Read Mr. Love and Justice for Free Online

the notice-board outside.
    On this were handwritten advertisements, some apparently of great antiquity, which mostly offered lodgings with innumerable restrictions. Others invited the purchase of items which no one (except, perhaps, a film studio shooting a Dickens story) would dream of buying. A third category, sometimes with crude photographs, advertised ‘models’. The star sleuth scanned these, then withdrew a bit with Edward Justice.
    ‘Whores, I suppose,’ said Edward.
    ‘The strange thing is though, boy, that quite a lot of them actually are models. In this fair land of ours there’s loads of kinky characters who just like sitting and gazing at a chick’s tits for a couple of quid. Please don’t ask me why.’
    ‘And that’s quite legal?’
    ‘More or less, it is.’
    ‘But some of them are prostitutes?’
    ‘Of course. Nothing illegal about that, either. Under the new act they mustn’t solicit in the streets, and if there’s more than one of them it’s a brothel. Otherwise … it’s just a business: and believe me, half the time we’re called in to protect them .’
    ‘From the ponces?’
    ‘Not usually … In the first place, a ponce with any sense won’t live with his girl: they’ve two addresses, like any other business couple. And in the second – well frankly, most of the stories you hear about brutal bullies putting innocent teenagers on the streets are crap.’
    ‘But that does happen?’
    ‘Oh, yes. With young, or mental, or maybe masochistic girls. Most of the girls are tough and quite intelligent, though. They have to be. And girls of that type simply wouldn’t wear it.’
    ‘But the men do thump them …’
    ‘Oh, frequently! But that’s part of the kick: it’s all for love!’
    The star sleuth took Edward’s arm and said, ‘As we pass again, just take a look at the bottom left-hand corner one.’
    Ted did, and he read:
    BETTINA
Is a Continental girl
and very serious. All
poses by appointment.
VEN 5121.
    Further along, the star sleuth said to Edward, ‘Well?’
    ‘I’d say she’s one.’
    ‘Of course! But what sort of one?’
    ‘Go on … Don’t tease me, I’m very willing to learn …’
    ‘Well. “Continental” doesn’t mean she is, but what she’ll do . “All poses” rams the point home and “by appointment” says you can tell her what, over the blower, to see if your kinks match up. “Very serious”, of course, suggests the sexual slant in this particular case. New Olympia typewriter with a clean ribbon, so she’s possibly expensive.’
    ‘In this area?’
    ‘Why not? Where whores are concerned there is no fashionable section if she’s good – I mean for where her gaff actually is. Anyway, kinky clients like a slum, and respectable gents prefer an area where they’ll not be known.’
    ‘The notice cost her much?’
    ‘Pound a week, unless the tobacconist’s an imbecile. For honest landladies, only 2s 6d or something similar.’
    ‘But, tell me. Doesn’t advertising like that put us on to her?’
    ‘Why not? It’s legal: and even if not, it’d take every cop in London to trace all the notices on boards … Besides:put yourself in the poor girl’s place. The new laws make it difficult for them on the streets: so how do they contact their clients – tell me that, please?’
    ‘No, you go on …’
    ‘Well: best is, take a chance and go on the streets three months or so, and build up a clientele.’
    ‘And give them the phone number.’
    ‘Clever boy – exactly. Then, as we know, there’s the notice-board technique. Another one: a good contact in the drinking-clubs or all-night garages: barman, doorman, owner, anybody.’
    ‘These pimps take a cut?’
    ‘Don’t waste my time! Then there’s the escort-businesses – know about them? No? All right: you’re a wool-grower from New Zealand, shall we say. You want to meet a nice friendly young lady for a sociable evening out. You’re with me?’
    ‘That’s legal too?’
    ‘Who for,