A Dark Matter Episode 55

TDarcy waited briefly and looked at the money. Then shook her head. “I want to know what this is about,” Jenny said

he woman had a face like fizz as she waved her empty mojito glass at the barmaid, who went to make another. Jenny went to the bar, sat in the seat Liam had just been in. She made a show of checking the woman up and down, and she eventually turned.

“Can I help you?” she said. Soft English accent, home counties.

“What was that about?” Jenny said. “What?”

“With that guy.”

“What guy?”

Jenny bit her lip. “The guy you were just trying to pull.”

The woman frowned as the barmaid brought the fresh drink. “I’ll get that,” Jenny said, handing over her bankcard to the barmaid. “And a double gin and tonic.” That got the woman’s attention. “What’s it to you?” the woman said. Jenny stuck out her hand. “I’m Jenny.” The woman stared at her, then at the mojito, then at the barmaid who was fixing the gin and handing the card reader over. “Darcy,” she said eventually.

“Nice to meet you.”

Darcy took a sip of her cocktail and smacked her lips. “You never answered my question. And why were you watching us?”

Jenny wondered how much to say. “I’m interested in him.” Darcy scoffed. “Good luck.”

“Not like that.”

“Me neither.”

“Then why were you all over him?” The woman shook her head. “I wasn’t.” “Come on,” Jenny said, sipping her drink. Darcy stroked at her skirt and Jenny mirrored her. Darcy looked at the gesture and shook her head.

“I know all about that,” she said, putting her hand on Jenny’s hand and leaning in. Her perfume was sharp and classy, her make-up perfect smoky tones that matched her eyes and hair. “So unless you really want to get it on with me, cut it out.”

She leaned back and picked up her drink. Sipped from the glass. Jenny watched for a moment, putting it together. “You’re an escort,” she said.

The woman raised her eyebrows in a conspiracy. “No I’m not, that’s outrageous.” Her deadpan tone didn’t match her words.

“You were trying to pick him up for work?” “No.”

“But why here? You won’t get any work around here.”

“You’ve got me all wrong, lady.” Jenny drank her gin and opened her bag, got out her purse. “I don’t think so.” She made a show of peeling off three £20 notes and placing them on the bar.

Darcy waited a moment and looked at the money. Then shook her head. “I want to know what this is about,” Jenny said. “Me too,” Darcy said.

“How do you mean?”

Darcy raised her eyebrows at the money and Jenny added another two twenties. Darcy picked the money up, rolled it and tucked it into her bra.

“I was given this job.” She went into her handbag and brought out a card. It said “Superior Edinburgh Escorts”. Her name was underneath along with a mobile number and an email address. “What do you mean?”

“He was described to me over the phone,” Darcy said. “I was told where and when I would find him.”

“And you were supposed to sleep with him?”

Darcy shrugged.

“Who gave you the job?”

“I didn’t get a name.”

Jenny finished her drink. “How were you going to get paid?”

“I got the deposit already. I gave my account details over the phone. The rest was after I did the job.”

“What did the person sound like on the phone?”

“Angry,” Darcy said, finishing her own drink and taking her business card back from Jenny. “And Irish.”

Hannah

Carphone Warehouse was a scruffy blue place sandwiched between shinier Three and EE shops. Why did phone places always herd together? Hannah strode inside and pulled the receipt from her pocket.

Mel obviously didn’t have the phone on her when she was found, so where was it? Probably smashed and in a skip somewhere. The receipt said Mel, or whoever bought it, was served by Kyle. She approached the counter and asked for him.

The guy behind the counter was short and stocky, Eastern European accent, a spread of gothic tattoos up his arms.

He nodded at one of the other employees dealing with a middle-aged woman. “Kyle is busy, can I help?”

“I need to speak to Kyle.”

The guy shrugged. “Then you wait.” Hannah hung around nearby. Kyle was about the same age as her, a patch tuft of beard on his chin, pallid skin and bags under his eyes.

He seemed to take an age with the woman. Eventually she chose something then they went to the desk.

It then took another age to get a box from the back, then go over the contract, then persuade her to sign for insurance and buy a pink diamante case.

Finally, with much waving and smiling, she was gone and the Polish guy nodded Kyle towards Hannah.

“Can I help you, Madam?” Madam. They were the same age. Hannah showed him the receipt. “Do you remember selling this phone to my friend Melanie?”

Kyle frowned at her then the receipt. “We sell a lot of phones in here, miss.” Now it was “miss”.

“Please take a look at it.”

Kyle peered at the piece of paper. “This was almost two months ago.” “Well?”

He laughed. “I don’t remember.” Hannah got her phone out, flicked through the camera roll, thumbed up one of Indy and Mel dressed up for something, she couldn’t even remember what now. She showed it to Kyle.

“The Scots-Chinese girl. She had a light Dundee accent.”

Kyle looked at the screen then at Hannah. “‘Had’?”

“What?”

“You said ‘had’ not ‘has’.” Hannah felt a weight on her shoulders.

More on Monday.

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone is published by Orenda Books, as is Black Hearts, his latest in the same series. www.orendabooks. co.uk