Reprisal (The Cardigan Estate Book 2)

by Emmy Ellis

  It was a manor house in luxurious grounds, the lawn striped and flowers in massive beds. A high fence stood all around it, and by the main gates was a little grey hut, presumably for a security guard. It was several steps up the expense ladder and not anywhere Beth could afford by herself—she should know, she’d checked out several places before settling on where Gran should go. A year, though, that was a long time, and Gran could have a posh room for a while, at least.

  “How come they just let her go?” she asked. “That’s…that’s so wrong. Helen should have rung me. I thought it was the best place for her on my budget, that they cared, but they just let some bloke take her away?”

  “Money and threats talk loudly.” He smiled. “Better than her being a sitting duck, isn’t it? Lime threatening an old woman…disgusting. Well, we shifted the goal posts. Not only is she safe, you’ve got peace of mind.”

  She agreed there. But doing this without her even knowing? Without even asking her? And what about Gran? She was confused enough as it was, so a new place might unsettle her. She said as much to The Brothers, arms folded, tapping her foot.

  “She’s fine. Settled in nicely. Got her own personal nurses, one for days, one for nights. Once Lime’s out of our faces, we’ll take you there. It’s not far.”

  “So what do I say to Lime now?” She held up her phone. “Do I pretend I’m still scared he’ll hurt my gran?”

  “Repeat what you said before. Outside B&M or nothing.”

  She sighed. Why did everything have to be so fucking difficult?

  * * * *

  Beth stood in front of B&M, darting her gaze about, needing to see everyone at once to know who was coming for her. She didn’t expect Lime to do as she’d asked. She didn’t reckon he’d turn up himself, he’d send someone else, but at least Gran was out of the equation now.

  Once she’d calmed down, she’d realised what the twins had done for her and was grateful for it. In her head, she repeated what The Brothers had told her to say. She was to pass the false information on then walk out of the shopping centre to the taxi rank. A driver would be waiting for her in a fake black cab, ready to take her away.

  People walked from one shop to another, just a normal day for them. Some were loaded with bags, while others only had one or none at all. Costa opposite was packed with the lunchtime trade, and music piped from hidden speakers, some panpipe shit that rasped her nerves.

  A tall slender woman came out of B&M, her hair a bit wig-like, black with a purple hue where the overhead lights shone on it. She had a camel-coloured coat on, dark-brown fur on the lapels, and sunglasses covering her eyes. That immediately put Beth on alert. It wasn’t the weather for sunglasses.

  “Let’s go and sit over there on that bench,” she said, taking possession of Beth’s elbow in a punishing grip, her manicured nails digging in.

  “Take your hand off me,” Beth gritted out. “I’ll go with you, no need to force me.”

  “You’d better.” Purple Hair flounced off, her little lilac handbag banging a rhythm on the top of her thigh.

  Beth walked behind her, glancing around casually so it didn’t look obvious she was checking for not only Lime or Dave but someone sent by The Brothers to keep watch. She sat beside her, keeping about a foot away.

  “You need to tell me what’s going on,” Purple said.

  “I don’t even know you. How can I pass on information that’s meant for someone else? You could be anyone.”

  Purple smiled. “Correct answer. You really do love your gran, don’t you. In a minute, I’m going to walk away. Someone else will come and sit here. You can tell him instead.”

  “I’m not telling anyone but Lime.”

  “Such a good girl. I did think you’d spill the beans to me, but he said you wouldn’t.” Purple rose and sauntered off, flicking her hair.

  Was that a sign for the man to come? God, this was like being in a programme on the bloody telly. She wanted nothing more than to get up and piss off, and she would if the twins hadn’t been so good to Gran. She had to repay them by doing what they’d asked and hand Lime to them.

  An old bloke ambled over, tapping his white cane on the tiles with every step. He had tinted glasses on, white hair poking out beneath a black trilby, his coat similar to a long suit jacket, the material thick tweed. He swivelled so his back was to her and made to sit, so she reached out to touch his arm.

  “Um, you can’t sit there. Someone else will be here in a minute.”

  He ignored her and sat.

  She stared at his profile, at the wrinkles and the sideburns, at the hair curling over the back of the coat collar. Then he turned his head and smiled.

  “I heard you like omelettes,” he said in Lime’s voice, staring with Lime’s stark blue eyes. “And you stayed in a basement once, naked and chained.”

  She held back a shudder. “You could be pretending to be him.” She’d said it so he’d think she was being cautious, on his side, careful of who she passed the information to.

  “Your name is Beth, and you’re here so your gran doesn’t get her throat slashed. You’re a working girl, snatched off the street and taken to my house. I washed you using a water hose. You shit and pissed yourself and—”

  “Okay, I get it.” Why did he have to bring that up?

  “What do you have to tell me?” He smirked at upsetting her then stared ahead.

  She did the same, watching for anyone else coming their way. There were too many people to keep an eye on, scurrying here and there, many of them probably on their lunch breaks. “They’re going to be at one of their warehouses tonight, killing someone.” She gave him the location.

  “How do you know that’s the right one?”

  Shit, they hadn’t discussed this bit, so she had to think quick. “Because George mentioned it.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t bloody know!”

  “Go on…” He gripped the cane so tight his fingertips whitened as well as his knuckles.

  She’d angered him by snapping. Her heartbeat reacted, getting faster. Nauseated, she whispered, because a woman with a wailing child in a buggy had come close, “Afterwards, they always dump the bodies over the wall into the river. They were laughing about it, saying it’s so easy to tip black bags out. I don’t know what they meant by that. Maybe they put body parts in them?”

  He tapped the cane on the floor, a rapid one-two. “Give yourself a gold star for your powers of deduction.”

  How come he had her feeling so stupid, the ability to embarrass her with so few words?

  “Who are they killing?” he asked.

  “They didn’t say, but whoever it is has pissed them off. Maybe he nicked some of their money or something like that.”

  Lime huffed. “They’re no better than Cardigan, getting upset over that. What time is this happening?”

  “Eleven. They’re going to use a saw on him, one of those electric ones. I don’t know how long that takes, but they said they want to be home by one.”

  “You did well, but remember this. Don’t you dare tell me what to do ever again. Your insistence that we talk here isn’t something you should feel comfortable saying to me. I almost sent someone to have a little chat with your gran because of it.”

  She kept her mouth shut despite wanting to tell him he’d have a hard job, that Gran was safe from the likes of him and he’d never find her now. “I was scared. I thought you’d put me in the basement again. Here, I’m better protected by shoppers.”

  He stood. “You’re only safe when I say you are.”

  He tottered off, disappearing into a crowd of skiving kids coming out of Superdrug, their school uniforms giving them away. She stood, panicking in case he sent someone to stop her from leaving. Heading for the main doors, she caught sight of a woman staring at her through the window of The Edinburgh Woollen Mill, a pink jumper held against her chest.

  Purple Hair, her eyes narrowed, lips pursed.

  Beth fled outside, her breath ca
tching from a sob wanting to burst out of her. She raced across the road to the taxi rank. Lights flashed on a black cab, and she had a moment of sheer terror—what if it wasn’t one of The Brothers’ men? What if Lime’s blokes had been watching and knew what the plan was?

  Her phone buzzed, not the burner, and she was glad Lime hadn’t texted her. She stood beside a lamppost to read the message.

  G: Well done. We’re in the red Mini parked outside Nationwide. See us?

  She glanced up and over the road. The driver’s window eased down, and George waved, then closed it again. She blew out a shaky breath, so relieved to be protected by them.

  Her message tone bleeped again.

  G: Get in the taxi with the yellow sticker in the side window.

  She walked along and checked each one, coming to a stop beside the cab that had the flashing lights. Back door open, she peered inside.

  “Sarah?” Beth blinked at her bruised face.

  “In you get.”

  Beth clambered inside. “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Lime had dropped Sarah off in a street behind The Flag where no CCTV was in operation. All the way from the stream, she’d sat in the back of his car, alternating between shivering and being too hot. Shock at what she’d done? Fear from knowing she was in his pocket more than ever now?

  She kept seeing Drippy’s face going under the water, feeling the cold in her hands, him bucking beneath her, all of it, right up to Dave flinging a match inside Drippy’s car and closing the door on the small flames that had ignited on the driver’s seat. As he’d pulled away from the scene, she’d looked back. Orange and yellow fire had swallowed the seat, spreading, and she’d waited for the vehicle to blow up.

  She shut the images away and stood outside a house, willing herself to walk to the alley that would take her to the street The Flag was in. One step, two steps, and she shucked off the jitters and put her game face on.

  Princess was in their usual spot, and Sarah hurried towards her.

  The older woman turned to face Sarah, eyes going wide. “Where the hell have you been? I was just going to let Lime know you hadn’t come back.”

  Sarah prepared her lie quickly. “I went with Drippy to the warehouse, then felt a bit sick so went home for a bit. I’m all right now. Must have eaten something dodgy for dinner.”

  “You should have texted me. Didn’t we agree to do that?” Princess shook her head.

  “Sorry, I forgot.”

  “I’ve been standing here all this time, not going with blokes. Lime’s going to go mad when I don’t have any money to hand over. Bloody hell, I thought Drippy had done something to you, turned funny. They do that, some of them.”

  “He wouldn’t hurt anyone, although he did tell me he won’t be coming back. He thinks his wife has found out what he’s been getting up to, so tonight was the last one.”

  “Blimey, you’ll need to find another regular to make up the cash loss, like we will now. Smile bright, we need the custom.”

  They chatted for a while longer, then someone drove by and waited for Princess. Sarah was relieved and took the time to step back, to have a breather.

  Days passed, and with no sign of Lime or Dave, no messages from them reminding her to keep her mouth shut, she relaxed a bit. Until a copper came by, asking questions. Drippy had gone missing, so he’d said—at least she assumed it was him, seeing as he mentioned a man of his description hadn’t been home for days. They’d been checking CCTV for sightings of his car.

  One camera had picked him up at the corner—and her getting into his vehicle.

  “What of it?” she said, acting like the other girls, blasé, as if she wasn’t really crapping herself.

  “Where did you go?”

  “To the warehouse, as usual. He likes it there. More private.”

  He wrote that down. “What about after that?”

  She shrugged. “He drove off, I went home for a bit. Didn’t feel well. Food poisoning from prawns.”

  “Where’s home?”

  She gave him her address. “I came back out after, though, ask Princess.” She pointed to her. “So what’s he done, walked out on his wife? She might be lying and kicked him out. He said she was getting nosy about where he was going every week.”

  “Right. Thanks.”

  He wandered off, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  But he turned back and approached again. “His burnt-out car was found by a stream. Do you know anything about that?”

  She stared at him. “Why would I? Like I said, I was at home after he left me.”

  “Do you know of any reason his car would be set on fire?”

  She shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe he did it for the insurance.” Her laugh sounded false. “Or maybe he left his wife because she nags him. What do I care? I just had sex with him, nothing more.”

  He walked off again and spoke to some of the other girls. When he’d gone, they gathered in a huddle to discuss what was going on. No one seemed to suspect Sarah, most saying it was unfortunate it happened to be one of her regular fellas who’d gone missing.

  Life resumed as normal, and she’d like to say she forgot about killing that man, but she didn’t.

  She never would.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Richie walked into the reception of Helen House and smiled at the woman behind the desk. All she’d see was an old man with his white cane, his dark glasses, a hat, and a tweed coat covering some padding underneath.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I’d like to see Doris Sidall.”

  “Oh, she’s no longer here.”

  He paused for a moment, in shock. “What do you mean, no longer here?”

  “She left.”

  Another woman came over from where she’d been arranging flowers in a vase on a coffee table in the waiting area. “I’ll deal with this, Christine.” She gave her attention to Richie. “I’m Helen, the owner. If you’d like to come this way.”

  He followed her down a corridor to a door marked OFFICE, almost forgetting to act old. Inside, she sat behind a desk and gestured for him to sit on the other side. He lowered himself onto the chair, wincing for effect.

  “As my colleague said, Doris is no longer here. If you’d like to contact her, I can speak to the gentleman who’s dealing with her care now in place of her granddaughter, to see if you can pass on any letters or perhaps visit her.”

  “What man?”

  “That’s something I can’t tell you.” She picked up a posh pen and fiddled with it, her cheeks reddening.

  “You’d better.”

  “Excuse me?” She sat up straighter, annoyance clear on her delicate pixie face.

  He’d slipped into himself by accident. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. I didn’t mean to snap. Doris is a friend of mine from when she used to live in my street. I’ve only just found out she was taken into a home—I did wonder why I hadn’t seen her around. I wanted to visit, see how she is.”

  “I’m afraid you can’t. If you’d like to leave your name and address, your phone number, I’ll get back to you.” She pushed a pad and a different pen across the desk.

  Richie stood. “That’s quite all right, I know when I’m being fobbed off.”

  He stalked out, tapping the cane in anger, scowling at Christine on the way past. Doris was gone—but where? And who was the man who’d dealt with moving her?

  That fucking Beth had a slap coming to her if The Brothers had whisked Doris away.

  He stormed outside to his car and got in, staring at Dave in the driver’s seat. “She’s fucking gone.”

  “What?”

  “Take me home, I need to get this gear off. I tell you, if I didn’t want to kill those twins in the worst way before, I do now. You can bet they’ve made sure the old bag is safe. When we’ve offed those two fuckers tonight, the next on the list is Beth. She can have a stint in the basement first, though, build up the scare factor. But by the time
we’re finished with starving her, she’ll welcome being dead.”

  Dave drove off, frowning. “The sooner we get The Estate, the better.”

  “Indeed. All this aggro is doing my head in.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Sarah and Beth sat at the island in The Brothers’ kitchen. Beth had asked questions all the way there, even while Sarah parked the taxi in the garage ready for someone to pick it up later and move it elsewhere. Sarah had kept her mouth shut, though. It was up to the twins to tell her what was going on.

  “Why aren’t you speaking to me?” Beth asked again, her eyes sunken in their sockets. Maybe she was tired.

  The rumble of an engine heralded George and Greg coming back.

  “Just wait for them, will you?” Sarah jerked her head in the direction of the sound—their Mini had been driven into the double garage attached to the kitchen.

  She was nervous as she had something to say herself, only coming to that decision after The Brothers had asked her to do them a favour and drive Beth from the shopping centre. They were ‘keeping it in the family’ by using her, and she hadn’t thought twice about helping. If it meant getting rid of Lime and Dave, she’d do anything.

  George and Greg entered via the back, nodding at Sarah in thanks.

  “She’s anxious to know what’s happening,” Sarah said. “With me being here, I mean.”

  Greg went to the coffee machine, his back to them.

  George sat at the island and made eye contact with Beth. “Look, Sarah’s a relation, you probably already know that. It makes sense to have her in on this. We’re keeping this operation quiet, even though blokes in our pay have helped out with regards to your gran and dropping cars off—the taxi and Mini. They just think she’s some old dear who needs a bit of help. If I’d asked one of them to pick you up earlier, they might start thinking something was up. They’d talk amongst themselves, and word might get out to Lime. See?”