The New Friend

by Alex Kane

  Eddie swallowed hard as he watched Cole drink more and more whisky and set up a few lines before snorting them quickly. It was loosening his tongue and Eddie had so many questions he wanted to ask but couldn’t risk raising Cole’s suspicions. He was easing into a comfort zone with Cole, who was beginning to trust that he could talk around Eddie.

  As Cole sat back, Eddie filled up their glasses, but decided to stick to the one beer he had been nursing since his arrival. He needed as clear a head as possible to deal with this.

  ‘You know, Ed…’ Cole slurred slightly, cleared his throat and shifted position on the sofa. ‘I’ve been in this business a long time. You know, drugs, stolen goods. That kind of thing. It never gets boring. You’ll come to learn that with each job, there’s a new excitement. My brother always used to say…’ He paused, took another gulp from his glass, ‘… that if you want to live a luxurious life, then you have to take risks. Do things that take you right out of your comfort zone.’

  Eddie watched as Cole moved his hand in a swift motion through the air as he spoke and noted how his expression, albeit pissed, was sad. It was the first time he’d seen any real emotion from the man.

  ‘Your brother?’ Eddie pressed.

  ‘Aye. Had a brother. He was five years older than me. Fucked off on a working holiday and I never saw him again. He told me he’d come back and get me when I was older, take me away to sunnier climates. But he never did.’ Cole clicked his fingers. ‘Just disappeared like that, not a word from him. Said bye to him at the front door when he left for the airport and I never saw or heard from him again.’

  The sadness in Cole’s eyes hardened then and Eddie wasn’t surprised that the emotion didn’t last long.

  ‘What happened to him? Did he just go off and start a new life?’

  Cole shrugged. ‘Nah mate, he’s dead for sure. He’d never have abandoned me like that. Someone took him from me. And it won’t have been an accident either. You die in accidental circumstances or with natural causes and your body shows up sooner or later. My brother’s been missing for two fucking decades. You don’t just disappear into the black hole unless someone puts you there.’

  Eddie nodded, he agreed with that. Accidental deaths were just that, accidental. Hit by a bus, fall off a ladder, heart attack, someone finds you.

  ‘So, you think someone killed your brother? Where? Why?’

  ‘I don’t fucking know, Ed. But I’ll tell you this, I am on the verge of finding out. The money from this job, I’ll be putting it to a private investigator. I’ve already spoken to him and he thinks there might be something to work with.’

  Eddie nodded again, wondering how he would feel if someone in his family went missing without a trace, with no answers after all this time. When Arabella was in prison, he’d felt like he was going insane, so much so that he’d ended up having an affair with Scarlett which was one of the biggest mistakes he’d ever made. He didn’t want to think about it, or what he’d done to her.

  He turned his attention back to Cole, who had sat forward and already poured another whisky. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin flushed.

  ‘You think this guy will find out what happened to him?’

  ‘Should bloody think so, I’ll be paying him enough. I’ve got plenty pictures of him and I’ve dug out the information of where he was going. I don’t even know if he made it to his destination. He could be lying dead somewhere back home for all I know.’

  Cole reached for his phone and tapped on the screen, turned it around and offered it across the table to Eddie. He took it in his hand and stared down at the screen.

  ‘That’s him. It’s the most recent picture I have of him, taken just a week before he left.’

  Eddie was shocked to see how much Cole looked like his brother and realised that it was the same image on the screen saver.

  ‘What’s his name?’ Eddie said, careful not to refer to him in the past tense in case it upset Cole. Or angered him.

  ‘Brian. He was in the building trade, just done his apprenticeship. Was going to take me out on site when he got back, get me off the streets and away from the gangs. Mum told him to do it but to be honest, I idolised my brother, so I’d have gone with him anyway.’

  Eddie wondered if Cole would be the way he was today if his brother hadn’t gone missing. The hardened exterior, the fact that he was blackmailing Jake, was it all just Cole’s way of coping with not knowing what had happened to the only person he’d had to look up to when he was a teenager?

  ‘Anyway,’ Cole got up. ‘That whisky’s gone straight through me.’

  He headed out of the room and Eddie heard the bathroom door close. He quickly pulled his own phone out, took a picture of the screen and set Cole’s phone back down on the table.

  It didn’t matter that the story of Brian Woods meant nothing to Eddie, or the case he was informing on. It was a starting point of trust and in order to get his own job done, Eddie absolutely needed Cole’s trust. And he’d been told that any information he had was to go straight to Billy. Anything at all.

  Turning to face the hall, Eddie wondered what would happen when Billy and his team came knocking. Would Cole know who had grassed him up to the police? It could be anyone really, punters, an ex-girlfriend, maybe even Jake. There was bad blood between them, so maybe Cole would think it was a possibility.

  Getting to his feet, he peered out of the window and down to the main road and that was when he saw the CCTV camera sitting in the corner, pointed out towards the street. His stomach flipped. If Cole had CCTV, then he would be able to anticipate an incoming raid.

  ‘Looking for someone?’ Cole said, his sudden presence in the room startling Eddie.

  ‘Nah,’ Eddie replied, playing it cool. ‘But if I was, I’m sure your CCTV would tell me they were here before they knocked on the door.’

  ‘Ha,’ Cole said, sitting down on the sofa and lighting a cigarette. ‘It’s a good kit, that is. Cost me enough. It’s to keep an eye out for punters, some of my dealers and that. Also good if the cops come knocking, you know?’

  Eddie nodded. Yes, he thought, he did know. If the cops did come knocking, Eddie would have to put his acting skills to the test.

  ‘We’ll need to get the CCTV in the salon linked up to this kit, right enough. Need to be able to warn Roxanne of any trouble coming her way.’

  Eddie stopped, turned and stared at Cole. ‘What are you on about?’

  ‘The salon. Roxanne’s using it as a second hub for the girls she’s got operating out of it. You know, the pregnancy suits?’

  Cole looked on expectantly at Eddie, as if he should know what he was on about. Again, Eddie had to put on an act.

  ‘Oh aye,’ he said. ‘Good idea. You don’t want anyone getting caught out, might lead them back to this place, you know?’

  Cole nodded and picked up his phone again, stared down at the screen and seemed to gaze off into a far-off memory, leaving Eddie to wonder what in the fuck Arabella had agreed to.

  Eddie finished off the beer and placed the bottle down on the table. ‘Look mate, sorry about this but I’ve had a text from Arabella, she’s not feeling well. I’ll need to get back and see how she’s doing.’

  ‘Ah, women. They’re always dragging us back to the nest.’

  Eddie smiled. ‘Yeah.’

  Whatever the fuck Arabella was doing, Eddie was going to get to the bottom of it.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Arabella said as she opened the door to Roxanne.

  She’d arrived home just a few hours ago, having discovered that Scarlett was dead and was still none the wiser as to how it had happened. It looked suspicious, based on the news report and the police presence. Surely the police would want to talk to Arabella, being her boss. Roxanne turning up now was something she didn’t want to deal with.

  ‘Charming,’ Roxanne replied, pushing past her and entering the flat without being welcomed. ‘I just thought I’d check in, see how you’re d
oing after today?’

  Arabella closed the door behind her former friend and sighed. All she wanted was for Eddie to come home. She needed him around and he seemed to be here less and less.

  ‘I’ve had a really shitty day, on top of what you’ve brought into the salon. So, if you don’t mind—’

  ‘No, I don’t mind at all. Actually, the salon seems to be the best place for my little money-maker. No one suspects and no one will because you’re going to be a good little friend and keep your mouth shut.’ She jabbed a finger at Arabella, poking her in the chest.

  Arabella hesitated but kept her eyes on the bitch standing in front of her. ‘Right now, I couldn’t give a fuck what you say to me, Roxanne. You’re just out of prison after a ten-year stretch. One sniff of trouble from you and the polis would have you back inside before they could slap the cuffs on you.’

  Roxanne laughed loudly and towered over Arabella. It was obvious she was trying to intimidate her, yet somehow Arabella didn’t feel like backing down, even though deep down she knew that Roxanne could knock her out with one punch. Arabella knew that the right thing to do would be to turn herself in, because no matter what, she’d killed someone. But she wasn’t going to say that to Roxanne.

  ‘Is that right? Well just you remember hen, I’ve got dirt on you. You just remember that one word from me and it’ll be you straight back at Kirktonhill. You’d get a lot more than ten months for what you did, and this time you won’t have me to walk you through it.’

  Arabella shook her head. ‘Just do one, Rox. I’m not in the mood for your shit.’

  Roxanne stood firm, unmoving. Arabella could tell that she wanted confirmation that she wouldn’t talk about her little drug venture.

  Arabella eyed the open front door and moved towards it, holding the handle firmly in her grasp. ‘Just get out, Roxanne.’

  Roxanne turned, her brow furrowed and Arabella sighed, ready to tell her again to get the hell out. But then Roxanne said something that made Arabella’s stomach lurch, her skin chill.

  ‘Your Eddie’s in a bit of shit. Saw him leaving that Scarlett’s flat earlier. He was raging from what I could see. Then the police are crawling her street. Did you know she was found dead in her flat today?’

  The nausea clawed at her throat as Arabella’s body tried to reject the words that Roxanne was saying. Why would she say this? Why would she link Eddie to Scarlett like that?

  ‘Yeah, he’s her boss and she hadn’t turned up for work. He was probably just trying to get hold of her and when he couldn’t, he left.’ Arabella failed to sound confident.

  ‘Aye, you tell yourself that, love. But why don’t you ask dear old Eddie how he met Scarlett in the first place? Why don’t you ask him how well he really knows her? Do you really want to be with someone when you don’t know who they really are?’

  Arabella swallowed back the nausea as she watched Roxanne smirk and head for the door. She wanted to slam her head between the door and the frame, and in days gone by she would have. Arabella was a rough girl back in the early days. But she’d seen what life could be like on the other side now, seen a future ahead of her with Eddie and some money in the bank. There was no way she was going to let Roxanne be the reason she lost all that.

  ‘I don’t want to be around someone when I don’t know who they really are. That’s why I’m telling you to get the fuck out of my flat. I’m not scared of you and I’m definitely not going to let you stand there and try to intimidate me or lie about Eddie.’

  Roxanne smiled, and a sadistic glint shone out from her eyes. ‘Just ask him. I bet you he’ll crumble at the mere idea that you have your suspicions.’

  At that she left and Arabella slammed the door so hard that it shook in the frame.

  And then the tiny cogs at the back of her head began to turn. Roxanne barely knew Eddie. So why would she say what she had about him, if there wasn’t some weight behind it?

  * * *

  Pacing the floor of the flat, phone in hand, Arabella’s head was now swimming with all sorts of thoughts. What was going to happen to the salon now that Roxanne had made clear her plans for it? What would happen to Arabella regarding the murder, of which she still had no memory? What had happened to Scarlett? What if Eddie was involved, as Roxanne had suggested?

  She’d sent Eddie a message not long after Roxanne had left and he hadn’t replied. She’d contacted the office but he wasn’t there either. So where the hell was he? There were so many questions about how her life was quickly spiralling out of control. She couldn’t even trust Eddie now.

  A sound from the hallway halted Arabella on the spot in the living room. A key in the door. He was back. She marched out to the hall, ready to blurt it all out and ask him what was going on. But then she saw the look on his face.

  ‘Hi,’ she said, her tone soft.

  Eddie closed the door behind him and his eyes narrowed. ‘You got some stuff you want to tell me? About a certain Roxanne pulling you into a situation you shouldn’t be in?’

  Arabella felt her chest tighten. How did he know about that?

  ‘Well?’ he said, taking his jacket off. ‘Go on then. Tell me what happened.’

  His tone was firm, angry. Her eyes burned as she stared back at Eddie and her stomach flipped. She had to tell him the truth. But she had her own questions too.

  ‘It was an accident. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I can’t even fucking remember because I was so blind drunk. That night, when we all went out from the salon, I drank so much and we got split up. When I woke up the next morning Roxanne told me what I’d done. I didn’t believe her. I thought I’d changed; thought I’d got all the anger out of me after the last stint in jail. But then I went down to the pathway and the police were there, had cordoned off the place. How did you find out? How did you know I’d killed him?’

  Eddie’s eyes were wide, unblinking. His face paled and he stepped forward. ‘You what?’

  Arabella frowned. ‘How did you know I killed him? I barely know how it happened. But Roxanne was there, she… dealt with it.’

  Eddie moved closer, gripped Arabella by the shoulders. ‘Arabella, what did you and Roxanne do?’

  She realised then that when Eddie had come in and asked her about the situation Roxanne had pulled her into, he hadn’t meant what she’d thought. Because Roxanne hadn’t pulled her into that situation. She’d just sorted it for her, and then used it as blackmail against her.

  ‘That’s not what you meant?’

  Eddie shook his head. ‘You need to start from the beginning and tell me what kind of shit you’ve got yourself into with Roxanne.’

  Arabella felt her legs buckle from beneath her, but she managed to stay upright and move through to the living room. Eddie followed, but instead of sitting down together like they normally would, they stood facing each other. Staring at one another.

  ‘Start talking.’ Eddie said.

  So she did.

  Chapter Sixty

  The door was slightly ajar when she reached it. She went to step over the threshold when it was pulled open from the other side.

  ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ Scarlett said.

  ‘I’m here to warn you to keep your mouth shut,’ Roxanne said, closing the door behind her.

  ‘Who the hell do you think you are, coming into my home and telling me to keep my mouth shut? You,’ Scarlett pointed in Roxanne’s face. ‘You are a murderer. A dealer and witch of a woman.’

  Roxanne nodded, rolled her eyes. Then she pushed past Scarlett and moved through to the lounge.

  ‘You’ve been shagging your boss?’

  ‘What business is it of yours if I have?’ Scarlett said.

  ‘It’s not,’ Roxanne said. ‘But it’s good for me that you have been, because it means I’ve got leverage to get you sacked. I’m here to tell you that you’ll be leaving the salon for good, whether you hand in your notice or whether I tell Arabella that you’ve been at it with Eddie behind her back.’

  Sc
arlett laughed loudly. ‘Oh do fuck off, Roxanne. I don’t take orders from scum like you.’

  Roxanne felt the words burn on her skin.

  ‘You’ve already wrecked my life. My brother is dead because of you. My kids have lost their uncle, my mum has lost her son and you’re just walking around here free as a fucking bird. I don’t think so, scumbag.’ Scarlett moved to open the door, as though she were going to throw Roxanne out but before she could, Roxanne punched her in the side of the ribs and Scarlett fell to the floor.

  * * *

  ‘What’s up with you?’ Roxanne asked Jake as he padded into the kitchen, wearing just his boxer shorts.

  They’d both got home late last night and had barely spoken to one another. Roxanne had had a busy day, with Arabella’s reaction to Stephanie and Selina, then dealing with Scarlett. That bitch had had to go. It was one thing to be accused of something she was guilty of, that Roxanne had mastered. But to be accused of something she hadn’t done had pushed her over the edge. For Scarlett to say that Roxanne was the reason that her brother had died was below the belt. It wasn’t her fault that he’d overdosed. She’d been in prison at the time, so how was she expected to take responsibility? If you were a junkie, you needed to know your limits and it was clear that Johnny hadn’t. But after some time to think about what Scarlett had said, Roxanne had seen it as an opportunity to get rid of her so she couldn’t bad-mouth her anymore. It had been so easy to make it look like someone else had murdered her. Eddie had walked right into that trap. He was such an idiot, whose brain was clearly in his crotch. Roxanne had known there was something going on between Eddie and Scarlett from that first night she’d met him. She’d decided to keep an eye on them, not just for Arabella’s sake, but so she could use the situation to her own advantage if need be.

  ‘Nothing,’ Jake replied, switching on the coffee machine. He looked tense and Roxanne knew just how to sort him out. She got to her feet and began massaging his shoulders but he shrugged her off. ‘Not now, eh? My head’s bursting.’