a heavy ragga number playing.’
‘What’s ragga?’
‘Dancehall reggae. I think she’s at the JOS club.’
They heard the music from a block away. Kathy cruised slowly past the club entrance and parked on a double yellow line near the
street corner. Brock stared at the old building, thinking of a night
in April, twenty-four years before.
‘I’d better do this,’ she said.
‘What if Vexx’s in there? He knows you, doesn’t he? I’ll go.’
‘He knows us both.’
‘Then we’ll both go. Come on.’ Brock got out of the car and she followed.Clusters of people were standing around the entrance, smoking and appearing to be cooling off, sweat gleaming on their faces. They eyed them curiously as they walked up to two large men in suits and shaved heads at the door. Kathy was waved through but Brock was stopped with a hand on his chest.
‘Hey!’ Kathy laughed and slipped her arm around Brock and pressed herself against him.‘He’s mine.’
Several watchers laughed and the men gave bleak smiles and stepped back. Brock handed over some money, and they climbed stairs towards the booming sound. At the top they were plunged into a dark space vibrating with dancing lights and figures and heat. It seemed impossible to identify anyone in here, let alone talk to them. They hesitated at the edge, trying to adjust their senses, then began to make their way slowly around the edge of the writhing crowd, Kathy half a dozen paces in front of Brock. Eventually he saw her stop and turn back to him, signalling to stay where he was. He watched her approach a couple against the wall, standing very close together, holding drinks, their faces almost touching so they could talk.
They separated when Kathy reached them, and after a moment the man moved away. Brock watched the two women trying to communicate,with hand and body gestures supplementing shouted words, but this seemed to prove impossible, and they began to thread their way through the crowd towards the entrance, Brock following them down the crowded stairway. They stepped through the doors and stopped as Magdalen fumbled in her bag for a cigarette. She was swaying slightly and seemed clumsy in her movements. Kathy was talking to her and trying to guide her away towards the car. Suddenly the girl’s mood changed and she pulled away from Kathy and said something angry, flapping her hand in the air. Some of the people standing around were watching them now. Brock hurried forward and she tottered as she turned to him. He caught her arm.
‘Easy now, Magdalen,’ he murmured.
‘Who are you?’
‘He’s another friend of Tom’s,’ Kathy said.‘It’s okay.’
‘Yeah, well don’t hassle me. I just want a fag.’ She fumbled with the lighter and got it going.
One of the bouncers at the door called out, ‘You okay, Magda?’
‘Yeah.’ She waved to him.‘It’s all right, Troy.’
‘She saw Tom here last night,’ Kathy said.
‘That’s right.’ A gleam of perspiration lit Magdalen’s face beneath the streetlights as she tilted her chin and blew out smoke. ‘Look, I’m sorry about what happened to him, but he tried to use me too, right?’
Kathy nodded.
‘Yeah. He told me he’s goin’ to lose his job, is that right?’
‘Looks that way.’
‘Well, who wants a job like that anyway?’
‘Was he angry with you, last night?’
‘No, no. He was sweet, really. Just kinda sad. He said he still liked me.’
‘He does like you,’ Kathy said,‘in spite of what he had to do. He likes you a lot.’
‘Yeah?’ She shivered suddenly and clutched her arms across her chest. In the cold wind of the street her short glittery dress looked like no protection at all.
‘You’ll catch a chill,’ Kathy said.‘Let’s talk in the car,’ and before the girl could object they both steered her to the parked car and eased her in. Brock got behind the wheel and started the engine, turning up the heater.
‘Did he say why he came to the club last night?’
‘To see me, he said.’
‘Did he talk about his plans?’
‘No, I just assumed he’d be around.We talked about tonight, and I thought I might have seen him here again, but he never showed up.’
‘How do you mean you talked about tonight?’
‘Oh, about family and that. It’s St Patrick’s Day, right? The Roach family throws a big dinner-dance for all their friends. It’s traditional, year after bloody year. I hate it. I told him I’d be the only one not there.’
‘They hold this at home?’
‘No, at a hotel on the river.’
‘So there’s no one at home tonight?’
She shook her head and Brock and Kathy exchanged a glance.
Magdalen caught their look. ‘Hang on,’ she said, ‘you don’t think-Oh, Christ, no. I can’t believe-’
‘Did you tell anyone else about your conversation with Tom?’
‘No . . . Wait, yes. Teddy Vexx saw us together at the bar downstairs last night, and he asked me later what we were talking about.’
‘Where’s Vexx tonight?’
‘I dunno. Troy said he had a job on. I’d better ring my dad. If that stupid bastard-’
‘Better still,’ Brock said, putting the car into gear,‘let’s pay him a visit.’
As he drove, Kathy called for back-up, and a patrol car joined them on Blackheath, leading them fast under lights and siren as far as the turn-off into Shooters Hill, where Brock overtook and led the way to the gates of The Glebe, which were open. They drove into the central courtyard where they saw a car parked askew outside Magdalen’s parents’ house, whose front door was standing open.
‘That’s Mum’s car,’ Magdalen said, and jumped out and ran to the house, the others following. Inside they found Magdalen’s mother Adonia kneeling beside a chair on which Spider Roach was sprawled.She was holding a glass of water and a bottle of pills.Every light in the room was on, including the garish central chandelier, and the old man looked pale and sick in the dazzling illumination. Adonia rose to her feet as they ran in, saw the uniformed men and said,‘You took your time.’
As Magdalen ran to her mother, Brock said,‘What happened?’
‘We had a robbery, that’s what. Some bastard broke in here and started going through the place.’ She gestured at a cabinet with drawers hanging open.
‘Shut it,’ Roach croaked from his seat.
Adonia misunderstood.‘I’ll tidy up later, Dad.’
Kathy was sniffing the air.‘Someone’s fired a gun in here.’
‘I noticed a smell when I came in,’ Adonia agreed.‘I know the man was hurt. Ivor got a call from his security men and came first, then Dad wasn’t well and I brought him home.’
‘So where are they now?’ Brock said.
‘Hospital, I suppose . . .’
‘Shut it, you stupid cow!’ Roach’s voice lashed her like a slap, and she blinked in surprise. He had hauled himself upright and was beating the air with a claw-like hand.‘My daughter-in-law is confused. There was no burglar. Nobody’s been hurt.’
‘But Dad . . .’ Her voice faded as he glared at her.
‘You seemed to be expecting us,’Brock said.‘Did you ring for the police?’
‘Well, no. I assumed Ivor would have . . .’ The expression froze on Adonia’s face as she finally understood what was going on. ‘Dad’s right. I must have got it all wrong.’
‘Did you see him,Mum?’Magdalen cried.‘Did you see the man?’
Her mother frowned,shook her head.‘I got it wrong.’
‘No you didn’t,’ Brock said. ‘Where did they go, Spider? Where did they take him?’
Roach turned to Brock with a sneer on his mouth. Brock recognised the expression, the curl of the lip, full-
