by KERRY BARNES
It was time to throw some light into the room. Just as Staffie edged his way past Mike and Willie, he suddenly gasped. ‘Jesus, what the fuck’s going on?’
Once the curtains were opened, Mike and his friends stood still in shock at the sight before them.
A dead woman, her white, waxy, and naked body drenched in blood, was lying on the floor. She had been gutted like a fish.
‘Well, there’s Snow White, then,’ said Willie.
It took a moment for the three men to take in the devastation. The woman was young, probably in her mid-twenties. Her eyes were still open, and she looked absolutely terrified. Her mouth was black and gaping as if she had gasped for air. But what was worse was the butchered remains of her torso. The deep cut went from her chest all the way down. Spilling out onto the floor were the intestines and other internal organs. Mike glared at the mess; it reminded him of strings of sausages on a butcher’s shelf. Beside the entrails, there were wrappers, condoms, and clingfilm. More shockingly, next to the girl’s head, was a small bloodstained hessian sack.
The disturbing scene hit Mike like a ton of bricks. All he could imagine was his boy lying there. The blood left his face, and, instantly, he gagged. Staffie and Willie glanced over at their boss and were stunned by what they saw. They’d never seen Mike act so physically distressed. He was always the cold-faced one who was never affected by any gruesome scene, and he’d witnessed enough of them.
‘Please, please help us!’ cried one of the men by the sofa. He was shaking with fear. His face was grey and his eyes had sunk. He looked what he was: a physical wreck who had lost all his dignity.
Suddenly, they heard the sounds of motorbikes starting up. Willie instinctively ran to the back door to see two men on scrambler bikes, who were tearing across the field, away from the cottage.
He shot back to Mike, who was still staring at the grim remains of the woman.
Mike snapped out of his trance. ‘Staffie, frisk these men, will ya?’
Staffie dragged one of them away from the sofa and patted him down. ‘He’s clean.’ He then did the same to the other man, who also didn’t put up a struggle.
‘Who are ya?’ asked Mike once again.
The paler of the two, replied, ‘I’m Serco and my friend is Fabian. We need help. She . . . ’ – he pointed to the dead woman – ‘has already died, and I am sick. Are you the police?’
‘No, we ain’t. Who gutted her and why?’
Serco looked down in shame. ‘A man called the Governor. We were all supposed to be paid but not until the men had our drugs. They are still inside us. She’s dead because her parcels exploded. She died before she could even see dis country.’
Staffie felt his stomach churn so much, he had to go outside to get some fresh air.
‘Please help us. One of the parcels is leaking inside me. I feel it. I am unwell, and I know I will die soon like Cillag did.’
‘So the men who’ve just left were waiting for you to discharge your drugs, then?’
‘Yes, they would not let us leave. They said we had to produce the parcels first, but I cannot pass them. The flight has made me not able to shit.’
Mike looked at Fabian. ‘And you?’
Fabian shook his head. ‘Same as him, but the men were impatient. They said if we do not give them the goods, then we will be cut open, like her.’
‘Staffie, do us a favour, will ya? Take ’em to the hospital. Me and Willie will stay here. I wanna see who turns up. Serco, my mate, here, will get you help. But, tell me, what does this Governor look like?’
Serco replied, ‘Like you, he’s a big man, with short hair, but maybe he’s older.’
‘And how did you get here?’
‘We came by aeroplane.’
‘Did this Governor geezer meet you at the airport?’
Serco shook his head. ‘No, another man, a younger man did. He came and brought us here.’
‘How the fuck did they let you on a plane?’
Fabian stepped forward. ‘We have passports, money, everything we need. All we have to do is take the parcels, and we will be set up with a job, a home, and money, but it has not happened, and I think if we do not get help, Serco and I will . . . ’ He nodded to the dead girl.
‘What else do you know about this Governor?’
Fabian shrugged. ‘He is the boss, a powerful man . . . an evil man.’
Mike drew in a deep breath and clenched his jaw. ‘A fucking powerful man, yeah? He’ll be a dead man when I find the fucker.’
‘Well, the police can get the CCTV from the airport, and we’ll know then,’ said Willie.
Fabian, looking exhausted, lowered his head. ‘He wore a hat, moustache, and glasses. I don’t think they will recognize him.’
‘Staff, get them to the hospital. We’ll meet you at my gaff later.’ He turned to Fabian. ‘The police will want to question you, so, for your own sake, tell them fucking everything.’
Fabian smiled and gave him a weak nod. ‘I will.’
***
Mike and Willie stayed behind while Staffie helped the two men into the car and headed off to the hospital.
‘We need to search this place before we call Stoneham,’ said Mike, as he rifled through the drawers. ‘Whoever did this, hurt my boy!’
After an hour or so of turning the place upside down, they concluded that there was nothing that would lead them to the man everyone called the Governor.
As Mike called Stoneham, he knew in his mind that this would be a big test to see if Stoneham would have his back. To his satisfaction, the Police Commissioner told him that his officers would meet the two foreigners at the hospital. Before he ended the call, Stoneham sighed. ‘I knew making this agreement with you was the right thing to do. Your efforts have produced more information regarding this gang leader than we’ve managed in six months.’
But Mike wasn’t so friendly in his response. ‘I’ll tell ya this, Mr Stoneham, I might be helping you, but I need your help in return. Whatever you find out from those two fellas, I wanna know pronto.’
‘You have my word, Mr Regan.’
‘Thanks. By the way, I need a lift home. Staffie has taken the two foreign men to hospital in my car, so I’m without wheels.’
‘Forensics will be over shortly. I’ll arrange for someone to take you.’
Mike took another look at the poor dead woman and shook his head. He knew then why Stoneham wanted this gang caught and taken out. No way was this the work of some cocky little wannabe gangster outfit. In fact, he realized that he was facing an enemy who was not only evil but who also had powerful connections. It was downright demonic. As hard and calculated as he could be, this was in the realms of something far outside his own world. It crossed his mind that the man behind it was Colombian or Brazilian. Surely, the typical British gangsters wouldn’t do this, would they?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Antonio’s was open: by 7 p.m., the restaurant was full and buzzing.
Three of his usual punters, all stockbrokers, eagerly arrived. They swiftly took their seats in the corner, ordered an antipasto starter each, and shared a bottle of champagne. After thirty minutes, they asked for the bill. Antonio went to the kitchen, pulled the packets of cocaine that were wrapped in gold foil to look like after-dinner mints, placed them on the plate, and nodded to the new waitress to take them over. Dressed in fashionable tight-fitting suits, the three young men pocketed the packets and went to the bar to pay. They left a ten-pound note as a tip for the waitress, who was very quick to pocket the money. That tip alone would pay for her to have a takeaway that night with her boyfriend.
‘Nice one, Antonio. Next week, we’ll have the main course,’ said one of the suited men. He winked and the three left.
By the time the restaurant had emptied all but the last of the customers, Antonio was a bag of nerves, and he struggled to string a coherent sentence together.
Neil was perched on a stool at the small bar and Shamus sat at one of the tables for two
in a bay window. ‘Antonio, come on, mate. Look, your family are safe in Italy, yeah? I’m fecking tooled up, and me cousin over there is too. If anyone so much as gives you a dirty look, we’ll be on them like a couple of rabid dogs.’
Antonio was cleaning one of the glasses. The bags under his eyes were prominent from the overhead lighting. He looked old and his usual happy-go-lucky personality had been sucked out of him. He would have got on that plane and never come back, but he owed Zara and Izzy so much. They had set him up in business, and for years, he’d been running a successful restaurant. Even the police ate there; yet under everyone’s nose, he was dealing cocaine first for Zara and then the Lanigans. He couldn’t turn his back on her now.
‘Antonio, wipe that sweat from your face, mate. You look so fecking edgy. You’ve still got a few customers here.’
Antonio looked across the bar at four men who were finishing their drinks. He quickly rubbed a tea towel over his face. ‘What do you expect, Neil? You weren’t here. But those guys who came here a while ago were reckless.’
Neil nodded. ‘Well, mate, if from your description it’s the same ones who stabbed me on the fecking sly, I’m ready. We’re gonna be one step ahead and show this firm that we ain’t backing off.’
Antonio sighed. ‘I just hope you know what you’re doing, that’s all.’
Neil grinned and sipped his brandy. He had a liking for a Hennessy. ‘Yes, that I do.’
A black BMW 7 Series drove past slowly, the tinted windows hiding the occupants of the car. Shamus got up from his seat, mooched over to the bar, and whispered in Neil’s ear. ‘I think we’re gonna have visitors.’
‘Good. It’s about time. I was wondering if they’d show up tonight.’
The remaining four diners, who were finishing their meals, rose from their seats and straightened their suits. ‘Compliments to the chef!’ one of them called out.
Antonio waved. ‘Thank you. Please call again.’
He nodded to the young waitress to give them their bill. Once the men were out of the door, she folded her pinny and asked for her wages. Antonio gave her a fifty-pound note. ‘Good girl. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Fifty?’
Antonio smiled at her and nodded. ‘Yes, Tiffany, you worked hard. Now, get yourself home safely.’
Tiffany smiled in response. Quickly, she shoved the money in her bag and was on the point of hurrying over to the front door before Antonio had a chance to change his mind about her wages. But she didn’t go out of the restaurant.
‘Aw, I just need the toilet quickly. It’s quite a long walk.’
‘Er . . . remember the ladies’ is out of order. Only the men’s is working.’
There was silence as they all waited. Antonio poured both Shamus and Neil another drink and gave himself a double measure to calm his nerves.
Tiffany was now back in the dining room, waving goodbye.
Outside was pitch-black; the lamp over the restaurant hadn’t come on. Suddenly, Neil spotted how dark it was. ‘Wait up, love,’ he called, as she stepped outside.
She was on the point of turning back to smile at him; she’d been quite taken with the handsome man. But before she’d even had a chance to give him a flirtatious look, a huge hand grabbed her around the mouth, and she was lifted from the pavement and dragged towards the thugs’ car.
The shock had Neil on his feet and running to the door. Shamus looked at his phone; the text was ready to send as soon as need be. He pressed the forward icon and heard the sound of the text message from inside the ladies’ toilets. Minty and Jacko, their own men, who were hiding inside the restroom, came tearing into the dining area.
‘Lads, go around to the side door,’ shouted Shamus, as he hurried towards the front door.
Outside, Neil watched in horror as a massive man, wearing a balaclava, held a knife at Tiffany’s throat. Instantly, Neil put his hands up. ‘Leave off. Jesus, she’s only a kid!’
From the BMW, which was idling by the kerb outside the restaurant, two more men jumped out. They were just as large and were also wearing balaclavas. But it was their practised threatening movements that would have put the shit up most bystanders if they’d been there. Wielding crowbars, they demonstrated they were up for a serious fight. Almost in tandem, again as if their movements were rehearsed, they dared Neil to take them on.
This wasn’t supposed to happen, thought Neil. He stared in disbelief as the young girl’s eyes bulged in abject terror. He thought his plan was fucked until he saw Jacko and Minty creeping up behind the three men. Jacko had a metal bat; in one quick movement, he struck the man holding the kid hard around the head. The resounding bang was so loud that unless he was a machine, he would have hit the deck in a jiffy. Neil and Jacko were both stunned that although he let the girl go, he didn’t otherwise move. Quickly, Neil lurched forward and snatched the girl, pulling her behind him. But the man holding the knife lashed out, causing Jacko and Minty to back off.
Whoever was in the vehicle suddenly started the engine; in a second, all three of the men jumped in and tore away.
Zara had been parked in a side street, nervously smoking. Davey and two more of his men were inside the Range Rover with her. The text that came through almost made her jump out of her seat. Discarding the cigarette, she pulled away smartly and was about to turn left but another car was in the way, making a three-point turn. In frustration, she banged the steering wheel. ‘Fuck! Fuck!’ she screeched. As soon as the road was clear, she tore away and pulled up directly outside the restaurant to find Neil shaking his head and staring up the road at the BMW leaving an exhaust trail in the cold air. Jumping out of the car, her first priority was the distraught waitress, who looked as though she would have a panic attack at any moment.
‘What the fuck just happened?’
‘The cunts grabbed Tiffany and held a knife to her throat.’
Zara went over to the traumatized kid and hugged her. ‘It’s okay, love.’ She stroked the girl’s hair, trying to calm her trembling body, and hushed the sobs that were now becoming louder and louder.
‘Lads!’ she called out. ‘I want one of you to drive her home!’
‘Oh my God, I thought they were gonna kill me! Who-who are-are they? Wh-why us?’ Tiffany cried out.
Zara pulled her against her own soft cashmere jumper. ‘Now, listen. Those men have gone. They were probably nothing more than some opportunists who were pushing their luck. Don’t worry, darling, you’re safe now. I’ll make sure you get home safely.’
Tiffany’s make-up was running down her face in streams. ‘Are we calling the police?’
‘No, there’s no need. They won’t be able to do much, but you’re safe enough now.’
Tiffany pulled away and looked Zara up and down. She was surprised that the woman looked so in control, and then she eyed the men around her, realizing that the one-handed woman was the boss.
‘Er, who are you?’ she asked, with a nervous tone, although the sobs had now stopped, and she felt very comforted by the tall, dark-haired lady.
Zara gave Tiffany a compassionate smile. ‘This is my restaurant, sweetheart. Now then, I think you deserve a little compensation.’
Tiffany’s eyes widened in astonishment. ‘What d’ya mean, like? What, you want to pay me off to keep me mouth shut?’
Zara studied the youngster’s face to see if she could easily be fobbed off.
‘Look, you seem a bright young lady, so, darling, I won’t fuck about. Yeah, I want you to keep quiet. There’s no point in making a drama out of a crisis, is there? In return, I’ll give you five hundred pounds. Now, how does that sound?’
Tiffany was suddenly in awe of the woman who spoke with an air of confidence that oozed sophistication. If the truth be known, she would love to model herself on her. ‘How about a grand and you have a deal?’
Zara tapped the youngster’s nose. ‘Good girl, you played the game brilliantly. That’s what I like to hear, a negotiator. Well, you’ve got yourself a deal. Bu
t!’
Tiffany suddenly felt very cold. She nervously swallowed hard at seeing the posh woman almost become a different person as she stood over her, her mouth set sternly and her eyes cold and penetrating her own. Tiffany was shaking, and it wasn’t because of what had happened earlier.
‘But . . . if I pay you out, and I hear you’ve opened your mouth to anyone, then you’ll wish you hadn’t crossed me. Understood?’
Tiffany nodded so hard, it appeared as though her head might fall off at any moment.
‘I won’t say a dicky bird . . . I know I’m just a kid really compared to you, but can I ask ya something? I wouldn’t mind working for ya, if you’d take me on?’
Zara raised her eyebrow. ‘Oh yeah? Well, that depends on what you can bring to the table, love. Let me have a think about it. In the meantime, are you still up for working in the restaurant? I like strong people on my books who I can trust.’
Tiffany blushed. ‘Well, yeah, sure. I’ll be ready if those bullies turn up again.’
The men surrounding Zara relaxed their shoulders at last. The cheek of the young waitress had definitely released the tension, and Tiffany had given them a good laugh to boot.
‘Anyway, what the fuck happened? I got the text, so we came hammering down and . . . ’
Neil was shaking his head. ‘They must have hidden behind the wall, and as soon as Tiffany went to leave, they grabbed her. I thought we were fecked for a minute. The sly bastards. Did you see the fecking size of ’em? Jesus, all three were huge. The one with the knife was a colossus.’
‘Yeah, but did ya see the bandage around his wrist? He’s already been in a war,’ said Tiffany, joining in, acting as though she was already part of the firm.
‘What? He had a bandage wrapped around his wrist?’
Tiffany enthusiastically responded. ‘Yeah, and he was wearing Joop! aftershave. And he had a gold ring on his little finger.’
Zara grinned. ‘Work for me, eh? You could get a job as a detective.’
Tiffany chuckled. What a day it had been.
***
When the house was quiet, Poppy crept into Brooke’s bedroom. ‘Hey, we need to talk, but I really don’t want to upset you. How strong are you feeling?’