Okay, now I need to think about this. ‘You know I’m in Newcastle, Detective. You sent a lad up here to follow me around.’
‘You think I have them kind of resources, Innes?’
I can’t say anything. If it’s not Donkey following me around, then it’s someone else and I don’t want to think that through.
‘Listen, I want you to stop going round the club.’
‘You don’t make the rules, Innes.’
‘This shit between you and me, it’s got nowt to do with Paulo.’
‘Now that’s sweet, but I don’t care. You get your arse back to Manchester and turn yourself in, and maybe we’ll talk about it. Until that time, I’ll go wherever the fuck I want and cause trouble for whoever the fuck I want.’
‘You’re not bothering to investigate this, are you?’
Donkey coughs into the phone. ‘I’m investigating. Trouble is, my prime suspect did a fuckin’ bunk. Now what does that say to you about their innocence, eh?’
“I didn’t do a thing to Dennis Lang. If you’d bothered to ask questions ‘
‘Don’t tell me how to do my job, Innes. I don’t come to your work and slap Mo’s cock out of your mouth, do I?’
‘Fuck’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It means, you don’t get back to Manchester quick-smart, I’ll have a word with the police up in Newcastle and tell them what you’re up to. And in the meantime, I’ll make sure I do everything in my power to have your mate’s club shut down.’
‘You don’t know a fuckin’ thing.’
‘Never stopped me before,’ he says.
Don’t I know it. ‘I’ll be back when I’m back, Detective.’
‘I’ll look forward to it.’
‘In the meantime, you might want to get off your arse and ask some questions at The Denton. In fact, you might want to start off with Mrs Lang.’
Donkey starts to say something, but I cut him off. I realise I’ve been gritting my teeth.
As I turn the corner, the reason for me coming to Benton comes into view.
Alison Tiernan lives in that block. Enough running around. It’s time I found out what the fuck’s going on.
THIRTY-SIX
I look around for Stokes’ Escort, but it’s nowhere in sight.
Which means I’m okay for the time being. I don’t know how long that’s going to be the case, though.
I walk round to the front of the building just as a fat guy wearing an anorak comes out of the block. I make a show of looking for my keys, and give him a smile when he holds the door open for me. He doesn’t return it.
When I get into the hallway, my mobile starts ringing. It’s George and he sounds like someone slapped him.
‘Where the fuck were you?’ he says.
‘Sorry?’
‘Last night, you were supposed to meet me. You owe me money, Mr Innes.’
“I owe you fuck all, pal. In fact, you owe me for a couple of tyres.’
‘What?’
I click him off. The mobile starts ringing again almost immediately.
‘Listen, George, I don’t owe you a fuckin’ thing. Sue me.’
‘Mr Innes?’ It’s not George. A female voice.
‘Who is this?’
‘Um, it’s Pauline. Remember?’
Shit. ‘Yeah, Pauline. Sorry about that. What can I do for you?’
‘That bloke you were after, he’s in the casino right now.’
‘You sure?’
‘He just threw a strop with one of the dealers, grey in his hair. Yeah, he’s the guy. You want to come over and take a look?’
‘I can’t right now, Pauline. Listen to me, try to keep him there if you can. Tell him he can have free drinks or something and I’ll pay you later, okay?’
‘I can’t do that, Mr Innes.’
‘Well, just try to stall him.’
‘How?’
‘You’re a bright girl. You’ll think of something.’
‘Don’t patronise me. You sound like ‘
‘Bye, Pauline.’
I hang up on her. If she’s got any sense, she’ll leave Stokes alone. But I’m counting on her not knowing what kind of arsehole the guy is and playing it my way. It might buy me a little more time with Alison.
I take the concrete steps two at a time, and I realise that this block has a ground-floor flat and a first-floor maisonette. I walk towards the end of the landing, look out over the balcony and check out the carpark. Then round again to face the door.
This has to be it. It’s the only one that could correspond to the window I was watching last night. I take a deep breath, adjust my jacket and knock on the door.
At first, I’m not sure if there’s anyone in. I knock again, harder this time. I hear a voice from somewhere behind the door. For a brief second, I think it’s Stokes and my gut tightens.
It can’t be. He’s at the casino.
The sound of a chain being put on the door. I brace myself just in case Pauline got it wrong. Thinking, well, if it’s Stokes, I’ll peg it and call Mo. That’ll be the end of it, questions or no questions. I am the self-preservation society.
The door opens a crack. I can see one side of a girl’s face.
‘Alison Tiernan?’ I say.
She starts to say something, then makes to close the door. I jam my foot in the gap. She slams the door on it and pain shoots up my shin. I curl my fingers round the door and pull it as far as I can off my foot. ‘Listen to me, Alison. My name is Callum Innes ‘
“I don’t know you. Get your foot out my door.’
‘Your dad sent me.’
‘Fuck off’
‘You’ve got to let me in, Alison. I’m not going to hurt you, alright?’
‘I’ll call the police.’
‘We both know you won’t.’
‘I’m not letting you in.’
I keep my foot where it is, but I let go of the door. ‘Fine.
Then I do this from out here. I know what Rob’s been doing.
And I know you two took some cash that didn’t belong to you. But I’m here to help. If I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t have bothered knocking, would I?’
She stops trying to slam the door. Her lips purse and she looks at me through the crack. Figuring me out, wondering if I pose a threat.
“I mean it, Alison. If I didn’t need to sort some stuff out, I wouldn’t be here, believe me. I would’ve called Mo by now.
We stand there in silence for a few seconds. Then she says, ‘Get your foot out of the door.’
‘Are you going to let me in?’
