Angel Confidential Read Online Free PDF Page B

know.’
    â€˜Who was?’ The young PC was getting better at giving me the lazy eye.
    â€˜Mr Block. He was in the River Police until he retired recently. Ex-Superintendent Block,’ I tried, not knowing anything about ranking among the Thames cops. He could have been a chief petty officer for all I knew.
    Veronica put me right.
    â€˜Sergeant. He used to be a Sergeant.’
    Thanks, Veronica.
    The constable drew himself up to his full height. Was it me, or were the policemen in the Met really getting smaller?
    â€˜Mr Block will get treated just like anybody else, miss, but if you hang on, I’ve got something in the car that might help.’
    He disappeared down the stairs, passing the other PC on the way, and they exchanged raised eyebrows. The second copper glanced over the wreckage of Veronica’s flat, which was actually just a bed/sitting room, but anything bigger than an empty dishwasher carton gets called a flat in Shepherd’s Bush these days.
    â€˜Are you sure nothing was taken, miss?’ he asked politely.
    â€˜Not that I can see,’ sniffed Veronica. ‘It’s just ... just ... damage.’
    â€˜Kids,’ he said, disappointedly, as if he’d been looking forward to a bit of grand larceny. ‘What sort of business was the old ... was Mr Block in?’
    â€˜He was an enquiry agent and security consultant,’ Veronica said primly.
    I held up my hand to the copper so Veronica couldn’t see, and gestured that, yes, we’d be doing all the jokes, he needn’t bother.
    â€˜Kids, you reckon?’ I said for the sake of something to say.
    â€˜Bound to be. Didn’t expect to find the old man here. Maybe they threatened him then did a runner when he choked his rig.’ He caught Veronica’s silent sob and heaving frame and added: ‘Sorry.’
    â€˜Kids with sledgehammers and a really bad attitude?’ I pressed.
    â€˜I’ve seen worse. This is getting to be a bad area.’
    â€˜How about some more community policing on the beat, then?’ I pushed it.
    â€˜Get me a flak jacket and some CS gas and I’ll think about it.’
    His partner returned holding a sheet of paper. He offered it to me.
    â€˜Here’s a list of 24-hour builders, glaziers and general repair merchants who’ll come and fix things so they’ll hold for the night.’
    The sheet of paper was a photocopied list of about 30 names and phone numbers, arranged by postal area.
    â€˜Give many of these out?’ I asked, scanning the list.
    â€˜More than parking tickets these days,’ the PC said wearily. ‘Saves time usually. People can’t get it together enough to use the Yellow Pages at times like this.’
    He looked at Veronica, who had her back to us, staring out of the grimy window.
    â€˜Yeah, okay, I’ll get something organised,’ I submitted.
    â€˜If you use one of them’ – he pointed at the list – ‘then get a proper builder in tomorrow. Half of them are real cowboys.’
    Good; in that case I might know some of them.
    â€˜If there’s nothing in Shepherd’s Bush, there’ll be somebody over in Kilburn. Bound to be.’
    â€˜That’s okay,’ I said, spotting somebody I knew on the list. ‘I’ll get it sorted.’
    He looked at his mate, who reached for the radio at his collar. They were ready to sign this one off.
    There was nothing more for them to do really. It was now down to Albert Block and Veronica and their insurance company and one more notch on the petty crime statistics. The shorter of the two coppers did try though.
    â€˜Are you sure you’re going to be all right, luv?’ he said as if he meant it.
    Now, most women I know would have made him eat his own truncheon for his patronising tone and the word ‘luv’, but I thought for a moment Veronica was going to hug him.
    â€˜It’s kind of you to ask. I don’t really know,