‘Listen.’ Clayton’s voice dropped to a low, harsh hiss. ‘I still remember when we dragged you in. Just a poor little teenage prossie runaway, terrified. Who would do anything not to go to prison.’ His voice dropped further. ‘Anything. So we made a deal, didn’t we? You said you had intel on all the major drugs gangs operating in the area.You would provide us with that intel. As long as we looked the other way and kept you out of trouble.You were happy for our help then.’
‘Yeah. And I gave you plenty of stuff. It put people away. But that wasn’t enough, was it? You wanted something more.’
‘So I took a few freebies.’
Her eyes hardened. ‘You took more than that.’
He stared at her. Tried not to let her words scare him. Got himself under control. ‘You want me to tell your new boyfriend all about it? About your old life?’
‘Fuck off.’ There was real anger behind Sophie’s hissed words. Then she sat back. Smiled. ‘Wonder if your new boss would be interested to hear about what you used to get up to? What you used to do to me instead of paying me the money you owed? What I had to do for you?’
Clayton’s eyes hardened. Fear gave way to the promise of violence. ‘Don’t.’
‘Then don’t fuck me about, either. Just as long as we both know where we stand.’
They sat there in silence, staring at each other.
‘What made you pick this place?’ said Clayton eventually. ‘Old times’ sake? Didn’t figure you for the sentimental type.’
Her eyes flashed with a dark fire. ‘You don’t know anything about me at all.’
Another silence. Sophie looked at her watch.
‘Can’t sit here all night,’ she said. ‘Got to go home soon.’
‘Bet he doesn’t like you being out on your own. Seems like the controlling type.’
Sophie said nothing. Clayton knew he had hit a nerve. He pressed on. ‘Right. We’ve been doing some diggin’. Want to know what we found?’
Sophie shrugged.
He struggled to conceal his excitement at what he was about to say. Back in control again. ‘I found out that when you used to be on the game, working for us, you knew someone we’re interested in.’
‘Who?’
‘Susie Evans.’
Sophie shrugged again. ‘So? Lots of working girls knew Susie Evans. I didn’t know her very well. She was low rent. I always aimed higher.’ She adjusted her top. ‘Besides, I’m out of the life now.’
‘So is she. She was murdered, remember? Course you do.
It was in all the papers.’
Sophie looked away, not wanting to match her eyes with his.
‘And there are similarities between her murder and Claire Fielding’s.Your boyfriend’s ex. Coincidence?’
‘Yeah,’ said Sophie. ‘Ryan never knew her.’
Clayton sat back. ‘How long have you been with Ryan?’
‘Couple of months. Went for a job at his firm.’
‘Really? Strange career progression. Why’d you do that?’
‘Had this boyfriend who was a metal merchant. Told me there was a vacancy. Put me up for it. Got the job, met Ryan, the boyfriend got the push.’
Clayton said nothing. The boyfriend was probably a client. He doubted Sophie was totally out of the game. ‘So you get the job and this boyfriend of yours gets an inside eye into another firm’s dealings.’
‘Except I started seeing Ryan and dumped him.’
‘The old boyfriend mustn’t have been very happy. What did he do? Go back to his wife?’
‘He never left her.’
Clayton allowed himself a small smile of triumph.
‘So now you’re with Ryan. And his girlfriend-’
‘Ex-girlfriend.’
‘All right. Ex-girlfriend, then. She winds up murdered. Same way as an old mate of yours.Your new boyfriend has a history of violence towards women, and with you in the middle there’s a connection between the two.’
Sophie said nothing.
‘Not only that…’ Clayton leaned forward, ready to play his ace. ‘You lied for him. He was out when the murder happened, wasn’t he? And you lied to us and told us you were with him.’
Sophie again said nothing.
Clayton sat back, pleased with himself, but slightly put out that she hadn’t responded. ‘So where was he?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
Clayton studied her face. She wasn’t just holding out on him; there was something else. ‘You’re scared of him, aren’t you?’
He thought she would sit in silence again, but eventually she nodded.
‘You know what he’s done to other women and you’re scared he’ll do that to you.’
She nodded again. ‘Yes.’
Clayton’s voice carried a greater degree of warmth and concern than was perhaps professionally necessary. ‘Then why are you with him?’
‘He’s… a good bloke. Looks after me. Never want for anything.You know.’
Clayton knew.
‘And he’s… he’s not that bad. I know all that stuff with Claire, that got him down. But he’s over it now.’
Her voice sounded thin, her words hollow. ‘No he’s not, Sophie. And you don’t believe that either. You’re worried. I’m guessin’ he’s still obsessed with her. He was out when she was being murdered. And he won’t tell you where. Is that it?’
Another nod.
‘And that’s why you agreed to see me.’
‘Yes.’ She sighed.
‘So what happened? Where do you think he was?’
Sophie leaned forward. Clayton got a great view of her cleavage, but he wasn’t interested now. This was more important. This was work.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘He went out saying he had to meet someone. That it was business. When he got back, I was in bed. I heard the shower, then he came and joined me.’
‘Does he often go out on business?’
‘Sometimes.’
‘That late at night?’
She said nothing.
‘And does he always need a shower when he comes back?’ Silence.
‘And that’s what he said when you asked him about it? That it was business?’
She nodded. ‘I thought it was Claire at first. Because he’s…’ She sighed. ‘He’s not over her. The baby and everything. ’
‘He wanted her to get rid of it.’
‘So he said. But… I think it just scared him. The whole thing.’
‘He didn’t say anything else? About the baby? Give you… give you anything to go on?’
She frowned. ‘What d’you mean?’
He didn’t know whether to tell her. The fact of the baby’s disappearance had been kept out of the media. And she didn’t seem to know what he was talking about. He decided to leave it at that.
‘So you thought that’s where he was?’ he said, continuing with the questioning. ‘With Claire?’
‘I didn’t want to think that.’
‘Course not. What d’you think now?’
She didn’t answer. Instead she looked at her watch. ‘Shit, I’ve got to go. Take me home. We’ve got to go now.’ She stood up, grabbed her bag. Clayton stood also, placed a restraining hand on her arm.
‘Look, you don’t have to go. We can help you. Keep you safe if anythin’ happens.’
