the little git? He owes me rent money.’
‘Dickon’s left the area. He owe much?’ demanded Annie.
Annie could see Moira thinking of the true figure, then doubling it. ‘A ton,’ she said.
The doorbell rang. There was movement in the hall, footsteps on the stairs, activity above their heads.
Oh yes, Annie knew this place. She knew it of old.
‘Trade good?’ she asked.
‘Trade? What trade?’
‘The knocking trade.’
‘Don’t know what you mean.’
‘Don’t you? Only I reckon this is a whorehouse, am I right?’
Moira looked from Annie to Tony and back again.
‘I don’t want no trouble,’ she said.
‘And you won’t get it, not from me. You know Rufus – friend of Dickon’s? Does he come here? Seeing the girls? Visiting Dickon maybe?’
‘I think you ought to leave.’
‘I think you’d better answer the question,’ said Annie.
Moira glanced at Tony.
‘Tone, why don’t you give us a moment,’ said Annie. ‘Wait in the car, yeah?’
Tony gave Moira a look and went outside into the hall, shutting the door behind him. They heard the front door open, then close.
‘Now it’s just us girls, how about a straight answer?’ Annie suggested, pulling out her purse. ‘Can I square up Dickon’s rent for you?’
Moira’s eyes were on the purse. Her tongue flicked out, moistening her lips. ‘Yeah, that’d be good.’
‘OK, I’ll do that. In fact, I’ll double it. Two hundred sovs. Just tell me if you’ve seen Rufus.’
‘What you think I am, some sort of grass?’ Moira sneered, coming in close to Annie. Moira was bigger than her, by six inches. And wider by a mile.
Annie stared at her steadily. ‘You want to answer the question?’
‘Tell you what – I don’t.’
Overhead, some ancient bedsprings were getting a workout.
Moira stepped in even closer; she snatched the purse from Annie’s hand, and started rifling through it.
‘Think I’ll just take the two hundred,’ she said, a twisted smile on her face.
‘I don’t think you should,’ said Annie.
‘Oh yeah? What you going to do about it?’
Annie brought her hand up out of her pocket, flicking the metal kiyoga open. She hit Moira’s nose with it, and Moira collapsed to the floor. Blood gushed out like a torrent. Moira started babbling. Annie knelt down and grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her bloodied face back with a yank.
‘Shut up,’ she said sharply. ‘Keep yapping and you’ll get another one. Now, unless you fancy spending the next decade in a dentist’s chair – Rufus Malone. You seen him in here?’
Moira burbled something.
‘Speak up,’ said Annie, shaking the woman’s head around like a marionette’s.
‘I said he’s been in here,’ Moira sobbed. ‘My fucking