Free The Late Greats by Nick Quantrill Page B

her before she had chance to speak. ‘I’m just thinking aloud, more than anything.’ I turned back to my desk and started to gather my things. There were other people I wanted to talk to, but I’d definitely be speaking to Priestley again.
     
    I headed back to my flat and jumped in the shower, turned the temperature to cold in an attempt to reinvigorate myself. I closed my eyes and let the ice cold jets hit me before jumping back out. It’d have to do. I drove to Siobhan’s boutique and parked up about a hundred yards from her shop and considered what my strategy should be. All I knew was that she could help me in some way. I could see two men in dark clothing sat in a car parked on the other side of the road. They were staring at me. DI Robinson’s team, no doubt. I wasn’t bothered by them. They could watch me all they liked, they weren’t going to stop me doing my job. The same sales assistant sat near the till. I asked her where Siobhan was. She quickly glanced across to what I assumed was the changing room before reverting back to me. ‘She’s not in at the moment.’
    I walked across to the room. ‘I know you’re in there, Siobhan.’ I looked back at the girl. ‘Your assistant isn’t a good liar.’
    I waited a few moments before calling out again. Siobhan walked out onto the shop floor. I smiled at her. She looked terrible, like she hadn’t slept.
    ‘Alright?’ I asked.
    She nodded, but wasn’t convincing.
    ‘We need to talk’ I said.
    She told her assistant to take a break and closed the door behind her. She found us some chairs and we sat down.
    ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t able to find Greg’ I said.
    ‘I’m sure you did your best.’
    It was my turn to nod unconvincingly. I explained how I worked for Tasker’s parents. ‘Now’s the time to say if you know anything. Anything at all.’
    ‘Why are you working for them?’ she asked me.
    ‘I owe them.’
    She didn’t press me. ‘I don’t know anything.’
    She was clearly upset, but she also had her guard up. She wouldn’t look me in the eye. ‘We’re on the same side here’ I said.
    ‘I can’t help you.’
    I told her how Tasker’s parents were suffering. I got nothing back.
    She lit a cigarette. I must have been staring. She told me it was her shop, she could do what she liked. ‘Have you spoken to that slag, Lorraine?’ she asked me.
    Her abruptness took me by surprise. Without thinking, I nodded and said I’d spoken to her.
    ‘I can’t bear to think about her and Greg. It makes me ill.’
    I said nothing. It wasn’t my place to get involved.
    ‘What did she say?’ Siobhan asked me.
    ‘She wants to know the truth, too.’
    ‘It’s none of her business.’
    ‘How did you find out about them?’ I asked.
    ‘He told me. He said he didn’t want it to be a secret anymore. Can you believe that? He tells me, but expects me to carry on like nothing’s changed.’ She shook her head, took a drag on her cigarette. ‘The arrogance of the man. He was so used to people doing whatever he wanted them to do, he forgot I had feelings. I gave up everything for him to move up here to this shithole and this was how he repaid me. He wouldn’t even live with me. I said it was either me or her. He couldn’t have both.’
    ‘What did Greg do?’
    ‘Carried on as normal. He didn’t think I’d do anything about it.’
    ‘Does Lorraine’s husband know about them?’
    ‘No idea. I don’t think Greg cared to be honest.’
    ‘Had you left him?’ I asked.
    She looked up at me and shook her head. ‘I couldn’t leave him.’
     
    I gave her a minute, found the kitchen and made us drinks. She was busy opening windows when I returned.
    ‘You should have stopped me smoking in here’ she said, trying to force a laugh.
    I smiled. ‘Would you have listened?’
    ‘I suppose not.’
    I passed her a mug of tea. ‘I spoke to Steve Priestley’s wife this morning’ I said.
    ‘Never met the woman.’
    ‘She said she didn’t want him