“No,” he exclaimed. “He’s a good business partner, we make each other a lot of cash. His past with you is not my business,” he said before hastily turning his attention to some papers on his desk.
Jules smiled at the top of his bowed head, amused, while Jez looked from one to the other with a frown. One day he’d work out what the hell their relationship was.
“How did you deal with the attack on his business?” Jules asked.
“By doing nothing,” replied Jez. “He handled it pretty well on his own.”
“This was an attack on us too.”
“It was just a group of junkies chancing their arm,” said Jez.
“I bet Jared Slattery’s behind it.”
“It’s possible, but what can he do all the way up here?”
“Take my advice and don’t take any chances. You don’t want to embarrass yourselves by not looking into it properly and letting a bunch of no-necks get the better of you.”
“Yes, thank you Jules for telling us our business but we have already thought of that,” said Jez. “We’ve got Grant and Mark still looking for Bobby Nilsen.”
“They’re both really good at what they do but at times like this I wish Battler and Bruiser still worked for us,” said Mikey. “There was no one like them for battering in someone’s door and scaring the living shit out of them.”
“I wouldn’t mind that pair bursting in on me in the shower,” grinned Jules. “Sorry,” she added when they both looked at her disapprovingly.
“Anyway,” continued Jez. “Hopefully they’ll find him and neutralise him.”
“Neutralise him?” said Jules. “I didn’t have you down as the type to use euphemisms.”
“I’m trying to be subtle. You should try it sometime.”
Jules just smiled at him and pulled the pack of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket. When Mikey opened his mouth to yell at her she stuffed them back in.
“You should really quit,” said Jez.
“I enjoy it. Do I tell you not to keep impregnating Cathy?”
“Ha fucking ha,” he frowned. He glanced at Mikey, who had drifted off into his own world. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I was just wondering, how did it feel seeing Alice again?” he asked Jules. “Does it do you some good or is it a torment?”
“What sort of weird question is that?” said Jez.
“Just curious.”
Jules however understood his reason for asking. “Well, it used to be hard work. I was so scared she was going to tell someone about how the fire really started but as time went on I realised she was the scared one. Now it’s not a problem, although she isn’t pleasant to look at. Why?”
“Just wondering. That must be Grant and Mark,” he added when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
The two men entered, looking sheepish.
“Well?” said Jez.
“Sorry Boss,” said Grant. “We can’t find Nilsen anywhere and everyone’s denying all knowledge. The Starklaws have vanished too.”
“They’ll be holed up together, like a bunch of sewer rats,” hissed Jules.
“This is far more than someone taking pot shots at us, it’s a fucking plot,” exclaimed Jez.
“You’re probably right,” said Jules. “A power grab - Nilsen and the Starklaws working together with Jared Slattery. They’re going to keep hitting us then hiding in the shadows.”
“So how do we find them?” said Mikey.
“We could grab someone they care about and use them to draw them out of hiding,” offered Grant.
“Nilsen and the Starklaws don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves,” said Jez.
“The Starklaws’ crew are notoriously gobby,” said Jules. “We could track one of them down and make them tell us where they’re hiding.”
“If we can find them,” said Mikey.
“There’s always the planks Dane put in hospital who turned over his business. They must have contacted the Starklaws somehow,” said Jules.
“Good thinking,” said Mikey. “All three are still in hospital. Grant, Mark, get down there and make them talk.”
They both nodded and left.
“Let’s hope they can tell us something,” said Jez.
“I don’t know,” said Mikey. “The Starklaws are fucking dingbats but Nilsen’s smart, he wouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake as to give that bunch of crack heads information that could lead us right to them.”
“Let’s hope he had an off day,” said Jez. “I’ve got the feeling we’ve got a few of those coming.”
That feeling only increased when Mikey’s phone rang. He answered and his shoulders slumped. “Okay, yep, we’ll be right there.” He hung up, tossed the phone onto his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Has another business been hit?” said Jez.
“No. That was Toni Mcvay. She’s here.”
“In Manchester?”
He nodded. “And she wants us to meet her at The Wherry Tavern.”
“Then we’d better not keep her waiting,” said Jez, getting to his feet.
“Want me to come?” offered Jules. “You might need back-up.”
“Yeah, you can come along,” replied Mikey.
“I’ve never met her before. What’s she like?”
“You’re in for a treat,” he said doubtfully.
“Is she like her brother?”
“Did you ever meet him?”
“No but I would have liked to.”
“You would have got on well. Toni’s not as openly psychotic as Frankie but at least he had a sense of humour. Toni doesn’t. I want you there. She likes the ladies so you can work your usual magic.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said cockily.
“You took your time,” were Toni’s first words. Mikey had called ahead and instructed the intimidated pub manager to settle her in the office with a drink. He noticed she’d opted for champagne, gracefully sipping from a long-stemmed glass, the bottle beside her on the desk. She was a very attractive woman with long black curly hair, the clingy dress she wore revealing a lot of bosom, as usual.
Mikey had never seen the man standing by her side before. He appeared to be in his early fifties in a sharp grey suit, ear length black hair streaked with grey, matching black and grey goatee and a scarred face, as though someone had put a knife in his mouth then pushed upwards, making him look as though he was perpetually smiling, even though his eyes were hard.
“We came straight away,” replied Mikey. It had been agreed that he would do most of the talking as Toni’s deal had actually been made with the Maguires, not the Laws, even though Jez helped run their drug distribution operation. “Who’s this?” he said, nodding at the scarred man.
“This is Caesar, my personal bodyguard,” said Toni, smiling up at her associate.
“Caesar?” said Jez.
The man’s mouth pinched into a line, highlighting the scars. “Yeah, Caesar. You got a fucking problem with that?” he barked in a hoarse Glaswegian accent.
“Me? No. The missus is expecting and we’re looking for names. I like it.”
Jez spoke with a hint of derision but not enough for Caesar to call him out about it so he went silent, glaring at Jez, who did his best to keep a straight face.
Toni patted her associate’s chest. “Caesar gives me what no other man can.”
Mikey decided it would be best not to comment on that statement. “And Uncle Tam?”
“Overseeing things in Glasgow while I’m here.” Her black eyes, almost as black as Rachel’s, fixed on Jules. “Who’s she?”
“This is Jules, my cousin and Jez’s sister.”
“Oh yes, the infamous Venom,” she said dismissively. “I don’t like discussing business in front of strangers.”
“Jules is part of our inner circle now,” said Mikey. “She’s in on everything so we thought it was time for you to meet her.”
“In that case she can stay,” she said haughtily, p
lacing the champagne glass on the desk. “I’ve been dragged down here by some very worrying stories. I hear some wee shites are running rings around you and you’re doing nothing about it.”
“That’s not true Toni,” said Mikey.
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“No, what I mean is we are doing something. Dane Black, an associate of ours, was hit but he took care of the rag-tag crew who did it and put them all in hospital.”
Toni’s smile was cold. “Maybe you didn’t hear me properly? I couldn’t care less what your associates are doing. I want to know what you’re doing about it,” she said, pointing from Mikey to Jez.
“We have been hit a couple of times but it’s just petty stuff and we’re looking for who did it.”
“Looking? You mean you haven’t found them yet?”
“We will.”
Toni released a bark of husky laughter. “This is what happens when children play at being grown-up. When my family made this deal with yours Danny and Rachel were in charge, who would never have allowed things to get this far. They would have had the culprits strung up from the nearest lamppost by their balls. If our business arrangement didn’t run so smoothly I’d end our partnership this second.”
“There’s no need for that Toni,” said Mikey. “We’ve got everything under control.”
“I’m not so sure.” She glared at Mikey before looking to Jules. “You look like a grown-up. How old are you?”
“Thirty six,” she replied.
“You seem like a smart woman. Tell me, what’s going on?”
Jules glanced at Mikey, who nodded resignedly. “Jared Slattery from Essex has been stirring shit up,” she said. “He’s got Bobby Nilsen and the Starklaws, who are some local fucking ponces, to have a go at our businesses. With Slattery’s back-up they think they’re invincible but they’re nothing, annoying fucking flies buzzing around our heads. We’ll pull their wings off and step on them.”
“I like your style Jules. Maybe you should be running things instead?
“Mikey and Jez are doing an excellent job,” continued Jules. “They rule this city and they do it very well. Yes, they’re young but what they’ve achieved at their age is remarkable and everyone respects them for it. You’ve got the best business partners already. If I were you I wouldn’t go trying to change that.”
This time Toni’s smile was genuine. “Congratulations Boys, your cousin’s persuaded me to give you a second chance. Such loyalty shows inspired leadership and the fact that you’ve managed to tame the notorious Venom is a feat in itself.”
“I’ve not been completely tamed,” said Jules with a flirty smile.
“Don’t bother sweetheart,” she replied. “I like my women a lot classier than you.”
Jules’s eyes flashed but she managed to keep her mouth shut.
“You all need to understand that I’m not my brother,” said Toni. “He loved a good war and he’d have been down here like a shot with his hatchet at the ready, probably with Jared Slattery’s name carved on it. But I like the quiet life, I like to be wrapped in a gossamer blanket of champagne and chocolate, being regularly serviced by leggy beauties and Caesar, when the mood takes me, adding to my collection of eyes, all the while watching the money rolling in. What I don’t like is having to come to England because some clatty, shitey wee neds have made a pact with an Essex wide boy. Get it sorted. If you don’t, consider our partnership terminated.” They all tensed when she reached into her handbag. When she pulled out an emerald green glasses case they only grew tenser. “This is waiting for those lovely green eyes of yours Mikey.” She looked to Jez. “Don’t worry, I’ve got one for you too. It’s such a shame Ryan and Rachel aren’t in the business anymore because I’m sure they wouldn’t have taken this shit but I’m not going to try to convince them to come back, I’m certain that’s what got my brother killed.” She held her hand out to Caesar. “I’m ready to leave now.”
He took her hand and assisted her to her feet, not that there was anything physically wrong with Toni, it was just part of the elegant lady image she’d built around herself. He placed her floor length fur coat on her shoulders.
“Get it sorted Boys. I suggest you listen to her,” said Toni, pointing at Jules. “At least one of you knows what they’re doing. Honestly, if you need a job doing properly kill all men before you do it.” She patted Caesar’s arm. “Not you. You’re not like other men.”
With that they both flounced from the room.
“What has Caesar got that no other man does?” said Jez, his mind boggling.
“I don’t want to know,” said Mikey, slumping into the chair Toni had vacated, disturbed by how hot it was. “Christ, that didn’t go well.”
“Yes it did,” said Jez. “We’re all alive and we’ve still got our eyes. In my book that’s a good meeting with Toni McVay.”
“She liked me,” grinned Jules.
“Just because you’re old,” retorted Jez, making her frown.
“We need to find Nilsen and the Starklaws fast,” said Mikey. “If Toni does decide to terminate our partnership she’ll kill us all.”
“Could she do that?” said Jules. “Is Glasgow really that strong?”
“The McVay’s have a fucking army,” continued Jez. “We have good people behind us and a lot of allies in this city but we’d still be outnumbered.”
“So it’s vital we give Toni some results and fast,” said Mikey. “I’ll call Grant, see if they’ve managed to get anything out of the blokes who attacked Dane.”
“Doubtful, Dane probably got any information there is to get. He’s good at inflicting pain,” said Jules with a waggle of the eyebrows.
“We don’t want to hear about that,” retorted Mikey, already dialling.
“What if they can’t tell us anything?” said Jez as Mikey spoke with Grant. “Then what do we do?”
“Fuck knows,” replied Jules.
Mikey hung up with a frustrated sigh. “Grant said they couldn’t tell him anything they hadn’t already told Dane.”
“What about getting DCI Taylor to run a check on the Starklaws and Nilsen?” offered Jez. “He could find out if they own any properties we don’t know about.” DCI Taylor was a bent copper but quite a decent one who’d helped them bring down Alex and his backers and was still on Mikey’s payroll. The partnership suited them both.
“The Starklaws don’t own any other properties, they’re too thick to buy a bolthole,” said Jules. “If Nilsen has one he’s too smart to put it in his own name.”
“Good point but he still might have heard something from one of his grasses,” replied Mikey. “It’s worth a try anyway.”
“Go for it,” said Jez. “I’m willing to try anything, I don’t care how remote the chance might be.”
They frowned at each other at the sound of breaking glass and yelling coming from the bar.
“What the bloody hell’s that?” said Jez.
“I hope Toni hasn’t changed her mind and decided to come back to fuck us over,” said Mikey.
In response to his question, the door flew open to reveal the terrified-looking manager who was starting to wonder why he’d accepted the job.
“There’s four men with baseball bats smashing the place up,” he cried. “Shall I call the police?”
“No,” barked Mikey, striding for the door. “Fucking police, unbelievable. We’ll sort this.”
Jez and Jules followed Mikey into the bar to find four men wearing balaclavas smashing glasses and bottles and overturning furniture. All the customers had cleared out except for the drunk at the end of the bar who refused to leave his pint. The intruders were so engrossed in their work that they failed to spot the three of them standing there.
“Oy,” yelled Mikey.
The four men finally realised they weren’t alone and stopped, eyes bulging out of their balaclavas when they saw who was watching them.
“Oh shit,” said one of the men, running for the door, only to be confro
nted by Jules and her knives. She rammed one of the blades into the side of his belly and whacked him across the face with the hilt of the second knife.
The other three tried to fight back but it was useless. Mikey catapulted one across the room with a punch to the jaw. Jez kicked one in the stomach, snatched up a broken chair leg and whacked him round the back of the head. Jules finished off the fourth with a knife to the back of the knee, laming him and he dropped to the floor with a cry.
“I figured we wanted one of them conscious,” she said, indicating the three comatose men.
“Hey, that was fucking beautiful,” slurred the drunk, still perched on his stool, raising his pint glass in a toast. “That little sod Lyle Nilsen has been begging for a good hiding.”
“Lyle Nilsen?” said Mikey.
The drunk pointed at the man Jules had kneecapped. “That’s the bugger.”
Mikey pulled off the balaclava to reveal an attractive man in his late twenties with the trademark Nilsen mop of curly brown hair.
“I wish Toni McVay was here to see this,” Mikey smiled predatorily. His head snapped round to face the manager. “You can leave. We’ll clear this lot up.”
“But the mess…we’re open…,” he stammered, having seen nothing like this before.
“We’re closed for the rest of the day. We’ll get someone in to sort all this out. When you come in tomorrow you won’t be able to tell anything happened. You keep your mouth shut about this and you’ll get a hefty bonus in your next pay packet. Alright?”
“Y…yes Mr Maguire,” he said before bolting out the back door.
“You can do one too Geordie,” Jez told the drunk.
“Alright son, I know when I’m not wanted, although I’d love to see that bastard get his comeuppance,” he replied, pointing at Lyle, who had stopped groaning in pain and was alert and listening to every word of the conversation, but not daring to join in. His big brother had told him that if you get caught you don’t say a word. Lyle knew he’d meant if you get captured by the police but he assumed the same applied if you were caught by your enemies. Besides, his throat was so constricted with fear he wasn’t sure he could speak.
“He hit me once because he thought it was funny, showing off in front of his mates,” continued Geordie.
Reckoning Page 6
