Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
DC Eddie Ritter was freezing cold. His waterproof jacket was not doing its job as the fine drizzle had seeped through and wet his jumper.
His left sock squelched as he walked, which meant there must be a hole somewhere in the sole of his shoe, despite the fact he’d only bought them from the market a fortnight ago.
He was hungry. He’d kill for a pint, and he was seriously pissed off.
He knew none of the prostitutes working Canal Street would want anything to do with him.
They were all seasoned workers and could smell a copper in a force nine gale.
They certainly recognised Eddie when he climbed out of his car.
Well, two of them did. They tipped him a wink and Mel came up to him, asking if he wanted the usual, but he told her he was here strictly on business.
She couldn’t walk away fast enough. She almost tripped on her impossibly high heels.
He was about to call it a night and head back to his flat when a familiar face got out of a Ford Escort. She pushed down her short skirt, tucked a couple of notes into her pocket and popped a Polo mint into her mouth.
‘Tania Dove, fuck me!’ he said out loud.
She turned at the sound of her name. ‘Eddie Ritter. No offence, but you couldn’t pay me enough to shag you again.’
‘Too man enough for you?’
‘No, you dirty bastard, I was itching for a week after I’d been with you. What do you want, anyway? You might as well be in uniform. Punters can spot a copper a mile off, even one in a cheap suit.’
‘I want to talk.’
‘I’ve nothing to say.’ She made to walk away but Eddie grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side of the road. ‘You leave a bruise and I’ll report you.’
‘I bet you’re already covered in bruises, love. I know how you like it. Listen, I want to ask you a few questions, that’s all. You know that girl who was raped and murdered a couple of weeks back, the night of the big storm?’
‘Yes,’ she said, shaking her arm out of Eddie’s grip.
‘It wasn’t far from here.’
‘I know.’
‘We think it might have been a punter, someone who saw her and thought he’d have his fun with her. Any of your regulars into anything, you know, a bit kinky?’
‘You mean apart from you?’
‘I’ve never wanted to strangle anyone, Tania, you know that.’
‘True. I’ll give you that. We’ve had a few dodgy blokes over the years, some a bit creepy, but none we can’t handle.’
‘Any perverts?’
‘Plenty. A few that you share an office with.’
‘Come on, Tania, I’m freezing my balls off here. Let’s have some names.’
‘Like they’re going to give us their real names? Come off it, Eddie. I didn’t know your name for the first two years.’
‘Any weirdos?’
‘They’re all weird. Narrow it down a bit.
’ She started to walk away, barely made it a couple of steps before she stopped and turned back.
‘Hang on a minute. There’s this one bloke.
He’s down here quite a bit. He’s not weird in the sense you’re talking about.
Not a customer. He just stands in the shadows and watches. ’
‘He watches? He doesn’t, you know, partake in the goods on offer?’
‘No, Eddie. You get watchers occasionally. They’re usually the new ones who are building up the courage to approach us.’
‘You think that’s what this one’s doing?’
‘No. He’d have approached by now. He’s been coming down for months.’
‘Have you ever spoken to him?’
‘Yes. Nearly scared Jen silly a few weeks ago. She’s new and doesn’t know about him.
She’s on her knees with one of her regulars, looks up and he’s standing right in front of her, hands down his trousers.
’ Tania started to laugh. ‘Jen nearly bit her punter’s dick off.
We’ve not seen him since. Probably nursing a bruise somewhere he’s struggling to explain to his wife. ’
‘What did you say to him?’
‘Who?’
‘The watcher.’
‘Oh. Well, I went up to him. The girls asked me to. I thought I’d offer him a discount seeing as he’s here all the time.
He didn’t say much at first. A few weeks later, I got a smile.
Another few weeks, he said “hello”. Like I said, he’s harmless enough,’ she smiled.
Beneath the harsh light of the streetlamps, Eddie could see her smile revealed a row of stained teeth.
‘I remember once, it was freezing cold, there was hardly anyone out and I was bored to tears, I went over to him for a chat. I asked him why he liked to come down, he said he just liked to watch. He said he thought we were nice women. He said I was pretty. I believed him, too. Long time since I’ve been called pretty.
Or felt pretty,’ she said as an aside. ‘Anyway, I thought, fair enough. I told him he can watch, but don’t get too close. I felt sorry for him.’
‘Why?’
‘Like a copper, Eddie, I can spot a virgin a mile off.’
‘How old is he?’
‘Dunno,’ she shrugged. ‘I’m not good with age. Twenty-five. Thirty. Dunno.’
‘What’s he look like?’
‘Tall. I’m talking well over six feet. And he’s big. To be honest, I’m glad he only wants to watch. I wouldn’t want him on top of me. He’d flatten me.’
‘When was he last here?’
Tania thought for a moment. ‘Huh. I’m not sure, actually, now you mention it.
I haven’t seen him for a while. Jen!’ She called out to a young woman a few feet up the road.
She was standing beneath a streetlamp, wearing very little.
Even from far away, Eddie could see she was shivering.
‘That big bloke who scared you shitless, have you seen him lately?’
‘Not for weeks. Thank fuck. Terry was here earlier, asking for you.’
‘Shit,’ she said under her breath. ‘Are you pissing off, Eddie? Terry’ll be back round in a bit and he’s a good payer.’
‘Can you describe this man? Would you recognise him again?’
‘Dark hair, messy, big face, dark clothes, always wears an anorak. And, yes, I’d recognise him again. We don’t get many giants round here. Now, go on, bugger off. You’ll lose us business.’
Tania walked away, leaving Eddie behind.
He looked around at several prostitutes standing beneath the lampposts, freezing cold, damp from the rain, waiting for a car to pull up to offer them a fiver in exchange for a quickie on the back seat of a Sierra.
He shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold.
Surely, there were better ways they could earn a few quid? he thought to himself.