The Madam

‘Your future. That’s what you should be focused on now that you’re out. You have to accept that neither guilt nor revenge will bring back your son and those years spent in prison.’

‘Actually I do accept that. But what I can’t accept is that if I do nothing then whoever is responsible for the carnage will never be punished.’

‘Get real. What are the odds on you finding out who the real perps are? You’re not a copper. You don’t have the necessary skills. You’re stumbling blind into a world you’re not familiar with. A dangerous world at that.’

‘If I don’t at least try I’ll never forgive myself,’ I said. ‘If I walk away I really don’t think that my life will be worth living.’

I was worked up now, verging on tears. Scar reached across the seat, brushed a tendril of hair away from my forehead.

She sighed. ‘Okay, babe. I can see you’re as determined as ever. And I want you to know that I’ll stick by you and continue to help.’

I managed a smile. ‘Thanks.’

A beat.

‘There’s this guy I know,’ she said. ‘For a few quid a day I think he might be persuaded to keep an eye on your mum and brother. Would you be up for that?’

‘I suppose. If he can be trusted.’

‘He can. We go back a long way, and it so happens he lives down the road in Portsmouth. He’s also on the dole right now.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Craig Decker, but everyone calls him Tiny on account of the fact that he’s built like a brick shithouse.’

‘So how do you know him?’

Scar blushed. ‘He happens to be my ex-husband.’

In prison Scar had never mentioned that she’d ever been interested in men, let alone married to one. The revelation left me speechless.

‘I should have told you,’ she said. ‘The thing is it was a long time ago. I was young and I went with boys because I was in denial about my sexual orientation. At seventeen I met Tiny and the first time we did it I got pregnant. So we got married. But our baby died while I was giving birth. The marriage lasted another year, and then we went our separate ways.’

‘But you stayed in touch,’ I said.

She nodded. ‘He was a family friend so yeah, we did. But that was okay because there was never any animosity. He even came to see me in prison once.’

‘And did you tell him about yourself?’

‘If you mean did I tell him that I wasn’t straight, I didn’t have to. He guessed it when I stopped going with guys. I came out when I was nineteen. By then I’d had enough of pretending I was someone I wasn’t.’

It was hard for me to imagine Scar with a man and harder still to imagine how difficult it must have been for her before she came out of the closet.

‘I came close to telling you about Tiny a few times,’ she said. ‘But you know what it was like in prison. Nobody wants to open up completely. You all feel the need to hold something back about yourself. Usually it’s a part of your life you find difficult to share.’

I knew exactly what she meant. There were things about my own life I hadn’t mentioned to Scar. Secrets. Things I were ashamed of. Some of the stuff I got up to while on drugs.

‘So what do you think?’ she asked me. ‘Shall I get Tiny over so that you can suss him out?’

‘Would he be able to cope with being a minder?’

‘Oh, sure. Last I heard he was a bouncer and he knows how to look after himself. Just so you know, he served a short prison sentence for causing grievous bodily harm to a bloke who picked a fight with him in a pub.’

‘He sounds like a charmer.’

‘He is, believe me.’

‘What makes you so sure he’ll be up for it?’

The corners of her mouth slipped into a smile. ‘Because he’s skint and because he’s always said that if I ever need a favour I only have to ask.’

On the way back to the flat I used my mobile to call DS Paul McGrath. I got his number from the card he gave me.

‘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.’