and he was glad about that much. She was a fucker for photos, they were everywhere, and though he pretended indifference, he loved them really. He saw his daughter in all her splendour, her short life was anywhere he cared to look. She was smiling, and she looked happy, she
was
happy. She
had
been very happy.

That was something he could now accept and enjoy, even though he missed her with every fibre of his being. Mandy had been his world, and her death had proved to him that no one was immune to heartache. It didn’t matter how much money you had, or how much you were respected and revered. Shit could land on you from a great height at any time, especially when you least expected it. It had not been the first time life had seen fit to piss all over him, and he had a feeling it would not be the last. But he had found his Kate, and for that he would always be grateful.

Patrick could see himself in one of the photos, his arm around Kate, his smile genuine and his grief finally contained. She had made a home for them both, and he recognised he was a lucky man because of that. He knew he was looking a bit battered around the edges, his hair was greyer than he liked to believe, and his clothes were a bit too snug, but he also knew he was basically content, and that was because of Kate.

So many of his contemporaries were still out on the pull, having new families who were even younger than their grandchildren, but Patrick hadn’t felt that urge. He knew they were chasing something they would never regain, no matter how many young birds they fucked. Kids were everything, but they had to be produced by the right woman. They had to be there because they were wanted. Not to prove a point.

It was sad to see old men chasing the strange, something they only did to show they were still worth a pull, to prove to themselves they were still in the game. All they seemed to prove was that they were silly o remember thatc b fld fuckers who ended up with another load of kids they would be lucky to see grow to adulthood. He didn’t want any of that, he had been blessed with his daughter, and he would never, ever attempt to replace her. Mandy was gone, and he had accepted that fact, finally and irrevocably. It had been hard, but eventually it had also been a natural step. After all, he knew he couldn’t grieve for ever. Life, such as it was, went on.

Pat saw himself as finally settled, and though Kate could make him seriously consider bashing her brains in at times, he couldn’t ever harm her. Her brains were what kept them together. She was so bright, so fucking opinionated. She kept him on his toes, and that was more to him than all the little birds, and all the little babies, put together. He didn’t want a new family, he didn’t want to replace his girl. He wanted his Kate, even though she was still a straight-laced mare at times, and she was getting a bit long in the tooth. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want her, didn’t love her.

He respected her too much, and that was the mainstay of their relationship. They may never have found the time to actually tie the knot but Kate had been his lifesaver. Her opinion of him was all he really cared about if he was honest. Because he loved her, really cared for her. He still looked, and lately he had felt a great urge for the younger body, its fullness, softness, but it was not because he thought any less of Kate. It was because he was a man and he yearned sometimes for the feel of youth.

Patrick sometimes craved the faceless fuck, the use of a girl without the emotional ties. He had taken a flier now and again over the years, and it had made him feel young again. It made him feel virile, made him feel as if he still had it. That he still had the power to attract a good-looking girl. He had also admitted to himself that it was his money, his position in the world, that had been the real attraction. He knew this made him like the men he despised. But still he wanted the fuck, nothing more. He knew it was wrong, knew that he would be jeopardising all he had with Kate.

Not that it had stopped him from doing what he wanted, of course. He felt he needed it at times. He loved that he didn’t have to do anything, talk, cajole, or care about it. He was once more feeling the urge, and yet again he was justifying his reasons for doing what he wanted. He wasn’t proud of himself, but he wasn’t that bothered about it either.

He picked up the phone on its third ring. ‘Hello, Peter, long time no hear.’ He was genuinely pleased to hear from his old mate. And Peter Bates was an old mate and a longtime business partner. ‘What can I do you for?’ Patrick’s voice was loaded with friendliness, but as he listened to his friend talk his easy smile disappeared.

‘You are fucking joking? Tell me you are having a laugh, Pete.’

Peter’s voice sounded as gutted as he felt. ‘I wish I fucking was, Pat. It’s the truth and, as I have never been what might be termed a comedian, I resent you questioning my interpretation of the said events.’

Patrick sighed, and knowing that Peter Bates was renowned not just for his lack of humour, but also for his penchant for stating the obvious, he swallowed the retort that came immediately to his lips and instead said quietly, ‘Well, it’s your fucking problem, isn’t it? I didn’t know what you were doing behind my back, so you had better fucking sort it yourself. What the fuck do you expect
me
to do?’

had stepped over the unwritten line. se often

Peter Bates was annoyed. Never one to hide his feelings, he got off the phone as soon as he could without causing offence and bellowed at his latest conquest, a twenty-five-year-old lap dancer who was not only younger than his daughter, but had also been her best friend. ‘Turn the fucking telly down! It’s like living in a fucking cinema! How many times do I have to repeat myself?’

Veronica Lamper looked at him with open disdain as she clicked off the TV. She was a lot of things, but she wasn’t a fool. He was weighing out big time, and because of that she was prepared to overlook a tantrum or two. It still annoyed her, especially as she knew she was a keeper. She could have anyone she wanted. But he was a stepping stone. She would produce a child, and he would be fucked for the rest of his days. The government would see to that, but she knew he would see her all right because he was decent enough in his own way. He was also loaded, he would have to be. If he wasn’t, she wouldn’t fucking be there in the first place.

‘All right, Pete, keep your hair on! What the fuck is wrong with you?’

But he didn’t answer her, instead he stormed from the room and, shaking her head in annoyance, Veronica put the telly back on. She loved
Deal or No Deal
, and she settled back down to watch it in relative peace and quiet. Peter was one lairy ponce, and he was also old enough to be her father, but when the fancy took him, he was generous to a fault. It was much easier to overlook his shortcomings and concentrate on his good points.

He
was
caked up with money and that was enough for her. After all, she was hardly there because of his sparkling personality. He was a lousy shag and all; he was well past his prime and he was a bit too quick off the mark. But he was part of her game plan. A girl had to look out for herself and she was determined to do just that.

She settled back to watch her programme, she liked Noel Edmonds, he looked quite kind and he had all his own hair which as far as she concerned was a definite bonus. He was also possessed of a nice voice, she could listen to him for hours.

As she heard Peter slam the fridge door ranting and raving, she decided to get herself out of it. She had done her stint, and she felt she had earned herself a pension. It was time for the baby to be conceived. Her bonus, her wage packet.

The front door slammed and as Peter left the premises she felt herself relax. It was a hard old graft, but she knew how to play the game.

Terri Garston was sick, physically sick. She had never encountered anything remotely like this in her life. A tall girl, she had always been expected to look after herself, but she was really chicken-hearted. She cried at Disney films, and was still convinced that some day her prince would come. Though how she was supposed to meet him while on the bash, she wasn’t sure. She was a nice girl who had fallen into her job like she had fallen into everything in her life, accidentally.

Danielle Crosby had introduced her to the life and Terri had been pleasantly surprised by how easily she had adapted to it. Lazy by nature, she had relished the short working hours and the large sums of money. It was a very seductive lifestyle and, as she embraced it wholeheartedly, she soon found herself with a large clientele along with an even larger cocaine habit.

She had not, however, expected to find her friend as dead as a doornail, and her employer doing his crust about it. Anyone would think
she
had murdered Danielle the way the sharpest knife in the drawer, ">Kate because Peter Bates was carrying on.

‘Will you clear the flat of any drugs that might be hanging round,
please
? Then you have to phone the Filth, so get your arse in gear. The last thing you want is to be done for possession. And if they ask, you know nothing about her or any of the customers, right?’

Terri nodded, but she was frightened now. Peter was clearing the flat of everything that could incriminate him or the girls and, as he searched, he made a conscious effort not to look at the dead girl on the floor. He knew he was probably removing evidence, but that was hard fucking luck, he had no intention of getting a tug for anybody, let alone a fucking brass.

They were a breed apart as far as he was concerned. He might have a struggle with a bird now and again, but he prided himself on never getting involved with the staff and, even though he knew he should feel responsible for the girl’s demise, he wasn’t going to let it intrude on his daily life. He just provided them with a roof under which to conduct their business, took his earn, and didn’t think about them at all. He was annoyed that Patrick had blanked him. He might be a sleeping partner, but he wasn’t in a fucking coma. Peter was grieved at Pat’s reaction, that he wasn’t going to help out. But he still didn’t feel it was anything to do with him. She was dead, but it wasn’t his fault. She knew the score, knew the pitfalls. At the end of the day, if he hadn’t given her a base to work from, then someone else would have. And until now, it had guaranteed all the girls a level of security they would never have had on the street.