Kiss and Die

Chapter 31

He caught up with Michelle in the ladies and jammed his foot in the toilet door just as she was shutting it. ‘A word?’

‘Christ, don’t I get any privacy?’ Michelle said, quickly stuffing something back in her bag.

‘Is it my imagination or are you avoiding me? Give me your bag.’

A woman came in to use the bathroom. ‘Sorry love, we’re closed.’ Mann leaned against the door to stop her from entering.

Michelle closed her eyes, took a deep breath and handed him her bag. He tipped the contents out in the sink, took out his pen and started turning over the contents. He flicked out a man’s wallet. He opened it up. There was a driving licence on one side, a space on the other where a photo should have been. Michelle sighed heavily. ‘I never saw that before, I promise, Inspector.’

‘What were you going to do? Wait for him to be busy at the bar and then take a quick trip up to see if he’d left anything interesting in his room?’

‘I don’t know what that’s doing in there, Inspector, I swear.’

Mann put the wallet in his pocket. He picked up a box of Viagra.

‘It’s for the old guys…it helps.’

‘Very thoughtful, Michelle. And this?’ He picked up a bag of meth amphetamine. Underneath were three foil strips of small white pills. He turned it over in his hand. ‘That’s a lot of GHD. You having to knock people out first these days are you, Michelle?’

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. ‘Give me a break, Inspector. Some people get a bit nasty. It calms them down. It doesn’t do them any harm. They think they had a good time.’

Mann shook his head and gave her a scathing look.

‘I have kids to feed.’

‘Your eldest is Lilly, right? I went to her school today. Did you know she was a budding young Triad? If she hasn’t already, it won’t be long before she takes the oath and then there’s no going back. A young girl was murdered. Is that what you want for Lilly?’

She slumped back to rest her bottom on the basin and sighed heavily, closing her eyes for a few seconds. ‘I don’t know what she gets up to any more. I tried my best. I honestly did, but she is nothing but trouble. I wash my hands of her. Night after night she’s out, I don’t know where. Rizal says he can’t keep an eye on her. He’s busy with the other children and the business and Rizal and Lilly don’t get on – they fight all the time. If you can teach her some manners, go ahead.’

‘How’s the stall going? You making money?’

In the harsh make-up mirror Mann could see how spent she looked. Her eyes were dark and puffy.

‘It’s okay, I make the food before I come to work. Rizal sells it-’

‘Or he gets a girl to sell it whilst he plays dice with his friends and then takes all the money, right?’

Michelle nodded but rolled her eyes and shrugged.

‘You’re a mug, Michelle. He’s more of a pimp than a partner. I thought you would have learnt your lesson by now. You don’t make it easy on yourself’

‘I know. I know.’ She shook her head and turned back to check her make-up in the mirror. ‘Ah well. It’s my fate, huh? It’s the way of the world. I must have been something very bad in my last life, huh?’ She shook her head. ‘Have a heart, Inspector. I know you’ve helped me out now and again and I appreciate it.’ She tilted her head to one side and smiled at Mann.

‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll make a deal with you, Michelle. I’ll keep an eye on Lilly and do what I can, if you start being a proper mother to her and look after her, keep her off the streets. If you don’t, I’ll charge you with stealing from the hotel guests and you’ll be back to singing in the slums of Manila.’

Michelle began shovelling her belongings back into her handbag.

‘You are very kind to me, Inspector.’ She stopped, mid-lipstick application. ‘You are a good man. Are you married yet?’

Mann took that as his cue to leave. ‘Sorry. I’d love to talk about my private life but I have to go. Remember, I’ll be keeping an eye on Lilly for you, Michelle, but get a grip on your life before it’s too late. You have a lot to offer the right person, don’t put up with shit and get clean so you can think straight.’

Michelle had switched off. Her eyes were on the bag of ice. He knew she was just waiting for him to leave before having a quick snort – enough to see her through the next hour or two.

On the way out, Mann passed Peter Thorne. ‘Remember,’ Mann picked up his drink and downed it, ‘regret’s a bastard to live with.’ Peter Thorne blinked rapidly, his eyes magnified by his glasses. ‘Take care.’