Hour of Need by John Carson

Author:John Carson [Carson, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

‘A’right, Arthur?’ Ronnie Vallance said as he was shown into Arthur Daniels’ office. ‘How’s the toy business doing these days?’

DC Gregg Simon stood beside him, actually managing to make Vallance look small.

‘Mr Vallance! Good to see you again. Please, have a seat. Both of you.’

The detectives sat down opposite the smaller man, who had dark hair, thinning on top but nothing a little bit of strategic combing couldn’t hide. He obviously came from a long line of Mediterranean ancestry.

‘This is not a toy shop, as Mr Vallance puts it, but a collectors’ emporium.’ He beamed a smile. The toy shop was on Lothian Road round from the Usher Hall. ‘Just like it says on the sign outside; The Model Emporium.’

‘I always get that confused with the hoor house you’ve got next door,’ Vallance said, smiling.

Daniels beamed a smile at them. ‘Listen to him! Hoor house. What are you like? No, as I told you a long time ago, I got out of that game. Sold up. Moved on. I’m as happy as Larry playing with my toys all day.’

Vallance laughed and pointed a finger at him. He ran a hand through his beard. ‘And yet I hear things, Arthur. Things that indicate that maybe you’re going back to your old ways.’

Daniels managed to look offended. ‘How can you say that about me?’

‘I sit here, listening to you, giving you the benefit of the doubt, but once again, I have the same feeling I get when I catch my sixteen-year-old sons trying to sneak into the house at four in the morning.’

‘What feeling is that?’

‘That all is not right. That they’re trying to pull the wool and them only sixteen an’ all. Bloody wee rascals. Them, not you. But I tell them, I’ve been in the polis for twenty-five years. I’m not wet behind the ears.’

‘Congratulations,’ Daniels said, the smile coming back. ‘Happy anniversary.’

Vallance couldn’t tell if Daniels was taking the piss or not. ‘Wait. I haven’t finished.’ He leaned forward and his ample gut touched the desk in front of him. ‘I’m teaching the boy here and he’s learning very quickly. Isn’t that right, Simon?’

‘It is indeed.’

Vallance leaned back in the chair, which protested alarmingly. ‘And what have you learned this morning?’ he asked Gregg.

‘That Mr Daniels here is being rather frugal with the truth.’

‘What?’ Daniels almost threw himself back into his chair. ‘I have to protest, Mr Vallance. You know I’m an honest businessman. I’ve moved on from my younger days. I keep my business clean and—’

‘Platinum Escort Services,’ Vallance said.

Daniels’ smile faltered. ‘What?’

‘That hoor service you own.’

‘Dearie me. What kind of talk is that in front of the young lad there? He might get the impression I’m a snake, if you keep talking like that.’

‘You do have some resemblance to a reptile, Arthur, I have to admit.’

Daniels tutted and shook his head. ‘My mother would roll in her grave right now if she—’

‘Was dead. I saw her last week in Tesco. Looking very well for a woman in her seventies with a son who’s a whoremaster.

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