Bad Blood Rising
Page 25
There was another kick, this time to his head. Still his assailant remained silent. Semiconscious now, Guido was pulled to his feet. Blood trickled down his face and into his eyes.
He was being forced over the fryer. He could feel the heat on his face and hear the oil sizzling in the pan below. He tried in vain to struggle free. Suddenly there was a searing pain to both hands as they were thrust into the oil. He gave out a deafening scream. It was several seconds before his attacker released his grip. Barely conscious, he fell to the floor, whimpering like an injured animal. His skin felt like it was on fire. The pain was unbearable.
“Why?” he muttered pitifully. “Why me?”
But the room was empty. The only noise was the banging of the door leading out into the alley as it swung in the night breeze.
EIGHTY
The Sapphire Club in Sheffield was the smallest of the three clubs owned by Karl Maddox. On weekends, the club was always full to capacity but quieter during the week. Like the Emerald and the Topaz, the Sapphire had a private member’s lounge where between six to twelve girls would work. The club consisted of five podiums with half a dozen private booths. There was always a minimum of eight dancers, but during the weekend this would rise to around fifteen. The club’s clientele were mostly young men out on the town. There were a number of regulars who Simon knew lived locally. In the five years he had been managing the Sapphire, there had never been any serious incidents.
Tuesday was Simon’s night off. He was at home enjoying a pizza whilst watching a box set when his phone rang. It was Freddie, his deputy.
“Si, I think you should come down to the club. There’s something not right.”
“What sort of something?” Simon asked irritably.
“Three Irish blokes, I don’t like the look of them. I think you should come down.”
“Can’t you handle it, Freddie? Throw them out if they’re causing trouble.”
“They’re not causing trouble exactly but…”
“What are they doing then?”
“One of the minders overheard them talking. He’s sure they’re planning to do the club over. I think you should come down, Si. See what you think.”
Reluctantly, Simon turned off the television, picked up the last of the pizza and headed out of the flat. He arrived at the club in less than ten minutes.
“That’s them,” Freddie said as soon as Simon joined him at the bar. “They’re sat over there by the booths.”
Simon glanced casually over at the three men, noting two were in their mid-thirties and one in his early twenties. All three were dressed in jeans and trainers and were wearing casual hooded tops.
“What exactly did they say?”
“Martin, come here a minute,” Freddie said, addressing a young man employed as a minder. “Tell Si what you told me.”
Martin was in his early twenties. He was well over six foot tall and a stocky build with sandy collar-length hair, a ruddy complexion and pale blue eyes. At being summoned by the boss, the colour in Martin’s cheeks began to rise and he fidgeted nervously with his uniform tie.
“Well?” demanded Simon. “What is it that’s made you suspicious?”
“I was … I was in the toilets,” Martin stammered nervously. “I’d had an upset stomach, I think it was a dodgy kebab I’d eaten earlier and…”
“For fuck’s sake, I’m not interested in your bowel movements. What did you hear, man?”
“Well, like I said, I was in the loo, the one round the corner reserved for staff only. The three blokes over there came in to use the urinals. The toilets were empty apart from them.” Martin began to sweat and his breathing became erratic.
“Calm down, man,” Simon snapped irritably. “You’ll give yourself a heart attack.”
Martin took a deep breath before continuing. “The one in the blue top seems to be in charge. I heard him say they would do the job tonight. Burn this place to the ground.”
“You sure he was talking about the Sapphire?”
“Oh yes, boss, there’s no doubt about it. I heard them discussing where they were going to set the fire. Then one of them, the younger one with the long hair, said they would do the other two clubs tomorrow night. I assume he meant the Topaz and the Emerald.”
“Right,” Simon said thoughtfully. “You go about your business but stay close in case you’re needed. Freddie, you come with me.”
Both men walked over to the three Irishmen who were now standing at the bar drinking.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Simon said politely. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you all to leave the premises.”
“Leave? Why in heaven would you be asking us to leave?” said the man in the blue top.
“We have a strict dress code, sir, no jeans or trainers allowed in the club, and certainly no hoodies.”
“Well, that’s easily sorted,” the man in the blue top grinned, putting down his beer glass. “We’ll take them off. What do you say, fellas? Should we get naked?”
All three men laughed heartily at this suggestion.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Simon said sternly. “Please leave the club now.”
“Do you know how much we’ve spent tonight in this poxy club? Nobody objected to our clothes when they were taking our money,” he growled.
“Well, I’m objecting now. I want you all off the premises.”
“Fuck this,” hissed the younger man. “Do you know how much cash I’ve put down that bird’s knickers tonight?” He indicated a pretty brunette dancing on one of the podiums. “I want a private dance in the booth before I leave.” He walked towards the girl and tried to grab her wrist. Within seconds, Freddie and Simon pulled him away and frogmarched him to the exit. They were joined immediately by Martin.
“I want all of you out now,” Simon ordered.
“Come on, let’s go, boys,” said the man in the blue top. “It’s a dive here anyway. Let’s go and find some real action.”
All three men left the club and went out into the car park. Simon watched as they got into a white transit van and pulled away. Carefully he made a note of the number.
Back in the club, Simon made his way to the small office and picked up the telephone. He rang Karl’s number but there was no reply.
“Fuck,” he hissed. “Where the hell are you?” He dialled a second number. This was answered almost immediately. “Joe, it’s Simon. We’ve got some trouble, mate. I can’t get hold of Karl but I need help here at the Sapphire.” He quickly relayed to Joe what had happened.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Joe said, putting on his coat. “Sorry, love,” he said softly, turning to his companion who was laying on the couch, “It’s business. I have to go over to Bradford. I don’t know how long I’m going to be.”
“Don’t worry, Joe, it’s time I was leaving anyway,” Erica smiled. “I don’t want Karl getting home before me, do I?”
He kissed her gently on the mouth. “I’ll ring for a taxi before I go.”
EIGHTY-ONE
It was three o’clock in the morning. The Sapphire Club was in darkness. Simon, Freddy and three of the minders were inside the club whilst Joe and Peter were outside in the shadows.
“Someone’s coming,” Peter whispered as a white transit van slowly snaked its way into the car park, its headlights dimmed. Three men climbed out of the vehicle and made their way to the van’s rear doors. Each one picked up a two gallon drum of petrol and headed towards the club’s rear exit.
“Now!” Joe shouted as he and Peter ran towards the men. “Get the bastards!”
Suddenly the club doors burst open and Simon and the three minders ran out into the car park. The three Irishmen dropped the petrol drums and attempted to get back into the van but were dragged out by Joe and Peter.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Joe yelled as he punched one of the men in the face. All three men tried to fight but they had been drinking heavily all night and their reactions were slow. Peter grabbed the younge
st of the three and head-butted him, causing him to fall to the ground screaming in pain as blood poured out of his nose.
“Who are you?” Joe demanded, addressing the man in the blue top who Martin had identified as the ringleader. “Who sent you?”
The Irishman merely spat in Joe’s face by way of reply.
“Fuck you,” he screamed in defiance.
The man Peter had grabbed attempted to run away but one of the minders grabbed him by the hair, punching him hard before dragging him back.
“Please,” he pleaded. “No harm done. We’re out of here, okay? We were just drunk and…”
“Bollocks!” Simon yelled. “You weren’t drunk when you were planning this earlier tonight. Now, last chance, mate, who sent you?”
The young man trembled in terror as Simon pinned him against the side of the van and brought his fist back menacingly. “Well?”
“It was Charlotte,” he whimpered. “Charlotte told us to burn Karl’s clubs down.”
“Who the fuck’s Charlotte?”
“She’s a cousin. She was mad at him and asked us to help her get even with him. That’s all I know.” He began to shake uncontrollably and tears of pain ran down his face. “Please, can we go now? We’ll go back to Ireland and you’ll never see or hear from us again. Isn’t that right, lads?”
His two companions, who had each received a kicking off the two minders, were heaped on the floor groaning.
“Get the bastards out of here,” Joe ordered.
“Not yet,” insisted Simon. “We can’t just let them go. We have to find out who Charlotte is and what’s going on here.”
“I said let them go,” Joe said angrily. “I’ll deal with Charlotte, don’t worry about her.”
“You know her?”
“No more questions, Simon. Just let them go. They’ll not give us any more trouble. Isn’t that right, lads?” All three nodded.
Joe walked over to the van and opened the rear doors. Inside were half a dozen more drums of petrol. “Get these out,” he ordered two of the minders. “We don’t want them getting any ideas about coming back, do we?” He watched as Martin and another minder removed the drums from the vehicle.
“Now piss off back where you came from before I change my mind,” he growled addressing the three men. “If I ever see you around here again, you’ll regret it. Believe me.”
All three men climbed into the van. Simon stood back as it roared into life and made its way onto the road.
“Follow them,” he ordered Freddy, throwing him his car keys. “Take a couple of lads with you and make sure they head for home.”
“Sure thing, Si,” Freddy said. “Martin, Steve, I want you to come with me.”
When the vehicles had left the car park, Simon turned to face Joe.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, letting them leave like that. Karl won’t like it.”
“Don’t worry, Si. I’ll deal with it.”
“Who is this Charlotte they were talking about? Is she one of Karl’s girls?”
“No, not exactly.”
“For fuck’s sake, Joe, don’t be so evasive. That fucking bitch tried to have the Sapphire burnt to the ground. I have a right to know what’s going on.”
“Simon, for the last time, let it be. I’ll speak to you tomorrow, okay?”
“I suppose so,” Simon said sulkily as he headed towards the club.
Joe’s car had just pulled out of the car park when Simon’s phone rang.
“Karl, thank goodness you rang. I’ve been trying to get hold of you all night…”
EIGHTY-TWO
Karl enjoyed the drive up the M1. The road was almost deserted and he was able to think clearly without the distraction of driving through traffic. He felt a glow of satisfaction at his encounter with Guido Rosso. Guido had inflicted pain and humiliation on his beloved daughter Christina. That was enough reason for him to seek revenge. He smiled as he thought of Christina, the daughter up to a few days ago he hadn’t known existed. He had such plans for her future. She would share his house and he would provide her with the business she had always dreamt of.
He turned his attention to Alex. Of course he would have to keep Alex on a tight leash for the time being where money was concerned. Karl grinned as he remembered the look on his son’s face when he told him he had picked up the forty thousand pounds of debt from Jonny Dalton. Yes, Alex was a smart boy. He would do exactly as he was told, Karl was sure of that.
It was a pity Alex turned his back on the medical profession though. He quite liked the idea of having a doctor for a son. On the other hand, he was looking for a successor to take over the business one day and who better than his own son? He would discuss that with Alex later.
The main problem facing him was what to tell Erica. He couldn’t exactly tell her he was still married to Lisa and that he had two children to her. Meek and mild as she was, even Erica wouldn’t stand for that. Perhaps if he let Erica think the kids were from a relationship, not from a marriage, he might just about get away with it. After all, Erica had done exactly what she had been told for almost twenty-five years. There was no reason to suppose she would find the courage to cause him any trouble.
That just left Lisa. Lisa was a problem. Karl wasn’t sure about his feelings for her. She had been the love of his life when he was young. He adored her in his own way but Lisa was much more headstrong than Erica. He smiled as he put his hand up to his right ear and felt the scar where she had hit him with a dinner plate after he had complained about her cooking. Yes, Lisa always did have a fiery temper.
Lisa had built a new life for herself in London, but would she want to stay there when both her children were in Leeds with him, he wondered? He had been reminded of Lisa the very first time he saw Erica. She was the same slim build, the same golden blonde hair, even her eyes the same shade of blue. Erica had only been fourteen at the time, but Karl knew if he couldn’t have Lisa, then Erica would be a very good substitute. The incident with her father had made sure she would never be able to leave him, not like Lisa had done.
Karl suppressed a yawn and rubbed at his eyes with his left fist. He looked at the clock on the dashboard and saw it was almost four o’clock. It was then he realised that he had turned off his mobile phone. He quickly switched it on and glanced at the screen. There were three missed calls from Simon at the Sapphire, the last one only thirty minutes ago. Karl quickly dialled Simon’s number.
“Karl, thank goodness you rang. I’ve been trying to get hold of you all night…”
EIGHTY-THREE
Karl’s car screeched to a halt as he pulled onto his drive. Opening the front door of his house, he ascended the stairs two at a time. Once he reached the landing, he went straight to the bedroom at the back where Charlotte was sleeping. Without knocking, he flung the door open and switched on the light.
“Charlotte, what the hell…?” he shouted. It took a few seconds for him to realise that the bed was empty. He quickly turned and ran towards his own bedroom, just as Erica came out of the room and onto the landing.
“Karl, what on earth’s the matter?” she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. “Is everything alright?”
“No, it fucking isn’t alright. Where is she?” he yelled, shaking Erica violently by the shoulders. “Where the fuck is that little bitch?”
“If you mean Charlotte, she’s gone. She left yesterday.” Erica struggled to free herself from Karl’s iron grip but he held firm.
“Where has she gone? You’d better tell me the truth or I swear to God, I’ll…”
“Let go of me,” Erica whimpered, “you’re hurting me.”
Karl released his grip and pushed her into the bedroom and onto the bed. “Well?” he demanded, standing menacingly over her. “I won’t ask you again.”
“Charlotte came here yesterday afternoon with Patrick,” she faltered. “She packed her case and left. She said they were going touring around England for a few days before going back to Ireland.”
Obediently Erica handed Karl his pills and got a glass of water from the bathroom.
“What has she done, Karl?” she asked timidly. “You shouldn’t get yourself worked up like this, it’s not good for you. You know what the doctor said.”
“Fuck the doctor,” he spat. “That little bitch tried to get the Sapphire burnt down.”
“No, that can’t be right,” Erica protested. “Charlotte’s a good girl. She wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“Wouldn’t she? I told you from day one there was something wrong about her. Did she say anything to you about wanting to destroy the clubs?”
“No, not a word.”
“Are you absolutely sure?” Karl snarled. “You and Marion seemed to spend a lot of time with her. She must have said something. Think, woman.”
“Karl, I promise you she didn’t. What makes you think it was Charlotte?”
“The three Irish thugs that tried to burn me down said so. One of them said he was her cousin. What I don’t understand is why she would want to destroy the clubs.”
“Couldn’t you get the men to tell you more?”
“If I’d been at the Sapphire, believe me, they wouldn’t have got off so lightly, but I was dealing with another matter. Joe and Simon were at the club when it all kicked off. I think Joe’s going soft. He just gave them all a good kicking and put them back on the ferry. I’ll be having words with him later.”
“Well, it’s over now,” Erica said softly. “Come to bed, Karl, you need your rest.”
“Rest? I won’t rest until I’ve got my hands round Charlotte’s scrawny little neck. Anyway, who’s this bloke she’s with?”
“His name’s Patrick. I don’t really know much about him but he seems very nice.”
“Do you think he’s behind it? A rival wanting to muscle in on my business?”