The Goldsworth Series Box Set

by Davie J Toothill

  “Can’t you just save the lecture for another time? I’m knackered and I need to get to bed.”

  “Bed? I don’t think so. You’ve got school in half an hour.”

  “I ain’t going to school,” Torey said. “Look at me.”

  “It’s your own fault if you’re tired. You’ll get showered and changed and get down to school. No arguments,” Toni said. “Maybe then you’ll learn not to do whatever you want.”

  “Fuck off,” Torey snapped.

  She opened her bedroom door and slammed it behind her. Toni threw the door open and began shouting, but Torey tuned her out. She stripped out of her clothes and curled up under her duvet. After a few minutes, Toni gave up and left the room, closing the door loudly behind her.

  Torey sighed with relief. She checked her phone. There were no messages from Devon. She typed out a text and sent it. Her heart beat faster when she thought about him.

  Last night had been her first time. The pain she had felt had been lost in memories of his touch. He had not been gentle, but he hadn’t been rough either. It had been quick and he had rejoined the party shortly afterwards. Still, Torey didn’t blame him. She had been drunk and she had a headache. She had spent the rest of the night drinking water and following him around, whilst Devon had carried on drinking and snorting lines. He had paid her little attention, but she still wanted him.

  She waited for his reply but her eyes were closing. She put her phone on the bedside cabinet and drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Bolton climbed into the car beside Dante and watched through the wing mirror as the flat disappeared round a corner.

  “Did Uncle Jasper say what he wanted with you?” Dante asked, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

  “No, just that it was important. And he said it was top secret, so don’t say anything.”

  “I never do,” Dante said, sounding hurt.

  Bolton sighed and continued looking out of the window. Since Uncle Jasper had promoted him, Bolton had noticed a definite shift in behaviour between him and Dante. As the protégé, Bolton was privy to sensitive information and news that he couldn’t pass on to Dante. Though Dante insisted that it didn’t bother him, Bolton knew that it did. More than this, Bolton was given increased respect by the people who knew of Uncle Jasper’s decision. Whilst he was congratulated and regarded with a mixture of fear and respect, Dante was treated as a driver and barely got a second glance. Bolton felt guilty and had tried to ease the divide between them, but Dante had shrugged off his concerns. Bolton worried that he was jealous, but at times he figured he deserved the respect. After all, it was him who had such a weight on his shoulders, not Dante.

  “Does Uncle Jasper know I’m bringing you in?” Dante asked.

  He sounded petulant and Bolton knew he was not keen to have to sit and wait in the car whilst Bolton had his meeting. Dante’s wages had gone up, as Uncle Jasper had tasked him with driving Bolton around. Though Dante didn’t complain about the extra money, he complained about almost everything else. When he was coked up, which was most of the time now, he voiced his complaints more loudly and Bolton worried that Uncle Jasper would hear what was being said and teach him a lesson.

  “Yeah, he knows,” Bolton said. “He said you can come in too.”

  Dante looked at him in surprise, before quickly looking back at the road.

  “You serious? He said I could come to the meeting?”

  Bolton nodded.

  “Awesome,” Dante said, smiling.

  Bolton felt himself relax a little. As Dante offered ludicrous possibilities for what Uncle Jasper would tell them at the meeting, Bolton felt as if things were getting back to how they had been between them before. It was a good feeling, but he couldn’t make himself believe that it would last.

  * * *

  When Charley woke up, she was unsurprised to find that Bolton had let himself out and gone to work already. It had become a regular occurrence and she was resigned to it.

  Though she wasn’t happy about Bolton’s long hours, she figured that he would soon cut them down when the baby was born. If he didn’t, she would have something to say about it and he had another thing coming if he thought she would be the one to always get up in the night when the baby cried. She didn’t want to become as bitter as her mother, especially not when she had a boyfriend at her side to share the responsibilities with.

  After showering and changing, Charley made some coffee and rang her father. They had met a few times since their initial meeting, and Toni remained unhappy with their growing bond. Charley had tried to reason with her mother, but nothing she had said had convinced her to trust him. Charley put it down to issues in their past relationship and had remained in contact with Nathaniel.

  He was pleased to hear from her and Charley worked up the courage to invite him over. She had been meaning to show him the flat and introduce him to Bolton, but she had yet to find the opportunity and it didn’t seem like Bolton had much free time at the moment. Nathaniel was delighted to be invited round and promised to be at the flat within the hour, but told her that he had a meeting later and that he could only stay for a while.

  Over the next hour, Charley tidied the flat and finished her coffee. She put the bed sheets in the wash and scrubbed the bathroom, and by the time she had finished her back ached but she beamed at the sparkling surfaces surrounding her.

  The phone rang and Charley rushed to answer it. She buzzed Nathaniel upstairs and opened the flat door. Nathaniel walked slowly up the stairs, one hand tight on the banister, and Charley was reminded that her father was not a young man anymore.

  After she had showed him around the flat, Charley poured them each a coffee and led him into the lounge.

  “You’ve got a great place here,” Nathaniel said, gesturing around the room. “I wish I’d had a place like this when I was your age.”

  “I’m a lucky girl, that’s for sure.”

  “Where’s this elusive boyfriend of yours then?” Nathaniel asked. “I’ve wanted to meet him. I know I have no right to tell you who you can and can’t date, but I’d still like to check him out and make sure he’s up to scratch for my girl.”

  Charley smiled. It was a refreshing change from Toni’s anti-Bolton campaign, and she hoped that the two men would get along.

  “He’s busy with work,” Charley told him.

  “Looks like he earns good money,” Nathaniel said, looking around.

  “Yeah, he does well,” Charley said. “He’s been wanting to meet you too, but he’s just been so busy lately. I’m sure I’ll get the two of you together soon, though.”

  “He can’t avoid me forever,” Nathaniel laughed, taking a sip of coffee.

  Half an hour later, Nathaniel excused himself from another coffee and insisted he had to go to his meeting.

  “I’ve arranged to meet my brother,” he said, shaking his head and looking apologetic. “I haven’t seen him in years. Of course, if I’d known that you’d call this morning I would have rearranged but I can’t cancel, I’d never hear the end of it. This could be my last chance.”

  Charley nodded in understanding.

  “It’s fine, I’m just glad you could come round for a bit.”

  “And I’ll see you soon,” Nathaniel said, opening the front door. “And I hope to meet this Bolton soon.”

  “You will do,” Charley said. “I’ll sort out dinner or something.”

  They hugged goodbye and Charley watched as her father walked down the stairs. When he was out of sight, she closed the front door. She went into the kitchen and poured herself a coffee. She wanted Nathaniel and Bolton to get along. Now she just had to try and get Bolton away from work for long enough for them all to have dinner together.

  * * *

  “I suppose you’re wondering why I called you both here so early,” Uncle Jasper said, looking across the desk at Bolton and Dante. Bolton nodded, though he knew no response was expected. Uncle Jasper looked serious. “I need you to
do a very important job for me.”

  “Both of us?” Dante asked, leaning forwards.

  Bolton shot him a look and Uncle Jasper considered him for a moment. There was no trace of a smile and Bolton noticed how tired he looked.

  Uncle Jasper sighed before continuing.

  “Yes, both of you. I will, of course, assist you, but this will take more than just one or two people.”

  Bolton remained silent and Dante relaxed into his chair, satisfied that he was supposed to be here. Uncle Jasper turned to Bolton, who looked at him expectantly.

  “I take it that you’ve heard that somebody has been stealing from me,” he said.

  “We heard,” Bolton admitted.

  Uncle Jasper sighed again and shook his head.

  “Not too much, don’t worry. I’m very careful with my bookkeeping so they weren’t able to skim too much off the top. Still, any theft from me is too much,” he said. Bolton noticed the anger in his voice and was grateful that he was not at the receiving end of his wrath. “Thankfully, I’ve been able to identify the person responsible. Now I need your help to bring the one responsible to justice.”

  “Our help?” Bolton asked, eyebrow raised.

  “Bolton, you’re my protégé. I want you involved so that you can understand how we deal with people who steal from their own. We’re a family here and I can’t have someone undermining that.”

  “Why am I here then?” Dante asked.

  Bolton fought the urge to kick him. Dante realised he had spoken out of turn and blushed, falling quiet.

  “Because I told you to be here,” Uncle Jasper snapped. He glared at Dante, before composing himself and shaking his head. “Now, it is imperative that we act quickly. More importantly, though, is that we keep what we discuss here an absolute secret. I don’t want any information leaked.”

  “Of course,” Bolton nodded.

  Beside him, Dante nodded vigorously. Uncle Jasper eyed them and seemed satisfied.

  “Good,” he said, lowering his voice and shooting a glance at the office door. “Now, you’ll have noticed that Ritchie isn’t involved in these discussions.”

  “Yeah,” Bolton said.

  “Unfortunately, Ritchie is the person whose been stealing from me.”

  Uncle Jasper’s voice was quiet and Bolton was caught off guard. Of all the people he had met working for Uncle Jasper, he had liked Ritchie the least. He had always thought that Ritchie disliked him because he didn’t trust him, but now other possibilities arose. Perhaps Ritchie had been worried that Bolton would catch on to his light fingers.

  “As you can imagine,” Uncle Jasper continued, “I am both humiliated and frustrated that somebody so close to me has betrayed me like this. We are good friends and go back a long way, but don’t worry, I won’t let him off easily.”

  Bolton nodded.

  “What do you want us to do?” he asked.

  “My friend, I want you to kill Ritchie.”

  Uncle Jasper’s voice was level and his eyes bore into Bolton’s. Bolton’s mind went blank and he struggled to register what he had just heard.

  “Kill him?” he repeated.

  “Of course. He’s stolen from me. From us. We can’t let him get away with that. Haven’t you heard what I’ve told you about family? He’s robbed us, and he’s got to pay the price.”

  “You want me to do it?” Bolton asked, struggling to comprehend what he was being asked to do. “Why?”

  Uncle Jasper considered him for a moment before replying.

  “I need you to prove your loyalty to me.”

  “I thought I had,” Bolton said quietly.

  “No, Bolton, you’ve let me preach at you, but you haven’t put your neck on the line for me yet,” Uncle Jasper said. Seeing the look of panic in Bolton’s eyes, he smiled. “Don’t worry, we won’t get caught. I’ll set up a secure environment so we have all the time we need to dispose of our little problem. Still, this way you can prove to me that you are willing to risk everything for me and our business.”

  “I don’t get it, though,” Bolton insisted. “Why do I have to kill him?”

  “Because I need to be able to trust you. If you kill Ritchie, I will. And I’ll transport you into a world you can barely imagine. You’ll have more money than you’ll know what to do with, and you and your missus won’t have a financial woe for the rest of your lives,” Uncle Jasper said. Bolton shifted uncomfortably. Uncle Jasper sighed and leaned forwards, “Put it this way, if you were getting an account at a new bank, you’d want to make sure they weren’t about to go bust, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Some kind of reassurance, yes?” Uncle Jasper said, and Bolton nodded. “And this is my security, you see. You kill Ritchie for me, and I’ll never doubt you.”

  Bolton felt his heart thumping in his chest and wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers.

  “What if I can’t kill him?” he asked.

  “Don’t be silly, anyone can kill a man.”

  “What if I don’t?” Bolton pressed.

  Uncle Jasper turned serious again, his smile vanishing in a second.

  “Ah, those are two very different words, my friend. ‘Can’t’ implies an inability. For instance, I can’t fly, as much as I’d love to. ‘Don’t’ on the other hand, is very disagreeable. That implies unwillingness, and I can’t accept that. If you don’t kill him, this is the end of the road for you.”

  “End of the road?” Bolton repeated, his voice cracking.

  Beside him, Dante leant in close.

  “Come on, mate, don’t do this,” he hissed, turning pale. “You can’t say no to Uncle Jasper.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Uncle Jasper said, smiling.

  “Why kill him though?” Bolton asked. “Can’t we break his legs or something?”

  “If someone stole from you, after years of loyal friendship, would you be satisfied knowing that they’re still out there living the high life? I don’t think so.”

  “Come on, we can do this easily,” Dante insisted. “Then we’ll be set up for life.”

  Bolton looked into Dante’s eyes and saw that he was serious. He was up for killing Ritchie. Bolton couldn’t be so sure in himself. He wanted to run from the office and go into hiding, but he knew it would never be an option. He glanced up at Uncle Jasper, who was watching him intently.

  “I think you should listen to your friend,” Uncle Jasper said.

  Bolton looked into his smiling face and saw through the twinkling eyes to the fearsome monster beneath. He had never noticed it before but now it was clear as day. He was in no doubt that should he refuse, he would face death himself.

  “Okay,” Bolton said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “I’ll do it.”

  “Excellent,” Uncle Jasper said, clapping his hands together. Dante sighed and relaxed in his chair. “I’ll make arrangements and let you know. And remember, not a word to anyone.”

  Bolton nodded and rose to his feet when Dante did. He shook hands with Uncle Jasper, avoiding his gaze. They left the room and went through the flat to the front door. An older man who was the spitting image of Uncle Jasper was sat on the sofa in the lounge. He barely glanced at them. Bolton followed Dante outside and took a deep breath. He was terrified of what he had just agreed to, but he was more terrified of Uncle Jasper’s wrath should he fail.

  * * *

  Uncle Jasper stood at the office door and watched Bolton and Dante leave the flat. He knew that Bolton had been shocked by the proposal, but he also knew that he would do whatever he asked. His fear and respect were too great to do otherwise.

  His gaze turned to the man sat on the sofa. They had arranged the time for their meeting but it was still a surprise for him. The man looked at him and both remained frozen for a moment, unsure what should be said or done.

  “You haven’t changed, Jasper,” the man said, a smile twitching at his lips as he rose to his feet.

  “Neither have you, brother,” Uncle Ja
sper laughed, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Dear old Nathaniel, welcome back to London.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Asher paced the room, waiting for Toni to arrive. His stomach was churning and his palms were clammy with sweat. He had called her earlier in the afternoon to invite her over to Carl’s flat. Charley had reassured him that he was doing the right thing and that everything would be fine once Toni had found out he was gay.

  Asher wasn’t so sure but he had agreed anyway. Now his doubts were resurfacing and he jumped when the doorbell sounded. Carl had gone out to meet with lawyers about his divorce, but Asher knew that the reason he had timed the meeting for now was to give him some privacy with his mother. Asher was grateful, but couldn’t help but wonder if he would feel more relaxed if Carl were here with him. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t.

  He opened the front door and his mother bustled past him, observing every surface and item of furniture as she went, running a finger along the mantelpiece and sniffing the air.

  Asher went to the kettle and poured two cups of tea, placing them on the coffee table, but Toni did not sit down.

  “This is a nice flat, how can you afford it?” she asked, examining the flat screen television in the corner of the room.

  “I don’t live here by myself, mum.”

  “Oh, I see,” Toni said, turning to him and narrowing her eyes, “Your girlfriend lives here too?”

  “No, not exactly,” Asher replied nervously.

  “Good, I don’t want you living in sin like your sister,” Toni said, nodding and resuming her appraisal of the room, “I raised you better than that.”

  Asher sat down on the sofa and took a deep breath. The moment to tell her had come.

  “Listen,” he said, “there’s a reason I wanted to bring you here –”

  “So you’re living with a friend then?” Toni cut across him, picking up a framed photo of Carl and scrutinising it.

  Asher sighed.

  “Yeah, I suppose so.”

  “Why waste money to live with a friend?” Toni asked, replacing the frame on the mantelpiece and crossing the room to the window, where she surveyed the street below, “You should move back home, save your money until you go and live with your wife.”