Jaime Raven - The Madam

‘I was actually just about to give you a ring,’ he said. ‘The DCI has asked me to look into the attack on your brother. I’m going to see him in a bit and then I’d like to get a statement from you.’

‘And there was me thinking that Ash wouldn’t take it seriously.’

‘The boss might not have the best people skills on the force, Miss Wells, but he’s a good copper. He’ll do all he can to catch those responsible for assaulting your brother.’

‘It wasn’t just an assault,’ I said. ‘They kidnapped him. They dragged him out of his own home and then put him into a car before beating him up.’

‘I’ve been briefed by uniform,’ he said. ‘So I’m aware of the circumstances. Am I right in saying that your brother has learning difficulties?’

‘That’s right, but it doesn’t mean he’s brain dead. He’ll be able to tell you exactly what happened.’

‘Will you be there?’

I wanted to, but I knew that if I did go straight back my mum would only kick off again.

‘No, I’ve just left,’ I said. ‘But our mother will be.’

‘Then I’d like to get a statement from you later.’

‘No problem. In the meantime you should know I’m really worried about Mark and my mum. The men said it was another warning to me and that if I went to the police they’d come back for him.’

‘It doesn’t mean they will, Miss Wells. It was probably just an idle threat.’

‘Like the note that was put on my windscreen, you mean?’

He didn’t respond and I heard him draw a breath.

‘I want you to provide protection for them,’ I said. ‘Station an officer outside the house or something.’

‘I’m not sure that will be possible, Miss Wells, but I will talk to DCI Ash and see what he thinks.’

‘And what about you , detective? Do you think someone is desperate to stop me poking around in case I uncover the truth?’

‘What’s happened does make that a distinct possibility,’ he said. ‘All the more reason not to play at being a detective. You’re putting yourself in danger.’

‘But if I stop now nothing will happen and the truth will never come out.’

‘We’re involved, Miss Wells. You can rest assured that we’ll thoroughly investigate these threats.’

‘And what if you don’t get anywhere? Will you then reopen the case into Rufus Benedict’s death?’

After a moment’s hesitation, he said, ‘We can talk about that later.’

I snorted. ‘Yeah, right. Well, tell Ash that I’m sticking with this. There’s a good chance the men who killed Benedict attacked my brother last night. And that makes me even more determined to make them pay.’

Before hanging up I agreed to drop by the central police station at about two o’clock so that McGrath could take a formal statement from me.

I didn’t kid myself that the cops were suddenly sympathetic to my cause. It was just that they had no choice but to investigate the attack on my brother. But at least McGrath was not as dismissive of me as his boss was. And that was maybe something I could work on.

Perhaps I could even woo him with my feminine charms. That was assuming I hadn’t lost my touch.

It was a relief to get back to the flat. I felt bone-numbingly tired, but too hyped up to go straight to sleep. I undressed and had a shower. The jets of hot water blasted the sludge from my brain and I felt much better.

When I emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Scar handed me a mug of steaming tea.

‘Would you like me to make you breakfast?’ she asked.

I shook my head. ‘I’m not hungry. You go ahead.’

‘I had something before I came to pick you up.’

I sipped the tea as I walked over to the window and looked out. Dark clouds were scudding across the sky, and the streets were a sombre shade of grey.

‘I called Tiny while you were in the shower,’ Scar said. ‘He’s coming over later.’

I turned and felt my eyebrows pull together.

‘So what did he say?’

‘He said he’d be happy to help out because he’s got nothing better to do. For fifty quid a day he’ll watch your mum’s house and keep an eye on her and your brother when they go out. And he understands that it’s not a done deal, and that you’ll want to see him first.’

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ I said. ‘I take it he knows about us.’

‘Of course. That’s another reason he’s keen to get involved. He wants to meet his ex-wife’s girlfriend.’

I sat down on the sofa to finish my tea and think through the day ahead. Scar lowered herself onto the armchair opposite me and crossed her legs. She looked tired and drawn. And worried.

‘Are you all right?’ I said.

She hunched her shoulders. ‘This is all a bit scary, Lizzie. I still can’t believe what those fuckers did to your brother. We shouldn’t need to be recruiting a minder for them.’

I chewed my lower lip and looked her squarely in the eyes.

‘I won’t blame you if you decide to move out,’ I said. ‘It wasn’t fair of me to get you involved in the first place. If anything happens to you I’ll never forgive myself.’

‘Don’t be a bloody drama queen, Lizzie. I’ve told you, I’m in this with you all the way despite the fact that what you’re doing is crazy.’

I felt warm tears well up in my eyes. I’d never had someone in my life like Scar. Someone who was prepared to stick by me no matter what. It was a strange, but comforting feeling.

‘I don’t deserve you,’ I said.

She clucked her tongue. ‘Don’t you think it’s time you stopped putting yourself down? Okay, so in the eyes of the law you’re a killer as well as a retired whore. You bite your nails and grind your teeth when you’re sleeping. And you’re so stubborn it’s infuriating. But believe it or not you do have a few redeeming features.’

I tried not to grin. ‘And what are they?’

She pretended to think about it. ‘You have nice eyes. Your cheeks dimple when you smile. You’ve got a kind heart and soft hands.’ A pause, then: ‘Oh, and you make me very happy.’

I had to force myself not to cry. They were the kindest words anyone had ever said to me.

I put the mug of tea on the carpet and stood up. Scar raised her brow as I shed the robe and let it drop to the floor.

‘You deserve a treat for being so kind,’ I said, holding out my hand.

Another smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up. She got to her feet and took my hand. I gave her a gentle kiss on the lips and led her into the bedroom.

We made love for almost an hour and then we lay on the bed reminiscing about what it had been like inside. Before we eventually dozed off we talked about our fellow inmates, the ones we liked and the ones we didn’t like. And we reminded each other of the many times we’d had sex on the floor of the cell and in the showers. And how on several occasions the screws had walked in when we were doing it.

We had each occupied single cells before they put us together. Neither of us had wanted to share but from that first day we hit it off and it wasn’t long before we realised we were physically attracted to one another. I was the one who actually made the first move. Scar was upset over something and she was lying on her bed and sobbing. So I sat next to her and started massaging her shoulders and then her neck. When she turned on her back I felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. And so I did, and she responded by pushing her tongue into my mouth. It was as though we’d both been waiting for it to happen.

In the dream it’s Christmas Day and Mark is bouncing little Leo on his lap. We’re at my mother’s house and for once she’s in a good mood. The festive spirit has encouraged us all to make an effort for Leo’s sake. It’s his first Christmas and we all want to make it a special one.