“Well, I’ll be on my way then,” she said, desperate to speak to One Eye.
“Just a second,” said the sergeant.
Raven hesitated, on the surface her usual cool and calm but inside feeling edgy. “Yes?”
“It’s the police ball on Friday and I…I wondered if you’d go with me?”
“You mean, a date?” she said, surprised. She hadn’t even been aware he liked her.
“Yeah,” he said, blushing.
Her automatic response was to tell him no, she was married, although he didn’t know about that. None of the police officers she worked with knew about her personal life. However this could be a golden opportunity. Jeremy Elias would probably be there. Although she wouldn’t be able to kill him in a room full of police officers, it would be a chance to learn more about him. Plus she might be able to wheedle some information out of the sergeant about the investigation into the attack on Harold and Terry’s murder. That might put her back in Patrick’s good books. “Alright then,” she said.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Great,” he grinned. “What time shall I pick you up?”
“Tell you what, I’ll meet you at the venue,” she said, not wanting him to know where she lived.
“Okay.” He gave her the time and address, hesitating before adding, “by the way, my name’s Tom.”
She had to admit he was very cute and she gave him a wink. “See you then Tom.”
He beamed as she exited the house, a protesting Aldo being forced into the back of a police van. Jeremy glanced her way before jumping into the driver’s seat. Her attention was drawn off him by Tom leaving the house, smiling at her shyly and giving her a wave. She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to go on a date with another man. Other men hadn’t interested her since she’d met Aidan. But this wasn’t a romantic date, she was only using it to gain advantage over her nemesis. Still, Tom was very easy on the eyes with his dishevelled dark hair and chocolate coloured eyes. She wasn’t betraying her husband, it was just work, that was all. Besides, for all she knew Aidan could have had loads of women in the time he’d been away.
Pain lanced through her chest and she turned and headed back to her car, not even the close proximity of her rival enough to drag her mind off her husband.
As she climbed back into her car, her phone starting to ring again. She pulled it out of her coat pocket. “Yes One Eye?”
“Your rival is a police officer,” he said in a breathless rush.
“Thanks but that’s old news. He turned up to arrest the mark on a police contract I was given.”
“That must have been quite a shock.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Come to the house immediately. We need to discuss this.”
“Will do,” she said before hanging up, so grateful she had One Eye and Damon in her life.
Raven arrived at One Eye’s house forty minutes later to find him looking stronger, with a much healthier pallor.
“Raven,” he began, getting to his feet to hug her.
“That bad, is it?” she said. One Eye rarely showed physical affection.
“It is getting worrying.”
“There’s been a development,” she said.
Raven began by explaining what her rival had told her before thrusting the files at him Leo had retrieved.
She patiently waited while he perused the contents of the folders. She’d told him about her mother years ago but had never been sure how much more he’d known.
When he’d finished he sank back into the couch, pondering on what he’d been told. Raven continued to wait for him to speak, her patience as infinite as his own.
“I think…,” he began.
Still Raven said nothing when he went silent again for another three minutes.
“I think,” he began a second time. “That this is a matter of psychology.”
“Psychology?”
He nodded. “Jeremy was severely traumatised as a boy. First his brother dies unexpectedly, then his father becomes ill and attacks his mother. He had to cope with the humiliation of his father being put into a mental institution, a humiliation you can understand.”
She nodded, clearly able to recall the taunts and insults she’d put up with at school. But, as usual, they hadn’t bothered her, which ironically had only upped the bullying. Until she’d punched the ringleader full in the face. That had put a stop to it.
“Then his father kills himself and his mother dies,” he continued. “That is a lot of tragedy for one so young to endure.”
“So what are you saying? I should give him a hug and tell him everything will be okay? Well that’s not happening. The only thing I’m giving him is a bullet to the head.”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. I think we can use this to our advantage.”
“You mean me, not us.”
“I want to help you Raven. You’re my daughter.”
“I don’t want you dragged into this.”
“I’m perfectly able to take care of myself.”
“I’m aware of that but this is getting so complicated. As well as Jeremy there’s a bunch of neo-Nazis, a professional torturer and now half the Leeds police force involved.”
“And do you think any one of them worry me?”
“No but I’m not sure throwing anyone else into the mix is going to help.”
“Well it’s too late because I’ve thrown myself in. And this Jeremy has to disappear entirely. If his colleagues find his body they’ll stop at nothing to find who did it.”
“I know,” she sighed.
“Damon will see to that. He’s very good at making flesh disappear.” One Eye grimaced when his mind involuntarily returned to the one and only meal his son had cooked for him.
“By the way, I’ve got a date,” she said.
His eyebrows shot up. “A date?”
Raven nodded. “Just to get closer to my rival. The sergeant who came to lift the mark I captured today asked me to the police ball.”
“A police officer?” he spluttered.
“Yes.”
“You think it’s wise to go?”
“I do. Jeremy will be there.”
“You’re playing with fire Raven.”
“Needs must.”
“If the local underworld discovers you’re on a date with a police officer they’ll never trust you again.”
“So what? They don’t anyway after what my rival’s done.”
“This is a different matter. It will make them edgy. You hold their secrets in your hands.”
“I’m not going to tell Tom anything about that.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you do or not. The fact that you’ve been cavorting with a police officer will be all the proof they need.”
“I won’t be cavorting,” she frowned.
“And what about Aidan?”
“What about him? He’s not here.”
“Your blasé attitude doesn’t fool me for a moment Raven. I know how much that man means to you.”
“Like I said, this date isn’t romantic.”
“You never know.”
“I’m not interested in anyone else.”
“Maybe you should be?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Why not? You’re young, beautiful and intelligent yet you waste your life on a man you barely see. You could have anyone you want. Except a police officer of course.”
“The only one I want is Aidan.”
“That might change if you’d only open yourself up to the possibility of someone else.”
“I could never love another man like I love my husband.”
“No, probably not. You might find something even more fulfilling.”
“I doubt it.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“A year ago,” she muttered to the floor.
“Do you think that’s a good marriage?”
That familiar pai
n lanced through her chest and she didn’t reply.
“You might have to face up to the fact that this time he isn’t coming home.”
Her head snapped up. “He will, he always does. He’s just had some trouble in Spain.”
“Which you wouldn’t even know about if it wasn’t for Patrick Bryce. You’d still be worrying yourself sick, wondering whether he was dead or alive and that is no way for a husband to treat his wife. Don’t tell me you don’t want more, because I know you do.”
“Yes, I do. I want to wake up beside my husband every day, to eat with him, go out together and have fun, to hold his hand while walking down the street. Everywhere I go I see happy couples together while I’m alone. I’m always alone,” she said sadly, displaying uncharacteristic emotion. But One Eye had always been able to touch her heart. The only other person capable of that was the subject of their conversation.
“You don’t have to be alone. I mean, I like Aidan, really I do but I don’t like what he’s doing to you. You’re getting a haunted look Raven, I see sadness every time I look at you.”
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”
“But I do worry about you. You’re my family.”
She shot to her feet. “Thanks for the advice, you’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“I hope you’re referring to Aidan.”
“He’ll come home.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
She was saved from replying by her phone ringing, ignoring One Eye’s single eye boring into her. “That’s great, thanks,” she said before hanging up.
“Information on Jeremy?”
“Yep. His address.”
“You can’t attack a police officer in his own home.”
“I know but at least it gives me a base to track him from.”
“He must have known those records were stored at Stonefort. He sent you right to them.”
“That had occurred to me.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he was getting bored waiting for me to figure it out.”
“There’s more to it. He’s setting you up. He wants you to go after him.”
“More than likely but what choice do I have? Killing him is the only way to stop him. If I fail, he’ll kill me, either directly or by getting someone else to do it.”
“What a mess,” he sighed. “All because of something your mother did when she wasn’t in her right mind so many years ago.”
“Tell me about it. Right, I’m off.”
“I seriously think you should reconsider my offer to stay here.”
“And I said no. I appreciate it but I won’t put you or Damon in danger.”
“We can handle ourselves,” he said but she’d already left. “You mean you want to be at home in case Aidan returns,” he murmured to himself. He shook his head. “When will you learn, child?”
CHAPTER 15
Raven got back in her car and locked the doors, staring at the steering wheel while she worked out what she should do next, fighting the urge to go round to her rival’s house with a gun to end this once and for all. He’d love for her to try something like that and land herself in even more trouble, cutting herself off from the only people still willing to employ her.
There were so many people gunning for her and she needed to even up the odds. First of all, she had to take out Dexter before he got to her. It didn’t puzzle her that he hadn’t made his move yet, it was how he operated. He liked to keep his victim in suspense, wondering when he was coming for them because, when he eventually did, they were so much more nervous and therefore easier to take down. Killing Marcus wouldn’t be enough to stop Dexter coming after her. He always got his pound of flesh, plus they were best friends, so he’d want revenge anyway. Her only option was to take out Dexter directly. But first she had to find him. He kept his home address very private, naturally, as over the years he’d pissed off a lot of people. She also had to get that bunch of neo-Nazi knuckle draggers off her case too.
First things first, there was someone she thought might be able to help her with the Dexter problem, who she felt posed more of a threat than Pitbull and all his men put together.
On the edge of the city was a small glamping site. In one of the wooden wigwams lived a small, dumpy man with thick glasses. His eyes looked huge behind the jam jar lenses, widening when he saw who his visitor was.
“Oh hell Raven, why have you come here? I’ve got a reputation to protect, unlike you now.”
“Charming as always Barry,” she said, stepping inside past him.
Barry Carr was well known among the local underworld. A physical coward, his talents were diplomatic, a middle-man between warring factions or business rivals. He’d ensured the peace had been kept in the city more than once, which was why she felt she could come to him with her little problem.
“I hope you didn’t let anyone see you come here,” he said, peeking his head outside, looking left and right.
“Relax,” she replied, perching on one of the wooden couches, which was layered with blue cushions. “It’s just me and you.”
“Only recently that news would have got me all excited,” said Barry, closing the door and locking it for good measure. “But not anymore. Now your name is synonymous with the plague.”
“No one tells it like you Barry.”
“How has your life gone down the toilet in such a dramatic way so quickly?”
“Alright, you’re overdoing it now,” she scowled.
“I’m telling the truth.”
“It’s my rival’s fault.”
“How could you let a little shite like that get the better of you?”
“He’s had training,” she said, thinking of Aidan.
“Training,” he snorted. “Someone wet behind the ears ousts someone as experienced as you. You’ve made yourself look fucking ridiculous.”
“I didn’t come here to be insulted,” she said, hand sliding into the depths of her coat pocket.
Barry swallowed hard at the shards of ice her eyes had become. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“It’s just…come as a surprise, that’s all.”
“I suggest you stop. Immediately.”
“I won’t do it again.”
She stared at him hard before nodding and taking her hand out of her coat pocket.
“Jesus,” he said. “Take it easy Raven.”
“Sorry. It’s been a tense few days.”
“So I believe,” he said, switching on the little red kettle that stood on the rickety table in the corner of the room. “Brew?”
“No thanks.”
He shrugged. “Well I’m having one.”
“I’m not stopping you.”
“So why did you come here? You needing my words of wisdom?”
“I’ve got Pitbull and his cronies on my tail.”
“What did you expect after you killed Terry?”
“I didn’t kill Terry. My rival did.”
“I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not.”
“It was a fake hit, to trap him.”
“And you messed that up too? I mean that with great respect,” he added when she scowled. “You want me to get Pitbull off your back then?”
“If possible. You are a great negotiator.”
“I’m the best but they’re out for blood and they’re not going to stop until Terry’s killer is dead.”
“Which isn’t me. You need to explain that to them because they won’t listen to me.”
“I’m not sure even I, with all my eloquence, can make that bunch of thick-skulled morons listen. Once they’ve got something set in what little minds they possess, they’re completely unchangeable.”
“I have faith in your abilities and I’m willing to pay very well.”
“Why bother? Why not just remove them and have done with it?”
“Because there’s ten of them and ten bodies tends to cause a
fuss.”
“And I know how you do like to stay under the radar. Yes, ten dead bodies would be very hard to explain but I fear it’ll take more than my good self to achieve the miracle of pacifying Pitbull and his motley crew.”
Raven frowned when he glanced at his watch. “Am I keeping you?”
“No,” he said, turning to pour out the tea, the kettle belching steam into the tiny room, plastering the windows with condensation. “Just wondering what time it is, I’m getting hungry. If I don’t eat regularly my blood sugar drops and I turn into a very angry monster.”
Raven got to her feet when his eyes flicked to the door. “Expecting someone?”
“No, you know me. I like my solitude, just like your good self.”
She wiped away some of the moisture from one of the windows and was appalled to see two cars rolling to a halt outside, packed full of skinheads.
Barry released a shriek when she grabbed him by the front of his woolly jumper and dragged him towards her.
“You treacherous little worm.”
“I’m sorry Raven, I didn’t want to do it but I owe Pitbull twelve grand and he was getting impatient.”
“You idiot. I would have given you more than enough money to cover the debt if you’d done as I asked.”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t be sure of that, but at least my debt is clear.”
Raven knew he wasn’t in the least bit sorry for setting her up, so she wasn’t in the least bit sorry for what she did next. She opened the door by throwing him head first through it.
Barry came to rest on the grass at the foot of the wigwam, dazed and groaning. It halted Pitbull and his men in their tracks, who stared down at the little man with surprise, giving her the opportunity to withdraw one of One Eye’s devices from her pocket and hurl it to the ground. They all stared at the device, which sat benignly in the grass, before laughing and pointing.
“It’s a fucking dud,” sniggered Pitbull. “Your gadgets aren’t going to help you this time, bitch.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she said, stuffing ear plugs into her ears.
They all released a simultaneous cry and sank to their knees, hands clamped over their ears. Barry, who had just managed to haul himself up to a sitting position, groaned and threw up over himself.
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