by Emma Tallon
They didn’t have too long to wait. Paul came into view about ten minutes later. Sticking her head out before he got too close, she signalled his arrival to Dominic. She stepped back and began taking photos, making sure to focus on her brother rather than the environment around him. He looked as though he was deep in thought as he walked, his expression sombre. His thin, summer suit jacket was open and flapped about as he walked. He carried a brown bag that looked as though it carried some sort of takeaway food, clearly his lunch.
As Paul passed Thea held her breath, even though he was much too far away to hear something as quiet as her breathing on this busy London street. He didn’t glance her way. He didn’t seem to see anything in fact. He looked far too distracted. Thea frowned and wondered what was wrong. Still in photographer mode, she stepped back out and kept shooting. She would have to work out how to subtly ask him if he was OK another time.
Freddie took a deep breath and knocked on the hotel-room door. It opened after just a couple of seconds and he walked past DCI Riley without giving her a second glance. He wasn’t here to see her. He was here because he had been summoned by Ben Hargreaves.
The man was seated on the small sofa in the middle of the room, looking utterly deflated. Freddie looked him up and down critically. Even just in the past week he seemed as though he had lost half his body weight, his suit hanging off his small frame. His hair was a mess and his tie loose. He held a tumbler in his hand and a half-empty bottle sat on the table in front of him. His eyes looked hollow, as though he had not slept in a decade.
‘You summoned me?’ Freddie asked flatly. While he felt for the man’s plight, he did not take kindly to the corner he had been forced into, or the threat to Anna’s life that hung over him like a ten-ton weight.
Ben looked up at him with dead eyes. ‘You heard the tape,’ he replied. ‘We have less than a week until my baby girl is dead. Or my son,’ he added. ‘One of the two. What have you found?’
‘Nothing that your pigs haven’t already,’ Freddie answered. ‘I’ve looked. I’ve asked about. I’ve gone through every avenue I can think of. I’ve had men stationed around possible sites where the bastard could be coming through, on his late-night visits to your house. I’ve talked to your son—’
‘William?’
‘Yes, William. I talked to him in case there was anything he could tell me but not the police, but I got jack shit.’ Freddie held his arms out in the air. ‘Short of scaling London inch by inch, there ain’t a lot more I can do for you. If there was, I would. Trust me – I want you lot out of my life as soon as possible.’
Ben stared at him, and his eyes narrowed hatefully.
‘She got taken outside your club,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘I know it wasn’t you, but I also know who you are. I know the sort of people who frequent your clubs. Men like you. Criminals. So let me make myself clear once more.’ He pointed his finger at Freddie. ‘You find my daughter and you get her back to me before her time is up. Because if you don’t, I swear to God, you will spend the rest of your life behind bars and that little girlfriend of yours will be history. I’ll make sure she doesn’t even make it through her first night in prison. I will take everything from you, and I will keep going until there is nothing more in this world you even remotely care about.’ He shook with exhaustion and emotion.
Freddie clenched his teeth and said nothing. He had never wanted to hurt someone so badly before. But there was no point. Ben was on the edge of a breakdown and it wouldn’t do Freddie any favours if he was tipped over.
‘Just do your job, Tyler,’ he barked. ‘You’re running out of time.’
Freddie’s concern deepened. Grief-stricken or not, there was something not quite right with this bloke. For an intelligent man, he wasn’t hearing anything that Freddie said. There was no reasoning anymore. He looked like he was losing the plot. Freddie stared at him for a moment, then turned and left without another word. As he made his way down the hall he rubbed his jaw tensely. Things were heating up, and he suddenly wasn’t sure that he was holding all the pieces of the puzzle.
Michael walked into The Black Bear and took a seat next to Sammy and Freddie. He signalled over to the barmaid, who nodded and began pouring him a pint.
‘Michael,’ Freddie said in greeting.
‘What’s ’appening?’ he replied.
‘Not a fucking lot,’ Sammy said glumly.
‘Had another little meeting with Hargreaves today,’ said Freddie.
‘Oh? Junior or Senior?’ Michael asked, his attention gained.
‘Senior.’ Freddie gazed off into space thoughtfully. ‘There’s something not quite right there. The way he’s acting… it’s very erratic. Abnormally so, even for someone who hates us.’
‘Well, he is under a lot of strain; he’s probably not sleeping or eating. The guy’s probably going a bit mad,’ Sammy offered.
‘Nah, it’s beyond that. I think we need to put a tail on him, do some digging. Because I’m beginning to wonder if he knows more than he’s letting on.’
‘Really?’ Michael looked surprised.
‘Yeah.’ Freddie leaned in and looked at them both – hard. ‘There’s something about Ben Hargreaves that isn’t adding up, and if we’re going to get anywhere with finding his daughter, we need to work out what that is and fast.’
Michael and Sammy nodded their agreement and Freddie sat back, picking up his pint. Perhaps he had been looking too far out this whole time. Perhaps the culprit was a lot closer to home than he had originally thought.
41
Tanya stared into the bathroom mirror with a grim expression. She still couldn’t shake off the heavy feeling of dread she’d had since yesterday in the Tube. She hadn’t told anyone. All they would do is worry, and no one could help her anyway. She wondered whether she should have taken Freddie’s offer more seriously, but it all just seemed far too dramatic and over the top. Much as she had a flair for the dramatic herself, she didn’t need some bodyguard following her round like she was Whitney Houston.
She sighed and tried to push the worry out of her mind. Daniel was here, and she wanted to be able to enjoy the evening. Their schedules had both been so busy over the last week that they had only managed one quick coffee date. To her surprise, she had actually really missed him. He was fast becoming a permanent fixture in her life, and for once she was happy to go with it. She had spent a long time doing it all on her own and having fun with the wrong guys. Tanya felt ready to commit to the right person.
Running her hands through her thick red hair and pouting to check that her even brighter red lipstick was perfect, she left the bathroom and returned to the kitchen. Daniel stood behind the counter cutting up the peppers for the crudité plate, her apron tied around his waist over his crisp, white shirt. She stood in the doorway drinking in the sight for a moment. Her lip curled into a content smile. Daniel looked up and saw her.
‘Ah, there you are. Can you pour the wine?’
‘Shouldn’t we wait?’ she asked.
‘We can have a quick one before they get here, can’t we?’ His eyebrows crossed for a second and Tanya realised he was anxious about meeting her friends. She grinned.
‘’Course,’ she replied.
Tanya poured the chilled white wine into two glasses and placed one next to the chopping board for him. She squeezed his arm affectionately before pinching one of the carrot sticks, neatly stacked on one of her serving plates.
‘Hey, not until your guests arrive,’ Daniel chided, laughing. ‘It’s rude.’
‘Mm.’ Tanya nodded through a mouthful of carrot. ‘It is. But more importantly, there’s something we need to discuss.’
‘Oh? What’s that, then?’ Daniel continued chopping, unaware of the cheeky twinkle in his girlfriend’s eye.
‘Your attire.’
‘What’s wrong with this?’ He looked down at himself, confused. ‘I’ve just come from work, you know that.’
‘Yes, but I personally think you
should remove everything except the apron. I think that would look very good indeed.’
‘Oh, do you now?’ Daniel put the knife down and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her to him.
Tanya laughed, and he leaned in for a slow, passionate kiss. She melted into him.
The doorbell sounded and Daniel pulled away, releasing her. ‘Saved by the bell,’ he joked.
‘Mm, I wouldn’t call it saved,’ she grumbled. She winked and left him to open the door.
Freddie burst in first, brandishing a bottle of champagne. ‘I come bearing gifts,’ he announced jovially.
‘Yeah, is that from my club?’ she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Freddie looked back at Anna, who nodded. ‘Yeah, it is actually,’ he said.
They all laughed. Anna stepped forward and grasped her best friend and business partner in a warm hug. She was excited to meet this boyfriend that Tanya was so head over heels about.
‘Is he in there?’ Anna heard Freddie greet Daniel and the two men start talking. ‘Ooh, let me through!’ She pushed past and Tanya closed the door, her heart singing.
She was having a double-date night in with her best friend and her new love. Freddie was in a great mood and seemed to be chatting animatedly to Daniel. She hoped they would be fast friends in no time. Things couldn’t be going better.
Her phone chimed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see who it was. As soon as she read it, her elated mood plummeted.
Your time is running out.
Tanya’s heart turned to ice as she stared at the text, reading it again. Her time was running out. Whoever had tried to kill her on the Tube wasn’t going to give up. She shivered. Something told her that next time they wouldn’t be taking any chances.
‘Tan? You joining us?’ Freddie walked back into the hallway with a champagne flute. He stopped when he saw her ashen face. He lowered his voice. ‘You OK?’
Tanya bit her lip and made a decision. She couldn’t risk the phantom texter succeeding in their next murder attempt. Not wanting to tell the others, she whispered back shakily, ‘No. I’m not OK. I need your help, Freddie.’
There was a knock at the door, and Freddie looked up from his desk in the office at Ruby Ten, the club where Katherine had gone missing.
‘Come in,’ he said.
The door opened and a middle-aged man in a grey tweed jacket walked in. He smiled at Freddie, though the lines of stress and worry never left the area around his eyes.
‘DI Fraser, to what do I owe this pleasure?’ Freddie asked. He offered the man a seat. Although he had little respect for the filth on his payroll, his relationship with this particular man had been of great value over the years.
‘Freddie, you’re looking well.’ He sat down. ‘I’ve come to share some bad news, I’m afraid.’ He frowned, and the worry lines on his face deepened. ‘I know you’ve been under Hargreaves’ spotlight lately, what with his daughter and everything. I don’t know what you’ve done to piss him off, but he pulled me into an off-record meeting yesterday. He’s told me that in five days, unless I hear otherwise, I’m to arrange a raid on your house.’ He shifted his weight uncomfortably. ‘He wants me to fit you up with enough gear to put you away for a long time. Not just you either – Anna too. Which I don’t understand one bit.’ He sighed. He had been dreading coming down here, but he knew he had to tell Freddie. ‘There’s nothing I can do to get out of it. He’s the Secretary of State for Justice.’ He held his arms out helplessly. ‘If I refuse, I lose my job, and he’d just find someone else to do it anyway. The only thing going in our favour right now is that he has no idea of my relationship to you. At least I can warn you and give you enough time to make arrangements or get away. I’m sorry, Freddie.’
Freddie nodded gravely as he took the information in. ‘That’s OK, Fraser. I knew it was coming. I just didn’t know what direction from or when exactly. So thank you for that.’
‘If things change, if he tells me otherwise, I’ll let you know straight away.’
‘I appreciate that. Just do me one favour.’
‘Of course, what is it?’
‘If it comes to it… raid Club CoCo first, not my home. Then give me an hour before anyone hits Club Anya.’
‘Sure.’ DI Fraser nodded. ‘I can do that. I’ll let you know in advance too. Give you more time.’
‘Good man.’
DI Fraser nodded and got up to leave. He knew Freddie’s time was valuable; he didn’t want to take up too much of it.
‘I’ll hopefully be calling you to tell you there’s been a change of plan instead. See you later, Fred.’
He walked out, and Freddie sat back in his chair, staring at the door. So it had begun. The final wheels were in motion. His brain began whirring, ten to the dozen. It was time to put his back-up plan into action.
42
Thea walked into the large gymnasium and looked around. It was full to the brim with people eager to see the fight. Freddie and Sammy had been working with some local lads, training them up and getting them ready for some of the lower-league boxing matches. This was the first big fight for one of their boys, and Thea knew it was an exciting night for them. They had exclusive gambling rights here, the gymnasium being in Freddie’s territory, so their men stood at stalls around the room, taking bets.
Freddie had asked her to cover the event and get photos for the press and for future advertising. She had been more than happy to accept. Thea wandered around and found a nook at the side, with a great view of the ring and her brothers. She could kill two birds with one stone tonight. She could get the boxing shots for Freddie and some candid shots of her brothers for her project.
The room was full of activity. They had gone all out for this fight. They had multiple vendors around the edges, selling all sorts of delicious-looking food and drink. She eyed up the Prosecco stand. Maybe later, once she had finished her work for the evening. It would be nice to hang out with all of her brothers together for once. They were all so busy these days she hardly saw them.
The ringleader stepped out and began to fire up the already excited crowds. Thea sat and watched, snapping away as each fighter came out and the rounds began. She was thrilled with the photos she got of her brothers as they watched the fight. Freddie was tense and wired, and Michael was overly excited, the emotions playing out strongly on their faces. Paul watched with a critical eye, but he still seemed slightly distracted to Thea.
The third round came and went, and Thea saw a huge change in Freddie. He stood up and began frantically cheering their fighter on. His smile broadened as the boy came at his opponent again and again, never letting up. Eventually, the other man stayed down, and after he was counted out by the referee, the crowd went wild. The ref held up the winner’s hand to signal victory. Thea moved around and quickly grabbed some shots of the big win. She was thrilled that Freddie’s bet on this boy had paid off. She went back to her original position and took photos of the celebrating crowds.
Staring through the lens at her brothers, she realised that Paul had disappeared. Thea looked up, frowning. She scanned the room and eventually found him paying for two lots of fish and chips at one of the stands. She watched him pick up the food, expecting him to return to his seat. Instead, he looked over his shoulder and checked that Freddie hadn’t noticed his departure before slipping out of a nearby exit. He disappeared from view and the door closed behind him. Thea blinked. What was he doing? They were all on a family night out. They were all together for once, except for Mollie who didn’t enjoy boxing. It was a big night for her brothers though – the first big win. Where could he possibly need to go? And who, she wondered, was the second meal for?
Michael walked into Club Anya and, nodding to Carl as he passed, walked straight through to the back office. He knocked but didn’t wait for a response before he entered.
‘Anna.’ He smiled at her as he closed the door behind him.
‘Michael, oh, you’re early!’ Anna was surprised as she looked at the t
ime. She needed longer to work on the new marketing campaign she had put together. But she could finish it a bit later, she reasoned with herself. This was more important. A gleam appeared in her eye as she smiled back at him.
‘Yeah, traffic wasn’t as bad as I’d expected,’ Michael replied. ‘All the more time to spend with you though, so I’m not complaining.’
Anna laughed. ‘Why thank you, but save your compliments for later.’
‘Later?’
Anna didn’t hear him – she was busy tidying away the mess of papers strewn across her desk.
‘I was pleased you texted,’ Michael continued. ‘I enjoyed hanging out before, especially now Paul’s never around.’
‘Me too – it was nice to spend some time with you,’ Anna replied warmly. ‘We’re all so busy these days, aren’t we?’
‘Yeah I guess.’ Michael sat down across the desk from her and waited for her to finish tidying up. ‘I was thinking about you the other day actually. I passed this shop and in the window there was this scarf that I thought would look perfect on you. I know that sounds stupid,’ he said, laughing, ‘but I just couldn’t help noticing. So I picked it up for you.’ He pulled a small package out of his pocket. It was wrapped up smartly in purple tissue paper.
Anna hesitated, and her smile faltered into puzzlement.
Michael hastily continued. ‘I felt bad that I didn’t get you a gift for your birthday,’ he explained, ‘so I’ve been on the lookout for anything you might like.’
‘Oh, how sweet,’ Anna replied. ‘You really didn’t need to. I didn’t expect anything.’
‘Well, I got it now anyway. So here, have a look.’
Anna took the small package and unwrapped the delicate tissue paper. She noted that he had purchased the gift from Liberty, one of her favourite shops to wander round. A slim silk neck scarf slid out into her hands, and she opened it out. It was a beautiful thing indeed, she thought. It was a deep blue colour, somewhere between royal blue and navy, and had a subtle pattern running through it that reminded her of running water. It was exactly the sort of thing she would have chosen herself.
