“Not for me,” I said. “I have to work later. And you are not driving, not with what you have drunk.”

  “Ah, go on, live a little,” Daniel said. “Loosen up. We’re having a nice time, roll with it.”

  “No, no brandy.”

  “Whatever, let ’em bring two anyway. If you don’t drink it, I will. Anyway, like I say, Corgan doesn’t get involved with the girls. But Elena, she’s different. You picked the wrong girl there, Anna my darling, from what I’ve been hearing. Couldn’t have made a worse choice to wind up Corgan.”

  “He has feelings for her?” I could not believe that Corgan would have feelings for anyone. He did not feel, only existed, only fed. I could not think of him as a person. But then I thought: that is what he does. He does not think of anyone as a person, just as profit, or an obstacle, or a stepping stone. Do not be like him, Anna.

  Daniel laughed. “Some skanky...sorry, sorry, yeah. But come on, course he isn’t interested in her like that. If he was, he’d have her, end of. Simple as that. No, it’s much more than that. He values her much more than that, from what I hear.” The brandies came, and he tossed one back, said ahh, smacked his lips as if he was kissing air, and then started on the second without offering it to me.

  “Why?” I had to stay focused. It would have been so easy just to give myself over to this lazy afternoon, the drink, his long fingers. But I could not afford to waste the chance.

  “Why what? Oh shit, this was meant to be yours, wasn’t it—you sure—ah well, waste not, want not.”

  “Why Elena?” I said patiently.

  “It’s all part of the big game,” he said. “They think I don’t know any of this, but I fucking do. Sometimes I think they forget I’m there.”

  “And this game, it is...”

  “Control,” he said. “It’s all about control. Who does Corgan work for?”

  “The Ukrainian.”

  “Yeah, him. And Lomax, you heard of him? Who does he work for?”

  “The Ukrainian?”

  “Exactly. He plays Lomax and Corgan off against each other, stops either getting too big for their boots. He knows they fucking hate each other. But he won’t stand for any crap from them either, because he doesn’t want any attention drawn to the business, or anything to interfere with it, which is why Corgan was shit scared it would get out that one of Lomax’s men shot Kav.”

  “I don’t understand—why would that get Corgan into trouble, but not Lomax?”

  Daniel grinned, enjoying the fact that he knew these things and I did not.

  “You don’t understand because you don’t know where Kav was or what he was up to when he got himself shot. And neither does the Ukrainian, which is how come Corgan is still in a job and breathing.”

  “This is all very interesting,” I said. “But what does any of it have to do with Elena?”

  “Ah, Elena. She does something special, you know? She’s not like the others.”

  “I know,” I said, but he thought that I was just agreeing with him.

  “Christ knows what, golden showers, BDSM or something for the freaks, who knows. But something specialised, yeah? Sort of thing the punters won’t get everywhere. So they keep coming back, because whatever it is she’s good at it. And one of them, one of Elena’s, he keeps coming back. I heard Nicky and Corgan talking about it. Think I’m not there, sometimes, they forget I’m even in the fucking room. ’Cept when they want something, of course, then it’s Danny this and Danny that like I’m some fucking errand boy. Mate, mate, two more of these? In one glass, though this time. Nice one.”

  “I have to go soon,” I said. “Really. Work.”

  “Ah, shit,” he said. “Mate? And the bill? Cheers. Don’t you worry, Anna, this is all on me. You’re worth it, this has been well worth it. You’re some woman, you know that.”

  “I am something,” I said. “But you were saying? About Nicky and Corgan talking.” I was like a cat, after a bird. I crept closer, it fluttered a bit further away, chasing a worm, not even knowing I was there.

  “What? Ah yeah, that. Look, I shouldn’t tell you this sort of stuff. Bad for you to know. You’ve already had one run in with Corgan. What you don’t know can’t hurt you, and all that. Not your world, Anna. Not your world.”

  “It is now,” I said. “Thanks to you.”

  Daniel looked offended, leaned back, and nearly tipped his chair over. “That’s a bit harsh, when we’re getting on so well. I’ve said sorry, haven’t I? How many more times?”

  “I will tell you when it is enough,” I said. “But it will not be for a while yet. Anyway, Elena. I’m part of all of this now, Daniel. I thought you were someone I could share thoughts with.”

  “I am, I am,” Daniel said. “I can be sensitive too. At least as much as...yeah, well, let’s not go there. But still, Corgan wouldn’t want me to be telling the world about this, so let’s just forget it, eh?”

  “I understand,” I said. “It is fair enough. I mean, if Corgan had told you about this—whatever it is—if he had told you about this—which he didn’t—he would have told you to keep quiet about it, and you would have had to do what he says. I am sure it happens often, you must know so much.”

  Daniel laughed, but it was not to do with anything being funny. “Yeah, right. All the time.”

  I said nothing. The waiter brought us the bill, and cleared the dishes and glasses away. Daniel sat staring at the tablecloth for a moment or two, then he turned the bill over, looked at it briefly, pulled out some notes from his pocket and dropped them on to the table.

  “Come on then,” he said. “Could do with some fresh air.”

  We left the restaurant, and paused on the pavement outside. It did not seem like we had been in there for long, but it had been lunchtime when we went in, and now the sky was almost dark.

  “I have to go to work,” I said. I did not want to.

  “Skip it, go on,” Daniel said. “You know you want to. Your lovesick mate will cover, he won’t mind, he’d do anything for you. Go on, phone in sick.”

  “And do what instead?”

  “Come back to mine, open some more wine. I’ve got some really sweet hash, nice and smooth. Bit of music, bit of a smoke, we’ll watch the stars come out and chill together. Just you and me.”

  “I have to wash my hair before work,” I said. “Sorry.” I was tempted. My mind said no, but my body said other things. “Not today, Daniel. Not yet.”

  “But I’ll be lonely, Anna, how can you leave me like this?” He clung to a lamp-post, and made sad eyes at me.

  “By walking along this pavement. See, it is easy. Maybe not for you, the amount you have drunk.”

  He tutted, and swayed towards me. “Next time, then.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Hey, hey, I got a maybe out of Anna. Got to go down as a result, that. Round it off for us then, let me kiss you goodbye.”

  “You can’t buy me with a dinner, Daniel.”

  “Bollocks to the dinner, I thought you might want to kiss me because I’m just so fucking gorgeous.”

  “It is all I can do to resist,” I said. “Anyway, you have two things to do for me.” I was getting good at changing the subject when it turned to something awkward. First Sean, now Daniel. I felt like a bullfighter, always waving the red flag, over here, over here, anywhere but there.

  “Anything.”

  “One thing, you must promise me you will not drive home. Not like that.”

  “Done. I’ll get a cab, pick the car up tomorrow. Jesus, hope the other one’s that easy. No way am I driving like this.” He shook his head, as if I had just said something very foolish.

  “Good,” I said. “And the second thing is, finish telling me what you know about Elena.”

  He shook his head. “Christ, you don’t give up, do you, you’re like a dog with a bone. What’s it to you anyway, why do you care so much about finding out?”

  I smiled at him. “Because you don’t want to tell me. And making you is fun.”

  “Women. Jesus. You can’t breathe a fucking word of this. To anyone, understand? Man, I don’t know if I should tell you.”

  “It’s OK,” I said. “I understand. If you’re afraid of Corgan...”

  “Fuck off,” Daniel said, getting so excited that he nearly fell over. “I’m not afraid of him. You think I’m afraid?”

  “Well...”

  “I can find out his fucking secrets, he should be afraid of me. What I know, what I can find out...man. My ticket out of this life, Anna. One of Your girl’s punters, one of the regulars, he’s a business associate of Corgan’s. Nasty bastard called Budden. He loves her, he does, whatever it is she does, he doesn’t get nowhere else, and Corgan, he wants to keep Budden sweet, oh so sweet, because you know what Budden is?”

  “Tell me.”

  “Opportunity,” Daniel said. “Like I said, it’s all about control. If Budden decides he wants in, well, Corgan won’t need the Ukrainian, ’cause Budden’s got his own contacts, out in the Baltics. The Ukrainian won’t like it, but he won’t be around to complain, know what I mean? And with the Ukrainian gone, Lomax is fucked, wouldn’t last a day. Control, Anna. Budden creaming off the profits and providing his contacts, but Corgan up at the top, his game.”

  Daniel swayed across the pavement, leant on his car.

  “So you want to know why Elena is important?” he asked. “I’ll tell you why. ’Cause she pleases Budden. And as long as she does, she’s special to Corgan. That’s why you’re looking after her, not like you’re doing that for all the girls, is it? Anyway, breathe a word of this, and we’re both fucked, so forget it all.” The fresh air seemed to be making Daniel more drunk than the brandy had. “But remember this, Anna: one day what I know is going to be my ticket out of this life. Roll of cash, set up in business somewhere, you know, legit, above board. Start all over again. And all I need is some proof, something to take to the Ukrainian or Lomax. And then you watch Daniel fly.”

  “You would sell Corgan out?”

  “What, you sticking up for him?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “But you would be taking a big risk.”

  “Worth it,” Daniel said, “all I need is something concrete, and it’s bring on the good life for me. And anyone who comes with me.”

  I do not think that you could do it, I thought. You talk now Daniel, with the brandy inside you, but I do not think that you would have the courage to take on a man like Corgan.

  “There, told you too much already, now will you give us a kiss?”

  I smiled at him. “No,” I said. “But I will let you buy me dinner another time.”

  It was only when I was walking away that I realised that I had said dinner, and not lunch.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I was sitting on my bed, mending a hole in the sleeve of my coat, and thinking about how once I would have just given it away and bought a new one, when I heard shouting and doors banging. The door of my room burst open, and a young man with short dark hair stuck his head in and looked around.

  “Get out,” I said. “You can’t just come in to our room.”

  “Can’t I, love?” he said, not even bothering to look at me. “I knocked, could have sworn you said come in. And you are?” He had a terrible rash on his neck where he shaved. Good, I thought. I hope you cut your throat next time. I ignored him.

  “Don’t give me cause to look at you more closely, because you’ll regret it. One more time, what’s your name?”

  “Madonna.”

  “Yeah, you wish.”

  “And you are? A pervert? Looking for women’s underwear to steal? Shall I start shouting that you are trying to touch me?” I thought of the time a boy who lived near us threw mud at me because he thought it was funny. Aleksey came tearing out of our house, chased the boy and caught him before he had taken ten steps, and dragged him back and pushed his face in the mud until the boy looked as if he were made of clay. You would not have let me be spoken to like this, I thought. Aleksey smiled and shrugged: I am not here any more, sis.

  Another man, older, pushed past him so he could look into the room too. Both men were wearing suits, but the younger man wore his like he wore his flashy watch.

  “Sorry miss,” the older man said. “Anthony? Show some respect will you?”

  The younger man flushed and looked angry.

  “Go down, help Jane on the next floor.”

  “But—”

  “Go down, help Jane on the next floor.”

  The younger man looked even angrier, but he went all the same.

  “Sorry,” the older man said. “I think that he wanted to join the police but they turned him down because he was too short, or too stupid, and he spends half his time with us pretending that wasn’t so.”

  “I thought you were the police.”

  “UK Borders Agency,” he said, and showed me a card that I did not bother looking at. “Can you help us out, miss? We’re looking for some people that we’d really like to speak to. One of them is a Miss Alice Omwayo, and we’ve had some information that she lives in this building.”

  “Never heard of her.” I was scared that he would ask to look at my papers. Scared that Corgan had lied, and they would not stand up to scrutiny. Scared that they would, but the fact that they were temporary would make them start some investigation into my case, start them looking at my past. I did not want them to do that. I could not let them do that.

  “I’m sure not.” He wandered around the room, looked at the photos on the wall. “Nice kids.” I said nothing. He walked to the door, changed his mind, looked back in. “And you are...?” I said nothing.

  “Hmm,” he said. “Thank you for your help, miss. Should you see the Alice Omwayo that you don’t know, could you tell her that she needs to talk to us, straight away? Easier that way, than the other. She’s a little overdue talking to us.”

  I said nothing.

  “Until we meet again, then. Sorry about the lad.” He left the room. After about another half an hour, they left the building. A Yemeni woman I did not know well, who lived on the floor below, left with them. She was in tears. The young man was grinning, holding his hand behind her back to move her forward, but not quite touching her. He did not need to. The older man did not show any emotion at all. A policeman waited for them by the front door, looking bored. One of the other women had phoned Alice at work, and she did not come back home that night, or the next. She came back the day after that, and when I saw her she was sitting on her bed and every time a door closed somewhere she flinched as if she had been hit.

  ~

  “My turn,” I said. When you are poor, whose turn it was to buy the coffee was very important. You did not want to miss your turn, even if you could not afford it. Because that meant that the other person would pay twice. And in Sean’s case, I knew that he would. It was fortunate that I had him trained well enough now to stop being a gentleman and arguing with me that he should buy them. He looked as if he was about to say something, but then he just laughed, and went to sit at one of the plastic tables in the window. I went to the counter, and the bearded man behind there winked at me while he steamed the milk for the customer in front.

  You would think that we both saw enough of places like this, but it was where we often went. There were not many other choices that did not cost a lot of money.

  We started off going to a pub near the burger place. At first, it was good. It had not been done up and turned into a shiny bar where all the drinks were much more expensive and everyone spent their time looking at everybody else. It was dark, and the walls were the colour of old smoke and the rough fabric of the seats was splitting. We sat in a dim corner that smelt of old beer and even older wallpaper, and no-one looked at us and I felt that we were hidden away from the world.

  But then some men started drinking there every day, hard men with old faces who drank every day, all day. They watched me all the time, and before long they started saying things to Sean. They asked him if he had been with me yet, if he was not a queer, and could they take turns too? Sean stared back at them, but not for very long, because I kicked him hard under the table. The landlord made himself busy somewhere else, because he was scared of these men, and also because they spent more money than we did. After a few days of this, more and more each day, I just said, “Shall we go somewhere else today, for a change?” and Sean said, “Yeah, why not,” and we never went back to the pub again.

  “Yeah, but you’re all right, aren’t you,” Sean said, stirring sugar into his coffee. I had just told him about the raid. “I mean, it’s the whole point of what you’re doing for that bastard, isn’t it? You work for him, he’s given you papers and stuff, means you’ve got nothing to be worried about.”

  I shrugged. I very much wanted Sean to shut up. He did not understand; he kept going on, as if I was stupid.

  “Seriously, if what you’ve been given is the real deal, then what’s the problem?”

  What do you know, I thought. You’re born here, this is something you have never had to think about. You do not know it all Sean. And what you do know, is only what I have told you, and that is not all that there is.

  “Yes I have the papers, and yes I have sold my soul to get them, but that does not mean I want to put myself in a place where they look at them close. Look at me close. Besides, I do not trust Corgan, and do not want to take the risk.” I would not want them to look at me close, I thought, because I know what they would find, but I did not say anything. Could not.

  Sean looked as if he was about to argue, but then he saw the look on my face and he had the sense to stop talking. I felt bad, because I knew he did not understand, could not understand, and if I did not share my secrets with him, how could I blame him? But as usual, when I felt bad I also felt angry, so I carried on making my angry face and he carried on shutting up.