‘She was a teenager?’
Nash waved a hand. ‘Eighteen when she died, I think. Anyway, my mate hates him.’
‘That’s understandable.’
‘And I benefited, got this place at a knockdown price.’ He grinned, nodded at her glass. ‘Aren’t you drinking that?’
Sickened, Caelan sipped the champagne. She knew she had to keep Nash talking, see what else he would tell her. ‘What do I say to Harris?’
‘Let me think about it. If he thinks he’s got you trapped, we might be able to use it to our advantage.’
Now she met his eyes. ‘Our?’
He nodded, not smiling now, his face expressionless. ‘I’ve been asking around about you,’ he said.
‘I’m flattered.’ Caelan kept her breathing steady, a slight smile on her face, though her heart was hammering. She hoped Penrith had done his bit and given her a plausible background.
‘You should be. It means I’m interested in you… in working with you, I mean.’ He chuckled, the sound knowing and unpleasant. ‘Where’s your boyfriend tonight?’
‘I left him with a crate of beers and the TV remote. He’s probably asleep by now.’
‘More fool him.’ Nash shifted so he was sitting even closer to her. ‘I have contacts in Glasgow, in Edinburgh,’ he went on. ‘No one in Glasgow had heard of you, but in Edinburgh you were on the radar.’ He nudged her. ‘Small-time, I was told. Keeping your head down, making your money.’
‘Depends what you call small-time.’
Nash raised his hands. ‘I’m not criticising. It makes sense. You know the main man up there? The one with most of Edinburgh in his pocket?’
Was this a test? Caelan dredged her memory and took a chance. ‘Alastair Gordon? Only by reputation.’
Nash leant even closer, his breath tickling her ear as Harris’s had done. Again Caelan didn’t react, though she knew she might need to. She had to remain in control, of both herself and the situation. ‘You’re out of touch,’ he said softly, his voice cold. ‘Ali Gordon died a month ago.’
Caelan froze. She knew she had to respond, and quickly. It was a stupid mistake, one that shouldn’t have happened. She should have known more about the Scottish drug trade, especially when Mulligan had mentioned Edinburgh specifically. Her first thought was that Penrith shouldn’t have sent her in unprepared, but she knew she couldn’t blame him. It was her responsibility too. Now she had to reassure Nash, make him believe she knew what she was talking about. If she couldn’t, she was in trouble.
‘News to me,’ she said. ‘I haven’t been back to Edinburgh, and there was no one I wanted to keep in touch with.’
Abruptly Nash got to his feet. He took a few steps away before turning back to face her. ‘It means there’s a gap in the city. Ali’s son Robbie is making moves to fill it, but my mate thinks he’s too weak.’
Relieved, Caelan tipped her head to the side, pretending to think it over. ‘Maybe I should head back up there.’ Her mouth was dry and she took another sip of champagne. As she lifted the glass again, her mouth hidden behind her hand, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to bring her racing thoughts and thumping heart under control. She couldn’t let Nash see she was rattled.
‘Don’t you want to know what happened to Ali Gordon?’ Nash asked.
‘Does it matter?’
‘The police seem to think so. They say he was murdered.’
Caelan raised an eyebrow. ‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah. With a baseball bat. Head like a smashed pumpkin, I’m told.’ He pushed his hands into his trouser pockets. ‘Interesting, wouldn’t you say?’
‘It’s the risk you take. You’ll always have rivals in this game, people who want you out of the way.’
‘I mean it’s interesting you left Edinburgh recently and came down here. Even more interesting that people immediately started being attacked with baseball bats.’
She managed a laugh. ‘Are you serious? You think I’ve got something to do with Gordon’s death?’
‘No, but I’m wondering if it gave you some ideas.’
‘Even though I didn’t know about it until you mentioned it?’
‘So you say.’ His glass was empty again and he moved over to the bottle. This time, he didn’t offer her any. ‘The way I see it, you’ve recognised an opportunity down here. I understand that, I respect it. Your cousin Mulligan’s out of your way now.’
‘Come on, you think I was behind the attack on him? That’s ridiculous.’
‘Is it?’ His eyes were locked with hers. ‘It’s a handy weapon – anyone can use it, you don’t need much strength, and it’s easy to dispose of.’
‘Perfect for me, then.’ Caelan risked a smile. ‘Come on, Reuben. Are you serious?’
He kept staring at her, his eyes blank as stones. Caelan was reminded of the faces of those young victims again, three pairs of sightless eyes. She blinked, her throat tight, stomach knotted, running through the escape routes again in her head. Then Nash smiled.
‘Serious? Not really. I think Harris was behind it, just like I think he ordered the murder of my brother.’ Caelan heard him swallow. ‘We just need to prove it.’ He turned away, raising his arm once he’d turned his back. Caelan guessed he was wiping his eyes, composing himself, or pretending to. After a few seconds, he turned back. ‘The police came for me earlier,’ he said, his eyes on hers again.
Caelan raised her eyebrows. ‘The police? What do you mean?’
‘They said they wanted a chat, but I wasn’t given a choice about whether I wanted to go with them or not.’
‘I assume it was about Nathan?’ Was Nash surprised? His brother had been killed, whether by accident or design, and he wasn’t expecting the police to want to speak to him?
‘They… told me something. Something about Nathan.’
Caelan kept her eyes on his face, watching for signs he had known about Nathan’s injuries before today. She could see none but knew she couldn’t rely on her impressions.
‘What do you mean?’
Nash rubbed his face with both hands as he moved back to sit beside her. ‘Some fucker had beaten him, ruined his back.’
Caelan pulled her best bemused face. ‘How do you ruin someone’s back?’
‘Ripped it to fucking shreds.’ Nash exhaled sharply through his nose. ‘And when I find them…’
‘What do you mean? With a knife, or…?’
‘They said he’d been whipped, fucking whipped. I don’t get it. Why would he just take it? Who would even dare try? Nathan was my brother, but he was a fucking psycho. Even I was scared of him.’
She doubted it. ‘Whipped… You mean like an S and M thing?’ As she spoke, Caelan realised it was a possibility they hadn’t considered, though the injuries seemed far too extreme to be consensual.
‘If you like being half killed during sex, maybe.’ Nash gave a harsh laugh. ‘No, this was a punishment beating, or a warning to keep his mouth shut.’
‘About what?’ He was furious, and Caelan knew she would have to be careful how far she pushed him. He was too wound up to realise she was firing question after question at him, wanting to rant at someone, let out his anger and frustration. She didn’t want him to turn it on her.
‘I don’t know. He’s made enemies over the years, we both have. But this… You’ve got to be a cold-hearted bastard to do that to someone.’ He ran his hand over his mouth. ‘They showed me a photograph. His back was just… raw flesh. Meat.’
‘Didn’t Nathan tell you about it?’
He glared at her. ‘Don’t you think I’d have gone after the bastards if he had?’
Caelan waited a beat. ‘You think more than one person was involved?’ Careful, she told herself.
‘It’d have to be. How else could they have done it? It wasn’t like he was only hit once; it would have taken time to do that kind of damage.’ Nash stopped, frowning. ‘It’s got to be Harris again.’
‘Why?’
He spoke through clench
ed teeth, as though angry she wasn’t understanding. ‘Because Nathan knocked him on his arse. Harris would want to teach him a lesson, humiliate him.’
‘But the argument between Harris and Nathan happened just before Nathan was killed. He must have already had the injuries,’ Caelan pointed out.
Nash stared at her. ‘Yeah, I… You’re right, it couldn’t have happened like that. I’m not thinking straight.’
‘You said you’ve made enemies. What if Harris wasn’t involved at all?’
Again Nash pushed himself out of his seat. This time he stood over her, arms crossed. ‘He was. Maybe you can find me some proof.’
Caelan looked up at him. ‘You want me to spy on Harris while I’m spying on you for him?’
He laughed. ‘Got it in one. I’ll even make it worth your while.’
She wanted to get to her feet, but he was deliberately preventing her from doing so, using his body to try to intimidate her, his crotch almost level with her face. He was leaving himself vulnerable, but Caelan doubted he would realise until she landed a punch. She looked up, her eyes fixed on his, showing him she wasn’t going to be cowed.
‘How?’ she asked.
‘The fifteen grand you owe Harris?’ He rocked back on his heels, well pleased with himself. ‘How about I lend you some money, get him off your back?’
‘If I pay him, there’s no reason for him to keep me hanging around.’
He smirked. ‘Oh, I think there is. Anyway, I’m not talking about the full fifteen. Just enough to keep him sweet.’
Caelan hesitated. This was unexpected, and unwelcome. How was she going to wriggle out of it? ‘Why would you do that?’
‘Because I like you. Because I want you to stay close to Harris, and because I can.’ He smiled, took a step backwards. ‘And… well, it’d mean I’d own part of you too.’
She said nothing, hating him and his attitude. She studied her champagne glass, determined not to be the one to break the silence. Nash took another step back, still smirking at her. ‘Best offer you’ve had all day, isn’t it?’
‘If not all week.’ Caelan stood, moved away to study the print of New York City on the wall. She tensed as Nash came to stand close behind her, trapping her.
‘Have you ever been?’ he asked softly.
‘To New York? No.’ It was true.
‘You should. Maybe I could show you the sights?’
His hand was on her wrist. Gently he pulled her arm so she had to turn to face him. Looking down at her, he smiled. ‘What would your boyfriend do if you didn’t come home?’
‘Come looking for me? He knows where I am.’
‘And he still let you come here alone.’
She pretended to be indignant. ‘He didn’t let me do anything. He doesn’t own me.’
Nash found that amusing, as Caelan had guessed he would. ‘No, Stefan Harris does. Until…’ He waved a hand towards the room’s other door, the one Caelan had wondered about on her first visit.
She glanced at it. ‘What’s in there, the Royal Mint?’
Nash laughed. ‘Almost.’
He pulled a bunch of keys from his trouser pocket. Caelan saw they were attached to a chain, which she guessed was secured to his belt. He worked through them but kept the bunch in his hand, not allowing her to see which ones he’d selected. ‘Follow me.’ He approached the door and knocked on it approvingly. ‘As secure as it gets.’
‘Steel-reinforced?’ Caelan had guessed it would be when she’d seen it before.
‘And then some. Twelve-point locking system, upgraded reinforcement.’ He knocked again. ‘Bullet-resistant.’
She ran a hand down the frame. ‘Get shot at often, do you?’
‘Only once.’ He stepped between Caelan and the door and worked at the locks. Glancing over his shoulder, he winked. ‘They missed.’
The door swung open and Nash flicked on an overhead light, the bulb unshaded. The room was small, around ten feet by six. There were no windows, and no other door. The walls had been painted white but the floor was bare boards. There was a black safe, over a metre tall, against the back wall, but otherwise the space was empty.
Caelan made a point of not gazing around, but she was intrigued. The room was smaller than she’d expected, based on the size of Nash’s office. If the door was steel-reinforced, bullet-resistant, wouldn’t he have decided that the walls, even the floor and ceiling, should be too? Some strongrooms might be too heavy for an upstairs location, but she knew more lightweight options were available.
Nash moved to the safe and crouched in front of it. ‘You won’t take offence if I ask you to look away while I open it? We have to have some secrets, don’t we?’
Caelan turned her back. ‘I’m sure we both have plenty.’
She heard keys, clicking and the creak of the metal door opening.
‘Who needs the Royal Mint?’ Nash stood back, grinning as Caelan turned.
Inside the safe were closely packed bundles of used banknotes, four shelves stacked high.
She whistled. ‘Wow.’
Nash laughed. ‘I thought you’d be impressed.’
‘Makes my earnings look pathetic.’
‘Rubbish. From what I’ve heard, you were doing okay.’
She smiled. ‘If only I hadn’t spent it all.’
He raised a finger. ‘First rule of business: don’t blow all your profits.’
‘I’ll try to remember that,’ was her only comment, whatever else she felt like saying. There was a locked box at the bottom of the safe, and she wondered what was inside. She doubted Brady’s search team would have been authorised to access the strongroom. ‘Is this your income from the club?’
‘Officially, yeah. As you can see, I do pretty well.’ Nash seemed to be waiting for applause.
He’d said ‘I’, Caelan noted, not ‘we’. Often the newly bereaved spoke about the person they had lost as though they were still alive, until acceptance of their situation began to creep in. Either Nash had reached this state of mind quicker than most, or his brother’s presence had never registered much in the first place.
‘And if the taxman followed me in here, you’d be able to account for all this?’ She put a hand on her hip, tipping her head to the side as she studied him; not flirtatious, but definitely teasing. He moved towards her, sliding his arm around her shoulders.
‘Why don’t you let me worry about that?’
‘Happy to.’ She ducked away from him, went over to admire the safe. She wasn’t an expert, but she knew an expensive bit of kit when she saw it. ‘This must have cost a fortune,’ she said.
‘Almost ten grand. Worth it when you’re storing an actual fortune inside – amongst other things.’ Nash squatted by the safe and reached inside, pulling out a bundle of banknotes at random and holding it towards her. ‘How many do you want?’
Caelan didn’t move to take it. ‘Depends on the interest rate. Harris’s is extortionate.’
‘Interest? Nothing – for now. I want you close to Harris, feeding back whatever information you can. He has people on the streets selling for him, and I want to put him out of business.’
‘Expand your empire?’
Nash smiled. ‘Empire. I like that.’
‘Do you mean…’ Caelan hesitated. ‘You want Harris put out of business permanently?’
He stood up, laughing, the money still in his hand. ‘You mean am I planning to have him killed? Come on, what do you think I am? I’m a businessman, not a mobster.’
It can be a fine line, Caelan thought. Again there was no hint of grief for his brother. He’d also let information slip, telling her he had people he could call on to do his bidding. She knew she had to be cautious. Maybe he was behind Nathan’s death, even if he hadn’t swung the bat himself. He was showing a great deal of trust in her by inviting her into this room, showing her the safe and the cash inside. If he only wanted to use her to get at Harris, it seemed like overkill, so what else did he want?
‘But you’ve go
t a decent set-up here,’ she said. ‘Why get your hands dirty?’
‘I wouldn’t have to.’ Nash was watching her. ‘Harris has other ways of making money than running knackered taxis and forcing smackheads to sell for him.’
‘He said the same about you.’
‘Yeah, well he’s wrong, and that’s why I want a piece of whatever he’s up to. More than a piece.’
‘You don’t know what he’s involved in?’
‘I have my suspicions, but I want you to find out for sure.’ He threw the bundle of money to her, forcing her to catch it or let it fall to the floor. ‘I know I can trust you to help me out.’
‘Do you?’
‘Why do you think I brought you in here?’ Then he was beside her, his hand on her shoulder. ‘I told you – you help me, and I’ll help you. But if you let me down, if Harris gets to hear about what I’ve got tucked away in here, I’ll know you were the one who told him.’ His fingers dug into her shoulder for a second, but it was long enough and painful enough to make his point. ‘This is our secret, you understand? Not a word to your boyfriend either. In fact, why don’t you send him back to Scotland?’ This time he pulled her close and kissed her cheek. ‘I think we’d work well together.’
She wanted to scrub at her face with her sleeve, but she forced a tiny smile. ‘Maybe. I’ll see what I can do.’
Abruptly he released her, making her stumble. ‘Good. Don’t keep me waiting.’ He pulled out his phone, checked the screen. ‘I need to be downstairs soon, making sure everything’s running smoothly. Do you have a bag?’
Shaken now, Caelan feigned confusion. ‘No. Why do I need one?’
Nash nodded at the safe. ‘Don’t think seven grand will fit in your purse, do you?’
He was actually going to give her the money, and Caelan knew she’d have to take it. This pretence was becoming more complicated by the second, and she had no idea how she was going to wriggle out from her current position, trapped between Harris and Nash with both of them expecting information, loyalty, money and sex.
Maybe she and Ewan should both disappear and pretend none of this had ever happened. If it wasn’t for Lucy Mulligan, she would seriously consider it. As it was, for now, Victoria Smith would have to do as she was told.
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