‘ Do you? Even now, with a face like this and a chest that looks like a burned turkey dinner?’
‘ Honey,’ he told her tenderly, looking straight into her eyes, ‘I’ll admit that initially I was attracted by your looks, but I fell in love with the person behind them. I fell in love with the way you talk, the way you drag your feet, the way you have an answer for everything and a million more things. I’m still in love with that person, even if she is a bit burned.’
She swallowed. Her eyes became moist. ‘I thought you’d leave. I was terrified you’d go. I wouldn’t have blamed you.’
‘ Don’t be a dork. I love you.’ He spelled it out.
‘ I love you too, Joe.’
‘ Well, that’s all right then.’
One of her hands went to the back of his neck and pulled his head down towards hers. They kissed. A tingle of excitement made Kovaks curl up his toes. It was their first real kiss for many months. Slowly their lips parted and became wet and they began to explore each other’s mouths, tongues intertwining, sliding around each other like snakes.
‘ Joe, Joe,’ said Chrissy, breaking off, slightly breathless. ‘We need to make love.’
‘ I’ll second that.’ He bent down and scooped her up into his arms. Moments later they were on the bed and she was tugging hungrily at the belt on his trousers.
The next time Henry Christie looked at a clock it was 11.30 p.m. He had been busy all day setting up the incident room in the gymnasium at Lancaster police station. Then together with Karen and Donaldson he had brainstormed the lines of enquiry their team of detectives were going to follow the next day.
Henry was alone now; the other two had gone home. This was the last chance they would have for some time to get a good night’s sleep. He stood with his hands on his hips in front of the whiteboard upon which all their ideas had been scribbled down. There was a lot to go at. Tomorrow would be an even longer day.
Then he thought: Tomorrow — Christ! My day off!
He picked up a phone and dialled a sleepy-sounding Kate.
‘ Sorry,’ he apologised. ‘I know it’s late. I would’ve phoned earlier but I didn’t get a chance.’
‘ No, no, ‘sokay,’ she mumbled.
‘ About tomorrow,’ he began haltingly.
‘ You’re not coming, are you? I thought as much… er, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’ve seen the news, it’s a dreadful business.’
‘ Yeah,’ he said, stifling a yawn of his own. ‘I’m well involved in the investigation, so you’re right, I won’t be able to come round. You do understand, don’t you?’
‘ Yes,’ she said.
‘ I have to catch this bastard before he catches me,’ he said bleakly. ‘I think I may have to kill him.’
‘ Henry, that sounds rather dramatic.’
‘ He’s made it personal, love. He said he’s coming for me.’
‘ Christ,’ she breathed.
‘ Kate, I love you,’ he said. ‘When this is all really over, let’s get back together. No more talking, let’s just do it.’
‘ Yeah, OK,’ she said simply.
There was a short spell of stunned silence on the line.
‘ I love you too, Henry. Please be careful, I want you back.’
She hung up.
Henry slowly replaced the phone and closed his eyes gratefully.
Kate snuggled down under the duvet, next to Leanne who had sneaked in about twenty minutes before, claiming she couldn’t sleep. She had dropped off immediately next to her mother but the phone had woken her.
‘ Was that Dad?’ she asked dreamily.
‘ Yep.’
‘ Is he coming back?’
‘ Yes, soon.’
‘ Does that mean I won’t be able to sleep in here again?’
‘ Correct.’
‘ Oh, I don’t mind, so long as he’s back… I got told off for saying “Fuck” at school today.’
A minor arrest was about to be made on the streets of Blackpool.
It was the end of what, professionally speaking, had been a poor night for the prostitute whose name was Jane. She’d moved from pub to pub, mingling and soliciting, but all to no avail. No one, it seemed, had the money or inclination to pay for her services.
Frustrated by her lack of success — which was pretty unusual, but not completely unknown — she drank a good deal of alcohol. At closing time, well inebriated, she spilled unsteadily onto the streets and bought herself a bag of fish and chips. She then proceeded to eat them as she walked home. Quite often she missed her mouth when feeding it with handfuls of food and she ended up with a very greasy, uninviting face.
This, however, did not deter her from trying her luck with every man she walked past, whether he was attached or not. Her approach was brash and obscene and it went well with her appearance: a tight fitting mini skirt in cheap leather, laddered stockings and a blouse that was unbuttoned below the line of her freely swinging breasts, leaving nothing to the imagination.
She managed to strike it lucky just the once. She collared a sallow youth, a holidaymaker hardly past puberty, and all but dragged him down a back alley. She sank to her knees on the cobbles, placing her chips carefully down beside her, unzipped his jeans and slid her oily mouth over his flaccid cock. Despite the odds, she was successful in bringing about an erection followed by ejaculation. This done, she collected her chips, claimed five pounds and left the poor boy standing there speechless, wondering what the hell had hit him.
Back on the streets, with a mouthful of fish to take away the taste, she tried her luck with one or two other men who swore at her and pushed her away.
Then her luck really ran out.
Her last few attempts at solicitation were watched by two plain-clothed policemen, one of whom casually walked past her. He was treated to her one-line come-on. When he introduced himself and arrested her, she punched him in the mouth and smacked the remains of her supper onto his head. She was forcibly restrained, put in the back of a police van and taken, struggling and screaming all the way, to Blackpool Central police office.
Once inside a cell, she immediately calmed down, laid herself out on the bed and fell into a heavy, drunken slumber.
After their lovemaking, Joe and Chrissy lay interlocked for a long time, him still deep inside her, both savouring the last twinges of pleasure before he withdrew slowly.
Then he lay face up and she nestled into his chest.
‘ That was lovely,’ said Chrissy. ‘I’ve been wanting to have you inside me for weeks now, Joe. Do… do the burns matter to you?’ she asked timidly.
‘ No — not when you can fuck like that.’
She punched him gently in the ribs and giggled.
‘ How are you going on with Corelli?’ she asked. ‘I see you’ve brought some files home to work on.’
Kovaks sighed. ‘As ever, he evades our clutches. Like he has a sixth sense.’
‘ Do you honestly think he was the one who sent the letter?’
He nodded. ‘Oh, yeah. Just a warning. Business, y’know, nothing personal. But I won’t give up on him. I’ll get him one way or another. ‘
‘ I hope you’re not planning anything illegal,’ she said. ‘You see, what I finally realised, Joe, was that he hadn’t destroyed my life. If he’d taken you away, that would have destroyed it, but I still have you, and I’m happy. I just thought, What the hell am I doing sat here like a moron week after week, thinking about revenge, being bitter and twisted, when I should be thinking about the future. You and me, Joe. That’s my future. Corelli can rot in hell. I
