“Yup. Run them to ground and I’ll rendezvous with you back at the nick. But drop me in the city center first.”
Charlie looked up, intrigued.
“I’ve got a date that I’m keen to keep.”
59
They walked down the lonely corridor, her plastic, high-heeled boots squeaking with every step she took. Trailing just behind, Tony took her in. “Melissa” was far more attractive than he’d expected her to be. Long, sleek legs encased in shiny black boots, a tight backside, a sensual, full-lipped face framed by a short black bob. Tony knew not all prostitutes were yellow-toothed junkies, but he was still surprised at how well presented she was.
He had picked her up at Hoglands Park, a skateboarders’ hangout in the north of the city that was virtually deserted at night. He’d radioed in as he approached the venue and later had spotted the tail car in his rearview mirror as they’d headed south toward the docks, but still he felt a spike of fear now that he was alone with her. They had driven in silence to the Belview Hotel, a down-at-the-heels B&B that wasn’t fussy about its clientele. Tony had paid for the night up front, then they’d headed to the first floor. En route, they’d passed a middle-aged man descending in the company of a half-dressed Polish girl. He had looked straight at Tony, who’d dropped his eyes to the floor, unwilling to be drawn into this unpleasant camaraderie.
Soon they were inside room 12. Melissa slung her bag and coat down on the only chair in the room, then sat down on the bed.
“So what can I do for you,Paul?”
She stressed the last word, as if she knew it was a lie.
“I’m all yours.”
She smiled a broad, sexy smile, full of mischief. Tony was surprised to feel a twinge of desire for this acquiescent plaything and sat down on the chair to hide the beginnings of an erection.
“I like to watch,” he replied as calmly as he could. “Why don’t you do your thing for a while and we’ll take it from there?”
She looked at him curiously. Then:
“It’s your money, honey,” she replied, shrugging.
Taking the hint, Tony reached into his wallet and pulled out £150. Pocketing it, Melissa lay down on the bed.
“Do you want me to keep my boots on, while I...”
“Yes.”
“Good. I like it better that way.”
Melissa let her hands wander over her body. She had a muscular, toned physique that was certainly fit for purpose and the more she got into it, the more Tony desperately wanted to look out of the window. It was absurd, really. He knew he had to play the part and keep his eyes glued to her. He knew, in spite of his now full erection, that this was just part of the job, a setup designed to yield valuable information. And yet he still felt extremely uncomfortable, the level of his arousal surprising and alarming him.
As Melissa feigned her way to climax, she urged him to get involved, to treat her how she deserved to be treated. Tony had to think on his feet to avoid physical contact, instead firing off a volley of obscenities to bring her to “orgasm.” She was a good actress—anyone listening in would have assumed she’d just had the greatest sexual experience of her life. Afterward, she reclothed herself, shooting a look at the cracked clock on the wall.
“You’ve still got ten minutes left, baby—do you want me to suck you off?”
“I’m fine. Can we talk?”
“Sure. What you want to talk about?”
“I wanted to ask if we could do this again.”
“Of course. I’m always up for fun.”
“You been doing this long?”
“Long enough.”
“You like it?”
“Of course,” she replied. Tony knew she was giving him the lie she thought he wanted to hear.
“Ever have any trouble?”
