After about ten paces he judged he was in the right place so used a piece of broken branch to disturb the soil. At first, he couldn’t see anything but after a while and by moving around a few yards this way and that, he noticed a piece of white plastic. That was the carrier bag. He looked towards the road to check nobody was looking, then dug up the bag. Inside was the gun. He felt like jumping for joy. Instead, he pocketed the gun, turned the bag inside out and deposited it in the rubbish bin.
As he drove away he felt that his luck was changing. His recent injury had been a mere blip. He had come through his trial and was now in the ascendancy. It was time to start his campaign.
**
Savannah looked at the smoke detector. Would it be possible? The changing room didn’t seem too busy, she could only hear one other customer in a cubicle at the end.
‘Excuse me!’ she called to the girl managing the changing rooms.
‘Yes?’ she replied walking over to her cubicle.
‘Could you see whether you have these jeans in a size twelve, these are a little tight.’
‘Certainly, I’ll go and look.’
Savannah ducked back into her cubicle and rummaged in her bag for her cigarettes and lighter. She lit one and quickly climbed up on the seat, holding the cigarette up to the detector. She puffed on it a few times as well and blew copious mouthfuls of smoke up to it.
She quickly dropped down off the stool as the assistant returned.
‘A size twelve for you,’ said the assistant. ‘Shit, can you smell smoke?’
‘Yes,’ cried Savannah.
‘Oh, God, have you been smoking in there?’ she shouted.
Savannah was panicking and deciding whether to bluff it out or push past the assistant when the alarms sounded.
‘Oh, God! It’s a fire!’ she cried. ‘I’m afraid of fire! I was in a fire as a child! I’m terrified!’ she started to wail and grabbed her things.
‘Calm down, there’s no need to panic,’ said the assistant. ‘Please go towards the fire exits.’
Savannah seized her opportunity. She’d already stuffed the clothes in her bag. She ran out from the changing room, pushing past fellow customers and out into the street. By the time the assistant realised what had happened she had rounded the corner and into another shop which she knew had a rear entrance out onto the precinct. Now she could relax. Leaving the store, she heard the sirens of approaching fire engines. The plan had worked so well she might repeat it again. Her final stop would be to steal some makeup which was easy to pocket and always popular amongst her friends.
Chapter 34
Jed’s networking had given him a description of his quarry so on Sunday evening, he was leaning on the bar in The Wheelbarrow, one of Persford’s less salubrious drinking establishments. Brandon had helped Jed enormously during his convalescence and if tonight’s job was successful he intended to reward him with a little bonus. A text pinged to his phone and Jed smiled, the target was on his way.
Ten minutes later the doors opened and a man in his forties strode up to the bar. He jiggled some coins in his hand whilst he waited to be served, all the while his eyes casting around the pub to see who was in that evening.
‘Usual, Vinny?’ asked the barman.
‘That’s it, Jackson,’replied the customer.
Jed continued to drink his pint but stole a glance sideways as Vinny’s phone rang.
‘Yeah, I’m here. OK, see you at 10. Usual place.’
Jed looked over as the man texted and saw his characteristic feature, the end of the little finger on his left hand was missing.
Vinny drank half his pint then stood with his back towards the bar and looked at a man sitting in the corner of the pub. He nodded at him and the man left. Vinny drained the rest of his pint and hurried out of the bar. Jed waited for a few moments, took out his phone and pretended to answer it, then ambled outside.
**
Sundays were normally the most boring day of the week for Savannah but today she’d been busy as she’d taken her booty around to her friend Kaylee’s house where they’d been joined by Sherin and Mads. Her goods had been well received and in total, she earned sixty pounds from her spoils which was much more than she’d expected. Kaylee had then offered to buy them all a burger from the local cafe so the day had passed quite quickly. Soon it was time to leave them and head home to get ready for her evening out.
After a quick bath, she’d made herself a piece of toast and jam as that was the only food in the house, then spent over an hour getting ready. All the time, she’d kept a watchful eye on her phone as she was waiting for a text from Ty. They definitely had a date but she was waiting to hear where they were meeting. Savannah had been heading towards the bus stop when Ty phoned to tell her there had been a change of plan.
Now, instead of sitting in some smart bar or restaurant she was walking towards the Bradfield Arms, using the map on her phone to guide her. At 8 p.m. she found she was the first to arrive so bought herself a half pint of lager at the bar. The seedy publican didn’t ask her for proof of age as he was too busy looking at her cleavage and grinning lasciviously at her. As she sat at a table in the corner she felt quite self-conscious and was aware of him laughing with his similarly aged regular customers propping up the bar. One of them looked over and winked at her whilst running his tongue around his lips.
To her relief, the door opened and in swaggered Tyler. He scanned the dimly lit pub and wandered over.
‘Hi, gorgeous,’ he said. ‘You look stunning.’
‘Thanks,’ she said.
‘Another drink?’
‘Vodka and coke.’
‘Coming right up.’
Tyler kept checking his phone as he waited for the drinks.
‘Busy day?’ she asked.
‘Oh, you know, doing a few deals here and there.’
‘Make much money then?’
‘Enough. I’ve got you a little present, actually.’
Savannah’s eyes lit up.
‘I’ll give it to you later, don’t want to attract attention here, do we?’
‘Why are we meeting here?’ she asked. ‘It’s a bit grotty.’
‘Oh, I was doing some business up the road. It was convenient. So, how did you get on with your bit of business?’
‘Well, OK, I had to be careful, like, I’ve not done anything like that before,’ she whispered.
‘I know but how did you get on? Shift it all did you?’
‘Oh, yes,’ lied Savannah.
‘Excellent, well, now you’ve got the hang of it I’ll give you more gear. How about double?’
Savannah looked momentarily horrified but she forced a smile.
‘Sure, no problem,’ she replied.
‘So? Where is it?’
‘What?’
‘The money you got? I’m not a charity.’
‘Oh, yeah, sorry,’ she reached in her bag and produced the folded notes.
Tyler quickly assessed the eighty pounds before putting it in his pocket.
‘Now, I think as you sold the first lot cheaply, as an introductory offer, perhaps we ought to increase the price a bit for the next batch?’
‘What? Really?’ said Savannah. She was beginning to worry now. It had been hard to sell the last batch and in fact, hardly any had been sold as her brother had swiped the remainder.
‘I’m the businessman, remember?’ said Tyler. His mood was less friendly now. ‘I know the market, OK?’
‘Of course, sorry,’ she replied.
‘After all, I’ve given you some nice things, haven’t I?’
‘Yes, I love my watch,’ she replied.
‘It looks great on you. I get lots of things at cost price,’ He tapped his jacket pocket. ‘You’ll love the latest thing I’ve got for you.’
‘Thanks, Ty,’ she smiled. ‘Can we go now, that bloke keeps looking at me. It’s full of dirty old men.’
‘That’s because you are so beautiful,’ he replied. ‘You’re sa
fe with me, don’t worry.’ Tyler put his hand on her arm. ‘What do you fancy to eat then? Pizza? Curry?’
‘Pizza, I think,’ she replied. ‘Shall we go?’
‘Sure, my car is outside.’
They stood to leave and Savannah caught the table with her leg. The effect of the two drinks was beginning to take effect. She took hold of Tyler’s arm as they walked out into the fresh air, trying to ignore the shouts from inside the pub.
**
Vincent Hughes had reached the end of the road when he heard footsteps behind him and his name being called.
‘Vinny, mate? Got a minute?’
He felt in his pocket for his knife and turned to see someone he didn’t recognise, trying to hurry along the pavement. The man appeared to be limping, dragging one leg and breathing heavily.
‘Yeah? Who are you?’
‘Bazza, I’ve heard you might have some gear? Know what I mean?’
‘Who told you?’
‘Wayne, Wayne Roberts. Works with my brother, cleaning. I would go to Wayne but I need a bit more than he can supply. Wondered whether we could do a deal?’
Vincent studied the customer. Was he the police? Was it a trap? He didn’t look like police, there was something about him which suggested he operated in the same murky world of crime.
‘Doesn’t matter, I can go to someone else,’ said Jed, turning away.
Vincent had to make a decision. The Kilburn Boys had been piling on the pressure recently and he had a large unsold supply. He’d experienced how they showed their displeasure and he was keen to avoid a repeat performance.
‘How much we talking about?’
‘A monkey, for starters.’
‘Let’s see it,’ said Vincent.
‘Jed took out the roll of notes.’
‘Give me a ton.’
Jed counted out five twenties and handed them over.
‘OK, wait over by the wall. My car is just across the road. I’ll see what I’ve got. Might need to arrange another meet. OK?’
‘Sounds good.’
Vincent took out his keys and activated the remote. The car ahead flashed its hazard warnings as it unlocked. Jed waited until Vincent was busy rummaging in the boot then cried out in agony.
‘Ow! Fuck!’ shouted Jed, grasping his thigh. ‘Shit, I’ve got cramp, it’s my dodgy leg. Ow! Arghh!’
Vincent cursed and ran over to Jed.
‘Fuck’s sake! You’ll have people coming out to see what’s happening! Shut the fuck up!’ he hissed.
Jed quickly produced his gun from his shoulder holster and pressed it to Vincent’s forehead. He frisked his target efficiently and removed his knife.
‘Get in the car and drive. One move and I’ll blow your fucking brains out,’ he said.
**
Savannah and Tyler were finishing their pizza. Eating at a table was an unusual experience for Savannah who was more used to having her meals in front of the TV or out on the street. Throughout the meal, Tyler kept answering his phone which was beginning to get a bit annoying from Savannah’s point of view but at least it meant she didn’t have to say much. She’d been hoping they’d share a bottle of wine but Tyler said he didn’t want to pay the inflated prices and they could get a few drinks from a shop afterwards.
‘Finished?’ he said, which was obvious as the plate was almost licked clean.
‘Yes, thanks.’
‘Right, I’ll get the bill.’
‘OK, I’ll just go to the loo, won’t be a minute.’
When she returned he was already outside, on his phone once more. She sighed. He’d shown little interest in her all evening, it was hardly the romantic encounter she’d hoped for.
‘OK, we’d better get back to mine and get you that gear,’ he said.
‘I thought we was going to a club?’
‘Not tonight, babe, I’ve got a busy day tomorrow. You got school, ain’t you? Hope you’ve done your homework for tomorrow,’ he chuckled.
‘Piss off,’ she replied.
‘Hey, I was joking,’ he said, grabbing her arm. ‘Only mugs do their homework,’ he bent down to kiss her. ‘Forgiven?’
‘I’m not sure,’ she said, smiling.
‘Well, let’s see if my present changes your mind.’
‘Let’s see it then,’ she said, starting to feel in his pocket.
Tyler grabbed her arm roughly.
‘Ouch! You’re hurting me!’
He let go of her arm. ‘It’s at home like I said. Come on. You’ll like it and you can pick up that gear as well.’
He put his arm around her and they headed back to his car. Savannah was excited about her present. What could it be? A new phone? Some jewellery? She couldn’t wait to see the expression on her friends’ faces when she showed them.
**
Vincent had been forced to get in through the passenger door so that Jed could slip in behind him and keep the gun trained on his head. They were now driving towards the Lensfield Estate.
‘Look, what do you want? You can have all the gear I’ve got for free,’ said Vincent, his voice trembling with fear. He felt a desperate need to empty his bladder and hoped he wouldn’t wet himself. He’d never seen this guy before but he had a ruthlessness about him, carrying himself like a professional assassin.
‘I want some information. Who betrayed Sean Bailey and messed up his drug deal? He was supposed to be meeting with you. What happened?’
‘I don’t know! Honest!’
‘Don’t lie to me! He was ambushed, stood no chance! He trusted you! What did you do?’
‘I’ve told you! I don’t know!’
‘Pull over here!’ said Jed.
They were now on an isolated road towards the edge of the Lensfield estate. Jed kept the gun held towards Vincent’s head. He took out a knife and without warning, he slashed at Vincent’s cheek.
‘Arghhh,’ cried Vincent, putting his hand to his cheek as the blood poured out from a gaping flap of flesh.
‘Another?’ said Jed, stabbing him in the top of the thigh.
‘OK, OK, I told the Kilburn Boys. They forced me. I had no choice! Look what they did to my finger. They are completely insane!’
‘At least you’ve had the balls to admit what you did.’
‘Look, I had no choice. I work for them now, that’s why I’ve got so much gear. I can give you some. We can be partners. They are expanding in a big way. I’m sure they’ll agree to take you on.’
‘Where do you meet them?’
‘A flat in Regent Road, not far from here.’
‘OK, anywhere else?’
‘Soon, they are moving into another house, Salisbury Street. Number twenty-two, I think. Bloke called Alfie lives there. He’s a bit thick.’
‘Interesting. See, it wasn’t so bad, was it?’
Vincent was shaking and crying by now. ‘Please let me go?’
‘Get out of the car, this way,’ said Jed, getting out through the passenger door and allowing Vincent to alight.
‘Over there,’ he pointed towards an alleyway. ‘Go down there.’
‘Where? ‘
‘Just keep walking away from the road, OK? I want you away from me.’
Vincent shuffled along the alleyway, crying and holding his cheek and his leg. He was a pathetic sight.
Jed jogged up behind him and brought his gun down hard on the back of Vincent’s neck causing him to slump to the floor unconscious. Next, Jed took out his knife and slashed at his victim’s throat. Blood spurted out and flooded onto his clothes, quickly pooling on to the alleyway. He stood for a few moments, breathing deeply and admiring his handiwork. A frisson of pleasure suffused his body as if a need had been satisfied just as the body feels after a period of fasting. Vinny had been no match for his carefully honed skills and Jed had executed an efficient hit. That single action had the power to wipe away the feeling of insecurity which had been eating away at him after the Foal Lane debacle. He searched Vincent’s pockets, removing hi
s phone, keys and a bundle of notes before scurrying back to the car and setting off into the night.
Chapter 35
‘Well, thanks Brett, that’s great,’ said Ron. ‘I’m prepared to increase by another twenty-grand, see what he says about that. I’ll seal the deal today if he agrees.’
Ron could hardly keep still as he spoke to Brett. He just wished they’d been able to tell him over the weekend. He’d been so tense waiting for the news of the extra equity.
‘I’ll get in touch with Sidney. You’ve got his details, I think. Yes, that’s right. He’ll organise the money transfer, once you confirm the final sum,’ he listened to Brett. ‘OK, well call me back anytime today, bye.’ Ron punched the air, then felt the familiar tightening in his chest. He sat down and sprayed the glyceryl trinitrate under his tongue. He was desperate to tell Maureen but he wanted to make sure the angina attack had passed. He felt he needed to pass water again. It was such a nuisance but at least the diuretic tablets seemed to be working as the swelling had decreased considerably around his ankles.
He went to find Maureen who was sitting on the terrace so she could supervise the gardeners who were making sure everything looked neat for Wednesday. The marquee people were due tomorrow so the lawns were being mowed today.
‘Maureen! Maureen!’ called Ron.
She didn’t hear him immediately over the noise of the machinery and she was engrossed with something on her tablet.
‘Oh, hi,’ she said. ‘You look very pleased!’
‘I look pleased because I am pleased,’ and he gave her a hug before sitting down next to her.
‘That was nice,’ she said. ‘So, what’s the news? I think I can guess, though.’
‘Brett just phoned me. Nobody else put in a bid for Marsfield’s stake so I’ve got it! Well, I will have when the final price is agreed. But it should be in the bag today.’
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