The Jacaranda House, page 31
‘This was on the mat by the front door,’ she said, handing Star an envelope. ‘It’s for Polly. It can’t have been there long because I went out at about two and it wasn’t there then.’
Polly got up and snatched the envelope out of Star’s hands. Star thanked Helen and closed the door. Polly tore open the envelope. Inside was a short, typed note that read:
You took something valuable of mine, now I’ve taken something you value. You have until Friday to pay back the 790 quid or you lose your daughter forever.
Polly let out a howl of rage and despair. ‘He has got her, the dirty rotten bastard! I’ll kill him! I’ll fucking kill him!’
It was unbearable. She ran to her room, wrenched open the wardrobe door and scrabbled among her shoes till she found her boots, then tipped one up and out tumbled several pill bottles and packets. She swallowed four morphine tablets, then sat down at her dressing table and got her heroin ready, her hands shaking madly and her heart thumping so wildly from fear she could hardly think. Soon vapour was rising from the burning powder and she sucked it greedily into her lungs until there was none left, then staggered to her bed where she fell, mercifully oblivious.
*
Realising that Polly wasn’t going to be of any use, and probably better off passed out on her bed rather than running round panicking and being frightened and furious, Rhoda and Star did come up with a plan. Adler would have to be keeping Gina somewhere, so the first thing to do would be to find out where. Rhoda went downstairs to ring Evie, who was appalled to hear the news, and provided the useful titbit that Adler had a secret love nest – an apartment on Victoria Street – where he took his girlfriends. She then said she’d be round soon to sit with Polly in case she did something silly when she woke up. Rhoda said great, hung up and pounded up the stairs.
‘He’s got a bolthole where he shacks up with his roots,’ she said, bursting through the door. ‘We could try there.’
‘Yeah, but what happens if she’s being guarded?’ Star said. ‘He’s got some fairly nasty blokes working for him. Remember that time we got shoved across the footpath when we went to ask Polly for her keys because you lost yours? God, just because we didn’t want to pay ’cos we weren’t staying!’
Rhoda frowned. ‘Would a twelve-year-old need a guard?’
‘A clever one would.’
‘Ah!’ Rhoda suddenly exclaimed.
‘What?’
‘David!’
Star pointed at her. ‘You’re not just a pretty face, are you?’
‘I’m not a pretty face at all,’ Rhoda said, ‘but never mind. Let’s give him a ring.’ She hesitated. ‘Pity we don’t know his phone number.’
‘Didn’t he write it down when he was here? Where did Polly put it?’
‘Dunno. Top of the TV? Fruit bowl? Junk drawer?’
‘Could be in her bag.’
They both glanced around the lounge.
‘Shit, it must be in her room,’ Star said. ‘I hate going in there when she’s stoned, in case she’s dead.’
‘Me too.’ Rhoda made a tutting noise. ‘God, I’ll do it.’
She was in and back out in about ten seconds, Polly’s bag jammed under her arm. David’s phone number was in a side pocket. Down the stairs she went again.
When she returned she said, ‘He’s coming round. I think he’s a bit pissed off.’
‘At us?’
‘No, at bloody Adler. You should have heard what he said about him. I’ve heard some creative swearing in my time but that was fantastic.’
‘Will he help us look for Gina?’
Rhoda nodded. ‘He said he’s not going to work till we’ve found her, and if she’s not at Victoria Street he’s going to throttle Adler until he tells us where she is.’
Star said gleefully, ‘In a way I’m sort of hoping she isn’t. I’d love to see that, wouldn’t you? Not that I want Gina to be somewhere else that’s horrible.’
‘Well, I hope she is there. At least if it’s a love nest it’ll be fairly comfortable.’
‘Probably hideously decorated, though,’ Star said. ‘You know, cushions shaped like hearts and black satin and mirrors everywhere.’
Rhoda made a face. ‘Ew.’
‘Take your camera,’ Star said.
‘What for?’
‘Evidence, to prove she was there. You never know.’
‘If she is there,’ Rhoda said gloomily. ‘We’re just hoping she is.’
‘I know. What if she’s locked in some dirty warehouse somewhere? Or a rat-infested cellar? Or sold to white slavers and on a ship to Arabia?’
‘Oh, stop it!’ Rhoda clapped her hands over her ears and went, ‘La la.’
Star pulled her hands down. ‘I’m just saying. I don’t really think that.’
‘Well, don’t just say it. That’s awful.’
‘Sorry,’ Star said. ‘I just don’t want . . . Well, if something bad happens, I don’t want you to be upset. I’m just trying to prepare us.’
‘I’m already upset!’
‘I know. But we don’t know Adler, do we? Polly and Evie say he’s a dick, but is he an idiot sort of dick, or a bastard dick? Would he really hurt a little girl just because someone owes him money?’
‘I get the impression he’s an idiot dick,’ Rhoda said.
‘Me too, but you don’t know, do you?’
They sat in silence for a minute, then Rhoda said, ‘Is Arabia even a place any more?’
Star shrugged and lit a cigarette.
More silence.
Rhoda said, ‘What shall we wear?’
‘What?’
‘Looking for Gina.’
‘Well, definitely not heels. We might have to climb a wall or something.’
‘I’m getting changed, then,’ Rhoda said, and went off to her room to put on pants, a top and cardigan, and flat shoes.
By the time she returned Star had done the same, and had put the jug on to make tea. Evie arrived not long after. She went in to check on Polly, and came out of her room with a face like thunder.
‘Why she has to knock herself out right when Gina needs her most, I don’t know.’
‘Because she’s terrified and she can’t cope, that’s why,’ Rhoda said. ‘I know it’s annoying but don’t be hard on her.’
‘I suppose,’ Evie said. ‘This is the last bloody straw, you know.’
Rhoda nodded: it was the last straw and she knew what Evie would do.
David arrived looking upset and serious. No paisley shirt today, just jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt that said Mate Ma’a Tonga.
‘Where’s Polly?’ he asked almost immediately.
‘In her room,’ Rhoda said. ‘Um, I’m afraid she’s –’
‘Stoned,’ Evie interrupted. ‘Totally out of it.’
David said, ‘Poor thing.’
Everyone had a quick cup of tea while they came up with a plan, which was decidedly basic: go to Adler’s apartment on Victoria Street; see if they could get into it; if Gina was there, remove her. They debated getting a taxi, but Star was of the opinion that if they were going to break into Adler’s property it would be better not to have a taxi driver who could identify them if Gina wasn’t in fact there and they smashed a window or something, and Rhoda said, well, let’s get dropped off farther up the road, and back and forth it went.
Finally, David, who’d remained silent, said, ‘It’s not far, it’s nearly dark so no one will see us – why don’t we just walk?’
Rhoda and Star looked at each other, shrugged and agreed.
*
David, Rhoda and Star had walked part way along Victoria Street – another very long road, but fortunately the address Evie had provided for Adler’s love nest was near the southern end – when Rhoda said, ‘Stop!’
‘Oh, what now?’ Star grumbled.
Rhoda said, ‘I hate to say this but I have got to have a shit.’
David turned away and busied himself looking in a shop window.
‘Now?’ Star exclaimed. ‘For God’s sake.’
‘I can’t help it. I’m nervous.’
‘Why didn’t you go at home?’
‘I didn’t want to then.’
‘Well, we’re not traipsing round looking for a public bog. We haven’t got time. You’ll have to go in an alleyway.’
‘But I haven’t even got any loo paper!’ Rhoda sounded appalled.
David turned back just as Star was fishing about in her handbag. She found a packet of tissues and handed them to Rhoda.
‘Have these. Go on, hurry up.’
Rhoda took the tissues and scurried down the nearest alley. David and Star waited on the street. After a minute a tremendous fart trumpeted out at them.
David, who’d been raised properly, pressed his lips together and stared straight ahead. Star, who hadn’t, dissolved into giggles.
When Rhoda emerged a short time later she said, ‘God, the relief! Sorry, David. I can’t help it. I’ve got sensitive bowels.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ he replied. ‘You want to eat a bit more insoluble fibre.’
‘No, I want to stop doing things that scare the shit out of me,’ Rhoda said. ‘Honestly, I’m so nervous my hands are shaking and I’m sweating like a pig.’
Star said, ‘Did you know pigs don’t actually sweat?’
Rhoda turned on her. ‘Will you shut up with your stupid, pointless bullshit? We just don’t need it right now, OK? Just shut up.’
‘All right, keep your wig on. I’m only trying to help.’
‘Well, you’re not.’
Star knew Rhoda was extremely nervous. It was obvious. So was she. She was talking more, couldn’t stay still and she was flapping her hands around all over the place – a sure sign. She shoved them in her pockets.
David said, ‘Ladies, ladies, why don’t we all calm down?’
‘You bloody calm down,’ Star snapped. ‘You’re not the boss.’
David ignored her. ‘We’re nearly there. We have to be focused. We have to pay attention. We’re here for Gina, remember?’
Star took a deep breath. Soon they were counting street numbers on letterboxes.
‘Oh,’ Rhoda said. ‘It’s a terrace house. I thought it’d be a block of apartments.’
David looked disheartened.
Star said, ‘What?’
‘I’ve heard terrace houses are quite hard to break into. You’ve only got the front and the back and if all the doors and windows are securely locked, that’s it.’
‘Should we knock?’ Star asked.
Rhoda said, ‘Do burglars usually knock?’
‘We’re not burglars.’
‘But we might have to break in.’
David stepped over the low front gate and onto the tiled porch, and approached the window. Star followed him. The curtains weren’t quite pulled together and they could see much of the room inside, evidently a lounge: the light was on but no one was inside. Then David moved to the front door and stealthily tried the doorknob, which was locked.
‘Round the back,’ he said.
They walked along the street until they came to a narrow path between the houses and passed through to a service alley running along the rear, then back-tracked until they thought they were behind Adler’s house.
‘Christ, I hope this is the right one,’ Rhoda said. ‘We don’t want to get arrested for peeping in the wrong windows.’
The property’s small backyard was secured with a high wooden fence and a heavily padlocked gate.
‘We’re going to have to climb that, aren’t we?’ Star said.
David nodded. ‘’Fraid so.’
He made a stirrup with his hands, bent down so Star could put her foot into it then heaved her up towards the top of the fence. She clung on and had a look on the other side.
‘Can you see anyone?’ David asked.
‘No.’
‘Over you go, then.’
Star hauled herself over the fence, landing with a quiet curse.
‘Everything OK?’ David called.
‘No,’ Star replied in a loud whisper. ‘I’ve broken a bloody nail.’
Rhoda came over next, followed by David, the fence creaking ominously. They were in a small yard containing a garden shed, a clothesline, a rubbish bin and a pair of deckchairs. There was no grass, just concrete. A couple of wooden steps led up to a small rear verandah.
David pressed his finger against his lips to indicate they should all be quiet now. And then Star noticed the figure at the window. It was Gina and she was grinning at them and waving madly.
‘That’s Gina,’ Rhoda said, sounding as startled as Star felt. She burst into tears. ‘Sorry, sorry,’ she said, fanning her face with both hands. ‘It’s just I’m so relieved to see she’s OK.’
They all stepped up onto the verandah and looked in the window at a decent-sized kitchen big enough to hold a table and chairs. Gina was jumping up and down by this time.
David pointed to the back door and mimed opening it.
Gina shook her head and bellowed, ‘It’s locked.’
‘Well, if she’s yelling she must be by herself,’ Star observed.
‘Is there a key anywhere?’ David called.
‘Not in the door.’
‘What about the front door?’ Rhoda yelled.
‘No, I’ve looked.’
‘Are you by yourself?’ David called, just in case.
Gina nodded. ‘Tony’s gone out for takeaways.’
Rhoda and Star looked at David. ‘Who’s Tony?’
‘Beats me. Gina, are you all right?’
‘Yes but I want to go home.’
‘Can you open these windows?’
‘They’re all locked and there’s no keys. I’ve looked.’
David said, ‘OK. Gina, pull this curtain across then leave the room. I’m going to break the window.’
Gina did as she was told. David fetched a deckchair and rammed it through a side window, making quite a racket, though the curtain muffled some of the noise.
‘That’s a good trick,’ Rhoda said admiringly.
Then David wrapped the curtain around his hand to knock out the remaining pieces of glass, yanked the fabric off its track and draped it over the frame to protect them when they climbed through. He vaulted up onto the window frame, in the process getting his shoulders jammed in the gap, but after a few heaves and a knee on the frame he was free, and dropped into the kitchen. Gina was standing in the doorway.
Star heard her say, ‘I was wondering when someone would come.’
‘Are you all right?’ David asked her again.
‘I’m good. I’ve been playing poker and I’ve had two Violet Crumbles.’
David hauled Rhoda through the window, then gave Star a hand.
Gina asked, ‘Where’s Mum?’
‘She’s not well,’ David said.
‘Did she have some of her heroin?’
‘I’m afraid she did, blossom,’ Rhoda said.
Gina nodded gravely. ‘I thought she might. I was really worried about that.’
‘I’m sure you were, love,’ David said. ‘We should go now. We’ll try the front door.’
‘Hang on,’ Rhoda said, ‘I’ve got to take some photos.’
David frowned. ‘What for?’
‘Insurance,’ Rhoda replied, barrelling down the hall and into the lounge. ‘This’ll do nicely, I think. Gina!’
She arranged Gina sitting demurely on the couch beneath a huge black-and-white photo of Joe Adler shaking hands with Johnny O’Keefe, also managing to get in (she hoped) part of a framed poster advertising the Stiletto Club. That should help. Then she quickly took some wider shots that showed more of the room but still featured Gina.
David was getting anxious. ‘Come on, we’ve got to go.’
They almost made it. They were all in the hallway when a key rattled in the front door and it opened, nearly bashing David in the face. A young, well-built man stood on the porch holding a paper sack bearing the name Golden Lantern Chinese Restaurant and Takeaway.
‘Dave,’ the man said, looking surprised. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Oh. Hey, Tony,’ David said. ‘How’s things? We’re here for Gina, actually. We’re taking her home.’
Tony stepped into the house and everyone shuffled down the hall. ‘Oh. Are you? Right. I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on her.’
‘Well, thanks, but we’re taking her home to her mother,’ David said.
‘Who’s her mother?’
‘Polly, from the club.’
‘She Polly’s kid?’ Tony said. ‘Well, OK. I thought this was a bit of a weird set-up. Who’s this lot?’
‘My friends Rhoda and Star,’ David said. ‘They flat with Polly and Gina.’
‘Ladies,’ Tony said, inclining his head.
‘Tony’s a bouncer at the Stiletto,’ David explained. ‘Did Adler ask you to guard Gina?’
‘I’m not really guarding her, I’m babysitting.’
‘But she’s not allowed to leave?’ Rhoda asked.
‘Not supposed to, no.’
‘You locked her in. What if there’d been a fire?’
Tony scratched the back of his head. ‘I do feel a bit shit about that.’
‘Well, sorry mate, but we’re taking her,’ David said.
Tony shrugged. ‘Fine with me.’
‘Adler might give you the boot for letting her go.’
‘Plenty of other jobs around the Cross. He’ll definitely fire you for taking her.’
David laughed. ‘Plenty of other jobs.’
‘I don’t even know why he wants her kept here,’ Tony said.
‘Stop talking about me like I’m not here,’ Gina complained.
‘Sorry, love,’ Tony said. ‘Do you still want your Chinese? I got extra won-tons.’
‘Nah, you can have it. I’ll have my tea when I get home.’
‘Well, you know he kidnapped her?’ David said.
Tony went pale. ‘No. I was just told to come here and look after her. You didn’t tell me you were kidnapped,’ he said to Gina.
‘You didn’t ask. And I wasn’t, not really. A lady gave me a ride home from school, except we didn’t go home, we came here.’
‘What lady?’ David asked.
‘I dunno. She had blonde hair and said she knows Mum.’
‘Why was she kidnapped?’ Tony said. ‘Shit, I could be arrested for this.’
