The Front (23 page)

       
Closing his locker with a weary sigh, Paul wondered what he’d let himself in for by taking a placement in this murderers’ paradise. Just thirty-odd miles away from his native Warrington, it felt like the other side of the Earth. Everywhere you turned someone was getting mugged, attacked, stabbed, raped or shot. He’d taken Moss Side because he’d liked the idea of working in a challenging environment. And the ghetto of the north was certainly proving to be that. In just three months he’d been to nine murders – five shootings, two machete attacks, a stabbing and a petrol-dousing.

       
The first was the one he’d never forget. A fifteen-year-old girl caught in a hail of bullets meant for her boyfriend – who had immediately denied all knowledge of her, claiming to be an innocent passer-by. If she’d died instantly, he’d have got away with it, too. But she hadn’t. She’d lain on the floor in a widening pool of her own lifeblood, her pretty face ripped to shreds and bits of her stomach leaking out, crying out for ‘Peppy’ – which just happened to be this innocent bystander’s rather distinctive name. Surprise, surprise!

       
Paul shook his head to clear his mind of the image of the girl. The first was always the worst, they’d been told in training. And it was true. But now he knew what a scummy world it really could be, he was hardening.

       
Going across to the sink, he splashed cold water onto his face to wake himself up. He really needed a shower, but that would have to wait until he got home.

       
The door opened as he reached for the towel, and Eddie Walker popped his head in. ‘You all set for tonight?’ he said.

       
‘Why, what’s tonight?’ Paul asked.

       
‘The party,’ Eddie reminded him. ‘At the nurses’ home?’

       
‘Shit!’ Paul muttered. He’d forgotten all about the party, and he really didn’t feel like going. ‘Oh, look, I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I’m knackered. It’s been a rough day.’

       
‘Tell me about it.’ Eddie laughed. ‘I’ve been down at Maine Road all day, kicking arse at the City match. Sad lot, the City fans. Don’t know why they bother – they never win. They only end up getting pissed off and laying into each other outside. Still, can’t complain, eh? Keeps me fit, all that aggro.’

       
Paul shook his head. ‘I thought we were supposed to stop the aggro, not join in with it!’

       
‘Perks of the job!’ Eddie winked. ‘You’ll learn. Anyhow, what are you doing? You’ll be sorry if you miss it. Those nurses are a rum bunch!’

       
‘What time?’ Paul asked. ‘I need a shower.’

       
‘It doesn’t start till nine,’ Eddie said. ‘We’re meeting up at The George for a quick one before we go.’

       
‘All right.’ Paul nodded. ‘I’ll meet you there at half-eight.’

       
‘Good man!’

       
As Eddie left to get ready, Paul tried to make himself feel enthusiastic. It was difficult when all he wanted to do was slope off home and get his head down. He hoped Eddie wouldn’t mind too much if he left early. Pulling on his jacket, he flipped the light off and headed out.

       
Turning his car onto the Princess Parkway a few minutes later, his spirits lifted when he saw that, for once, he had a clear road ahead. He’d have plenty of time to get home, take a shower and change before coming back.

As Paul Dalton drove by below, The Man was furiously pacing his living-room floor. He looked ready to explode, the veins in his face engorged, his neck cords standing out like rigid bars.

       
Max had never seen him so livid, and he’d certainly never been the cause – either directly or indirectly. He was terrified. And Jake standing behind the couch watching his discomfort with a gleeful smirk wasn’t helping matters.

       
‘What do you mean, “gone”?’ The Man thundered. ‘How’d he manage that when I told you to stay with ’im?’

       
‘I did!’ Max spluttered. ‘Well . . . for a bit, like. But he said he had nothing to do with it, and—’

       
‘And you just believed him, like a raas sap!’ Jake snorted incredulously. Turning to The Man, he thumbed towards Max, sneering. ‘For all we know it was him all along! Did you think to ask him where he got all the sponds to be laying an ounce of coke on this scally dealer, eh?’

       
‘Man, I swear to Jah, this ain’t nutt’n to do with me!’ Max protested his innocence to The Man. Then, jumping to his feet, he turned on Jake, spitting vehemently: ‘No way are you setting me up for this! You can think what you like, but I ain’t taking the rap for this!’

       
‘Oh yeah?’ Jake hissed, his eyes glittering dangerously. ‘So how come you—’

       
‘Shut it!’ The Man bellowed. Standing between them, he glared at each of them until they snapped their mouths shut, staring at each other in sullen silence.

       
Turning to Jake, he said, ‘It wasn’t Max. He wouldn’t have risked his neck going back to check on Pasha last night if it was. Now just cool it, ’cos we gotta sort this. Some little cunt is having a game at my expense, and I aim to find out who.’

       
Jake sniffed. He knew The Man was right, but it bugged him that Max had let Stevo get away so easily.

       
The Man sat down heavily. ‘I need a minute to think this through.’

       
Max sat down on the edge of the seat and waited while The Man brooded. He shot a look at Jake who was leaning against the door casually twiddling his dreads, and thought if he wasn’t so close to The Man he’d be getting a good kicking right now. He was well out of order with his snide remarks.

       
Not that Jake worried him. What did was knowing that this would escalate before it got sorted. And knowing that he was only tangled up in it because of his own big mouth really pissed him off. He’d lost his ounce, and now he’d lost his two hundred quid – all because he’d tried to do The Man a favour. Well, he wouldn’t be that stupid again. The Man he could do nothing about, but if he ever got his hands on Stevo he was going to cut him up into a million pieces!

       
‘Where did this Stevo say he got my money?’ The Man asked, his voice calmer, if still sharp.

       
Max let out a breath. ‘Some guy called Millie, or Melly? I think it was Melly. Stevo said he lived over in the Crescents. Robert Adam, I think. I forget what number.’

       
Jake snorted. ‘No kidding!’

       
The Man turned on him. ‘If you got nothing better to do, Jake, go make a drink.’

       
He waited until Jake had gone into the kitchen, then sat forward and took a spliff from his box. ‘Don’t pay no mind to Jake,’ he told Max. ‘He’s just looking out for me. He’ll come round in time.’

       
‘Yeah, I guess,’ Max conceded. ‘But you do know it wasn’t me, don’t you? And you understand what kind of position Jake is putting me in, saying shit like that.’

       
‘Yeah.’ The Man glanced up from beneath his brows. ‘Like you must understand the predicament I’m in? You’re the only one who knows how to trace where my money came from, and where the rest of it is. That’s why I want you to stay on this, Max. I want you to keep digging until you find the thieving muthafucker who wasted my man and took what’s mine. And when you find him, you let me know. I’ll take it from there, yeah?’

       
Max nodded reluctantly and sat back, pondering his position. It wasn’t good. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked the question that had been burning away inside him.

       
‘Look, man – no offence, but what about my money? When I brought that two hundred round, it was only to show you.’

       
The Man looked up, his brow creased, his eyes narrowed. ‘So what you saying, Max? You want me to give you my money?’

       
Max shifted uncomfortably. ‘Well, no, not exactly. It’s just that . . . well, it was your money, but at the same time it wasn’t. I mean, it was mine too, wasn’t it? Part of what Stevo owed me. It wasn’t like he just gave it me for nothing. He owed it, man. I’m sorry it turned out to be part of the shit you lost, but I don’t think it’s right that I should lose out.’

       
The Man didn’t answer. He carried on smoking his spliff, only looking up to take his glass from Jake when he came in.

       
Jake had also made a drink for Max – despite a burning desire to cut him up bad. He handed it to him without looking at him and took his own over to the window. Leaning against the wall, he stared out through the crack in the curtain.

       
Max sipped at the drink and waited. A few minutes passed before The Man finally looked up.

       
‘Right. I’ve thought about what you said, and I’ll tell you what I’m prepared to do. I’ll split the difference. I’ll give you a ton back now, and the rest when you find out where Stevo is – and who this Melly guy is. Lead me to my money, and I’ll make it worth your while. What do you say?’

       
Jake shook his head in disgust. The Man was definitely going soft. He should be
forcing
Max to take him to these people, not offering a reward and asking him. If he had his way, Max wouldn’t see a penny out of this – and he’d be out there now, sorting it out – or he’d be getting some concrete boots for breakfast.

       
Max wasn’t altogether happy with the deal either, but he knew it was better than he could have reasonably expected, given the circumstances. He wasn’t happy that The Man expected him to go searching, either. He wished he’d never got involved, and made a mental note to do for both Stevo and Melly when this was sorted – guilty or not.

       
The Man counted out a hundred and handed it across to Max, secreting the other hundred in his waistcoat pocket.

       
‘Just keep hold of it for now,’ he said. ‘I want to be sure none of this marked money gets on the street, so I can keep track of it. Is it a deal?’

       
‘Yeah, I suppose so,’ Max said, stashing the money quickly before The Man changed his mind.

       
Just then, the intercom buzzer sounded. The Man motioned Jake to answer it, and watched, frowning, as he took his sweet time sauntering out. The vibes weren’t right. Something was shifting between them, and it didn’t bode well. If Jake started playing up, he’d have to be taught a serious lesson. Rebellion in his team was the one thing The Man couldn’t afford right now. If word got about that his right-hander was hanging loose, the other posses would take it as a sign of weakness and start fucking him up. If that happened he’d end up killing someone, and that was the last thing he needed. He’d worked hard to rise above all that shit.

       
Still . . . If needs must.

       
When Jake finally picked up the intercom phone there was no one on the other end. Hanging up, he went to tell The Man. Less than a minute later, there was a knock at the door.

       
‘What the fuck?’ The Man hissed. ‘Go tek a look, Jake – and be careful.’

       
Jake went to peep through the spyhole. He hadn’t pressed the buzzer to release the door, so no one could have got in that way. And it certainly wouldn’t be a neighbour. So who the hell was it?

       
It was the girl, Linda. Standing in the hallway, pulling at her little skirt and flicking her hair into place.

       
‘It’s that slut!’ Jake snarled. ‘What do you want me to do?’

       
‘Shit!’ The Man frowned. ‘What’s she doing here?’

       
‘Preening herself for all the world to see,’ Jake spat.

       
‘Bring her in!’ The Man snapped tersely, annoyed that she’d got past the security door without waiting for an invitation. She was starting to do his head in. She’d been amusing for the first week, but now she was becoming a pure irritation. She seemed to think she was something special. It was time to disillusion her.

       
‘Shall I give her a slap?’ Jake asked eagerly.

       
‘No! I’ll sort this one,’ The Man said. Standing, he held his hand out to Max. ‘I appreciate your help. And don’t forget, I’ll make it worth your while if—
when
you find this Melly.’

       
Max shook The Man’s hand. ‘Yeah, okay. I’ll check you later.’

       
He followed Jake to the door, leaving without a backward glance as Jake dragged the girl inside, slamming the door behind him.

       
Wriggling away from Jake, Linda quickly ducked past him and ran into the living room. Rushing over to The Man, who was sitting again, she bent forward to kiss him.

       
‘What’s this shit?’ he snapped, sticking a hand up to keep her at bay. ‘Who said you could come round here?’ he went on frostily. ‘And how did you get in?’

       
She faltered. This wasn’t the greeting she’d expected. ‘A – a man came out while I was waiting, so I just came up . . . Thought I’d save him—’ she shot a wary glance at Jake ‘—having to buzz me in.’

       
‘You don’t ever come here without being told to!’ The Man shouted, waving his hand angrily. ‘You think I want people seeing you come here in broad daylight? Cha! If I want you, I’ll tell you!’

       
‘What’s wrong?’ she whined. ‘I thought you’d be glad to see me? Anyway,’ she added sulkily. ‘I’m your girlfriend. I should be able to come and see you without making an appointment!’

       
The Man jumped up furiously, pushing her to the floor. ‘Don’t you ever get sarcastic with me, bitch! And who said you’re my girl? Eh? Did I say that? You’re giving yourself airs, bitch!’