‘Right, you … five minutes, but it’ll cost you!’ she ordered, hand stretched out.
Brady knew her well enough to know that it was an act to cover herself.
‘Take it out your expenses! I have a job to do and bills to pay. But you pull any stunts like that sick bastard Adamson and I’ll make sure Davy takes care of you good and proper like!’
Brady knew from Dr Amelia Jenkins that DCI Gates’ ‘golden boy’ Adamson had allegedly compromised his status as a copper on an earlier investigation by attempting to force Trina McGuire to perform a sexual act on him. He had threatened to bring her in for questioning if she didn’t follow through with his demands. Amelia, who had been assigned the same investigation, had walked in and found Adamson in a compromising position with Trina McGuire pinned against the wall. Since Adamson had been thwarted before his demands had been met, Amelia hadn’t reported the incident. She had confided in Brady, unsure of what to do about what she had witnessed. But Brady had heard enough rumours about Adamson not to have been surprised by Amelia’s disclosure.
Brady had heard nothing more about it, and had assumed that Amelia had decided to keep quiet, ultimately realising that corruption in a male-dominated force, aligned with deep-rooted sexism, was a powerful institution to single-handedly fight. He also knew that Trina would not have substantiated Amelia’s story. Trina McGuire had her own way of getting even with creeps like Adamson; ones that didn’t involve the police.
‘I’m nothing like Adamson. You of all people should know that!’ Brady replied sharply.
Trina looked at him.
‘You’re a copper aren’t you? All the same as far as I’m concerned,’ she scornfully replied.
Brady didn’t bother retaliating. In her eyes he was a traitor; always would be.
He watched as she nervously glanced over at the bartender. He was obviously the look-out guy. Watching all the comings and goings. Anything odd, or not quite right got reported to the boss who was no doubt sitting upstairs in his office wanking over porn. Or his bank statement. Same difference, thought Brady.
‘Yeah, yeah. I’m good for it,’ Brady said as he took out his wallet.
He handed over three ?20 notes.
She snatched them, counted and gestured for more.
He gave her two more.
‘I expect some private time for that,’ Brady said.
‘Like I said, five minutes,’ repeated Trina.
She then looked at the bartender who had just finished with the call.
‘Bacardi and Coke. Make it a double and he’s paying,’ Trina said as she gestured at Brady.
Trina’s eyes darted over towards the bottom booth. Three of the men were now clapping and shouting at something the lap dancer was doing to their friend.
‘And one for Nicoletta. She’ll need it after they’re through with her,’ Trina commented ruefully.
Brady was about to object but decided to keep quiet; he was just relieved that Trina hadn’t had him thrown out.
‘Twenty quid,’ said the bartender placing both drinks down on the bar.
‘
‘You heard. Twenty quid or I call security.’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ answered Brady as Davy, the hired muscle shot him a look. He threw a twenty onto the bar. ‘Keep the change,’ he muttered as he picked up the drinks and walked over to the booth where Trina had sat down.
‘Five minutes, starting now,’ Trina said taking her drink.
‘Nick,’ Brady began. ‘He’s back.’
‘So?’
‘I can’t get hold of him,’ Brady answered. ‘And for some reason he’s pointed me to you.’
She didn’t reply.
‘Listen, Trina, this is serious. Alright? It’s not a game!’ Brady hissed at her, keeping his voice low.
She made a point of casually checking out her long, polished nails.
‘Look … I don’t know if you’ve heard but we’ve got a copper critically ill in hospital and a sixteen-year-old girl is lying sadistically murdered in the morgue.’
‘What’s that got to do with me?’
‘Everything. Because I reckon Nick’s been to see you.’
Trina visibly flinched, losing the hard edge that she needed to survive in the underworld she inhabited.
‘For Christ’s sake, Trina, he’s in trouble! Understand? It’s his brother you’re talking to now, not a copper. And by the end of today I reckon I’ll be out of a job anyway.’
She took a long, slow drink as she deliberated whether to talk.
‘Come on, Trina! Do you think I want to be here? You read the note. You know as well as I do that he wrote it. I need to know what it means,’ insisted Brady, trying, but failing to keep the desperation out of his voice.
‘Alright,’ she whispered. ‘I honestly don’t know what’s going on, Jack. Okay? All I know is he turned up here yesterday looking for a girl.’
‘
‘Yeah … but not the way you’re thinking,’ she said correcting him. ‘One of their girls had gone missing and they wanted her found.’
‘Who’s they?’ demanded Brady.
‘The men he works for … two brothers named Dabkunas. Marijuis and Mykolas …’ Trina paused as she looked around nervously.
‘How do you know their names?’ Brady questioned as he realised that the initials on Melissa Ryecroft’s body now made sense.
If Melissa Ryecroft had been taken by these men and branded then ‘MD’ would stand for Marijuis and Mykolas Dabkunas. And Marijuis was the name of her Eastern European boyfriend.
It all made sense now.
‘How the hell do you think?’ lowly hissed Trina as she shot Brady a hard look.
She was clearly pissed off and Brady couldn’t figure it out.
‘Nick!’
‘What’s he done, Trina? What the fuck has Nick done?’
If there was one person who was always in Nick’s camp, that was Trina. Even when he dumped her to start a fresh life in London, she wouldn’t have a word said against him.
Brady had always wondered about Trina’s allegiance to Nick. And vice-versa. He knew that if Nick ever came up to the North East, he always made a point of visiting her. He had often wondered what the connection was between them.
‘Nick’s working for them, isn’t he? These men are evil, Jack. You have no idea. I wouldn’t even spit on them. They’re bringing girls like Nicoletta into the country and taking their passports from them and forcing them to work.’
‘What? Sex?’
‘Fuck me! You’re quick!’ she replied, her voice thick with scorn.
She looked at Brady and shook her head.
Brady was certain he could see tears welling up in her eyes.
‘Anyway, Nick’s caught up with them. I don’t know why … it’s not like him, you know?’
Brady knew alright.
‘What’s he working as?’ he asked.
But he already knew the answer. He just needed it confirming.
‘He’s working as their driver and bodyguard,’ Trina muttered reluctantly.
She looked at him. Her eyes filled with fear.
‘Jack? You’ve got to stop him,’ Trina begged. ‘Talk to him. Make him see what kind of men he’s working for.’
‘That’s why I’m here. I knew he was caught up in some real bad shit.’
‘He’s not just involved with the Dabkunas brothers though. It’s bigger than that. Much bigger …’
‘What do you mean? Who else is involved?’
‘Nick said … he said he was working for a very powerful man … an ambassador …’
