‘Not convinced about that. Mum says it’s been on and off for years and she reckons he’s much, much happier when Mina’s not around. And Mum was saying, too, how George actually talks more about you than Mina.’
‘Mum never said.You’venot said…’
‘I’m sayingnow. Although’ – she sniffed – ‘not much point if he’s going to be carted off along with this Singleton and Rob Traynor. Anyway, we knew you weren’t keen on him. Actively disliked George, we got the impression. D’you think Kamran will be on the phone to him this minute? Warning him…? Anyway,youappeared to haveother menon your mind…’
‘What other men?’
Robyn took her eyes from the road for a second, narrowly missing a scruffy-looking ginger tom that was recklessly making a bid through the traffic for the opposite pavement.
‘Well, Dean obviously…’
I gave a snort of derision.
‘And then with Serena Wotshername persuading you on to Tinder…’
‘Never swiped once,’ I said.
‘And then, of course, this Henry bloke…’
‘Well, that turned out to be a damp squib. Although, to be honest, his fingers did almost reach my, you know…’
‘Your pants?’ Robyn turned, staring in delight across at me.
‘You’re beginning to sound like Serena.’ I tutted. ‘Myhemline.’
‘Never heard of a hemline being an erogenous zone.’
‘Don’t laugh,’ I said, starting to laugh myself. ‘I’m totally and utterly out of practice. I don’t know how to go about it any more. And I don’t think my hemline was turned on. I just felt a bit sick to be honest. A bit terrified. Didn’t really want it going anywhere. Just wanted something to tell Serena down at The Dog and…’ I never finished the sentence. ‘Stop!’ I ordered. ‘Pull over!’
34
‘Stop!’ I shouted again, pointing to a man standing at the side of the country road. ‘Isn’t that George?’
‘Not his car,’ Robyn said, slowing down and coming to a standstill while peering through the windscreen to where a man stood on the verge, bent over and obviously deep in conversation with someone sitting on the grass. He looked to be trying to take the other’s arm, trying to get whoever it was into the car. ‘ItisGeorge,’ she said. ‘And, look, he’s with Joel!’
My heart sank, not at finding Joel, but that George and Joel obviously knew each other. Were they in cahoots, both part of the town’s drug suppliers? Joel obviouslyhadbeen. And was he, for all his protestations to the contrary,still? And had George, as one of the big boys, got a hold on Joel again for whatever reason? Probably to shut him up, now that Rob Traynor had been hauled away with Henry CB.
‘Well, George obviously knows Joel,’ I said.
‘Maybe they met down at St Mede’s,’ Robyn said, unbuckling her seatbelt. ‘Hang on, George was at Sorrel’s goodbye breakfast over at Kamran’s place, telling us about his hens and bees. D’you remember? When Andy Somerville brought Joel over from Castleford?’
Of course! And I also suddenly recalled the intense, drawn-out look Joel had given George when he’d come into the kitchen and seen George sitting at the table. I was fed up with it all; the whole tangled mess as to who was involved in Joel’s other, shady world and who wasn’t. I jumped out of the car and raced across the road.
‘Get off him,’ I shouted at George. ‘I know what you’reup to! Where are you taking him? Trying to shut him up before he tells the police what he knows about you and that bastard Singleton and Rob Traynor? You managed, with a bit of luck, to finish Blane Higson off, didn’t you? Ha, well, you can just leave Joel alone. He’s coming back with me and Robyn. He’s trying hard to get away from you lot, trying to move on and… and become a… a… a good guy… a dancer for heaven’s sake!’ I reached out, pushing viciously at George’s hand on Joel’s arm. ‘Getoff him…! Come on, Joel, come on, sweetheart. I know you were telling the truth why you were down at Queen’s Gardens last night. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you…’
‘What the hell are youdoing, Jess?’ Robyn was at my side, pushing me away.
‘Georgeisobviously in with Singleton’s lot. He’s as much to blame for the drug problem round here as Rob Traynor and Singleton himself.’
I stood up to my full height, glaring at George, who simply stared back, somewhat arrogantly, at me. ‘Go on, admit it, George – or doyouhave a different name as well when you’re dealing? Bet you do – don’t want to bring the Sattar name into disrepute, do we?’
‘Youarepart of it all?’ Robyn turned to George. ‘You’rea part of all this Queen’s Gardens lot that’ve been trying to get at Fabian? Slashing his tyres? Trying to get him to work for you? No wonder you’ve been so chummy with me down at school. Trying to find out more about what Fabian was up to, I bet?’ Robyn obviously saw red because, without warning, she suddenly turned and thumped George just as viciously on the arm, where I’d grabbed it a few seconds earlier.
I nodded. ‘I saw you down at Queen’s Gardens last night. I saw you, saw your car, speeding up and down the drive as if you owned the place. Oh…’ A sudden thought came to me… ‘You probably do! Singleton was only renting the place for himself and Ruby. I betyou, George, own that great big place down there? Bet, when you took me out to your oh so lovely farmhouse, asking for advice on the kitchen – ha – it was just a cover to make you seem like a decent human being. I bet, really, you were casing the joint, looking it over and planning it as new headquarters for your lot! You knew the police were on to you all and wanted a new place out in the sticks! Out on the moors! Hmm? Hmm?’ When George didn’t say anything, I went on, ‘Go on, George, deny it all. Deny you weren’t at Queen’s Gardens last night…’
‘You read too much cosy crime, Jess…’ George started.
‘Never read fictional crime,’ I snapped. ‘Haven’t got the time, watching out for real criminals like you and Singleton.’
