19. SHANE
19
SHANE
I lean over and pot the red ball just as Dan walks into the back room of the Black Crow. “How’s it going?”
He shoves a hand into his black trousers, looking over dressed for this place. “Had to get out of the house for a bit. Dom’s all loved up, isn’t he? It’s too sickly sweet for my liking.”
I glance at Kane, knowing Dom’s not the only one turning soft at the hands of a woman. “I know the feeling.”
“Fuck off,” Kane says as he bends over to take his shot.
“How’s work?” I ask Dan. We don’t see much of him lately.
“It’s been interesting. I may need your help with Antonio’s disappearance.”
“You got any leads?” I don’t have any jurisdiction in the city, but I followed the case, knowing the kid was related to Dom and Dan. But there’s been no trace of him.
“I’m following a woman. Her son ran in the same circles. You might know him. He worked for Victor Rourke.”
My jaw clenches when I hear the name. We’ve been after him for years. He makes Levi look like a kid with a few bags of candy compared to the operation he’s running. But so far, he’s been untouchable and elusive, covering his tracks while everyone else does his bidding.
“You think this girl has something to do with it?” I lean over to take my shot, seeing Kane get impatient. He never gets involved with our work. He has enough on his plate and opts for the simple life now, fixing cars and making furniture. Just enough jobs to keep a roof over his head.
“Nah, but I’m certain her son did. He’s also done a runner.” Dan takes a sip of his pint. The tattoos on his knuckles match Dom’s, but Dan’s older by a few years. He’s always been like a big brother to all of us. One we can rely on when we need him.
“Send me all the details. I’ll see what I can find out.” Lifting my drink to my mouth, I knock back the last of my non-alcoholic beer. “I’ll get the next round,” I say as I give Dan my pool cue. “Kick Kane’s arse while I’m gone.”
He laughs. “Always happy to do that.”
“Like to see you try,” Kane mumbles as he pots this next ball.
I leave them to it as I walk into the main room of the bar. The local band plays their usual Thursday night set and I nod along to the music. As I wait to be served, I can see through the bar into the other room. There’s a bitter taste in my mouth as I lock eyes with Asher Sinclair.
He says something to some punk as he returns my glare. The years I spent trying to help him were wasted. There’s no helping someone like him. Hopefully Lilly’s realised that not everyone can be saved. If I see him sniffing around her, I’ll have him thrown back in the slammer quicker than he can get his next fix.
By the time I’ve been served, he’s disappeared. Hopefully for good. I hand Kane his pint as Dan clears up on the pool table.
“What’s rattled your cage?” Kane asks.
My jaw tenses. “Fucking Asher. Did you know he was out of the nick?”
Kane nods, knowing how much I fucking hate him. “Yeah, I’ve seen him around. Seems to be doing all right.”
“You know, there’s been a load of robberies on the Bayview estate lately.”
“He looks clean to me. You can’t blame him for every robbery around here. There must be a hundred smack heads about.”
“Why are you defending him?”
Kane shrugs. “Feel sorry for the kid, that’s all.”
“He’s a grown fucking man who should know better.”
“Yeah, but he was a kid when he got into all that messed up shit. He’s just trying to survive like the rest of us.” Kane pulls a tin from his pocket. “Coming for a smoke?”
“Sure.” I turn to Dan, but he’s talking to one of the bikers, an old pal of his.
Kane follows behind me as I push the back door open, stepping into the cool night air.
In the darkness, Ash takes a packet from someone and slips it into his pocket. “Fuck. Get outta here,” he says, and the guy rides off on a motorcycle.
Before Ash can move, I race the few steps towards him behind the bins and throw him up against the wall. “You fucking piece of shit. You think you can deal round here?”
“I’m not dealing.” He narrows his eyes, baring his teeth. He’s bulked up since the last time I saw him. Though his voice is slurred and the lines around his sunken eyes are deep. Years of incarceration taking its toll.
I examine his pupils under the outdoor light above us. “Then what the hell was that?” I spin him around, pushing his chest against the wall. “I’m searching you for the illegal possession of class A drugs.”
“Fuck’s sake, you’re not even on duty. Don’t you ever give it a rest?”
“Not when scumbags like you are dealing in my backyard.” I pat him down, going straight for his pocket, before reaching in to retrieve the bag of powder. “Were you selling this?”
“It’s not mine.”
“That’s what they all say.” I shove his face into the brick wall. “You piece of shit.”
“Shane,” Kane says, reaching out to take the packet from me. “Go easy.” He squeezes my shoulder, and I know I’m letting my emotions get the better of me. Anyone else, I may have turned a blind eye while off duty. There’s not enough here to deal. It’s clear he’s bought it for personal use.
I let go of Ash and step back with clenched fists, ready to knock him out if he steps out of line. “If it’s not yours, then who is it for?”
Lilly’s been disappointed enough. She’d be devastated if she found out he was using again, but even more hurt if I knocked his fucking teeth out.
“It’s for Jodie. She relapsed thanks to you.” He spits, but it doesn’t reach my face and lands on my boot.
I should make him clean it, but I know he would sooner spend a night at the station. My face screws up as I look down and back at him. “How the fuck is it my fault that your girlfriend relapsed?”
“You took her son.” The vein in his neck bulges as he struggles to keep his anger at bay. Blood rushes to his throbbing temple as his eyes darken with every ounce of hatred he has for me.
He’s never forgiven me for arresting him eight years ago. I was new to the job and held no sway. I had no choice but to arrest him when he was at the scene of a crime.
Memories of the woman and kid from the drug raid come flooding back to me. “She was high as a kite. The kid was up to its eyeballs in shit. That’s why social services stepped in.”
“Liar.” His brow furrows, as if he’s contemplating my words.
“That kid’s better off away from its smack?—”
“Enough, Shane,” Kane says. He lifts the bag of crack and turns to Ash. “This ain’t helping her mate.”
“It’s better she gets it from a trusted source than off someone else,” Ash bites back, but he won’t disrespect Kane like he does me. Between the two of them, there’s a bond and mutual respect that I’ll never understand. He thinks because I was once family he can say what he likes to me, despite me being a cop.
“And who’s your trusted dealer? Who the fuck was that?”
“I’m no grass, pig.”
“Watch your fucking mouth.” I snatch the gear from Kane. “I’m keeping this. If I see you around here again, I will nick you.”
He snarls, baring his teeth again. “You’ll get what’s coming to you.” He mounts an old bicycle that looks like he’s stolen it from a kid and mutters as he cycles away, “Bent fucking cop.”
It’s almost comical, watching him ride a kid’s bike. His clothes looked like they were from a charity bag, too, but at least he seemed clean. The last thing Lilly needs right now is to have to deal with her brother on top of her mum and studies.
“Why do you let him get to you?” Kane asks, lighting another cigarette. “You’re not related to him anymore. You don’t have to watch out for him.”
“I’m not watching out for him. I hate that motherfucker.”
“You say that, but I know deep down, you’ve always wanted to help him.”
“Well, I’ve learnt from my mistakes. Some people can’t be helped.” I take the cigarette from Kane and inhale, closing my eyes as the nicotine hits, calming my last fucking nerve that Ash was on.
“Everyone can be helped.” He leans back against the wall, blowing out a plume of smoke. “Nobody was more fucked up than me.” He lets out a low chuckle.
“You got that right. You’re still fucked.” I jab his shoulder, so he knows I’m kidding. Even though I’m not.
He laughs along with me, both of us knowing we’re all screwed one way or another. Sooner or later, skeletons in the closet have a way of getting out, but if anyone upsets my woman, there’ll be hell to pay.
There’s no live tonight with Lilly. She’s working an evening shift. I check the time on my watch, knowing she should finish round about now. She’ll go home, take her makeup off and get in bed, or maybe have a bath. I groan inwardly, thinking of her. I’m so pent up after running into Ash, I need to let off some steam and this cigarette is barely taking the edge off.
I’m done with watching from the sidelines. There’s only one thing for it. If my little sister-in-law fantasises about someone breaking in and tying her up, then who am I to deny her?