The Opal Pendant (A Little Crazy)

Chapter Twelve

A call to the mortuary told Joyce nothing new. She opened her desk drawer, removed the gold earring, and placed it in her wallet. Grabbing her car keys, she headed for the carpark.

It was well known that many of the girls started early on the street. Their motto is to start early and finish at a reasonable hour.

Joyce drove straight to the street and stopped. Further along, Alice Fronks chatted to a punter. She chuckled as the middle-aged man drove away.

Careful where she placed her feet amongst the used condoms and cigarette butts, she exited her car and strolled towards Alice.

Alice shook her head. "What can we do for you, Inspector."

"Chief Inspector, if you don't mind, Alice." Joyce pointed to a young woman seated on a chair in a doorway. "Is she okay?"

Alice laughed. "Her pimp dosed her up, and now she hasn't a clue what day it is. She's a danger to herself. I've sent for a cab to take her home. What are you doing here?"

"I'll assume the whole estate knows Carol Parmenter was killed by her partner and pimp."

Alice nodded.

"Last night, I spent time with my team and the home office pathologist collecting what was left of him under a train."

Carol shrugged. "Nasty piece of work. Total scum. He had no respect for us working girls. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Don't think anyone will miss him. What will happen to her kids?"

"They are with a foster family. Good people who care and will help them recover from losing their mum. Anyway, I'm asking if Lucy Fielding is working tonight?"

Carol studied Joyce warily as some of the other women gathered close. "Can I ask why?"

Joyce removed the L-shaped earring from her pocket and held it up for all to see. "I believe she might have lost this. I found it White Horse Tunnel. She must have been giving a punter a knee trembler, and it fell off."

Carol smiled. "You could say she was doing the night shift. I'll make sure she gets it back."

Joyce smiled, well aware these women made the best they could out of their lives. "Tell her to be more careful in future. Must dash the old man is cooking dinner, I hope."

As Joyce drove away, one of the girls muttered. "She knows and has given us the evidence."

"That lady is one of the good cops, but never lie to her, or your feet won't touch the ground as she slams the cell door. I'm going for a drink. Anyone interested?"

Joyce barely noticed the roads she was driving as she went home. Self-doubt began to seep into her mind. The earing, should she have given it back? She shouted at a driver who overtook the turned left without signalling. She concentrated on the road. The here and now. What good would have come from locking up four or more women who disposed of rubbish? Their kids would end up in care and maybe in long-term prison. Inwardly she hoped that someone's life might change.

Like a homing pigeon, She accelerated along the duel carriageway and into an up-market residential development. This was a completely different world from the one she worked in. Children did their homework and expected the good things in life. In most cases, divorce was the biggest crime. As a generalisation, the wife got the house, and the husband moved out. A few weeks later, another city gent moved in. She smiled. Life with Rupert was not perfect, but then what relationship was. She loved him, and he was devoted to her. With her car parked next to Rupert's, she operated the remote locking on walking away.