Love and Truth

by FRANCES, KAREN

  “If I have to restrain you, I will. Boss, don’t make me do it.” I stare at him and it pains me, but I know he’s right. I throw my arms up in the air, defeated.

  “Fine.” Three police cars and an ambulance stop in the street. “I need someone to go to James Stevenson’s office,” I bark in frustration.

  “Why?” Craig asks, still standing in front of me, blocking the doorway.

  “Because Maria has a meeting there and is meant to be coming straight here. She can’t see this. I need an officer to pick her up and take her straight back to her brother’s estate. She’ll be safe there.”

  “I’ll send Richards.”

  “Perfect. Now, can I get this area cleared?” I shout.

  Officers quickly get to it and the paramedics stand at the side of the ambulance, and like me, have to wait until the armed response unit get here.

  Time is ticking, and as we stand here on the pavement, time is the one thing we don’t have.

  I’m not a patient man. Not when I know someone’s life hangs in the balance while we have to follow protocol and wait.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Maria

  “Thank you so much. I appreciate everything that the firm has done for me,” I say, shaking Mr Tate’s hand. He’s a little older than James, but reminds me so much of him in the way they both deal with business. All the dodgy deals that I was part of are now gone. Every last bit of paperwork with my signature has been replaced. Exquisite is now sold and the only thing I have left is Crave. To say I’m happy is an understatement.

  “It’s been a pleasure, Maria, and I do hope we can continue to work together,” he says, opening his office door.

  “Of course, Andrew.” I step out of the room and freeze, seeing a police officer in full uniform standing in the reception area.

  “Can I help you officer?” Andrew asks.

  “I’m here to escort Mrs… Miss DeLuca.”

  I glance at Andrew and back to the officer before me. “What’s going on?” I ask, and I hear my own high-pitched question.

  “I’m PC Richards. All I know is that I’ve been instructed to take you to your brother’s estate.”

  “Who instructed you?”

  “Detective Craig Thomson, but I believe the order came from the DCI.”

  The officer hands over his badge to Andrew and he studies it. “Maria, you go with the officer. I’ll find out what’s going on.” Andrew places his hand on my shoulder. I close my eyes momentarily, because with heaviness in my heart, I already know what’s going on.

  Pete Jamieson.

  “Thanks, Andrew.” I walk away. “PC Richards, can you call Mr Thomson please?”

  “Of course.”

  Call me sceptical, but I know Craig’s voice and I want to ensure that the man beside me is who he says he is. We ride down to the bottom floor in the elevator, but we don’t go outside straight away. I see the police car sitting in the exact same spot as Jack’s car was only an hour ago. The officer takes his phone from his pocket, and after a moment, hands it over to me.

  I turn my back to him. “Craig, what’s going on?”

  “Maria, I’m sure everything will be fine, but I need you to go with Richards. He’ll ensure you get back to Giovanni’s safely.”

  I hear his words, but I don’t miss all the background noise; sirens and people shouting. “Craig, please tell me, is Jack okay?” I hold my breath, waiting for him to answer.

  “Sorry, yes. Jack’s fine.” I breathe out, relieved. “Jack received a call from Joe saying he had found Mr Stevenson, but while on the phone, shots were fired.”

  I feel the colour drain from my face. My legs weaken. The room around me spins. I stagger toward the reception desk and grab onto it for support.

  No.

  Not Joe.

  Shots.

  The club.

  James. His poor family.

  “Maria, are you still there?”

  “Yes. I’ll go with Richards. Please will you both take care and ask him to call me as soon as he can.”

  “I promise.”

  I hand the phone back to Richards. He slides it back into his pocket and takes my arm. I refuse at first, but finding I’m shaky on my feet, I take it. I lean on him as he escorts me out to the waiting car. Richards opens the door and helps me in.

  “Thank you.”

  He nods with a polite smile.

  “How bad is it at my club?” I ask as he takes the driver’s seat.

  “When I left to come here, the DCI was still waiting on the armed response unit, so no one had accessed the building. The paramedics were already on the scene.”

  I nod, give him Giovanni’s address, and turn, staring blankly out the window. Everything is a blur, my mind already imagining the worst possible outcome. Tears fill my eyes, and as much as I try to remain strong, I’m frightened.

  I’m frightened that something bad is going to happen and that I’ll lose Jack.

  The scenery changes and I’m relieved that, in a few minutes, I’ll be safe with my brother. Maybe I can join Lou on her picnic with the girls. That would keep me distracted for a while. As we approach the gates, I give Richards the code. He slows down and keys it in. The gates open and I’m surprised that none of my brother’s security greets us. My body trembles and I try to shake away the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  Richards stops in the driveway. My eyes glance around, noting that Giovanni and Mark’s cars are both gone. “Can you wait a minute?”

  “Of course,” Richards tells me. I get out and walk toward the door, still glancing around the outside, but nothing seems out of place. I open the front door and call out. “Anyone home?”

  Teressa comes from the lounge. “Who is home?” I ask.

  “Ah, Lou and the girls are helping in the kitchen. Your brother got called away and I’m certain Mark went with him.”

  “Security?”

  “All still on the grounds. Two men checked in fifteen minutes ago. What’s wrong?” she asks, looking past me and outside to Richards who is standing by the police car.

  “There’s an incident at Crave.”

  “Everything is good here. Is the officer coming in for some coffee?”

  I smile. “No, he needs to get back. I’ll be a minute.” I step outside and thank Richards for bringing me here and tell him to have a safe journey back into town. I stand in the doorway and watch him leave the estate then close the door and wander through to the kitchen where I find Lou and the girls with Teressa. From the looks of things, I’m not sure they’re helping, more like making a mess.

  “Auntie Maria, you’re home,” Rebecca shouts, rushing toward me. “Will you take us to the horses now? Mum said we have to wait on Dad or Giovanni before we can go.”

  God, she pouts and looks so damn cute.

  “How about you tidy this mess up first, I’ll go and find a pair of trainers, and then we can go.”

  She squeals and I look at Lou, making sure I’ve said the right thing. Relief sweeps over me when she nods. It might be good, just us girls. “Teressa, do you want to come with us?” I ask.

  “No. I have a few chores to do before Giovanni gets home, and if everyone is going to be here for dinner, I’d like to make a start on that.”

  “Okay. Girls.” They turn, looking at me. “I’ll be downstairs in five minutes. So, hurry up if you want to go.”

  They nod excitedly as I leave them in the kitchen. The house doesn’t seem quiet with the kids here and my brother might not admit it, but I know deep down he’s enjoying having them here. Even if it makes things a bit more difficult for him. I’ve seen him around Rebecca and Daisy. He’s happier and they’ve both taken to him. But I can see the pain on his face when he looks at Lou and Mark together. He’s hurting and there’s not a thing I can do to make it any better. In the bedroom, I kick off my heels, smiling knowing Jack was admiring these earlier. He didn’t have to say anything; I saw the look in his eyes. I put my trainers on and walk back downs
tairs and straight into the kitchen, which is tidier than it was only minutes ago.

  “Can we go?” Daisy cries at me.

  “Yes. Come and take my hand.” She’s right by my side, holding her hand out, looking up and rolling her eyes impatiently at me. I take her hand and her tiny body is shaking with excitement. I think she loves the horses more than me.

  “What about the picnic?” Teressa asks.

  “We’ll just eat outside in about an hour,” Lou tells her. “I want to stay close to the house.” Lou says the last part with her narrowed eyes on me. I nod. “We’ll talk later,” she tells me.

  “Enjoy,” Teressa calls as we leave through the patio doors. The girls talk excitedly about grooming the horses and feeding them. They don’t have a care in the world, and this is how it should be.

  “Is everything okay?” Lou asks, her eyes full of concern.

  “I hope so. There have been shots fired inside Crave.”

  “Shit! Maria, we should’ve stayed in the house.”

  “For me to dwell on what’s happening? I’d rather try and keep myself occupied. What about Mark and Giovanni? Where did they go?”

  “They just said something came up.”

  That’s strange, but then again, for today, maybe it’s not. Nothing surprises me anymore. Or rather, nothing should surprise me anymore.

  We enter the stables and all six horses are in their own stalls. The girls go straight to the end stall, to Cookie. Of course they would love him. Cookie is a Cleveland Bay, originally known as a Chapman horse. Giovanni rescued him about four years ago if I remember correctly. He’s striking, and from what the girls tell me, he loves them as much as they love him.

  Rebecca climbs onto the fence and Daisy starts to follow her, only Lou picks her up instead. Both girls pat his nose. He stands proud as they do. They both chat to him.

  “You know your brother has told them they have to take care of Cookie.”

  “What? Really? He’s giving them a horse?”

  “Yes. Not that I’m thrilled about it. I wouldn’t even let them have a puppy.” I burst out laughing. “It’s not funny.”

  “Oh, come on, it is. You’ll be wishing you had given in to a puppy now.”

  “Yes, it would make life so much easier. A puppy just needs to be fed and walked, but a horse? It’s going to take up lots of time.”

  “Yes, but it will teach the girls a valuable lesson and I bet they appreciate it all the more when they get to go horse-riding.”

  “Maybe.” She frowns and I can see she’s not overjoyed with the idea, but I do know she’ll do anything for the happiness of her daughters. Even allow them a horse.

  A noise at the bottom of the stables startles me. I see a shadow and freeze. Rebecca turns her head and jumps down, running down toward him before either of us can do anything to stop her.

  “Uncle Pete, I’ve missed you,” she says as he engulfs her in his arms and slowly walks toward us. I take Lou’s arm as she holds Daisy. She’s speechless.

  My heartbeat is thrashing loudly in my ears, my pulse racing, and my body shakes as I watch the man who has done untold damage hold my precious niece in his arms. Lou’s body trembles against mine. Daisy is struggling in her arms, wanting to go to Pete, but Lou’s holding her tightly.

  “I’ve missed you too,” he says, only a few metres away from us now. “Do you know it’s my birthday today?”

  “Happy birthday, Uncle Pete.” I bite on the inside of my mouth as she calls him that. “I’ve not got you a present, but I can make you a cake,” she says, her voice so full of love and innocence. My eyes dart around the stables and, yes, there’s a few things l could hit him with, if I can just get Rebecca away from him.

  “Lou, Maria. Are you not happy to see me?” He sneers, and now that he’s standing in the light, I can see evil pouring from his soul. The man before us is the devil. Evil to the core.

  “Not particularly. What is it you want?” I ask, my eyes darting to the shovel by the door.

  He puts Rebecca down and I half sigh with relief, only for the feeling to be short-lived as he takes her hand roughly and holds onto her tightly. Rebecca pulls against his hold. “I want, Mummy,” she cries.

  “Maybe.”

  “Give her back to me,” Lou sobs, holding onto Daisy with fear. Cookie neighs behind us, stamping his hoofs loudly off the ground clearly unhappy. Pete reaches behind him with his free hand. Lou gasps and I fear she’s going to pass out at the turn of events. Rebecca cries as the shot is fired. Lou falls to her knees still with Daisy in her arms, both of them screaming. Cookie, the horse my brother has all but given to the girls, falls to the ground. The other horses all start making noise and kicking off.

  “You fucking bastard!” I screech at him.

  “Whatever. I’m the one in control.” He aims the gum at Rebecca’s head. I glance at Lou and her eyes widen in disbelief. “Everything could’ve been so different, Maria. You were meant to be mine.”

  I take a step toward him. I’m scared, but he can do whatever the hell he wants to me. Right now, I’ll let him if he lets go of Rebecca. “Pete, let Rebecca go. She’s only a child.”

  “No. She can be another victim of my growing collection.” I’m hoping Teressa or one of the security guards hears the painful sound of Lou’s scream, or maybe they heard the gunshot.

  “Let her go. You don’t want her.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” He runs the end of the gun down her face and all I can do is watch as Rebecca wets herself and her tears run freely down her face. She’s fucking terrified. “Her innocence is appealing.”

  I cringe, hearing the meaning behind his words. I take another step closer to him and I hope that I’m not sealing all our fates. He can kill me, do whatever he must if it means Rebecca’s innocent life is spared. “You can get what you want,” I say, sounding defeated.

  His eyes pop from his head and the gun is lowered, but he doesn’t let her go. “No questions?”

  “No questions and you’ll get no fight from me.”

  Lou grabs my leg. “No, Maria. Please, no.”

  I close my eyes and try to steady my breathing and the jumbled thoughts that are now ploughing through my head. “I have no choice. When he lets her go, you take the girls and get as far away to safety as you can,” I say.

  “But…”

  “No buts. Promise me.”

  “This is all very touching.” He positions the gun back to her head. “Three, two…”

  I step forward and throw my phone away into one of the stalls. The horses aren’t happy. The noise they are making is almost deafening. “I’m yours,” I say when I’m right in front of him.

  He releases Rebecca and she runs straight to Lou. He grabs me tightly and holds me to him. I inhale deeply, feeling the coldness of the gun which is now against my head.

  “Get out of here!” he shouts. With tears filling my eyes but not falling, I watch as Lou gathers the girls and leaves the stables. “Now, finally it’s just you and me. As it should’ve been all along.”

  I close my eyes, resigning myself to the fate that awaits me. The girls are safe and that’s all that matters to me.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Jack

  “It’s all clear.” The shout comes from one of the armed response team, and the paramedics rush into the building before me.

  “Boss!”

  I turn to Craig. He’s waiting for me.

  “Let’s get in first and then we can instruct officers.” He nods and we enter the club. It’s brightly lit and I find the paramedics seeing to Joe who is sitting on the dance floor, talking. I sigh with relief. But when he looks at me, I see his concern and fear. James’s body is on the floor in front of the bar, throat slit like all the others, and two gunshot wounds. I’ll need to get Rachael here to establish when he died, but from looking at him, he’s not been dead long. So, that makes me think Pete has been holding him somewhere. I can see some bruising on his face.

  “Joe, what
can you tell me?” I ask, nearing him.

  “Detective, can’t this wait?” One of the paramedics scowls at me.

  “Not really. I have one dead body and another man who has been shot. Forgive me for wanting to find out what’s happened.”

  “I was coming here to check a few things and wait for some workmen who were due to start with some renovations today when I stumbled straight over James’s body. I called you, not even checking if anyone else was here. While on the phone, I heard a noise. I turned around and that’s when he shot me.”

  “Who?” Craig asks, needing clarification, but we already know who it was.

  “Pete Jamieson. He then struck me over the head with the gun and I was out cold.” That’s all we need to hear. Craig moves away from us and starts issuing instructions to all the officers that have now entered the building. The noise within the premises has heightened as everyone talks and furniture is moved as officers start a search.

  They’re looking for a gun, but they won’t find it. Pete will have that with him.

  “Can I have a moment alone with Joe?” I ask. Both paramedics stand and walk away, giving us some space. “Joe, where’s your gun?”

  “Tucked into the waistband of my trousers.” I look around, and when I’m happy no one is watching, I take it from him and slip it into the back of my trousers. He doesn’t need to be questioned on why he has a gun.

  “Thank you,” he says softly.

  “No need. Now, I should let the paramedics take you to the hospital. I’ll bring Maria as soon as I can.”

  “Just keep her safe.”

  “I will,” I reply as the paramedics come back over, telling me they should take him. I wander over to the bar, mindful to stay clear of James’s body, and lean against the counter, needing a few moments to gather my thoughts.

  I look around the club, grateful that Joe is going to be okay. He’ll need surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder, but he’s a lucky man. The paramedics have him in a wheelchair, which he’s not happy about. James’s body has been covered.

  What a fucking mess. But at least Joe has been able to tell us who it was. Not that there was ever a doubt.