Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6) (38 page)

Pitt moved forward and Beth backed up in fear. 'Let's get comfy shall we sweetheart.'

'Listen, I have to pick my eldest up from my mothers, she's expecting me,' Beth could hear the stutter in her voice, the thread of fear running through her words.

'This won't take long, now in you go.' Pitt ushered her into the small tidy lounge, the TV was on Peppa Pig was busy climbing a slide in a colourful garden.

Pitt smiled as he watched the screen for a few seconds. 'My youngest loves this,' he said before turning his dead eyed gaze back towards her.

Beth fell onto the sofa, Pitt remained standing, the top of his head mere inches from the light shade.

'Now Donny had been dealing...'

'I don't know anything about that, we hadn't been together for over six months,' she blurted.

Pitt nodded. 'I bet you were glad to see the back of him eh Beth?'

'He called here the other day but I told him to sod off,' she licked her lips before smoothing down the wispy hair on the toddlers head, her eyes frantically searching for an escape route.

'So you have no idea where he was getting the gear from?'

'I don't have a clue, I know he used to sell some stuff for the Mellor’s...' she snapped her mouth closed as Pitt lifted a hand.

'I hope you haven't been as free with your words to the coppers, Beth?'

Beth whipped her head from side to side, suddenly she needed to use the toilet. 'Honest Dave they came here yesterday, but that was only to tell me what had happened to Donny.'

'So they didn't ask you about drugs or who Elliot was working for?'

'I swear they...'

'Don't
swear
unless you mean it Beth.'

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. 'I promise that's all they wanted to tell me that Donny had been killed.'

Pitt watched her closely and then he shrugged his huge shoulders. 'So I don't need to tell you to keep your mouth shut do I?'

'But that's just it I don't know anything, Donny never told me and I didn't want to know about what he got up to.'

'Good girl,' Pitt rumbled before sitting down in the chair opposite. 'Now what about friends?'

Beth shrugged. 'Donny didn't have any proper friends, they were all
bag heads
and
scrubbers.'

'So tell me about these bag heads and scrubbers?'

Beth tried to think, tried to come up with some names, but her brain felt like a stagnant pond.

'
Names Beth
, and make it quick I've got a busy day.'

His words fell into the water breaking the still surface causing the ripples in her mind to expand. '
Nick Shaw
!' she said with a gasp.

Pitt's pig-like eyes widened for a second. 'You were right when you said bag head, now what about the scrubbers?'

Beth lowered her head and kissed the top of the baby's head as if asking for forgiveness. 'I know he was seeing Sharon Cliff for a while.'

'
Really
?'

Beth looked up and frowned. 'You know her?'

'Let's say I've heard of her, so Donny was giving her one was he?'

Beth's face turned sour. 'He once told me she'd do anything for a bit of smack.'

'Heard the same thing myself sweetheart. Now can you think of anyone else?'

Beth tried to conjure another name from the confusion and then she slowly shook her head and glanced at Pitt. 'Like I said he never had a lot of friends and he only told me about Sharon to make me feel like shit.'

Pitt folded his arms. '
And did it
?'

Beth bounced the gurgling boy on her knee. 'To tell the truth I was relieved at least it meant he left me alone for a bit.'

Pitt rose up from the chair like some ancient monolith in an Iron Warrior T-shirt. 'Right Beth remember what I said, no gabbing to the filth.'

'
I promise
.'

'I hope so love because I'd hate to see the kiddie go into care for lack of having a mother.'

Beth swallowed, she couldn't speak as the threat speared her to the sofa. In the end, all she could do was nod in understanding.

Pitt smiled in return.

97

Lasser slid the key into the front door, his right arm cradling the box full of Indian food, the smell of spices wafted around his head making his stomach rumble. Shouldering the door open, he moved into the hallway and smiled at Medea who waved at him from the kitchen a wide smile on her face.

He grinned back at her as he walked down the hallway.

Emma was sitting at the kitchen table her hair fastened back with a wide black band, her shoulders covered with the throw from the sofa.

'Ah, they let you out then?' Lasser asked as he placed the box on the table.

Emma smiled though he could see the smudges of tiredness beneath her eyes and the slight shake in her hand as she lifted the glass of wine from the table. 'I couldn't have stayed there another night.'

'Yeah, I know the foods not up to much so I hope you're hungry?'

'Starving.'

Medea placed three plates on the table before kissing Lasser's cheek.

'You could do with a shave,' she said rubbing her hand over his bristle.

'I was thinking of growing a beard. What do you reckon?'

'And why would you want to do that, I mean, you keep your hair cropped so close that from a distance you look bald so why on earth would you want to grow a daft beard?' Medea asked with a shake of her head.

'Hang on - I thought they were meant to be
fashionable.'

'That was six months ago,' Emma said as she reached into the box and pulled out a stack of poppadum’s.

'So you two think I'm behind with the times, is that it?'

Medea spooned some rice onto the plates. 'Come on Lasser I bet you don't even know what a selfie is?'

Lasser frowned. 'So Emma how do you like it, hot and spicy or nice and mild?' he held a tray of curry in each hand.

When the two women burst into gales of laughter, Lasser blinked in surprise. '
What
?'

Medea looked at him and then she spluttered with more laughter, her eyes streaming with tears.

Lasser frowned, put the food down and reached for the bottle of wine.

Half an hour later they were sitting in the lounge, Lasser felt fat and full, his feet plonked on the coffee table, Medea leaning back against him. Emma sat opposite nibbling on a poppadum.

'And you're sure you don't mind me staying?' she asked.

Lasser waved a languid hand. 'It's been a rough few days for you Em, you stay as long as you like.'

She smiled and nodded and then her face seemed to crumple. 'Have they managed to get the car out of the water yet?'

Lasser cleared his throat. 'To be honest I'm not sure.'

Emma rocked back and forth slowly in the IKEA bouncy chair. 'That's fine,' she whispered. 'I just wondered.'

Lasser watched her closely, the chair picking up speed, her left foot tapping at the floor in agitation. 'You know Emma there are people you can talk to about what happened, I mean, if you want I could sort it for you?'

Medea turned to him in surprise. '
You could
?'

'Well yeah, I mean, it's been a traumatic time and...'

'Are
you
going to seek counselling?' Emma asked.

Lasser looked at her nonplussed. '
Me
?'

'Well I'm not the only one who nearly died out there,' she nodded toward the window.

Lasser sighed. 'OK I'll keep my nose out but if you change your mind then give me a shout.'

Medea snuggled back into his shoulder.

Emma slowed the chair down as if suddenly aware of her body language. 'I promise if I need help then you'll be the first one I come to.'

Lasser stifled a yawn and found his eyes closing, he could hear Medea and Emma talking in low tones their words lost to his brain as it sank deeper towards sleep.

Questioning the locals in the Vic had turned into a fruitless exercise, there had been ten blokes locked in the pub, seven of them had been half crocked, and the other three had been the ancient codgers who had been playing dominoes in the corner, their rummy eyes glazed with age.

After ten minutes of grunts and shrugged shoulders, Lasser, much to Bob's disappointment, had unlocked the door and watched as they blinked into the fading light before shuffling outside.

Bob had watched them leave with distressed eyes.

'So what do you want to do?' Lasser had asked as Odette fastened her coat, sweeping the ponytail from her collar.

She turned and looked at the Landlord. 'You never finished telling us about Mr Hancock did you Bob?'

'There's not much to tell, he used to come here almost every night, then it fell to two or three, but he always turned up sooner or later.'

'Married?'

'Nah I don't think so.'

'Family?'

'Well he had a brother but he's doing stir, and I think his parents are long gone.'

'Do you have any idea why this brother is serving time? Lasser asked.

Bob frowned. 'Summat to do with drugs I think.'

'And you're sure he never had a girlfriend?'

Bob adjusted a stack of beer mats on the bar. 'I said he was never married, I didn't say he didn't play the field.'

Lasser could feel his frustration go up a notch. 'So come on can you give us a name?'

'Afraid not.'

'Right Sergeant I think we're done here,' Odette said as she headed for the door.

'Hang on I haven't finished!'

They turned together; Bob scratched the side of his nose with a bony finger. 'There was one girl and like I said I don't know her name...'

'So why are you telling us?' Lasser asked through pinched lips.

'Because she was here the night you lot turned up and carted Sharon Cliff away.'

Odette was suddenly striding back towards Bob who took a step back in surprise.

'
Explain
?'

Bob licked his lips and turned his pleading gaze towards Lasser who shrugged at him as if to say you're on your own pal.

'Right, let me think,' he paused for a moment and then nodded as if thinking back to the night of the attack. 'This girl was with Hancock but I know I hadn't seen her before, I mean, I don't really know what went on, but she was the one that Cliff attacked.'

'Why didn't you mention this sooner Bob?' Lasser asked.

'Because until I saw Davy Hancock on the floor I'd bloody forgot.'

'
Forgot
?'

Bob looked befuddled. 'Aye I forgot, I mean, it's not against the law is it?'

'So Cliff went for the mystery girl with a bottle, and what happened did Hancock get involved in any way?'

Bob shrugged. 'I'm not sure, it was busy that night and by the time I got over there Cliff was being held back by Sarah Clark so I got straight on the blower to you lot. I remember Hancock balling and shouting as he headed for the door...'

'With the girl?' Odette asked.

'Well yeah, she looked shook up but he just kept pushing her to the door, and Cliff was screaming her head off, you know effing and blinding.'

'Can you remember what she was saying?' Odette asked.

Bob blushed. 'I can but I'm not saying words like that in front of you.'

Lasser ran a hand across his head. 'I know she looks like an English rose Bob but believe me you won't make her blush.'

Odette looked at Lasser in surprise and then smiled.

Bob cleared his throat. 'Well she was shouting things like
'slag'
you know nasty stuff.'

'Anything else?' Odette asked.

Bob squared his shoulders.
'She said I'll fucking kill you, you bitch cunt. There now are you satisfied?'
Bob snapped before spinning away, his face burning with embarrassment.

'Lasser wake up!' Medea gave his shoulder a shake.

Lasser blinked his eyes open and yawned. 'What time is it?' he mumbled.

'Half past twelve.'

Stretching his arms towards the ceiling he looked bleary eyed around the room. 'Where's Emma?'

'She helped me clear up and she's just gone to bed.'

Lasser shook himself and shivered.

'Listen I'm going to make a brew why don't you go and get some sleep.'

'Are you sure?'

'Positive, besides knowing your luck as soon as your head hits the pillow Bannister will be on the phone.'

'God, don't say that, I'm knackered,' he said as he scrambled to his feet.