Behind Dead Eyes (DC Ian Bradshaw #2) - Howard Linskey Page 0,99
Tom shook his head at his own stupidity. ‘He must have known I’d look in the pockets and he knew what I’d find there.’
‘Because he planted it? What makes you so sure?’
‘I’ve been lied to by experts, Helen, including at least one cabinet minister, but this fellah was baffled by my presence in his club. There was I, expecting to see young girls like Callie and Diane being exploited while everyone turned a blind eye, but it wasn’t like that. The place was … I don’t know, not classy exactly but upmarket and expensive. There was no shortage of beautiful women in their twenties hoovering up cash from business types with more money than sense, and I don’t think anyone was being coerced. He doesn’t need to use underage girls, the stakes are too high for him to risk it.’
‘Maybe Diane tried to get a job there and they wouldn’t let her in?’
‘Perhaps, but I reckon a girl like Diane would have the street-smarts to know she ain’t gonna get near the place.’
‘So Dean sent you on a wild-goose chase?’
‘Dean – or someone who controls him.’ And he told her Devine’s parting comment about Jimmy McCree.
Helen opened her mouth to speak, but her answer was lost in the loud crash as a window violently exploded.
Chapter Thirty-Three
They would have been showered with broken glass but the debris from the window was cushioned by the curtains. Instead large pieces tumbled loudly to the wooden floor below, breaking into dozens of smaller fragments on impact. The half-brick had been hurled in anger and it parted the curtains, landing on the coffee table between them with a violent thud.
Tom went straight to the window and looked out. As he did so another half-brick shot past him, narrowly missing his head.
‘Jesus,’ he hissed and the youth outside jeered at him.
‘Come on then!’ roared the teenager and Tom’s first instinct was to run outside and grab the lad until he realised he was not alone. Another half-dozen boys in their late teens were behind him, mostly obscured by the darkness; a snarling pack of animals in jeans and sweatshirts. Another brick thudded against the wooden frame of the broken window. There was a bang on the front door then and he realised there were more of them.
He turned to face Helen, who looked like she couldn’t believe what was happening.
‘I’ll call the police?’
‘No time.’ He grabbed her by the arm. ‘We get out now!’
They ran into the hallway just as one of the glass panels on the front door shattered as a wooden post came through it and landed on the hall carpet. ‘Back door?’ he asked frantically and she nodded dumbly. Tom started to run but Helen broke away from him.
‘My bag!’ she shouted.
‘There’s no time!’ But she was already back in the lounge. Tom watched helplessly from the hallway as the remaining glass panel in the front door broke and an arm came through it. A hand snaked round and a palm slapped against the door frame in an effort to find the lock and open it. They’d be inside in seconds and Helen was still looking for her bag.
Tom grabbed the only weapon available, the wooden post used to break through the door. He swung it hard on to the invading hand and there was a gratifying howl of pain from the invading teenager before he pulled his arm away. Tom watched him retreat holding his damaged hand, but others were trying to get through the door now. He backed away just as Helen rushed out clutching her bag. They ran down the hallway and through the kitchen. Behind them someone kicked what remained of the door in. Tom wrenched open the door and pulled Helen through it into the back yard.
Ahead of him was the back street and his car, but before they could reach it another youth stepped out in front of them swinging a baseball bat. Expecting Tom to retreat he raised the bat high but Tom did not stop or go backwards. He knew their only chance was to break though, and tackling one armed man was better than the snarling gang whose noisy, threatening progress through the flat could be heard behind them. As the thug brought the bat back, Tom ran into him, thrusting his head forward hard at the last second right into the young man’s face. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground clutching his bloodied face.