Tell No Lies

by Tell No Lies (retail) (epub)

  But then… Jackson was dead. He’d had contacts, done deals. Pissed people off. Maybe one of them was taking revenge. But why take her, a police officer? She thought of her other brother, Taylor. He had no ties, was drifting through life. If Taylor was the alternative, of course they would choose her. Keeping a police officer under lock and key – what a joke. But why kill Jackson before he had a chance to see his sister captured and helpless? They hadn’t asked questions, hadn’t even threatened to torture her. Were they the same people who had killed Ben, or not?

  Liv blinked, her head still aching. The messed-up fog of her thoughts wasn’t helping.

  In the corner, the blanket-covered figure still hadn’t moved.

  32

  Mulligan checked he had his current phone and wallet, patted the inside pocket of his jacket. Grinned.

  He waited for the car to appear before strolling outside and climbing into the back seat. Ryan was already sitting there, shoulders hunched, knees bouncing. Mulligan smiled.

  ‘All right there, wee man? Feeling the bite, are we?’

  Ryan licked his lips. ‘Can’t I have—’

  Mulligan cut him short with a look. ‘Not yet. You’ll need your wits about you. That’s assuming you have any.’

  Sniggers from the front seats. Mulligan narrowed his eyes. Fucking sycophants. He was tired of the wastes of skin he was currently employing. After tonight though… Well, he was moving up in the world. Gaining respect, building a reputation. Soon he would be top dog around here. He had outmanoeuvred the competition, got rid of those who hung around. He glared at the back of Erdi’s head as he changed gear. Time for a new team.

  Beside him, Ryan was twitching, causing his sour, unwashed smell to fill the confined space. Mulligan turned his head away, nose wrinkling. Ryan was useful, but fuck, did he stink. He opened the window a crack, leant towards it. Soon the deal would be done and he could walk away from them without looking back. It had taken him months to initiate and then build the relationship with Marcus Crowley. Crowley was a prick: loud and brash, but well connected. Courting him had been a necessary if unappealing step in Mulligan’s business plan. And now the man had made him an offer he knew he had to take. But Crowley had also made a mistake. Mulligan smiled, savouring the thought of what would happen next.

  33

  Penrith was fussing around her like the mother of the bride on her daughter’s wedding day. Caelan slapped his hand away as he reached to check the transmitter for the hundredth time. It was attached to her bra, and though Penrith hadn’t touched her, she was tired of him hovering.

  ‘I don’t want to wear this. It’s a risk,’ she told him.

  Penrith spread his hands. ‘Assistant Commissioner Beckett’s orders, as you know.’

  Caelan pursed her lips. ‘And if it’s found? Is she going to pay for my funeral?’

  ‘Why would anyone find it? Are you planning to take your shirt off?’

  ‘Come on, Ian. You know how these things work. They’ll pat me down.’

  ‘Okay, how about one like you wore last time out? The one attached to the…’ Penrith waved a hand, ‘hair thing?’

  ‘Bobble, do you mean?’ Caelan thought about it. It would be more discreet, and she knew it was reliable. ‘I’d feel better.’

  ‘Fine. I’ll request it.’ Penrith turned away to make the call. Caelan rolled her shoulders, feeling the tension in her neck and jaw. Here was the feeling she had once enjoyed, even craved. Adrenalin lighting her body, fizzing through her fingers and toes. Anticipation, expectation. Fear. Always fear, no matter how hard you tried to deny it. But even fear could be addictive.

  ‘On its way,’ Penrith said. Caelan’s phone beeped, and he stared at her. ‘Do we have an address?’

  Caelan checked the message. ‘Shit.’

  ‘What?’ Penrith almost knocked her over in his rush to read over her shoulder. ‘The snooker club?’ He rubbed his jaw. ‘Is Crowley stupid?’

  ‘I don’t think so. I’m betting that once I’m there, he’ll send another text with a different location, and have me chasing around.’

  Penrith considered it. ‘And if he doesn’t?’

  ‘We’ll have to go with it, but the snooker club has only one door, one means of entry and escape. It’s not ideal.’

  Which was putting it mildly. Her backup wouldn’t be able to sneak in through a fire door, or even approach unobserved. There were buildings around, providing some places to keep out of sight, but as soon as anyone tried to get close to the club, they would be spotted, should Crowley have lookouts. And in his position, he should. Caelan thought about it.

  ‘I could reply saying I’m not happy, I want it to happen elsewhere,’ she said.

  ‘No. In the text, he’s relaxed, confident. If you start making demands, he might panic and call the whole thing off.’

  ‘Not with what he stands to lose if the deal doesn’t happen. I think he’ll go for it.’

  ‘Even if he does, his client might not. You’re not just dealing with Crowley, remember.’

  There was a silence, each unwilling to give in. In the end, Caelan puffed out her cheeks, admitting Penrith had a point. If she didn’t do as she was told, she could blow the whole plan. What would happen to Nicky and Liv then? ‘Fine. I’ll reply, say I’ll be there.’ She did so. ‘Have you heard from Achebe?’

  ‘They haven’t found her.’ Penrith didn’t say who he meant, but Caelan knew. Liv Hobbs was a police officer, but Nicky was one of Penrith’s babies. He was bluff, irritating and occasionally offensive, but he cared about his team. Caelan watched him pull out his handkerchief and blow his nose with gusto, wondering why she hadn’t seen it before. Penrith was as nervous as she was. Nicky’s disappearance had cut him to the bone. He felt he had failed her, and now he was preparing to send Caelan off into the darkness too. No wonder he was twitchy.

  Putting the handkerchief away, he took out his phone. ‘I’ll update Elizabeth Beckett, double-check we’re good to go. Or you are, I should say.’ He flashed her a smile, and Caelan grinned back, each of them attempting to reassure the other. It wasn’t working. Caelan’s stomach was somersaulting, and Penrith’s hairline was damp. This was different to any time she had been sent out into the field before. Now, people were missing, and Caelan had no way of knowing if, come midnight, her name would be added to the list.

  Or if she’d be in the local pathologist’s big fridge.

  There was a knock on the door, and Caelan moved to open it. A young officer stood there holding out the hair bobble with the transmitter hidden inside it. Caelan thanked her, and the woman turned away. Closing the door, Caelan pulled her hair into a ponytail using the bobble. Last time she had worn one like it, she had been on her way to confront a killer. The thought wasn’t comforting.

  Penrith turned back to her. ‘Okay. Time to go. You get out of here. I’ll move everyone into position, now we know where the hell we’re going.’

  Caelan rubbed her hands across her face. ‘I still don’t like having to go to the snooker club.’

  ‘Out of our hands. At least it’s a place you’ve been before.’

  ‘One way in, one out,’ she reminded him. ‘Could be a trap.’ She knew it wouldn’t make a difference to whether she was sent in or not, but she wanted to make the point. Penrith looked at her.

  ‘You’re jittery. I’ve never seen you like this. What’s the problem?’

  Caelan blinked. ‘I’m not sure. Liv Hobbs is missing, and she’s pregnant. Nicky’s gone too. If I fuck up…’ She tried to swallow. ‘If I fuck up, they might pay.’

  ‘And if you don’t, we might finally nail those responsible, get Liv and Nicky home before they’ve hardly been missed.’

  ‘If any of this relates to Rainey and Bryce’s deaths.’

  ‘You still think they’re not linked?’ Penrith’s eyebrows danced. ‘Jackson Hobbs’s death proves they are.’

  ‘What has Hobbs to do with the other two murders?’

  Penrith gave her sho
ulder a gentle push. ‘I don’t know. Let’s see if we can find out.’

  34

  Mulligan instructed Erdi to park three streets away. He sat in the back seat, legs crossed, whistling to himself. It was almost show time. He was in control and loving it. This was what it was all about. It had angered him when his men had failed to track down the woman Crowley had been boasting about meeting, but there hadn’t been much time. He tipped back his head, yawning. At least this way, Crowley had done the work for him. This Kay Summers would come wandering along, ripe for the picking. He smiled to himself. She had to be stupid. If Crowley knew what her boyfriend had left behind when he’d gone to jail, plenty of other people had to be aware of it too. And now she was arranging meetings, thinking she was calling the shots. Silly bitch. This wasn’t a game.

  He wondered if he should take her home. He turned his head, gazing out of the window, licking his lips. It would depend what she looked like. If she’d been sampling her boyfriend’s wares, she’d be spotty, scrawny and toothless. Not his type. He’d probably catch something. But if she was clean, maybe she would be worth his time. A right-hand woman, one who already knew the trade, might be what his business needed as it grew. A pretty face, someone who knew how to charm his clients, maybe his enemies too. Could be invaluable.

  Could be a liability.

  Mulligan stretched out his legs, leant forward to check the clock on the dashboard.

  Nah. Better to stick to the original plan.

  He tapped Erdi on the shoulder. ‘Ready?’

  Erdi glanced back at him. ‘Yes, boss.’

  ‘You know what to do? Andri?’

  The brothers shared a grin. ‘We do.’

  Mulligan nodded, satisfied. ‘Ryan? You all right, wee man?’

  Hunched in his seat, arms wrapped around his stomach, Ryan managed a smile as he looked up.

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘You ready?’

  ‘Listen, I—’

  Mulligan thrust his face towards him. ‘I said, are you ready?’

  Ryan shrank back. ‘Yes.’

  ‘That’s what I thought. See you back here.’

  He turned his head to stare out of the window, heard the car doors open. Three slams, and they were gone. Satisfied, Mulligan closed his eyes. Nothing to do now but wait.

  35

  The second text, the one Caelan had expected Marcus Crowley to send changing the location of the meeting, didn’t arrive. She arrived at the snooker club a couple of minutes before the hour, every instinct urging her to run. She knew she couldn’t.

  There were no vehicles parked outside, no one in sight. She stood on the pavement, pretending to check her phone, wishing she had an earpiece so she could speak to Penrith. The transmitter meant he would be able to hear what happened around her, but if she spoke directly to him, the game would be up. Or she’d be carted away in an ambulance.

  One more scan of the street, and she pushed open the door, jogged up the now familiar steps. Her heart thumped, but she knew her face would show no signs of her anxiety. It wasn’t the first time she had walked into a situation every sense was telling her to rush away from, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. The trick was to control the panic, the urge to run, and channel it into keeping herself safe, taking note of every detail of her surroundings. Being hyper-aware was an asset in many jobs, but in hers, it could save lives.

  Silence. The same musty smell, sticking in her throat. Take a breath. Let it out slowly. You’re fine. Repeat it. Try to believe it.

  She reached the top step, and waited.

  ‘Kay?’

  Marcus Crowley appeared from behind the bar. He wore a black suit, white shirt, a plain grey tie. Dressed for business. Nice touch. Had he wanted to startle her? Put her on the back foot from the beginning? It didn’t matter. Caelan raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Marcus. There you are.’

  He came towards her, smiling. ‘Just checking the stock. Are you ready?’

  She shrugged. ‘Why not?’

  His eyes flicked over her body, and he frowned. ‘Where is it?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t fuck around, you know what I mean. You were going to bring a sample.’

  ‘Was I?’

  He bared his teeth, hands clenching, all his charm disappearing. ‘Don’t fuck me around. You know how much money we could make here? You need to take it seriously. Where have you hidden it?’

  She sneered. ‘Like I’m going to tell you. Start showing me some respect, or I’ll walk away now.’

  He raised his hands, took a step back. Tried to force a smile. ‘Hey, hey. I’m sorry, okay? It’s… These aren’t people you want to piss off.’

  ‘People?’ Caelan watched him blink, raise a hand to touch his hair. Nervous, or he was about to lie. Probably both.

  Downstairs, the door slammed closed. They heard feet on the stairs, more than one pair. Caelan didn’t move, glaring at Crowley. He turned away, pretending he hadn’t seen her expression. She waited, wondering if he had set her up. She should never have agreed to come here alone, but she had been given no choice. She was vulnerable, but it had been the only way. The backup was there if she needed it, but for now, she was on her own.

  Three men appeared. Two were obviously the muscle, and Caelan knew she had seen them before. Big and broad, with shaven heads. Born to be thugs. Now that she could see them clearly, she realised they must be brothers, or cousins at least. They had the same prominent nose, identical eyes and high forehead. Not pretty. The other man was shorter, thinner. Caelan assumed she was having the pleasure of meeting Ryan Glennister. He looked ill, but Caelan knew what his problem was. She’d seen withdrawal enough times. The urge to grab and handcuff him was almost overwhelming. Instead, she smirked, hands on hips.

  ‘Good to see you again,’ she called to the muscle men. ‘How are your balls?’

  Crowley and one of the men laughed. The other scowled, pointed at her.

  ‘Shut your mouth. We’re here on business.’

  ‘Fine by me.’ Caelan looked from him to Crowley and back again. ‘How does this work?’

  The man she guessed was Glennister hunched his shoulders, and the smell of stale skin and unwashed clothes wafted towards her. ‘Do you have the stuff here?’ he asked.

  ‘Do you think I’m stupid?’ Caelan tried not to breathe through her nose.

  He moistened his lips. ‘No. Naïve, but not stupid.’

  She watched the other two move closer to her, one on either side. She took a step backwards, controlling her breathing, not wanting to find herself trapped.

  Crowley cleared his throat. ‘Where’s Mulligan? I thought he was—’

  A huge hand covered his mouth, the other bunching his shirt beneath his chin before he could complete the sentence. Crowley’s eyes bulged.

  ‘No names, you stupid fuck. Thought you were a professional?’

  As he was released, Crowley spluttered, straightening his tie. ‘I am. I thought—’

  ‘We’re not here to talk to you. Now shut the fuck up.’

  Scowling, Crowley did as he was told. Ryan Glennister smiled at Caelan, his ruined teeth displayed for a second. She forced herself not to recoil.

  ‘We’ll need to go to wherever what you have for sale is hidden and do some tests.’

  Caelan tossed her hair. ‘Tests? What do you mean?’

  ‘Come on, darling,’ said the man who’d grabbed Crowley. ‘You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it. It’s the same in our line of business. You should know that.’

  ‘I’ve brought a sample with me.’ Caelan patted her handbag. ‘Cook it, smoke it, do whatever you want with it. It’s the fucking business. My boyfriend only sold the best.’

  Laughter. ‘Not a chance. We take our own sample.’

  Caelan turned away. ‘No way. Deal’s off. See you around, Marcus.’

  A hand on her arm before she’d taken two paces.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

  A
new voice, coming from behind them. Male, a Scottish accent. Everyone turned, Ryan Glennister’s face showing fear. Caelan tried to twist away, to see who was speaking, but her other arm was seized and held tight. She didn’t move, told herself not to panic. Other officers were seconds away.

  The newcomer sauntered over, hands in his trouser pockets. He had auburn hair, cut short, and vivid green eyes. He stood almost toe to toe with Caelan, smiling at her. She stared back, unflinching, and he chuckled.

  ‘You’re not what I expected.’

  She knew she had never seen him before. Mulligan. Who the hell? ‘Are you Ryan Glennister?’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘I look like a junkie to you?’

  ‘No, but he does.’ She nodded at the thin man.

  A smirk. ‘There’s your answer then. I’m not here to fuck around. Are you selling?’ Mulligan glared over her shoulder. ‘Let go of her, for fuck’s sake. Let me talk to her. I don’t think she’s going anywhere.’

  Caelan’s arms were immediately released, and she rubbed them, shooting a glare at the man who’d held her. He blew her a kiss as he went to stand beside Glennister.

  ‘Call it revenge,’ he told her, nodding towards his crotch.

  ‘Well?’ Mulligan made her meet his eyes. ‘I asked you a question.’

  Caelan stared back. ‘Isn’t that why we’re here? I’m selling, you want to buy.’

  ‘I need to see the white.’

  ‘Fine by me. But I’m not taking your boyfriends.’

  His smile was tight. ‘They can stay here with yours.’

  Caelan threw Marcus Crowley a scornful glance. ‘Boyfriend? Kidding me.’

  ‘Like I fucking would,’ Crowley snapped back. He stepped towards Mulligan, hands up as though surrendering. ‘Listen, I thought we had an agreement?’

  Mulligan didn’t look at him. ‘We did. Now I have one with her.’

  ‘But…’ Crowley opened his mouth, closed it again. Mulligan smiled, his hand on Caelan’s elbow as if they were going to dance.

  ‘What can I say? I’d rather look at her face than yours.’