Kiss and Die

Chapter 65

The next morning Mann opened his eyes but he could see nothing. He had no idea where he was. He lay on a strange surface. His head was banging. He opened his eyes wide but it was too dark in the room to see far, he could only make out the things nearest him. He looked across to see chains beside him on the bed, leather cuffs. He looked up to the ceiling above his head. A chain hung down from a hook. His heart hammered in his chest. From another room he heard the sound of a man in pain. He turned his head and watched a woman approach the bed. At first he could not make out who it was and then he recognized her.

‘Lola?’

Lola walked towards Mann carrying a tray with a cup of tea, a biscuit and two Paracetamol. ‘Be with you in a minute, hon,’ she shouted out to the man in the other room.

Mann collapsed back on the bed. ‘How did I get here?’

Lola stood at the end of the bed, her hands on her PVC hips. ‘You came in a taxi. When I opened the door at four this morning you were standing in my doorway, my card in your hand and a friend on your arm.’

Mann was already shaking his head, sitting up, swallowing the pills and groaning as the head rush hit him. ‘Sorry, Lola. I appreciate you letting me in.’

Mann slugged at the tea. He looked at his phone; it was eight o’clock. ‘I’m in a bit of a hurry now, Lola.’ He stood, in his boxers. Lola looked south and smiled.

‘Do you want to stay a while, hon?’

He laughed. ‘I really wish I could, Lola.’

They heard a bedraggled plea for help from the next room.

‘Be quiet, slave!’ shouted Lola. ‘Your mistress will come when she’s ready. Unless you want me to punish you harder than I’ve ever done before. Do you?’

‘No please, mistress, no, don’t hurt me again.’

Lola rolled her eyes. ‘Why do men always say “no” when they mean yes?’

Mann checked his phone; he had a missed call and a message from Victoria Chan: Spend the day with me. I have something to share with you. Will pick you up from yours at ten.

He stood and gave Lola a kiss on the cheek. ‘Got to go, Lola. Thanks for everything.’

‘You’re welcome, hon.’ She went back into the other room. She stuck her head back round the door as Mann was leaving. ‘Don’t forget your friend. She’s fast asleep in the corner. She was up most of the night drinking my sake.’

Mann looked over in the corner and couldn’t make out the small sleeping figure until he reached it. It was the monkey from the Piccadilly Club. He picked it up. It dangled drunkenly off his arms. Mann’s eyes felt like someone had stuck hot pokers into them as he opened Lola’s front door and stood on her step waiting for his lift. He heard the roar of the car’s engine long before it cruised to a halt and purred noisily. Shrimp got out of the Maserati and looked momentarily lost for words as he saw Mann standing with a monkey outside Lola’s dungeons.

‘Don’t ask.’

Mann handed Shrimp the monkey. ‘Take this for me. Ask Ng to keep it. I need to go home and get showered. I will be in in a couple of hours.’

‘You all right, Boss?’

Mann didn’t know if he was or not. As Shrimp dropped him off near his flat, he phoned Mia.

‘Where are you now?’

‘On my way home. I need to change, I feel rough. I’m sorry, Mia. I don’t know what the fuck is going on any more. I don’t know if I can trust myself to make the right decisions. I don’t know if I can trust anyone else either. Victoria Chan has left me a message about spending the day with her.’

‘Do it, Mann.’