The kill, p.14
The Kill, page 14
‘This is it.’
Seb swung his car into the parking area behind a country pub on the road to Goodwood. He’d been watching carefully since leaving Gaynor’s and was as convinced as he could be that they hadn’t been followed. He was grateful to Ava for her ability to keep quiet when she had nothing worthwhile to say, despite the fact that she must be bursting with questions. She was an easy person to be around and her natural stillness afforded Seb the opportunity to think, and to plan his strategy.
Ava was out of the car before Seb had switched off the engine, glancing around the sparsely populated car park. Seb left his vehicle at a more leisurely pace and placed a hand on the small of Ava’s back as he guided her towards the pub. He ducked beneath the low lintel as he entered a bar that hadn’t changed much, if at all, since he’d last been in it. It probably hadn’t changed for decades before that and as far as Seb was concerned, that was a point in the brewery’s favour. The old-world charm was part of the attraction, as was the roaring log fire that gave off an earthy aroma, adding to the welcoming ambience.
‘Is she here?’ Ava clutched Seb’s arm.
Before he could respond, a woman who didn’t look as though she’d aged at all rose from a corner table on graceful legs and walked towards them.
‘Seb!’
She held out a hand and Seb pulled her into a fierce hug, feeling the years melting away as he did so. Wishing it could be as easy to turn back time and save Lily from her ordeal.
‘Nancy! You look amazing.’
‘You don’t look so bad yourself,’ she replied, leaning back to examine Seb’s face. ‘Clearly, you didn’t let the bastards get you down.’
‘This is Lily’s carer, Ava.’ Seb indicated Ava with a wave of one hand. ‘Ava, this is Nancy.’
‘Pleased to meet you.’ Nancy extended a hand, which Ava shook as to the two women sized one another up. ‘Are you… er, sure…’
Seb smiled. ‘Don’t worry. If I hadn’t brought her along, she would have stalked me.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘She has her own reasons for needing answers.’
‘Whatever it takes,’ Ava replied. A collusive look passed between the ladies. It told Seb that they’d taken to one another and were well on the way to bonding. He wasn’t surprised. Nancy had grown up in a tough environment and wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in the club world if she wasn’t a shrewd cookie who sensed the goodness in others.
Seb ordered a round of drinks and they retreated to the corner table that Nancy had just vacated. She and Seb took a few minutes catching up and then Nancy grilled Ava on Lily’s progress.
‘Where do you want to start?’ Nancy asked when they ran out of small talk, lowering her voice despite the fact that there was no one anywhere near them in the bar to overhear their conversation. A few people were lingering over a late lunch in the formal dining room and a group of horsy people occupied the opposite end of the bar as they loudly discussed the upcoming race meeting down the road. ‘I’ve had so many theories that I wanted to run past you but Pat told me to keep them to myself.’ She grinned. ‘Now I’ve forgotten half of them, or else they’ve run out of steam, so perhaps he was right to keep me grounded. No point in getting your hopes up, only to have them dashed. Going off half-cocked and all that.’ She took a long slug of her drink. ‘Was it very bad inside?’ she asked in one of her abrupt trademark changes of subject.
‘Not exactly a picnic,’ Seb replied, the master of understatement.
‘Have you seen Jason since you got out?’
‘I have.’ Seb ground his jaw. ‘He insists he had nothing to do with Blythe’s death. I tend to believe him but can’t say I’m equally sure about my dear brothers, or about the people who Jason surrounds himself with and who have an axe to grind.’
‘The best way to get him to take his eye off the ball: setting up his favourite son.’ Nancy nodded in response to her own theory. ‘I’ve often thought it could have happened that way. Jason lost his edge once you went down, but as to your brothers…’ Nancy shook her head. ‘They don’t have the intelligence to cover their tracks, or to set you up for it.’
‘Or so they would like you to think,’ Ava added into the ensuing silence.
Seb and Nancy both turned to look at her.
‘What do you mean?’ Nancy asked.
‘Well, I’m no expert on criminal fraternities but I do know something about human nature. I haven’t worked with Lily for that long but I have ears and listen to what Jessie says about the family.’ She turned to give Seb her full attention. ‘It seems that you’ve always been the blue-eyed boy, unable to do any wrong in your father’s eyes despite failing to toe the parental line. Nancy is right to say you were the favourite, and probably still are. Your brothers, by contrast, did as they were told but never won approval. As I say, human nature being what it is, I wouldn’t blame them if they saw an opportunity following Lily’s attack to remove the competition in order to gain Jason’s attention for themselves.’
‘It’s a nice theory but if Ray and Dennis were out for some sort of petty revenge, that isn’t the form it would have taken.’ He took a swig of his drink, full strength lager this time, and focused his attention on Nancy. ‘A baseball bat to the back of my skull in a dark alleyway is more their style.’ He returned his full attention to Nancy. ‘Now then, what do you have to tell me?’
‘Why did you continue to work at that club?’ Ava asked at the same time.
Nancy glanced at Seb. ‘You didn’t tell her?’
‘Not my secret to tell.’
‘No biggie.’ Nancy exhaled slowly, her reaction making it clear that it was a huge deal still from her perspective that she’d learned to trivialise on the rare occasions when she referred to it. ‘I was married to a bent copper. It ended badly. He made all sorts of threats against me when I left him. He was out to get me. No one walked out on Paul Drake. He was the one who did the walking. Anyway, I knew I wouldn’t be safe if I severed ties but would be protected all the time I stayed at the club. Besides, why would I want to leave? I had a child to support and needed the security. I wasn’t doing anything illegal in helping to the run the club and it kept me safe, protected from bullies like Drake and it kept my little girl away from her dad. Even he, with the power of the police behind him, wouldn’t go up against Jason and Bishop.’ Nancy paused. ‘He tried to get at me there once and Seb here persuaded him that it would be a seriously bad idea.’
‘Ah, I see.’ Ava screwed up her lips. ‘A man not above using a child to get what he wants.’
‘Right.’ Nancy dashed at an errant tear with the back of her hand. ‘Bella died when she was hit by a car walking home from school in broad daylight as a twelve-year-old. The driver never stopped and Paul blamed me for neglect.’ She let out a slow breath. ‘But not as much as I blamed myself.’
‘That’s awful.’ Ava reached across the table and touched Nancy’s hand. ‘You think she was deliberately targeted?’
‘Even Paul wouldn’t go that far,’ Nancy said with authority. ‘For all his faults, he loved his daughter. But I do think that Lily was set up.’
‘Someone with a grudge against Jason or Bishop?’ Ava suggested. ‘I get the impression there’s a lot of face saving to be done in that world and that the consequences are brutal if someone takes the piss.’ She paused to rub the side of her chin. ‘But surely, children… young women…’
‘There were full-on turf wars going down at about the same time as Lily’s attack and Bella’s death,’ Seb said.
‘And you’ve hung in there all this time, hoping to find answers.’ Ava smiled at Nancy. ‘But I need answers too.’ She swallowed. ‘Did you know my mother?’
‘Your mother?’ Nancy stared long and hard at Ava, squinting slightly. ‘I knew there was something familiar about you.’ She plucked at her lower lip, nodding slowly. ‘I can see it now. You’re the image of Mel. You must be her daughter.’
Dennis and Ray Carter watched Seb, Nancy and Lily’s carer all cosied up around a table in a pub through binoculars.
‘He hasn’t wasted any time,’ Dennis muttered.
‘Let me have a look, bro.’ Ray held out his hand for the binoculars and shrugged. ‘It’s no biggie. He’s pissing in the wind.’
Seb, for all his supposed street cred, didn’t appear to know that he was being watched. Things had moved on since his day and a person didn’t need to have a physical tail in order to be followed. Ray had put a tracking device on his car when he’d called to see Jason. Not that Jason would be too happy if he knew that the favoured son was being watched but what the old man didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He had a blind spot where Seb was concerned. He was also getting on a bit and losing his edge.
It was time for the younger generation to take over and the sooner the better. Preliminary discussions with Bishop were in the offing but had to be handled with kid gloves. It was delicate. Bishop and Jason, for all their animosity, still had a bond that Dennis and Ray found hard to fathom.
And more to the point, Jason still had his claws into some of the prize assets in their former joint venture. If Dennis and Ray could convince Bishop that they were the heirs apparent, and if they could do so before Seb did anything to upset the applecart, then they would be made.
Seb would be out for revenge; Dennis was absolutely convinced that was why he’d kept his head down and served his full term. That had surprised Dennis and he reluctantly afforded Seb the respect he deserved for sticking to his guns. Dennis wasn’t sure he’d have done the same thing in Seb’s position.
But now the old man wouldn’t stop harping on about Seb’s principles.
It was infuriating.
‘Wish we could hear what was being said,’ Ray complained.
‘Nancy will be bleating about her kid.’
‘Rightly so. Taking kids out just ain’t right.’
‘Yeah, I hear you. Still if she gives Seb any tips about who might have put Blythe onto our Lily then we’ll be there to follow up and give the bastard the thrashing he deserves.’
‘Move on! We have to make sure Seb don’t stir up a turf war in his quest for revenge, nothing more.’
Dennis sniffed. ‘Best make sure Dad don’t catch on.’
Ray laughed. ‘He thinks that because he’s going legit the past won’t catch up with him.’
‘He’s got a point though, about going legit, I mean. Our game ain’t what it used to be. Can’t trust no one. Those Albanians are right vicious bastards. Cut your throat as soon as look at you.’
‘We still make the rules.’
‘Yeah right, keep telling yourself that.’ Dennis shook his head as he paused to adjust the binoculars. ‘Wonder why he’s taken Lily’s carer with him.’
Ray laughed. ‘Wouldn’t mind taking her a few places myself. Even so, it’s odd that he’s got the woman with him.’
‘Yeah, he gets out and they’re instantly joined at the hip.’ Dennis shook his head. ‘It’s the only out of character thing he’s done and it bothers me.’
‘Hey up, they’re moving.’
The brothers ducked down behind a tree as Seb and Ava left the pub, deep in conversation with Nancy. They loitered for a while beside Seb’s Aston as they continued to talk. Then there were hugs all round before Seb opened the passenger door for Ava and she slipped into the seat.
Ray nodded his approval as she elegantly folded her long legs into the space. ‘Wouldn’t mind a taste of that myself.’
‘Forget it! Seb’s clearly got her in his sights. Hopefully, she’ll distract him.’
‘From what?’
‘From whatever shitstorm he’s planning to create.’
‘I thought that was what we want him to do.’
‘Yeah, well…’ Dennis scratched his arse. ‘We need to get our ducks in a row so we’re in a good negotiating position with Bishop. If we can be the ones to resolve the niggle between him and Jason, we’ll be golden.’
‘And get the blue-eyed boy out of our hair once and for all,’ Ray said, standing to watch the Aston leaving the car park, bitterness in his tone.
‘He survived a six stretch so don’t underestimate him,’ Dennis reminded his brother. ‘He might not want to be part of the family firm but he’s no pussy either.’
‘Yeah, I hear you,’ Ray replied. ‘So, what do we do now?’
‘We follow,’ Dennis replied, getting behind the wheel of his own motor and firing up the engine. ‘I have no idea what Nancy told him, or if she even knows anything, but we have to stay on him.’ He watched the dot which was Seb’s car on his phone’s screen as he pulled out into the road. ‘Something tells me that Nancy will be the key to the whole fucking business and if we can prove to Bishop that she’s not as loyal as he thinks then we’ll have it made.’
12
‘So, there’s no further doubt,’ Ava said, breathing deeply, her eyes moist with emotion as Seb took her elbow and walked her towards his car at a brisk pace. ‘Nancy confirmed that my mother was loved up with your father. Do you want to tell me why you didn’t let me ask more questions? You suddenly got all furtive and dragged me out of there like your arse was on fire.’
‘We will ask more,’ he replied, glancing over his shoulder.
‘What’s up? What is it?’
‘Probably nothing. And to answer your question,’ he replied, unlocking his car with the remote and opening the door for her, ‘Nancy told you that she didn’t know what happened to your mother.’
‘And you believe her?’ Ava asked, her tone incredulous.
Seb waggled a hand from side to side as he climbed behind the wheel. ‘Nancy says your mother was there, a permanent fixture, then she wasn’t. Sorry, but that’s par for the course for Jason.’ Seb frowned as he checked his mirrors. ‘Something wasn’t right about that pub; I didn’t feel comfortable. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched. Whoever sent that email to you will have you in their sights, that’s for sure.’
‘You’re getting paranoid,’ she replied, shrugging the suggestion aside.
‘Perhaps, but it’s a sixth sense I developed inside and learned to trust. When I got that feeling, there was almost always someone out to make trouble.’
‘Nancy has a lot more to tell us though.’ Ava slipped onto the edge of her seat, restrained from bouncing impatiently by the tug of her seatbelt.
Seb shrugged. ‘I don’t think she has anything concrete insofar as my situation is concerned, just suspicions. Theories. But that isn’t what really interests you.’
‘I’m sorry if I—'
‘I understand your need for answers.’ He turned his head and smiled at her as he spoke to reassure, talking over her interruption. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll link up with her again later if necessary.’ He removed one hand from the wheel and covered hers with it. ’You okay? It’s been a shock.’
Ava let out a long breath. ‘I’m not sure what I feel, to be honest with you. It was one thing supposing that your dad and my mum had linked up but it seemed far-fetched. I came here in hope rather than expectation. Now that I know they did have a fling, I’ve no idea what to do with that information, other than to take it to your father.’
Seb held up a warning hand. ‘We’ll think of something. Anything, other than that. And if we do decide to confront him… well, I’ll do the confronting. I don’t want you exposed to his methods.’
‘Oh, for goodness sake!’ She huffed indignantly. ‘I’m a big girl, Seb.’
‘Who has yet to play with the big boys.’ His tone hardened. ‘That email should have taught you at least that much. Let me make the decisions about Jason. I promise not to do anything without consulting you first.’
‘Okay.’ She allowed a significant pause. ‘I still don’t see why we just can’t ask though. What are you so afraid of?’
‘We can’t ask because if something bad happened to your mum and Jason knows about it, or had a hand in it, he’s hardly likely to condemn himself and might even decide that he doesn’t need nosy daughters asking awkward questions.’
‘Now you’re just being dramatic,’ she replied, folding her arms defensively.
‘Welcome to my world.’ Seb drove on for a few seconds before speaking again. ‘If you want my help, you need to do this my way. I promise we’ll get there, but if you go off half-cocked then I can’t protect you and you could screw up my chances of ever finding out who set me up.’
‘You don’t fight fair,’ she replied stubbornly. ‘That’s about the only thing you could have said to prevent me from doing things my way.’
He chuckled. ‘Whatever it takes.’
Seb drove the rest of the way home in silence and Ava forced herself to be content with his decision, even if she privately thought he was being a tad paranoid about cutting the meeting with Nancy short. And so many other things besides. Surely Jason wouldn’t harm his favourite son, who’d already suffered the injustice of a long prison sentence? And what possible reason could he have for hurting Ava? She had questions about her mother’s disappearance but no proof that anything bad had happened to her at Jason’s hand or anyone else’s.
Questions, she most definitely had in abundance. She was burning to know how her mother had behaved with Jason Carter and why she had left the family home to be with him. Had she done so willingly or been coerced? It didn’t seem remotely possible but perhaps Ava’s childhood memories of her beautiful mother, always laughing, always with a ton of time for Ava, was wide of the mark. Perhaps her mother had put on a good show for her, for her father, for the world in general, but had been unhappy. Dissatisfied.
‘We’ll meet Nancy later. It’s her night off,’ he told Ava as he garaged his car. ‘Nine o’clock suit you? Lily will be settled by then and Jessie can listen out for her.’
‘Sure. I’ll be ready. Oh, and Seb. Thanks.’
He looked surprised. ‘What for?’
‘For going that extra mile for me. I know you have more pressing priorities and I want you to be aware that I appreciate it, despite the fact that I’ve done nothing but question your decisions.’
