A Rush of Blood

Thirty-eight

‘I need every uniform you can spare, Mary,’ said DI Becky Stallings. ‘Neil McIlhenney told me this comes from the big guv’nor himself. We have five of these places on our patch, and we have to get into them right away. On top of that, three of the managers live close to the premises and we have to pull them in.’ She frowned at the superintendent. ‘It seems bloody heavy-handed to me, but them’s the orders.’

Mary Chambers smiled, grimly. ‘Make no mistake, Bob Skinner is heavy-handed, more so than anyone I’ve ever met, and I spent a good part of my career watching heads being split open in Glasgow, maybe even splitting one or two myself. But his judgement is also the sharpest I’ve ever seen, so if he says that something needs doing, you don’t stand around doubting him, you get on with it. Eight hits to make,’ she mused. ‘Do we expect resistance?’

‘Jack and Sauce say that all the massage parlours they’ve seen have “Closed” signs on them, so they should be OK. They’ve already been into the one in Leith and found no surprises. We’re to enter the rest, check that they really are empty and secure them for forensic examination, that’s all. The homes are different. Who knows what’s going to happen when we knock someone’s bleedin’ door down? Especially when the guy behind it’s a Lithuanian brothel-keeper.’

The superintendent checked the duty roster that lay on her desk. ‘Who’ve you got?’ she asked.

‘McGurk and Haddock are on their way back here now. I’ve got one other DC but that’s it.’

‘OK. I can pull in all my patrols and send three people to each of the parlours. As for picking up the managers, I suggest that you and your DC, and Jack and Sauce, take one each.’

‘Fine, but what about the third?’

‘I’ll do that myself. I’ll take Charlie Johnston for back-up.’

‘Charlie?’

‘I wouldn’t trust him to anyone else.’

‘I understand that, but still. .’

‘It has to be him, Becky. That’s how strapped I am.’

‘So be it, then. Neil wants everybody in place by eight o’clock, ready to go on his signal, so that we lift all these guys at the same time. . that’s assuming they’re all at home.’

Chambers scowled. ‘Eight o’clock,’ she muttered. ‘That fucks up my social life. I’m supposed to be meeting my other half tonight. Never mind, there’ll be another time. At least you don’t have that problem.’

‘No,’ Stallings agreed. ‘I know exactly where my other half will be at eight; banging on a Lithuanian’s door just like me.’

‘You’ll be able to compare notes later,’ said the superintendent. ‘Give me the addresses, and let’s get our small army on the march.’