audience was sexed out. She left the stage before they finished clapping.
Danny gave Chrissy a kiss with a promise in it and went to the bar for a refill. Chrissy followed the singer to the Ladies. She found her leaning over the basin, running cold water through her hands.
'You're very good,' Chrissy said.
'Thanks.' The voice was flat, as though the life had drained away with the songs.
Chrissy examined Esther's reflection in the mirror. She had seen this female before somewhere. But where?
'Are you singing anywhere else?'
Esther looked at her sharply.
'What the fuck do you care?'
Chrissy rummaged in her bag. She had seen her before. She was sure of it 'It's cool,' she made a show of renewing her lipstick, 'I just thought I'd heard you before.'
Esther shrugged and touched up her own mask of eyeshadow and lipstick. 'Couldn't have. I just moved here.'
*With your brother?'
'My brother?'
'The young guy outside.'
'Spike's not my brother. He's a mate.'
The girl had stopped being defensive. Whatever Chrissy said now had to keep things that way. She didn't get the chance.
'Shut the fuck up!' The girl hissed at the mirror.
'What?'
Esther ignored her and headed for a cubicle, slamming the door in Chrissy's face. From inside came the sound of muttering. Chrissy knocked. 'Are you okay?'
The girl didn't reply, at least not to Chrissy. The muttering went on, then the sound of retching and the thump of something hitting the floor. Chrissy banged on the door.
'Hey, are you alright in there?'
'Fuck off and leave me alone.'
It took Chrissy five minutes to find Sean. The band was taking a break and he had gone outside for some air. When she brought him back to the toilet, the cubicle was empty.
'She was on something.'
‘You don't know that,' Sean said firmly.
The thought crossed Chrissy's mind that he knew more about Esther than he was letting on.
'She was swearing at the mirror.'
A half-smile played Sean's lips. 'Maybe she was swearing at you.'
Chrissy wasn't giving up. 'I've seen her someplace before.'
Sean looked mildly irritated. 'I'm only interested in where she is at this moment. We have a second half to do.'
Chrissy gazed past Sean.
Esther had appeared at the door. *Is there a problem?' she said truculently.
'Not with me,' Chrissy shot back.
'Could you give us a minute?' Sean said quietly.
'Fine.' Sean did know more about Esther Dickson than he was letting on. Chrissy headed for the bar and a stiff drink.
Esther was back on stage ten minutes later. She seemed calm, dreamy even. An addict after a fix?
Chrissy stood with Danny's arm about her and listened to Esther's haunting voice. Sean had given her the girl's version of events on his way to the stage. He might be convinced, but she wasn't.
In the shadows near the bar she spotted the boy with the spiky hair, who had somehow sneaked in. He wore the same expression as Danny. Whatever substance the girl had in her voice should be powdered and marketed.
But magic voice or not, the story of a migraine attack just didn't make it with Chrissy.
She was sure she'd seen Esther before. And she had the feeling the girl was bad news. Bad news Rhona needed to know about.
Chapter 5
Things were quiet now. He could tell by her eyes. Spike took Esther's hand and slipped it through his arm.
'Chips?'
‘Yeah.' She waved the money Sean had given her. 'Let's make it a fish supper.'
The all-night cafe was empty apart from a few stragglers who needed the sustenance in order to get home.
She sat down and handed him the plastic menu with a flourish. *No expense spared.'
After the feast he said, 'You were great.'
When she asked how he knew, he told her he'd climbed in a toilet window.
She laughed. 'Did anyone see you?'
She laughed even more when he said, 'Only the guy wanking off in the cubicle I landed in. And he wasn't going to tell anybody.'
'And I thought I was singing in a respectable jazz club.'
'Wanking is respectable,' he told her, 'unless you've been
Danny gave Chrissy a kiss with a promise in it and went to the bar for a refill. Chrissy followed the singer to the Ladies. She found her leaning over the basin, running cold water through her hands.
'You're very good,' Chrissy said.
'Thanks.' The voice was flat, as though the life had drained away with the songs.
Chrissy examined Esther's reflection in the mirror. She had seen this female before somewhere. But where?
'Are you singing anywhere else?'
Esther looked at her sharply.
'What the fuck do you care?'
Chrissy rummaged in her bag. She had seen her before. She was sure of it 'It's cool,' she made a show of renewing her lipstick, 'I just thought I'd heard you before.'
Esther shrugged and touched up her own mask of eyeshadow and lipstick. 'Couldn't have. I just moved here.'
*With your brother?'
'My brother?'
'The young guy outside.'
'Spike's not my brother. He's a mate.'
The girl had stopped being defensive. Whatever Chrissy said now had to keep things that way. She didn't get the chance.
'Shut the fuck up!' The girl hissed at the mirror.
'What?'
Esther ignored her and headed for a cubicle, slamming the door in Chrissy's face. From inside came the sound of muttering. Chrissy knocked. 'Are you okay?'
The girl didn't reply, at least not to Chrissy. The muttering went on, then the sound of retching and the thump of something hitting the floor. Chrissy banged on the door.
'Hey, are you alright in there?'
'Fuck off and leave me alone.'
It took Chrissy five minutes to find Sean. The band was taking a break and he had gone outside for some air. When she brought him back to the toilet, the cubicle was empty.
'She was on something.'
‘You don't know that,' Sean said firmly.
The thought crossed Chrissy's mind that he knew more about Esther than he was letting on.
'She was swearing at the mirror.'
A half-smile played Sean's lips. 'Maybe she was swearing at you.'
Chrissy wasn't giving up. 'I've seen her someplace before.'
Sean looked mildly irritated. 'I'm only interested in where she is at this moment. We have a second half to do.'
Chrissy gazed past Sean.
Esther had appeared at the door. *Is there a problem?' she said truculently.
'Not with me,' Chrissy shot back.
'Could you give us a minute?' Sean said quietly.
'Fine.' Sean did know more about Esther Dickson than he was letting on. Chrissy headed for the bar and a stiff drink.
Esther was back on stage ten minutes later. She seemed calm, dreamy even. An addict after a fix?
Chrissy stood with Danny's arm about her and listened to Esther's haunting voice. Sean had given her the girl's version of events on his way to the stage. He might be convinced, but she wasn't.
In the shadows near the bar she spotted the boy with the spiky hair, who had somehow sneaked in. He wore the same expression as Danny. Whatever substance the girl had in her voice should be powdered and marketed.
But magic voice or not, the story of a migraine attack just didn't make it with Chrissy.
She was sure she'd seen Esther before. And she had the feeling the girl was bad news. Bad news Rhona needed to know about.
Chapter 5
Things were quiet now. He could tell by her eyes. Spike took Esther's hand and slipped it through his arm.
'Chips?'
‘Yeah.' She waved the money Sean had given her. 'Let's make it a fish supper.'
The all-night cafe was empty apart from a few stragglers who needed the sustenance in order to get home.
She sat down and handed him the plastic menu with a flourish. *No expense spared.'
After the feast he said, 'You were great.'
When she asked how he knew, he told her he'd climbed in a toilet window.
She laughed. 'Did anyone see you?'
She laughed even more when he said, 'Only the guy wanking off in the cubicle I landed in. And he wasn't going to tell anybody.'
'And I thought I was singing in a respectable jazz club.'
'Wanking is respectable,' he told her, 'unless you've been
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