Rival

by Jacqui Rose

  ‘What?’

  ‘The price for your head was six kilos of cocaine. I stole it from Harry, from a stash of it in a trunk in his outhouse at the farm, but now Wan wants more, and if I don’t get it, we’re both dead.’

  43

  They drove once more in silence with Vaughn mulling over everything Tia had said. As they sped through Holborn towards the West End, Vaughn suddenly pulled over in Drury Lane. The street was dark and quiet with only a few night-time revellers in the distance.

  Taking a deep breath he readied himself for the answer, determined he wasn’t going to lose his temper. ‘Tell me about the love bite, Tia.’

  Tia looked down and fidgeted with her fingers. She spoke quietly, exhausted from the night’s events as well as the realisation sinking in that somehow she had to explain to Harry why she hadn’t been about. ‘Please, Vaughn, don’t ask me. Just leave it. You don’t need to know anything else.’

  ‘Who are you seeing? I mean, I get it … I get that we all need someone and if you going behind Harry’s back to get a bit of TLC makes you feel better, well that’s okay.’

  Raising her head to look at him, Tia snapped, ‘I don’t need your permission, Vaughn.’

  It was Vaughn’s turn to snap. ‘I ain’t saying you do. All I’m saying is I understand and I hope whoever he is deserves you … Do you love him?’

  Tia’s laughter was full of bitterness and like so often of late tears fell. ‘Love? Is that what you think? That I’m being wined and dined, and swept off me feet? Oh yeah, that’s me, long passionate nights in Paris, dinner on the Seine. Or perhaps, a couple of hundred quid round at Lydia’s for lying on my back with Bob or Alan or any other geezer who happens to have a spare fifty quid.’

  Vaughn’s face paled. ‘You what?’ he said with a dangerous, slow lull in his voice.

  Tia’s eyes were full of pain, her expression haunted. ‘Yeah that’s right – anything you want, anything goes as long as you have the readies. Do what you like with me as long as you pay.’

  Hardly able to find his words, an array of emotions rushed through Vaughn. Anger. Jealousy. Betrayal. Disgust. Disbelief, all mixing together. ‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Tia?’

  ‘It depends. If you think I’m telling you that I’m a whore earning money behind my husband’s back, then yeah, I’m saying exactly that.’

  It was too much for Vaughn and in the darkness and the heat of the Range Rover, he leapt at her, his hand clutched but not squeezing around her throat. His voice shook with emotion as he growled at her and his handsome face was contorted with pain. ‘Why, Tia? Why would you do something like that? Why the fuck would you do it? I just don’t get it … Tell me you’re just winding me up. Tell me it’s just your way of having a dig at me, getting me back for what I did.’

  She slapped his hand away and glared at him. ‘Why is it still all about you? Look around you, Vaughn, the world ain’t revolving around you. What happened to caring about how I feel? What happened to stopping a moment and asking why I would have to go to those lengths to earn a bit of money? But oh no, you can’t do that, that would be asking too much, wouldn’t it, cos it’s all just about Vaughn again.’

  Vaughn’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘What the fuck are you talking about? How the hell do you want me to react? I just hear that my ex is spreading her legs for a few readies and—’

  Once again the slap stung but this time it not only stung, it hurt. ‘Shut up! Just shut the hell up. Don’t you dare start preaching to me about being your ex. For sixteen years you never once thought about that. You never gave me a second thought, and don’t look like that, cos you know what I’m saying is true.’

  ‘I just can’t get my head around it. Whilst I was driving you about like a mug, all the time you were planning your next move, planning how to get away so you could whore yourself out … How could you? How could you do that?’ Vaughn hissed through gritted teeth.

  ‘What, you want the step-by-step guide to it? Is that with or without the diagrams?’ Tia said sarcastically.

  Slamming his palm against the steering wheel, Vaughn couldn’t contain his rage. ‘Are you trying to take the fucking piss?’

  ‘No, you are.’

  ‘Me? No, darlin’, not me. I just want to know why you did it. That ain’t too much to ask surely?’

  ‘What possible business is it of yours?’

  Enraged, Vaughn, wishing he didn’t feel as if he’d just been hit by a sledgehammer, yelled, ‘Stop with the clever replies, Tia, and just tell me.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘I said tell me!’

  Yelling back, Tia blazed with anger. ‘Why? Why does it matter to you? It’s who I am, ain’t it? That’s what I did when I met you, so what’s the difference now?’

  ‘The difference is, that’s what Huang and his men made you do and you got out of it, but for some fucked-up reason you’ve got back into it and I know for a fact that Harry ain’t the one getting you to do it. Fuck me, if he knew you’d be six foot under.’

  ‘I needed the money and it’s not like I could get any money off Harry. I’ve got to account for everything I spend and you know that.’

  ‘Then get a fucking job!’ Vaughn screamed. ‘That’s what other people do. You want a few shillings to buy a frigging bag, then stack some fucking shelves.’

  ‘You ain’t even making sense. Like Harry would let me. Why does it even bother you anyway?’

  Vaughn’s face was flushed red with anger. ‘It’s you who’s not making sense and if you must know why it bothers me … it’s cos … cos I can’t stand the thought of it. I can’t stand the thought of them touching you. I can’t stand the thought of some scuzzy fucker with his hands all over you. I can’t even stand the thought of you with Harry, cos I still care. I still want you. That’s why I kissed you, cos even after all these years, it’s you I want.’

  Suddenly he leant towards Tia and kissed her, hard and passionately, and this time Tia responded. She kissed him back just as hard, just as passionately, losing herself in him. But Vaughn suddenly pulled away. ‘Are you in trouble? Is that what it is? I mean besides Wan? Whatever it is, let me make it better for you.’

  She stared at him then nodded her head, stroking his handsome face. ‘The money wasn’t for me. It’s for Milly. I needed to help her … I needed it to pay for your daughter.’

  44

  It was the early hours of Sunday morning and Harry knocked back his fifth double whiskey. He was angry. More than angry. He was ready to do some fucking damage. What Tammy had said about Tia and Vaughn ate at his very soul. All he could think about was the two of them together.

  Images of his wife rushed through his head as well as images of what he was going to do to Vaughn. What he was going to do to both of them, but first he needed to see someone.

  Sighing, he gestured to the woman behind the bar to refill his glass then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Wan, the person he’d been waiting for.

  ‘You took your fucking time – I called you over a couple of hours ago.’ Angrily he stared at Wan as he sauntered into the club.

  A small smile spread across Wan’s face. ‘That can’t be me that you’re talking to like a cunt? Cos firstly, Harry, this is my club you’re drinking in and secondly – and most importantly – I’m not here to jump when you say jump. Now if you have a problem, take my advice and don’t send any of your shit my way.’

  As much as Harry wanted to rage and punch the daylights out of Wan, he knew that if he did anything even close to that, he would be heading for an early grave. The Triads were certainly a gang not to be messed with.

  Harry nodded and looked contrite as he knocked back another double whiskey. He wiped his chin from the stray drop and shrugged. ‘You’re right, mate, I shouldn’t have chewed your ear off like that. No hard feelings?’

  Wan nodded back. ‘Appreciate that, but what’s with the ag?’

  Harry looked around. The club was full to heaving so he certainly didn’
t want to start talking business in front of people. There were too many ears and eyes watching for his liking. ‘Can we go somewhere quieter?’

  Without bothering to answer, Wan turned and walked towards his large private office on the other side of the club.

  He opened the door and they both walked in. Immediately the noise of the place was drowned out, leaving only a small hum in the background.

  Going to the box of expensive cigars, Wan took one and threw it to Harry who lit it eagerly. ‘Come on then. Spill.’

  Letting out a cloud of thick smoke from his mouth, Harry stared at Wan. ‘I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to revoke my protection of Vaughn. I’m no longer going to be looking out for him. He’s on his own now, which means you’re welcome to him … but, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be the one who kills him.’

  There was a long pause before Wan said with a frown, ‘I don’t follow you. You want to kill Vaughn? Jesus Christ, the man’s got a queue of people lining up to put him in the ground. Soon I won’t have enough fingers to count how many. So go on then, what’s happened? What did he do to piss you off? What did he do? Drive too slowly? Pick up the wrong dry-cleaning for you?’ Wan said, not taking Harry seriously.

  Sitting on the couch, Harry, irritated by Wan’s amusement towards the situation, looked down at the floor whilst trying to hold his temper. ‘This ain’t a piss-take. I’m deadly serious.’

  Realising how sincere Harry was being, Wan whistled and raised his eyebrows. ‘Go on, I’m listening.’

  ‘Let’s just put it this way, he’s crossed the line and I thought it only respectful to come and speak to you. You know, I didn’t just want to go ahead and do something without letting you know. Though I also get it that it was me who pulled you back from doing anything to Vaughn in the first place.’

  As Sasha walked into the room carrying a tray of drinks, Wan burst into laughter but there was a nasty tone to it. ‘You really think that, don’t you? It always amazes me that you’d think that.’

  Harry looked up and stared at Wan as he took the drink Sasha was offering him. ‘What the fuck are you on about?’

  Leaning back in his chair, Wan winked at Sasha as he pulled her onto his knee before putting his feet up on his walnut and leather trimmed desk. He pulled deeply on his cigar and grinned. His dark brown eyes twinkling with amusement. ‘You. I’m talking about how you thought you had enough sway with me to say a few words and suddenly I’d back off from going after my brother’s killer.’

  Harry looked confused. ‘You’ve lost me.’

  Playing with Sasha’s hair, Wan shook his head. ‘You must think a lot about yourself to think that I’d just roll over and agree.’

  Angrily, Harry spoke, not liking one bit the sense of being made fun of. ‘I don’t get it.’

  ‘You want to kill Vaughn, then you need to get permission from your wife.’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  Again, a huge smile spread across Wan’s face. ‘Your wife. If you want to kill Vaughn you need to go and ask her; after all she’s the one who’s holding the price on his head.’

  Harry stood up and glared at Wan as he walked slowly across to him, leaning on the desk. His eyes bulged with rage as he snarled, ‘You better start talking, cos right now I don’t care who you are. I’d be happy to get chopped up just so I can have this out with you.’

  Wan pulled on his cigar. He winked. ‘I’ll remember that when I’m wondering what to do with you.’

  With Harry’s temper having gotten the better of him he slammed his fist down on the desk, causing the ashtray to go flying across the room. ‘Tell me what the fuck you’re on about. How is my missus anything to do with this?’

  Chuckling nastily, Wan shrugged as he spoke mockingly. ‘That’s what I thought when she came to me begging for Vaughn’s life, but then I thought whatever the sentiment behind it, that don’t matter, it’s currency that talks.’ He burst into laughter again.

  ‘I don’t get it still. Why though? Why the fuck would she do that?’

  ‘Women are strange creatures,’ Wan said in amusement.

  Harry bit down on his lip so hard he drew blood. It was all he could do to not rip off Wan’s head. ‘Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? Why the fuck did you let Tia go behind my back?’

  ‘She’s your wife, mate. You control her, not me.’

  At which Harry raged. He picked up one of the chairs and threw it against the wall. He kicked the gold vase in the corner of the room, smashing it up into thousands of pieces, then with his face red he turned back to Wan.

  ‘I ain’t anyone’s mug.’

  Wan regarded the room and a cold expression crossed his face as he glared at Harry. His cockney accent strong as he pushed Sasha off his knee roughly, he said, ‘I hope you’ll be getting the hoover and cleaning this up.’

  Harry pointed at Wan. ‘Do not take the piss.’

  Wan stood up and walked across to Harry. He stepped in close, inches away, speaking in a hush. ‘It’s you who’s taking the piss and if I wasn’t feeling so charitable, I would get that machete over there and cut your fucking balls off before I shoved them down your throat. But seeing as I’m in a good mood, I tell you what, if you want to kill Vaughn, you can, be my guest. I give you permission … as long as you’re prepared to top her offer.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘You give me five hundred thousand big ones and his head’s all yours.’

  Breathing hard, Harry didn’t say anything for a moment and then he nodded. ‘Okay, you’ve got a deal. I’ll have your money by the morning.’ He turned to go but Wan called him back.

  ‘Wait … you didn’t hear the second part of the deal … seeing as you’re clearing house, I reckon my house could do with tidying too … As I say, you can kill Vaughn, but before you do, I want you to get rid of Franny Doyle. Kill Franny then you can have Vaughn.’

  45

  Another person who was drinking heavily that night was Alfie. He sat at the bar of his friend’s club in Covent Garden, knocking back whiskey. He’d had a few lines of coke on top just to get rid of the edge, just to get the way Detective Carter looked at Franny from out of his head.

  Why he should care, he didn’t know. Well, he did, it was because Carter was a copper. Yeah, that was it. Franny Doyle talking to the Old Bill … Fuck, no. Who was he kidding? That wasn’t it at all. It was the way Carter had looked at Franny and the way he’d looked at her only meant one thing.

  He’d followed them to her large Georgian townhouse where he’d watched them walk through the front door, the same front door he’d walked through thousands of times. But he wasn’t going to sit there and wind himself up. Why should he? After all, not only had he basically upped and left her, but also he’d probably got through every single prostitute in London.

  ‘You all right, Alfie?’ Rachel smiled as she leant on the bar, looking at him.

  He nodded. ‘Give me another one.’

  Raising her eyebrows, Rachel took his hands. ‘Alf, tell me what’s wrong. You’ve had a face on you since you came in here.’

  Alfie glared at Rachel. ‘Just cos you’re serving drinks behind the bar tonight instead of lying on your back, that don’t mean you’ve suddenly changed into some therapist and that bar certainly ain’t a couch.’

  ‘You can be a jerk sometimes, Alfie Jennings.’ And with that, Rachel turned away to go and serve another customer at the bar.

  Alfie sighed. ‘Rach, Rach, I’m sorry. Ignore me!’

  Rachel looked over her shoulder at him. ‘Oh that’s exactly what I’m planning on doing.’

  Deciding not to say anything else, Alfie walked around the bar and helped himself to some more whiskey. He knocked it back but as he did so, the thought of Franny and Carter came rushing into his head as he tried to convince himself they were just back at her place having a chat and a coffee. Yes, that’s all it would be. A chat and a coffee …

  Carter got up and walked over to Franny. He took the glass of C
hardonnay out of her hand, then gently kneeled down in front of her as she sat on the bed. ‘You fascinate me, Franny Doyle.’

  She smiled and shrugged. ‘Carter, you’ve known me long enough to know that what you see is what you get. There’s nothing to be fascinated about.’

  ‘I just wonder what it’s like when you crack, when that hard exterior of yours is put down. Did you put it down for Alfie?’

  Hearing Alfie’s name made Franny bristle. He was the last person she wanted to think about. It hurt when she did. He had basically ghosted her. Ignored her calls, turned his back on her even though she needed him. Not that she’d told him that. It was too hard, too difficult to make herself vulnerable.

  Maybe the reason she’d never actually said anything was the fear of rejection, which certainly would cut through the armoured exterior that Carter kept talking about. He was right: she knew she could be hard. She knew that most people saw her as cold, but Alfie had been able to make her feel something other than steely. He had made her feel like a woman.

  No doubt he was sunning himself in Marbella, having women fall at his feet. So why did she care when she heard his name? Why did she feel like she’d had a body punch each time anyone mentioned him?

  She sighed, trying to push the images of Alfie out of her mind. This wasn’t what tonight was about. Tonight was about forgetting. ‘I thought I said we should act like strangers. No talking. No questions.’

  ‘It’s not that easy, Franny. I can’t help wanting to know.’

  ‘Yes you can and besides it’s pointless knowing anything more, cos when tomorrow comes, tonight never happened.’

  Carter shook his head and laughed warmly. He’d always liked Franny, been intrigued by her. There’d always been something about her but he’d always known she was off limits, and not just because he was the police and she was a face in Soho. ‘You know how to make a guy feel special.’

  ‘I ain’t here to make you feel special, I’m here for me.’