Back in the Game

by Caz Finlay

  ‘John, I need your help.’

  ‘Of course. What is it?’

  ***

  Two hours later, Grace had dropped Belle off with Libby for the evening and was in John Brennan’s car on the way to Reuben McBride’s lock-up. John and Reuben ran in the same circles. Reuben had never been stupid enough to try and knock off one of John’s lorries, but he’d tried it on with most of John’s competitors.

  Grace and John waited patiently until they saw a car pull up and watched as Reuben manoeuvred himself out of the driver’s door. He looked around him as he walked to his lock-up, but he didn’t notice the car parked across the street. Reuben opened the heavy steel shutters and disappeared into the darkness of the building. Grace and John strode quickly across the street and slipped inside the unlocked door. John pulled the shutters down behind them so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

  Startled by the noise, Reuben spun on his heel. The only light was from a dim bulb swinging from the ceiling but Grace was sure he recognised his intruders. She was surprised to see that Reuben was in fact wearing an eye patch – so the kid had been telling the truth after all.

  ‘What do you two want?’ Reuben snarled, trying to feign outrage, but Grace could see his hands shaking. Reuben McBride thought he was a hard man, but he was a coward. He didn’t have the brains to earn his own money, which was why he stole other people’s. He relied on a hired team of mindless thugs to do most of the donkey work. With paid muscle behind him, he gave as good as he got. But one on one, he was a gutless wonder. And two on one, he was a quivering wreck. Especially when one of those two people was six foot three, almost as wide as he was tall, and swinging a baseball bat – all while smiling directly at him.

  ‘We know you killed Marcus,’ Grace said. ‘Tell me why and I’ll ask him to go easy on you,’ she said inclining her head towards John.

  ‘I didn’t kill anyone.’ He shook his head furiously.

  ‘You didn’t stab him in the stomach and leave him to die in an alleyway then? No?’

  Grace walked towards him. ‘He was my best friend. He was a good man. He was worth ten of you, you useless piece of shit.’

  ‘I didn’t do it.’ His legs were shaking so much, he was struggling to stay upright.

  ‘We know you did. Somebody saw you,’ she lied. ‘They even described that eye patch you’re wearing.’

  He stared at her like a lamb being led to the slaughter. He knew he wasn’t getting out of the room alive. ‘He was a fucking queer,’ he spat, obviously deciding on a change of tactic.

  Grace slapped him across the face with the back of her hand and he fell to the floor. ‘How fucking dare you,’ she screamed. ‘Is that what this is about? Because he was gay?’

  Reuben continued to stare at her, blinking as his eyes started to water.

  ‘No,’ Grace shook her head. ‘You’re a homophobic little prick, but you wouldn’t kill someone because of that. There must be something else.’

  ‘No,’ Reuben shook his head again. ‘The dirty little fag came on to me, so I stabbed him.’

  Grace fought the urge to laugh. ‘Marcus came on to you? Come off it, you horrible little cunt. He had more class in his little toe than you have in your whole body. There’s something you’re not telling me. Would you like me to ask my colleague here to extract the information from you instead?’

  John Brennan, who’d remained silent, stepped forward into the light. His shadow fell ominously across Reuben’s body as he cowered in fear.

  Grace watched him. Why wouldn’t he just tell her and make it easier on himself? Nothing was worse than murdering her best friend, and he’d just admitted that. Reuben started to stand up, straightening his eye patch, which had been knocked slightly askew when Grace slapped him. Then she remembered something and wondered how she could have been so bloody stupid. Jake and Michael had fought back when they were attacked. They had been unable to identify their masked attackers and had been struck from behind by a group of men. They’d lashed out, hitting anything they could. But Jake had told her how he’d managed to grab one of them and had almost succeeded in gouging one of his eyes out.

  ‘You took my son,’ she said to him.

  John looked at her and raised his eyebrows and she nodded.

  ‘Bobby and Martin were telling the truth. It was you. Marcus must have found out somehow.’

  Reuben started to shake his head again and Grace noticed that he had pissed himself.

  ‘No, it was them,’ he said, his voice cracking as he spoke.

  ‘That’s why you’ve got that eye patch. Jake almost took your eye out. He told me.’

  Reuben hung his head in defeat. He knew the game was up. ‘It wasn’t me. It was Bobby,’ he cried as he sank to the floor.

  Grace had seen enough. ‘He’s all yours, John,’ she said before pulling up the shutters and returning to the safety of John’s car. She should have done Reuben in herself, but she just didn’t have the stomach to beat someone to a pulp. She never had.

  ***

  John emerged from Reuben’s lock-up ten minutes later. Grace noticed he’d removed his gloves and no longer had the baseball bat with him; he had left them behind as she’d told him to. The flames were already starting to spread out of the lock-up, into the oxygen of the night air.

  ‘That didn’t take long,’ Grace said as he climbed into his car.

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘Did he tell you anything else?’

  John started the engine and started to drive. ‘He owed Bobby a lot of money after Jake and his firm stole the lorry full of Bobby’s drugs that Reuben was driving. As for Michael, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Reuben saw it as his opportunity to get his revenge for what happened years ago – something he holds you responsible for too by the way – and what better way to get to you than through Jake?’

  ‘What? But that was all sorted years ago,’ Grace said, recalling how Reuben had once bounced into her office and threatened her after Marcus had had him thrown out of the pub. As a result, Michael had given him a good hiding, which had left him deaf in one ear.

  ‘Some people can really hold a grudge.’

  ‘But why not just kill them? Put a bullet in their heads? It would have been so much easier. Why the need to take them somewhere and torture them?’

  ‘That’s the way Bobby White operated. They were supposed to kill them but they got scared off. The kidnapping and torture were Bobby’s way of sending a message that he was the top dog.’

  ‘And Marcus?’

  ‘He saw Reuben in some gay club in town and when Marcus saw the eye patch, he must have put two and two together and realised what he’d done.’

  ‘Reuben in a gay bar?’

  John nodded.

  ‘Maybe that explains why he was such a homophobe then.’

  ‘Probably,’ John agreed.

  ‘Marcus always was too clever for his own good.’

  ‘He always seemed like a good bloke.’

  ‘He was,’ Grace said as she rested her head against the window. ‘He was the best.’

  They spent the rest of the drive to Grace’s house in silence and Grace wondered how much more she could take. It was less than a week before her move back to Harewood and she couldn’t wait.

  Chapter 88

  Grace took Belle from Michael’s arms.

  ‘Hi, Mama,’ Belle giggled.

  ‘Hey, Baby. I missed you,’ she said as she hugged her daughter tightly.

  ‘Peppa. Peppa,’ Belle squealed.

  Grace and Michael laughed. ‘Okay, Peppa,’ Grace said.

  As Belle sat on the sofa between them watching television, Grace looked at Michael. There were no outward signs of his recent ordeal now. His face was unblemished, and he looked as handsome as ever. Grace had told him all about Reuben McBride’s involvement and how she and John had dealt with him. He turned and caught her watching him, making her blush.

  ‘So you’re really going back then?’

  ‘
Yes, on Monday. It’s my last day at the club tomorrow, and then I’ll pack at the weekend.’

  ‘Are you sure you want to leave?’

  ‘Jake’s out of hospital now. He and Siobhan are settled. The club is sorted. Marcus is gone. There’s nothing keeping me here anymore.’

  ‘I suppose not.’

  ‘About Belle. I thought every other weekend would be a good start? You could pick her up, or I could drop her off? Whatever works best.’

  Michael nodded. ‘That would be great. I’ll pick her up when I can. I’m sure we can figure it out.’

  Grace nodded and absent-mindedly picked at the hem of her shirt.

  ‘I’ll pick her up tomorrow morning, if that’s okay? And bring her back Sunday?’

  ‘Yes, that’s great, it will give me plenty of time to tidy up loose ends and pack.’

  ‘Great,’ he said as he stood up. ‘I’d better get going. I’ll see you both in the morning then.’ He bent to kiss Belle. ‘Bye, gorgeous.’

  ‘Bye, Dada.’ She smiled at him.

  ‘Bye, Grace,’ he said and walked out of the room.

  Grace pulled her daughter onto her lap and cuddled her, blinking back the tears as she did so. What had she expected? That he would beg her to stay?

  Of course he wouldn’t.

  He had loved her once, but that felt like a lifetime ago now.

  Wiping her eyes, Grace planted a kiss on Belle’s head. Moving back to Harewood, and away from the chaos of Liverpool, was the best thing for her and Belle. They would both be fine. They were Sumners, they would be better than fine.

  ***

  Sitting in his car, Michael looked up at Grace’s house. He’d left a few minutes ago and couldn’t bring himself to drive away. In four days’ time she’d be leaving again, this time for good, and taking his daughter with her. Grace would be fair over contact, he knew that. She wasn’t a vindictive woman, and she always put her kids first. But it wasn’t the same as being able to see her whenever he wanted to. Realising he’d better drive home soon before Grace looked out and saw him still sitting there, he started the engine and pulled away from the kerb. If only there was some way he could make her change her mind.

  Chapter 89

  The glare of the winter sun made Grace squint as she stepped out of The Blue Rooms for what she hoped was the final time – at least for a long while. She’d got all of the paperwork in order and handed everything over to Siobhan and Libby. They, along with Michael, would keep the place running smoothly for the next month or so, until Jake was well enough to return.

  She was reaching inside her handbag for her sunglasses when she felt a hand grab her arm by the elbow. Suddenly she was flanked by two men, only one of whom she recognised. Eddie Redman! He was becoming a massive pain in her arse. The other man was shorter and stockier than Eddie and he stank of sweat. Grace was about to give the pair of them a mouthful when she felt the sharp metal nudging at her ribcage through her clothes.

  ‘Just keep walking,’ Eddie growled. ‘Don’t make a scene or I will slip this knife inside you quicker than you can open your mouth to scream.’

  Grace’s adrenaline kicked in and she began to weigh up her options, calculating how many steps she’d have to take before she reached the sanctuary of the club. Twenty, maybe twenty-five? If she screamed, was anyone around to hear her? No. It was late afternoon and they were all inside by now. Eddie and the unknown man had a firm grip on her arms. She was trapped. She had no option but to comply. Together, the three of them walked to the waiting car. The engine was running and Grace could see cigarette smoke curling out of the driver’s window. Someone was already in the car.

  It was a woman.

  As she drew nearer, Grace saw it was the crazy woman, Eve, who’d been barred from the club a few months earlier. She almost burst out laughing. What the hell were these three amateurs up to? Surely they weren’t going to kidnap her? Grace Sumner? No. They wouldn’t dare.

  Would they?

  As Eddie and his accomplice manoeuvred her into the back seat of the old Ford Mondeo, she realised that they were.

  When she was ensconced between Eddie and the man whose stench was becoming increasingly nauseating, Eve put the car into gear and began to drive.

  ‘Where the hell are you taking me?’ Grace snapped.

  She felt the blade Eddie was still holding at her side dig into her ribs a little more and was sure he’d drawn blood this time.

  ‘Shut the fuck up,’ he snarled.

  Eve started to cackle in the front seat. ‘You’re going to get what’s coming to you, bitch,’ she said between taking drags of her cigarette, which Grace could smell was laced with weed.

  ‘She’s going to get more than that,’ the stench sneered as he ran a podgy finger along Grace’s neck towards her chest.

  ‘Fucking stop it, Greg. We get the money first,’ Eddie snapped. ‘Then you can do what you want with her.’ He started to laugh and the other two joined in. The three of them were stoned off their faces, Grace could tell, but she was at their mercy for now. She knew now that they wanted money. Well, she could get them plenty of that. If she could only figure out where she was going. If only she could reach her handbag, which Greg had thrown on the floor near his feet. The gravity of the situation was starting to dawn on her. The bile in her stomach rose so fast, she had no time to stop it, and she vomited all over Greg’s lap.

  ‘You fucking bitch,’ he snarled as he frantically tried to wipe his trousers. As he bounced up and down in the back seat, Grace saw her chance to make a grab for her handbag, but Eddie still had a firm grip on her arm and he dragged her back, pinning her to the seat with his body.

  ‘If you move again, I will fucking cut you,’ he shouted at her. ‘Don’t fucking try me, you cunt.’ Grace realised they weren’t stoned at all. They were on something else. They were all fucking lunatics. Her heart started to thud loudly in her ears as she realised she was done for.

  Chapter 90

  The car had finally come to a stop outside an almost derelict block of flats in Birkenhead. Grace was frogmarched up the four flights of stairs by the two men, while Eve cackled and chain-smoked away in the background.

  When they finally came to a stop outside one of the few flats that were still used as a residence, Eve pulled out a key and opened the door. The whole place was rotten – decaying. Even in the darkness it was plain that the net curtains hanging in the windows had seen far better days, yellowed and ragged from years of nicotine abuse.

  ‘Get her in, lads,’ Eve croaked. ‘Before someone sees.’

  Eddie and Greg bundled Grace inside the dingy flat. The stench from inside made her retch and she almost vomited again. She was glad she’d only had a packet of crisps for lunch and had little left in her stomach to throw up.

  ‘In here. It’s all ready,’ Eve said, grinning as she indicated a door off to the left, and Grace was led into a filthy bedroom which contained one double bed. The sheets were stained brown and yellow with God knows what. An old grubby sheet covered the window as a makeshift curtain. But the worst of it was the crude shackles and ropes which had been fastened to the bed.

  Grace thought she must have already died in that car outside, because this was most certainly hell. Her instincts took over and she started to pull at her arms to free herself, but Eddie and Greg were physically stronger than her and she barely made any progress. They laughed at her efforts. She started to scream and shout and Greg took something from his pocket and stuffed it inside her open mouth. It tasted of tobacco and old food and Grace tried to spit it out, but her mouth was already dry and the fabric clung stubbornly to her tongue and palate.

  She continued to lash out with her arms and legs as Eddie and Greg tied her wrists and ankles to the four bedposts.

  Eddie worked methodically, barely even looking at her, but Greg leered at her, his eyes lingering on every exposed bit of skin as he licked his lips in anticipation.

  As he was pulling one of the ties on her wrists to
make sure it was as tight as it could possibly get, he whispered in her ear. ‘I’m going to have some real fun with you later.’

  The stench of his breath alone made Grace’s eyes water, but the thought of him touching her made her gag and retch. Soon she was spluttering, choking on the foul piece of material that had been stuffed in her mouth.

  ‘I told you to fucking leave her alone till we get the money,’ Eddie snapped as he slapped Greg around the head. He pulled the makeshift gag from Grace’s mouth and she gasped for breath. Even the rotten air of Eve’s flat felt good in that moment.

  ‘If you scream again, this goes back in,’ Eddie barked at her and she nodded her compliance.

  ‘Why have you brought me here?’ she asked him, sensing now was the only time she might get a chance to ask.

  ‘Money. We want all of it.’

  ‘I can get you money. Let me go and I’ll get it now. You can come with me.’

  Eddie shook his head and laughed. ‘Do you think we’re stupid?’

  ‘Of course not. But how else are you going to get it?’

  ‘Tomorrow, when you’ve spent the night here, and realised we’re not to be fucked with, you will phone your accountant. We know you’ve got one; we’ve seen you with him. And he will leave the money in a safe place for us. Once we have it, and we’re all far away from Liverpool, we’ll let someone know where you are. Once Greg has had his fun, obviously.’ Eddie smirked at her and Greg started to laugh.

  Grace knew she was a dead woman as soon as they got any money from her. They would be stupider than they looked to keep her alive, because if by some miracle she got out of this shithole, she would hunt the three of them to the ends of the earth and make them pay in ways they could never even imagine.

  ‘How can I be sure you’ll let me go?’ she asked.

  Eddie sat down on the bed beside her and shrugged. ‘You can’t. But if you don’t get us the money, then I will leave you here, tied to this bed, with Greg. At least with me and Eve here, he’ll behave himself a little. But if we were to go, who knows what he’d do to a good-looking woman like you. You wouldn’t survive more than a few days. I guarantee you that.’ He grinned and Greg chuckled in the background. ‘He’s a bit of a nutter, is Greg. Hates women too. His mummy never loved him, you see. Did she, Greg?’