Daily Routine Orders 14
Feller rang my bell last night. 22.00 hours. I wasn’t worried. Provided you’ve got the situation under control there’s nothing to worry about. A swift recce through the curtain showed me a shortish chap of about forty-five. It was too dark for me to see his features, but something about the way he was standing told me he was agitated so I judged it best not to reveal my position. I never show a strong light after dusk. My table lamp has a sixty-watt bulb and from outside, with the curtains drawn, no illumination is visible. I know this because I’ve checked. Always check everything, that’s my golden rule. So I lay low and waited. He tried twice more, then left. I don’t know who he was or what he wanted, but instinct warns me he could be related to one of my recruits. I might be wrong, but my instincts are usually pretty sharp so I’ll exercise particular care over the next day or so.
By golly I will.
We’d probably have thought no more about it if it hadn’t been for Nick. I mean, Captain Hook might easily have been mistaken, and people move on all the time. I’d have forgotten Toya even quicker than I forgot Ginger if we hadn’t run into Nick that same afternoon, and who knows what might have happened then?
Nick’s the guy who sells the Big Issue on Camden Station, but we came across him under the bridge on the High Street. I’d just tapped a Yank for a quid when he came up to me. ‘I’m glad I saw you,’ he said. ‘Something funny’s just happened.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ I said. ‘The Prime Minister’s offered you a kip at Number Ten, right?’
‘No, listen. You know when you were looking for that mate of yours a while back?’
‘Ginger. Yeah?’
‘Well, I told you I saw him leave the station with an older guy, didn’t I?’
‘Yes.’ An older guy. Now where had I heard that recently?
‘Well, this morning an old gimmer comes up to me with a photo of his daughter, asking if I’ve seen her.’
I nodded. ‘We saw him too. What about it?’
‘This about it, my old mate. I did see her, a few days back, leaving the station with the same guy your mucker went off with.’
I looked at him. ‘What’re you saying? You mean, they go off with this guy –’
‘And vanish. Dodgy, or what?’
‘Yeah. Dodgy. Did you tell the old guy?’
‘Sure. He said somebody else saw the lass with a man, going into a house.’
‘I know. It was Captain Hook. His flat’s in the house. The guy’s been there but nobody answered the door. Did you tell him to go to the cops?’
‘Naw. No point, is there? All they’d say is, dossers move on all the time. No evidence, see? Nothing concrete.’
‘Yeah, but –’
‘I know. We could be talking murder here. Double murder, but it’s all supposition, my old mate.’
‘So what do we do?’
Nick shrugged. ‘I know what he looks like, and the gallant Captain has the address. I suggest we watch him for a bit – see what he does. If he’s what we think he is he’s bound to give himself away. Then we tell the fuzz.’
‘And what if he takes some other kid home in the meantime – we can’t watch him twenty-four hours a day.’ I looked at Gail. ‘What do you reckon, Gail?’
‘I – I’m not sure, Link. Listen – I’ve got to make a phone call. My sister. I’ll see you outside the Brazilia in ten minutes and we’ll talk about it, okay?’
We watched her cross the street. Nick grinned. ‘Now that’s what I call a cool chick. We tell her there’s probably a killer stalking the streets and she goes off to phone her sister. I don’t know where you find ’em, Link old son.’ He punched my arm. ‘I’ll see you.’
The afternoon was warm, the pavements thronged with sightseers. I strolled along to the Brazilia and leaned against the wall with my eyes closed, enjoying the sun on my face. If I’d known then what I know now, it would’ve spoiled my whole day.
When Gail got back I said, ‘We should go to the fuzz.’ I’d been thinking about Ginger. The sort of guy he was. He wouldn’t have just gone off without saying anything. I’d half convinced myself he’d done exactly that because there’d been no other explanation, but now –
‘Can if you like,’ said Gail. ‘But I doubt if they’ll be impressed.’
We went up to Albany Street and they weren’t impressed. In fact it took us all our time to get past the front desk. Eventually a Detective Sergeant came. Detective Sergeant Ireson. He took us into a cubicle. I started to tell him about Ginger but he interrupted. ‘I should tell you that following representations by a member of the public, the matter you’re concerned about was investigated. Nothing was found, and no further action is contemplated.’
‘No further – did you talk to the guy? Did you ask him what he was doing with my mate? With this Tanya?’
The Sergeant looked irritated. ‘All normal procedures were followed,’ he growled. ‘Nothing was found to justify further action so the matter is officially closed. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to do.’
‘But what did the guy say?’
‘G’day, sir.’