On Friday morning, Trevor called Dave at 07:30, he was given the address, “when you checkout from your hotel, come here, we can go over all you’ve found out.” Dave added for him to look smart. Sally went off to her training promising to be back in time. A private room had been booked for the day, once Trevor had gone, he would write the report ready for later. Sitting in the lounge with his laptop, he was approached by a porter, “Your visitor is here Mr. Stretton.” He was standing by the porters desk waiting, “Would you look after this suitcase, we will pick it up once our meeting is over, there is a meeting room in my name, could you show us the way, we would like coffee for two and a plate of biscuits.” Turning to Trevor, he asked if he had spent an enjoyable evening in the pub. Trever hissed a barely audible ‘fuck off’. In the room they both took off their jackets, Dave waited for the coffee to arrive before saying anything. “Thank you for the work you have done.” “It’s bloody posh in here, I was in a poxy B&B, while you were living the life of luxury.” “It’s how it is Trev.” Trevor was good, he must have sat up part of the night writing the report, it was long, Dave read through it, “It’s very good,” “She had her tits out in the bar, the target was sucking on them. They weren’t the only ones, I could hear two blokes at it in the toilets when I went for a piss. I only went once. It was like some of the brothels raided when I was a rookie copper, nobody was bothered about what was going on. It’s not often I’m glad to leave a pub, but I was last night. They walked towards Paddington, the target headed into the tube station, following a final kiss. They had left before 22:00, I wrote the final day up when I got back.” “What about the images?” “There on my phone, I should be able to send them to your laptop, there are some I took using my digital camera, usually from the other side of the street using a long lens. It took almost thirty minutes to transfer the images, as soon as Dave had checked they were OK, he took out an envelope from his jacket pocket. “Another £1k in there, a bonus for a job well done.” Trevor wanted to ask for more, but changed his mind, it was much more than he would usually earn in a week. Dave went downstairs with him, they shook hands, he watched him carry his suitcase towards the nearest tube station. It took him almost three hours to type the report, he used most of Trevor’s wording, years of writing reports in the police had made him very good at it. He added the images throughout the document. There were eighteen pages when he had finished, he copied it onto a stick. At reception he asked if there was a printer he could use, the receptionist offered to print the document for him. “No, I want to do it myself,” “there is a computer and printer in the business suite, you can do it there.” Half an hour later, he had two copies, each stapled into a folder. He sat in the bar for lunch, he was hungry but didn’t feel much like eating, this afternoon wouldn’t be a good one. Sally had come back unseen by Dave, at 15:00 she found him in the bar, her hair was still wet from the shower. He ordered more coffee and biscuits to be sent up at 15:20, he asked for a box of tissues to be added to the order. Sally sat in the meeting room reading the report, she wished the tissues were here already. “It’s brutal, Trevor hasn’t sugar coated it in any way.” “He was a copper, he states facts, it’s up to others to read and decide what to do.” The phone in the room rang, Dave went down to reception, Jane looked nervous, Dave smiled, “thanks for coming, we have a private meeting room.” The coffee had been delivered and Sally was pouring out three cups. Jane sat opposite Dave, Sally sat beside her. He waited until she was ready and passed the report to her. Tears were running down her face as she read it, Sally put the tissues beside her, she automatically took one, then another. There were tears on the report. Jane was dabbing her eyes as she saw the pictures. When she had finished she looked at Dave, “I’m sorry, it’s probably not what you wanted to read,” he spoke in a low soft voice. She said nothing, he thought this was going to go one of two ways, either there was to be a meltdown or the strong Jane Goodley he knew was about to emerge. “Right, the fucking bitch can stay with her slapper from now on. Sally will you help me please?” she took out her phone, she scrolled through until she found the number she wanted. She said who she was, “I want a locksmith at my house in ninety minutes,” next she rang for her car, she wanted it outside the hotel in fifteen minutes. “David, thank you for the report, may I take a copy?” Her coffee was now cold, but she drunk it anyway. “Sally you may need a jacket.” She was back within ten minutes, while she was gone Dave asked if she was sure about what she was doing, “There is no doubt in my mind. I want Sally to help me, she should be back later, the car will bring her. Can you speak to reception, I want a load of black bags to take with me.” Reception called to say the car was here, the three went downstairs, the bags were on the porters desk, Sally picked them up. She and Dave kissed, Jane walked out to the car, Sally followed a few seconds behind. In the car, there was no talking, Jane, she thought was getting angrier. Sally had no idea where they were, she saw the car cross the river heading south, ten minutes later, it pulled up outside a mid fifties detached house. Jane said to the driver and armed guard to stay, they would be needed later, the guard was told not to let anyone into the house. The locksmith’s van was on the drive. “I want the locks changed, this door and the back one.” She went inside followed by Sally. Bring the bags upstairs please, she took off her jacket, laid it on the bed and opened the wardrobes. Jane began pulling clothes off hangers and throwing them on the floor. Sally opened a black bag, she tried to keep up with Jane, but it was a lost cause, drawers were pulled out and emptied onto the pile on the floor. Jane took a black bag, in the en-suite bathroom, Sally could hear the toiletries being tossed in the bag with no care for breakages. By the time she had finished there were eleven black bags full of Alison’s possessions, Jane took them out the bedroom and threw them down the stairs. The guard opened the front door to see what was happening. “Take these bags outside, pile them up by the front door.” She was in no mood for anyone to disobey her, he took them out and put them to the side of the door. When the stairs were cleared, she went downstairs, Sally asked her if she wanted a drink, “Gin, and tonic, if you can’t find any tonic, then just gin.” Sally had meant coffee, not alcohol, it took her a while to find where the drinks were, she poured a gin, opened a bottle of tonic and topped up the glass. Jane drunk it down and asked for another with more gin and less tonic. She was now collecting framed photographs from the living and dining rooms. She heard the back door open and then a crash of broken glass as they ended up in the bin. “Are you sure you want to be doing all this, shouldn’t you sit down for a time?” “Fuck her, I’ll clear the house tonight.” The locksmith was finished, he handed Sally two bunches of keys, one for the front door and one for the back. She signed his paperwork, he didn’t want to hang about. When he had gone she shouted at Jane, “sit down now, stop wrecking your home.” Jane stopped, she sat down on a chair and cried. “I fucking hate her, I loved her and shared everything with her and she does this to me. Fucking bitch, I’ll kill her.” Sally knew there was no point in trying to reason with her. She found tissues and wiped the tears away. “She will be back soon, you need to be strong, say what you have found out and tell her the relationship is over. If she tries to justify what she has done, don’t listen to it, she has done this once, she will do it again.” Jane wanted another drink, Sally asked if she had a friend from before she met Alison. She nodded, “phone her, ask if she will come over.” Jane shook her head, “do you want me to do it instead.” Jane managed a feeble “yes”. “Find her number and give me the phone, what’s her name?” “Ruth”, the phone was handed to her. It was an awkward phone call until Ruth understood what was happening, she said she would be there within an hour. There was a knock at the door, Jane sat bolt upright, there was a panicked look on her face. “If this is Alison, are you ready to see her?” “No,” “do you want me to say for her to wait?” “No, let’s get it over with.” “Stay calm, don’t do anything you will regret later.” Sally opened the front door, Alison was standing there. “What’s going on, what are you doing here?” “Come in, Jane want’s to talk to you.” She opened the door fully and held it open for Alison. As soon as Jane saw her, she hit her, “you fucking bitch, I know all about you and your slapper in Paddington. Your clothes are on the doorstep, fuck off to her, see if you can suck on her tits tonight.” She hit her once more, Sally thought Alison was about to say something but she stopped herself. “Fuck off, just fuck off, don’t ever come here again.” This time Alison did reply, “I’ll be glad to be gone, you’re so fucking boring.” She turned and walked out the living room and through the front door. Jane collapsed on the sofa, she was exhausted.” Sally spoke to the guard, “would you tell the driver he isn’t required any more tonight, Jane will ring in if she needs a car, afterwards, come in the house and get a coffee.” When she looked at Jane, she was sobbing. “Stop it, dry your eyes, go into the bathroom and wash your face, I’ll make coffee, no more gin.” Sally realised what she was doing, she had become like Dave, telling her superiors what to do. She found three mugs, the guard was now in the kitchen, “kicked off a bit tonight hasn’t it.” “Say nothing to anyone, this is a private matter.” The three sat in the living room saying nothing, there was another knock at the door, Jane froze, Sally and the guard went into the hallway, his gun was out, he held it behind his back ready. She opened the door, “I’m Ruth,” Sally let her in, she made for the living room, Jane was now standing up, Ruth put her arms round Jane and held her. Sally motioned for the guard to follow her into the dining room. He said his shift finished at midnight, he asked if a replacement was required. Sally phoned Dave, she gave him a brief update on what had taken place, she listened to his instructions. She put the phone down without disconnecting the call, in the living room she asked Ruth if she could have a word in private, Jane’s head was on her lap, she was stroking her face. She moved Jane, Sally could see she had been crying again. In the dining room she asked Ruth if she was able to stay the night. “Yes, that’s not a problem, I can stay as long as Jane needs me.” She went back to Jane, Sally picked up the phone again. “I heard all that, the guard can go, if you leave at the same time, the car picking him up can bring you here. Have you eaten?” Sally said she hadn’t, but needed to soon. “OK, order something for delivery there, I’ll eat here, I will be in the lounge or bar waiting for you.” She relayed what Dave had said, “I’ll confirm it with Jane, but that’s the plan. Only Jane said she wasn’t hungry, she checked if pizza was good for everyone. The nearest one was found and two pizzas were ordered for delivery. When they were eating Jane had a couple of slices. Ruth asked if Sally would give her a hand upstairs, “will you help me change the bed?” Sally asked where she knew Jane from, “we were in love once, in some ways I still love her, I couldn’t cope with her work demands and we drifted apart. I’ve never had another long term partner. Why did you call me?” “I asked Jane if she had a friend from before she met Alison. She wouldn’t phone you, that’s why I spoke to you.” “We will be going at midnight, will you be OK?” “She will be safe with me.”
She found Dave in the bar, he had a beer and sandwiches in front of him, Sally drank some of the beer and ate one of the sandwiches. He asked how it went. “I will tell you when we are upstairs,” Dave finished the drink and took the plate of sandwiches with him. In bed, she went over everything from when they arrived at her house right up until she left. “What about this Ruth person?” “I think she will look after her, help her get over it.”
They were back in Loughborough by lunchtime, Sally made lunch, afterwards, having taken the suitcase upstairs, they both lay on the bed and slept. Sally was the first to waken, “Dave, Dave, it’s past 19:00.” “Shit, I just shut my eyes for a second, I was thinking about our holiday.” Dinner was two microwave meals from the freezer, they sat on the sofa, the TV was on, but neither of them were paying attention. On Sunday, Sally spent the morning trying to catch up with the washing, Dave had been sent off to Tesco’s, his instructions were to stick to the list and not buy food they didn’t need. The evening was spent sorting out his clothes for the next week. Sally added in some of hers, it would save her taking them down on Wednesday. They had an early night, Dave had a taxi booked for 06:00.
In Manchester, Sir George Dawson was also packing for a trip to London, his plans were ready. When his wife Susan had asked why he was going to London, he said it was to finalise a deal on the property there. “How long will you be gone for?” “As long as it fucking takes, I don’t know, maybe at the end of the week.” He was travelling down by train, his two most trusted employees, together with two others would be driving down by car, three more would be in a van. There was a common theme with all those heading for London, with the exception of Sir George, each one had convictions, some for violence, others for armed robbery. Sir George paid them in cash when they worked for him at any of his scrapyards, this week they were all on a bonus, £1k per person paid in cash once the job had been completed. Only one other had been told what was happening, Tony had worked for Sir George for over twenty years, Sir George had provided alibis for him on several occasions when he had been arrested. He would do anything to help or protect his boss.
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