A Pound of Flesh

Chapter 32





The song played on the radio was an old one, long before his time, some soft crooning designed to lull the listener into a romantic frame of mind. But it was not the tune that lingered in his brain, but the images dredged up by the words. A full moon was glinting on the water and a dream maker playing with his mind, coaxing him into that place where the heat from his skin made his blood thick and strong.

The image persisted long after the song had ended, the reflected moonlight shuddering in ripples against the dark water.


Lily stood on the corner of the street, her only shelter the dark forbidding walls of the office block behind her. The night had turned colder and, as she looked up at the skies she could make out a few stars struggling to be seen against the light pollution from the city. Up there, Lily thought, was there any form of life like hers? And if there was, did they have to stand waiting for punters? Her mind drifted as the thought took hold: was anywhere better than here where corruption and greed killed thousands of innocent victims across the globe? There had to be a better place, Lily decided, a corner of her mind holding on to a glimmer of hope; even on this godforsaken planet. That tall policeman, he had a wife that he loved; she had seen that in his eyes. And, when he’d left on that wild night, hadn’t he been going back to a place where life was good and nice and warm?

The girl swayed back and forth, humming a tune to herself as her thoughts turned to images that might comfort her. She remembered the fire in the woods where she’d sat with pals from school, its flickering flames illuminating all their faces, the crackling hissing sounds made by damp pine cones they’d tossed in. If she thought hard enough, she might even recapture that bit of warmth.

The sound of a car engine approaching made the girl stand back from the edge of the kerb. A large white car turned the corner from Sauchiehall Street into Blythswood Street and approached the place where Lily stood, the lamplight above her reflected in the puddles. She watched it intently. At first she thought he was going to stop, ask her for a price, but as the car slowed down, Lily saw the driver simply looking at her, his mouth partly open, revealing his teeth.

Lily shivered, all imaginary fires suddenly spent.

His eyes were upon her, dark and menacing, as though she had made him angry, and Lily took another step back, waiting and wondering. Was he playing some sort of sex game, perhaps? The other girls had told her so many lurid stories of punters’ bizarre sexual tastes that she was prepared for anything.

But then the car moved away and disappeared along a lane that ran between the backs of the office blocks. Lily watched the red tail lights as it travelled the length of the lane. So, no takers for Lily this time, she thought, turning away and shrugging off a dull disappointment.

She did not hear the car door close nor see the man emerge from the car at the far end of the lane, but some sixth sense made her look towards the darkened place behind her.

The man was coming back again and she could see his huge form like a dark shadow as he approached her, fists bunched against that massive body as though he were coming to pick her up and carry her off like some fairy tale ogre.

Lily shivered suddenly but waited nonetheless, watching the man coming nearer and nearer, transfixed by the very sight of him.

He was almost upon her when Lily noticed the fabric twisting between his hands and that look of utter malevolence in his eyes.

In a split second of understanding the girl knew just what he intended.

As the sound of a heavy vehicle approached them Lily turned and ran.