Some piece of work, that one, Brown said what they were all thinking. Mind you I wouldnt mind giving her
All right, King stopped him. Just remember you report to me. Not Johnston.
Im beginning to understand why they call her the Poisonous Pixie, Renita added, before looking more serious. Shes sharp though. I wouldnt be trying to take the piss with the pixie around. Remember the more beautiful the snake the more poisonous it is.
Enough fun and games, said King. Lets get out there. Like I said last night, the aggravated burglary arrests were good, but they werent locals, so lets get on with harassing those who need to be harassed. I want everyone on the estate to know whos running things now. Everyone.
King walked along Millander Walk still nursing his hangover trying to breathe in fresh air, but the air on the estate at the beginning of summer was anything but fresh. It was as if it had been permanently trapped by the surrounding buildings that never allowed a clean wind to blow away the stale smell of humanity piled too high on top of each other the heat of the sun igniting the stench from the communal bins and rubbish chutes that were rarely cleaned. The odour of a thousand different meals escaped from seemingly every window and vented cooker hood, mixing with the smell of the dog excrement that sporadically littered the walkways and grassy play areas set aside for children, but which were only ever used by the local youth gangs and their cross-bull-terrier dogs who crapped where they pleased, undeterred by their owners who had no interest in cleaning the foul mess. King almost gagged on the stench until the sight of Susie Ubana standing outside her fortified maisonette distracted him from his sickness.
Her attractiveness and general appearance surprised him. Hed only ever seen her mugshot, which was from a few years ago and probably had been taken after shed been in custody for hours, if not days. It was a stark contrast to the well-dressed, slim black woman in her early thirties he was looking at now. She stood casually smoking a cigarette, standing on the walkway looking over the wall at nothing in particular, staring in the direction of the grassed area and beyond, unbothered by his presence whatever drugs she possessed being safely hidden away in her home. Her front door was open, but the metal grid across it remained securely locked. King knew Ubana wouldnt be stupid enough to have the keys on her, which meant there was someone in the maisonette holding the keys for her.
King decided it was time he introduced himself to one of the estates better-known residents and walked the short distance to where she stood and leaned on the wall next to her, slipping off his flat cap and smoothing his hair.
Good morning, he told her with a smile. She neither looked at him nor said anything smoking her cigarette as if he wasnt there. Thought it was about time I introduced myself, he persisted. My names Sergeant King. Sergeant Jack King.
I know who you are, she finally acknowledged him, but still wouldnt look at him.
You do? King questioned.
News spreads fast in a place like this, she told him.
Like a prison, eh? he deliberately reminded her of her time behind bars.
Thats what this place is, isnt it? she answered, surprising him a little. Were all trapped here. She gave a short ironic laugh. Thats what this place does to you. It traps you. Maybe one day youll be trapped here too.
I dont see how, he argued. Once my jobs done Ill be moving on. Even now I arrive in the morning, do what I have to do then I go home to my nice flat and my nice girlfriend. All this, he explained, waving his hand across the entire estate, means nothing to me. Its just a mean to an end.
Gets you up the next rung of the ladder? she smiled.
Exactly, he smiled back.
Well, she continued, while youre here people will just enjoy having a bit of law and order about the place.
You telling me youre happy were here?
Of course, she answered, confused by his surprise. Too many little bastards on this estate running wild. It aint good for living and it aint good for business.
Even your business?
Especially my business, she insisted. The shit they pull brings you lot sniffing around and that makes the punters nervous.
Is that how you see it, he asked, as a business?
Of course its a business, she laughed. I just provide a quality product that people want. You dont see me selling crack and heroin to fucked-up losers, do you?
No I do not, he admitted.
I provide a leisure product thats less harmful than alcohol, she explained. Not my fault a bunch of public schoolboy politicians decide to keep it illegal. Wont change nothing though. Where theres a demand therell always be a supply.
Laws the law, he reminded her. There are no good laws and bad laws as far as Im concerned. Just laws and Ill enforce them all.
I know you will, she told him. Your reputation precedes you.
Good, King stiffened, pleased at what he was hearing.
Yeah, well, dont get carried away with yourself, she warned him. Coming down hard on the local tearaways and shit is fine, but some of the other people round here She gave a knowing shrug. I wouldnt ruffle too many feathers, if I was you. You never know who knows what whos connected to who. You get my meaning?
So long as nobody draws unnecessary attention to themselves, he smiled. She flicked her cigarette over the wall and onto the grass below and headed back to her maisonette. I dont suppose youre carrying the keys to that metal grid on you? he asked still smiling.
No, she answered. Do yourself and everyone else a favour and catch this animal whos been messing with the kids round here. Feeling is, because its only our kids, Old Bill dont care. You find him, you win everyones respect almost. She turned away from him before shouting into the dimness of the concrete cave. Nakiya. She saw the look of interest on his face. My daughter.
I see, he nodded.
And in case youre wondering, she explained, which I know you are the keys are never on the outside always on the inside. Even if Im just out here for a smoke or a friendly chat with a passing cop.
Of course, he replied as her teenage daughter appeared on the other side of the grid holding a single key.
Open it, her mother demanded, causing Nakiya to eye King suspiciously. Its fine, she told her. Hes fine. Nakiyas expression changed from one of suspicion to disinterest as she quickly unlocked the grid and swung it open. Ubana stepped inside quickly, the grid being slammed behind her and immediately locked. She turned round and looked through the bars as King leaned back on the wall with the sun pleasantly on his face.
Looks like you were right, he smiled.
Oh yeah, she asked. About what?
About this place being a prison, he told her.
Her eyes rolled as she unwittingly examined the bars in front of her. Maybe, she replied, but if you ever want to stand on this side of the bars, youd better have a warrant. Know what I mean? She winked and closed the door before he could answer.
Looks like you were right, he smiled.
Oh yeah, she asked. About what?
About this place being a prison, he told her.
Her eyes rolled as she unwittingly examined the bars in front of her. Maybe, she replied, but if you ever want to stand on this side of the bars, youd better have a warrant. Know what I mean? She winked and closed the door before he could answer.
She was right about one thing, he thought to himself. Word really did travel fast on the estate.
A short time later King met up with Renita to patrol the estate together looking for trouble. As they headed down a huge vehicle ramp that led to dozens of underground garages, King spotted a large piece of plastic wall hanging a little looser than the other panels on the bottom section of a low-rise row of flats and maisonettes. He stepped towards it and pulled it even looser and peered inside the bowels of the building.
Someones pulled this loose deliberately, he told Renita. Wonder where it leads to.
Probably the basement area of the building, she guessed. Itll be where the water tanks and electrical stuff is all kept. Everything will be pumped into here before being fed out to the flats.
So why would somebody want to break inside? he asked.
I dont know, she shrugged. Why dont we see if we can find out?
He pulled the loose panel to one side so she could more easily enter. Ladies first, he grinned.
Well thank you, she joked. Youre such a gentleman.
She clambered through the small gap into the semi-darkness and watched as King did the same. They both un-holstered their Maglite torches from their utility belts, instantly illuminating their surroundings, and realized they were in some sort of corridor with dozens of pipes running above their heads and along the walls next to them. Underneath their feet was nothing but cold concrete lit by the occasional safety light glowing red.
Christ, Renita complained. Its like being in a bloody submarine.
Not a side of the estate most people would ever see, he replied, squinting as he followed the beam of light from his torch. Want to split up like they do in American horror movies? he teased her.
No I bloody dont, she told him. Place gives me the creeps.
This way then, he encouraged her and headed off along the corridor, following the long cones of light that stretched out ahead of them as they walked deeper and deeper into the strange underground world until the thin corridor suddenly and unexpectedly opened out into a cavernous room where there was a little more light from the weak overhead strips and seemingly grey metal box after grey metal box attached to the surrounding walls.
Wow, Renita declared. What dyou thinks in the boxes? Theres hundreds of them.
Not sure, King answered, his torch sweeping every corner of the room. Probably the electrical circuit boards for the block.
Amazing, she admitted. You wouldnt want to be the one to try and find the blown fuse if electrics failed.
No, King agreed as he drifted to a corner where something had caught his eyes in the torchlight. I suppose not.
You found something? Renita asked, slowly following him.
Over here, he told her as he passed his light over the arrangement of old sofa cushions, homemade stools and a crate that was clearly being used as a makeshift table, littered as it was with the remnants of drug use and alcohol consumption.
Christ, Renita surveyed the scene. Lovely place to talk the night away with friends.
King bent closer to better examine the items strewn across the table. Dont be too harsh on them, he told her. Looks like cannabis and alco-pops nothing too heavy. Probably just kids looking for somewhere to hang out of the rain and away from their parents.
Speaking from experience? she asked.
I was a kid once, he answered.
Hard to believe, she replied, trying to sound serious.
Still, he ignored her, cant have them hanging around off their faces down here. Only a matter of time before they start a fire and burn the whole bloody block down.
Idea? she prompted him.
Hope you brought a good book, he told her.
Ahh, she complained. Youre not serious, are you? You want to wait down here until someone shows up? Could be hours. Could be days.
Were not going to wait down here for days, he began to explain.
Good, because this place still gives me the creeps.
But lets give it a while.
Fine, she reluctantly agreed and followed him to the darkest corner of the basement room where they prepared to lie in wait for whatever came their way.
Susie Ubana sat in her kitchen waiting for someone to answer the number shed called on her untraceable pay-as-you-go mobile phone. Eventually a mans voice spoke cautiously.
Hello.
Its me, she replied.
There was slight pause before the man spoke again. What do you want? he asked without any politeness or subtlety.
She drew deeply on her cigarette, exhaling as she spoke. We may have a problem.
Go on, he told her.
These new cops on the estate the one in charge, she explained, I think hes planning on upsetting things around here.
There was a long silence before the voice spoke again. Can he be persuaded?
Not like that, she assured him. Hes young. Clean. Untainted. He still has ideals.
Do I need to do something right now? he asked.
She sighed before answering. No. Let me keep an eye on him for now.
OK, the man agreed casually. But keep me informed. The line went dead before she could answer.
Shit, she cursed under her breath before taking a long pull on her cigarette.
King and Renita waited silently in the dark shadows of the corner, their eyes well adjusted to the dim light. The sound of distant laughter made them look at each other as they visibly tensed, but as the noise grew louder and closer they realized it was more giggling than laughing the sound of children. Soon they could hear their footsteps as well as their voices talking softly to one another as they filed into the opening and took what appeared to be their usual places on the stools and cushions; their conversation grew a little louder and coarser as they became increasingly confident they were alone.
Now, Renita whispered in his ear.
Not yet, he hissed back as he watched the five children aged between twelve and fourteen empty their pockets onto the table making a communal display of cigarette papers, lighters and broken cigarettes. The youngest-looking child pulled something too small to see from his trouser pocket and began to fiddle with it. King guessed what it was and what he was doing, but still he waited until he could be sure.
He didnt have to wait long before the boy began to heat whatever it was he was holding over the small flame of a lighter, immediately filling the basement with the smell of softening cannabis resin, but still they waited until he crumbled the resin into the waiting tobacco on a paper bed that another boy rolled and ignited with his own lighter. King tapped Renita on the shoulder and stepped out into the space, clicking his torch on and half blinding the youngsters. They looked to one another in terror before trying to scramble to their feet, but King and Renita were already on top of them.