Dirty Dealings

by Gillian Godden

  CHAPTER 18

  A DEALER’S DEN

  ‘Jake, mate, I know it’s early, but I wanted to get here before anyone else.’ Tony got out of the car and looked around. ‘Is anyone else here?’

  ‘No. Who the hell would be here at six in the morning?’ Jake yawned. ‘Why so early?’

  ‘I told you. We need to find where that shit is. And don’t complain to me – I left a very warm and willing Francesca to sort this crap out. I was on a promise!’

  Opening the doors, they both gagged then held their noses. ‘Phew. It smells like someone has died in here.’ Jake looked around the club. It was a lot worse than he had imagined it would be. Everything had been soaked through and was still damp, and it stank. Food that had been a banquet now floated on plates and on the floor.

  It was dark inside and the floor still had puddles of water on it. ‘How can we search for something when I can hardly see a thing?’ Jake was tired and grumpy. He didn’t know where to start looking. Worse still, he wasn’t a hundred per cent sure there was anything to look for.

  ‘Shut up, will you, you miserable git. The lights down the corridor still work, as do the bar lights. Now, get to work. Use the torch on your mobile for lighting if you have to. I know that stuff is here somewhere.’ Tony walked to the other side of the room. He was adamant.

  ‘Maybe it was just her own, Tony, have you ever thought of that? Maybe her and her friends just had their own stash. Just because they had it, it doesn’t mean they were dealing it, does it?’ Jake was still hopeful, but Tony knew it was useless.

  ‘Yes, it does. Those coppers seemed damn sure this wasn’t a personal thing. People have been talking. They know this is the place where they can get their drugs.’ Sighing and looking at Jake’s face, Tony could now understand Ralph’s anger. Jake still didn’t want to believe the worst of Sharon.

  For a couple of hours they looked under cabinets, in the booths and even around the staging area, but nothing. Sitting on a chrome chair, Tony threw his head back in despair. Maybe Jake was right. Maybe the only stuff they had was what was on the table when he had walked in on them.

  ‘It’s just as well that water didn’t get any higher on the shelves near the champagne buckets. Those bars of soap would have made it look like a foam bath,’ laughed Jake, pulling up a chair beside Tony.

  Swiftly turning his head, Tony looked at Jake in the dimly lit room and frowned. ‘Soap? Since when did we have bars of soap behind the bar? Show me.’ Panic rose and Tony’s stomach churned. This was what he had hoped for. He was sure of it.

  Bending down behind the bar and flashing his torch on the second shelf, seeing what was hidden behind the champagne buckets, Tony was stunned. Almost rooted to the spot in disbelief. Kneeling down in the water, he pulled forward the blocks of ‘soap’.

  ‘You prick, Jake. That’s not bars of soap. It’s blocks of cocaine. You fucking idiot.’ He reached to the back and pulled them out, counting as he did. There were five blocks of ‘soap’, all rectangular white blocks wrapped in cellophane.

  It dawned on Tony that the night he had watched Sharon, she had been filling the champagne buckets full of ice around the bottle and handing them over the bar! Bloody hell, she had been doing it right under his nose and he had never noticed. What a bloody fool he’d been!

  ‘This goes straight down the toilet. If those coppers had found this the night before last we would have been totally fucked! How could you not know what these are?’ Fuming, Tony picked up the small blocks, pushed a couple in his jacket pocket and stood up with the rest in his hand.

  ‘How the hell am I supposed to know that blocks of powdered cocaine look like bars of soap? Bloody hell, Tony, give us a break here. It seems I’m the whipping boy for everything.’

  ‘Watch this, brother.’ Picking up the knife that they cut the lemons with, Tony stabbed the cellophane and held the block over a silver tray. They both stood in silence as the white powder poured out.

  Jake looked at Tony. ‘Shit! How much is all that worth, street value? There must be thousands there. How the hell did Sharon get all of that?’

  ‘You mean bloody hundreds of thousands. That bloke of hers has got her so addicted to this shit she isn’t thinking straight. A few soft words and a young face and that silly cow has fell for it. Come on. Oh, for God’s sake, take the hurt look off your face. He must be twenty-five years old and he has flattered and flirted with your old lady until she has let him do as he likes,’ Tony shouted. His gut instinct had been right and he was angry. If the police had found this they would have had a field day. ‘Let’s get rid of it. Furthermore, not a fucking word about this lot to Ralph Gold. He will go apeshit!’

  ‘Do you think there is any more?’ The cold light of day was at last dawning on Jake. Sharon had set them up. She had lost all sense of reason. She would happily have denied all knowledge and let Jake and Tony take all the blame. Considering the amount of cocaine there was, it would definitely have resulted in some kind of prison sentence.

  ‘I doubt it. This was a nice convenient spot. We’ll check, though, just to be on the safe side. Especially now you know what you’re looking for. God, Jake, sometimes you’re as green as grass.’ He walked away, exasperated.

  One by one, Tony ripped open the cellophane packages and poured the powder down the toilet. It made him shudder to think how things could have all gone so terribly wrong. Flushing the loo, watching the powder swirl away, Tony mentally agreed with Ralph. If it hadn’t been for the commissioner, the place would have been searched. He had literally saved them. And if it hadn’t been for that inspector putting doubt and suspicion in Tony’s mind, he would never have known. How long had he been watching Sharon? How long had the police known about it, to warrant a raid on the club like they’d staged? They both deserved a nice present for this.

  ‘I can’t see anything else. Have you flushed it all away? Bloody hell, we’re soaked through again. Go on, Tony, keep flushing the toilet. Is that all of it?’ Jake was starting to panic. The reality of the situation was sinking in.

  ‘Most of it.’ Tony had one bar left in his pocket; he showed it to Jake. ‘Maybe old Bennie could use this. As you say, it’s worth a fortune and we’re not getting our hands dirty.’

  ‘I can’t believe he’s still alive. Maybe I should try some. Why are you giving it to him?’

  ‘He’s a known dealer. Maybe he will know where this has come from. Come on, let’s get changed upstairs. My jacket’s soaked and covered in that stuff. Thank God I still have a load of suits here.’

  The fire investigators officially called the club catastrophe an accident. Possibly a prank. Things seemed to have settled down, even though the papers had made a meal of it for as long as they could. There was no word from Sharon over the next few weeks. She had simply disappeared off the face of the earth.

  CHAPTER 19

  A DUAL PROPOSAL

  ‘Well done, Tony. This place looks amazing.’ Looking around the newly furbished club, Ralph was impressed. Although he’d stuck with the well-known Lambrianu pink for the interior, Tony had gone overboard with the refurbishment. To get his customers back, it had to be bigger and better than before.

  All the staff had been on full pay during the closure and so he had used them to do all kinds of work that they were not contracted for, to help get the place clean again. Even the strippers, who had been panicking about their lack of income, were given the choice of either getting their hands dirty and helping out or finding employment elsewhere for the time being. Tony had been very nonchalant about this. He knew they wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. Nowhere would have the clientele he had, with their tips. ‘The quicker it’s open again, ladies, the quicker you will be earning big money again. After all, I can find strippers anywhere. Your choice.’

  As much as they all felt cleaning and helping out was beneath them, their snobbery took second place. They needed to earn money and by helping out they were on full pay.

  Sharon’s assistant
had taken over the running of the strippers for the time being. She had learnt the ropes and, as of late, she had been doing most of the work anyway. It seemed only fair to give her a chance.

  ‘Tony. That Christopher, Katie’s bloke, is here to see you. Shall I let him through? He doesn’t have an appointment.’ Mark, the driver stood inside the office. He could see Tony was up to his eyes with paperwork and didn’t want to be disturbed, but this wasn’t just some guy off the street wanting a loan or an appointment. This was family business.

  ‘Is Katie with him? What does he want?’ Irritated but curious, Tony looked up from his paperwork.

  ‘Katie’s not here. He’s alone.’

  Tony nodded. ‘Show him in.’

  Mark turned and beckoned Christopher down the corridor.

  Stretching and running his hands through his hair, Tony sat back in his high leather chair and waited.

  ‘Mr Lambrianu.’ Christopher walked forward and held out his hand to shake Tony’s, but there was no response so he just stood there waiting to be invited to sit down.

  Eyeing him up closely, Tony felt this clever young man had something on his mind and he knew it would include his daughter. Waving his hand at the chair on the other side of the desk, Tony waited.

  Christopher sat. ‘I can see you’re busy, Mr Lambrianu, so I’ll get straight to the point.’ Although slightly intimidated, Christopher tried to be as businesslike as possible. ‘Firstly, you know Katie and I have been seeing each other for a while.’ Christopher waited for some response but again, there was none. Tony sat there stony-faced, those piercing blue eyes boring into the young man opposite. Christopher carried on. ‘We decided in Italy that we would like to get engaged. I love your daughter, Mr Lambrianu, and I think we’re well-suited. But I wouldn’t do anything without your permission and Katie wouldn’t accept me without your blessing.’

  Stunned at this information, Tony tried composing himself. ‘Have you asked her?’

  ‘In a vague sort of fashion, but I would like your permission to do so properly.’ Adjusting his glasses and swallowing, Christopher again waited for a response. To ease the situation he went on to tell Tony how much he earned and that his prospects were good.

  Jake had walked into the room by now and sat down, making the atmosphere even tenser for Christopher, but still he carried on.

  Jake cast a sideways glance at Tony; there was that humorous twinkle in his eye. They both turned and looked at the babbling young man before them.

  ‘Can I think about it?’ asked Tony. It was the best lighthearted fun they’d had in weeks. ‘After all, Katie is a very rich, clever woman and you haven’t even told me that you’re in love with her. You love her, yes, but being in love with someone is totally different. You make it sound like you have already been married for twenty years. After twenty-plus years, Christopher, I am more in love with my wife than ever. When you talk of marrying my daughter, I would expect some emotion. Don’t you agree?’

  Blushing and adjusting his glasses, Christopher looked down at the desk. This was obviously an embarrassing subject for him, he found it hard to declare his love to Katie’s father.

  ‘I do love her, Mr Lambrianu, and I believe she loves me. I presumed you would have realised that or else I wouldn’t be asking,’ Christopher said. He sat up straight and adjusted his tie.

  ‘A lot of men would ask for her hand, given the opportunity. As I say, she is a very rich young woman. An ideal catch, you might say.’ Tony was stringing it out; he cast another glance at Jake.

  ‘She is indeed, Mr Lambrianu, and I understand your reservations. But there is never going to be a man to match up to your idealisms. I may have overlooked telling you that I’m in love with Katie, but you have also overlooked the fact that she knows her own mind. She is a strong-willed young woman.’

  Frowning, Tony looked at him. This young man seemed bent on challenging him at every turn. He was annoyed by him, but he also admired him. He had guts.

  ‘I will have to speak to Katie first. Get her slant on things. I appreciate you wanting to do things properly.’ With that, Tony held out his hand to shake Christopher’s. This meeting was over. Well, for the time being, anyway.

  ‘There is another matter I wanted to discuss with you, Mr Lambrianu. That is, if you have the time?’

  ‘What, now? Sit back down. What is it?’ Tony was getting slightly irritated now; pursing his lips, he waited for the next instalment. He was surprised when Christopher put his briefcase on the desk and started opening it. Tony turned to look at Jake and shrugged, they were both intrigued to know what Christopher had up his sleeve now.

  ‘I have been keeping an eye on the vineyard. Although your new man in charge is doing a good job, I didn’t want to let things slide again.’ Christopher’s manner was now all business. He felt he was on safer ground talking business.

  ‘You’ve bloody what? How the fuck dare you come in here to ask for my daughter and now you want my vineyard as well? What is this? A fucking dowry, you prick? Get out.’ Tony stood up; he was fuming. The insolence of this man had angered him. ‘Mark! Get this arsehole gold-digger out of my office,’ he shouted towards the door.

  ‘Please, Mr Lambrianu. One minute and then I will leave you in peace.’ Christopher was determined to have his say. This was his one and only opportunity to speak to Tony in a businesslike manner and he was going to use it.

  ‘Let him speak, Tony. He knows you’re going to throw him out on his arse.’ Jake put his hand up and stopped Mark before he dragged Christopher out. ‘What have you been checking on at the vineyard?’ he said to Christopher. He could see Tony was fuming and his face was flushed in anger, but he was curious.

  Swallowing hard and looking around the room at the three suited men staring at him, Christopher licked his lips and continued. ‘As I told you once before, Mr Lambrianu,’ Christopher began. His voice was hoarse. He had known of Tony’s reputation, but he had only thought of him as Katie’s father up until now. This was different. ‘There is a bigger market to be made at your vineyard. There is a chance to make it even bigger and better than before.’ He gave a wry smile to appease Tony then took out a folder and placed it on the desk. ‘I’ve looked at the wastage figures and I think … well, I know, or I wouldn’t be proposing it … that you could make a cheaper wine using up all the wastage of grapes that are not good enough for a claret. It would have to be a different brand and so Katie thought “Miriam’s Chapel” would be a nice name, in honour of her grandmother.’

  Holding his hand up to stop him, Tony said, ‘Wait! You have spoken to Katie about this?’ He couldn’t believe his ears. ‘You and my daughter have already discussed taking my vineyard off me? How dare you. Get out.’

  Mark stepped forward and grabbed Christopher by the shoulders. ‘You’ve said enough, mate. Time to get out while you can. Come on.’ Mark pulled him towards the door and marched him out.

  ‘Can you believe it? That guy wants my vineyard. God’s sake, Jake, we have saved it from one thieving bastard and now we have to do it again? The bloody cheek of it. Well, she can stop seeing him right now. I was right, he is a gold-digger.’

  Jake watched Tony pace the office and slam about, waiting for his opportunity. The air was blue and Tony was tirelessly telling Jake what he should do to Christopher.

  ‘Have you finished, Tony? Here, have a drink.’ Jake poured them both a whisky and handed one to Tony. ‘From where I was sitting, I never heard him say he wanted the vineyard. It sounds like him and Katie have been keeping an eye on things in your absence, knowing how close you came to losing it. It sounded more like a business proposal to me. Why not read what is in that folder and check it out? More to the point, why not talk to Katie about it?’ Jake was interested. It might not be such a bad idea having a family member take the reins of the vineyard. Someone who could be trusted. And this guy did have a business brain. He was trying to make it light-hearted, but he knew Tony wasn’t listening. His mind was already made up. This guy
was a gold-digger after his daughter and that was it. He wasn’t thinking straight. ‘I must say, though, Tony, with his marriage proposal and his list of prospects, I thought he was going to ask you to marry him.’ Jake burst out laughing. ‘For fuck’s sake, it was like something out of a Jane Austen novel. How old is that guy?’

  Watching the grin spread across Tony’s face, Jake knew he had said the right thing to defuse the situation. ‘Bloody right, mate. It was more like a checklist than a proposal.’ Tony burst out laughing. ‘Anyway, what do you know about Jane Austen, Jake? I thought you only read Marvel comics?’ Tony’s anger had passed. Jake knew just how to handle him.

  ‘I hear things. And it’s always on the bloody television! You made him squirm, you evil bastard. And what did he say? Oh, yes, his intentions were honourable.’ Again, they both burst out laughing. ‘Take a look at that folder, Tony. You might find it interesting.’

  With that, Jake stood up, finished his drink and left the room, to give Tony time to think about what he had said. After all, Tony was a businessman. And although he wouldn’t step down from his high horse he was always interested in business.

  Tony looked down at the folder, then picked it up and threw it over the other side of the desk in disgust. What the hell did that kid know about business?

  Unbeknown to Tony, Katie was waiting outside in the car for Christopher. ‘Well? What did he say?’

  ‘Just as you said, Katie, interrogation and intimidation, but I have said my piece.’

  ‘Good. Well, now you have dropped the bombshell, it’s up to Mum, and if anyone can bring him round, she can. At least we have tried doing it the proper way, with respect. After all, Christopher, you didn’t expect an answer from him straight away, did you?’ Katie smiled and kissed him on the cheek. She knew it would work out, but the seed had to be dropped into her father’s brain first, then she knew he would think about it.