Hard Evidence

'Tell her to stay away from the steam.'

Howard put his arm on his brother's shoulder. 'Don't worry, Jake. She's not going to burn her.'

'She burned you, though, didn't she?'

Howard nodded, his eyes narrowing at the memory. 'But Jenny's going to be all right. The police are going to find her.' He looked up at Delaney. Angry, challenging.

'We'll do our best.'

'Because if I find Candy first, I'll fucking kill her.'

Delaney looked into the hard, cold certainty of those eyes and recognised the truth in them. He'd seen that same cold hate many, many times in the eyes of killers who had sat opposite him across that desk or across others in other cities. He'd seen it in rapists, in wife-beaters, in murderers.

And he'd seen it in his own bloodshot eyes every morning since his wife was killed. If he could stand face to face with her killers they'd see that look and it would be the last thing they ever saw. That much he had promised her cold body.

A loud crack on the door startled Delaney out of his thoughts and he turned to see DC Cartwright coming into the room. She looked nervous.

'What is it, Constable?'

'You'd better come, sir.'

18.

Delaney closed the door behind him. Trapping the foul air and the stale thoughts inside. Sally's youthful eyes sparkled with excitement.

'What have you got?'

'Candy Morgan, sir.'

'Go on?'

'She used a cash machine. Took out five hundred pounds.'

'When?'

'About an hour ago.'

'Could be someone using her card.'

Sally shook her head. 'We got the bank to check their security footage, it was definitely her.'

'Where?'

'King's Cross.'

'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?'

'Doesn't seem to. Stella Trant didn't move too far from Holloway either, did she?'

'Spitting distance from where Candy Morgan just made a cash withdrawal.'

'You think Stella lied to us?'

'I think what Bob Wilkinson would no doubt tell you.'

'And what's that, sir?'

'That they're all slags. And slags are born lying and slags die lying. Let's go.'

Sally reacted a little surprised as Delaney shrugged into his jacket. 'Shouldn't we coordinate this, boss? We don't want to go rushing in and lose her.'

'She's just drawn out five hundred pounds. What does that tell you, Sally?'

Sally shrugged.

'It tells me she's wedged up. She's ready to travel and now she's got the cash to do it.'

Delaney barrelled through the front door, Sally hurrying behind him.

Howard Morgan watched through the window as Sally and Delaney hurried towards the car. He could see the purpose in Delaney's long stride and the expectation in Sally Cartwright's nervously excited face. His fist bunched involuntarily and the muscles in his biceps strained, stretching the fabric of his shirt. He turned to his brother. 'Wait here, Jake.'

'What's going on?'

'You just wait here.' He fished his car keys out of his overall pocket and hurried after Delaney.

Delaney's fist landed on Stella's front door like Odin's hammer. Stella opened the door, her wide green eyes startled with fear.

'What do you want?' Her voice was a nervous stutter, her previous arrogance dissipated in the face of his violent glare.

Delaney pushed her back into the room and stepped in, Sally following closely behind and shutting the door.

'What the hell is going on?'

Delaney ignored her and swept open the bedroom door and looked around. There was no one there. Unless Candy Morgan was hiding in the kitchen cupboard, they had missed her. Maybe by minutes.

Delaney turned round and glared at Stella Trant, who crossed her thin arms defensively in front of her chest.

'I told you, I haven't seen her. What the hell are you doing here? You've got no right.'

Delaney ignored her again, opening the drawers in a small sideboard.

'Where's your warrant?'

'Shut it,' Delaney barked at her. He tipped the contents of the drawer on the floor and threw it to one side to smash against the wall.

'Guv.'

Delaney flashed Sally a look and she glanced away.

Stella laughed humourlessly. 'What is this? Good cop, bad cop?'

Delaney opened the next drawer and smiled at her. 'How would you like to go back to taking your showers communally, Stella? The governor told us you were popular with the bull dykes.'

Stella shook her head, unfazed. 'I doubt he said any such thing, but I was popular with everybody.' She smiled. 'Including the governor. Why do you think he takes such a special interest in girls like us?'

Delaney carried on searching through the drawer.

'Did you think it was just his good heart?' She cupped her crotch with her right hand. 'The truth is, this was just as valuable on the inside as it was on the outside.' She winked at Sally. 'You know what I mean?'

Delaney tossed the second drawer aside and opened the third. He smiled sourly as he pulled out a small clear plastic bag. 'What have we got here?'

'That's not mine.'

'Whose is it? Candy Morgan's?'

'No.'

'It's yours, then.'

Stella shrugged and folded her arms again. 'It's a bit of blow. Which is legal now, isn't it? Nothing you can do about it.'

'No, it's not legal. And that means it's a violation of your parole.'

Stella shook her head, rattled now. 'I've done nothing wrong.'

'Then tell us where she is.'

Stella didn't answer, but she gave a small, almost imperceptible, nod of the head. Most people wouldn't have seen it, but Delaney played poker; he could tell a giveaway sign when he saw one.

He turned round and gestured at Sally. 'Wait for me in the car.'

'Guv?'

'Just do it, Constable.'

Sally looked at her boss but didn't argue. She shut the front door behind her as she left and Delaney focused his attention back on Stella Trant. 'We can do this the hard way if you prefer.'

'Jackie Malone always said you were a halfway decent cop. Maybe she was wrong.'

Delaney leant forward and slammed his large hand round her throat.

'Maybe she was.'

Stella's eyes filled, bright with fear. 'Don't hurt me.'

'You know anything about Jackie, you tell me now!'

Stella shook her head. 'I don't know anything. We shared a cell. We talked, that's all.'

'You talked about me?'

'She did. I just listened.'

'And what did she say?'

'Nothing. Just that she liked you, that's all. I think she had a soft spot for you.'

'You swear there's nothing else? She didn't tell you anything else?'

'Like what?'

Delaney let the question hang and Stella shook her head again. 'She didn't tell me anything else. It was just that, for the sake of sweet Jesus. Girl talk. You know?'

Delaney released his grip and stepped back. 'Where is she, Stella?'

Stella rubbed her neck, confused. 'Jackie Malone?'

'I know where Jackie Malone is. Where's Candy Morgan?'

Stella sighed and looked up at the ceiling, speaking in a low voice. 'She's upstairs. The owners are away whilst the place is having building work done, and the builders are off on another job.' A small worm of fear squirmed again behind her eyes. 'You can't tell her I told you.'

Delaney nodded and threw the bag of dope to her. Stella's hand flashed out like a cricketer, caught it and stashed it in her jeans pocket. Then her eyes grew harder. 'You do tell her, of course… and I might have to have a word with your colleagues.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Who were we just discussing, Cowboy?'

'Don't call me that.'

'It's what Jackie called you, isn't it? How would your bosses feel if I told them what I know? About her? About you?'

Delaney just looked at her without responding.

Stella smiled suddenly, putting more than a hint of invitation into it. 'That's all right, Cowboy, I was only messing. I don't talk to the filth.' She winked. 'I can talk pretty filthy, mind, and I could whisper in your ear some night if you wanted.'