Saturday's Child

'Easy for you to say. It's not your car.’

‘I'm sorry?'

'Yeah, I know.' I crouch down by the side of the car. The front two tyres, they're shredded. Someone took their time over this.

'I mean, we have CCTV,' she says. 'We'll be forwarding the tapes to the police.'

'Don't bother,' I say. 'It's not worth it. Only a couple of tyres.'

Put the rubber together, you'd have a Westwood dress. Carved up.

'I hope this won't reflect badly on us.'

'It doesn't reflect badly on you, love. It reflects badly on this shithole area.'

Back in reception, I leaf through the Yellow Pages, find a garage in Benton and give them a ring. It'll cost me, they say. If I want them today, that is. And am I sure I want them to pick the car up from the middle of town? That'll cost too. I mean, they really want to be sure. The mechanic's voice has a twist of amusement about it, like he can't believe the kind of fish he's got on the line.

I'm sure. But there's one thing: I want a lift to Benton.

'Oh aye, that's not a problem, mate.'

'It better not be, the amount you'll skin me out of.'

Just because the Micra's out of action, doesn't make me a cripple. I still have work to do, still have questions that need to be answered. And I don't have much time.

Somehow that pissed-off dealer found out where I was staying, found out which car was mine and decided to take a knife to the wheels. If he'd left well enough alone, I wouldn't have been that arsed to wrap this up. But you mess with a man's motor, you get his attention. From what I've seen of Newcastle, it's populated with the same kind of narrow-minded scallies we have in Manchester. But at least when it rains back home, it really rains.

I turn to the receptionist. 'I'll be checking out today.'

She nods to herself. It's like she snapped out of sympathy, become this sterile jobsworth. I don't care, though. If they know where I'm staying, then it's just a matter of time before they get in my room, if they haven't already. And I don't want to be at the mercy of anyone.

It was the wind, Cal. Don't think so much.

I open my wallet, take out Do

In my room, I pack the holdall and make sure I've got everything I came in with. Back out on reception the braided blonde hands me the bill and I pay it, no questions asked. Then I'm out on the street, waiting on the tow truck. I light up and think I couldn't be fucking this up more.

I'm not a private investigator. That's a fact. I'm a guy who tells people he's a PI, and that's as far as it goes. The job's not something I ever really wanted to do, but I admit that urban white-knight shit appealed after a while. I started off ru

And the job progressed from there. I got good at tracking down ex-offenders, maybe because I was one. This guy, Don Plummer, he was a local landlord. Had some houses in Hulme and Moss Side, a couple more in Longsight. And sometimes, he had problem tenants. I did him a legit favour every now and then by handing over eviction notices. Paulo didn't mind. It was legal, and it kept me working.

These things snowball. Next thing I know, I'm calling myself a PI and getting all kinds of shit for it. Donkey on my back for one.

I look up the street, see my lift coming over the hill. I nod to the driver as the truck pulls into the carpark. A ski

'Now that's a shame,' he says. 'That's a real shame.'

'Yeah, it's all I can do to keep the tears in,' I say.

He looks at me. When he realises I'm not serious, he sets about hooking the Micra to the truck. I get in and it's a short drive to Benton. Once we're at the garage, the ski

'I know it's bad,' I say. 'But you've got a day to replace the tyres. How's about that?'

'What about the paintwork?' says the ski

'I couldn't give a fuck. You just sort me out with some tyres.' I give him my mobile number and tell him to give me a call when the car's ready to go.

'We got other jobs on, mate. We can't just drop every- thing.'

'I'll make it worth your while,' I say as I walk out the door.

I light another Embassy as I head down the main road, away from the Metro station. Once I've got the cigarette on the go, I fish around for my mobile and call Donkey. Best to get this out of the way. It's the last thing I want to do, but I might as well do something for Paulo.

'Detective Sergeant Ian Donkin,' he says. His phone voice is official. For a moment I think I'm talking to a real copper instead of a fuck-up with a badge.

'It's Cal I

'I

'You know where I am, Detective.'

'Nah, I mean it. Where the fuck are you? You any idea what kind of trouble you're in?'

'I thought you were keeping an eye on me.'

'Don't play fu

Poof mate. I'm sure Paulo'd get a kick out of that. And he'd aim it for Donkey's teeth, most likely. 'What's the deal with the tail, Donkey?'

'What tail?'

'The lad in the black leather jacket. The lad that smelled like the inside of a black maria.’

‘Where are you?’

‘You listening to me?'

'Where are you? I'll get someone to come and pick you up.’

‘Jesus, Donkey, you know where I am.’

‘If I knew, I wouldn't be asking.'

Okay, now I need to think about this. 'You know I'm in Newcastle, Detective. You sent a lad up here to follow me around.'

'You think I have them kind of resources, I

I can't say anything. If it's not Donkey following me around, then it's someone else and I don't want to think that through. 'Listen, I want you to stop going round the club.'

'You don't make the rules, I

'This shit between you and me, it's got nowt to do with Paulo.'

'Now that's sweet, but I don't care. You get your arse back to Manchester and turn yourself in, and maybe we'll talk about it. Until that time, I'll go wherever the fuck I want and cause trouble for whoever the fuck I want.'

'You're not bothering to investigate this, are you?' Donkey coughs into the phone. 'I'm investigating. Trouble is, my prime suspect did a fuckin' bunk. Now what does that say to you about their i

'I didn't do a thing to De

'Don't tell me how to do my job, I

'Fuck's that supposed to mean?'

'It means, you don't get back to Manchester quick-smart, I'll have a word with the police up in Newcastle and tell them what you're up to. And in the meantime, I'll make sure I do everything in my power to have your mate's club shut down.'