Dead Of Winter (Willis/Carter #1)(55)

‘Once every two months. But our schedule’s up the swanny on account of the weather. We were supposed to come along this section last week and we didn’t make it.’

‘So if someone knew your schedule, they’d think she wouldn’t be found for two months?’

Barry nodded. Tom was sitting in the police car with a blanket round his shoulders.

‘Did he move her at all?’

Barry shook his head. ‘You must be joking . . . frightened the life out of the boy . . . puked everywhere.’ He glanced over at the puddle of bright-coloured vomit on the black tarmac.

Carter went across to wait in the car and get warm for a few minutes. He was in danger of throwing up, too.

He watched Ebony as she knelt beside the body, taking a photo with her phone. He selected a number on his mobile and hit the call button.

‘Cabrina?’

‘I told you, Dan, I just need to think things through.’

‘You’re alright though, aren’t you? You’d tell me if you weren’t.’

‘Of course. Baby is kicking away. Keeps me awake at nights.’

Carter closed his eyes and felt for a moment as if he was about to sob.

‘I want you to come back, Cabrina. I miss you. I want us to plan the baby things. Start painting the nursery, you know, get things – pram . . . and stuff . . .’

‘Not the pram. It’s bad luck. Anyway Mum and Dad are going to buy that . . . as a present.’

‘Of course . . . how are they . . . okay?’

‘So excited about the baby . . . Look, Dan, I know you’re missing me and I know you’re trying your hardest to be pleased about the baby. Maybe you are, in your own way, but I’m not sure if it’s all enough. I need more. I need to feel secure and I don’t. I never know where you are.’

‘At the moment I’m sat looking at the traffic on the motorway. We’ve got a corpse by the side of the road.’

‘I don’t mean it like that . . . you know what I mean . . . you’re never around.’

‘I’m working. You know that.’

‘Yeah, but what if there was an emergency? What if the baby was sick and I couldn’t get hold of you? And I don’t know whether you’re ready for dirty nappies and breastfeeding and I just don’t want another baby to look after, Dan. One baby will be enough. You always like things to be just us . . . I understand: but it will never be just us again. I’m not sure you can adapt to that.’

‘You aren’t giving me a chance. I want you, Cabrina, and if that means the baby comes as part of it then I’m ready.’

‘You see what I mean, Dan . . . you’ll have it, if you have to. It’s not the same as wanting it . . . really wanting it.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that.’

‘But that’s the thing, Dan – you did. You did mean it like that. You’re just not ready.’

‘Sarge?’ Ebony walked towards his car. Carter finished the call. He wound down the window. She leant into the car. ‘I know her . . . she’s one of Digger’s – I saw her when I went round the back at his club. She was in one of the back rooms. She was the one I asked if she’d seen Sonny and she said yes. She gave her name as Tanya.’

Ebony and Carter arrived in Cain’s and waited whilst the janitor went to wake Digger up. He was stony-faced as he greeted them, a fresh cup of coffee in his hands. Ray the barman was there cleaning the bar.

Digger sat down at one of the tables.

Carter placed the photographs of Tanya’s frozen body out like cards, one by one on the table in front of him. ‘This is one of your dancers.’

Digger looked slowly up at Carter. He placed his coffee cup down and wiped his mouth with a snow-white cloth napkin. He signalled to Ray to come over.

‘Is this one of our girls?’

Ray looked at the photo. ‘No, boss.’

‘You sure?’

Ray nodded. A bead of sweat was beginning to form on the crease in his forehead.

‘That’s that then. Sorry we can’t help. I warn you, Sergeant, I am going to lodge a complaint. I am being harassed.’

‘Her name is Tanya,’ interrupted Ebony. ‘I saw her here.’ Ray turned a puce colour as she spoke. ‘The day we came to visit. Ray here let me look around.’ She smiled. Ray went to protest his innocence. Digger held up his hand for him to be quiet.

‘Okay.’ Digger picked up the photo. ‘Now I can see that it is Tanya. Such a shame. She was a lovely girl. She moved on, wasn’t happy here. It happens. Girls come and go here. Poor Tanya; no one’s safe on these streets any more. I blame the Police Force: you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. I had nothing to do with it. If you think I did . . .’ Digger made a sucking noise as he cleaned his teeth with a toothpick. ‘Prove it.’

‘When did you see her last?’ asked Ebony.

‘I saw her the night before last.’

‘What time did she work until?’

‘Until we closed at four-thirty and then she left.’

‘Did you see her leave?’ asked Ebony. Digger shook his head.

Carter glanced around the club and came to rest on the web cam positioned above the bar.

‘We need the CCTV footage from your cameras inside and outside Cain’s for the last forty-eight hours.’