by Alex Kane
He searched his mind quickly for ways that he could sort this. The first thing that came to mind was to destroy the evidence that Jez had. But he had no way of knowing where it was. He knew it would be in Spain, but where? His house? One of his businesses? And how many copies would there be? Surely Jez wouldn’t be stupid enough not to have copied the original?
Billy felt sick. This could end his career, see him go to prison if Jez followed through on his threat. Being an ex-copper in prison would mean living out the rest of his days in hell. There had to be a way out of this.
Of course there was a way out of it. Bring Cole Woods in before Jez did. They were both looking for the same guy. Billy couldn’t allow himself to become involved in the bad blood between the two. He was part of a police operation to bring Cole Woods down. Yes, if Jez got to Cole first then the world would be rid of the scumbag, but in Billy’s line of work, legal justice was the only way. And if he got to Cole first, had enough evidence to prosecute him, then Jez wouldn’t have to grass him up. Would he?
Chapter Forty
Arabella stood by the door of the salon and stared out at the street. Still no sign of Roxanne. She was over an hour late. After what had happened last night, Arabella had thought Roxanne would have been by her side a lot quicker than this.
‘Are you okay, Arabella?’ Scarlett asked. ‘You don’t seem yourself.’
Arabella shot Scarlett a look. ‘How would you know? You don’t know anything about me.’
Scarlett’s eyes widened, seemingly shocked by Arabella’s outburst.
‘Sorry,’ she said, throwing her hands over her face. ‘That was out of order. Yes, thank you. I’m fine.’
Her apology didn’t seem to take the sting out of Arabella’s words, because Scarlett moved away from the reception desk and headed for the kitchen at the back of the salon.
Sighing, Arabella pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and glared at the screen. Still no reply from Roxanne. No message to say she was running late. Nothing. Where the hell was she?
Glancing up, she looked down the street again. Still no sign. Then her phone rang. She answered it without registering the name on the screen.
‘Roxanne?’
‘Yes, it’s me. I’m on my way. Got held up. Sorry, it’s a business venture. I promise you I’ll be there in the next fifteen minutes. But do you want to go somewhere more private to talk?’
Arabella bit on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying. How was this happening? What the hell was she supposed to do? Her nerves were shot and she wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be able to hold in the fact that she had murdered someone last night.
‘Can we go to yours? Eddie is asleep at mine. He didn’t come home until just a few hours ago. Is Jake rough?’
‘Nope. Fresh as a daisy. I seriously don’t know how he does it,’ Roxanne replied. ‘Look, if it’s easier why don’t you just come straight to me? It’s probably best we don’t talk about this around other people.’
Roxanne went quiet and Arabella felt like she was going to explode. ‘Then why didn’t you just tell me that when I messaged you this morning?’
‘Calm down,’ Roxanne replied. ‘There’s no need to get so stressed. I said I’d sorted it. I’ll text you my address and you can come straight here. Okay?’
‘Fine,’ Arabella said, sighing loudly before she hung up. She grabbed her coat from behind the reception desk. Calling out to the stylists, she said, ‘Tell Scarlett I’m away. I’ve got something to do and I’ll be back later.’
They smiled and waved her off over the sound of blow dryers and the radio playing in the background, blissfully unaware that their new employer was a cold-blooded killer.
* * *
The buzzer sounded and Arabella stepped into the building. The place wasn’t as glamourous as she’d thought it would be. She’d expected something a little less dingy. As she climbed the stairs, she decided to breathe through her mouth to block out the stench. Someone was either smoking, or growing grass somewhere in the building. The sweet smell was so strong, she could taste it on her tongue.
Rounding the corner onto the first floor, Arabella noted that Roxanne had left the front door open for her. Music played from somewhere inside the flat.
‘Rox?’ She called out.
‘In the kitchen. Just come in,’ her friend replied. She sounded as though she didn’t have a care in the world. How could she be so calm after what had happened in the early hours?
A thought struck her then. Arabella really didn’t know Roxanne very well. They’d spent ten months together. Not even a full year. Roxanne had been inside for ten years for GBH among other things. Was this the kind of person she really wanted to be associating herself with on the outside? Roxanne was the kind of person that Arabella had been around when she got herself into trouble. Although it was too late to back out of this friendship now. Roxanne had sorted out her problem last night. She’d have that hanging over her for the rest of her life. She couldn’t very well turn around and tell Roxanne that she’d changed her mind about being friends with her. Arabella felt suddenly trapped.
Stepping into the flat, Arabella located the kitchen at the end of the long hallway. The music got louder the closer she edged to the door and when she opened it, Roxanne was dancing on the spot as she poured water from the kettle into a mug.
‘You want one?’ She spun to face Arabella, a smile plastered across her face.
‘No. I don’t want tea. Why are you so fucking calm? It’s not normal. Do you have any idea how I’m feeling right now? I went out to check that path after you left. The police were there, forensics. They’d cordoned off the walkway. There were crowds of people, talking about what could have happened. Roxanne, the press will be all over this. And you’re dancing around in your fucking pyjamas, making tea. Seriously Roxanne, what the fuck?’
Roxanne stopped, her smiled faded. She placed the mug back on the counter and moved towards Arabella.
‘Why did you go down there? You didn’t have to do that. I told you I took care of it.’
‘Yes, you did. But it seems as though you didn’t, Rox because there were police everywhere.’
‘You think I can just make a body magically disappear? Ha,’ she laughed. ‘I might have my ways but I’m not a magician. I put him in the river, Arabella. Shoved rocks in his jacket pocket so he’d sink. I didn’t say that I was able to make him disintegrate. The water will have washed away your DNA and I’ve already told you that there will be no evidence to lead the police to your door. Just trust me on this.’
‘You know that for a fact? That my DNA will have washed away?’ Arabella asked, once again silently questioning herself as to who Roxanne really was.
‘Well, no. But you have to trust me. I’ve got your back, Arabella. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. You’re a good girl at heart. You’ve had a shitty upbringing and that wasn’t your fault. You’re like a wee sister to me. You’ll be fine, the polis won’t come back to you on this.’
Arabella eyed her friend. She’d never heard anyone refer to her as a good girl, or a wee sister. It softened her suspicion. ‘You promise?’
‘Come here,’ Rox said, opening her arms. Arabella went to her and allowed herself to relax. ‘Of course I promise.’
‘Thank you,’ Arabella said, her voice cracking.
The pair sat down at the table and Arabella felt the tension on her shoulders begin to loosen. But she couldn’t get the images of the crowds out of her head. The police would be all over this; the press would be all over it. People out there would be looking for justice for a family member. She’d taken someone’s life. How could she have done it?
‘You’ll get through this, Arabella. I know what I’m doing.’
Arabella frowned. ‘What do you mean, you know what you’re doing?’
‘Arabella?’ Roxanne smirked. ‘I didn’t go to prison for ten years because I stole a packet of crisps. I’m a criminal. I know how to conceal thi
ngs from the police, I know how to make problems go away. Jake and I both do. And I have done that for you. You just have to trust me, ask no questions and you will be fine. This will disappear if you just do as I say. Okay?’
Arabella glared at Roxanne. ‘But what if—’
‘Ah,’ Roxanne interrupted, wagging her finger. ‘I said no questions. Just do what I say and all this will disappear. Now, how about that tea? Or coffee?’
Arabella nodded and Roxanne got to her feet, moving towards the counter.
Ask no questions? But she had a ton of questions that she needed answered. Did Jake know about what happened? What exactly had she done to keep Arabella from conviction? Got rid of the rock that had killed him, yes. But what about CCTV? Eye witnesses? Surely Roxanne couldn’t stop all of those things from getting in the way of Arabella being convicted?
‘Sugar?’ Roxanne asked, suddenly pulling Arabella from her thoughts.
‘Actually, can you make mine an Irish coffee? I need something stronger than sugar.’
Roxanne laughed. ‘Even after last night’s cocktails, shots and fuck knows how much prosecco? You’re hardcore, lady. One Irish coffee coming up. Whisky okay?’
‘Whatever you’ve got. I don’t care,’ Arabella said, turning to look out the window.
She noted the car that was parked across the road. There was a man sitting in the driver seat, staring up at the kitchen window. When she made eye contact with him, he pulled the sun visor down. She kept an eye on him, watched how he busied himself. He put the phone to his ear. The visor went back up and the man stared straight at her, before pulling the car out of the space and heading up the road behind the flat.
‘Here you go,’ Roxanne said, placing a mug on the table in front of her. ‘Get that down you. You’ll feel much better.’
‘Did you see that car?’
‘What car?’ Roxanne looked out of the window.
‘There was a man inside, staring up here. He was looking straight at me,’ Arabella said.
Roxanne raised a brow. ‘The flat above us is up for sale. It’s probably the estate agent or a buyer. Seriously Arabella, you need to get a grip and stop being so paranoid.’
Arabella lifted the mug. ‘Erm, I have every right. I killed someone and can’t remember a single thing about it.’
‘Yeah,’ Roxanne said. ‘And if you don’t stop going on about it and acting suspicious, people are going to start to notice that something’s wrong. So, do yourself a favour and shut up. I don’t mean to sound harsh but you do need to keep your mouth shut, Arabella. It’s not just you involved. I’m an accomplice. Never mind you not wanting to go back to prison, I’d prefer I didn’t, either.’
Roxanne was right. Arabella had to pull herself together. But the question was, could she? Could what she’d done be pushed to the back of her mind? Could she pretend nothing had happened? The feeling of an impending panic attack was her answer. Tears of terror sprung to her eyes as she thought about the possible consequences of her actions. Prison. But not for a miniscule ten months this time. They’d throw away the key for what she’d done to that man.
Chapter Forty-One
‘Fuck me,’ Eddie said. He stared wide-eyed at the small room and whistled loudly. He’d never seen anything like it in his life.
Drugs packages, piled on top of one another, halfway up the wall.
‘This is what is going to make us fucking rich, Ed,’ Cole said. ‘All we need is your vans and we’ll be raking it in before the end of the month. I’m telling you, this stuff is like gold dust.’
Eddie turned to look at Jake. He raised a brow but stayed quiet.
‘So what we talking here?’ Eddie asked, noting how wired Cole seemed to be. ‘How much is all this worth?’
‘Close to a few hundred grand,’ Cole said, lowering his tone. He winked, as though he’d just given Eddie a top tip on the horses. ‘And we could earn so much more, Eddie. So much more just by selling this lot.’
‘Fuck,’ was all Eddie managed. ‘How the hell have you managed this without the police sniffing around?’
‘I’m resourceful. Discreet. Know a man who had a supermarket van and he delivered them in parts.’ Cole smiled. Eddie was impressed. ‘But he’s moved away now, away up to Aberdeen. Shame really. It would have been a good way to move all this.’
He watched as Cole moved towards the bags sitting along the back wall. Eddie was shocked by how much was there and a little apprehensive about the risks involved. Getting caught with just one of those bags could lead to a lengthy prison sentence. Did he really need to do this? He had a successful business. A good life. But there was a little voice in the back of his head, a whisper that no one else could hear, telling him that his life was boring, predictable. His missus had more balls than he did, which was why she’d ended up in prison in the first place. If it hadn’t been for her going to jail, then he would never have met Jake. Never have met Cole. A case of serendipity. A chance meeting that could lead to huge benefits.
Cole picked up one of the bags and just by looking at it, Eddie could tell it was heavy. He was surprised to see that the bag itself was an Aldi bag. Most of them were.
‘We’ve got the best of gear, Ed. I’m talking opiates, stimulants, the lot,’ Cole said.
Eddie nodded. ‘What kind?’
‘Usual street stuff: heroin, cocaine, speed, cannabis.’ Cole placed the bag back on the floor and rubbed his hands together, laughing to himself. ‘The streets of this city are fucking crawling with people looking to get their hands on this stuff. Not just in Glasgow. I’ve seen it down south too. People will spend all night on the phone at a party trying to get a hold of someone to get them something to help keep them going into the small hours. It’s all about demand and we have the means to supply it.’
‘How the hell did you get hold of all that?’ Eddie asked.
Cole shot him a look. ‘That, my friend, is none of your concern. But if you must know, I know someone who knows someone. All I need from you is to take care of the distribution. If you can do that, you get your cut.’
Eddie was up for this. He had the vans. Could literally deliver the goods. There was decent money involved here, a good few hundred grand. He’d be stupid not to take up the opportunity. If it meant an even better way of life for him and Arabella then he would do it. He’d been stupid when she was in prison. Being unfaithful was fun but not worth the hassle. It was partly why he’d bought the salon, a way of paying off his guilt. The only thing concerning Eddie now was who else was involved. Cole had said that the drugs came from someone else, somewhere else. Another source.
‘I made a deal with you, Cole. You and Jake. If I’m working for someone else, then I need to know who. I can’t go into this blind, especially when I’m putting my legit business on the line.’
Cole smiled. ‘You don’t work for anyone else, just me and Jakey boy here. We’re the top dogs in this.’
Eddie wasn’t sure he believed Cole. He was a right dodgy bastard and if Eddie was honest with himself, he knew nothing about him or Jake. He’d shaken on a deal while he was off his face and he had a feeling that he wouldn’t have the option to change his mind now. Not that he was planning to do so. The money aspect outweighed any doubt he had in his mind about going ahead with the job. Maybe he’d only do one, make a small fortune and never have to do it again. Yes, that’s what he’d do.
‘Arabella can’t know anything about this, boys.’ Eddie said.
‘We won’t say nothing, will we, Jakey boy? Good at keeping a secret, aint ya?’
Eddie noticed how Jake drew his eyes off Cole.
‘Aye, lips sealed,’ Jake said, his tone sparking in the air. Cole chose to pretend he hadn’t noticed.
‘No worries, mate. I’ve got potential for another base. So I could double our profits. But for now, Ed, I’ll tell you to keep your head low. Do your thing and I’ll be in touch. Got it?’
Eddie nodded and Cole smiled.
‘Got to get a shift on. I’
ve got more business to attend to,’ Cole smiled.
Eddie and Jake followed him out of his flat and watched as he walked along the street and headed into the bookies. Eddie shook his head.
‘Why do you let him talk to you like that, Jake?’
‘I don’t let him talk to me like anything,’ Jake replied sharply.
‘Alright mate,’ Eddie said, holding his hands up in mock defeat. Eddie knew when to keep his mouth shut. He hardly knew these men, didn’t want to make something out of nothing if there was serious cash involved. All he had to do was get on with the job and earn the cash and keep his nose out of whatever was going on between Jake and Cole. The only thing he had to worry about was keeping Arabella in the dark.
Chapter Forty-Two
‘Oi,’ Jake shouted, catching up to Cole as he walked along the main road in Maryhill. ‘I want a word.’
‘You can have two. Fuck off. I’ve got things to get on with,’ Cole laughed, only half turning in response to Jake.
‘Nah,’ Jake replied, grabbing hold of Cole’s sleeve and pulling him round to face him. ‘I said I want a word and I want it now.’
Cole shrugged Jake off and stopped walking. He had a mischievous look on his face, a glint in his stare. ‘Go on then.’
‘Where do you get off, speaking to me like that in front of Eddie? You think I’m just going to put up with it?’ Jake said, not allowing his nerves to get the better of him.
‘I know you’ll put up with it, Jake. Are you forgetting what I did for you? Are you forgetting that the reason you’re still walking around, free as a fucking bird, is because of me? You could have been banged up just like your missus, for longer than you could have ever imagined because of what you did. I stopped that from happening. Do you really want me to start talking? Tell people that Jakey boy likes a bit of BDSM and during a wild sex game down in London when your missus was in the nick, you got a bit carried away and done someone in? Nah, I didn’t think so. You owe me, you owe me big bollocks and if you think I’ll ever forget that then there’s something seriously wrong with that nut of yours.’ Cole jabbed his finger into Jake’s temple.