Disclaimer: as before…
Chapter Twenty-One;
Harley
The briefing went ahead at 5:30pm, Hayleigh and Millie getting their information over the phone as they insisted preparation was the key and didn't want to ruin any surprises. Max thought the whole business ridiculous, but Stuart deemed it hilarious and allowed a phone briefing. "Ladies, Holman himself will meet you, he insists on it. Watch him like a hawk, I don't trust him not to try something if he even gets a second on the floor."
"Like what?" Millie asked, her voice far away as she spoke into a speaker phone, a quick growl behind her leaving those in the room guessing Hayleigh seemed to be attacking Millie with something, by the sounds of it a hair straightener.
"Make sure he doesn't say too much to the bodyguards, gets one of them to phone Natovnia. He and a few bar staff are the only ones who know what's going on and I wouldn't trust a door ape with this kind of information, so they could try anything to keep trouble away."
"Wait, he set this up, so are you now saying he'll try and keep Natovnia away?" Something on the other end of the phone sounded like skin coming into firm contact with something else covered in skin and Hayleigh yelped.
"Maybe. Could be setting this up to get himself out of trouble, saying 'look, I tried to help now let me go'. Or maybe someone else. If Holman's in cohorts with Bolt or Brecht then he could be trying to keep them away."
"I thought they were all working together or something?"
"Have you ever heard of loyalty amongst thieves PC Brown?" Stuart grinned.
"Good point." Millie replied. "So where will everyone else be sarge?"
"Will, Stevie and DI Manson will be inside. Max and I will be at the front entrance and Kezia is commanding uniform. We have PCs Stamp, Taylor, Gayle, Roberts and Armstrong on the doors around the outside and Sgt. Smith is in an IRV with PC Valentine so we're pretty well covered."
"Wouldn't want any other crimes to happen in Sun Hill right now the way we've got this place locked down with half of the relief." Stevie joked.
"Okay girls, we'll see you at 7." They said their goodbyes and Stuart hung up on them, glancing back at the others. "Alright everyone, let's get this show on the road."
*
"Alright sarge, we're here." Hayleigh's voice came over the radio.
"We've got you DC Spark." Seated across the road from the Harley Club, Stuart and Max watched the black taxi pull up and the two women get out. Stuart whistled. "PC Brown! That there is a Sandie from Grease-style turnaround."
Max, who had been watching the other end of the street, looked up. Indeed, Millie had changed dramatically. She now wore tight jeans, heels and a black leather jacket. She'd managed to tame her hair straight and the air of naivety that hung around her like a bad smell had gone. She looked great from afar and neither of the sergeants had any doubt she looked even better up close. But Max ignored it, glancing at Stuart who was now watching him with a grin. "What?" Stuart wiggled his eyebrows. "Yes, she finally listened to my advice, good girl."
"And…"
"And what do you want? The chorus of 'You're The One That I Want'? Get back to watching the club." Max turned in his seat again, ignoring Stuart's grin.
*
Benjamin Holman met the women in the doorway, being watched closely by Stevie who was standing behind the bar pretending to clean glasses and doing a god-awful job of it. "Ladies," he smiled at the bodyguards and ushered the constables inside, past a group of young people standing at the bar yelling for service (which was being pointedly ignored by Stevie) and a man and woman in a fierce argument. The women ignored them and followed Holman to a spot by the far end of the bar. He motioned for the barman to get them both a drink, on the house, and then disappeared out the back where DI Manson and TDC Fletcher (who couldn't emerge due to his recent notoriety) were watching on through CCTV. The coverage in the paper had nearly meant Hayleigh's position too, but after some make-up, a wig and a pair of sunglasses, she was deemed safe to go.
Not that she was enjoying it. "This is itchy," she scratched her head and frowned at Millie. "Who would voluntarily wear this?"
Millie shook her head. "Lara's an actor, she doesn't wear them voluntarily, it's part of the job."
"Ladies." Two drinks were placed in front of Hayleigh and Millie and the pair looked up at Stevie who gave Hayleigh a nod. "You've gone redhead?"
Millie laughed. "Once you go red you never go back." She took a sip of her lemonade. "Anything yet?"
Stevie shook her head. "Nothing, but Holman said to watch the tables at the back, specifically at that dark-haired woman in the corner. Apparently she's been seen here with Natovnia before." The women glanced back at her, but in the dark corner of the room they couldn't make out her face, only her legs and figure.
"Any idea who she is?" Millie asked, glancing back at Stevie who had picked up another glass and was pretending to clean it, giving herself an excuse to ignore the others at the bar awaiting service.
Stevie just shook her head. "Nope, can't get a decent picture of her and Holman says he can't identify her. Can't or won't we can't be certain, but either way she's Jane Doe for now."
Millie's next question was interrupted when someone yelled from the other end of the bar, the crowd getting angry from lack of service. Stevie scowled. "You better go serve them," Millie suggested, "you know, before they turn feral."
"Turn? These people are already feral." But Stevie left, off to aid a young bar worker who looked more than overwhelmed.
Millie just looked back at Hayleigh to see her watching the woman in the corner, a small frown creasing the spot above her nose. "What?"
"Nothing, just, she looks familiar somehow." She shrugged and her smile came back. "Just my imagination. It's too dark to look at her anyway." She lifted her drink and sipped it. "So, lemonade? Not bad for Met money. I was expecting tap water." The pair just grinned.