In the East End
Chapter Six
He watched her a smile fixed on his face, arms folded across his chest,
“You’ve got two options here mate, you can tell me or don’t either way you’re gonna hurt at the end of it”
She barked at the man trembling in front of her, he stared back defiantly, she chuckled to herself feeling her blood pressure rising the more irritated she got, the man smirked,
“I want to talk to the organ grinder not the monkey”
He reeled as her hand connected with his cheek, she walked over to Ross, taking the cigarette from his hand, she took a long pull,
“You wanna take over?”
She exhaled, he shook his head holding his hands out palms facing her, he glowed with pride, he had moulded her, smoothed out the rough edges, she demanded attention the minute she walked in to a room and often helped with intimidating people, dealing with the angry wives of those who had done him wrong, sure he could handle himself, but he had never laid hands on a woman and he wasn’t about to start now, not with Ava there to do it for him, she was a far cry from the woman crying in his office just months ago in the days after her first kill, he reassured her it got easier, the trick was to treat everything as business, when it got personal that was when it got difficult, that was when feelings got in the way.
He watched as she threw punches, several minutes passed, she marched back over to him, plunging her hand in to his pocket she pulled his cigarette packet out, helping herself, the flame illuminated her face, the delicate hollows of her cheeks and the perfect curve of her lips, he found himself smiling again, she took a few puffs, grabbing her glass from the table she drained it in seconds, in a sudden flurry of movement she grabbed a handful of the mans hair, pulling his face level to hers,
“Last chance”
She whispered her voice cold, full of anger, the man began to laugh almost maniacally, she sighed, yanking his head back, she drove her cigarette in to his cheek bone, he yelped the laughter stopping instantly, Ross smiled knowing he was close to breaking point, all because of his little lady, she threw the cigarette butt to the side, clamping her thumb over the fresh injury she applied pressure, smiling as he cried out, sinking lower and lower he hit the floor,
“Mikey’s got it! Mikey’s got the cash” he swallowed hard “Had the cash, I don’t know if he still has but I left it with him, he said he’d pay you”
She pulled him to his feet by his t-shirt,
“Thanks honey” she purred “that’s all we needed to know, you make sure he visits yeah?”
She kissed his cheek, leaving a faded lip mark, she pushed him back to the floor, turning on her heels she walked away,
“Fucking bitch!”
He spat.
She turned suddenly, she charged back towards him,
“You fucking what!”
She was stopped suddenly by strong arms,
“you’ve done enough, leave him now” Ross whispered comfortingly “John! Deal with him!” he demanded “And you!” he walked over to the man “You make sure that little cunt is through the doors of this club ten tomorrow night or it will be you we keep coming for until we find him! I’m a reasonable man, I leant you money in good faith and you took the piss!” he made a jab for the man’s ribs, winding him “And don’t ever let me hear you call her a bitch again!”
He took Ava back under his arm, they left the cellar making their way back to his booth at the back of the club, sitting down, a gin and tonic was placed in front of her, she smiled at the bar man, always polite to the staff, she pushed her hair off her face,
“I don’t think he’s gonna turn up”
“We’ll deal with that when it happens, you did well though, reduced a man to tears in a dress and heels I’m impressed!”
He placed a hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze, she smiled back sighing,
“Ross, I’ve got to go back to my mums”
“it’s risky though Ava, why do you need to go back?”
“There’s some stuff I need to grab”
“you can go shopping tomorrow, I’m on station but I can give you some money”
She smiled at him,
“It’s sentimental stuff Ross, not stuff I can buy, thanks though”
He sighed,
“How long do you need?”
“Maybe an hour?”
“I plant a shop lifter, keep your mum busy but you can’t be any more than an hour Ava there’s only so long I can keep her busy for”
She nodded, squeezing his hand,
“Thank you”
Myra walked back out on to the shop floor, just as a young girl stuffed a cashmere scarf up her fleece,
“I hope you’re going to pay for that”
“Fuck off!”
The girl bolted from the shop, as if on cue DCI Gates darkened the door,
“Turn back around and get out the back office!”
She winked at him, she would happily do a couple of hours in a cell for the money he was paying her, she played along putting up a fight, he left the other officers to deal with her, approaching Myra she smiled at him half heartedly,
“DCI Gates” she muttered “I hope you’re in here cause you’ve heard something about my Ava”
“Unfortunately not Myra sorry, I was just next door when I heard the shouting thought I’d poke my head in”
She sighed looking at the floor biting her lip, fighting back tears with an aching heart,
“four months Ross!”
“I know love we are working our hardest to get her home”
“Can I have a word? In private?”
“Of course” he smiled playing the good copper “Where is best to go?”
“Just through to the office”
“Just give me a minute” he turned quickly “Get that tea leaf in hand cuffs and back to the station I’ll sort her out when I get back”
They nodded still wrestling with his plant, he followed Myra to the back office, a tiny space with just a desk and a chair, surrounded by files and broken or discontinued stock,
“Right whats the matter?”
He asked sympathetically, only to have the middle aged woman lunge at him burning with rage, he grabbed her wrists,
“You know where she is you bastard!”
“Myra! Stop and think about what you’re saying, I do not want to have to take you in!”
She stepped back, her eyes glazed with fury,
“Her friends have told me! You own that poxy night club, she’s been seen in it, hanging on to you like a lost puppy!”
“Myra I’m telling you I have no sort of relationship with Ava, she’s a missing person, we take those reports very seriously, I understand you’re upset but please don’t direct that at me!”
He was only partly lying, he wasn’t in a relationship with Ava, they worked together and very well,
“And I’m telling you I’m on to you Gates! I know what your real career is and if you’ve corrupted my daughter I will be reporting you!”
He shrugged,
“I’m going to let this go this time Myra because I know you’re upset but I can assure you whatever information you’ve been fed about me is all lies and whatever assumptions you’ve made are entirely incorrect, I’ll leave you to calm down!”
He turned leaving the room, flustered she grabbed her bag and coat leaving through the back door.
“You’ve got two options here mate, you can tell me or don’t either way you’re gonna hurt at the end of it”
She barked at the man trembling in front of her, he stared back defiantly, she chuckled to herself feeling her blood pressure rising the more irritated she got, the man smirked,
“I want to talk to the organ grinder not the monkey”
He reeled as her hand connected with his cheek, she walked over to Ross, taking the cigarette from his hand, she took a long pull,
“You wanna take over?”
She exhaled, he shook his head holding his hands out palms facing her, he glowed with pride, he had moulded her, smoothed out the rough edges, she demanded attention the minute she walked in to a room and often helped with intimidating people, dealing with the angry wives of those who had done him wrong, sure he could handle himself, but he had never laid hands on a woman and he wasn’t about to start now, not with Ava there to do it for him, she was a far cry from the woman crying in his office just months ago in the days after her first kill, he reassured her it got easier, the trick was to treat everything as business, when it got personal that was when it got difficult, that was when feelings got in the way.
He watched as she threw punches, several minutes passed, she marched back over to him, plunging her hand in to his pocket she pulled his cigarette packet out, helping herself, the flame illuminated her face, the delicate hollows of her cheeks and the perfect curve of her lips, he found himself smiling again, she took a few puffs, grabbing her glass from the table she drained it in seconds, in a sudden flurry of movement she grabbed a handful of the mans hair, pulling his face level to hers,
“Last chance”
She whispered her voice cold, full of anger, the man began to laugh almost maniacally, she sighed, yanking his head back, she drove her cigarette in to his cheek bone, he yelped the laughter stopping instantly, Ross smiled knowing he was close to breaking point, all because of his little lady, she threw the cigarette butt to the side, clamping her thumb over the fresh injury she applied pressure, smiling as he cried out, sinking lower and lower he hit the floor,
“Mikey’s got it! Mikey’s got the cash” he swallowed hard “Had the cash, I don’t know if he still has but I left it with him, he said he’d pay you”
She pulled him to his feet by his t-shirt,
“Thanks honey” she purred “that’s all we needed to know, you make sure he visits yeah?”
She kissed his cheek, leaving a faded lip mark, she pushed him back to the floor, turning on her heels she walked away,
“Fucking bitch!”
He spat.
She turned suddenly, she charged back towards him,
“You fucking what!”
She was stopped suddenly by strong arms,
“you’ve done enough, leave him now” Ross whispered comfortingly “John! Deal with him!” he demanded “And you!” he walked over to the man “You make sure that little cunt is through the doors of this club ten tomorrow night or it will be you we keep coming for until we find him! I’m a reasonable man, I leant you money in good faith and you took the piss!” he made a jab for the man’s ribs, winding him “And don’t ever let me hear you call her a bitch again!”
He took Ava back under his arm, they left the cellar making their way back to his booth at the back of the club, sitting down, a gin and tonic was placed in front of her, she smiled at the bar man, always polite to the staff, she pushed her hair off her face,
“I don’t think he’s gonna turn up”
“We’ll deal with that when it happens, you did well though, reduced a man to tears in a dress and heels I’m impressed!”
He placed a hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze, she smiled back sighing,
“Ross, I’ve got to go back to my mums”
“it’s risky though Ava, why do you need to go back?”
“There’s some stuff I need to grab”
“you can go shopping tomorrow, I’m on station but I can give you some money”
She smiled at him,
“It’s sentimental stuff Ross, not stuff I can buy, thanks though”
He sighed,
“How long do you need?”
“Maybe an hour?”
“I plant a shop lifter, keep your mum busy but you can’t be any more than an hour Ava there’s only so long I can keep her busy for”
She nodded, squeezing his hand,
“Thank you”
Myra walked back out on to the shop floor, just as a young girl stuffed a cashmere scarf up her fleece,
“I hope you’re going to pay for that”
“Fuck off!”
The girl bolted from the shop, as if on cue DCI Gates darkened the door,
“Turn back around and get out the back office!”
She winked at him, she would happily do a couple of hours in a cell for the money he was paying her, she played along putting up a fight, he left the other officers to deal with her, approaching Myra she smiled at him half heartedly,
“DCI Gates” she muttered “I hope you’re in here cause you’ve heard something about my Ava”
“Unfortunately not Myra sorry, I was just next door when I heard the shouting thought I’d poke my head in”
She sighed looking at the floor biting her lip, fighting back tears with an aching heart,
“four months Ross!”
“I know love we are working our hardest to get her home”
“Can I have a word? In private?”
“Of course” he smiled playing the good copper “Where is best to go?”
“Just through to the office”
“Just give me a minute” he turned quickly “Get that tea leaf in hand cuffs and back to the station I’ll sort her out when I get back”
They nodded still wrestling with his plant, he followed Myra to the back office, a tiny space with just a desk and a chair, surrounded by files and broken or discontinued stock,
“Right whats the matter?”
He asked sympathetically, only to have the middle aged woman lunge at him burning with rage, he grabbed her wrists,
“You know where she is you bastard!”
“Myra! Stop and think about what you’re saying, I do not want to have to take you in!”
She stepped back, her eyes glazed with fury,
“Her friends have told me! You own that poxy night club, she’s been seen in it, hanging on to you like a lost puppy!”
“Myra I’m telling you I have no sort of relationship with Ava, she’s a missing person, we take those reports very seriously, I understand you’re upset but please don’t direct that at me!”
He was only partly lying, he wasn’t in a relationship with Ava, they worked together and very well,
“And I’m telling you I’m on to you Gates! I know what your real career is and if you’ve corrupted my daughter I will be reporting you!”
He shrugged,
“I’m going to let this go this time Myra because I know you’re upset but I can assure you whatever information you’ve been fed about me is all lies and whatever assumptions you’ve made are entirely incorrect, I’ll leave you to calm down!”
He turned leaving the room, flustered she grabbed her bag and coat leaving through the back door.