Chapter 58
In a quiet residential street in Clubmoor, Thurstan and Sammy slouched in their seats and watched the front of the house intently. The end of a terrace of four, its cream painted frontage made it stand out from the red brick of the others, all neat and well cared for. A gated alleyway to the next street separated it from the semi-detached next door. Well stocked with several large bushes and small trees, the front garden was ready for a trim and a couple of drive-bys had shown them the entrance door couldn’t be seen from the street unless immediately in front of it.
An hour later Sammy looked at his watch again. “Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, Boss. It’s a quarter past two already.”
“Give it another thirty minutes. Are you sure you got the times right?”
“Trigger said she told him she visits her mum every other day at the care place in Broadway so she should have gone by now.” He shifted his position and grimaced.
“Sciatica?” Thurstan glanced at him sympathetically.
Sammy nodded. “Yeah. Ever since I fell off that wall, remember? Comes and goes.”
Thurstan nodded sagely. “You were lucky you never landed on your head. Frightened the life out of me. Don’t ever do that again.”
Sammy looked at him as if he was an idiot. “Do I look twenty-one?”
Silence enveloped them. Thurstan wasn’t aware but he’d rested his head against the slightly open window and closed his eyes, drifting off. He found himself carrying a large blue plastic bucket in one hand and a tiny yellow spade in the other walking along a red sand beach. Abruptly, he was back to reality with a jolt.
Sammy poked him in the arm again. “Aye, aye, Boss! She’s out.”
They watched her trundle along the street towards Queens Drive, pulling the little shopping trolley behind her. Once she’d crossed the Drive she was going to be a while. A bit of retail therapy at Broadway shops was obviously on the cards.
They bided their time. A quick check of his wrist then Thurstan opened the car door. “Come on!”
He waited for Sammy to prize himself out of his seat. Indicators flashed as they crossed the road. “Play it by ear. Follow my lead and if it happens, it happens, if not then it was worth a try.”
The doorbell didn’t appear to work so he used the fake brass knocker. They stared at each other. Thurstan knocked again, Sammy peered through the gaps in the side gate. The door opened.
“What do you want?” Darius stood in the doorway in a dressing gown that could, at first glance, pass for silk.
Thurstan smiled in what he hoped was a supportive manner. “We’ve just come round on a welfare visit, to see how you are, see if you need anything. It’s the new rules they brought in last year, you might have seen it on the telly? Can we come in?”
“Got a warrant?”
“We don’t need a warrant for a welfare visit, Darius. That would be silly.” The DCI stepped in. Darius surrendered.
“He’s not coming in,” he said pointing to Sammy.
Thurstan smiled again. “Not a problem, he’ll just wait outside but the rules say you’ll have to leave the door open. It’s a health and safety thing just in case.” A look of apology passed over his face then he touched Darius lightly on the arm and quietly said, “Listen, I’ve got a bit of a bladder problem so is your toilet upstairs?” With that he strode up the stairs; Darius abandoned the door and scuttled after him.
“An aunty of mine used to live in one of these. It’s this way isn’t it?” the DCI said as he turned towards the main bedrooms and opened a door. “Well, this isn’t the toilet. I forgot, hers was on the other side. Is this your room? Very nice. You should open the windows, it gets rid of the smell of cannabis.”
Darius ushered him out and redirected him, glancing down the stairs to where Sammy stood with a brief wave and a smile.
Thurstan locked the door. Darius stood guard outside. Another quick look down the stairs. Sammy, leaning against the door frame, waved again.
Thurstan quickly searched the bathroom and found a small plastic cup. Removing the toothbrushes, he filled it with water then carefully poured its contents slowly into the loo from a height, for maximum effect. Replacing everything, he flushed, ran his hands under the tap and wiped them swiftly on the nearest towel. As he left, he caught Darius about to check the front door.
“Good grief, I needed that! Well, if you’re ok and there’s nothing we can help you with, we’ll just go back to the office and fill in the paperwork. Here’s my card should you want to talk and get anything off your chest, maybe cut yourself a deal, that sort of thing.” He smiled, slotted the card into the dressing gown’s top pocket and edged past him.
At the front door, Sammy was bent over a rose bush. He looked up. “Scented. I’m very impressed. Not many people have these, you know.” Darius visibly relaxed.
Out in the street, they walked back over to the car in silence. As they opened the doors, Sammy simply said. “Sorted.”