Ruthless Girl: An absolutely gripping, gritty crime thriller

by Emma Tallon

  ‘What about the fall-out? How do you plan to deal with that?’ he asked.

  ‘The way I plan to do this, there will be no fall-out.’ Sophia took another slow drag on her cigarette, her eyes not leaving Jim’s face. ‘I am making all the right noises and all the right moves to show that we are now allies. Technically, it would do me no favours to kill my business partners. So we are going to stage it to look like either an accident or a random attack from someone else. I will be shocked when I hear the news and worried for my own enterprise. I have children, after all.’ She smiled sweetly and took one last drag on her cigarette before stubbing it out. ‘They would obviously be my only priority. I will be no more a suspect in the Tylers’ deaths than the next business partner. The men within the firm will keep to the agreement and will continue the gun-runs. Over time they will come to be working directly for me. That is the idea. I just need a suitable method.’

  Jim picked up the refilled vodka glass and downed it once more. If what Sophia was saying was true, he really could have his cake and eat it. She was right about his loyalties. They weren’t to the Tyler brothers. They were to the same person they always had been – himself. And if the brothers were out of the way, his blackmail of Mollie would never come back to haunt him. He could get that money off her and help Sophia get what she wanted, meaning he was then in the clear to live wherever and however he wanted with no threat of retribution.

  But once more a feeling of wariness came over him. He was a coward at heart, an opportunist who preyed on the weak, not someone who took on the lions of society. He was already treading on dangerous ground, he wasn’t sure his nerves could take any more. No, he was better off continuing the game he was already playing and seeing it out safely without the added risk. Half a million pounds hung in the balance.

  ‘It sounds like a grand plan, it really does,’ he said, sitting back in his chair, ‘but it’s not for me. Thanks for the offer and obviously I’ll keep that knowledge to meself…’ He licked his lips, suddenly realising he probably knew too much for someone who was trying to decline the offer. He began to feel hot under the collar and tugged at it nervously. ‘I mean, I don’t have any love for the Tylers,’ he blustered. ‘Like you said yourself, they ain’t exactly given me a great position. But I’ve got my own stuff going on right now, and—’

  ‘Let me make myself a little more clear, Mr Martin,’ Sophia cut him off sharply in an icy tone. ‘This was not really a request, more an instruction.’ She sighed. ‘I had hoped this could be agreed pleasantly.’ She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed before looking back at him coldly. ‘You will be my eyes and ears and you will find me a way of getting to the Tylers or I will tell them why you’re really here and who you really are.’

  Jim blinked and looked taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation and Sophia’s threat. Surely she couldn’t know that? No one knew except for him and Mollie.

  ‘Oh please,’ Sophia scoffed. ‘It really wasn’t that hard to find out.’ She narrowed her eyes darkly. ‘So, do we understand each other?’

  She didn’t actually know anything about Jim other than the fact he was an oddball hiding something. But she didn’t need to know what it was, all she needed to know in order to threaten him into submission was that there was something he was hiding. Just watching his face pale as she had threatened to out him to Freddie told her that she had hit the nail on the head.

  As the lump of dread settled into his stomach Jim started to nod slowly. He had no idea how she had found out, but he didn’t doubt that she would use her knowledge to her advantage if he didn’t do as she wanted. And that was something he couldn’t afford to risk. ‘I accept your offer then, Sophia.’ It was the last thing he wanted to do, especially now, but it appeared he was left with no choice.

  ‘Good,’ she snapped. ‘Now, think. What do you know that might benefit me, Mr Martin?’

  He racked his brains trying to think of something to offer her, something to appease the beautiful but terrifying Russian woman who had claimed him as her pawn. As he thought over everything he had seen and heard since being around Freddie, his mind settled on something and he sat up straight.

  ‘I have an idea that might be just what you’re looking for…’

  Thirty-Six

  Anna stood with her hands on her hips and stared down at the puddle on the floor, then up at the gaping hole in the plaster of the ceiling of the new restaurant. She raised one neatly arched eyebrow at the maître d’ who had called her in. He put his hands up in surrender.

  ‘It wasn’t me, I found it like this when I got here,’ he blustered.

  The arrival of Tanya was heralded by the sharp tapping of her stilettos across the marble floor. ‘Gordon Bennett!’ she cried, as she saw the damage. ‘Well, that’s all we need. We’ve only been open a bleedin’ week.’ She sighed and stared up into the gaping hole to the assortment of pipes in the abyss above. ‘Pass me that table,’ she ordered the maître d’, pointing at the nearest one. ‘Come on, chop chop, we ain’t got all day,’ she continued, when he looked confused.

  He pulled the table over, placing it underneath the hole as Tanya indicated. Anna watched with interest. ‘Surely you’re not going up there?’ she asked.

  ‘I sure am,’ Tanya replied chirpily, kicking off her Louboutins. She jumped up on the table and stuck her head up into the void. ‘Yep,’ she called down. ‘Bust pipe. Looks like it’s connected to the main but has its own stop valve. I should be able to isolate it and cap it off for now but we’ll need it replaced.’ She withdrew her head out and pulled a face at the devastated ceiling. ‘We’ll need to call that nosy plasterer back in too,’ she added with a grumble.

  ‘Since when did you become an expert in plumbing?’ Anna asked with a smile. Tanya never ceased to surprise her.

  ‘Oh, you’d be amazed at all the skills I’ve picked up over the years,’ she replied. ‘The benefits of a colourful dating history.’

  Anna threw her head back and laughed as Tanya jumped back down and pushed the table back into place. ‘Oh Tanya…’ she shook her head and looked around at the mess. ‘We’ll have to close until it’s fixed,’ she said reluctantly.

  They had sunk a lot of money into this place getting it up to scratch, and although the main purpose of the venture was as a front to launder money, it still wasn’t ideal having to shut down so suddenly and so soon. From a marketing perspective it was an absolute nightmare. They were still dependent on the initial boost of attention. It was the latest hot new place to visit and they needed to ride the wave of excitement from food bloggers and local magazines to really cement their place in people’s minds. If they shut down now the interest would deflate and the people they relied on to spread the word would move on to the next new opening.

  Anna sighed and pursed her lips. She would have to think up something big to draw attention back to the restaurant when it reopened. Pushing her dark hair back off her face she shook it, then turned towards her best friend with a big grin. ‘Come on, sod it. Let’s call the plumber then crack open a bottle and forget our troubles for a while. We need a good laugh. Have you had any more terrible dates lately? You haven’t shared any of your funny stories with me for ages.’ She walked behind the bar and reached down into the wine fridge, running her finger along the rows until she found the one she was after.

  Tanya slipped her shoes back on and followed Anna to the bar. ‘Well…’ she said reluctantly, glancing back towards the door. ‘I actually have to go sort a few things out. But I could meet up later for that drink, if you’re free?’

  ‘Oh, come on,’ Anna replied, holding the bottle up to tempt her. ‘You know you want to.’ She pulled a funny face and Tanya laughed.

  ‘You’re right, I do. But Candy has gone off the radar and Josephine’s worried about her. I promised I’d go along with her to her flat, check up to see if things are OK. She’s meeting me here any minute.’

  ‘Oh.’ Anna’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She put the
wine back in the fridge. ‘I hope she’s OK. Candy, I mean. I heard from one of the girls that her boyfriend can be pretty volatile, so if she tries to palm you off just try to check her out for bruises if you can. We may have to sort him.’ Her jaw tightened as she thought back to the scruffy, brooding guy who’d picked Candy up a couple of times. She had no time for men who knocked women around to feel better about themselves. Anna herself had been trapped in a violent relationship once, years before. Now, after all she had endured, she couldn’t sit by and watch anyone being put through the same. If she ever found proof that the man was beating Candy, she’d make sure he was dealt with and that Candy was free to live her life without fear.

  Tanya nodded. ‘I’ll let you know how it goes.’

  The front door opened and Josephine walked into the restaurant, hesitantly. Anna’s hands balled up into fists of stress underneath the counter upon seeing her. The resentment that Josephine’s very presence ignited in her right now burned strong, and she tried to swallow it down.

  Tanya bit her lip, noting the tension that immediately gathered in Anna’s shoulders. She noted, too, the tension in Josephine as she approached Anna with caution, and sighed sadly. It was all such a mess. There was an awkward silence as Josephine walked up to them at the bar and Tanya shot her a bright smile. ‘OK, are you ready to head over? I’ve got my car out back.’

  ‘Yeah, ’course.’ Josephine looked around at the posh new restaurant, noting all the changes they had made to the place. ‘It’s really nice in here,’ she offered. ‘You’ve made it so beautiful.’ She shot Anna a tentative smile. ‘Nothing like it was be— um…’ She faltered, realising too late that her comment would only serve to remind Anna of her mistakes.

  ‘Nothing like it was before,’ Anna finished for her, looking up and meeting her gaze coolly. ‘No, it isn’t.’ She turned pointedly towards Tanya. ‘I’ll catch up with you later, Tan. Good luck with Candy.’

  Without bothering to wait for Tanya’s reply, Anna turned and marched towards the back of the restaurant and into the office. When she’d closed the door behind her, she rubbed her face and stared at the reflection in the mirror. A cold face with hard red lips and smoky unforgiving eyes stared back at her and she wondered for a moment where the soft, naïve young woman she had once been had gone. Not that she wanted to be that person anymore, not really. Too much had happened and she had come too far to ever be able to go back now. And that came with hard decisions. Decisions that were not always the right ones.

  Had she been right in letting Josephine stay after what she’d done? The feeling of betrayal and anger that came over her whenever Josephine was near was not fading. Perhaps she had been wrong covering her tracks and allowing her to stay. Perhaps it was time to start thinking over alternative futures for her whorehouse madam after all.

  Thirty-Seven

  Freddie nodded to the receptionist as he walked through the entrance to the large retirement home and she offered him a friendly smile. ‘Hello, Mr Tyler, it’s been a while since we saw you here last,’ she said.

  ‘I know,’ he replied in a regretful tone. ‘I’ve been meaning to visit, but life has been hectic.’

  In truth, Freddie found it hard to visit Vince these days. The guilt he felt at not being around whilst Vince’s mental state had gone downhill ate him up inside. When he had initially got out, Freddie had made the effort to visit once a week, but as the weeks went on, watching Vince had become harder and harder to bear and Freddie’s visits had slowed.

  Sometimes when he came here, Vince would remember who he was and what they had done over the years. He would be almost feverish in his need to talk about the businesses and old times with Freddie, desperate to cling on to the small window of clarity. Other times Freddie would find him in a state of complete bewilderment, scared and confused, unsure who or where he was. This Vince was sometimes calm and guarded, or sometimes he would lash out violently and try to get away from everyone around him. Most of the time, though, he was stuck in a strange limbo, remembering some things but not others. The frustration this would cause him was painful to observe, as he struggled to place memories that were just out of reach.

  ‘How is he today?’ Freddie asked. The receptionist would already know without needing to ask one of the doctors. Vince had made a name for himself the second he arrived here and had cemented himself as a firm favourite with all the female staff.

  She tilted her head and twisted her mouth to the side. ‘He’s OK. It’s not a bad day, but it’s not a clear one either. He’s in and out, but seems pretty calm and happy enough.’

  ‘OK.’ Freddie nodded and reached for the pen to sign in. Squiggling his details quickly, he waited to be handed his visitor pass. ‘Where will I find him?’

  She glanced at the clock. ‘He should be in his room around now. Do you want me to take you down?’

  ‘Nah, I’m good. Thanks, Michelle.’ Freddie waited for the door to be buzzed open, then strode through and straight down the corridor to Vince’s room.

  There had been a time when Vince had lived in the open part of this retirement home and could come and go as he pleased, but as his mental state had deteriorated he had been moved to a secure wing for his own safety. It was nice enough and the staff were as pleasant as they came, but it still reminded Freddie of the constraints of prison.

  Reaching Vince’s door, he knocked and then entered without waiting for a response. The room itself was spacious, one of the larger suites. The bed and the door to the bathroom were on one side and a comfortable lounge area was on the other, with a small breakfast bar with basic facilities. Vince was sitting in one of the armchairs, watching a documentary on a small flatscreen. He turned as Freddie walked in.

  ‘Oh!’ he said, his face creasing up into a genuine smile. ‘It’s you…’ He blinked as he tried to pull Freddie’s name from the fog in his mind.

  ‘Freddie,’ Freddie offered, smiling in return and taking a seat next to his old mentor.

  ‘I know that,’ Vince replied with a tut. ‘Christ, I haven’t quite lost all me marbles yet, son. Only a few of them.’ He chuckled with a small shake of his head.

  Freddie studied him. Vince was looking old these days. Something he had never really thought of him as, before now. Vince recognised him today though, so that was a good start. Even if he had momentarily struggled with his name.

  ‘So, do ya fancy a drink? I ain’t got much here, the bastards won’t let me keep anything stronger than PG Tips,’ he said, resentfully. ‘But I still make a bloody good brew.’

  ‘Nah, I’m alright, mate. I’m afraid this is just a quick business call, today. Need to pick your brains on something.’

  ‘Well, good luck with that,’ Vince replied with a crooked smile. ‘I’m told there’s slim pickings on that front these days.’

  Freddie knew his condition bothered Vince much more than he let on. But as always he was fronting it out with jokes and style. That was just his way.

  ‘Jim Martin.’ Freddie cut straight to the point. ‘Do you remember that name?’

  ‘Jim Martin…’ Vince mused for a few moments, his brow furrowing in concentration. ‘Who is he? He causing you trouble?’

  ‘He’s fresh out the nick from a lifer. Handed himself in for a murder you and Big Dom were being investigated for, years back.’

  Vince’s brow furrowed more deeply as he tried to remember. Eventually he shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Freddie, it’s not coming to me. Oh!’ He shook his head as though he suddenly remembered something. ‘The tea. I was getting us tea. Hang on.’

  Vince stood up and moved to the small breakfast bar, pulling out two mugs and turning on the kettle. Freddie didn’t remind him that he’d already turned down the tea. He didn’t want to lead Vince into a spiral of confusion, as was so easy to do these days.

  ‘So, how’s the family?’ Vince asked with his back still turned as he sorted out the tea bags and the milk.

  ‘They’re good, thanks,’ Freddie replied. ‘Mum
’s a bit off at the moment.’

  ‘Mollie,’ Vince butted in with a tone of satisfaction as he remembered her name straight off.

  ‘Yeah. This Jim Martin has her spooked, but she won’t say why. I was hoping you might have been able to tell me.’

  ‘Jim Martin?’ Vince asked again. ‘Who’s he then? He giving you trouble?’

  Freddie swallowed his disappointment with difficulty. Vince definitely had known Jim, this much he was sure of from what he had already found out. But that no longer mattered. Jim could have been his conjoined twin for the majority of his life and it still wouldn’t have made a difference. Those memories had been pulled into the fog of Vince’s dementia today and they would not be released, no matter how much Freddie questioned. Jim Martin’s effect on Mollie was a mystery that wasn’t getting solved today.

  ‘Nah,’ he answered. ‘It don’t matter. Anna’s well.’ He continued answering Vince’s question about family, putting all thoughts of Jim aside. ‘She’s been busy with a new venture we’ve got going. A restaurant. I’ll have to take you to see it sometime.’

  ‘Oh, yeah, I’d like that,’ Vince said enthusiastically.

  Freddie knew he’d never be allowed to take him out to the restaurant, but talking normally like this made Vince happy. ‘Ethan’s doing well at school,’ he continued.

  ‘Ethan…’ Vince paused and squinted off into the distance.

  ‘My son,’ Freddie continued, not missing a beat. ‘He’s growing into a really smart young lad,’ he added with pride. ‘Seems every day he’s learned something new. Something I’d never known before, anyway.’