Respect (Mandasue Heller) (37 page)

When his footsteps moved briskly away now, Chantelle stayed put, afraid that he was trying to lure her out of her hiding place by making her think he’d gone. She heard a car door slam shut in the near distance, but decided to give it a few more minutes before she risked breaking cover.

‘Right, what is it?’ Rob asked when he’d started the car and had the sat-nav ready to type in the address that Adam had found after finally managing to hack into the PI’s laptop.

‘Four thirty Mayfield Court,’ Adam told him. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘Go and get her,’ said Rob, peering at the sat-nav screen. ‘Christ, it’s literally around the corner,’ he said when the route had been calculated. ‘No wonder I couldn’t find her, she was probably already home.’

‘You can’t just go round there,’ Adam cautioned. ‘She told you she lived alone, but she’s lied about everything else, so she could live with mummy, daddy, and four strapping brothers, for all we know.’

‘So what am I supposed to do?’ Rob asked irritably. ‘I can’t just leave her with that film, or we can kiss goodbye to everything.’

Adam thought it over for a minute, then said, ‘Okay, she thought she was supposed to be meeting her boss to hand her phone over, so text her again …’

Chantelle was about to come out of hiding when her phone beeped. Trembling all over at the thought of what would have happened if Rob had still been standing outside the yard, she pulled the phone out of her pocket and saw that it was a text from Bill.

Sorry couldn’t get there, still working
, it read.
Are you okay?

I am now
, Chantelle answered.
Rob saw me and chased me, but I got away. About to go home, but don’t want to risk coming out again tonight in case he’s still hanging about. Can we meet in morning instead?

Of course. Have you called police?

No. Do you think I should?

Absolutely not!
came the quick reply.
We need to know what we’re dealing with first. Is anyone going to be with you when you get home?

My little brother, but Rob doesn’t know address, so we’ll be okay.

Good! Stay safe, see you in morning x

Chantelle smiled when she read the last message. It was the first time Bill had ever put a kiss at the end of a text, and it was nice to know that the woman cared about her as a person and not just as an employee. She was so glad that Bill wasn’t still angry with her for flouting the rules, and she prayed that she would get the chance to work with her again so she could make it up to her.

She checked the time now and then slid the phone back into her pocket. Rob had been gone for a few minutes, but she would wait a few more to make sure that he wasn’t still driving around.

28

Leon turned his music down when he heard a knock at the front door and crept out into the hall. He hadn’t seen Damo and Acky since that day with the gun, and Anton had promised that it was sorted. But Chantelle wasn’t the only one who was scared that they might just be biding their time, and so he was always nervous whenever he was alone in the flat at night.

He peeped out through the spyhole and called, ‘Who is it?’ when he saw a white man he’d never seen before on the step.

Rob had been looking around to make sure that no one was watching. He turned to face the door when he heard the voice and, expression serious, said, ‘Sorry to call round so late, son, but does Chantelle live here? Only there’s been an accident, and—’

Leon yanked the door open before the man could finish his sentence and gazed at him in dread. ‘Is she all right? What’s happened?’

‘She was hit by a car,’ Rob told him, assessing that he was around ten or eleven years of age. ‘Look, is there anyone else here?’ he asked, needing to make sure that Chantelle had been telling the truth about the kid being alone. ‘Mum or dad?’

‘No, just me.’ Leon was visibly shaking. ‘Where is she?’

‘She’s been taken to hospital,’ Rob told him. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Jones.’ He pulled out his wallet and quickly flashed his credit cards, sure that the boy wouldn’t be able to see any details in the dim light. ‘I’ll be going over there in a minute, but she asked for somebody to come and let you know. I can take you over there, if you like.’

‘Thanks,’ Leon said without hesitation, his concern for his sister overriding any suspicion that he might have ordinarily felt about a stranger turning up in the middle of the night and claiming to be a copper. ‘I’ll just get my shoes and coat.’

Rob took another look around when the boy rushed back inside to get his things. Nobody was about, and he was pretty sure there were no CCTV cameras covering the area. Adam was a genius for telling him to ask Julia, or rather
Chantelle
, if she’d be alone when she got home. Left to his own devices, Rob would have dived in head first and potentially got himself slaughtered. But once he’d heard that the boy was alone it was simply a matter of getting to the flat before her. She obviously had no intention of facing him, and would probably have called the police by now if her boss hadn’t told her not to – and no doubt
would
call them as soon as her boss’s body was discovered, which could be any time now. But if she realised that her brother was in danger she wouldn’t dare open her trap. Rob just had to get her to come to him so there would be no witnesses when she handed the phone over.

Leon’s eyes widened when he and the detective walked out from under the block a couple of minutes later and he saw the car they were heading for. ‘Is that
yours
?’

‘Sure is,’ Rob said, smiling when he heard the awe in the boy’s voice. ‘I take it you like cars?’

‘Love them,’ Leon affirmed, looking the car over as Rob unlocked the doors. ‘It’s
mint
. Must have cost a bomb.’

‘Probably,’ said Rob, opening the passenger-side door for him. ‘Luckily, I didn’t have to pay for it, because the force picks up the tab,’ he added after closing the boy’s door and going around to the other side.

‘Wow, I’m gonna be a copper if they give you motors like this to drive,’ Leon said, awed all over again by the car’s luxurious interior.

‘Good for you,’ Rob said approvingly as he locked the doors.

‘Which hospital’s she at?’ Leon asked when they set off.

‘Trafford General,’ Rob lied, smiling as he drove away from the flats. Nobody had seen him and the boy together, he was sure, so it wouldn’t be long before this whole sorry mess was cleared up and he and Adam could get back to business.

Chantelle missed Rob’s car by just seconds as she scuttled around the corner with her head down and walked quickly towards the flats. Her heart was beating wildly as she rushed up the stairs, and she was flooded with relief when she let herself in. She slammed the door shut and then leaned her back against it for several moments to catch her breath.

Leon’s bedroom door was open, the light spilling out into the otherwise dark hall. Calmer now, Chantelle popped her head inside to check on him. He wasn’t there and, guessing that he must be in the bathroom, she walked up the hall and tapped on the door.

‘Are you going to be long in there, ’cos I really need the loo.’

When no answer came, she tried the door, and was surprised when it opened. After going to the toilet, she went into the living room to see if Leon was in there. When she saw that he wasn’t, she checked the kitchen, and then her own and her mum’s bedrooms, before going back to Leon’s room.

‘Are you hiding?’ she asked, looking around. Then, frowning, she said, ‘Leon, just come out, this isn’t funny any more.’

When he didn’t pop out of the wardrobe, and she heard no give-away giggles, she began to feel scared. Leon had hardly left the flat since all that stuff with the gang, apart from to go to and from school, and he still hadn’t made up with Kermit, so she couldn’t think where he might have gone. She just hoped he hadn’t taken it into his head to go looking for her. Rob wouldn’t know him if he saw him, but there were plenty of freaks out there who would love to get their hands on a cute kid like him.

‘Okay, stop it,’ she scolded herself as her imagination began to run away with her. Leon was young but he wasn’t stupid, so there was no way he would be wandering the streets at this time of night. If he was worried about her, he would probably have gone to see Anton, she reasoned. The man was his hero, so it was the logical place to start looking for him.

Anton was in bed but not yet asleep. He’d been out earlier, playing snooker with the lads. But he was working in the morning, so when they had gone on to a club in town he had opted to come home instead.

Thinking that it was probably Shotz when he heard a knock at the front door, he pulled on his dressing gown before going to let him in. His friend had been pretty wrecked when he’d left him, so the dude was bound to be smashed out of his skull by now and in need of a place to crash, because he wouldn’t want to face his ma while he was in a state.

He drew his head back in surprise when he saw that it was Chantelle and not Shotz. He had seen her a couple of times since he’d helped her and her brother out that day, but only in passing, so it was a pleasant surprise to see her now.

‘Hey.’ He smiled. ‘Long time no see, stranger.’

‘Sorry, am I disturbing you?’ Chantelle asked when she saw that he was dressed for bed.

‘Not at all.’ He stepped back. ‘Come in.’

‘Thanks.’ She walked into the hall.

Anton closed the door and gave her a questioning look when he saw the worry in her eyes. ‘You okay?’

‘Not really,’ Chantelle said quietly. ‘I can’t find Leon. You haven’t seen him, have you?’

‘Not for a while, no,’ Anton told her. ‘When did he go out?’

‘Not long ago,’ Chantelle said, her concerns growing. ‘I went for a walk, and he was in his room when I left, but he was gone when I got back. I just hope he hasn’t gone looking for me.’ She exhaled shakily now, and bit her lip. Then, figuring that there was no point keeping Anton from his bed, she said, ‘I’d best go and look for him. Sorry for getting you up.’

‘It’s no problem,’ Anton assured her. Then, glancing at his watch, he said, ‘Look, give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll come with you. It’s too late for you to be walking around on your own.’

‘No, it’s all right.’ Chantelle shook her head. ‘Honestly, I’ll be fine.’

‘I insist,’ Anton said firmly, giving her a stern look to let her know that he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Chantelle didn’t want to put him out, but she couldn’t deny that she would feel safer with him by her side in light of what had just happened with Rob. So, smiling gratefully, she said, ‘Okay, thanks.’

Anton had just turned to go to his room when her phone rang. She slid it out of her pocket and was relieved to see Bill’s name on the screen, and not Rob’s, as she had half expected.

‘Hi, Bill,’ she said wearily. ‘Look, I’m really sorry, but can I call you back in a bit? Only my brother’s gone missing, and I need to find him.’

‘Don’t worry about Leon, he’s quite safe,’ Rob said smoothly.

Chantelle was so shocked that she let out a little cry and almost dropped her phone. Anton heard it and turned back. ‘
You all right?
’ he mouthed.

She nodded quickly and, taking a deep breath, croaked, ‘How did you get Bill’s phone?’

‘You’re a smart girl, I’m sure you’ll figure it out,’ Rob said. ‘Now listen carefully, because I’m only going to say this once. I’ve got Leon, and if you ever want to see him again you’re going to have to come and get him.’

‘Where is he?’ Chantelle’s face had completely drained of colour by now. ‘What have you done to him?’

‘Nothing –
yet
,’ said Rob. ‘But if you don’t give me what I want, I’ll kill him.’

‘Don’t you dare touch him,’ Chantelle cried. ‘I’ve called the police. They’ll be here any minute.’

‘No, you haven’t,’ Rob said calmly. ‘Who do you think sent you those texts telling you not to? Anyway, enough of the small talk. I want that film, so be a good girl and fetch it to me, and I’ll think about letting little brother come home.’

‘What film?’ Chantelle asked, fear for Leon making her temporarily forget what had precipitated this nightmare.

‘Don’t play games with me!’ Rob yelled, losing patience. ‘You’ve got it on your fucking phone, and I want it. Now, you either do as you’re told, or I swear to God your brother and your boss won’t be the only ones who die tonight!’

‘Okay!’ Chantelle cried. ‘I’ll bring it. Where are you?’

‘Usual place, half an hour,’ Rob told her. ‘But I’ll be watching before I pick you up, to make sure you haven’t done anything stupid. Do you understand?’

‘Yes, and I won’t – I promise.’

When the phone went dead in her hand now, Chantelle turned and fumbled with the door lock.

‘Hey, wait up,’ Anton said, rushing to her. He had no clue who she’d been talking to just now, but it was clear from what she had said that the caller was connected to Leon having gone missing, and he wasn’t about to let her go running off into danger if she was being threatened.

‘I’ve got to go,’ Chantelle insisted, still trying to open the door.

‘Not until you tell me what’s going on,’ Anton said, holding her by the shoulders and looking down into her tear-filled eyes.

‘I can’t,’ she sobbed. ‘It’s too dangerous.’

Anton’s brow was deeply furrowed by now. ‘Is this something to do with that gang? ’Cos if it is, I’ll—’

‘It’s nothing to do with them,’ she blurted out. ‘It’s …’ She trailed off and shook her head, still struggling to take it in herself. ‘Look, all I can tell you is he’s got Leon and my boss, and he won’t let them go until I do as he says.’

‘Right, well, I’m definitely not letting
you
go until you fill me in properly,’ said Anton. ‘Whatever’s going down, it sounds like heavy shit, and you can’t deal with it on your own.’

Chantelle squeezed her eyes shut and bit down hard on her lip. He was right: this was too heavy for her to deal with. But Rob had Leon and Bill, and she couldn’t take the risk of calling the police because he’d said that he would kill them both if she did. Rob obviously knew that she was behind those pictures getting to his wife, but there had to be more to it than that because this was way too drastic to be just about the film.