out who killed him?’
‘Actually,’ Lorimer said gently. ‘That’s why I’m here. I hoped you might be able to help.’
Mattie Watson listened to the door closing behind the tall policeman then headed to the ladies’ toilets. A glance in the mirror was enough to show that the warden was badly shaken. It took quite a lot to disturb Mattie Watson’s composure but what Lorimer had told her had drained her face of colour. The possibility that Mr Pattison had been consorting with some of the girls had never occurred to her till now. But those CCTV images did not tell a lie, did they? Mattie’s mouth pursed: it was just as she had often heard the girls say about men; when it came down to it, weren’t they all exactly the same?
‘Andie’s?’ The woman cocked her head to one side, mobile phone pressed close to her ear, making the silver hooped earrings jangle against her dark hair. ‘Don’t mind if I do.’
She pulled her raincoat closer to her body as though to hide anything that might reveal who or what she was, a raddled street woman who was fighting for her place amongst a lot of younger and more attractive girls. Doreen Gallagher blew out a line of smoke as she listened to the voice on the other end of the line. The money sounded okay and it would be great to be off the streets and into a nice warm place like the sauna. ‘How’d you get my name?’ she asked suddenly but the pause that returned her question lengthened, then all she heard was a click.
Doreen raised her eyebrows. Cheeky beggar. Wouldn’t’ve hurt tae give her an answer now, would it? Still, she was to present herself at the Govan shop tomorrow afternoon for an interview with the manager. Dropping her cigarette, Doreen ground it under the toe of her patent leather boot then stepped off the pavement to cross the road without a backward glance at the drop-in centre behind her. Mattie had hauled her into the office to quiz her about that bloke who’d got killed, the one from the Scottish parliament whose face had been plastered all across the papers. Aye, she’d seen him around a few times, no’ very often, mind, but she’d remembered seeing him leering out of that big white car of his.
The memory had stung the woman. He’d never given her the time of day, had he? Taken one o’ the younger lassies instead. Naw, she couldnae mind which wan, she’d told Mattie. Anywise, stuff like that wouldn’t bother her if she were taken on at the Govan place, would it? She had told that wumman, thon journalist, though, hadn’t she? Been paid no’ bad an’ all. Cash in her hand and no questions asked. No’ like the polis. Naw, Doreen told herself, she wasnae goin’ tae get messed up wi’ speaking tae ony polis. Mattie had been given the information she had wanted and that wis that. Mattie wis owed. She wis a’ right was Mattie Watson. Butch as they came but wi’ a hert of gold. Such were the thoughts of Doreen Gallagher as she made her way to the subway station in town, her heels click-clacking against the frozen pavements.
‘Doreen? Och aye, I know her fine,’ Helen James said as she heard Lorimer’s voice on the telephone. The DCI listened carefully as Lorimer outlined the morning’s events. Mattie had turned up trumps with Doreen Gallagher, letting Lorimer know later that, yes, Pattison was one of the punters who turned up occasionally on the drag. No, she hadn’t managed to find a girl who had actually been with him, but she was working on it. Things like that took time, were a bit delicate to handle.
‘What’s she like? Is she reliable?’ Lorimer wanted to know.
‘Doreen? Well, hard as nails like so many of them. Have to be in their profession,’ Helen reminded him. ‘Been on the game as long as I’ve been in the force, I expect. She’ll know all the girls, believe me.’
‘Would she be able to make a statement to the effect that Pattison picked up prostitutes?’ he asked baldly.
‘She’d be able but I doubt she’d be willing. Had too many runins with our boys in blue.’
‘What if it was to help find Tracey-Anne’s killer?’
There was a pause as Helen James digested the detective superintendent’s words. She’d been pleased at first that Lorimer was still keen to give some of his time to the case he’d had to