LITMIR.BIZ

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The décor was dull – all beige and brown, but at least it was clean. The window looked down on a dismal alley, but they were able to close the blinds and block that out.

      ‘There’s no hidden camera in here, is there?’ Heck asked Asquith. ‘We don’t want to end up for sale in one of your gaffer’s backstreet DVD shops.’

      Asquith almost looked offended. ‘Like we could make money out of you two.’

      He banged the door closed as he went out.

      Lauren shook her head. ‘Heck, you’re not serious about …’

      Heck put a finger to his lips, moved across the room and switched the television on, making sure to turn the volume up. ‘No cameras, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a mike,’ he said quietly.

      ‘You let someone like Ballamara into this investigation, and he’ll ruin the whole …’

      ‘Don’t worry. I’ll feed him some fictional bullshit. All I needed to do was buy us a night.’ He got undressed, stripping down to his boxers.

      ‘Heck, this is a dangerous game we’re playing.’

      ‘This firm’s like a women’s church group compared to the one we’re after.’

      ‘That why, five minutes ago, you looked like you were about to cack your pants?’

      ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got it sorted.’

      He went through to the bathroom, to wash. Lauren wasn’t far wrong though. Despite his bravado, this was a risky strategy. He again considered calling Gemma, not just because the guilt he felt about keeping her in the dark was burning a hole through him, but because her support – in fact any kind of support – would be more than useful. But he was now so far out on a limb that just getting in touch with her would be exactly the wrong thing to do. Even if she believed his theories, she would insist that he came in. She’d probably send units to arrest him. It would be career suicide for her to do otherwise. It didn’t matter if the trail went cold as a result of him being taken off the streets. That could never be her priority now.

      ‘In which case I’m still on my tod,’ he muttered, as he stared at his battered reflection in the mirror. ‘Sorry, Gemm.’

      When he returned to the bedroom, Lauren had stripped to her bra and knickers. It struck him as strange how informal they already were with each other after such a short period of time. Of course, Lauren, being ex-army, was probably well used to being undressed in the company of men. Despite this, she was caught on the hop when Asquith barged back in without knocking.

      ‘Bob says there’s some sandwiches downstairs if you’re hungry.’ His eyes rolled appreciatively over Lauren’s athletic form.

      ‘We’re fine, thanks,’ Heck replied, taking a break from checking the two mobiles, to stare pointedly at him.

      Asquith shrugged and withdrew. The door clicked shut.

      ‘If I’ve got a choice, I’ll take the red one,’ Lauren said, indicating the phones.

      ‘Neither of these are for you, I’m afraid.’

      She looked surprised.

      Heck was about to explain, when he heard a creak from the passage. He moved to the door, yanking it open. Asquith was still there, but immediately headed off towards the top of the staircase. He glanced back innocently.

      ‘Just keep walking, pal,’ Heck said. ‘Or the deal’s off. And you’ll be the one who has to tell your boss why.’

      Asquith curled his lip in a sneer, but vanished down the stairs. Heck closed the door, just as laughter exploded from below. Immediately, the music changed and became louder. The easy melodies of the 1940s were replaced by black metal – thumping, dark-hearted, the vocals shrieked as if by a madman in a cage.

      ‘We’d have been better on a park bench,’ Lauren said, sitting on the bed.

      ‘No we wouldn’t.’ Heck slid under the duvet on the window side. ‘Even if we don’t sleep, we need rest. You don’t mind sharing, by the way? I don’t take up much room.’

      She shook her head, switching the light and TV off before climbing in alongside him. It wasn’t particularly dark; from outside, an on-off neon glow, green one minute and yellow the next, penetrated the thin curtains.

      Lauren chuckled, but there was no humour there. ‘Like a movie, isn’t it?’

      ‘A bit,’ he agreed.

      The tone of her voice changed. ‘Only you’re not much like the cops we see on telly.’

      ‘You mean I’m not as good looking?’

      ‘No, I didn’t say that. I mean … you’ve not got some detective buddy who’s still on the right side of the fence and is now doing everything he can to get you out of the shit.’

      Heck felt her hand on his thigh. He became aware of her proximity. Her trim but feminine curves fitted snugly with his more angular, masculine shape.

      He rolled onto his side so that his back was to her. ‘We should try to sleep, Lauren.’

      In response, she knelt up and reached behind her to loosen the catch on her bra. When it fell away, her breasts tumbled forward.

      Heck glanced round at her. ‘What’re you doing?’

      ‘What does it look like?’

      ‘Okay … why are you doing it?’ He was trying to be tough with her, but her breasts swayed enticingly, and a heat was stirring in his loins.

      ‘I know you like what you see, Heck. I’m not blind. I knew that first night in the pub. You’d have done anything to shag me then.’

      ‘That was then, this is now.’

      There was a brief pause before she said: ‘Look … I don’t want to feel alone tonight. Not in here. You don’t need to worry; I’m not asking to be part of your life. I don’t want to take your control away. I just … it’s this place.’

      Before he could resist – not that he tried very hard – their lips fastened together, their tongues entwining. Hers was sweet, soft and it probed into the deepest corners of his mouth as he wrapped his arms around her and dragged her down onto the pillow.

      An hour later, Lauren began to cry – at first very softly, but then with progressively deeper sobs, which she struggled to suppress.

      Heck, who’d only been half-asleep, put a hand on her shoulder. ‘What’s the matter?’

      She shrugged him off. ‘I don’t know … nothing, something daft.’

      He sat up tiredly. ‘Problem shared, and all that.’

      ‘I don’t know … stupid. Mum would so disapprove of what we’ve just done. She thinks sex without love is a bad thing.’ Lauren sounded embarrassed, though her tears were still flowing. ‘Just her generation, I suppose. But it’s got me thinking about her … everything she’s been through in her life, and now this. Sitting in that flat all day next to the phone, waiting for good news to arrive about Genene. And why? On what basis? I mean I bought my way out of the army to be with her, and I’m not even there, am I? I’m here with you!’

      ‘She knows what you’re doing,’ Heck said awkwardly. ‘You told me that, yourself.’

      ‘I also told you she doesn’t approve. You know, she and Genene were so like each other; always pleasant and polite, dead straight-laced, proper ladies even in that shithole. Me … I was just a juvenile delinquent who thought the crap I’d suffered meant I could do anything I wanted. I so wasted my school years; hanging out, getting involved with gangs. Genene said I was letting the side down.’ Lauren shook her head, fresh tears appearing. ‘I was too dimwitted to realise that behaving like a street hoodlum only gave those who hated us even more ammunition. I only went into the army

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