The Know Read Free Page A

smelled. He could catch the sweet odour himself every time the wind blew through the flats. It was like a vacuum here because of the way the blocks were situated, and out on the balcony was the coolest place to be. Consequently Tommy spent a lot of time out there.
     
    ‘All right, Fatty?’
     
    The good-natured call made him smile. He waved back happily, glad to be noticed. He was practically beaming as he shouted down, ‘Hot enough for you?’
     
    The man carried on walking without answering and Tommy felt a moment’s embarrassment. He settled himself once more and observed the girls below as they chatted and laughed. He could hear Beenie Man blaring out from Kira’s flat so knew her brother Jon Jon was still around and that her mother had gone to work. They watched her like a hawk - and so they should after all.
     
    The thought made him smile, but this was quickly wiped from his face as he heard the front door slam.
     
    His father was home. Tommy waited patiently for the baiting to begin.
     
     
‘Why do we come in so early?’
     
    Monika’s voice was slurred as she drank copiously from a bottle of cheap Bacardi.
     
    ‘That’ll get you in the end, girl. Quicker than anything, Bacardi is.’
     
    ‘Oh, fuck off, Lena, and give me a break!’
     
    Lena, a young Scottish girl, sighed and raised her eyebrows as she looked at Joanie who shook her head, telling her to mind her own business.
     
    ‘I like that necklace, Lena. New, is it?’ Monika commented.
     
    The girl preened herself. She had just acquired a new pimp and so presents were still on the agenda; it was always the way with the younger ones.
     
    ‘It was made for a much slimmer neck, of course.’
     
    Monika was spoiling for a row and it showed. Lena was a chunky girl and in truth the necklace was far too delicate for her. But it wasn’t the necklace that rankled with Monika, it was what it stood for. They were all aware of that. No one was going to bother cajoling Monika into switching pimps.
     
    Lena was a laugh though, and said good-naturedly, ‘Well, I’m sorry about that but I don’t know Frank Bruno well enough to borrow his jewellery.’
     
    Even Monika laughed, then said nastily, ‘Here it comes, Miss fucking World!’
     
    Lena shook her head.
     
    ‘She’s too young. I’m sorry, but he should draw the line.’
     
    The young girl was more than aware of the stir she was causing. It was just getting dark so business would pick up soon and she knew the chances were she would get the next strike. She also knew it would cause aggravation. But she wasn’t too bothered; she had good back up. At fourteen she thought she knew it all, and unfortunately already knew far too much about some things, only she was too stupid to see that for herself. She was a runaway so that made it easy for the men who preyed on women to get her working the street.
     
    Monika’s tutting was so loud it made Joanie laugh.
     
    ‘Leave her alone. She has to put up with Todd McArthur - she’ll soon learn.’
     
    Todd was a young pimp who concentrated on the new girls. He was good-looking, quietly spoken and vicious. All his girls were in love with him, even after he gave them the bad news. Unlike the older women who had no illusions about the men who lived off them, the younger girls had to experience the downside before they actually realised they were stuck there for the best part of their lives. A good pimp could track a girl who absconded within twenty-four hours, and frequently did that. The beating they then received and the fear of a repetition kept them on their toes or on their backs, whichever way you wanted to look at it.
     
    A week in hospital was something to learn from and anyone too thick to toe the line afterwards was asking for all they got. Or that, at least, was the general consensus among the women.
     
    A blue Escort pulled up by the side of the road and a small white man with a bad combover smiled at Monika. He was a regular and as