In the East End
Chapter Two
Music blared around him, he sighed rolling his eyes,
“I don’t know where it’s gone Ross, honest it was all there when I dropped it off!”
He could feel his temper rising as he looked at the man in front of him, desperately trying to lie his way out of his mistakes,
“Well obviously it fucking wasn’t was it?” he stood from his seat walking towards the man in front of him “If it was I wouldn’t be getting grief about it would I? if it was all there, there wouldn’t be any fucking issues, so I suggest you tell me where it is and you tell me now!”
“I don’t know where it is!”
The man was almost shouting, his voice cracking with tears, Ross straightened himself up, pushing his hair from his forehead and straightening his tie, he threw a punch, twitching as bone connected with bone with a dull crack, he watched the man pull himself from the floor, frantically trying to wipe the blood streaming from his nose,
“I’ll dob you in!” he spluttered “DCI Gates is it? Upstanding member of the community, beating a single father over a couple of missing grams? Big man you are!”
He threw another punch, not even looking at the man as he trembled at his feet, he sat down again,
“Get him out of my sight, before I really hurt him!”
He flicked his hand at the two larger men stood either side of the booth, he rubbed his face drowning out the shouts from the man as he was dragged towards the back door, he signalled to the DJ booth to turn the music up as to cover the inevitable gun shots, he took a swig of the scotch in front of him and took a deep breath, he made his way in to the crowd, mingling with some of his patrons, trying to settle his temper, before long he was surrounded by giggling girls all vying for his attention, they knew the power he held, he suspected most people knew, there would be no other reason for girls so young to interested in a forty eight year old night club owner and copper, they knew he had money, they knew he had the power and they loved the thought of having that on their side, they loved the thought of being able to invite all their dull friends in for a drink at his expense, that’s why he was careful.
She ran her hands through her hair, snatching her bag from next to the sink, glaring at a group of clearly underage girls who had burst in, singing and giggling, she rolled her eyes pushing her way through the group making her way back out in to the smoky club, she walked across the dance floor wondering what kept her here, what made her keep coming back? Surely she was getting to old for this, nearly twenty eight, still single, embarrassingly still living with her parents.
She smiled gratefully at the barman as he handed her a drink, she turned leaning against the bar, putting her elbow in a sticky patch she grimaced, pulling her cigarettes from her bag she sparked one, inhaling deeply, she locked eyes with a woman, scowling from a few seats away,
“What?!”
She barked her lip curled,
“Nothing babes!”
“Stop with your fucking staring then!”
The woman marched over, with a split second movement she forced her glass in to the side of the womans head, a gasp rippled through the crowd around her, she winced at the splinters in her hand, rolling her eyes as the bouncers made a beeline for her, she braced herself to be man handled out of the club and in to a police car, she jolted as a hand planted itself on her shoulder,
“I’m dealing with it!”
As soon as he had heard the trouble start, he made his way to it, with piercing blue eyes and a shock of raven black curls, she almost hadn’t changed, she had more shape now but still had her spirit. With her tucked under his arm, he made his way back to his booth, he looked at each guard,
“You keep the police away!”
They nodded, he slid in to the booth next to her unable to believe she was sat in front of him, she sat arms folded, trying to settle her breathing after her sudden outburst, he offered her a cigarette, she took the pack without making eye contact,
“So, what are you playing at?”
“She started it”
“I know I saw”
“Then why ask?”
“So I know what to tell the police when they try to arrest you again!”
She stopped and looked at him,
“How do you know I’ve been arrested before?”
He smirked, a wave of familiarity washed over her, she cocked an eyebrow at him,
“DCI Gates?”
He laughed leaning back in his chair,
“Glad you remembered”
“Well it’s not every day a copper, bent or not calls you princess!”
She huffed, he raised his eyebrows at her
“Look I’ve got a proposition for you” he placed a hand on hers, she narrowed her eyes at him “but first you need to tell me your name”
She laughed through her nose,
“No thanks I’m alright, I tell you what I’ll just get out of here, go back home, do my twelve hours and then fuck off away from here?”
“I can take you in myself”
She laughed again stubbing her cigarette out in the ash tray on the table, she began to stand slowly, he clamped a hand on her shoulder setting her in one place, she locked eyes with him, the corner of her mouth turned up, her pulse rate spiked,
“Ava” She said not breaking eye contact, “What do you want from me?”
She whispered leaning closer to him, he wanted a game she was going to give him one.
“I don’t know where it’s gone Ross, honest it was all there when I dropped it off!”
He could feel his temper rising as he looked at the man in front of him, desperately trying to lie his way out of his mistakes,
“Well obviously it fucking wasn’t was it?” he stood from his seat walking towards the man in front of him “If it was I wouldn’t be getting grief about it would I? if it was all there, there wouldn’t be any fucking issues, so I suggest you tell me where it is and you tell me now!”
“I don’t know where it is!”
The man was almost shouting, his voice cracking with tears, Ross straightened himself up, pushing his hair from his forehead and straightening his tie, he threw a punch, twitching as bone connected with bone with a dull crack, he watched the man pull himself from the floor, frantically trying to wipe the blood streaming from his nose,
“I’ll dob you in!” he spluttered “DCI Gates is it? Upstanding member of the community, beating a single father over a couple of missing grams? Big man you are!”
He threw another punch, not even looking at the man as he trembled at his feet, he sat down again,
“Get him out of my sight, before I really hurt him!”
He flicked his hand at the two larger men stood either side of the booth, he rubbed his face drowning out the shouts from the man as he was dragged towards the back door, he signalled to the DJ booth to turn the music up as to cover the inevitable gun shots, he took a swig of the scotch in front of him and took a deep breath, he made his way in to the crowd, mingling with some of his patrons, trying to settle his temper, before long he was surrounded by giggling girls all vying for his attention, they knew the power he held, he suspected most people knew, there would be no other reason for girls so young to interested in a forty eight year old night club owner and copper, they knew he had money, they knew he had the power and they loved the thought of having that on their side, they loved the thought of being able to invite all their dull friends in for a drink at his expense, that’s why he was careful.
She ran her hands through her hair, snatching her bag from next to the sink, glaring at a group of clearly underage girls who had burst in, singing and giggling, she rolled her eyes pushing her way through the group making her way back out in to the smoky club, she walked across the dance floor wondering what kept her here, what made her keep coming back? Surely she was getting to old for this, nearly twenty eight, still single, embarrassingly still living with her parents.
She smiled gratefully at the barman as he handed her a drink, she turned leaning against the bar, putting her elbow in a sticky patch she grimaced, pulling her cigarettes from her bag she sparked one, inhaling deeply, she locked eyes with a woman, scowling from a few seats away,
“What?!”
She barked her lip curled,
“Nothing babes!”
“Stop with your fucking staring then!”
The woman marched over, with a split second movement she forced her glass in to the side of the womans head, a gasp rippled through the crowd around her, she winced at the splinters in her hand, rolling her eyes as the bouncers made a beeline for her, she braced herself to be man handled out of the club and in to a police car, she jolted as a hand planted itself on her shoulder,
“I’m dealing with it!”
As soon as he had heard the trouble start, he made his way to it, with piercing blue eyes and a shock of raven black curls, she almost hadn’t changed, she had more shape now but still had her spirit. With her tucked under his arm, he made his way back to his booth, he looked at each guard,
“You keep the police away!”
They nodded, he slid in to the booth next to her unable to believe she was sat in front of him, she sat arms folded, trying to settle her breathing after her sudden outburst, he offered her a cigarette, she took the pack without making eye contact,
“So, what are you playing at?”
“She started it”
“I know I saw”
“Then why ask?”
“So I know what to tell the police when they try to arrest you again!”
She stopped and looked at him,
“How do you know I’ve been arrested before?”
He smirked, a wave of familiarity washed over her, she cocked an eyebrow at him,
“DCI Gates?”
He laughed leaning back in his chair,
“Glad you remembered”
“Well it’s not every day a copper, bent or not calls you princess!”
She huffed, he raised his eyebrows at her
“Look I’ve got a proposition for you” he placed a hand on hers, she narrowed her eyes at him “but first you need to tell me your name”
She laughed through her nose,
“No thanks I’m alright, I tell you what I’ll just get out of here, go back home, do my twelve hours and then fuck off away from here?”
“I can take you in myself”
She laughed again stubbing her cigarette out in the ash tray on the table, she began to stand slowly, he clamped a hand on her shoulder setting her in one place, she locked eyes with him, the corner of her mouth turned up, her pulse rate spiked,
“Ava” She said not breaking eye contact, “What do you want from me?”
She whispered leaning closer to him, he wanted a game she was going to give him one.