Ruthless a Gripping and Gritty Crime Thriller

by Charlie Gallagher

  Mo walked past the casual man. Ten metres more and he would need to take a right. The shop on the corner opposite was at an angle. It was glass-fronted, and the window provided Mo with an effective mirror. The man was now behind him. Mo saw him look up and push his phone back into his pocket. He pushed off the wall.

  Mo took the turn. All his concerns were back in droves. He pulled his own phone from his pocket and wiped the messages as he walked, then the call history. There were only two contacts on the phone and he wiped them, too. The street towards the steps down into the cemetery was quieter. There was just a hairdressers and the shop front for the local Conservative MP. He picked up his pace. He wore a black baseball cap, a hoody and blue trackies. He turned the peak of the cap so it sat off-centre, a signal to Rosh that he had been compromised. He still wasn’t certain, but better safe than sorry.

  Mo made the steps. It gave him an elevated view of the grassy area of the church. As planned, he could see Rosh leaning on a stone wall on the opposite side, some way in the distance. Rosh stood up immediately and started walking away at pace. At the bottom of the steps, Mo turned quickly right, ducking behind the wall. He bent down, fiddled with his shoe as if he was tying his laces. He watched the end of the wall where the steps finished. He heard footsteps. The casual man appeared and his phone was now to his ear.

  ‘It’s a temporary loss — St Eanswythe Churchyard,’ the man said. He turned to the right and his eyes met with Mo’s. They flared wide.

  Mo leapt to his feet and broke into a sprint. He pushed right past the man and back towards the High Street. He wanted to go in the opposite direction to Danny and he fancied his chances of getting lost in the crowd. He didn’t look back. He made the High Street. There was another street directly opposite and he weaved through bodies to get to it. Just as he was about to break free, one of the bodies threw its arms out and gripped him tightly round his chest. Mo’s momentum took him over and he sprawled onto the cobbles. The grip on him was released momentarily but then he felt it again, this time round his legs. It was tighter this time. He could hear shouted instructions. ‘Stop resisting! Police!’ Mo tried to kick out, to kick him off. He could barely move his legs, shackled as they were by bodyweight. The man who had chased back from the cemetery took hold of his arms.

  ‘Police!’ he bellowed. ‘Keep your hands where I can see them!’ Mo was bundled onto his front. He felt his arms wrenched round so his wrists met at the back. Then the cold metal of handcuffs; he heard them ratchet shut. He pushed his forehead into the concrete and scrunched his eyes closed. He didn’t shout or complain. He knew he was done and he remembered what he had been told. He wouldn’t be saying another thing.

  * * *

  ‘What happened?’ Rosh took a step back as Aaron moved off the sofa.

  ‘I was where we agreed at the time we said. I saw Mo. He was giving a signal that he had picked up some interest, so I walked away. I had a grand in my pocket, I didn’t want to get picked up and lose it. I stashed the money up and by the time I made it back round to Mo there were three blokes on top of him. One of them was in a copper uniform, so I assume they were all cops.’

  ‘FUCK!’ Aaron roared. Rosh took another step back. Aaron’s breathing was suddenly loud, like he was struggling to get it under control. His nostrils flared.

  Rosh tried to calm him down. ‘What did he have on him? A hundred wraps? We’ll have to wear that and Mo’s a juvenile with nothing for drugs. They should boot him back out with a court date. He’ll probably get some community shit. He shouldn’t even go to juvie—’

  ‘You think I’m bothered about losing the gear? About Mo?’

  ‘Well, yeah, I mean what else is there?’

  ‘I fucking KNEW IT!’ Aaron kicked out at the wall. His foot coursed through the outer layer and got stuck. Bits of plaster cracked and flecked onto the floor as he pulled it back out. ‘I knew I had brought a load of amateurs down here with me. You can’t do this with fucking amateurs!’

  ‘Aaron, I know it’s a shit day, but we—’

  ‘A shit day! You don’t get it, do you? I know it happens, you can lose a hundred wraps and get a soldier burnt and it ain’t nothing. But this was Mo, and he was picked up just walking down the street. Why did they even look at him twice? I sent him out today for the first time and he gets burnt! Mo’s the money man — I keep him away from the gear. I only put him out today because Danny’s a fucking liability. They had to know about Mo, which means they have to know about the line, about us!’

  Rosh shook his head. ‘I dunno, we kinda stick out down here you know. We’re not exactly local. Maybe they got a sniff that a black guy was out dealing in the town — they stopped the first black guy they saw and got lucky. It don’t have to be that they knew about Mo.’

  ‘And where did this sniff come from. Someone’s been talking. Who do you think that might be? Who knows all about our little setup here?’

  ‘No one who’d be grassing, surely?’

  Aaron stepped suddenly towards Rosh. Rosh flinched, but Aaron walked right past him. He made for the door to William’s bedroom and his boot came up again. The bedroom door folded in immediately. Nobody was in there. Rosh couldn’t remember the last time he had seen or heard anyone in it. Aaron huffed again, his chest rising and falling with the exertion. He swung his fist this time and it thudded into the centre of the television hanging on the wall.

  ‘I want the rummy. And I want the two girls.’

  ‘You don’t think—’

  ‘I don’t KNOW!’ Aaron roared. He checked himself. ‘I don’t know. And that means I can’t have no control and that don’t sit well with me. I need to know who’s talking and what they’re talking about.’

  ‘Maybe it’s just one of the users. It happens. They speak to the cops, tell them there’s a new setup in the area.’

  Aaron was shaking his head. ‘Users don’t know Mo. They don’t know much and they need us. I get that it can happen, the cops wave a twenty in their direction and they get loose lips, but they don’t know Mo. The two girls, the rummy. I need to put a bit of pressure on them. One of them has been talking and I’m going to find out which one it is.’

  ‘You want them here?’

  ‘No. The cops might know about this place too. They might be on their way to search it. We should assume they know about it.’

  ‘If they knew about it they’d be here already, right?’

  ‘Assume they do. Assume they know everything. Take the car. Run it through a few ANPR cameras, past a few cop cars and give them the eyeball. See if you get pulled over and how you get treated. I need to know if they know about the car too. I’ll call you when I’m somewhere else. I need to get this place cleared. Then I want you start rounding them up. I don’t care who you can get to me first, just as long as I get an opportunity to start asking questions.’

  ‘Then what?’ Rosh said. He had seen Aaron like this before, but only a few times: his nostrils flaring, his eyes wide and unfocused. He had lost his control. His chest moved in and out, his fists were clenched by his side.

  ‘Depends on the answers I get.’

  Chapter 16

  Rhiannon mounted the bottom step of her temporary home as her phone rang. She stopped on the steps and pulled it from her pocket. It was Danny. She pressed to cut the call and continued into the house. It had a stillness about it that told her she was home alone. She called out anyway. ‘Rose! Hello?’ No answer. She walked through to the kitchen and made a drink. Her phone rang again. She had put it down on the kitchen table. She could see it was Danny again. This time she let it ring out.

  Ten minutes later and Rhiannon was in her bedroom. This time her phone rang and it was Sam.

  ‘Sam,’ Rhiannon said.

  ‘Rhiannon, you okay?’

  Rhiannon just wanted to be left alone. ‘I’m fine yeah, you okay?’

  ‘Yeah. Where are you?’

  ‘I’m back at the house.’

  ‘Okay. I wasn’t going to go back
there until later. Do you fancy meeting up? I think we should talk about all this shit. About what happened. We need to have a plan, yeah? You know, so we know what we’re doing from here.’

  ‘A plan?’ All of Rhiannon’s exasperation was back. ‘What do you mean a plan? We stay the hell away from those boys and whatever it is they’re into and we stay safe. That’s my plan. It should be yours too.’

  ‘Yeah, I know, I reckon it is. I just think we should talk, you know. I want us to be cool. I feel bad. You know them boys because of me and the other night I couldn’t do nothing. I feel proper bad.’

  ‘I know that, Sam. It worked out okay in the end. Look, I can make my own decisions and I thought they seemed like nice lads. Well, Danny at least. It doesn’t matter now. Don’t worry about it.’

  ‘So, do you still want to meet? I’m in the town. There’s some street artist festival on down here or something. Most of them are shit but there’s some good stuff too. We could have a smoothie or something.’

  Rhiannon sighed. She didn’t know if she wanted to see anyone, let alone spend time with them. But she didn’t have any plans for the rest of the afternoon and she knew Anais would be back soon. That meant staying in her room until tomorrow morning. She didn’t relish that idea.

  ‘I’ll come down. I can’t promise I’ll be out for long, though. I don’t really want to be cooped up in here all afternoon, I suppose.’

  ‘Nice one! Yeah, come down. Give me a call when you’re in the town. I’ve got some shops to do and then I’ll probably go sit in Costa. I’ll meet you there.’

  Rhiannon sighed again, the call ended. She surveyed herself in the mirror. She was back in her jeans torn at the knees, pump trainers and a fitted T-shirt. She knew Sam wouldn’t approve, but right now she couldn’t care less. She put a brush through her hair and freshened up before leaving the house for the ten-minute bus ride into the town.

  The coffee shop was busy. Everywhere was. Sam hadn’t described the activity too well; it was some big art festival with some roads closed. The High Street itself was closed off by a flickering police car. Rhiannon hadn’t bothered calling Sam. She figured she would find a table with a drink on her own for a few minutes before she let her know she was there. Rhiannon liked to people watch. She would make up back-stories for all the people walking past the window or filling the other tables. The people and the families she saw in her mind’s eye would always be happy and fulfilled, with perfect lives and bright futures. She ended up disliking them all.

  Rhiannon found a table. She had a bright red smoothie with loads of ice. Sam’s voice was immediately shrill in her ear.

  ‘Rhiannon!’ She turned towards the source. Sam was carrying several shopping bags — the brown card types you get from shopping for clothes.

  ‘Hey, Sam. I was just going to call. Did you want a drink?’

  Sam pushed her bags onto the table and vacant seat. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get something.’ She strode towards the counter. Rhiannon watched her, sucking her drink through a straw. She thought Sam looked a little uncomfortable, unsure maybe. She was in a long grey dress, the type that looked like an extended jumper and clung tightly to her figure. Her blonde hair was straightened and she wore new-looking versions of Rhiannon’s pumps to finish the outfit. It was clear her attention was very much back over with Rhiannon. She was turned to the side, but it was like she wanted to be able to see her all the time in her periphery. Every now and then she would turn to face Rhiannon and project a smile over. She also fidgeted with her phone.

  Rhiannon turned away. She peered out the window at the people walking past. With their perfect, uncomplicated lives and families, they all looked so happy to her.

  Sam made it back to the table. She put her cup down but stayed standing. She was leaning on the back of the chair when Rhiannon looked up.

  ‘You okay? Are you not staying?’ Rhiannon quipped. She was suddenly aware of a figure making straight for her. It was Danny. He held an awkward smile. Rhiannon immediately fixed back on Sam. Rhiannon picked up her drink and her phone that had been laid out on the table.

  ‘He just wants to talk to you,’ Sam said.

  ‘I told you I don’t want anything to do with him.’ Danny was at the table. Rhiannon did her best to ignore him completely.

  ‘Just a minute,’ Danny spoke, ‘one minute.’

  ‘For what?’ Rhiannon demanded, doing nothing to hide the emotion in her voice. She felt furious. That he was here, that Sam had set it up. That they both thought this should happen.

  ‘I want to say I’m sorry.’

  ‘For what?’ Rhiannon snapped again.

  ‘What do you mean, for what?’

  ‘What are you sorry for? I want you to say it.’ Rhiannon stood up. She shuffled to the end of the table and paused enough for a response. Danny was floundering.

  ‘For getting you into all this shit. I shouldn’t have got you involved. I’m sorry, yeah?’

  Rhiannon took another moment. The frustration had built to the point where she was struggling to form words; she just wanted to lash out. Sam cut across them.

  ‘I’ll leave you two to it then.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Sam. I’m not staying. He can’t even say what he did. This is pointless. He can’t even be honest with himself, let alone with me.’

  ‘I left you there,’ Danny blurted. ‘Okay, I know I did. I didn’t want to, I hate myself. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since—’

  ‘At last! Some honesty! Too late though.’ Rhiannon took a step towards the exit.

  ‘Ask me anything!’ Danny called out. Rhiannon stopped. She was aware that the occupants from other tables were looking over. Her exchange had been neither quiet nor subtle. ‘Anything,’ Danny persisted.

  ‘And how would I know you were telling the truth? With anything you say.’

  ‘You’ll know when I say it. Because I know what you want to ask, what you want to talk about, what you think you know. I’ll tell you everything.’

  Sam made her excuses once again. This time she left. Rhiannon didn’t even acknowledge her. All her attention was on Danny.

  ‘Are you a drug dealer?’ she asked. She was still aware she was being watched. It was clear from Danny’s reaction that he was aware too. He met a few gazes from the strangers now paying them attention before his eyes settled back on her.

  ‘Yes.’ His voice was considerably lower than Rhiannon’s had been.

  ‘I don’t need to know anything more then, do I?’

  ‘Yes you do. Let’s get out of here so I can explain.’

  ‘I am getting out of here. But not with you.’ Rhiannon made for the door. She bustled through a group of girls coming in, they made some angry comments towards her but she kept her head down and kept walking. She turned hard left and quickened her pace. She heard running from behind her. Danny caught her up.

  ‘I just want you to be safe. You don’t belong involved in all this shit. You’re different.’ He was breathy.

  ‘So you keep saying. You tell me I’m different, you make me feel special and then you leave me with an alcoholic to be a prisoner in his stinking bedroom for the night, where he paid to rape me. And now you say you just want me to be safe?’

  ‘He didn’t though, did he? Touch you, I mean?’

  ‘Rape me. That’s what you mean. He didn’t pay to touch me Danny, he paid to rape me, remember? You should remember. You were there when the deal was done.’

  ‘I can explain.’

  ‘No you can’t. And no he didn’t. But I got lucky, the man turned out to be looking out for me, which puts him way above you in my estimation. There is no explanation for what you did. I want you to leave me alone.’

  ‘I will. If you want me to. I will leave you alone. But Aaron . . . he won’t be so easy.’

  ‘Why not? What have I ever done to him?’

  ‘Nothing. It’s not about what you’ve done to him, not for a bloke like that. It’s all about losing face. It’s about respect.’<
br />
  ‘Well, that’s his problem. And yours.’

  ‘He will come for you, Rhiannon. Just hear me out. Once you have the full picture you can walk away, but at least you’ll know.’

  ‘You tell me everything. You tell me what you’re up to and I will sit and listen. Once that’s done I don’t want to speak to you again, do you understand?’

  ‘Sure, okay. I understand.’

  Rhiannon finally slowed her pace. ‘We’re not far from Victoria Park. We can go there. I want to be somewhere public when you talk to me. If you give me any shit I will make a scene and I won’t stop until someone calls the police. They’ll be very interested to hear about you, I’m sure.’

  Danny sort of chuckled. ‘There won’t be any need to make a scene. I just want you to listen to me, I want you to know about Aaron and what he’s about and then I’m gone.’

  ‘You shouldn’t laugh. I’m not laughing Danny.’

  ‘I’m sorry, okay. This is all stupid. I’m no threat to you.’

  ‘Well, I am to you. Don’t you forget that.’

  Danny held his hands out as if he was surrendering. ‘I ain’t even arguing with you. I came here to talk.’

  ‘So you keep saying. What more is there to talk about? You told me you’re a drug dealer. That’s all I need to know, right?’

  ‘If that’s all you want to know.’

  ‘I wish I’d never met any of you to be honest.’

  ‘You don’t want to know about the operation? About the bigger picture? What we were doing the other night? None of that?’

  ‘The other night was a drug deal.’

  ‘That was part of it.’

  ‘Okay, I do want to know why you suddenly feel so desperate to tell me all about it. Are you not just putting me in more danger?’