The Jade Garden (The Barrington Patch Book 2) by Emmy Ellis (latest novels to read .TXT) 📕

“Was the man still there by then?”

“Yeah, no bus came past. I picked up a birthday cake and whatnot then went home.”

“See anyone in the laundrette when you walked past?”

“No. Funny you should say that. It was empty. Even the woman who runs it wasn’t in there. The lights were on, though.”

Cassie filed that information away. They’d be visiting her. Either she’d been taking a break out the back or someone had warned her to go there for however long it took to steal the drugs. If that were the case, though, why hadn’t she got hold of Cassie and told her she’d been threatened or whatever?

“Was the street empty?” she asked.

“No one about except for me and that fella over the road.” He paused. “Hang on, there were a couple of young lads.”

“What were they doing?”

“Dicking about like kids do. One asked me if I was going home after I’d been in The Pudding. I said, ‘What’s it got to do with you?’ Nosy sods.”

Had the kids seen owt? It’d take a while to find out who they were.

“And no one approached you when you parked outside the Jade? You know, telling you to make yourself scarce?”

“No! Why would they?”

“Doesn’t matter. Enjoy your party.”

She led the way to the car and got in. Jason dropped into the driver’s seat and closed the door, then plugged in his seat belt.

Cassie did the same. “So we can safely say the man by the hedge is likely our robber—well, he’s the only one who was around other than the kids. Graham said the street was basically empty—I assume that means at either end. No one there telling people to steer clear for a bit. Was it just a coincidence that no one but Graham was there as a customer?”

Jason drove off. “There are quiet nights, although Li Jun would argue otherwise. Maybe there were people either end and Graham just didn’t notice, too busy sorting the food for the party. The kids could have been used to give a warning. You never know, they could have done it in your name. That’d make sure folks did as they were told.”

She didn’t like the idea of that. Not only was using her name a colossal sin in her eyes, it could point the finger of blame at her if Jiang’s murder ever got out and the police she paid to look the other way had no choice but to investigate it. “Kids have a habit of opening their mouths, can’t stand keeping secrets, so choosing them to do your dirty work is a stupid move.”

Jason flinched.

What was that all about?

She sighed. “Whatever, Jiang’s dead, no matter how that street was cleared, if it even was. I could be making more of it than it is, but Dad always said, if something feels funny, it usually is, and this feels funny. The Donny is too far along for anyone to take any notice of owt, same with The Pudding. People would be too interested in going inside for their pints or cheesecakes. I wonder if anyone in the houses opposite saw owt.”

“You’ll soon know once they read The Life. Jiang supposedly going to China will jog their memories about owt iffy at the Jade. A man all in black, masked, and waving a machete about? Someone will come forward.”

“Yeah, and it’ll save us going to their doors asking questions, something I don’t want to do. It’ll fuck up the cover story.”

Jason sagged as if tiredness had come over him. “Yep, you’re right. Here we are, look.” He pulled up outside the block of flats Mam now owned, switching the engine off and leaning his head back. Was he tired? Or did the prospect of doing their own detective work not appeal?

Tough.

Cassie left the car and wandered over the night-damp grass. She’d been here so recently, warning the residents that if they got up to owt they shouldn’t now she ran the place, she’d come down on them. Mam owned the high-rise, and they employed a range of people to service the flats—electricians, plumbers and the like. Jimmy lived on the second level, and she recalled him assuring her he wouldn’t step out of line, he’d behave. She remembered that because his face was so riddled with spots, the poor bastard.

Maybe he’d gone back on his word. What a prat.

If he hadn’t, perhaps she could use him as her grass now Richie Prince wasn’t around to do it. She’d see how Jimmy was when she spoke to him and make a decision later. It’d be handy to have someone spying on the high-rise residents for her.

She waited for Jason then entered the lit foyer, pleased it smelt of lemon. The cleaners were doing their jobs right then. At the lift, she poked the ‘up’ button, and they ascended in silence, Cassie wishing she’d brought her weapon with her. Sadly, in was in the boot of her car inside a briefcase, and she’d left her vehicle by the Jade.

“You got a gun on you?” she asked.

Jason lifted one of his jacket fronts to show her. It sat snug in his brown leather holster. “Yep.”

“Good. I might need it.”

He scoffed quietly. He’d probably thought he’d be the one pulling the trigger.

Not on your nelly.

The lift dinged, the doors slid apart, and Cassie stepped out first, scanning the landing, listening for sounds of discontent behind flat doors. No one was around, and nowt seemed amiss. She walked over to number eight and rapped on the door. The faint murmur of characters speaking on the telly filtered through, one of them angry, about to do some damage to someone called Luther, and she smiled at the parallel. Then came the sound of heavy footsteps, like Jimmy stomped, annoyed at being