By
Jan
Chapter 2
Helen
drew into the car park outside Skylarks, ten minutes early for her appointment
with Wade and Barnes. To all intents and purposes she was an independent
financial advisor sent in by the bank to assess their suitability for a
sizeable loan.
The
entrance door to the club was standing wide open so she went in and looked
around her. To her left she could see through to the dance floor. Two blonde
women – one tall and the other slightly shorter – were mopping the floor and
singing along to the background music. As she watched, the taller of the two
upturned her mop and used it as a dancing partner. She suppressed a smile, they
were obviously happy in their work
“Can
I help you?” a voice demanded off to her right. She turned and looked at the
speaker. A short stocky woman in her mid fifties was walking towards her.
“Sylvia Hollamby, Cleaning Supervisor,” the woman introduced herself then, as
if to add weight to her words, bellowed at the two women,” Julies! Stop doing
your Fred and Ginger impressions and get that floor finished!” She turned to
Helen, leaning towards her conspiratorially. “You just can’t get the staff
these days.”
Helen
smiled her agreement, not wanting to get into a discussion about staffing
problems. “I have an appointment with either Ms Barnes or Ms Wade,” she told
Sylvia crisply.
“They’re
both in the office. Go through the door marked ‘Staff Only’ then it’s the one
marked ‘Private’.”
“Thanks
very much, “ Helen replied pleasantly. She followed the woman’s instructions
and knocked briskly on the door marked ‘Private’. She heard scuffling then
someone called ‘come in’.
She
opened the door and with a trained eye took in her surroundings. The office was
sparsely furnished with a desk and two chairs at one end and a black leather
settee covered in brightly coloured scatter cushions at the other. She flushed
because reclining against the cushions was Nikki Wade, the buttons on her
blouse open to reveal a flesh-coloured bra. Nikki looked at her with a mocking
smile but did nothing to cover her modesty. The other woman was hastily running
her fingers through her ruffled hair. Obviously the couple had almost been
caught in the throes of passion!
“I’m
Helen Stewart,” she told them stiffly. “I believe you’re expecting me.”
Trish
moved forward extending her hand. “Trish Barnes,” the woman returned with a
smile. “And that’s Nikki Wade.” The two women shook hands and Nikki briskly
nodded then Trish pointed to the chair in front of the desk. “Please, take a
seat or we can sit on the settee if you prefer.”
“This
is fine,” Helen replied as she hastily sat down on the chair, grateful her back
was towards the dark haired woman who still hadn’t adjusted her clothing. She
opened her briefcase and took out an A4 sheet of paper, which she passed across
to Trish. “Can you make these records available to me, please?”
Trish
took the paper from her and regarded it with a lift of her eyebrows. “Thorough,
aren’t you?”
“I’m
only doing my job,” Helen replied frostily. “Is there somewhere I can work?”
“You
can use this desk, “ Trish replied, standing up. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“Thanks.
Black, no sugar.” She heard the door open and close then the settee creaked and
Nikki walked into her line of vision. There was a mocking smile on her lips as
she slowly and deliberately fastened the buttons on her blouse. Helen looked at
her defiantly.
“Something
on your mind, love?” Nikki asked insolently.
“No,
have you?”
Nikki
shook her head then stood regarding Helen for several moments before she spoke
again. “Do you enjoy your job?”
Helen
hesitated before replying. Before joining the police force, she had qualified
to be an accountant but it hadn’t taken her long to realise she wasn’t cut out
for ‘poring over dusty ledgers’ or sitting behind a desk. A chance encounter
with an old school friend…he had actually pulled her over for speeding…had led
her to the career she knew now was her destiny. Whilst her friends had gone out
clubbing, she sat at home swotting for her exams. She was going to make it to
the top…Chief Constable at the very least and nothing was going to stand in her
way! “Yes, I love my job.”
Nikki
leant on the desk, her hands splayed. “Well, that’s the way I feel about this
place so just remember that when you’re tearing down everything I’ve built up!”
she exclaimed angrily then without giving Helen time to answer stormed out of
the room, slamming the door with such ferocity that the whole building seemed
to shake.
Helen
looked at the door with raised eyebrows. Carter had been right…Wade was a tough
nut!
After
going through the club’s accounts for the past two years, Helen found nothing
untoward which wasn’t surprising. There was hardly going to be an entry in the
ledgers stating ‘receipts from drug sales’!
Trish
was helpful, the rest of the staff were friendly but Nikki’s brown eyes seemed
to look through her every time they met.
She
was sitting at the desk when the woman came into the office and after casting a
scornful look in her direction proceeded to open the safe.
Helen
kept her eyes on her laptop, her fingers flying expertly over the keys.
Nikki
locked the safe then straightened and looked at her. “So how long before you’ve
finished your snooping?” She gave a sharp malicious laugh. “Sorry,
investigations.”
Helen
gave a double take…investigations was right. She shrugged. “A couple of days,
maybe, but if I’m in your way, just say and I’ll put in my report now, although
I can’t say it will be favourable.” She met Nikki’s eyes unflinchingly then,
for the first time since they had met, the woman smiled in amusement and for
the first time in her life Helen found herself stunned by the beauty of another
woman.
“I
haven’t made your life very easy, have I, love?” Nikki asked with surprising
honesty.
“You
have been a pain,” Helen replied with the same honesty.
“Why
don’t we start again? Clean sheet?”
“OK,
but could I ask you a favour, Miss Wade?” Helen smiled at her sweetly.
“Ask
away, love.”
“Will
you stop calling me ‘love’ in that patronising manner you have!” she exclaimed.
“I have worked hard to get where I am and your tone is the one I have come to
expect from men and certainly not from someone like yourself!”
“A
dyke you mean, love?” Nikki teased then she saw Helen’s eyes flash angrily.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” she apologised quickly and smiled disarmingly.
“Say
it again and I swear to God I’ll thump you!” Helen told her, trying to stop her
own lips from smiling.
“Shall
we call a truce, lo…Helen?” Nikki’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “You don’t
mind if I call you ‘Helen’, do you?”
“Not
at all.”
“So…er…do
you think you could bring yourself to call me ‘Nikki’?”
Helen
smiled as she turned and started to walk away. “I’m sure I can, love,”
she replied mockingly over her shoulder.
Nikki
shook her head and laughed softly. It was going to be a pleasure having Helen
Stewart around and if being nice to her for a couple of days got them what they
wanted it would be worth the sacrifice!