“Well that was easier than I thought it would be,” said Jackson once they were outside Rory’s room. He grimaced. “I can’t believe Jules stabbed him in the knees.”
“I can.”
“She once told me we couldn’t be together because we’d always have to have secrets from each other. She was right.”
“Yes she was. I have to keep stuff from Cathy. It’s the only reason we’ve lasted so long and she’s fine with that.”
“Doesn’t she wonder about what you get up to…or if you’ve hurt someone?”
“She used to I think but she knows the real me.”
“What do you mean?”
“That at home I’m the real Jez. The one at work is the persona.”
“You’re trying to tell me I got the real Jules?”
“Yes you did and you fucked it up.”
“And what about the Jules who stabbed him in the knees?” he said, pointing back at Rory’s room.
“Do you know who Rory Noble is?”
“No.”
Jez didn’t reply until they’d exited the ward and the only people to hear him were Shane and Mark.
“He’s killed seven people, that we know of and got away with it, he’s been involved in people trafficking - something we wouldn’t touch with a manky bargepole - and selling drugs to school kids, which we don’t do either. In fact we go out of our way to ensure no one does. Still think he doesn’t deserve a good stab in the kneecap?”
“Well, when you put it like that,” he mumbled.
“You’re one of those people who sees the world in black and white, when it’s not. It’s mainly grey. So if you’ve finished being sanctimonious can we get a move on?”
“Did you get Slattery’s location Boss…Jez?” said Shane.
“I did. Now Rory’s desperate for us to get rid of him before he finds out he betrayed him.” He rolled his eyes when Jackson just stood there. “What now for Christ’s sake?”
“This isn’t me.”
“Violence?” said Jez. “Correct me if I’m wrong but you’re a cage fighter.”
“Yes but there’s rules, everyone’s protected. It’s not like this. I’ve never stabbed anyone in the knees.”
“Me neither but I’m getting the urge,” muttered Jez, making Shane grin. “Look, we don’t have time for this agony aunt shit. I need to go and get my sister back before she gets herself into any more trouble, so you can stand around here having a moment or searching for your inner child while we go and find her.”
Jez pressed for the lift, Shane and Mark standing either side of him. None of them looked at Jackson as he remained by the ward doors, chewing his lip, wondering what he should do.
“Thank Christ for that,” said Jez as the three of them stepped into the lift. “I’m surprised he lasted this long.”
As the door slid shut, a hand clamped down on it and pushed it back open, Jackson stepping inside.
“I thought you’d wussed out,” said Jez.
“So did I for a second there but I want to help Jules. It won’t happen again. I’m in this for the duration.”
Shane tried not to laugh when Jackson turned his back on them to face the doors as they closed and Jez gave him the v-sign.
“Anything?” asked Ryan when a tired-looking Battler and Bruiser walked into their house.
“Nothing,” replied Battler. “Reid’s a fucking ghost. We traced his movements through a succession of acquaintances then he drops off the radar after he’s released from hospital. I think someone’s hiding him, it’s the only explanation.”
“You two look exhausted,” said Rachel. She looked to Bruiser. “And when was the last time you saw Daina and the kids?”
His answering look said it all.
“You’ve done all you can,” she said. “We’ll take it from here.”
“We can’t leave you to deal with this alone,” said Battler.
“Rachel’s right,” said Ryan. “Reid’s probably done a runner. We have contacts who can help us out. You two need to turn your attention back to your usual work before you run yourselves and your business into the ground. We won’t allow you to do that on our account.”
His attention was drawn to the monitors by the front door when he saw on the screen a car climbing the drive. “Who’s that? We’re not expecting anyone.”
“I asked someone to help us find Reid and his friends,” said Rachel. “Someone who can take the burden off us.”
“Who?” Ryan’s face fell. “Please don’t tell me you called him.”
“I had to,” she said.
“You didn’t, you really didn’t.”
“Call who?” said Battler.
They all looked at the door when there came a loud knock. “Anyone going to open up or did you drag us all the way down here to admire your paintwork?” called a loud Glaswegian voice.
“Not the McVays?” said Battler, looking appalled.
“Course not,” she replied, striding across the hall. She opened the door to reveal a tall, strong-looking man with salt and pepper hair and unusual amber eyes. His face was ruggedly handsome, cheeks covered with stubble.
“Alright hen?” grinned Brodie MacBride. His eyes moved past her down the hall to Ryan. “I knew you’d need my help one day, you big English daisy.”
Rachel ignored her husband’s furious look. “Please, come in. We’ve been expecting you. Well, at least I have. Hi Cass,” she beamed when Brodie’s second-in-command followed him in, a woman in her late twenties with masses of long dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail and huge dark eyes.
“Hi,” she smiled back.
“I’m so glad you could come.”
“Looks like you’re the only one,” said Brodie, casting Ryan a derisive smirk.
“Who the bloody hell is this?” demanded Battler.
“This,” said Rachel. “Is Brodie MacBride. He’s a private investigator from Glasgow.”
“Glasgow? Why did you bring in someone from up there?”
“Because you two are run off your feet, you don’t have time for tracking down Reid. Brodie’s business is similar to yours in that it well, borders on the illegal.”
“My business is unfinished business,” said Brodie. He looked to Ryan. “What unfinished business do you have?”
“Let’s talk in the kitchen,” said Rachel, steering Brodie down the hall past her glowering husband. “You must want something to eat and drink after your journey.”
“Yes please,” said Cass politely, throwing Brodie a look that warned him to be polite.
“Aye that would be great hen,” he replied. “The flight wasn’t exactly smooth.”
“Sensible,” said Ryan, unable to help himself. “At least you can’t get lost on a plane. Did you find the Lake District in the end?”
“This joker couldn’t find the fucking Lake District?” scoffed Battler.
When Brodie opened his mouth to retort, Cass pulled him into the kitchen and shut the door.
“What a dick,” said the usually silent Bruiser.
Ryan and Battler nodded in agreement.
CHAPTER 38
“I…I don’t know where Slattery is,” gasped Dillon McLintock, sweat beaded on his forehead, arms violently trembling. “But I know someone who does.”
Jules slightly twisted the blade that was jammed into the top of his hand, ensuring she ground it against the bone. Dillon went white and threw up over himself.
“Go on,” she said. She’d tracked the second of Jared’s lieutenants down to the garage he used as a workshop to chop up stolen motors. Like Rory he’d thought he could give her a load of old fanny. She’d disabused him of that notion quickly and brutally.
“I meet with a bloke called Sean. He’s the one who deals with Slattery.” Dillon shook his head, teeth gritted together and eyes screwed shut as she twisted the knife a little more. “ He’s placed layers of protection between himself and the foot soldiers. Sean’s the one who comes to me with instructions.”
/>
“How do you know the instructions are from Slattery? Sean could be using you.”
“He brings footage on a phone recorded by Slattery.”
“Do you have any of this footage.”
“No. Sean deletes it as soon as I’ve seen it.”
“Jesus, how dramatic are you arseholes? It’s like Mission Impossible.”
“That’s how it is. Please…my hand…”
“I’ll let you go when I’m certain you’ve told me everything you know.”
“I have,” he wailed.
“I don’t believe you,” she said with a savage twist of the knife. She tutted when Dillon passed out. “You big girl,” she said, retracting the knife and sliding it back into the sheath on her left wrist. She patted him down, smiling when she found his phone in his jean’s pocket, sliding it into her jacket pocket before quietly exiting.
She got back on her bike and drove back towards the café she’d had a snack in earlier, feeling pathetic because the sweet old lady running it somehow comforted her. It was teatime and she was starving.
The sweet old lady looked drastically different when Jules walked in to find her clutching a broom, threatening to bash two large teenage thugs over the head with it, her twinkling blue eyes full of fury. Jules couldn’t help but be impressed by her, she looked fearless and sadly it didn’t appear as though it was the first time she’d had to defend herself like this. Plus she was all alone, the café empty.
“I said get out of my café you little bastards,” she yelled at them.
“What’s going on here Ellen?” said Jules, walking inside and shutting the door.
“These little wanks are trying to steal from my till again,” she replied, furious gaze locked on the teenagers.
Jules placed herself before Ellen, bristling with rage. “Fuck off the pair of you before you get hurt.”
“What are you going to do you goth slag?” snarled the taller of the two boys, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen.
“You really want to find out?” she said with relish, itching for another fight.
When the taller boy tried to punch her she grabbed his arm, twisted it and banged his head off the wall, stunning him and he slumped to the floor. She took advantage of the second boy’s shock to kick him in the face, knocking him flat on his back. She loomed over the first boy, drew one of the blades and pressed it to his crotch, the boy’s eyes bulging.
“If you or any of your sad little cronies ever bother Ellen again I’ll be back to collect your balls. Do you get it?”
The boy nodded, tears in his eyes. “Yes.”
“Say sorry to Ellen.”
He looked up at the elderly lady. “Sorry Ellen.”
“So you should be,” she said before whacking him in the face with the broom.
“Nice one Ellen,” said Jules, dragging him to his feet and hauling him to the door. She threw him out onto the pavement. She didn’t need to do the same to his friend, who willingly staggered out.
Ellen slammed the door shut behind them and locked it, breathing a sigh of relief. “I thought they’d never leave.”
“They’ve bothered you before?” said Jules.
“Regular as clockwork. My son’s usually here to sort them out but he’s away on business, so he couldn’t come.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with that shite.”
“I’ve no choice,” she said sadly. “I had dreams of running a lovely little tea shop somewhere in the countryside, lace tablecloths and high teas,” she said wistfully.
“Whereabouts in the countryside?”
“Somewhere near Hurley, it’s a gorgeous little village.” Her eyes filled with despondency. “And I’m stuck with this craphole.”
“Things don’t always work out as we planned,” she said sadly.
“You’ve experienced some sadness, haven’t you honey?”
Jules just nodded, her eyes filled with pain.
Ellen took her hands and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for what you did for me. At least I get to keep what I’ve earned today.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with this, it’s not right.”
“No it’s not but I’ll fight that shower with my dying breath.”
Jules was afraid it would come to that one day.
“Did you want something to eat honey?” said Ellen.
“Yes but if it’s not a good time…”
“I’ve closed for the day, so that makes it the perfect time. You’ll get my undivided attention.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to do it, to say thanks. Now you take a seat and tell me what you want. It’s on the house,” said Ellen, bolting the door and turning the sign to closed.
“Thank you,” said Jules, basking in Ellen’s warm, maternal glow. “Pizza and chips would be just the ticket.”
She patted her hand. “Coming right up.”
As Ellen fussed over her, Jules actually smiled. It was almost healing after the violence she’d experienced today.
Mark pressed his ear to the garage door. “Sounds like someone’s crying in there.”
“Which means Jules has already been,” said Shane.
“Or she’s still in there,” said Jez.
Jackson wrenched open the door and they rushed in to find a man slumped on the floor, clutching his bloodied hand, sobbing.
He looked up at them, pleading in his eyes. “She stabbed me in the hand,” he wailed. “It fucking hurts.”
“She?” said Jez.
“Some mad bitch all in black.”
“You mean my sister?” he scowled.
Dillon didn’t even hear him. “Look what she’s done to my fucking hand,” he cried.
“You probably deserved it,” said Mark. Like Jez he didn’t like anyone badmouthing Jules.
“What did you tell her?” said Jez.
“Call me an ambulance, will you? She took my phone and I can’t drive like this.”
“We’ll call you an ambulance after you’ve told us what information you gave her.”
“She wanted to know where Jared Slattery is.”
“And?”
“I don’t know, he sends someone to me with instructions. I’ve never met him personally.”
“Who does he send to you?”
“His name’s Sean,” he sighed.
“And how do we find Sean?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because that woman is my sister and I need to find her and, unless you want a hole in your other hand, you’ll tell me where to find Sean.”
As Rachel prepared Cass and Brodie something to eat and drink she related to them everything that had happened, leaving nothing out, not even Leah’s involvement. If they were to help they needed to know it all.
Ryan joined them after seeing Battler and Bruiser out, expecting more lip from Brodie but, to his surprise, he didn’t comment. He just listened to Rachel relate the whole sorry saga in serious silence, revealing the professional beneath the brash, loud-mouthed man they’d met before.
“Wow,” said Cass when she’d finished. “That’s quite a mess.”
“Yep,” sighed Rachel. “And it’s not going away any time soon.”
“The way I see it,” began Brodie…
“I can’t wait to hear your pearls of wisdom on this one,” said Ryan, going silent when Rachel glared at him.
“The way I see it,” said Brodie with a hard look at Ryan. “Is that this Reid used Leah.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Did you travel all the way from Glasgow to tell us something we already know?”
“Let him finish,” said Rachel.
“As I was saying,” continued Brodie. “He used her to get close to you. You’re the real targets.”
“But why?” said Rachel. “We didn’t know he even existed until all this kicked off.”
“Well, there’s two options,” he said. “Number one, he’s a loon who’s obsessed with your family. Unfortunately th
ere are a lot of sad sacks out there who think gangsters are glamorous.”
“We are not gangsters,” said Ryan.
Brodie ignored him. “Or number two, there’s some purpose you’re not aware of yet.”
Ryan looked to Rachel. “Are we actually paying him for this?”
“Please don’t start,” sighed Rachel, placing Brodie and Cass’s food before them. “They’ve only just got here and we’re doing this for Leah.”
This made him feel slightly ashamed. “Alright, I apologise,” Ryan told Brodie, although it wasn’t easy for him.
“That looked painful,” he grinned before shovelling chicken into his mouth.
“There’s something else you haven’t considered,” said Ryan. “That Reid is a paedophile. Leah is only fifteen.”
“It’s possible,” said Brodie. “But I don’t think so.”
“And why not?”
“As you know, I was a polis.”
“A what?” said Rachel, making Ryan grin.
“A police officer,” explained Cass.
“Oh yes. Sorry, carry on.”
“Unfortunately I dealt with some paedo cases,” continued Brodie, for once looking troubled. “I tell you, those cases make you think humanity doesn’t deserve a place on this planet.” His expression cleared. “Anyway, I’ve spent time with a lot of victims of grooming. They go out of their way to protect the groomers, who make themselves out to be the victim’s white knight, tell them they’re in love and everyone wants to keep them apart. They’ll even deceive close family and the police to stay in contact with their groomer. Leah gave Reid up very easily. He doesnae have the control over her.”
“Leah’s a very strong-minded girl,” said Ryan.
“Aye but even strong-minded girls can be brainwashed by a groomer. This doesnae have the same feel.”
“Leah said she stood up to Reid,” said Rachel. “She told him to leave us alone and to go away somewhere. She didn’t want to be with him.”
“Did you believe her?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” said Ryan.
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