Reckoning (7 page)

“Aaron cried because a Llama spat at him,” grinned Leah.

“Made a right mess of his hair it did,” said Rick. “I tried to get the worst out but some of it’s stuck in,” he said, indicating the mess of mucous and straw attached to the top of the boy’s head.

“Your llamas are a disgrace,” Ryan told Thane.

“Hey, llama’s spit. I can’t control that,” he retorted. “How about a nice whisky?”

“He’s too young,” sniffed Ryan, pointing at Aaron.

“I was referring to Gill and Rick.”

“Ooh, lovely,” grinned Gill. “We’re having a great time, aren’t we Rick? You’re so lucky to live here,” she told Thane.

“I think that every day,” he smiled back.

“Thane, can I have another cocktail please?” asked Leah.

“Course you can.” He did a double-take at Ryan’s thunderous look. “It’s just cordial with a parasol stuck in it,” he told him quietly.

“That’s alright then,” he said, giving him a warning look.

“So, how was your morning?” Gill asked them, settling herself onto a bar stool with her whisky, cheeks pink.

“Thane gave us a tour of the estate and showed us how the new projects are coming on. That was it.” Rachel hated lying to her parents but sometimes it was just easier.

CHAPTER 7

Jez and Mikey frowned when Jules entered the latter’s office at the compound, looking edgy.

“What’s going on out there?” she demanded, jerking a hand at the window. “It’s full of hairy-arsed builders scratching their hairy backsides and drinking tea.”

“We’re having some remodelling done,” replied Mikey.

“What sort of remodelling?”

“Just some alterations to tighten security.”

“You took my advice,” she smiled, pleased.

“Her advice?” said Jez, addressing Mikey. “I thought it was your idea to make alterations to the compound?”

“It was, she just inspired me.”

“Hmm,” frowned Jez. “Anyway, it’s your compound, your decision.” He looked to Jules, who couldn’t keep still, stuffing her hands into her jean’s pockets before removing them and running them through her hair before stuffing them back into her pockets. “What’s up with you?”

“I’ve just been to see Alice,” she replied.

“Alice?” said Jez, puzzled.

“Alice her mum,” said Mikey as though he were simple. “Adopted mum anyway.”

“I visit twice a month to see how she’s getting on and to make sure she’s still keeping her mouth shut,” muttered Jules, throwing herself into a chair, folding her arms across her chest and frowning at her boots.

Mikey and Jez glanced at each other before Mikey said, “how did it go?”

“As well as it can when you’re talking to someone who resembles a rice krispie.”

Both men winced. Jules had set her adopted mother on fire in order to escape the horrible life of abuse she’d been subjected to and Alice had suffered burns so bad that she had to be looked after in a care home.

“She keeps asking about Leighton.” Jules’s eyes flicked to Mikey who suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Does she know?” he said.

“Do you think I’m daft? Course not. She thinks he did a runner to save his own skin and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”

“It better.”

“Please credit me with some common sense. Did Dane contact you?”

“No, he contacted Jez and he told me. Does Dane have a problem with me?”

“He’s just afraid you’re going to kill him,” she said dismissively.

“Why?” he said, surprised.

“Because he kept his relationship with me from you, that’s if you class frantic fucking as a relationship.”

Mikey swallowed hard at the images that comment stirred in his head. “I thought you were going to try and speak more politely at work.”

“Sorry, I thought we were just chatting. Do you want to kill Dane?”

“No,” he exclaimed. “He’s a good business partner, we make each other a lot of cash. His past with you is not my business,” he said before hastily turning his attention to some papers on his desk.

Jules smiled at the top of his bowed head, amused, while Jez looked from one to the other with a frown. One day he’d work out what the hell their relationship was.

“How did you deal with the attack on his business?” Jules asked.

“By doing nothing,” replied Jez. “He handled it pretty well on his own.”

“This was an attack on us too.”

“It was just a group of junkies chancing their arm,” said Jez.

“I bet Jared Slattery’s behind it.”

“It’s possible, but what can he do all the way up here?”

“Take my advice and don’t take any chances. You don’t want to embarrass yourselves by not looking into it properly and letting a bunch of no-necks get the better of you.”

“Yes, thank you Jules for telling us our business but we have already thought of that,” said Jez. “We’ve got Grant and Mark still looking for Bobby Nilsen.”

“They’re both really good at what they do but at times like this I wish Battler and Bruiser still worked for us,” said Mikey. “There was no one like them for battering in someone’s door and scaring the living shit out of them.”

“I wouldn’t mind that pair bursting in on me in the shower,” grinned Jules. “Sorry,” she added when they both looked at her disapprovingly.

“Anyway,” continued Jez. “Hopefully they’ll find him and neutralise him.”

“Neutralise him?” said Jules. “I didn’t have you down as the type to use euphemisms.”

“I’m trying to be subtle. You should try it sometime.”

Jules just smiled at him and pulled the pack of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket. When Mikey opened his mouth to yell at her she stuffed them back in.

“You should really quit,” said Jez.

“I enjoy it. Do I tell you not to keep impregnating Cathy?”

“Ha fucking ha,” he frowned. He glanced at Mikey, who had drifted off into his own world. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I was just wondering, how did it feel seeing Alice again?” he asked Jules. “Does it do you some good or is it a torment?”

“What sort of weird question is that?” said Jez.

“Just curious.”

Jules however understood his reason for asking. “Well, it used to be hard work. I was so scared she was going to tell someone about how the fire really started but as time went on I realised she was the scared one. Now it’s not a problem, although she isn’t pleasant to look at. Why?”

“Just wondering. That must be Grant and Mark,” he added when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

The two men entered, looking sheepish.

“Well?” said Jez.

“Sorry Boss,” said Grant. “We can’t find Nilsen anywhere and everyone’s denying all knowledge. The Starklaws have vanished too.”

“They’ll be holed up together, like a bunch of sewer rats,” hissed Jules.

“This is far more than someone taking pot shots at us, it’s a fucking plot,” exclaimed Jez.

“You’re probably right,” said Jules. “A power grab - Nilsen and the Starklaws working together with Jared Slattery. They’re going to keep hitting us then hiding in the shadows.”

“So how do we find them?” said Mikey.

“We could grab someone they care about and use them to draw them out of hiding,” offered Grant.

“Nilsen and the Starklaws don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves,” said Jez.

“The Starklaws’ crew are notoriously gobby,” said Jules. “We could track one of them down and make them tell us where they’re hiding.”

“If we can find them,” said Mikey.

“There’s always the planks Dane put in hospital who turned over his business. They must have contacted the Starklaws somehow,” said Jules.

“Good thinking,” said Mikey. “All three are still in hospital. Grant, Mark, get down there and make them talk.”

They both nodded and left.

“Let’s hope they can tell us something,” said Jez.

“I don’t know,” said Mikey. “The Starklaws are fucking dingbats but Nilsen’s smart, he wouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake as to give that bunch of crack heads information that could lead us right to them.”

“Let’s hope he had an off day,” said Jez. “I’ve got the feeling we’ve got a few of those coming.”

That feeling only increased when Mikey’s phone rang. He answered and his shoulders slumped. “Okay, yep, we’ll be right there.” He hung up, tossed the phone onto his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Has another business been hit?” said Jez.

“No. That was Toni Mcvay. She’s here.”

“In Manchester?”

He nodded. “And she wants us to meet her at The Wherry Tavern.”

“Then we’d better not keep her waiting,” said Jez, getting to his feet.

“Want me to come?” offered Jules. “You might need back-up.”

“Yeah, you can come along,” replied Mikey.

“I’ve never met her before. What’s she like?”

“You’re in for a treat,” he said doubtfully.

“Is she like her brother?”

“Did you ever meet him?”

“No but I would have liked to.”

“You would have got on well. Toni’s not as openly psychotic as Frankie but at least he had a sense of humour. Toni doesn’t. I want you there. She likes the ladies so you can work your usual magic.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said cockily.

“You took your time,” were Toni’s first words. Mikey had called ahead and instructed the intimidated pub manager to settle her in the office with a drink. He noticed she’d opted for champagne, gracefully sipping from a long-stemmed glass, the bottle beside her on the desk. She was a very attractive woman with long black curly hair, the clingy dress she wore revealing a lot of bosom, as usual.

Mikey had never seen the man standing by her side before. He appeared to be in his early fifties in a sharp grey suit, ear length black hair streaked with grey, matching black and grey goatee and a scarred face, as though someone had put a knife in his mouth then pushed upwards, making him look as though he was perpetually smiling, even though his eyes were hard.

“We came straight away,” replied Mikey. It had been agreed that he would do most of the talking as Toni’s deal had actually been made with the Maguires, not the Laws, even though Jez helped run their drug distribution operation. “Who’s this?” he said, nodding at the scarred man.

“This is Caesar, my personal bodyguard,” said Toni, smiling up at her associate.

“Caesar?” said Jez.

The man’s mouth pinched into a line, highlighting the scars. “Yeah, Caesar. You got a fucking problem with that?” he barked in a hoarse Glaswegian accent.

“Me? No. The missus is expecting and we’re looking for names. I like it.”

Jez spoke with a hint of derision but not enough for Caesar to call him out about it so he went silent, glaring at Jez, who did his best to keep a straight face.

Toni patted her associate’s chest. “Caesar gives me what no other man can.”

Mikey decided it would be best not to comment on that statement. “And Uncle Tam?”

“Overseeing things in Glasgow while I’m here.” Her black eyes, almost as black as Rachel’s, fixed on Jules. “Who’s she?”

“This is Jules, my cousin and Jez’s sister.”

“Oh yes, the infamous Venom,” she said dismissively. “I don’t like discussing business in front of strangers.”

“Jules is part of our inner circle now,” said Mikey. “She’s in on everything so we thought it was time for you to meet her.”

“In that case she can stay,” she said haughtily, placing the champagne glass on the desk. “I’ve been dragged down here by some very worrying stories. I hear some wee shites are running rings around you and you’re doing nothing about it.”

“That’s not true Toni,” said Mikey.

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“No, what I mean is we are doing something. Dane Black, an associate of ours, was hit but he took care of the rag-tag crew who did it and put them all in hospital.”

Toni’s smile was cold. “Maybe you didn’t hear me properly? I couldn’t care less what your associates are doing. I want to know what
you’re
doing about it,” she said, pointing from Mikey to Jez.

“We have been hit a couple of times but it’s just petty stuff and we’re looking for who did it.”

“Looking? You mean you haven’t found them yet?”

“We will.”

Toni released a bark of husky laughter. “This is what happens when children play at being grown-up. When my family made this deal with yours Danny and Rachel were in charge, who would never have allowed things to get this far. They would have had the culprits strung up from the nearest lamppost by their balls. If our business arrangement didn’t run so smoothly I’d end our partnership this second.”

“There’s no need for that Toni,” said Mikey. “We’ve got everything under control.”

“I’m not so sure.” She glared at Mikey before looking to Jules. “You look like a grown-up. How old are you?”

“Thirty six,” she replied.

“You seem like a smart woman. Tell me, what’s going on?”

Jules glanced at Mikey, who nodded resignedly. “Jared Slattery from Essex has been stirring shit up,” she said. “He’s got Bobby Nilsen and the Starklaws, who are some local fucking ponces, to have a go at our businesses. With Slattery’s back-up they think they’re invincible but they’re nothing, annoying fucking flies buzzing around our heads. We’ll pull their wings off and step on them.”

“I like your style Jules. Maybe you should be running things instead?

“Mikey and Jez are doing an excellent job,” continued Jules. “They rule this city and they do it very well. Yes, they’re young but what they’ve achieved at their age is remarkable and everyone respects them for it. You’ve got the best business partners already. If I were you I wouldn’t go trying to change that.”

This time Toni’s smile was genuine. “Congratulations Boys, your cousin’s persuaded me to give you a second chance. Such loyalty shows inspired leadership and the fact that you’ve managed to tame the notorious Venom is a feat in itself.”

“I’ve not been completely tamed,” said Jules with a flirty smile.

“Don’t bother sweetheart,” she replied. “I like my women a lot classier than you.”