only scrubber round here who doesn't.'
Doris Duke was short as Sharon was tall. They finally tracked her down some forty minutes later, climbing out 170 of a Mazda saloon in four-inch heels that still left her well below average in height. She was wearing a pink T-shirt that stopped between belly button and ribs, a waist-length nylon jacket, midnight blue, and a skirt which, when she backed out of the car, left little to the imagination. A small handbag hung from one shoulder by a gold chain.
'Doris.'
She almost smiled when she saw it was Sharon; a smile that fast turned sour when she saw the two men in her wake.
'Doris, we'd like to talk.'
'Oh, we would, would we?'
Divine wanted to slap the sneer from her face for a start.
'Yes, about your friend.'
'Which friend's that, then?'
'Marlene.'
No. '
'Marlene Kinoulton. Don't let on you don't know who I mean.'
'I know who you mean, all right. Just she in't no friend of mine.'
'Since when?'
'Since she legged it with fifty quid she owed me.'
'And when was that, Doris?'
'Couple of days back.'
'And the fifty pounds?'
'Lent it her, didn't I? Slag never give it me back.'
'Why did she want the money?' Divine asked.
'I don't know, do I? Never asked.'
'Come on, expect us to believe you handed it over, just like that?'
'I don't give a toss whether you believe it or not. So happens it's the truth. One of your mates says they're short, you don't go through some sodding inquisition, right? If you've got it, you hand it over.'
Divine wasn't so sure.
'Even if it's fifty pounds?' Naylor asked.
Doris Duke laughed.
'Fifty? What's fifty quid? I can thumb down the next punter comes along here, earn that in twenty minutes.'
'Then why,' said Sharon, 'are you so steamed up about it? '
'Christ, you don't understand anything, do you? It's the principle of the sodding thing.'
They went to sit in Sharon's car to talk, Doris insisting that they drive well clear of the Forest first.
'Certain people see me sitting with you lot, they'd be less than well pleased.' Doris had grown up in the same part of east London that Sharon had lived in before striking out for the provinces, and because of that, and the fact that Sharon was clearly different the Vice Squad wasn't exactly overflowing with blacks Doris felt that, underneath it all, Sharon was all right.
But now it wasn't Sharon asking die questions.
'And you last saw Marlene when?' Divine said.
'I told you, Tuesday.'
'The day you lent her the money?'
'Yes.'
'Lunchtime. In the Queen.'
'Jesus, yes.'
'All right, Doris,' Naylor said, 'we only want to be sure we've got It right' 'Oh, yes, I know,' sarcasm edging her voice.
'Don't want to put words into your mouth.'
Or anything else. Divine thought. Under the car's interior light, Doris's make-up was thick enough to chip and there was the dear residue of a bruise, dark above her left eye.
'And she didn't say anything about her plans? Taking off somewhere for a few days? We know she used to work 172 in Sheffield and Derby. That wasn't why she wanted the money? For the fare?'
'Look,' Doris said, her voice taking on the pained expression people reserve for children, the old or the very deaf,
'I don't know where she is. Don't even know where she's been. We were mates, yes, but we never lived out of one another's pockets. Sometimes she'll be off somewhere, weeks at a time; I don't see her around and then I do.
This business, you don't ask too many questions. And the fifty. '
She pulled open the ashtray beside the dashboard and stubbed out her cigarette. '… Most likely she owed someone. Either that or she just fancied going into town, buying herself a new dress.'
Why would she do that? ' Sharon asked.
'Why would you? Cheer herself up, of course.'
'Or make herself look smart.'
Doris gave it a moment's thought.
'Maybe.'
'So as to work the hotels.'
'Maybe.' Doris started rummaging for a cigarette in her bag and Sharon offered her one instead.
'Thanks,' angling her head towards the' window as she lit it and exhaled.
'If you knew,' Sharon said, wishing that the two detectives weren't there, doing her best to exclude them with her voice.
'If you knew that was what Marlene was going to do, try the Victoria, say. The Royal. Maybe the Crest. If Marlene had told you that was what she had in mind and then you read about what happened to that man in his hotel room, well, I wouldn't blame you for keeping quiet.'
Doris looked at her, blinking through the veil of cigarette smoke.
'Yes, but I don't know that, do I? If she did that, I don't know nothing about it.'
Sharon gave a brief sigh and sat back.
'You're sure you don't know Marlene's new address?'
'Sure.'
'Okay,' Sharon said, swivelling round and snapping her seat-belt into place.
'Why don't we take Doris back to work?'
They watched her walk away to join the knots of girls on the edge of the Forest
'Wouldn't know the truth,' Divine said, 'if it jumped up and bit her in the arse. '
Naylor shook his head.
'I don't think she knows anything,' he said.
'I'm not so sure about that I think she does,' Sharon said.
'And if I don't push too hard I think she might tell me, but I'd have to be on my own.'
'Aside from us, then,' Naylor asked, 'why wouldn't she open up now? '
'Partly, it's against her instincts. And I think she's frightened.'
'What of?'
'I don't know. And maybe it's not for herself, maybe it's on account of her friend.'
A car slowed as it neared them, the window rolled down on the driver's side.
'Get home to the wife,' Divine called.
'Before you get nicked.' The window went back up as the driver accelerated away.
'Why don't we call it a night?' Sharon said.
'I'll try Doris again tomorrow, all right? And we'll keep in touch.'
You run on. Divine wanted to say to Naylor, just run on ahead and let me give it a try. A drink some time,
