The Late Greats Read Free Page A

odd email. She’s been sniffing around, wanting to know if there was going to be a reunion. I wouldn’t be surprised if Greg’s been opening his mouth to her.’
    ‘Are they sleeping together?’ I asked.
    ‘How would I know?’
    ‘I need more’ I said.
    ‘All I know is he’s been with Siobhan for a while. Dragged her up from London. The works. If he’s been a naughty boy, I wouldn’t know about it.’
    I changed the subject. ‘We might have a problem with Julia’ I said.
    ‘What kind of problem?’
    ‘She was sniffing around earlier, wanting me to sort her some time out with the band. I think she knows he’s missing.’
    ‘She knows nothing. She’s rattling your cage, trying to see if you’ll let anything slip. I know people like her. They’re parasites. She’ll use you to get what she wants and then she’ll spit you back out again. You tell her nothing and I’ll keep her in line if she gets out of hand.’
    I didn’t like the suggestion I couldn’t handle her, but I didn’t push it any further. ‘Do you think Greg’s alright?’
    Major went quiet. I could hear the party going on behind him in the background. ‘I know where you’re going with that thought, PI. But I’ll tell you this; you’re wrong. Greg played me a CD full of new songs recently. He’s going to be massive again and I’m going to make sure it happens. What happened before was a mistake. It was a long time ago. Greg said it had been a cry for help, nothing more. It’s not relevant. Are we clear on that? He’s coming back.’
    I ended the call.
     
    I left the office and headed to Sarah’s house.
    ‘Any luck?’ she asked me.
    I shook my head and slumped into her settee. She’d invited me to her house once I was finished for the day. I was beginning to wish now I’d never taken the job from Major. Maybe she was right. It was going to involve a lot of late nights and already it was clear dealing with him and Julia Gowans was going to be my worst nightmare. ‘There’s no business like show-business’ I said.
    ‘And you don’t even like the band.’
    ‘I don’t mind their early stuff.’ It was becoming my stock answer.
    ‘That’s because you’re a music snob.’
    I’d inherited my older brother’s record collection when he’d left home, so I was brought up on ska and punk. The Specials and The Clash in particular. Now my taste ran more to acoustic singer-songwriters. I asked if there was anything I could eat. Sarah went into the kitchen and came back out with lasagne and salad. I thanked her. There weren’t many friends prepared to cook for me.
    ‘You don’t think he’s done something stupid, do you?’ she asked me.
    ‘I don’t know.’ I was beginning to worry and Major hadn’t eased my fears any.
    She told me about a couple of small jobs which had come in throughout the day. With me working exclusively for New Holland and Don slowly reducing his role within the partnership, Sarah was taking on more of the day to day jobs. She’d always been good at the work, but I suspected she’d got a real taste for it now. ‘I don’t think your dad is best pleased with me’ I said.
    ‘He thought it was going to be a straightforward job. No messing about’ she said.
    I’d hoped so, too. ‘But it is what it is.’
    She seemed to accept what I was saying. ‘What else have you got on your showbiz agenda?’ she asked me. ‘Entertaining Ms Gowans?’
    I ignored her. Sarah put New Holland’s debut album on the stereo. She turned the volume down. Opening track, ‘Welcome to Hell’ had been their biggest hit, making the top three. I looked at the CD cover. It had been released in 1995, so the band had been lumped in with the burgeoning Britpop scene. To be fair, they were better than that. Five years later and a further two albums, it was all over for the band.
    ‘Have you looked through the press clippings I printed off for you?’ Sarah asked me.
    She’d given me a full ring-binder of stuff to read.