January Window

48

‘Whatever happened to dinner?’ asked Louise Considine as we drove swiftly away from the dock in my Range Rover. The fans were still celebrating loudly and would be for the next few hours. There would be some sore heads at work tomorrow, I thought.

‘I’m afraid there’s not going to be any time for dinner,’ I said. ‘We’ve got something much more important to do right now.’

‘Like what? I’m hungry. What could be more important than feeding me?’

‘You’ll see.’

‘You really don’t mess around, do you?’ she said.

‘How do you mean?’

‘Well, let’s see now; we’re driving west,’ she said. ‘It’s a bit too late to go to a restaurant in the West End. And since I’m supposed to be a detective I would surmise that we’re going back to your flat in Chelsea. Where I imagine you’re planning not to feed me but to take me to bed.’

I didn’t answer. It was a nice idea and for a moment I let my imagination run free with it. She was a nice girl; bright, funny, and very pretty, and whenever I was with her I found it hard to believe she was in the police. And even harder to believe how much I liked her in spite of that. Taking Louise Considine to bed was a very attractive idea, and one that would probably keep me awake for the rest of the night. Especially now that she had led me to form the impression she was not averse to the idea.

‘I suppose you’re much too excited to eat after a match like that,’ she added. ‘I suppose you want to make the most of all that excitement. At your age I imagine you have to strike while the iron’s hot.’

I grinned. ‘The Viagra of football? Yes, there might be something in that, I suppose. I’m not sure my heart could stand too much of it. But I do feel pretty high after what happened tonight. And at my age that doesn’t happen very often.’

‘Don’t get me wrong. I rather like the idea of you all sweaty and excited and keen to score.’

I laughed. ‘Is that what you think?’

‘Of course. I assumed that’s why you rushed us away from the ground when everyone else who was there seemed keen to celebrate. But I’m glad. As a matter of fact I’m rather keen to score myself. And after a match like that, I’m up for anything. Even extra time.’

‘How would that work?’

‘I was thinking that you might want me to stay for breakfast.’

‘You really do like my coffee, don’t you?’

‘Sure. Although I imagine the coffee’s only the second best thing I can put in my mouth while I’m there.’

I laughed again; she really was a hell of a girl.

‘How old are you, anyway?’ she asked.

‘Forty. That’s not so old.’

‘It is for me. I’ve never slept with anyone over thirty. However, I do have a question, first.’

‘Fire away.’

‘I was under the impression that you already had a girlfriend, Mr Manson.’

‘I did have one. Sonja gave me the sack on Sunday night.’

‘Did she give you a reason?’

‘She said that when she finishes work on a Friday she wants a proper weekend.’

‘Yes, I know what that’s like myself. I mean, I’ve had boyfriends who didn’t like the unsocial hours I keep.’

‘She wanted someone to go shopping with after a week at work. Stuff like that. A Saturday and a Sunday with newspapers, which doesn’t include football.’

‘And now you want to bring on a substitute. Is that it?’ Louise shrugged. ‘Well, why not? I’m cool with that, I suppose. Just as long as this isn’t a friends with benefits sort of thing.’

‘You’re hardly a friend,’ I said. ‘Besides, I already told you — I don’t much like the police.’

She smiled a big smile. ‘How’s that working out?’

‘For some reason I seem to be getting over it.’

‘I’m delighted to hear it.’

‘And now I feel I really do owe you an apology.’

‘For what?’

‘Because I may have misled you. I wasn’t actually taking you to my flat in Chelsea at all.’

‘Oh. I see.’

She sounded disappointed, which left me feeling pleased. I snatched up her hand and kissed it.

‘No, you don’t. Not yet. I’d like you to spend the night with me very much indeed, Louise. I can think of nothing nicer. And I sincerely hope you will. At the earliest opportunity. But the fact is, I’ve been investigating Zarco’s death myself; and right now I’m taking you to meet the person who I think killed him. So that you can get the collar and the credit.’

Louise took her hand away and put it to her mouth. ‘You’re joking.’

‘No, I’m not. I’ve thought about almost nothing else but Zarco’s death since Saturday night and now I’m confident that I’ve found the culprit.’

She turned in the passenger seat and let out a gasp. ‘Oh my God, you are serious, aren’t you? Jesus, Scott. Are you sure you know what the fuck you’re doing?’

I told her a small part of what I now knew; she didn’t need to know about the bung and about the inside share deal; there was only part of the story she needed to know about now.

‘That does sound fairly convincing,’ she admitted. ‘And now I’m sort of embarrassed.’

‘Why?’

‘You’ve done my job, that’s why. How would you feel if I did your job?’

‘Anyone can do my job. Being a football manager is just selecting the best eggs.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Doesn’t matter. Look, don’t you want the collar? This will be a big feather in your cap, I’d have thought.’

‘Well, yes. Of course. But—’

‘I’d much prefer you to get the credit than the bitch you’re working for. I’d rather not tell anyone than tell her.’

‘Jane Byrne? Yes, she is a bit of a bitch, isn’t she? But you know I really should inform her of what’s happening. Otherwise she’s going to have my guts.’

‘Why don’t you wait until we’ve confirmed my suspicions? You can tell her you didn’t know what I was going to do until I’d done it. That you had no choice but to wait for me to make my play.’

She thought for a moment and then nodded. ‘All right. You’re the manager.’

‘Besides, you owe me this after the way you handled telling me that it was Drenno’s friend Mackie who raped Mrs Fehmiu.’

‘That’s true.’ She winced. ‘Shit.’

‘What?’

‘It looks like I’m working tonight after all.’

I grinned at her. ‘Did you have other plans?’

‘I did when I got into this car. Now they’ll have to wait. It’s disappointing.’

‘That’s how I feel about it, too.’

‘Good. I’m glad.’

‘But I have to see this all the way through. For Zarco’s sake.’

‘Don’t worry. I understand all that. But you’re going to have to make this up to me.’

‘How?’

‘I’ve been thinking about that.’ She nodded. ‘Yes. When this is all over, I’d like you to take me to your lovely flat and do whatever you like to me for twenty-four hours. I would say forty-eight hours, but I know you’ve got an away game against Everton on Saturday.’

‘That’s quite an invitation, Louise.’

‘I’m glad you think so.’

‘Anything?’

‘Anything at all.’

‘Christ,’ I said. ‘No one has ever said anything like that to me.’

I turned down a side street and stopped the car.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked. ‘Why have you stopped?’

‘I’m a bit old-fashioned,’ I said. ‘I can’t think about doing anything until I’ve kissed you.’

‘Neither can I,’ she said and then let herself be kissed; she even allowed my hand up her skirt.

‘Put your finger inside me,’ she said after a while. ‘Every time you touch your face I want you to know exactly what you missed having tonight.’