Oh, frigging perfect, Rachel thought, be all over YouTube.
Rachel reached for her warrant card and swung it around with her free hand. ‘Satisfied?’
Some of the crowd melted away but most stayed for the sideshow while Rachel dragged Shirelle to her feet and said, ‘I am arresting you on suspicion of the possession of banned substances with intent to supply. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence against you.’
The Asian guy stood his ground, face still like a smacked arse, mouth pursed, shaking his head as if deeply disappointed in Rachel and how she’d conducted herself.
Shirelle looked worse in the clear light of day, her face more swollen. Stitches ran across the deeper cuts over her eyelid and cheek and lip. She had lost teeth too, gaps at the front. Livid bruises on her forearms and hands. Rachel imagined the blows, smashing the girl against the hard ground. Boots or fists or bats?
Nevertheless Shirelle had been examined by the police doctor and found fit for interview. A duty solicitor was present. Rachel stated the grounds under which Shirelle had been arrested, and cautioned her.
‘You know we searched your flat,’ Rachel said. ‘We found a number of items banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act.’
Shirelle gave a small sigh.
‘Can you tell me why you had these drugs in your possession?’
‘No.’ Her voice painfully hoarse.
‘What were you doing at Stanley Keane’s? Getting stocked up?’
‘No,’ Shirelle said quickly.
‘Is he responsible for your injuries?’
‘No.’
‘We can help, you know. You don’t have to deal with it on your own. And we can keep you safe, if that’s what you’re worried about. Keane works with Marcus Williams, doesn’t he? The Williamses of this world, they sit up there, king of the shit heap, raking in the money, calling the shots, but it’s people like you always pay the price. I don’t think that’s fair.’
The girl was unmoved.
Rachel said, ‘I want to talk to you again about Victor and Lydia. We know they were dealing, I think you were supplying them. Is that the case?’
‘No,’ she said.
‘You’re not in work – is that true?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Claiming Jobseeker’s?’ Rachel said.
‘So?’
‘Can you explain to me how you’ve furnished your flat and paid for a new kitchen on sixty quid a week?’
Shirelle gave a little snort, said nothing.
‘From the proceeds of drug-dealing perhaps?’
‘No way.’
‘We have a witness saw Noel and Neil Perry near the warehouse on the Friday evening. Did the Perrys visit the squat?’
‘Maybe.’ Which meant yes.
‘Did you see them there recently?’ Shirelle hesitated. She must realize, Rachel thought, that she’d be incriminating herself to some extent if she admitted regular visits to Victor and Lydia, even if she stopped short of saying they were buying drugs from her.
‘We’ve got enough to do you for supply,’ Rachel said, putting a bit of pressure on. ‘Well, did you see them?’
The girl didn’t reply.
‘Come on, Shirelle. He was a friend, wasn’t he? Victor. Or are you protecting someone. Was this beating to keep you quiet?’
‘No. Thursday, I seen them,’ she said.
‘The Perrys. What time?’
‘About four, I was leaving the squat.’
‘Not Friday?’ Rachel said.
Shirelle shook her head slowly to the right then left.
‘You see Victor on Friday?’
‘Yes.’
‘What time?’
A pause. ‘Same,’ she said.
‘But not the twins?’
‘No.’
Rachel thought of the stash that the Perry brothers had, more than personal use. ‘Were they dealing, the Perrys?’
‘No,’ she said.
‘Heavy users?’
‘Dunno. Ain’t exactly mates.’
‘They’re racist tossers but they’re happy enough to deal with Victor?’ Rachel said.
‘Hypocrites, in’t they.’
‘And on Saturday you were up on Middleton Road, with a bagful of party poppers. You heard the girl died?’
Shirelle closed her good eye.
‘Not your week, is it?’ Rachel said.
‘It was legal.’
‘That might have been, the rest isn’t. Class As, Shirelle, you can get life for that. You going to do that for Williams? Reckon he’ll thank you for it? Even if it’s accepted you played a lesser role, you’re looking at seven years. What’s keeping you here? Family? We heard you’re on your own. Think about it: new name, new flat, new chance. This all goes away.’
‘I i’nt a grass.’
Rachel had an image of Sharon, the night before, the disgust on her face, disgust at Rachel. The rotten ache of it inside her.
‘They could have killed you,’ Rachel said. ‘You don’t matter, you’re disposable.’
Shirelle didn’t speak.
‘It’s one of the lines of our investigation, whether associates of Williams were behind the murders, Victor’s murder.’
Shirelle’s expression hardened. ‘They weren’t, no way.’
‘You liked Victor, you went out with him, and I thought you’d at least want to see whoever killed him pay for it. Perhaps Victor double-crossed Williams, perhaps he was cutting the product?’
‘No,’ she repeated, ‘he never. It wasn’t any of them.’ Shirelle was adamant.
‘You know who, then?’
‘No.’
Rachel held her gaze, tried to see beyond the cuts and the bloodshot eye.
‘That’s the truth,’ she said, ‘I swear.’
‘What do you know about Greg Tandy?’ Rachel asked.
‘Who?’ But there was a false note to the question.
‘He was staying at Keane’s. Connor’s dad. You know Connor?’
‘I know Connor,’ she said, ‘I don’t know his dad.’
Rachel wasn’t sure she believed her. Aware that when any probing came close to Williams or his grubby little empire, Shirelle watched her step.
‘What was he like, Victor?’ With no family, no records, any information on the man was patchy to say the least. They probably knew more about Richard Kavanagh. Didn’t even have any photographs.
‘He was a big kid.’ She paused, but the temptation to talk about him must have won her over. ‘Like when we were together, he was still friendly with Lydia and I said, “I don’t share,” but he just fooled about, like it was a joke. He never grew up.’ For the first time, behind the words blunted by her injuries, Rachel heard grief in what Shirelle was saying.
Most of them don’t grow up, Rachel thought. Would Sean? Had he? This, the marriage, pushing Rachel to meet her mother, was that grown-up behaviour? He still found farting and cock jokes totally hilarious.
‘Is there anything else you wish to add?’ Rachel was ready to wind things up, they had enough to charge her with possession with intent to supply.
‘The Paradise,’ Shirelle said, ‘it’s been OK.’ A sliver of remorse.
‘I know,’ Rachel said, ‘and then it wasn’t.’
25
The café, self-service, was cheap and cheerful, not too greasy, ideal for a quick lunch.
‘What are you getting?’ Rachel said.
Janet looked at her watch, they hadn’t long but she needed something hot and filling. ‘Macaroni cheese.’ Rachel ordered the pasta and a steak and mushroom pie. They took their meals to an empty table in the corner.
‘So, what’s wrong with Her Majesty?’ Rachel said.
Janet shook her head. ‘None of your business.’
Rachel gave a heavy sigh.
Janet didn’t care, there was no way she was going to betray Gill’s confidence. Friendship was rooted in trust. Sometimes she wasn’t sure whether Rachel understood that.
‘How’s Elise?’
Janet told Rachel the same she’d told Gill earlier, including the fact that Ade blamed Janet and Olivia’s mother had turned on Elise.