by KERRY BARNES
‘Well, you’re right, but that depends on the circumstances. Someone has hurt my kid – badly – and I ain’t taking that lightly. I want revenge, and if it means I tear through every fucker in South-East London to find this cunt, then your sister is expendable.’
Woodrow wouldn’t argue – he knew that the Governor had met his match with Mike Regan. As they approached Peckham, Woodrow clocked a woman with a pram; she was walking with an older person. His heart was in his mouth; it was his mother, accompanying his sister and his baby niece. They looked so happy, so innocent. ‘Mr Regan, can we talk? I wanna do a deal with you.’
Mike pulled off the main road, where there was a small gap among the parked cars, and he nodded. ‘I wondered if you would. Ya see, I have this gift. I can tell when someone’s holding something back. I would’ve smashed it out of you eventually, but if I’d done that, you’d be no good to me with no face to talk to.’
Woodrow gulped. ‘I’ll tell you who hurt your son and killed that girl, in return for my sister’s life. She’s kind-hearted – works at King’s College Hospital – and she’s got a baby of her own. She looks after me muvver as well. She does all her shopping. Ya know, just . . . ’ He stopped when the tears tumbled down his cheeks. ‘She doesn’t deserve to be hurt for us. I mean, me and me brothers. It wouldn’t be fair.’
Mike remained poker-faced. He wouldn’t lose his temper with Woodrow. He wanted the truth, and now he felt that at long last he was going to hear it, even though he’d had a strong suspicion who’d hurt his son. ‘Go on!’
Woodrow stared, looking for some compassion in Regan’s eyes, but he should have known there wouldn’t be any. ‘If I tell you, will you leave her alone?’
Mike nodded. ‘You give me their names and not any cock-and-fucking-bull story either, and I won’t touch her.’
Woodrow slowly closed his eyes as more tears plummeted down his cheeks. The words almost choked him to death. ‘If you must know, it was Dez. He did it. I never knew he’d killed the girl that was with Ricky, but I do know he raped one a while ago. Well, he’s raped more than one. He did it by shoving drugs down their throat, so I guess he did it to her as well. I heard what’d happened on the grapevine, and I told him to leave it. I never knew all the details, only that he’d had a beef with you and Ricky in prison.’
‘And who was the other bloke with him?’
Woodrow shook his head, with regret clearly showing on his face. ‘That, Mr Regan, I really don’t know, but I know it wasn’t Randy.’
‘Why are you so sure?’
‘Randy’s sick. He’s got something wrong with his heart. He was up the hospital the last two weeks, so he wouldn’t have had the strength nor the will. He ain’t like Dez. In fact, none of my brothers are like Dez. We try to help him, but for years he’s lived off our reputation and bullied people. Mr Regan, I am what I am, a drug dealer, and, yeah, I’ve bashed up people. I’ve done wrong things, like all of us, but nothing like Dez.’ He wiped his tears away, and gave a sad, defeated smile. ‘You won’t hurt me sister, will ya?’ His eyes begged.
Mike blinked slowly as he shook his head. ‘No, Woodrow, the war is between good and bad, really. This Governor may have hurt your sister, but me and my firm wouldn’t do so, not in a fucking million years. Did you honestly think I would?’
Woodrow nodded. ‘I have to say I did. That’s why I told you it was Dez.’
‘I’m a ruthless bastard, but hurt a woman? Never, mate. Before you get outta me car, don’t get too complacent, though. I still have Randy, so you do as you’re told, yeah?’
Woodrow smiled. ‘Believe it or not, Mr Regan, I’m now on your side. Ya see, this Governor man would’ve hurt my sister. That’s the difference between you and him. It’s why I want to help. You need to find this bloke and kill him!’
‘Oh, believe me, I fucking will. Now, I need to find out who this other bloke is who bashed the life outta my son.’
‘And Randy, he’s a kid, he’s not like Dez. Please . . . ’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll get the boy to the hospital, but be warned. If you fuck me over, I can soon ’ave a change of heart.’
With his eyes looking directly into Mike’s, Woodrow replied, ‘I swear to you, I won’t do that. I want the Governor dead as much as you do. I hate this drug. I hate even more how we’re all held to fucking ransom, and more than that, I hate that this cunt has so much power. He’s raising a fucking army.’
‘No man is that invincible. President Kennedy got shot!’
Woodrow raised his brow, and a hint of a smirk adorned his face – a thought he digested as he left the car and headed to the estate.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Dressed in a black jacket, a crisp white shirt, and dark jeans, Zara sat behind her father’s desk. She looked at her prosthetic hand and then at her own hand. ‘It’s who I am now!’ she said to herself. The days of mourning her lost limb, her fingers, and self-worth were now a thing of the past. This was who she was. She may be alone, but she wasn’t lonely anymore. All those years, all that heartache, it had made her into the woman she was today. There was a piece of her heart broken, and nothing on earth would ever fix that issue. Mike was out of her life, so the images and dreams she’d once had of living a family life with Ricky as her stepson and Mike as her husband would always stir a heartache; however, she was strong enough now to hurl them to the back of her mind. She had a business to run and a plan to put in place.
The calls had been made, and now she waited for the reaction. Right on cue, she could see the taxi on her monitor, making its way up the drive. Getting up from her chair, she sauntered over to the drinks cabinet and selected the most expensive brandy. It was only used by her father on rare occasions. She placed it on the desk and then used her one hand to pick up two cut-glass crystal tumblers, one at a time. Only the best would do for her guest-cum-minder.
The heavy rap at the door put a smile on her face, and it was even broader when she welcomed him in. It was Victor.
‘You sounded excited on the phone. What’s going on?’
She nodded. ‘Oh yes, I’ve thought about what you said, and you were right. I think the person who’s trying to run me out of town is right under my nose and has been all the bloody time. A drink?’
Victor followed her into the office and grinned when he recognized the brandy label. ‘Ooh, this is a celebration. Your father’s best, no less.’
Zara poured the drink into the two glasses. ‘It’s such a shame because he would have loved to have shared this with you.’
‘Yeah, I do miss Izzy. I loved his riddles and his philosophy on life.’
Zara gave a wry smile. ‘I know what you mean. I can still hear his words as if he were next to me. Anyway, I have some news, and I want you to help me.’
Victor clasped his hands in front of him. ‘Anything, sweetheart. You know, you only have to ask me.’
‘Yeah, you’ve been such a tremendous help. I know no one can fill my father’s shoes, but, I dunno, I feel you’ve been, like, well, perhaps an uncle to me.’
Victor blushed and looked down at the amber liquid. ‘That’s a kind thing to say, and, babe, it’s my pleasure.’
Zara leaned back on her chair. ‘Okay, so, as you know, my cocaine business has almost dried up. The supplier’s disappeared, the Colombians have well and truly backed off, and the dealers are moving towards this new drug.’
Victor was nodding. ‘Yeah, it’s a shocking state of affairs.’
‘Well, I’ve contacted a friend of Izzy’s today. I didn’t even realize I had his number. But lo and behold, I’ve a new supplier. He’s managed to deal with a new importer, and, apparently, the cocaine is the best there’s ever been in the UK. He can supply me with enough to cover the whole of the South-East and more if I need it. If I can get my restaurants back up and running with my own men, then I’m in business again, and so, hopefully, it will push the demand for that shit stuff lower down the line. You see, there has to be an alternative. No one
will just go cold turkey. The toffs will always want a bit for recreational use, and I intend to be their supplier.’
Victor held his hand up to give her a high five, and, with a chuckle, she responded likewise.
‘Sounds like a plan . . . But I can see one fly in the ointment. More than one, actually. It’s the gangs behind this Flakka drug. How do you propose to tackle them?’
She sighed heavily. ‘I don’t know yet. I would have said involve the Lanigans, but after what you said earlier, it has got me wondering. I’ve been over and over these last few days, just thinking about all of this, and something just doesn’t add up. You were right: I think the Lanigans are after running me out of London. When Neil pushed me into the ladies’ toilets when those cars pulled up, he wasn’t protecting me, he was placing me in there as a sitting duck. None of the men were killed. It was a set-up, clear and simple, and I think they intended to do away with me.’
Victor frowned. ‘What? No way. I don’t think they would go that far, would they?’
She nodded. ‘Did you know that many moons ago, I nearly killed Davey Lanigan. I smashed him around the head with a rock.’
Victor shook his head. ‘What? You? But you are so sweet and dinky.’
‘Yep, I nearly knocked his head clean off his shoulders.’
Victor laughed. ‘Well, I’ll be buggered.’
‘Then something else puzzled me. It’s Eric.’
Victor leaned forward on the edge of his seat, drinking in everything she said. ‘Eric as in Mike’s brother?’
‘Yeah. He knew stuff that he could’ve only known if he’d spoken with the Lanigans.’
‘Right. See, I knew he was a sly ol’ git. He comes across as slimy, if I’m honest. I’ve seen him sneaking around. I told you about when he went to Antonio’s restaurant. So, what you’re saying is that Eric and the Lanigans are in cahoots. But what about Mike?’
She took a sip of brandy and placed the glass down, clearly annoyed. ‘Eric and Mike were close. I mean, really close. Maybe it’s because I was so in love with Mike that my brain wasn’t able to analyse stuff at a personal level. It was a head versus heart thing, I suppose. So I was resisting the idea that Mike had any involvement with all of this backstabbing. You see, the thing is, Mike and Eric were making a mint from supplying arms to the Lanigans before Eric fucked off to Spain or wherever he went while Mike was locked away. With Mike inside, that little bit of business dried up. Well, so I thought. I know Davey went to see Mike in prison to discuss setting up a business again. Mike gave Davey Staffie’s name, but then, funnily enough, Staffie, Willie Ritz, and Lou Baker all ended up inside. That’s a bit convenient, wouldn’t you say?’
Victor’s eyes were bulging. ‘Fucking hell. So, what you’re saying is that someone – perhaps Eric – took over, grassed them all up, and worked on the QT with the Lanigans, cutting everyone out of the business?’
Zara nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying, and not only that, remember I told you I had cut Eric’s wrist?’
‘Yeah, well, I don’t blame you.’
‘The guy who rushed to ambush the restaurant had a bandage on his wrist. My young waitress said he smelled of Joop! aftershave, and he wore a gold ring on his little finger. So, it must’ve been Eric.’
Victor put his hand to his mouth. ‘Jesus, Zara, he could’ve killed you. After all, he knows where you live.’
‘That’s why you’re the only man I can trust. You had your suspicions from the start, and you were right too. I’m just so grateful I have you because everyone else around me is a fucking snake.’
Unexpectedly, she rose, her eyes filled with tears, and she cried into her brandy. Victor jumped up from his seat and pulled her into his arms. ‘It’s gonna be all right, sweetheart. I’ll look after you.’
‘Oh, Victor, why am I so weak sometimes? One minute, I think I’m strong, and then the next, I just fall apart. It’s like I’ve two voices in my head.’
‘Babe, you’ve been through a hell of an ordeal, and by Christ, most men even would have turned it in and laid down and died, let alone a woman. You’ll be okay. You just need a break.’
She pulled away from him and sat back down, wiping away her sodden cheeks. ‘I can’t, not yet. I’ve got this cocaine delivery, so I need to be there. Oh Christ, why did I even get involved? What was I thinking? You’re right, you know. I’m all over the place at the moment. I do need a break, just to clear my head of all the crap that’s been fed into it by people who I thought I could trust.’
Victor looked at the brandy bottle. ‘Here, d’ya want a top-up?’
She nodded and sniffed back a tear that had run down her nose. ‘Will you come with me? I don’t think I should go alone, and I can’t trust the Regans or the Lanigans anymore.’
Victor topped up her glass and his own. ‘Of course, babe.’
She laughed through her tears. ‘Look at us. There’s me, a skinny bitch on the one hand, and you . . . ’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘An old man?’
‘No, I was going to say a taxi driver.’
He straightened his shoulders and presented a half-grin that appeared like a cruel smirk. ‘You and I both know that I’m more than that, Zara. Your father never underestimated me. I didn’t have the nickname ‘The Machinist’ for nothing, ya know.’
Zara gulped back the brandy and gritted her back teeth; the liquid was so strong it burned the back of her throat. ‘Yeah, you’re right, of course. My father thought very highly of you.’ She sat up straight and took a deep breath. ‘So, shall we get down to business?’
Victor placed his glass back on the table. ‘Okay. What’s the plan?’
‘Well, I don’t really have time for an elaborate plan because the drop-off is tonight.’
Victor’s eyes were on stalks. ‘Tonight? Shit. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’
She shook her head. ‘No, not really, but the advantage I have is that no one knows: only you, the dealer, and me. The sole risk I face is if he turns up with a firm and takes the money without leaving the gear.’
‘He’ll be one foolish man if he does that on the first drop-off. In my experience, dealers, if they are inclined to, will only do that after a few exchanges. It’s only once the buyer gets complacent and doesn’t take precautions at every one that they get screwed.’
Zara’s eyebrow raised as she grinned. ‘You seem to know a lot?’
‘And where do you think I learned it from? It was from your dad, of course. He had me on board for many an exchange. He said he didn’t trust anyone else, so he always called me . . . but he paid me well.’
‘Oh yes, sorry, about the payment. I was thinking ten grand . . . in cash?’
Victor stared at her, in contemplation. ‘I take it the deal is for two hundred grand, then? So, that’s five per cent?’
‘That’s what my father paid, wasn’t it?’
Victor beamed. ‘No flies on you, girl. Yes, it was, so ten grand, in cash, and you have a deal. Now then, what d’ya know about our new supplier?’
‘He worked with my father in the past. I remember Izzy talking about him. He’d always come up trumps. You must have met him if you accompanied my dad on the exchanges?’
‘What’s his name?’
‘Josh.’
Victor frowned. ‘I don’t remember anyone called Josh, but, then again, your father didn’t disclose any names. I was just there as the backup, you know, inside the wings, just in case.’
‘Well, anyway, he did a lot of business in the past, so you might recognize him.’ She paused. ‘I am making the right decision, aren’t I?’
‘I know your father never looked a gift horse in the mouth, and if you’re getting a good deal and you reckon you can get rid of this nasty shit drug and turn the South-East back to how it was, it can only earn you respect.’
Zara stood up. ‘Right.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Let’s do this. I’m going to meet Josh at nine o’clock. Presumably, you know wh
ere my hangar is?’
Victor nodded. ‘Of course. Your father loved to show off his light aircraft.’
‘Good. Could you meet me there at say eight thirty? I need to gather up the money first.’
Victor knew she was giving him a hint that it was time to leave. ‘Are you sure you’ll be okay, driving around with all that dosh in your car?’
Zara nodded and walked with him towards the front door to see him out. ‘Victor, I’m putting my trust in you completely. No one else will know. Once we’ve done the swap, I’ve another plan for Eric and the Lanigans, but I need that cocaine first.’
‘Sounds ominous? What plan is this?’
She winked and tapped the side of her nose. ‘Let’s just say, they’ll see me in a different light.’
‘Zara, listen, if what we believe is true, then Eric is one dangerous man. You won’t do anything reckless, will you?’
She grinned. ‘No, because you’ll be there. I’m going to arrange for Eric to turn up after the cocaine deal.’
Victor sighed. ‘Have you really thought this through, babe? I mean, what if he turns up with the Lanigans or Mike?’
She shook her head. ‘No, he won’t because the one thing that Eric wants, apart from my business, is me. Leave it to me, Victor. I’ll reel him in.’
‘I dunno, sweetheart, what if . . . ?’
Zara waved her hand. ‘Look, I thought you said you could handle shit like this? My father trusted you, so what’s the big deal?’
He stiffened. ‘No, honestly, you can count on me. I just don’t want anything to go wrong and you to get hurt.’
‘Well, do you have any mates who you trust to come along? My father usually had a couple of men during a swap. Would you know who they are?’
Victor gave a resigned nod.
‘Good. Well, that’s settled, then. Meet me at the hangar at eight thirty.’
Victor kissed her cheek and left.
As soon as he was out of the door, she returned to her father’s office and picked up the phone. She looked at the framed photograph of Izzy set above the mantelpiece and smiled wickedly.