Back in the Game

by Caz Finlay

  Marcus didn’t respond. Probably because he knew she was right.

  Chapter 3

  The tyres of Grace’s car crunched on the gravel as she pulled into the driveway of the expensive detached house. She’d settled Belle into her new room and left Marcus babysitting and deciding which bedroom to stake his claim on. It was after midnight and the streets of Mossley Hill were deserted. Only a few amber streetlights buzzed and flickered overhead. Walking up the ornate stone steps, she knocked on the large wooden door and, a few moments later, listened to the sound of the heavy bolts being drawn back. Then the door opened barely an inch and a beady blue eye peered through the crack above the safety chain.

  ‘Jesus Christ, Ivan,’ Grace said with a laugh. ‘You know it’s me. I just bloody phoned you. Is there any need for the Fort Knox level security? Now let me in, it’s frigging freezing out here.’

  The door opened to reveal Ivan Golding’s smiling face. ‘You can never be too careful, Grace,’ he said. ‘You of all people should know that.’

  ‘Who on earth would try and take you on, you daft old sod?’ She grinned as she stepped inside his lavish hallway and pulled him into a hug.

  Ivan Golding had been Grace’s accountant for years and was one of the few people she considered a good friend. She’d kept in limited phone contact with him since she’d left Liverpool, but seeing his round, pleasant face, his grey hair perched jauntily on top, she realised just how much she’d missed him.

  ‘It’s so good to see you, Grace,’ he said. ‘It’s been too long.’

  ‘You too, Ivan.’ She smiled at him as she took a step back. ‘Now how about a cuppa and you can fill me in on all that’s been going on since I left?’

  ‘It’ll take more than a cuppa, love,’ he said with a flash of his eyebrows. ‘It’ll take a whole bleeding urn!’

  Grace followed him down his thickly carpeted hallway into his kitchen. Ivan always did have a flair for drama, but he was a shrewd businessman who had his ear to the ground and knew the ins and outs of almost everyone’s business in Liverpool. And if he didn’t know, he had the means to find out. As soon as she’d recovered her senses after her phone call from Sol, Grace had phoned him and asked him to start making some enquiries. She was sure, if anyone could fill her in on what had been going on with Jake, then Ivan could.

  ***

  Sipping her fourth mug of tea since her arrival in Liverpool a few hours earlier, Grace listened as Ivan started to fill her in on some of the comings and goings of the Liverpool underworld over the last eighteen months.

  ‘So Michael’s not running my old operations anymore then?’ Grace asked.

  Ivan shook his head. ‘Doesn’t have that much to do with the drugs scene now.’

  ‘But why?’ Grace didn’t understand it. She had left a well-oiled machine in Michael Carter’s very capable hands. He’d been onto a great earner. Why would he give it all up?

  Ivan took a sip of his tea. ‘He’s branched out into security instead. Him and his two lads. They seem to be doing well for themselves too. Doing the doors for most of Liverpool now.’

  ‘But still …’

  ‘You know Michael, Grace. He’s all muscle and aggro.’

  ‘But he’s not stupid. I’d never have left him in charge if he was.’

  ‘No.’ Ivan shook his head. ‘I never said he was stupid, but he’s just not cut out for running the show. He prefers being in the thick of it, doesn’t he? He can do that with the security.’

  ‘I suppose so. So, who is running my old operations?’ she asked.

  ‘Some newcomer called Bobby White has taken over part of it. The rest, well …’

  ‘Jake.’ Grace sighed. ‘So, Michael let Jake take over my old business? My son? The fucking bastard. He knew how I felt about Jake getting caught up in all that.’ Grace shook her head. She could happily wring Michael Carter’s neck for allowing her son to get sucked into the world she had fought so hard to keep him away from. Despite everything that had happened between them, she had trusted Michael to have her back. More fool her.

  Ivan shook his head frantically. ‘No, no. That’s not how it happened. Michael walked away, and it left a vacuum. You know how it works. And Jake had the means to step into it, at least a part of it anyway.’

  ‘But how? He’s a kid, for God’s sake!’ Grace felt her pulse starting to race. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. The thought of Jake in trouble – and not just any kind of trouble, but the type that could put him in serious danger – made her want to throw up. She could hardly think straight for the thoughts racing around her head.

  ‘He’s also your son, Grace. And Nathan’s,’ Ivan said, snapping her back to the present. ‘His name alone ensured there was a place at the table if he wanted it. And he didn’t just inherit Nathan’s club, he inherited his workforce too. You know as well as I do that most of those lunatics couldn’t wait to get back into the game.’

  ‘Jesus Christ.’ Grace put her head in her hands. ‘I threw him to the lions, didn’t I? He’s not even twenty-one yet and I let him come back here on his own.’

  Ivan placed his hand on hers. ‘Don’t say that, Grace. You have your own life to lead. He didn’t have to get involved. He wanted to.’

  ‘But now he’s in some sort of trouble?’ Grace asked.

  ‘From what I could gather, someone is sabotaging his shipments and trying to muscle him out of the game altogether. He was supplying to some people in Manchester – I assume some of Sol’s men – but that deal went south when the police raided a warehouse he was using. It seems the plod had a tip-off, but thankfully there was nothing to link the drugs to Jake or any of his firm. But instead of keeping his head down, Jake seems to be doing the opposite. He’s declared war on anyone who wants to cross him. And he’s not shy about sending a message either,’ Ivan sucked air through his teeth and shook his head disapprovingly. ‘I think he takes after his father in that respect.’

  ‘The stupid little bastard,’ Grace snapped. ‘After everything I did to keep him away from that life.’

  ‘What will you do now?’ Ivan asked.

  ‘I’m not sure yet. But I can’t go in there all guns blazing or he’ll just shut me out. As much as I love him, he’s developed an ego like his father too. He won’t admit he’s in any trouble, and even if he did, he wouldn’t want his mum stepping in to help him out.’

  It seems you’re in a pickle then,’ Ivan said as he sat back in his chair.

  ‘A pickle? I’m in the eye of a fucking shitstorm, Ivan.’

  Grace closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of Ivan’s leather sofa. She was so bloody tired. Her head was pounding and her limbs ached. She’d been back in Liverpool for less than five hours and already she felt like she was being sucked back into the darkness she’d tried so hard to escape. And if that wasn’t enough to contend with, she had to walk around wondering when her cover would be blown and her dirty laundry would be out in the open for all the world to see.

  She knew it was only a matter of time.

  Chapter 4

  Liam McGuinness crossed the tarmac and ducked behind a shipping container, sticking to the shadows in case one of the security cameras picked him up. If they did, they’d see a man of average build wearing a dark hoodie, which could fit the description of half the people in Liverpool. He waited in the darkness until he saw the unmistakeable form of Nudge Richards walking out of the security office towards him.

  ‘You been waiting long?’ Nudge asked as he approached.

  Liam shook his head. ‘Only a few minutes.’

  ‘Had to square things with my buddies in there first,’ Nudge said. ‘They’ll leave us in peace.’

  ‘Great,’ Liam said.

  ‘So what have you got for me?’ Nudge asked, indicating the container Liam was standing in front of.

  ‘Fifty kilos of coke. Six Baikals and two machine guns.’

  Nudge gave a low whistle. ‘Heavy-duty stuff. That’s not so easy to shift, l
ad. If you give me some time, I can get you top whack for them, otherwise you’ll have to take what I can find. And my cut will be the same, regardless of how much you get.’

  ‘I understand that. But like I said, I need them gone fast.’

  ‘Which nutter did you nick ’em off then?’ Nudge said with a grin.

  ‘None of your fucking business,’ Liam growled. ‘Not backing out, are you?’

  Nudge shook his head and laughed. ‘Nope. Let’s get this moved before your boss finds out, eh?’

  Liam frowned. Did Nudge know more than he was letting on? ‘I can count on you keeping your mouth shut, can’t I, Nudge?’

  Nudge, whose demeanour up until that point had been friendly, squared up to Liam. Having almost a foot on him, Nudge had to bend his head to bring his face close to the younger man’s. ‘Don’t you fucking question my integrity, you little shit,’ Nudge spat. ‘I’ve been doing this job longer than you’ve been alive, and if I was a betting man, which I am, I’d put my life’s earnings on the fact I’ll still be doing it when you’re six feet under.’

  Liam nodded and took a step back. ‘Just making sure we’re on the same page.’

  Satisfied with his response, Nudge backed off. ‘Let’s get this loaded into my van then,’ he said.

  ‘Anything you say,’ Liam replied, now desperate to get out of the dockyard and away from the stolen merchandise. He was going to end up selling it for a fraction of its worth, he knew that, but it wasn’t about the money; it was about his boss finally doing something about Jake fucking Conlon. Liam just wanted the stuff gone as quickly as possible, before his boss got even the slightest sniff of what had really happened to his lost shipment. Nudge Richards was the best fence in Liverpool. He could get anything for anyone, and get rid of anything too. Because of that, he was untouchable. There were few people who hadn’t had cause to use Nudge’s services at one time or another. Not that Nudge would admit that. He was the embodiment of discretion, and that was why he was so bloody good at his job.

  ***

  Nudge Richards drove his old transit van through the quiet streets of Liverpool with his newly acquired stash safely tucked away in the false bottom in the back, should he be stopped for any reason. He had to get rid of it as soon as. That shit was so hot it might burn a hole through the floor if he didn’t move it soon. He knew Liam had nicked it off his own boss, but he had no idea why. It wasn’t like he was going to make a life-changing sum of money from it. Nudge had made it clear that moving merchandise like that in a matter of days limited his buying pool and he’d have to sell it at rock-bottom prices. But Nudge didn’t care. He didn’t ask questions. What was it to him if these gangsters insisted on ripping each other off? What he did know was that Liam’s boss was a vicious fucker, and if he ever found out, the lad would wish he’d never been born.

  Nudge shook his head. He sometimes wondered why he still did this shit. He was getting on for sixty. He should be thinking about retiring. If only he could stop gambling his money away at the bookies, or paying for women, he might have built himself a little nest egg. Instead he was facing a few more years being the go-between of every gangster in Merseyside, and sometimes beyond. He had no affiliation or loyalty to any of them. It was his number one rule and one which had kept him alive and in business for this long. Well, all except for Grace Sumner – but she was different. She wasn’t like those narcissistic egomaniacs, running around waving their dicks at each other to see whose was the biggest. She was a businesswoman, pure and simple. She was a stunner too. Besides, he owed Grace. Years earlier she had saved him from losing absolutely everything and he had never forgotten it.

  As he turned the corner into his scrapyard, Nudge was already lining up potential buyers in his head. He had some contacts in Cheshire who would bite his hand off for some cheap, clean guns, and there was a bloke in Fazakerley trying to make a name for himself who’d take the coke and wouldn’t care where it came from. He’d have it all moved within two days and earn a decent wedge in the process.

  Chapter 5

  Pushing open the double glass doors of The Blue Rooms, Grace suppressed a shudder. The last time she’d been in this place had been to see her ex-husband, Nathan. It had changed a lot since then. Jake had spruced the place up, with new tiled floors and a professional paint job. Taking advantage of the regeneration of the Dock Road area, The Blue Rooms was no longer a seedy lap-dancing club but an up-and-coming nightclub which booked some of the best DJs in the country. Despite all that, the place still felt the same in so many ways. The smell. The neon lighting. The way Grace’s skin prickled as soon as she walked through the doors.

  Grace’s heels clicked along the tiled floor as she made her way through to the manager’s office – now Jake’s office. She wondered if he had any idea of the things that had happened in there. The great Tommy McNulty had been murdered in that very room. She shivered at the thought of her last few visits there, when Nathan had pawed at her clothes and she’d had to allow him to touch her, to kiss her. She shook her head in annoyance. Nathan was gone. He’d been dead for eighteen months. Six feet under with a hole in his chest. When would she stop allowing him to have a hold over her?

  The office door was open and Grace could see Jake as she approached, talking to someone on the phone. No doubt one of his employees, judging by the tone of his voice.

  ‘Just fucking sort it, Vinnie,’ he snapped before ending the call.

  God, he looked so much like his father it made her stomach churn.

  ‘Mum,’ he said as he looked up, unable to hide the shock on his face. Then, remembering his manners, he stood up and walked towards her, pulling her into a warm hug. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘I missed you. Thought I’d pay you a visit. I’m getting bored in that big old house in the middle of nowhere.’

  ‘Really? I thought you loved that place?’ He raised an eyebrow at her.

  ‘I do. But it can get a bit boring when the only company you have is an eight-month-old baby whose solitary word is bloody Dada.’ She laughed.

  Stepping back, Jake eyed her suspiciously. ‘Why the sudden visit though? I only spoke to you yesterday and you never mentioned you were coming.’

  ‘It was a last-minute decision. I wanted to surprise you. Now, aren’t you going to offer your old mum a drink?’

  Jake laughed. ‘Sorry, Mum. Remy do you?’ he asked as he took the bottle from the cabinet near his desk.

  Grace watched him pour them both a generous measure of brandy. At least he didn’t drink whisky like his father. Just the smell of that still made her nauseous.

  ‘So are you down for a few days, Mum? And where’s Belle? I can’t wait to see her. Do you need me to get Siobhan to sort out the spare room for you both?’

  Grace sat in the chair opposite Jake’s desk, thankful that he’d changed the furniture in here too, and sipped her drink. Her boy was a bit wet behind the ears but he wasn’t stupid; she had to think of a convincing reason for being there. ‘I’ll be staying at the house. I’m planning on sticking around for a few months,’ she said casually. ‘I’m thinking of getting back into the restaurant business so I’m looking for the right premises. Ivan’s going to help me. You remember him, don’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, but I thought you were done with the restaurants too?’ he said as he sat down, unbuttoning his jacket as he did so, another habit he’d inherited from his father.

  ‘I thought I was, but like I said, I was getting bored,’ she lied. ‘I need something to keep me busy, Jake. I always enjoyed the planning and the bustle of setting up a business. So, I’m hoping to get one up and running, and then I’ll go back to my quiet little life in Harewood. Until I get restless again, anyway.’

  ‘What about the horses and chickens?’

  ‘Those two girls from the village, Lol and Beth, are going to look after them for me.’

  Jake rolled his eyes. Lol and Beth were two sixteen-year-old girls who loved horses and were always happy to help Grace mucki
ng out her stables in exchange for some riding time. However, whenever Jake visited, they found as many excuses as possible to call at the house. Then they spent most of their time following him around, giggling and bombarding him with questions. Jake’s girlfriend, Siobhan, found it all amusing, but it annoyed Jake no end.

  ‘Oh, right,’ he said as he continued to eye her suspiciously.

  She wondered if he believed her. It was a plausible lie. At least she thought so. Why wouldn’t someone like Grace, who had always been in the thick of it, not get fed up living in the arse end of nowhere? But now came the more difficult part. Convincing him that he needed her in his club. ‘But that won’t keep me too busy, so I was hoping you might have a use here for me?’ She smiled at him.

  ‘Me? Why?’ Jake snapped, and then, remembering who he was talking to, said more softly, ‘Why would you want to work here, Mum? You hate the place.’

  She shook her head. ‘I used to hate the place, when it was your father’s. But now that it’s yours, well, I’d love to help you make a success of it. I did run a pub for twenty years, in case you’ve forgotten about that?’

  ‘I know. It’s just … I’m not sure what you’d do, to be honest.’

  ‘Well, how about the books? Knowing you, they’re probably your least favourite job, and I bet they’re nowhere near up to date,’ she said.

  The way Jake averted her gaze and fiddled with his collar confirmed her suspicions. ‘I know you’re busy with other stuff,’ she said pointedly. ‘Let me sort out the books and some of the admin in this place for you. Leave you more time to focus on your other, more pressing, business?’

  ‘I don’t know, Mum.’

  ‘Look, Jake. Have I taught you nothing? I know you’ve taken on more of your dad’s businesses than just this club. If you’re involved in anything like he was, like I was, then one of the most important things you need to do is to keep your legitimate front appearing legitimate. Even your dad knew that. He kept dodgy books, but he kept books.’