CHAPTER 57
I felt slightly nauseous just then. I wasn’t like some women, obsessed with animal welfare to the exclusion of the people around them, but we had a cat, my men and I, and he was part of the family. Even though I hadn’t had pets before, the presence of Fritz felt utterly natural to me. The idea of using a pet animal to prove how big a dick you had disturbed me, and if this was dogs rather than that other type of cock, it could turn out a really shitty case.

Sammy continued with his briefing.

“It is fairly local, mates, up to Merthyr, in an industrial unit. The primary site is like a fort, but they have skimped a little on their security. Our source tells us it’s security railings rather than shuttering or walls, so we can see the outside of the building and whatever’s in the yard. That is part one of the job, clocking who and what is going in and out.

“Their source of alcohol is absolutely non-legit and is believed to be sourced in the Maidstone area. My own views on that are that Maidstone acts as a depot, and we are talking warehouses in Calais as the origin. Blake?”

“Yes?”

“Could you have a word with your bro, on the QT. See what we can get from Dover or Folkestone. No details to him, please. Just an idea of available resource. I will be speaking to Chris up to Swansea, as ever. The problem will be that if these are the sort of traders I suspect they are, their registration details will be rather out of date. Along with tax, MoT, insurance, all the rest, but if we can get a few numbers we can use the tolls and the ANPR there to track them. Any questions?”

Ellen stuck her hand up.

“What clues are there that it’s dogs they’re fighting?”

Sammy winced, clearly finding something in his mouth distasteful, and took a swig of tea.

“I have avoided this so far… Sorry, all. Landfill site was being levelled, and a tractor driver found a number of carcasses, dead dogs. Reported them to his boss, Environmental wotsit had a look, and realised what they had for once. What was left of the dogs was recovered, and the injuries are consistent with bites from other dogs. I will not be including photos in the brief, but I have seen them”

He actually shuddered before continuing.

“This is likely to be a long job, and I am applying some rules to it, especially with the married couples here”

Alun’s hand went up.

“Only one married couple here, boss! I leave my ball and chain at home!”

It was Lexie laughing now.

“Let me guess, Sammy: Blake and Di, Rhys and Jonny Boy, Ellen and Rob?”

After the laughter died down, Sammy was back to his serious mode.

“There are rules about partners working on the same team, but I have never worried about that crap. What I am concerned about is simpler, and that is family life. Blake and Di have a child, and if this one goes the full term, it will mean real issues with regard to child care and so on. I don’t want them messing up their contact with Rhodri Adam Sutton, nor do I want them distracted by worry he’s OK. I also suspect you’ll all be a little sharper with someone else sitting beside you. I still haven’t forgotten about that job with the Culhwch. And you weren’t even with your husband!”

Rhys almost blushed, the poor boy, while Candice was laughing out loud at him. Sammy switched back to cheeky rather than feral.

“Anyway, I do have some better news. Christmas is coming up far too quickly, and we are having a team do. That wasn’t an invitation, by the way, but an instruction, and it will be at the Smugglers. Chris Connor has already arranged it, and I believe it will be a double celebration. He’s getting engaged”

Once more, Candice cut to the important aspect.

“Yebbut, that’s not fair! Two blokes, isn’t it? No bloody bridesmaids!”

My husband gave Rob an appraising look.

“Don’t know about that, Blondie. I am thinking pink satin… Rob? How high a heel can you walk in?”

The other big man just deadpanned back.

“Well, after those lessons from Marlene, I reckon I can cope with four inches---Jonny, you filthy sod! HEELS, you dirty little…”

I was utterly happy at that moment, my team showing me where I belonged and why I did so, In the end, Sammy arranged a start date for our surveillance, which was to be three days after our team do, and once again my mind lingered on that word.

Chris had never been a formal member of our team. He wasn’t even a copper, to tell the truth, but he was most definitely one of us, and whatever form his wedding would take, we would be lined up there for him. That was amplified when I got the phone call from Carmarthen.

“Hiya, Lainey! What can I do for you?”

“Bed and breakfast, girl. I know it’s cheeky, but what are you doing with your little boy?”

I looked down to the rug, where Rhod was wrapped around a remarkably placid Fritz and exchanging headbutts.

“Um, watching him strangle our cat at the moment”

“No, you silly woman. For the party?”

“Oh! Mam and Dad are coming over to do the child-minder grandparents thing. You coming to the do?”

“Knew him before you did, aye? Just wondering what to do with the twins. Well, you know what I mean”

“Ah! We could fit you in, but it would be camping mats and spare duvets, and I would have to clear it with my parents”

“That would be great, girl. My two are off over England, otherwise I wouldn’t bother you”

I kept my swearing on silent mode, for the sake of my own little pitcher.

“How is sharing a Christmas ‘bothering’, Lainey? And don’t bring a pile of sweets for my boy, OK? You know the way?”

More warmth. More appreciation of my luck.

Mam and Dad were as dependable as ever, and for once I eschewed the ‘housewife and mother’ look I had insisted on when Tammy had visited, for once taking the opportunity to glam up a bit. Mam and Dad were staying over at hours for simplicity, so this ‘housewife and mother’ ended up using the Dad Taxi, which actually warmed my heart. So much water under the bridge, so much nastiness, and the two had stuck by me. I really was so very lucky.

Into the car at our place, three kids glued to some video with Mam, and rather a squeeze on the back seat, then out of it at the Smugglers, with a last whisper of “Not too drunk, love!” and into the bar, which now bore the slogan ‘Definitely the best bar in the world named after a policewoman’ as well as a raft of posters and banners congratulating Chris and Darius. Coloured lighting, a DJ setting out his last bits of kit, and various members of our crowd beginning the process of Full and Complete Refreshment. As the team caught sight of Lainey, there was a loud cheer, and she responded with arms held up for quiet.

“Boys and girls!”

Pause for laughter…

“I am no longer your boss! I can relax tonight! Who’s got my first drink?”

Siân elbowed her.

“And what about me?”

Lainey pointed behind her wife, where Candice was holding out a glass of white wine.

“Don’t know what you are complaining about, wife! I am the one who had to ask, aye?”

The tone was set for the evening, and as the DJ cranked out a very mixed set of what I am told today’s yoof call ‘banging choons’, everybody, or almost, was getting into a proper party mood. To be honest, I spent a lot of the early part of the evening catching up with people I liked, in some cases loved, and it all fitted with my earlier warm thoughts about my luck. Scott and Omar were there, Dai Gould smiling happily as he watched them dance while himself gossiping with Bryn and Barry, Fahmi and Debbie. Marlene was in full Drag Bitch mode and clearly competing with Office Blonde for snarky banter, Rob and Ellen had obviously abandoned all pretence about merely being colleagues, Deb seemed to have brought almost all of her current and former residents along with their respective significant others, and of course the Sedakas were there. We were steadily running out of room, when, at about nine o’clock, the music stopped abruptly.

“Boys and girls!”

How on Earth had Chris managed to sneak in? I supposed that he had been waiting in Marlene’s flat, because with so many coppers it would have been impossible to come in under the radar.

“Boys and girls, thank you for coming to my bijou little party!”

Candice it was who replied.

“Piss off, Chris! This is our works do!”

“Piss off yourself, Blondie, or it will be YOUR works that get done! Anyway, what are you up to in April?”

“What I always am. About five foot six without my heels!”

That actually brought a snort from Chris, and an imaginary score chalked up by a grinning Candice. With a shake of his head, the skinny man continued.

“Wottevvor! Anyway, this wet dream standing beside me is Darius. If you haven’t met him before, now you have, and he is mine, not yours, not yours, certainly not YOURS, Marlene, and that big boy over there can put his tongue back in his mouth right now. Right, Mr Sutton?”

Another round of laughter, Chris again raising a hand for silence.

“This is it for the rest of you as well. I am now off the market and next year, in April, we are making it official. We are a bit short of toasters, so we thought we’d start a wedding present list. If you are too thick to understand, one of us asked, doesn’t matter which one, and the other said yes, so get your best kit ready!”

That said, he turned directly to Darius and, without the slightest sign of shame, kissed him long and passionately on the mouth, a little finger wave to the DJ starting the music off again. I looked round the room in curiosity, and although I did spot one or two winces, there were far more happy grins, even a number of tissues applied to moist eyes.

The music was lively, I had my dancing feet on, and above them I had my drinking head. I was with the man I loved, our boy was with his family, and I was free to be affectionate, and so I was. So were a lot of the others present, although Alun surprised me by leaving early with only the most perfunctory of farewells.

Rhys was with Jon, Rob with Ellen, Candice was swapping spit with Barry, the sneaky bitch, Lexie was canoodling with some skinny girl in a corner booth while several of Deb’s girls did their thing on the dance floor or with young men of various sizes. I sat for a while resting my feet, half cuddled to and by Siân and Elaine, when I spotted Deb at one end of the bar. It wasn’t so much her that I spotted but the fact that she was standing next to a man I half-recognised. Tall, older… Ah.

It was Gemma’s boss from the bakery/cake shop/patisserie, whatever. As I watched, she leant into the arm he laid round her waist, her own head resting on his shoulder as they spoke. Then, with the softest of smiles, she turned slightly, laying her right hand on his cheek before drawing his head down for a kiss.

I was tipsy when Dad collected us. When I slept beside my husband that night, it was as a happy woman.