Liverpool Loyalty

by Caz Finlay

  ‘Suppose so.’

  Their conversation was interrupted by two men approaching the table. Craig stood up, recognising Alastair immediately. He hadn’t seen him for two years, since Alastair had left prison, and Craig noticed that he looked much better out of his prison issue tracksuit. ‘Alastair, it’s great to see you,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘Craig,’ Alastair replied with a nod, not returning the smile. ‘And you know Jock.’

  ‘This is my brother Ged,’ Craig added.

  Alastair and Jock sat down at the table. ‘I’m not fucking happy about having to come up here and sort this mess out,’ he snapped.

  ‘I know. And I’m sorry about that, Mr McGrath. It won’t happen again. I swear.’

  ‘Oh, I know it fucking won’t. Because if you ever try and mug me off again, son, you and your brother here will be floating face down in the Mersey.’

  Craig nodded. ‘It won’t. If you let us work for you again, we’ll make sure you get your money on time every month.’

  ‘Why should I trust you? What makes things different this time?’

  ‘We have a new business partner for a start. John Brennan. He’s legit, and he’s prepared to bankroll us too, so there’ll never be a problem paying on time.’

  ‘John Brennan works for Grace Carter,’ Jock interrupted.

  ‘Not for much longer,’ Craig said with a grin. ‘He’s branching out on his own, and I won’t lie, being able to stick it to that stuck-up cow is an added bonus.’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t mind sticking it to her myself. In more ways than one.’ Alastair laughed at his own joke.

  ‘You think he’s just going to turn his back on her though?’ Jock asked.

  ‘He’s probably fed up of working for a woman,’ Alastair said.

  Jock shook his head but he didn’t say anything else and Craig got the feeling he wasn’t convinced.

  ‘He’s serious. He wants to set up on his own, and with that in mind, he’d like to meet with you, Alastair,’ Craig insisted.

  Alastair considered the request for a moment before turning to Jock. ‘You said this bloke works for Carter?’

  ‘He’s her right arm.’

  ‘So, he’s legit then?’

  ‘The best,’ Jock replied. ‘I always thought he was loyal to her though.’

  ‘Seems not as loyal as she’d hoped,’ Alastair started to laugh again. ‘What does she expect though? Most men I know wouldn’t take their orders from a woman. Why on earth would a woman like that even get mixed up in our business? She’s a right looker, she should be at home with her kiddies and trying to hang on to that husband of hers. Don’t you think?’

  Craig nodded. ‘It’s what my bird does,’ he replied.

  Jock didn’t answer and looked around the room instead.

  ‘I’ll never understand women,’ Alastair said with a shake of his head.

  ‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Jock replied and Alastair smiled at him. Craig grinned as he realised the dig Jock had made at his boss’s expense, although Alastair hadn’t cottoned on and assumed Jock was being his usual obedient self.

  ‘Anyway, back to this meeting. Tell your mate John I’ll meet him tonight at our hotel at eight. We’re staying in the Radisson.’

  ‘Will do,’ Craig answered, with a sense of pride that he’d managed to deliver on John’s request.

  ‘Well, we might as well have a drink while we’re here, eh Jock?’ Alastair said. ‘Your round, Craig?’

  ‘Yeah, course, what you both having?’ he replied with a grin.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Grace took a seat on the bright orange plastic chair, fidgeting with the buttons on the cuffs of her shirt as she waited for the prison officers to bring their charge to meet her. She had only been to prison a few times before, when her ex-husband had been sent down for ABH shortly after they’d got married. He’d beaten some poor bloke to a pulp after he’d accused him of flirting with Grace – his wife and his property as far as he was concerned. At the time, Grace had been relieved to have a few months free of him – just her and Jake. Life had been so much simpler and happier without Nathan around, but she had still visited him every week, like the dutiful wife.

  Scanning the brightly lit room, she noted the row upon row of wooden tables and plastic chairs fixed to the floor. Amateur artwork adorned the walls, no doubt an attempt to make the sterile environment look a little more welcoming.

  Grace suppressed a shudder and forced her face into a smile as she saw Jake walking towards her in his prison-issue grey tracksuit, and a fluorescent orange vest to make the prisoners easily distinguishable from the visitors. Despite his attire, he stood out from the rest of the prisoners. It was something about the way he carried himself – the swagger, always full of confidence, just like his father.

  Grace stood up and gave Jake a brief kiss on the cheek as he reached her table. One of the prisoner officers stopped his pacing and looked over at the two of them and Grace glared back at him until he shuffled past. They had enough prison officers from Walton nick on their payroll to ensure that Jake and Connor were ensured as comfortable a time as possible inside.

  ‘How are you, son? You look well,’ Grace said truthfully. Despite being on remand, he looked a hell of a lot better than when she’d last seen him. He was sober for a start.

  ‘I’m all right, Mum,’ he replied with a grin. ‘It’s not that bad in here,’ he said as he scanned the room.

  ‘Are you being looked after?’ Grace said quietly.

  He nodded. ‘Of course.’

  ‘We’ll get you out of here, son. I promise,’ she said as she placed a hand over his.

  ‘I know, Mum,’ he replied. ‘Can you make it sooner rather than later though, eh? Sharing a pad with Connor is a fucking nightmare. He talks in his sleep, you know?’ Jake said with a laugh but Grace knew the truth in his words. Michael had visited Connor the day before and despite both of the boys’ bravado, Grace and Michael knew that they couldn’t wait to get out of the place. No matter how comfortable they tried to make it for their sons, prison was prison and it was shit. And looking at a potential life sentence was enough to send anyone off the edge of a cliff.

  ‘I’m doing everything I can. You and Connor are my number one priority right now,’ she assured him as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

  Jake looked into her eyes and she saw the little boy she had carried and raised and her heart almost broke in two. ‘I know,’ he said softly. ‘We always are.’ He said it so sincerely that Grace had to choke back a sob. She wanted nothing more than to walk around the table and wrap her arms around him and then walk him out of that place. She did neither, knowing that a lingering hug from his mother was not only prohibited but also would do little for his reputation inside Walton prison.

  Instead she smiled at him, relieved to see glimpses of the boy she’d once known and the man she had hoped he would become, rather than the selfish drunk whom she’d feared her beloved boy was turning into. ‘I have a few irons in the fire on that score anyway. If one plan doesn’t work out, then another one will. Maybe they all will? But I want you to know that we have options, and all of them are very likely to lead to you and Connor walking out of here very soon.’

  Jake didn’t respond but simply nodded before falling silent for a few moments. Grace got the impression that he was trying to keep his emotions in check.

  ‘Siobhan said I can bring Isla in to see you next week,’ Grace said, trying to give him something tangible and positive to focus on.

  It had the desired effect and Jake looked up. ‘Really? I wasn’t sure she would.’

  Grace nodded. ‘I know, and nor was I, but Isla really misses you, and while this place isn’t the ideal place for little ones, Michael and I will make it a day out for her. We’ll take her to McDonalds over the road afterwards and then she can stay at our house overnight.’

  Jake smiled. ‘How are Belle and Oscar?’ he asked and Grace was happy to be able to talk about her you
ngest children with her firstborn. He adored his younger siblings and soon they had filled half an hour talking about Belle and Oscar and the rest of the family.

  When it was time to go, Grace pulled Jake into a brief hug. ‘I’ll see you next week, son,’ she whispered before he was led away by one of the prison officers. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked around the room at all of the other relatives standing as she was – adrift, bobbing amongst the sea of people like a boat with no anchor. Mothers, fathers, wives, sisters and girlfriends – for it was predominantly women, all watching their loved ones being led away while being unable to do a single thing about it. Not at that exact moment, at least. Grace made her way through the crowd of people and consoled herself with the fact that before too long Jake and Connor would be walking out of this place too.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Grace sat in her car and watched the shoppers as they walked out of Sainsbury’s with their trolleys laden before packing their cars. She was waiting for one particular shopper. Thanks to DI Tony Webster, she knew that Leigh Moss popped into Sainsbury’s every Friday after her shift.

  Fifteen minutes later, Leigh walked across the car park to her red BMW. Grace stepped out of her own car and walked over to Leigh, who turned in shock as Grace walked up behind her.

  ‘Are you following me?’ Leigh snapped.

  ‘I don’t need to follow you to know where you are. You’re a creature of habit, DI Moss,’ Grace replied.

  ‘What do you want?’ Leigh asked as she looked around the crowded car park.

  ‘You charged them with murder?’

  ‘It’s my job.’

  Grace shook her head. ‘Your fucking job! Is that all you can say? You arrested my son and my stepson for murder,’ Grace hissed through clenched teeth.

  ‘What else is there to say, Grace? It’s the truth. They don’t get special treatment just because…’

  ‘Because I saved your life?’ Grace snapped as she felt her heart hammering in her chest.

  ‘That doesn’t mean you and your family get a free pass to do whatever you want in this city.’

  ‘I should have let Nathan strangle you and leave you for dead in that alleyway.’

  ‘If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else going after them. You know that. They are out of control.’

  ‘I can get them back under control. I promise. If you’ll just give me a chance.’

  Leigh shook her head. ‘You had your chance, Grace,’ she said as she turned away.

  ‘I haven’t finished,’ Grace barked and Leigh turned back towards her.

  ‘Then I’ll ask you again, what the hell do you want?’

  Grace took a step closer. ‘I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you that you will regret making an enemy of me, Leigh. One day you’ll need me and you’ll come running back, begging me to save you again. Perhaps, next time, I won’t.’

  ‘Is that a threat?’ Leigh asked, her eyes narrowed and her face pulled into a frown.

  ‘It’s a promise,’ Grace snapped before turning on her heel and walking away.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jock Stewart stood beside the bar in their hotel and watched as his boss Alastair chatted up the blonde barmaid, who was young enough to be his daughter. He resisted the urge to remind him that he had a wife waiting for him at home. He was used to Alastair’s philandering ways. A girl in every port as his old mum would have said.

  Jock kept his eye on the door waiting for John Brennan. He’d met John once many years earlier when Jock had visited The Blue Rooms, although he doubted that John remembered their encounter, as he and his then boss, Nathan Conlon, had been wasted. A few moments later, Jock saw the unmistakeable figure of John Brennan walking through the door.

  Jock gave a wave and signalled him over. He nudged Alastair in the ribs. ‘Our meeting is about to start.’

  ‘I’ll get your number later, sweetheart,’ he said to the barmaid and she giggled in response.

  ‘Mr Brennan,’ Jock said as John reached them. ‘I’m Jock, and this is Alastair McGrath.’

  John shook each of their hands in turn. ‘Nice to meet you both. Shall we go somewhere a little quieter?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course,’ Jock replied and ushered them all to a quiet table in the corner that he’d reserved earlier.

  ‘So, why did you want to meet with me, lad?’ Alastair asked when they were seated.

  ‘I’m not sure how much Craig has told you, but I’m interested in setting up on my own and I need some people with some good quality merchandise to help me do it.’

  Alastair sat back and nodded as though he was deep in thought. ‘I understand why you want to work with me. But tell me why I should work with you? I don’t know you from Adam, and Craig hasn’t exactly proven himself to be a reliable judge of character.’

  ‘I have the money and the connections in Liverpool to make this work. I’d say ask around, but I’d rather you didn’t.’

  ‘And why’s that?’ Alastair asked, despite knowing the answer.

  ‘Because I currently work for Grace Carter, and she wouldn’t be very happy if she knew that I was meeting with you, and certainly not if she knew I was setting up in direct competition with her.’

  ‘Why are you?’ Jock interrupted. ‘I always heard you worked well together. You also have a reputation as being loyal, John.’

  John frowned at him.

  ‘I like to do my homework,’ Jock said.

  John nodded appreciatively before he answered. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed working for Grace. But it feels like I’ve worked for someone else for most of my life, and I’m fed up of being someone else’s lackey to be honest. I think now is the time to strike out on my own before I get too old to deal with the fallout.’

  ‘Fed up working for a woman, eh? Let’s face it, women like that are only good for one thing, aren’t they?’ Alastair laughed to himself.

  ‘How do you intend to do that though? Just walk away?’ Jock asked, ignoring Alastair’s crude comment and seeing him scowl at him from the corner of his eye. He knew his boss hated it when he asked too many questions.

  ‘Like I told Craig, Grace believes everything I tell her. I could have her eating out of the palm of my hand if I want to. She trusts me completely.’

  ‘More fool her,’ Alastair said and started to laugh again.

  ‘I’m not sure it’s going to be quite as easy as you think to walk away from someone like her,’ Jock added. ‘You must know where all of the bodies are buried?’

  ‘I know enough,’ John said pointedly.

  ‘Well, it’s nice to have you on board,’ Alastair said as he sat forward and patted John on the shoulder.

  ‘So, what’s the next move then? Are you staying in Liverpool for long?’ John asked.

  ‘A few—’ Alastair started.

  ‘What the fuck has that got to do with anything?’ Jock interrupted.

  ‘Just asking,’ John said. ‘No need to take offence. I just wondered if you were planning on hanging around for a bit, that’s all.’

  ‘We’ll be here for a few days,’ Alastair snapped, glaring at Jock before turning his attention back to John. ‘It would be good to do a bit of business before we head back, John. And I’d be very interested to know more about Grace’s operations up here.’

  ‘Oh? What exactly do you want to know?’ John asked.

  ‘As much as you can tell me.’ He cackled. ‘Then it will be much easier to take it all from her.’

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  DS Nick Bryce was sitting at a small table in the bar of the Radisson hotel. He’d spoken to his cousin Ben the previous day and they’d arranged to meet after his shift ended at ten o’clock that evening. As Leigh was busy with paperwork again, Nick had left her a lasagne in the oven and decided to head to the bar early, looking forward to a long overdue catch-up with his favourite cousin and one of his closest mates. He doubted that he’d see anything of Alastair McGrath while he was there, but ne
vertheless he had studied the man’s photograph from his VISOR record just in case. It was an old image taken from a time he’d been arrested for drink driving twelve years earlier, but Nick hoped he’d still recognise him. And even if he didn’t, even if he didn’t learn anything, he would score some brownie points with Leigh, and have a laugh with Ben while doing it.

  Nick was sipping his second pint when he saw John Brennan walking through the glass doors of the hotel. From his vantage point, Nick could see the foyer and bar area clearly and he watched as John approached two men near the bar. Now that he looked closely, Nick could see that one of those men was indeed Alastair McGrath, thought he hadn’t aged well at all. The man on the photograph had thick black hair, whereas now he was almost bald. He’d put on quite a bit of weight too and jowls had replaced his once square jawline. But it was definitely him, Nick was sure.

  He watched John shake the hands of the two men. So Leigh was right all along. Alastair was working with the Carters. Why else would their number one solider, John Brennan, be here meeting with them?

  Nick pulled out his phone and dialled Leigh’s number.

  ‘You’re going to bloody love me,’ he said when Leigh answered.

  ‘You’re not drunk already, are you?’ She laughed.

  ‘Nope,’ he whispered. ‘But our friend Mr McGrath is here in the bar with his associate, and you will never guess who he’s meeting with.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘John Brennan.’

  ‘What?’ Leigh almost squealed with delight and Nick could imagine her smiling as he told her the news. ‘I told you, didn’t I?’

  ‘Yes. Seems you were right after all.’

  ‘I knew it, Nick. I knew they were up to something. John doesn’t know you, does he?’

  ‘I don’t see how he could.’

  ‘Brilliant. Can you stay on them? See where they go next?’

  ‘What? You want me to follow them around all night? I’m not trained in surveillance, Leigh. What if they see me or something?’