Truth or Dare by Tania Carver Read Free Book Online Page B

ceramic tiled walls incongruous with newer plasterboard partitions and corridors, the walls covered with posters imploring the viewer to put down their knives and guns, with inspirational messages from figures such as Martin Luther King, Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur. They stopped before a plain wooden door with red and green lights above it. The green light was on.
    ‘After you,’ said Sperring.
    All eyes turned as Phil and Sperring entered. Even given Phil’s casual clothing they were immediately made as police. The room was full of black youths in their twenties and thirties relaxing on low sofas and chairs, and their expressions showed that their experience with the police had been negative. One of them stood up, stepped up to Phil. Eyeball to eyeball.
    ‘I’m looking for Moses Heap,’ said Phil, ensuring his voice was calm, his gaze level. Not matching aggression with aggression but careful not to back down.
    ‘What you want him for?’ said the man in front of him.
    The room stank of sweat, skunk and alcohol.
    ‘Just want a word,’ said Phil. ‘That’s all.’
    Another man stood up. He was better dressed than the man who had stepped up to Phil, the same kind of street uniform but with better labels. ‘’S okay, Clinton,’ he said. ‘Stand down.’
    The man reluctantly moved away but kept his eyes tight on Phil.
    The other man crossed to Phil, took Clinton’s place. ‘I’m Moses Heap.’ He swallowed down his ingrained distaste of police. Despite the anger Phil noticed a clear intelligence in his eyes. ‘What can I do for you, gentlemen?’
    ‘Can you turn the music down, please,’ said Phil, ‘or shall we step outside?’
    Moses Heap gestured to a teenager sitting behind the mixing desk. The music disappeared. The silence that replaced it was deafening. Phil’s ears were ringing.
    ‘You can say what you got to say in front of my bredren. We got no secrets from Five-0 here.’
    ‘Letisha Watson,’ said Phil. ‘She a friend of yours?’
    Moses Heap frowned. ‘Letisha Watson…’ He shrugged. ‘Don’t recognise the name.’
    ‘She’s a working girl, lives on the Trescothick Estate,’ said Sperring.
    Moses Heap kept his face impassive, shrugged. ‘So?’
    ‘She knows you,’ said Phil. ‘Her ex-boyfriend’s Darren Richards. Ring any bells?’
    Moses Heap said nothing.
    ‘And her ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend has met with a very untimely demise.’
    Moses Heap kept his gaze focused on Phil, but Phil was sure he saw something flinch behind his eyes. ‘My condolences to the family,’ he said.
    ‘Her baby daughter was killed too,’ said Sperring. ‘Murdered. Not an accident.’
    Moses Heap acknowledged Sperring for the first time. ‘Why you telling me this? You think I did it? You think I murder children?’
    ‘We’re just asking anyone who knows either the deceased or anyone connected with the deceased,’ said Phil. ‘Routine. That’s all. Your name came up. We came to see you.’
    Moses Heap thought. Nodded. ‘Yeah. Well, you’ve had a wasted journey. I can’t help you. I don’t know anything about Chloe Hannon’s murder. Or her daughter.’
    Phil did a double take. ‘I didn’t tell you her name.’
    Fear flashed across Moses Heap’s face, his composure crumbling for a few seconds before he regained it. ‘Must have been on the news.’
    ‘We haven’t released the details. Or the names.’
    Heap shrugged, tried for casual. Missed. ‘Must have heard it somewhere.’
    ‘Where?’ asked Phil.
    ‘Dunno.’ His voice raised, anger dancing in his eyes. ‘You want to arrest me for it? You wanna charge me? Go ahead. Charge me. My brief’ll have me out in an hour. Have your jobs, too. I’m a businessman. A respected figure in the community. These here are my associates. And you come in and accuse me of murder in front of them? I don’t think so, man. I don’t think so at all.’
    Phil looked around the room. It was tense to start with but the tension had palpably