looking for. Better than airport queuing times.’
Angus looked up at her, his eyebrows raised.
She felt her spirits soar, he was listening intently. She might have a fantasy about wanting him to fancy her, but even more than that she wanted his respect. ‘A rosewood kingpin.’ She shrugged. ‘It makes a change from a drugs bust.’
She could see him mulling it over. He was part of the new guard in the service; stories that garnered good publicity were catnip to him.
‘No overtime, no night shifts.’
Georgie nodded.
‘And no rocking boats.’
She smiled at him and left him to his tea.
16
N ow Georgie and Mo were waiting for Kelly to come out of her apartment. They worked out that she would appear at some point to collect her children from school, or return with them to the house. But a woman who looked so much like Christos she had to be his mother had come back with the children after school.
Georgie was growing frustrated and irritable. She felt cooped up, she was sick of the endless cans of Tango Mo drank and nothing was happening. It looked like they might have missed Kelly altogether.
‘Woman walking a dog, ten points,’ Mo said, pointing at the far pavement. ‘So it’s two hundred and ten plays ninety.’ They were playing the points game as a way to pass the time. ‘White van with writing in the dirt on the back, thirty points! I’m murdering you.’
Georgie drummed her fingers on the steering wheel with irritation.
‘What’s a couple kissing worth?’
Georgie made a face. ‘Let’s take points away for that.’
Mo sipped his fizzy drink. ‘I doubt there’s a romantic bone in your body. Why’s that, eh? You know I could fix you up with one of my brothers if you liked. They drink alcohol and try to fuck beautiful women like you and they’re not “angry”, like me.’ Georgie gave him a withering look but it didn’t stop him. ‘Why don’t you have a boyfriend? I don’t get it, I really don’t. All I’m saying is: you ever feel like company, I’ve got a queue.’
Georgie tried to smile. She could never get beyond two dates. After that they tended to want to come back and see where you lived. Meet the in-laws. Be made to squeeze in between the body-building bulks of Karl, Ryan and Matt on the settee, listening as they lionised the Krays, made bad jokes about the police, talked a little too knowledgeably about institutional visiting hours. The men she fancied would – and should – run a mile. She had a flash of seeing Anguish on her couch at home and shuddered.
‘OK,’ Georgie said. ‘A couple kissing is a hundred points and an instant win. Hugging doesn’t count.’
‘You’re on.’
They were interrupted by the garage door opening and the nose of a black Audi inching out. They both craned their heads to see who was driving. ‘That’s her,’ Georgie said.
They followed as Kelly drove east towards the City and then along the A13, turning off towards the river. Ten minutes later she was turning into Casson Street.
‘Is she going where I think she’s going?’ Georgie looked at Mo in disbelief.
They followed Kelly into the parking lot of the children’s play area. They watched her go in with her son.
Georgie unbuckled her seat belt. ‘You stay here.’
Mo nodded.
The play centre was huge, with a café near the entrance and a second storey that catered for children’s parties. In the after-school rush the noise level could compete with a nightclub. A carpeted area ran under a series of nets of varying heights where children dangled and squealed and colourful slides, some twisting, burped children out on the carpet. There was a pit filled with plastic balls, rope swings and distorting plastic mirrors, and high netted walkways that ran above Georgie’s head and disappeared into tunnels.
Georgie was impressed, wishing she had been taken to something like this when she was a child. Then again, her brothers would have started a fight and they would all have
Angus looked up at her, his eyebrows raised.
She felt her spirits soar, he was listening intently. She might have a fantasy about wanting him to fancy her, but even more than that she wanted his respect. ‘A rosewood kingpin.’ She shrugged. ‘It makes a change from a drugs bust.’
She could see him mulling it over. He was part of the new guard in the service; stories that garnered good publicity were catnip to him.
‘No overtime, no night shifts.’
Georgie nodded.
‘And no rocking boats.’
She smiled at him and left him to his tea.
16
N ow Georgie and Mo were waiting for Kelly to come out of her apartment. They worked out that she would appear at some point to collect her children from school, or return with them to the house. But a woman who looked so much like Christos she had to be his mother had come back with the children after school.
Georgie was growing frustrated and irritable. She felt cooped up, she was sick of the endless cans of Tango Mo drank and nothing was happening. It looked like they might have missed Kelly altogether.
‘Woman walking a dog, ten points,’ Mo said, pointing at the far pavement. ‘So it’s two hundred and ten plays ninety.’ They were playing the points game as a way to pass the time. ‘White van with writing in the dirt on the back, thirty points! I’m murdering you.’
Georgie drummed her fingers on the steering wheel with irritation.
‘What’s a couple kissing worth?’
Georgie made a face. ‘Let’s take points away for that.’
Mo sipped his fizzy drink. ‘I doubt there’s a romantic bone in your body. Why’s that, eh? You know I could fix you up with one of my brothers if you liked. They drink alcohol and try to fuck beautiful women like you and they’re not “angry”, like me.’ Georgie gave him a withering look but it didn’t stop him. ‘Why don’t you have a boyfriend? I don’t get it, I really don’t. All I’m saying is: you ever feel like company, I’ve got a queue.’
Georgie tried to smile. She could never get beyond two dates. After that they tended to want to come back and see where you lived. Meet the in-laws. Be made to squeeze in between the body-building bulks of Karl, Ryan and Matt on the settee, listening as they lionised the Krays, made bad jokes about the police, talked a little too knowledgeably about institutional visiting hours. The men she fancied would – and should – run a mile. She had a flash of seeing Anguish on her couch at home and shuddered.
‘OK,’ Georgie said. ‘A couple kissing is a hundred points and an instant win. Hugging doesn’t count.’
‘You’re on.’
They were interrupted by the garage door opening and the nose of a black Audi inching out. They both craned their heads to see who was driving. ‘That’s her,’ Georgie said.
They followed as Kelly drove east towards the City and then along the A13, turning off towards the river. Ten minutes later she was turning into Casson Street.
‘Is she going where I think she’s going?’ Georgie looked at Mo in disbelief.
They followed Kelly into the parking lot of the children’s play area. They watched her go in with her son.
Georgie unbuckled her seat belt. ‘You stay here.’
Mo nodded.
The play centre was huge, with a café near the entrance and a second storey that catered for children’s parties. In the after-school rush the noise level could compete with a nightclub. A carpeted area ran under a series of nets of varying heights where children dangled and squealed and colourful slides, some twisting, burped children out on the carpet. There was a pit filled with plastic balls, rope swings and distorting plastic mirrors, and high netted walkways that ran above Georgie’s head and disappeared into tunnels.
Georgie was impressed, wishing she had been taken to something like this when she was a child. Then again, her brothers would have started a fight and they would all have
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