Friday 23 May 2014

The Woman with the Porcelain Neck part 3

Missed parts 1 and 2?

I walked back to Cupcakes, it was busy now, the girls had smiles on their faces but still hollow looks in their eyes. The punters were looking at them like they were animals in a zoo, exotic creatures.  One or two of the girls nodded their recognition, I tried to smile at their eyes and not look at their scantily clad bodies. The barman was busy mixing drinks, he was quietly efficient. There was no sign of Hristov or Santa, thank god. 
Was it wrong that part of me wanted the girl to be dead and Santa to be the murderer, just so I could have the last laugh? But Santa was in the clear. I knew that the girl was alive, or at least I thought I did.
The barman noticed me and started to pour my drink without asking. Gone was the surly manner from our first meeting. Now he was all smiles, my new best friend. Maybe he was guilty for hitting me with that baseball bat or maybe he saw me as a ally or maybe he just was trying to dupe me.
‘You got a minute.’ I asked.
‘I’m busy Mr Stanley.’
‘I can ask questions while you work.’
He nodded reluctantly.
‘Where’s the girl?’ I wasn’t expecting an answer but I wanted him to know I knew he had her.
‘How should I know?’ The smile had gone but he wasn’t unfriendly.
‘Are you lovers or are you as bad as Santa?’ He looked surprised. ‘Well...’ I waited for a response.
‘Can this wait till I’m off?’ He said looking a little more uncomfortable. He knew I was on to him.
‘You know Parker’s?’
He nodded.
‘Meet me in there after your shift, oh and if you don’t come, I go straight to your boss. You understand?’ He looked pale. I knew he’d be there.
On my way out a girl who called herself Molly smiled at me. It was a pretty smile, a smile I didn’t want to forget.

‘How did you know?’  The barman slipped into the booth opposite me.
‘Hey it’s rude not to say hello.’ There I go again. Are my expectations too high?
I nodded to Parker to bring us fresh drinks. He obliged in his usual discreet manner.
‘You told me.’ I smiled, sometimes I liked games, but only when I played them.
The barman searched his memory but drew a blank. He took a swig of his drink.
‘How?’
‘Santa, Hristov, the girls, they all talked about Louisa in the past tense, they think she’s dead. You talked about her in the present tense. You know she’s alive. Also they all called her Louisa, you called her Lou, that tells me you’re close to her. So you know where she is,  let’s finish these drinks and go and pay her a visit shall we?’
He nodded and downed his drink in one.

Sometimes people can be stupid. Where had the barman hidden the girl? In his own flat that’s where. I was not sure who to be more disappointed with, the barman for his stupidity or Georgiev for not thinking of looking.
Louisa didn’t look like a girl hiding from the most despicable gangster in town. She was calm and assured.  She looked a lot better than when I last saw her, she had colour in her cheeks and no bags under her eyes. I could still see the veins in her neck but it looked less like porcelain now. She made me coffee and sat down opposite me, while the barman stood by the window. He was more nervous, he fidgeted like a naughty school kid waiting for the head teacher.
‘So what’s the story?’ I asked.
‘We’re in love Mr Stanley. I had to get out of there, I didn’t want to be with other men. I wanted to keep my self for Nick.’
‘So why not run away together?’
‘Cos then Hristov would have known. He’s got connections everywhere, we never would have been safe. Girls disappear all the time Mr Stanley, we thought if we gave it 4 weeks before Nick left it wouldn’t arouse suspicion.’
She was one smart cookie, she’d thought this through.
‘But Hristov came looking for you. Why?’
‘ I dunno,’ she shrugged her shoulders.  ‘He doesn’t usually care.’
‘There must be a reason.’ I looked at the barman but he shrugged too.
‘Please don’t make me go back there Mr Stanley.’ She looked at me with puppy dog eyes..
They made a nice couple, she looked like a clever girl, she deserved better than Cupcakes.
‘Okay’ I said ‘but I got to tell him you’re safe. If I were you, I’d get out of town pronto. I don’t think he’ll take no for an answer.
‘Friday’s payday,’ said the barman. ‘We have to wait till then.’

I shrugged my shoulders. My conscience was clear, I’d given them the chance. It wasn’t up to me but if I was them, I’d get out of town right away.


For part 4 click here

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