Taking my inspiration from Mr Konstantin and the Polaroids in his shop, I decided to start taking pictures on my mini digital camera. It’s the only way I’m going to get to the bottom of anything. I caught Ray unawares as he sprawled on his sofa watching the snooker. It wasn’t the best picture, but then again he’s not the best subject. Mike came in and doffed his spliff. That made for a better picture. I took a picture of Beth as I helped her out of the cab on our arrival. She wouldn’t have thanked me for the result.
Beth and I walked with a calm confidence out of the door that led on to the veranda. We slipped past the gas heaters that burned a hole in the atmosphere and down the side of country club towards the back of the kitchens. I heard the sounds of stirring sauces and the rousing of a roux and then I spied a cloud of blue cigarette smoke round a corner.
“Wait here.” Beth complied.
There was a definite odour of something despicable. Rocker had been identified to me by Ray this morning just before I asked his permission to take Beth to the party.
“So what does this Rocker look like?”
“He basically looks like the greasy kitchen porter from hell, you can miss him.”
“What if it’s dark Ray, or I need to identify him in a hurry?”
“Rocker has a tattoo of a butterfly on his ear, self inflicted.”
“Now just to make me feel a whole lot better, he’s called Rocker because…”
“He’s off his rocker.”
“Great, that’s what I thought.”
Ray was right I had no trouble identifying Rocker. I peered round the corner to see possibly the greasiest man I have ever seen or smelt. He was dressed in a boiler suit that had clearly never been boiled. The fact that this man was allowed anywhere near the back door of a kitchen, let alone in it, was a cause for major concern. My membership cheque was certainly put on hold. Rocker sniffed the air, through the smoke. He’d smelt something unusual, something fresh, something clean, something me. I stepped out.
“Rocker?” His small ratty features conspired to confirm his identity.
“Yeah who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Ray’s.”
“Oh yeah he did mention sumfink a while back, said you might be poppin’ along. After some goods weren’t ya?”
“I was Rocker, but now I’m after something a little different.”
“I don’t do none of that funny stuff friend, no way, not for no one.” Rocker lit another cigarette off the butt of his previous one. He looked up at me expectantly.
“I’m after some information.”
“Why didn’t you say? I got plenty of that. Loadsa information.” Rocker’s fingertips rubbed together greasily.
“We’re trying to find out what happened to this girl. You seen her around here Rocker?” I showed him the picture of Trudie, Beth had supplied me with for identification purposes.
“Now I ain’t seen her for a while, not for a long while. She had a room here up on the top landing, a permanent one, like she was one of the house staff, but she was no staff. What you got there?” He pointed at my digital camera. I refused to let him touch it. I knew a magpie when I saw one. “Who’s that?” I turned the camera round. The picture of Beth I had taken earlier lit up the evening gloom. “Now that girl, she’s round here a lot.”
“What? This girl?” I lowered my voice, she was only round the corner.
“Yeah, I fink she’s been havin’ it off with Bamber, the golf fella.” I felt hollow.
“Are you sure?”
“No mistake, Rocker always remembers a face, even when they cut their ‘air.”
“Thanks Rocker.” I gave him a fifty. “Go buy some soap.”
I dragged Beth along the way we came by the arm back to the party. An instrumental surf band played
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, I just need to think OK.”
“What did he tell you? You can’t keep things from me.” Beth protested.
“What about you? Is it alright to keep things from me?” We were stopped on the veranda, looking at each other. The warmth of the patio gas burners was harsh on my cheeks. Regardless of what she had or hadn’t told me, Beth looked beautiful in her black dress and heels. Her hair had returned to the dark colours that I preferred and it swept round her face like a half moon. She stepped towards me as the band played the theme tune to
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