The Norway Room (23 page)

41

It was nearly one o'clock when Carrow drove out of the Mendy, three hours since his last drink. He might still be over the limit. But he had to drive. A cab was no good for this.

He cut through Selly Oak. His finger caught the wiper rod and he jumped as the wipers sprang into action. There was a police car outside the hospital. Carrow held his breath as he drove past.

Across the Bristol Road into Harborne and then into Bearwood's dark and silent streets. He was surprised to see a light on in Ruthie's flat. He had expected it to be dark, her in bed now, if she was there at all.

There were half a dozen flats in the old house. Ruthie's was number three, on the first floor. He pressed the buzzer. Held it. He had imagined he would have to ring several times to rouse her from sleep. But the intercom came to life immediately. ‘Yes? Who is it?'

And with that the situation seemed completely absurd. He was acting on a hunch – at one in the morning. Pretending to be a copper again. DI Carrow.

‘It's Carra,' he said.

‘Carra? From the Norway Room?'

‘There's only one.'

‘Well, he can fuck off.'

‘Ruthie! Ruthie?' But she was gone. He back-stepped to see her window. The curtains didn't move. Just panels of yellow light. This was the moment to go. Jack should be doing this, not him. He could call him in the morning – tell him what he knew. But he rang again. Nothing. And again, holding the button for longer this time.

‘I told you to go away.'

‘You didn't put it quite like that. Ruthie, I want to talk to you.'

‘Tough. I don't want to talk to you.'

‘Ruthie. You are in a lot of trouble, and I want to help you.'

‘I'm not in any trouble.'

‘Oh yes you are. You and lover boy Kieran Walsh. And your new best mate Mrs Stretton. All three of you will be up on a double murder charge before morning. If you don't talk to me, squad cars will be here in minutes. I might be able to help you.'

The moment of truth. If he had got it all wrong, she would tell him to fuck off again, tell him she was getting on to the police herself. But she said none of those things. She said nothing. Until, as he heard the buzz of the lock releasing, ‘Come up.'

She was wearing an ivory-coloured robe. Her hair was up. A comb plugged into it. Wisps fell loose on to her face. And all he wanted to do was take her in his arms. And the clever girl knew. She knew and there were tears in her eyes.

In the short time it had taken him to mount the stairs she had prepared a strategy.

‘You've really scared me Carra. What's all this about?'

‘Where's Kieran?'

‘Not here. I don't know.'

Carrow wished he could develop a strategy as quickly. ‘You don't mind if I do?' And he sat down on the sofa.

She sat beside him. ‘So are you going to tell me why you are here? Seriously. Or is this all part of some kinky fantasy to get me into bed. Are you going to put me in handcuffs?'

‘I'm not a copper.'

‘Old habits die hard.' She held up her wrists and giggled.

So this was her plan. And it meant he had got it right. About Mrs Stretton. The fur coat. Kieran Walsh. If he wasn't right, she wouldn't be resorting to tricks like this. He pushed the wrists gently away. Resisting made things easier. ‘Kieran's involved in the shooting of my boss at the Norway.'

‘What? Has he been murdered?'

And now it was easy. For the performance had turned to ham. Ruthie could do sex, seduction, but not much else. Certainly not innocent surprise.

‘Him, and his PA. Both shot through the head.' There was an attempt at a reaction, shock, horror, but it was still ham. ‘Kieran didn't do it himself, of course; he got some Chinese to do the dirty work. A mate. A partner. Or just a hire. But nicely throwing the scent towards the Dragons.'

‘The Dragons?'

‘You know who they are, Ruthie. And the sooner you level with me the better.' She edged away from him on the sofa.

‘I don't. I don't know what you're talking about.' She was crying. ‘Even if Kieran is involved in something, it's got nothing to do with me. I'm not even seeing him any more.'

‘Ruthie. The game's up. You helped him. Made the link with Mrs Stretton. I saw you with her. Going into the Gables. I've seen you with her and Kieran. Together. I saw her again tonight. On the news. Wearing that expensive fur coat of hers. Mink, would it be?'

Now the acting stopped. She was listening to him.

‘Kieran is setting up on his own in opposition to Crawford, isn't he? And his first move is the Norway Room. Linton and the Dobermans are involved, financial investment I guess – and you're the link, Ruthie. The Miss Fix It.'

‘I don't know what you're talking about, Carra. Honestly I don't.'

‘Stretton won't sell the Norway Room. But his wife will – if she gets the chance. And she'll get that if she becomes his widow. If his fancy piece goes with him so much the better. Kieran gets rid of them, and in exchange she sells to him at a reduced rate.

‘He's not daft is he, your mate Kieran? Whatever Mrs Stretton thinks she is going to get for the Norway, she's involved and so will have to sell at his price. And with that Kieran has set up on his own. Your old pals the Dobermans have been trying to get a foothold in the club scene here for a while now I believe, and so I guess you've been able to arrange a little financial investment for Kieran from them; a little bit of funding to help the boy get going.

‘You've been a busy girl, haven't you, Ruthie? Crawford, me, the Bulgarians – you negotiated their withdrawal from Stretton's job, I saw you talking to one of them in the club that night you disappeared without saying goodbye – which sounds a bit like accessory to murder to me. And you a member of the caring professions. And you were looking after Kieran and the Dobermans of which your boyfriend, Howie, if I recall correctly, is a long-time member. He'll be out soon and your pay-off should set you and Howie up nicely. Mind if I smoke?'

‘I'll have one with you.'

When the cigarettes were lit Ruthie was ready to play her hand. ‘If any of this was right? Any of this guesswork? Because that's all it is, Carra, as you said yourself, guesswork. Hunches. There is no hard evidence for any of it. But, if any of it
was
right – you said you had come to help me. How could you do that?'

This was it. The tipping point they called it. Carrow recalled interview rooms. Hours of denial. Then the tipping point. The recognition they were sussed – the case would stand up. The moment someone says,
Let's switch the tape off for a moment shall we? Take a break
. The time for negotiation.

‘I know the men on the case, Ruthie. You turn witness and I'm sure they'll be able to help you out.'

‘Are you? How sure?'

‘Look Ruthie. It's done. I know. They know. It's just a matter of proving it. Easier if you testify. Mrs Stretton will get cold feet and break down, especially if they give her the chance to ditch the blame. Which they will. And it'll be too late to save yourself then. What the police want are the blokes who did it. Kieran and his Chinese friend. They get them, the case is cleared. That's all they care about.'

She turned and brought her legs up, not as he momentarily thought might be the case, to knee him in the crotch, but merely to close up. Get closer. A feeling of intimacy. She was at it again.

‘Look. There is no way I'm going to implicate Linton, the Dobermans. And I don't want to bring Mrs Stretton into it. Her mother's a resident at the Gables, a lovely old lady, that's how I got to know her.'

‘And Kieran Walsh. His mom in there too? Is that how you got involved with him?

‘Kieran's fancied me for a long time. I went out with his boss, Crawford, a few times. He had a bit of a thing for me. Especially when he knew about Howie, the Dobermans. He collects information like clubs. Like women. He wanted me to find out everything they were up to. He didn't like me leaving him. He's not used to that. Almost stalked me for a time. Sending messages. Phoning. And for Kieran I was a bit of a trophy. He'd got what his boss hadn't.'

‘Ruthie. Oh Ruthie.'

‘Look Carra, if I told your friends, and then told the jury,' she added with a coy smile, ‘just this, and no more, that I had a fling with Kieran, and that through him I knew that he planned to see Stretton off? Except that I never imagined he would
really
do it, or I would have gone to the police. All talk, I thought. I was devastated when I heard about the murders. I can give them info on his partner. Feiyang's his name. He runs a takeaway on the Mendy, the Bamboo Garden. I'll say I had heard them talk of getting in before anyone else and leave it at that. I won't bring up the Dobermans, Crawford, or those other people – what did you say they were called?'

Carrow ignored her question. He was thinking about the guilty people who would go free. Including Ruthie.

‘Very good,' he said eventually. ‘I think Inspector Dowd might be happy with that. Yes, I think everyone will be very happy with that.'

‘Except Kieran. And Feiyang.'

‘Well, you can't please everybody. Shall I give my friends a call?'

ASHLEY

42

Ashley was sitting on the bathroom floor. Kieran stood over him, listening.

‘I was scared shitless, Kieran. I had no phone, no money. Nothing. I knew I was in trouble. Big trouble. With you and Crawford. What was I supposed to do? I didn't stand a chance against those Paki kids. There were too many of them.'

The Chinese bloke, Feiyang, had Geezbo in the corridor. Geezbo had walked straight through the door into them. There had been nothing Ashley could do to warn him. Now Ashley could hear Feiyang on the phone, talking Chinese.

The right side of Ashley's face was numb where Kieran had belted him. He dabbed at it to assess the swelling. He had been expecting his eye to close up, his sight to become restricted and watery. He hated that, but so far it hadn't happened. Perhaps he'd get away with it.

‘So this gaff's Linton's is it?'

‘The Dobermans'.'

‘He is the Dobermans. And your retarded mate looks after it for them?'

‘He's not retarded.'

‘He will be when I've finished with him. Tonight's the first time you've been here?'

‘Yeah. I'd got nowhere else to go, had I?'

‘And what have you heard from next door?'

‘Nothing. I told you.'

‘Stay there,' Kieran barked.

‘I've got no fucking choice have I?'

Ashley was beginning to think things might be all right. Okay, Kieran had belted him a bit. A kick or two. But he had to expect that – in the circumstances. He hadn't really beaten him up. Or worse. They'd both got guns, Kieran and Feiyang. If they were going to take him out they would have done it straight away. Wouldn't they?

Ashley could hear Geezbo yelling. He was getting a beating now. When the door opened again, Feiyang pushed him into the bathroom with Ashley. There was blood on his face. He sat beside Ashley panting. Ashley waited. Geezbo was taking deep breaths. Then he was up on his knees over the toilet bowl throwing up.

Kieran pushed his head round the door. ‘D'you think we should tie them up?' he called to Feiyang.

‘There's no point. We can't go anywhere. I've got nowhere to go anyway. You've got guns.'

‘And we'd have one more if you weren't such a spastic pratt. Wait here quietly.'

Geezbo rose from the toilet. Pulled the back of his hand across his mouth. ‘Man, dem goin' be big trouble when Linton learns 'bout dis. Big trouble, man. For evey body.' Ashley liked the way Geezbo spoke. His attitude. He wasn't giving in. Didn't seem scared.

‘Don't you worry about Linton, nutterboy. Linton's in with us. So there'll be no problems – so long as you two behave. Now sit down, and stay here.'

He pulled the door as far as the wires.

Ashley was reassured again. He knew Kieran. That tone. He'd given them a bit of a belting; that was as bad as it was going to get, he was sure of it. Geezbo bent over the bath and rinsed his mouth out then crouched down beside Ashley.

‘Push over. Make room.'

‘There ain't no room.' The two boys were crammed together beside the bath.

‘They got t'Chinaman's wife. In next door. Like a hostage man. That's why they're 'ere. They both 'oldin', man. So they must be 'oldin nex' door too innit. I 'ere im threatin' on de phone. We comin' in. Stansta reason tey holdin' next door or tey jus' go in an blow 'em away.'

Ashley tried to rub his knee that had started to throb. A little blood was oozing from Geezbo's nose. ‘Your nose is bleeding.'

Geezbo reached into the pocket of his jacket for a handkerchief. ‘Not enough room to blow my nose,' he complained.

Voices were raised in the corridor. A yell. A cry. Shocking. Like an animal's howl. It brought both boys to their feet. Geezbo pulled back the door and they edged into the hall.

The curtain was drawn back and in the open doorway stood another Chinese man, older than Kieran and Feiyang, bald, not tall but powerfully built, suited. He wasn't from the Bamboo Garden, Ashley was sure of it. He looked calm despite Kieran's and Feiyang's guns. Kieran held Feiyang around the chest, restraining him, trying to stop him from taking aim. Feiyang struggled to break free, his gun waving about. But the man in the suit never moved. He just watched Feiyang's gun as it swerved and waved. Kieran squeezed Feiyang's chest, shook him. ‘Drop it.' Kieran's gun caught Feiyang's ear. Feiyang held on to his own gun. Ashley held his breath, and saw again for a moment that same gun – he knew it was – resting against Benjy Graham's lips.

The man in the suit remained cool.

‘Drop it. Drop the fucking thing,' Kieran bawled. Right into Feiyang's ear. The gun fell from Feiyang's grasp. To the floor. But the bald man didn't go for it as Ashley expected. He's not scared at all, Ashley thought. Supercool. Kieran nudged the gun away with his foot.

‘Now calm down a bit,' Kieran told Feiyang. Like a whisper. Tight in his ear. ‘Okay? Just keep calm.' Feiyang's head dropped, defeated.

‘It is the way.' The man in the suit was talking to Kieran. ‘The Dragons' Way. He knows this better than you do. Honour. Revenge. What did you expect? You kill the people we are doing business with. What did you expect? The girl is gone now. It is over.'

‘Siyu!' Feiyang's head flew up. Kieran held him as he attempted another lurch at the bald man, who didn't flinch.

‘It had to be, Feiyang. You know our history. The Emperor Bang. It is only because we are family that I leave you standing.' He made to leave. Then turned back to Kieran. ‘It is not necessary for you to do anything. We will clear everything up. It will be as if nothing happened. No one was ever there. We will talk again – you and I. Another day. Now take him away.'

The man pulled the door behind him as he left. ‘Take deep breaths,' Kieran told Feiyang. ‘Don't go crazy.'

Feiyang's chest continued to heave. But he was no longer trying to break free of Kieran. In fact it seemed now as if he was leaning against him. ‘They killed her.'

‘Try to stay calm. There'll be time later. We have to think this out. Okay? Carefully. The whole situation.' He relaxed his hold a little, testing. ‘Okay?' Feiyang nodded. Kieran let go. Feiyang did nothing. Kieran spotted the two boys peering from the doorway. ‘Get back in there.' He pulled the blackout curtain across and as he did so Geezbo dived. Kieran turned at the sound. But he turned from the shoulder. Geezbo was at his feet. Going for Feiyang's gun. Ashley saw Feiyang move to grab Geezbo. He saw Kieran look from Geezbo to Feiyang. Kieran was looking at him when the gun went off and Feiyang fell to the ground. Geezbo yelled. Kieran raised his gun. But not quick enough. Geezbo fired.

‘Between the eyes,' he screamed with glee, ‘between the fuckin' eyes.'

He rose and moved backwards towards Ashley. Panting. And sweating. Ashley could see Geezbo's face was wringing wet. He touched his own. Damp, but not wet like Geezbo's. The two boys stood together in the cramped hallway. The buzz of the electrical wiring behind them as loud as gathering flies. They stared down at the two dead men before them.

‘Yus uncle ova, man.'

‘Let's get out of here,' Ashley said.

‘Come on.' But the dead men were blocking the way. Kieran's head had fallen on to Feiyang's foot and so was raised as if he were lifting it to look around, as if to say,
What the fuck was that? What happened?

‘They're in the way.'

‘Jus' step ova dem, man. Tey not gonna do nuttin.'

Neither boy moved, but the curtain behind Feiyang did. A quick whisk and the Chinese bloke was back, gun in his hand. Geezbo still held Feiyang's gun, and though he raised it slightly, it was only for a second, instinctive. He was offering no resistance.

*

Ashley thought he was going to be shot, and he cried even as he did as he was told. Shot in the shower, so that the water drains away the blood. He'd seen that in films. It was probably quite common. Geezbo followed instructions too and removed his shorts. ‘You gonna execute uz, man?' His attitude, if not defiant, at least appeared unconcerned.

‘Just take your clothes off.'

Ashley supposed this was bravery Geezbo was displaying. There had been an urge in Ashley to beg the Chinese not to hurt him. To explain to them that it was Geezbo, not him, who had done the shooting. And he was surprised that he was able to overcome this urge, although he knew that if he were taken into a room without Geezbo he would probably lose his courage.

There were just the two Chinese men with them now in this flat next door to the Dobermans' cannabis farm. One was the bald man who had been arguing with Kieran and Feiyang, the other a younger man, also smartly suited.

‘I knows you,' Geezbo told the bald man. ‘I seed you before. Comin' and goin'.' Ashley thought this was probably an unwise thing to say. It could make things worse for them.

When they had been brought into the flat there had been a lot of talking in Chinese. Several other men had arrived. All Chinese. There was a lot of activity at the window. Men looking out. Checking what was happening below. Instructions, it seemed, being given over the phone. The bald man waving to someone. Geezbo asked if they were going to be thrown. ‘Are we for the drop?' he had said. No one had responded.

‘Put your clothes in here,' the younger man said. He held a bin liner. ‘We're going to burn everything.'

Once showered they were taken to a bedroom. ‘Now, sit on there.' The bald man nodded to a blue futon. The younger added, ‘Keep quiet and you will be all right.'

There was always someone in the room with them. But no one paid them too much attention. Eventually they were given a blanket each, some bottles of pop.

When the men lit cigarettes they gave one to each boy. This gave Ashley confidence. If they were going to kill them they would have done it by now. Wouldn't they? Course they would.

Then they were questioned. By the older man. The other standing beside him. Like coppers in a way. Except coppers won't let you smoke when you're underage. They asked about the cannabis flat next door, who ran it, and Geezbo answered truthfully as far as Ashley could tell. It was obvious they knew all about the Dobermans. When the man asked if they knew the Englishman, Ashley said he did. A friend of his dad's. Who worked for Crawford. Then he explained that in fact he wasn't really English but Irish, having come over here as a child.

They called another man to watch over the boys and left. Others came and went from the room. Sometimes their guard changed. If they tried to speak to each other they were told to shut up. Eventually Geezbo fell asleep and then Ashley too, but fitfully and for a shorter time.

The next morning they were given some sandwiches. All Day Breakfast with a Twix bar and a can of Coke each. Later they were given cheeseburgers and another Twix.

Then with dusk came the fear again for Ashley. How long were they going to be kept here? The longer they were kept the worse it was likely to be. That's what they say, isn't it? The fear went when someone arrived with a bin bag of clothes. T-shirts, jeans and trainers. The trainers were good ones. They wouldn't be doing this if they were going to kill them. Geezbo complained when he was given jeans. ‘I pride in my appearance, man. I wear shorts. Always. Not this stuff. Nor there ain't no 'oodies 'ere either. I always wears 'oodies.'

The shaven-headed man told him he would be thrown out of the window if he didn't put the clothes on. Geezbo put them on. For the first time in what seemed like forever Ashley found himself laughing – at the new Geezbo, in his jeans and T-shirt. Both too small for him.

‘You dead when this is ova man,' Geezbo told him.

The fear returned when they started to take things out of the flat. The blue futon, pictures off the wall. Even a Buddha. They were put in separate rooms. But not for long. The younger man came for Ashley and took him to the main room where Geezbo was sitting on the floor. It was empty now but smelt of joss sticks. The window closed. ‘Sit down.' There was nothing in the room to sit on so he sat on the floor beside Geezbo.

The bald man came in. Both men crouched before them. Ashley noticed the black fabric of the bald man's trousers stretch across his broad thighs. Geezbo would probably look a bit like him when he was older.

‘You must listen very carefully. You have seen and done many things boys of your age should not see or do. You have stumbled into the world of men before your time, and tried to act like us. Some boys play stupid games on the railway. It is thrilling – but many get killed. Some are lucky. The train whisks by and they survive – by a hair's breadth as the English say. You are like those lucky boys. The train raced past and you have survived.

‘Everything has been taken care of. It is our way. The Chinese way. One day you may wish to study our culture. It can only benefit you. But for now, listen carefully. All is over. It is as if it never happened. We will take you back now to this house you live in. Then – you clean your minds. Forget. Not the luckiest amongst us escapes the train twice. Live your lives. Better than before if you can. But if you want to keep them – forget everything. Do you understand?'

Ashley was shocked at the words he heard from Geezbo before he could say a thing.

‘Yes, sir.'