Dangerous Girl_An utterly heart stopping thriller

by Emma Tallon

  ‘I can’t say it’s been the most polite invite I’ve ever received.’

  Ben bent forward, his arms leaning on his knees, taking all of his upper body weight.

  ‘Do you know who I am?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be very well informed if I didn’t, Mr Secretary. And I’m assuming by the fact that you’ve gone to such lengths to get me here under cloak and dagger that you know exactly who I am too.’

  ‘I do indeed,’ he answered tightly.

  ‘What I’m not entirely sure of is why. I understand the connection, but I don’t see how I can help you any more than I already have through the normal channels. Unless it isn’t help you’re looking for but some kind of misplaced vengeance?’ He lifted an eyebrow, questioning.

  Ben shook his head and rubbed his eyes again, his expression irate. ‘No, not vengeance. Not quite. Sarah, can you go get some coffee for us all please?’

  Freddie waited quietly. He knew exactly who Ben was. He would be a fool not to. Ben Hargreaves was the Secretary of State for Justice. He was the head of the police force, the one who made all the big decisions, the face of the force on TV. He was the man who waged war on the royals of the underground, on men like Freddie. More importantly, though, at this particular moment in time, he was also the father of Katherine Hargreaves, the woman who had disappeared from Freddie’s club.

  ‘I require your help,’ Ben stated bluntly.

  Freddie shook his head immediately. ‘I’ve given everything I have to the police already. I’m not withholding anything; I want this off my doorstep as quick as possible. Let’s be blunt here, Hargreaves – do you really think I want a spotlight on my club, considering who I am?’

  ‘I’m not talking about watching your CCTV tapes, Freddie. I want you to find my daughter.’ Ben stared at him intensely. ‘I have the entire police force at my disposal. I’ve had them working on this since she disappeared and nothing has come up. Nothing.’ His voice shook with frustration. ‘I know you don’t have kids, Freddie. But imagine how you would feel if this was your sister, or your partner. What wouldn’t you do to get them back?’

  Ben took a deep breath to steady his exhausted emotions. He looked like a man on the brink of a breakdown, Freddie thought.

  ‘I will do anything to get my little girl back home, safe and sound. And if… if…’ He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. His breathing shuddered, but he forced the words out. ‘If the worst has happened, if she can’t come home… I want to know why. I want to know who and how, and I want justice. Do you understand?’

  Freddie studied the haggard man in front of him. He was barely holding it together. As a rule, Freddie didn’t work with people who were emotionally involved. It never worked out when emotion and business collided. But this was a very different situation to normal. If he did help the minister, he would have something over him to use if he ever needed help at a later date. That being said, this was a man who could destroy him in an instant if he chose to. His was a radar Freddie would rather not be on at all.

  ‘What makes you think I can help you where the police force can’t?’ he asked.

  ‘Let’s not bullshit, Freddie. You might be good at hiding it on paper, but we all know who you are here. You’re a piece of shit from the gutters of the East End who parades around taking what he wants and flouting the laws that uphold the society he lives in. You peddle drugs to kids, flesh to perverts; you lie, cheat and steal. You are the epitome of everything that is wrong in this world… But because of this, you don’t have your hands tied in the way that the rest of us do. I want you to use all the contacts and the methods you have available to find my daughter. I don’t have time to sit behind all the red tape. Whoever has her isn’t painting her nails and playing chess – they are hurting her. I need her home, and I don’t care what you do to make that happen.’

  Freddie sighed heavily. ‘I’ll think about it,’ he said.

  ‘No. I don’t think I’m making myself clear.’ Ben’s face turned hard, and his eyes bored into Freddie’s, a strangely dead look to them. ‘This isn’t a request. You are to drop everything and start immediately. If you don’t do as I say, I’ve had some evidence fabricated that can put you away for years. I’ll have it planted and your premises raided like that.’ Ben snapped his fingers. ‘And if that isn’t incentive enough for you, I’m going to make you a promise. If you don’t do your job here, I’ll also make sure that the same happens to your girlfriend. Oh, I know!’ Ben put his hand up to calm a now-seething Freddie. ‘I know she’s clean. Crystal clean, actually, isn’t she? That surprised me. Not sure what a girl like that is doing with a criminal like you, but there we go. She is with you. And so to make sure that there is no… confusion on your part, I’m going to pull her into it too. And to make sure you understand just how serious I am, I’m going to make you one further promise.’

  Ben’s gaze burned into Freddie, the determination clear behind his steel-grey eyes. ‘If you don’t get me what I want, after I’ve made sure that you’re both banged up for many years, I will have one of my guards visit Anna’s cell one night, hours after lights out. I will have her throat cut, as she lies there trying to scream. And I will make sure that she knows that it’s all happening because of you.’

  He sat back, watching the horror and fury build up in Freddie’s expression. ‘I am a desperate man right now, Freddie, and I no longer care what lines I have to cross to get my daughter back.’

  Freddie fought hard to suppress the urge to launch himself across the room and rip the other man’s face off. How dare he threaten Anna? How dare he even cast his thoughts that way? She was a civilian, off limits to those in their world. But then Ben wasn’t from their world. He flaunted their rules with the same disrespect that Freddie showed for his. That realisation didn’t stop him wanting to break Ben’s jaw though. It took every ounce of his self-discipline not to eliminate the threat to his and Anna’s lives right there and then. There were some people that even Freddie couldn’t touch. And Ben was at the top of the list. He seethed – he had no choice but to do what Hargreaves wanted.

  Sarah entered the room with the coffees and Ben took one from her. She placed one on the table in front of Freddie, then sat to the side of the room with the two men who had been watching Freddie when he was tied up. Freddie ignored the hot drink and stared at Ben, his eyes glinting with cold fury.

  ‘Well, you’ve certainly stepped up your game, haven’t you, Minister?’ he said levelly. ‘You don’t exactly leave me much choice. Right, well… my brothers and I—’

  ‘No. Just you, Freddie. I don’t trust anyone right now. Especially those in your line of work. I know it wasn’t you – as you pointed out, you have nothing to gain. But it could be anyone else. It could have been one of your men. That’s why it must be only you who investigates.’

  Freddie frowned and leaned forward. ‘How do you expect me to find her without actually asking around and letting people know I’m looking?’ he said scornfully. ‘Think about it.’

  Freddie watched as Ben’s deep mistrust and common sense warred with each other behind his eyes.

  ‘Fine. I’ll leave your methods up to you, but just keep in mind, Freddie, it’s you I’m holding accountable. If you fail, or if it ever comes to light that we have had dealings, Anna will die scared and alone in her six-by-four cell, and you will rot in yours for the rest of your life. Just so we’re clear.’

  ‘Can I go now?’ Freddie asked curtly.

  ‘Yes. Go. Get started. Here are my contact details.’ He handed a piece of paper over as Freddie stood up. ‘Sarah has your personal effects.’

  Freddie walked over and took his phone, wallet and car keys from her. She was silent for once, but he didn’t miss the smug smile on her face. Bitch.

  ‘Remember, Freddie, knowledge of this meeting is on a need-to-know basis. There will be consequences if this gets out.’

  ‘Yeah, I got that bit,’ Freddie replied caustically. He walked purposefully out the door
before he was unable to stop himself ripping Ben’s throat out. He didn’t look back.

  14

  Freddie walked into Mollie’s house while the party was still in full swing. Michael immediately sidled up and looked at him questioningly. Freddie had sent a text to both him and Paul, letting them know that he was OK and on his way over. They had been waiting to find out what had happened.

  ‘Where you been?’ Michael asked under his breath.

  ‘Not now.’ Freddie’s reply was curt. ‘Where’s Anna?’

  ‘Out the back with Tanya and Amy.’

  Freddie stepped away from his younger brother and, smiling politely at everyone he passed, made a beeline for the garden. Anna was seated at one of the wrought-iron garden tables to the side of the open-air dance floor. Amy and Tanya were talking animatedly either side of her. She had a fixed smile on her face, but Freddie could tell that she wasn’t listening. Her eyes were unfocused, and she was holding her body tensely. She was unhappy. A fresh wave of anger swept over Freddie. He was going to make Riley pay for keeping him away from Anna on her birthday. She must have known. It would have been the icing on the cake for her.

  He crossed the lawn and stepped into her line of sight. Her eyes widened in surprise, then a real smile crossed her face. She stood up, and he gathered her in a big bear hug.

  ‘Are you OK?’ she whispered in his ear, worried.

  ‘I’m fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here.’ He stepped back so that he could look her in the eyes. She saw his sincerity, but something else was there as well. She frowned.

  ‘That’s OK. But really, what’s wrong?’

  Freddie worked things over in his head. He couldn’t tell her. The less people who knew the better. He didn’t need any distractions; he just needed to get this sorted. Then he would have Hargreaves off his back and the threat to his freedom and Anna’s life would go away. He gave her a tight smile.

  ‘Nothing, Anna,’ he said firmly. ‘Now come on, let’s enjoy this party.’

  She tensed and tilted her head to one side. ‘No, there’s something not quite…’

  Sammy came up behind them, holding two drinks. ‘You made it, Fred. Here, you have some catching up to do.’ He handed him one of the glasses and chinked it with the other. Freddie turned on the party charm and turned to address the guests.

  ‘Better late than never, eh?’ A few of them laughed. ‘Now how about we show the neighbours what a good old knees-up really is?’ He turned to the fences either side. ‘And if any of you listening want to join us, come on over – the door’s open!’

  He put his arm around Anna’s waist and kissed her forehead. Pulling her forward, he manoeuvred her onto the dance floor, where he swung her around and twirled her until she laughed aloud. He knew how to liven up a room when the need arose. He checked out her expression. She wasn’t totally buying it, but he had managed to get her to ignore the issue for now at least. Distraction was often the best play.

  Hours later a happy but exhausted Anna collapsed backward on her bed.

  ‘That was a genuinely fabulous party, Freddie. I have to admit, you have a gift. You may have missed your calling in life.’

  ‘What, as a party planner?’ He laughed, leaning over her and kissing her full lips. ‘I don’t think it would pay quite as well,’ he joked. She laughed and pulled him in by the open collar of his shirt for a deeper kiss.

  ‘I missed you this morning,’ she murmured through the kisses. She pulled him closer, but Freddie pushed her arms back down and withdrew.

  ‘I know.’ He studied her face, a sadly serious expression on his own. He kissed her lightly once more, then stood up. ‘I have to go out.’

  ‘Now?’ Anna hoisted herself up on her elbows. She was disappointed. She had assumed after being away for so long that his diary might have at least been clear just for tonight. She wanted to cuddle up to his warm body and fall asleep knowing that he was next to her. ‘Can it not wait? For an hour at least?’ She smiled coyly and tried to wrap her legs around his, but he stepped out of the way before she could get a good hold.

  ‘Not tonight, sorry. This can’t wait.’

  Anna stood up and pulled his hands up to her face. She kissed them and was about to say something when she paused. Her eyes rested on his wrists. They were bruised from the cuffs. Anna’s expression darkened. Freddie groaned inwardly, watching the expression on her face. She was trying to work out what had happened before she spoke. Anna’s intelligence was one of the things he loved about her, but at times it really didn’t do him any favours. She was too sharp to hide anything from. He shrugged out of her grasp and pulled his sleeves down over the bruises.

  ‘Look, Anna, I can’t talk about it right now, OK? Everything is fine. I have a bit of a delicate job on at the moment, one that… it’s just going to take up a lot of time for a bit.’ He shrugged his jacket back on, irritated. He was annoyed that he couldn’t just tell her. But it was better this way. He needed to think with a clean head.

  Her jaw dropped and her frown deepened. ‘Are you serious? What the hell happened to your wrists?’ she asked helplessly.

  ‘Nothing,’ Freddie snapped, much more harshly than he had meant to. ‘Leave it.’ There was a long silence.

  ‘Right. Well. That’s that then, isn’t it,’ she said flatly. ‘Perhaps next time you turn your phone off for over twenty-four hours you could just send me a courtesy text beforehand. It would save me the hassle of ringing around the hospitals again like a complete idiot.’ Her sarcastic tone couldn’t hide the hurt that wobbled in her words. ‘And I’m sure those bruises were just from walking into a door, right?’ She shot him a tight, humourless smile and walked out of the room into the study next door.

  She slumped into a big Sherlock armchair and folded her arms. She was shocked and upset and thoroughly pissed off at how Freddie was acting. She heard him walk through the hallway and hesitate by the study door. She held her breath, hoping he would come in but still too annoyed to make the next move herself. After a few seconds his steps carried on down the hall and out of the front door. It closed with a small thud and Anna was alone.

  She squeezed her arms closer to her chest. Mentally she kicked herself for her outburst. It wasn’t something she would usually do, but then again, Freddie didn’t usually give her reason to. She took a deep breath and laid her head back on the chair. She knew she had to trust Freddie. The life he led was dangerous, but that was something she had known from the start. She had accepted life with him knowing that at times it would be hard and that there was always a chance he wouldn’t come home. It was who he was, and he was good at staying on top.

  Usually she didn’t talk business with Freddie. The day-to-day stuff, the running of his various operations, she left well alone. That way, if ever it came up she could honestly say she knew nothing. But she knew the general gist of it. Some things he did talk about at length. They discussed the clubs; something she understood well, running a successful one herself. She knew that most of Freddie’s money was laundered through the clubs. Freddie respected the distance Anna kept from the details, but he had never kept anything from her if she outright asked. Especially if she asked about an injury. Freddie did sometimes come home showing evidence of some sort of struggle, but it was rare, and each time he’d told her what happened to put her mind at rest. That didn’t worry her. It was part and parcel of his life, and she knew he was always one step ahead of the game. What worried her was that this time he was trying to hide what had happened. That had to be a bad sign.

  Anna sighed and looked over to the bottle of whisky and the tumbler on the side table next to her. She picked them up and studied the tumbler for a moment, moving it so that the facets sparkled in the light from the corner lamps that illuminated the room. A gift from a business associate of Freddie’s. She traced her fingers down the sharper edges, where it had been cut to the design. An expensive, empty gift. Opening the bottle of whisky, she poured a large measure and took a sip. The amber liquid burne
d her throat as she swallowed it down.

  She blew out a long breath before taking the next sip; this was not what she usually drank. It was Freddie’s poison. But right now she wanted to take the edge off and calm her head down. There was no way she would sleep now. She was in for a long night.

  15

  Freddie stared at the shocked faces in front of him. He sat behind the large mahogany desk in his main office at Club CoCo. Paul was on one side of the room, perched on a side table. Michael sat in the chair facing Freddie across the desk. Sammy was in the armchair next to the small, low coffee table in the middle of the room. All of them had the same expression, each as surprised as the next.

  ‘You havin’ a giraffe?’ Michael looked at Freddie sideways with a frown, unsure if it was some sort of joke.

  ‘I wish I was,’ Freddie replied. He blew out the last drag of smoke from his cigarette, then leaned forward and stumped out the butt in the marble ashtray on the desk.

  ‘No…’ Sammy shook his head, his wide eyes locked on Freddie’s and a half smile on his lips. ‘No… that’s… surely not. Fuck, no!’ He shook his head again in disbelief, the smile leaving his face as it sunk in. ‘Who do they think they are?’ he asked indignantly.

  ‘Not they – Riley,’ Freddie corrected. ‘The others were lackeys; they were just following orders. Not too comfortably either. Riley was the one who had the bare-arsed cheek to take me. Hargreaves…’ Freddie chewed the side of his mouth. ‘He’s a big problem; one we’ll have to manage carefully. We don’t have a choice but to do what he says. I don’t like it, but it is what it is right now.’ Freddie took out another cigarette and lit it. He took a deep drag before continuing. ‘We find the girl, we deliver her back to Hargreaves, then we close that door and walk away. I don’t know how yet, but that’s the plan.’