Looking for Trouble - [9]

‘He wants children?’

‘He’s always denied it before,’ she began, ‘or at least said he wasn’t bothered either way. But, well, his sister’s just produced one and he’s all gooey-eyed about it. Wants to drag me along to the christening.’

‘You don’t want to go?’

‘It’s in Budleigh-Salterton, for Christ’s sake. Can you imagine it? Hours getting there and back. Church, family. I spent years getting away from all that. Why can’t he just leave things as they are?’

‘Maybe he wants to know where it’s going.’

‘Why do we have to be going anywhere? It’s a relationship, not a bloody day trip.’

‘Things get stale, Diane, if there’s no change on the horizon, no events looming.’

‘It’s been fine up till now.’

I raised my eyebrows.

‘Oh, I know he was disappointed about not living together,’ she retorted, ‘but I thought he understood my reasons. Now he seems to be getting all broody. Not that he’ll admit it.’

We carried on in this vein through another couple of rounds, till chucking out time.

I was tucked up and dreaming before midnight.

The bell kept ringing for last orders. Someone was shouting my name. I couldn’t work out who. The pub was deserted. I opened my eyes and Ray appeared round the edge of my door.

‘Sal, phone.’

‘What time is it?’

‘Middle of the bloody night.’

Blinking in the light of the hall, I picked up the receiver.

‘Hello?’

‘That lad you’re looking for. I found someone who met him.’

‘Who is this?’ My brain was still befuddled.

‘You said there was twenty quid in it. Bring the dosh, I’ll tell you his name.’

‘Now?’

‘Yeah, Chorlton Street Bus Station.’ Click.

I longed to crawl back under the covers. Instead, I splashed water on my face, pulled on yesterday’s clothes, left a note for Ray and went out into the night.

Once outside, a tremor of excitement enlivened me. This was more like it; the beginning of a trail. The night was cool, still. Dew on the car. Orange street-lamps lit empty roads. I passed maybe a handful of cars on the way to town. No queues, no crazy drivers, just the way I like it. I stopped at a cashpoint and got my hands on some real money.

Parking at Chorlton Street was no problem. The coach station was a glorified bus shelter, several aisles under a roof. Gloomy even on the best days. That night it looked positively menacing. Any excitement I’d had drained away. I felt the familiar clenching in my belly, buzzing in my ears. That distorted face, spittle on his lips. My own voice, squeaky with fear, begging. The knife shaking in his hand. I fought to regain control over my breathing, in and out, slow deep breaths. Dragged into my mind a picture of calm and peace. The visualisation exercise that the therapist had taught me. After a couple of minutes, I was capable of getting out of the car.

Blue Eyes was sitting alone on a bench by the shuttered ticket office, a can of Pils in his hand. I sat down beside him. ‘Hello.’ I kept my voice steady.

‘You got the dosh?’

‘Yes.’ I handed over two tenners. He grunted.

‘Bloke called JB He’s seen that lad.’

‘Martin Hobbs?’

‘Yeah. He recognised the photo. He put him up for a bit.’

‘Where can I find JB?’

‘He’s squatting.’ He took a swig from the can. ‘One of those old warehouses off Great Ancoats, back of Piccadilly, somewhere round there.’ It wasn’t exactly precise information.

‘How did you find him?’

‘He was on the ramp, same time as me.’

‘On the ramp?’

‘Station approach.’ He said it derisively. His blue eyes were bloodshot now. He looked pale, ill.

A sound of drunken singing carried over from the side street. Leader of the Pack. Someone was trying for harmonies.

‘How’ll I recognise him?’

‘Lanky bloke, half-caste, wears a flat cap, got a dog.’

‘How old?’

‘I dunno.’ He was irritated, drank from the can again. ‘Twenty, twenty-one?’ He stood up and drained the can, tossed it down.

‘Where will you go now?’ I asked.

‘What’s it to you?’ He walked away.

‘Thanks,’ I said. I don’t know if he heard me.

I wasn’t about to start creeping round old warehouses. JB could wait till tomorrow. But I was pleased. At last something was moving. Someone had met Martin, might even know where he was now. As for me, there was only one place I wanted to be and it didn’t take me long to get there. Bed.

CHAPTER SEVEN

On Wednesdays and Thursdays Ray is in charge of the kids: Breakfast, school run, bedtime, the lot. I lay in bed for all of ten minutes, luxuriating in that small sense of freedom. The smell of toast and clinking of pots drifted up from below. In the old days, I’d have burrowed back under the duvet till lunch-time, but Maddie had buggered up my sleep patterns for good. Ray’s mum, Nana Tello (the kids shortened it from Costello), complained bitterly about waking at five o’clock and not being able to get back to sleep. I was heading for the same fate.

Maddie and Tom clattered up the stairs to yell goodbyes.

‘Mummeee,’ Maddie began, ‘I don’t want to go to school.’ Her lower lip trembled.

‘Well, you’ve got to. I’m going to work,’ I slung back the covers and grabbed my dressing-gown, ‘Ray’s going to college and you’re going to school.’ To eliminate further discussion, I picked her up and thundered downstairs, Tom at my heels. She was still giggling as Ray shepherded them out the door. An improvement on most mornings.