by Caz Finlay
‘Are you serious?’ he said and started to laugh. ‘We were fucked from the outset really, weren’t we? And I thought I did my homework too.’
‘Well, you wouldn’t find this place under Cartel Securities, it’s registered under one of our subsidiaries.’
‘You really are quite the businesswoman, Grace Carter,’ he said, then he turned his attention to John. ‘That was quite a show you put on. Are you out of character now? Back where you belong?’
‘That’s right. No hard feelings though, eh?’
‘So everything you did was on your boss’s orders then?’ Jock asked.
‘Yeah. Everything. Took me all my strength not to knock Alastair out quite a few times.’
Jock laughed. ‘I bet it did. He really didn’t like you, Grace. He made that quite clear.’
Grace wasn’t sure what the purpose of his comment was. Was he trying to cause some tension between her and John, or was he simply making an observation?
‘Well, I’ve lost count of the number of people who didn’t like me, Jock, or underestimated me because I’m a woman. And now that I think about it, things don’t usually turn out well for those people.’
‘I have no doubt about that. I consider myself very lucky to be breathing, but Jerry and I are heading back to Essex this morning. We won’t be visiting Liverpool again any time soon.’
‘Well, that’s good to hear Jock. But, from what John tells me, I think you’ll make a good successor for Alastair. And who knows what the future holds? Perhaps our paths will cross again?
‘Perhaps?’ Jock replied with a smile. ‘But before I go, there’s one thing that’s been bothering me. I think I’ve figured out your whole game plan except for that copper. Was he working for you?’
‘No. He was spying on you though. Unfortunately for him, his spying on you ended up being a happy coincidence for me,’ Grace replied.
‘So, what was that all about then? Kidnapping him? Just to set up Craig and Ged Johnson?’
‘Partly, but I had a bigger end goal in mind. I knew that there was someone who would do anything for his safe return. He was leverage.’
Jock nodded appreciatively. ‘You’ve certainly got more balls than any man I know.’
Grace laughed. ‘I’m not entirely sure that’s a compliment, but I’ll take it.’
‘It is,’ Jock assured her.
‘Well, John and I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings before you left. We hope this is the end of the whole incident.’
Jock nodded. ‘You’ll have no more trouble from us. You have my word.’
‘Good,’ Grace said as she stood up and John followed suit. ‘Until we meet again, Jock,’ she said as she extended her hand.
Jock shook her hand. ‘Until then, Grace.’
John and Grace walked out of the Radisson and onto Old Hall Street.
John glanced at his watch. ‘Not long now until you see your boy, Grace.’
Grace linked her arm through his and they walked towards the car park. ‘I know. I can’t wait. I hope he’s okay. I hope they’re both okay.’
‘They’ll be fine. They’re big lads and they can most definitely take care of themselves. I bet they’ve had a ball these past few weeks – sitting on their arses drinking hooch all day.’
Grace laughed. ‘I’m sure prison is not quite the pretty picture you paint there, John. Anyway, tell me, how did your date with Steph go the other night? With everything else going on, I forgot to ask.’
‘Not that great, to be honest,’ he replied with a sigh. ‘I think I’ve been friend zoned.’
‘I’m sure you haven’t.’
‘I have. I know the signs. It’s the story of my life!’
‘Oh, John. The two of you seemed to have some chemistry. It certainly looked that way to me. So what went wrong?’
‘There’s definitely an attraction there, but we’ve become such good mates over the years that I think neither of us wants to risk that. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been her shoulder to cry on. I don’t want to be another statistic. And I think Steph would rather we stayed friends than became exes.’
‘Oh no, and I had such high hopes for you two. I was even planning my outfit for the wedding.’
‘Oh fuck off, Grace.’ He started to laugh. ‘I think I’m destined to be an eternal bachelor.’
Grace laughed too. She was feeling lighter than she had done in weeks.
‘Where are we off to now then?’ John asked.
‘I’ve got one more meeting, then I need to pick up some paperwork from Faye and then we can head to The Blue Rooms.’
‘Right. Where’s your meeting?’
‘Leigh Moss’s house.’
‘Oh?’ John said with a flash of his eyebrows.
Grace sat on the sofa of Leigh’s house in Crosby with a glass of Diet Coke which Leigh had offered her after she’d reluctantly invited her in.
‘I can’t believe you came here, to my house,’ Leigh said as she sat down. ‘How do you even know where I live?’
‘You’d be surprised by the things I know,’ Grace replied. ‘But don’t worry, I don’t intend to make a habit of this. I just thought that after last night, we should chat. Clear the air?’
‘Clear the air?’ Leigh asked.
Grace nodded. ‘I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I’ve always had a lot of respect for you, Leigh. I admire your work ethic and the way you stick to your principles.’
‘Except when it comes to your son and stepson?’
‘Except when it comes to any of my family.’
Leigh rolled her eyes and Grace saw red. ‘Let’s not forget that you came to me the other night looking for help, Leigh. You were quick to ditch all of your principles when it came to saving your boyfriend. Someone you put in danger because you were too arrogant to do as you were told and leave Alastair McGrath alone. So, don’t you dare sit here in judgement of me for doing the same thing. You think because you’re an upstanding DI that you’re better than me? That your reasons for breaking the law are better than mine?’
Leigh’s cheeks turned pink. ‘No, I don’t. And I appreciate what you did for Nick last night.’
Grace nodded, satisfied that she had put DI Moss in her place. ‘So, what’s happening with those two who kidnapped him?’
‘We have CCTV of them grabbing Nick outside of his gym and bundling them into a van. We can’t see the driver and they say they don’t know who he was – just some heavy of the person who hired them, who as we both know was Alastair McGrath, but they won’t say who it was and are uncharacteristically keeping their mouths shut for a change.’
Grace was glad that the Johnson brothers were sticking to their agreement and showing some loyalty for once. She supposed they had little choice – they were going down for Nick’s kidnap anyway, so they gained nothing from implicating John, but they would most assuredly lose any of Grace’s protection in prison.
‘You definitely think Alastair was behind it then?’ Grace asked.
‘Who else would it be? Not that I can convince my superiors of that without telling them Nick was illegally surveilling them anyway.’
Grace nodded sympathetically, relieved that Leigh had pinned the blame for Nick’s kidnap squarely on Alastair.
‘I can’t believe they took him. When I think about what could have happened if your men hadn’t got to him when they did,’ Leigh said as she blinked back the tears.
Grace passed Leigh a tissue from the box on the coffee table in front of her. The truth was, nothing was ever going to happen to Nick. As she’d told Jock, he was quite simply leverage. The plan had always been to persuade Bradley to take the fall for Billy’s murder, and make sure that his brothers had no choice but to go along with it. When John had seen Nick Bryce watching Alastair and Jock at the bar, it had struck Grace that he was the perfect backup plan. Tony Webster had already told Grace that Leigh and her team had been warned off Alastair, and she knew that if Nick disappea
red, Leigh would suspect Alastair and quite probably her too, which she did. It was then inevitable that she would ask Grace for her help. The Johnson brothers had proved that they couldn’t be trusted, and just in case they tried to stab her in the back at the last minute, Grace would have the very DI who had arrested Jake and Connor owing her a very big favour.
‘Well, they did, and he’s okay, and that’s all that matters. I’m glad we could help you out,’ Grace said with a smile.
Leigh nodded. ‘I thought you should know I’m quitting the OCG task force today. I’m handing in my resignation later.’
‘Oh? Why?’ Grace asked.
‘After what I did last night, I don’t feel fit for the job any longer.’
‘Where will you go?’
Leigh shrugged. ‘High-volume crime, or traffic. Wherever they can fit me in.’
‘I’m sure you’ll be happy wherever you end up.’
‘You’re not annoyed with me then?’ Leigh asked.
‘No, why would I be?’
‘I thought that would be quite the coup for you. To have the DI of the organised crime team in your pocket?’
Grace laughed. ‘Not at all, Leigh,’ she said as she stood up to leave.
Leigh blinked at her in surprise.
‘I have much more important people than DIs in my pocket,’ Grace said with a wink before she walked down the hallway and opened the front door.
Chapter Sixty-Three
Grace stood near the bar in The Blue Rooms where she could keep an eye on the door, waiting for Jake, Connor and Michael to arrive.
It was Jake she saw first as he walked through the double doors. The sight of him made her feel like her heart had stopped for a moment.
John Brennan walked up beside her. ‘Fucking hell, I thought I’d travelled back in time there for a minute,’ he said in her ear. ‘He’s a dead ringer, isn’t he?’
Grace nodded. ‘I know,’ she replied, staring at her son. John was exactly right. For a moment, she too had thought she was in some kind of time warp. It could almost be twenty years earlier and she was looking at Nathan Conlon walking through those doors. All charm, smiles and swagger. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that it wasn’t. This was her son, Jake. Fresh out of prison, but looking better than she’d seen him in months. Yes, he looked exactly like his father, and unfortunately had been acting like him at times recently too, but Grace held on to the fact that she was the one who had raised him. If he had anything of Nathan in him, then he had her too.
While Michael and Connor got distracted talking to Murf, Jake made his way over.
‘Hiya, Mum,’ he said with a beaming smile and his arms outstretched. Michael had taken them home to get showered and changed before bringing them to the club and she could already see that Jake had put some weight on. He filled out his designer suit again perfectly, the way he used to.
She pulled him to her and wrapped her arms around him, and he responded in kind.
‘Jake. It’s so good to see you,’ she said as she inhaled the smell of shampoo and aftershave. ‘You look so bloody well.’
Jake started to laugh as he took a step back from her. ‘Prison looks good on me then?’
‘Yes. But don’t be getting any ideas about going back there any time soon,’ she said.
‘I won’t, Mum,’ he said with a smile. ‘And thank you for getting us out. I knew you would.’
Grace smiled back at him. He looked so well. Clean-shaven, fresh, groomed. God, it was almost as if she had the old Jake back.
‘Good to have you back, kid,’ John said as he stepped forward and put an arm around Jake’s shoulder.
‘Thanks, John. It’s good to be back,’ Jake replied. ‘I heard you played quite the part in our release yourself?’
‘You could say that. I thought your mum was crazy when she suggested it, but it all worked out for the best.’
‘You were a legend, John. You put in an Oscar-worthy performance. For a minute, I actually thought you had decided to work for Alastair McGrath,’ Grace said with a laugh.
‘What? As if I would. You know me better than that, Boss,’ John said and Grace thought she detected the hint of a blush creeping up his neck. ‘Can I get either of you a drink?’ John asked.
‘A bottle of Bud for me, mate?’ Jake replied.
‘I’ll have a brandy, thanks,’ Grace said.
As John was walking away, Jake gave her a gentle nudge. ‘You know he fancies you, don’t you?’ he said with a chuckle.
‘Oh stop it, no, he doesn’t,’ she said as she saw Michael and Connor making their way over. ‘Stop trying to get him into trouble.’
‘My lips are sealed,’ Jake replied with a grin.
‘Hiya, Grace,’ Connor said as he pulled Grace into a bear hug.
‘Hello, Con,’ she replied as she returned his hug. ‘It’s so lovely to see you.’ She stepped back from him and appraised the two boys, who looked smart in their suits. ‘It’s lovely to see the both of you.’
‘It’s nice to be seen,’ Connor replied. ‘Walton nick is an absolute shithole! I don’t fancy going back there any time soon.’
‘Music to my ears,’ Michael said as he slipped an arm around Grace’s waist. ‘Before you two go off celebrating, we want to talk to you about something.’
The two boys looked at each other. ‘Sounds ominous,’ Jake said.
‘Is this to do with what you were talking about in the car, Dad? About what happens next?’
Michael looked at Grace. ‘I told the boys what we’d decided,’ he said.
Grace nodded. ‘Then yes, I suppose it is.’
Five minutes later, Grace, Michael, Jake and Connor were sitting in one the booths at The Blue Rooms with drinks in their hands. Grace was pleased to see that Jake had hardly touched his bottle of beer. John had only passed it to him a few minutes earlier, but a few weeks ago, he’d have sunk it in one and followed it with a shot of whisky.
‘I’m on standby, by the way,’ Connor said with a smile. ‘Jazz is convinced the baby is going to arrive any time now that I’m out.’
‘I’m not planning on hanging around either. I’m going to see Siobhan and Isla. I do appreciate this little get-together, Mum,’ Jake said, ‘but I’ve really missed Isla.’
Grace smiled. Her two boys seemed to have their priorities right for a change, and she wanted to make sure they stayed that way. ‘No problem at all. We wanted to meet you here so we could all sign the contracts with Sable Securities, there’s no need to hang around. But before Danny and Luke get here, there was something else we wanted to talk to you about.’
Connor and Jake looked at her, their eyes full of concern.
‘It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just some advice, that’s all. Some guidance we’d like you to live by.’
The boys shared a quizzical look at each other.
‘You have no idea how hard it was for us to see you two arrested and thrown into prison,’ Michael started. ‘Not to mention Jazz. Can you imagine if you’d missed the birth of your first child, Con?’
Connor shook his head. ‘I know, Dad,’ he said. ‘You don’t need to remind me. I feel bad enough already.
‘We’re not trying to make you feel bad. But we’re asking that you don’t put yourselves in that position unnecessarily again.’
‘What do you mean?’ Jake asked.
‘We know what happened to Billy was because you were angry about Paul, and we understand that better than anyone. But in future, you need to think smarter, boys. You both have children to think of. You own some very successful and lucrative businesses. You make more in a week than most people make in a year. It’s time to start acting more like professional businessmen and less like mindless thugs,’ Grace replied.
‘But that’s what we do…’ Jake started.
‘It is a part of what you do, and no one is saying that you can’t give someone a bit of a slap now and then, but you can afford to pay people to do that sort of work for you now, a
nd, more importantly, you should. One of the major perks of being in charge is that you never need to be at the scene of the crime,’ Grace said.
Connor and Jake nodded. ‘That makes sense, but what if people think we’ve gone soft?’ Jake asked.
Michael started to laugh. ‘Do you think me or your mum are soft?’
‘Fair point,’ Jake replied with a shrug.
‘All we’re asking is that you think about what you’re doing before you do it,’ Grace said. ‘No more running into things head first. Use those brains you both clearly have, and let your hired muscle do their job.’
Jake and Connor nodded. ‘Okay,’ they said in unison.
They were interrupted by two burly men in suits approaching the table.
‘Afternoon, gentlemen. Please have a seat,’ Grace said as she indicated the two empty chairs.
Danny Alexander and Luke Sullivan were the owners of Sable Securities. They had been in business for four years and during that time had made a good name for themselves and a solid reputation. Grace and Michael had met with them a few times and Grace had been impressed by their business acumen and their fearlessness. They had taken over a number of doors in Merseyside, the ones that Cartel didn’t run, and had approached Michael about a possible merger. Luke, in particular, was an asset, having completed a business degree, and he had presented them with a bulletproof business plan that was beneficial for all parties involved. In fact, Grace and Michael had been so impressed that they’d decided to agree to a merger with Sable Securities, a deal that would allow the Carter family, owning the much bigger Cartel firm, to maintain a seventy-five per cent share in the business but let Danny and Luke take over as managing directors. In turn, this would allow Grace and Michael to remain on as CEOs and take a step back from the day-to-day running and its headaches.
It was a deal that all parties were pleased with and one that Grace was sure they would all profit from.
Grace introduced Danny and Luke to the boys and soon everyone at the table had fallen into an easy conversation.
