56. Operation Reclaim and the Barbie doll
56
OPERATION RECLAIM AND THE BARBIE DOLL
Doogie checked the time. Byron had been gone for half an hour. He phoned Netta. ‘All clear here. Merrie’s gonna call Liza when Arianne opens the door. She’ll keep the call going so you can stay updated.’
‘Okay. We’re in the park now. Almost at the back of the house.’ She was out of breath. He imagined her running commando-style across the parkland carrying the folding ladder they’d taken with them. Although it was probably Frank doing the carrying. ‘Ouch.’
‘What is it?’
‘Nothing. I just sat down and managed to get a thorn in my bum. We’re there now. You can go.’
He cut the call. ‘Time to go.’
Merrie was jiggling around in the passenger seat, a big grin slapped across her face. ‘Yay. Operation Reclaim starts here.’ She tried to fist bump him, but he was having none of it.
‘Listen, Mer. This isn’t like one of your computer games. It could get violent. Stay calm, focus on your job, and keep out of trouble. Don’t come anywhere near the house until Arthur and Geraldine are ready to take you in. Okay?’ Chris and Neil were down as first back-up in case there was any aggro, so he figured Merrie would be safest with the old couple.
‘Yeah, yeah. It is though. It’s like an RPG. I’m the cool girl warrior going into combat against the forces of evil.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about but behave. I mean it. This is serious.’ He’d only recently realised how geeky his daughter was. He loved that about her.
He left Merrie on the corner and walked the few yards to Colin’s house. The living room curtains were open, but the window was covered by purple net. They didn’t stop him seeing Arianne on the sofa, watching TV.
She noticed him walking down the drive and was up at the window before he reached the door. The nets parted and her head appeared between them, looking like it had been wrapped in purple chiffon, like those scarves old ladies used to wear when he was a kid. Doogie smiled at her and did a thumbs up. She disappeared and from the shadow on the door glass, he could see she was going upstairs. He rang the bell, hoping she wasn’t looking out of the window for suspicious characters.
‘Be there in a minute. Don’t go away.’ It sounded like she was shouting from the landing.
He glanced over at Merrie. She was watching him and talking on her phone. Suddenly, the door opened and Doogie was hit by a wall of perfume and hairspray. When she’d looked at him through the chiffon, Arianne’s hair had been flat against her head. Now it was big, loose, and obviously brushed. He noted she’d also put lipstick on. She hadn’t been looking out for trouble, she’d been making herself presentable. And she was pouting at him. It knocked him off course and it took a minute to get back on track. ‘I er, I… Sorry to bother you, love. I know we haven’t met properly.’
‘Arianne.’ Her eyebrows rose and fell. She finished off with another pout.
‘Oh right. Nevin.’ Fuck knows why of all names he’d picked his dad’s. It must have been the stress of being hit on by an oversized Barbie doll.
‘Lovely. So now that we’ve met properly, what can I do for you?’
‘Your garage conversion. I was wondering who did it for you? I’ve bought a house around the corner and I’m looking to do some improvements. Bring the place up to scratch. You know what I mean?’
‘Oh I do. It certainly adds value to the house. I’ve noticed you around a few times. Have you moved in yet?’
‘Not yet. There’s too much work needs doing. The builders are starting next week but they’re a bit pricey, so I was looking for another quote for the garage.’
‘Isn’t everything these days? I think I know which house you mean now. Top end of the road? Red door?’
‘Sounds like you know the area well.’
‘I’ve been here a while. You get to know a place, don’t you? Get attached to it. You from around here?’
‘Not till I move in.’
There was a crash from the back of the house. Arianne’s head spun round.
‘So the garage. Did you say you could give me the number of the builder?’
‘Sorry, Nevin. Did you hear that?’
‘Hear what?’ There was another noise, like something falling. So much for being quiet as a church mouse. Net must go to some pretty wild churches if she thought that was being quiet.
‘That. I think I might have an intruder.’
‘Nah. It’s probably just a cat or the wind knocking something over.’
‘I don’t have a cat and none of the windows are open. And my partner’s just popped out to the shop.’ She took a step away from him, towards the back.
Doogie leaned his hand on the door and tried to look casual. ‘The shop. He’s not at work then?’
‘No, he’s having a day off.’ She turned back to him and frowned. ‘Do you know Byron then?’
‘Not really. Just went into his shop the other day. Been thinking about getting a new tatt.’
She looked him up and down. ‘Sounds like you’ve been thinking about getting a lot of work done, one way or another.’
‘Yeah well, new house, new me. You know how it is with fresh starts.’
But Arianne wasn’t listening anymore. She was on her way down the hall.