Saving Billie

So Clement wasn't dumb either. I heard a shout of anger from Sharon. Thomas took the phone from me. 'Ms Marchant, if you do as we ask your daughter won't be disturbed. She won't even know what happened. You can ring her when you get here and tell her to get Craig over there, if you wish. Until then my man is standing by.'

Thomas returned the phone to me. 'They're calling the shots,' I said. 'I think they're telling the truth about Sarah. They know the address, Craig's car, all that.'

'God, this is a nightmare. What do they want.?'

'I wish I knew.'

'All right. I'll come. Where is it?'

I told her; Thomas snatched the phone and cut the connection.

I finished the drink and put the glass on the table. 'How about letting me see Billie? I knew Eddie Flannery pretty well and he's supposed to be the source of whatever it is you're trying to find out. She just might talk to me if I tell a story or two about Eddie.'

Clement shook his head and yawned but Thomas thought it over and nodded. 'Why not?'

I gathered up my things. Clement moved to stop me, but Thomas, still unconcerned, waved him off. We went downstairs to a room at the back of the building. While it wasn't exactly medical in atmosphere, it wasn't like a bedroom either. The bed was metal framed and the furniture in the room was functional. The washbasin in the corner, though, gave it a slightly sleazy feel. A woman lay on the bed covered by a sheet and a blanket. Her eyes were closed. I went closer and could see the dark roots starting to get more prominent against the blonde hair. She was pale but with that slight tint to her skin like Sharon. In facial features they were much alike, but this woman had been through a lot more of life's hoops.

I looked at Thomas. 'You said all her vital signs… whatever you call them are okay?'

'Check 'em if you like.'

'I wouldn't know how.'

'I do,' Clement said. He put two fingers on her wrist. 'Pulse a bit slow but not much.' He picked up a device from the table by the bed, placed it near her ear and clicked. 'Temperature up just a bit.' He lifted one eyelid in a surprisingly delicate movement. 'Nothing wrong. The bitch is faking.'

'Billie,' I said, 'I knew your bloke Eddie pretty well when he was in the PEA game. Worked with him once or twice. I remember when he fucked the wife of that copper who was giving him trouble. What was her name again? Ruby, that's it, Ruby Collins.'

Clement yawned again. 'Nothing.'

'She twitched,' I said.

Clement flicked a cigarette lighter. 'She'd do more than twitch if I had my way.'

Billie lay as still as a statue.

'We'll see what the sister can do,' Thomas said.

18

They put me back in the windowless room after allowing me to take a piss. I was weary and fell asleep on the hard bench, pillow or no pillow. I was awake when the door opened and Clement beckoned me out. 'She's here. Looks more human than her sister.'

'What would you know about humanity?'

'Keep it up, Hardy.'

He herded me back to the sick room where Thomas was standing on one side of the bed with Sharon on the other. The look she gave me would have cut glass.

'I'm sorry,' I said. 'Did you phone Sarah?'

'Yes,' she said, not looking at me. 'Craig's on his way.'

Thomas rubbed the grey bristles on his face. It'd been a long day for all of us, him included. 'Let's get on with it, Ms Marchant. See if you can get a response from her.'

'Is she sedated?' Sharon asked.

'She was, mildly. It must have worn off by now. My colleague here has some medical knowledge and believes she's faking. He's in favour of… sterner measures.'

'Torture,' I said.

'Shut up, Hardy,' Thomas snapped. 'You're not helping. The sooner we find out what we need to know the sooner everyone can go home or into hospital or do whatever the hell they want. With certain exceptions.'

Sharon leaned closer to her inert sister. 'She's very thin in the face, gaunt. She looks dehydrated. She was deep in malnutrition…'

'They put her on drips in the hospital and treated the pneumonia with antibiotics,' Thomas said. 'She's functional. Get through to her, lady. Convince her that the best course is for her to talk to us.'

Sharon shook her head. 'She's a burnt-out case. Maybe the best course is for her to die here peacefully and for all you bastards to just fuck off.'

'Sharon?' Billie said.

Thomas smiled. 'Good work.'

'Not for you, bandy legs,' Sharon snarled. 'Billie, babe, we've really got ourselves in the shit here.'

'I know,' Billie said. 'I was hoping they'd just give me a shot of something eventually and let me just…'

'You're finished with shots of something. I've got twenty grand to put you in detox, rehab, whatever, and get you back on your feet. Come on, babe, there's Sammy to consider, and me and Sarah.'

'Sammy,' Billie whispered. 'Is he okay?'

Sharon smoothed sweat-stiffened hair from Billie's face. 'Yeah, he is. But these people've got a long reach. They threatened Sarah.'

Billie made an effort and hoisted herself up a little so that she wasn't just lying flat on the bed. Sharon adjusted the pillow behind her. 'Jesus,' Billie said, 'I don't know what's going on. It's been a blur for a while and, fuck, I could do with a fix now.'

'No chance,' Clement said.

Thomas looked as though he wanted to hit him. 'Just possibly,' he said.

Sharon shrugged and murmured in tune-' "The kids are all right". Remember that? It applies now. Maybe we should just tell these bastards to get fucked. We've provided the next generation. What's so great about life right now?'

Clement pushed me aside and moved closer to the bed. 'Listen, you cunt. I can give you so much pain you'll tell me where this Sammy is and plead for me to kill him rather than go on doing what I'm doing to you.'

'He's capable of it, believe me,' Thomas said.

The colour drained from Sharon's face but she stood her ground. She turned away from Clement and addressed Thomas: 'I'm not going to do a thing while that animal's in the room. Get rid of him and I'll talk to her.'

Clement protested but Thomas overruled him and ordered him out. As soon as the door closed with a well-sealed hiss, Thomas took out a pistol, waved me to a corner of the room and spoke urgently. 'He's very dangerous.'

'Who's to say you won't just kill us if you get what you want?' Sharon said. 'And what if Billie doesn't know anything?'

'I know plenty,' Billie said. 'You sure about that twenty grand, sis?'

'I've got it,' Sharon said.

Billie turned, propped herself on an elbow, and looked at me. 'Is he any fucking use?'

Good question. 'Listen, Rhys,' I said. 'I know you're working for Greaves, not Clement.'

The look on Thomas's face told me that I was right on the money. His secret was out; he was in danger and he knew it. The question was how would he react? He could probably afford to kill me, but not Sharon and Billie. He must have been playing a cagey game between Clement and Greaves for some time but he hadn't anticipated this and it threw him. I had to move quickly to make the most of the advantage.

'Clive McGuinness told me when I put him under some pressure,' I said. 'But he's out of the picture now, on his way to Bangkok.'

'Fucking McGuinness,' Thomas said. 'That's how you got here.'

'Yeah, that's right.'

Billie's cigarette and booze eroded voice cut in: 'Who-?'

'Shut up.' I pointed to the door and got Thomas's attention. 'Young Clement's nuts, you can see that. You've barely got him under control. Get what you want from Billie and I'll help you take care of him. Then you can play it your way with Greaves and we're out of here and we've never heard of you.'