Fractured (Dividing Line #4) (14 page)

“What are you going to do?” said Ron, stunned.

“It’s fucking funny how Beth does one just as Mikey and Jez try this, don’t you think? It’s like she’s been got out of the way as much as Cathy and Amber.” Alex looked at Col. “There’s only one place she’d run to, her best friend.” He closed his eyes as his mother’s words came screaming back to him, her shrill voice piercing his brain. Every time he thought about it his rage threatened to boil over. “All that about Ryan and Rachel wanting a fresh start was bullshit. They’re commanding Mikey and Jez. Do you think either of them could arrange a hit on anyone? Both of them are fucking useless. The Laws are trying to take it all.” He looked to Col. “Let’s take a little trip down to Devon.”

Col smiled and nodded. Finally.

“Where are the bloody Jordans?” exclaimed Alex.

“On their way. I couldn’t get hold of Nick but I spoke to Robbie. He said he’d round up his brother and meet us…wait, here they are,” said Col, looking out of the window as Robbie parked his car beside his own black BMW. “Only Robbie’s here.”

Alex looked like the top of his head was going to explode and Col thought if he didn’t start cooling it one day he’d give himself a heart attack.

“Why does everyone keep letting me down? Honestly Col you’re the only one I can rely on.”

Col tried not to preen with pride. He was loyal to Alex but every king eventually fell and when Alex inevitably did he’d make sure he was waiting in the wings to take the throne.

“Where’s your brother?” Alex demanded of Robbie the moment he came through the door.

“Sorry, I couldn’t find him. He’s not at his flat and he’s not answering his phone. No doubt he’s shacked up with some tart.” Robbie was as nervous as hell. He knew exactly where his older brother was, he’d helped with the travel arrangements then watched him drive off with this man’s wife and children. On top of that Robbie was supposed to be meeting them, they’d invited him to go with them. He was scared and confused and as yet had no idea how he was going to handle the situation. For now he’d just pray that Alex didn’t link Nick’s disappearance to his wife’s.

“Keep looking for him, it’s all hands on deck,” said Alex. “Col, go home and pack a bag, we’re off to Devon. Today. While you do that, there’s someone I need to meet.”

CHAPTER 16

DCI Taylor anxiously waited for Alex Maguire to turn up for their meeting. The abandoned warehouse in Moss Side where they’d arranged to meet did nothing to soothe his nerves. He hated being at that bastard’s beck and call but he’d had little choice. Gambling had always been his greatest weakness. Not only had it led to his wife leaving him and only getting to see his kids twice a month but in order to keep a roof over his head he’d had to accept Alex’s offer of rendering him little services in exchange for a hefty payment each month. The money had taken the financial strain off but put it on in other ways. He was constantly terrified his colleagues were going to find him out and he’d go to prison for years. Police officers didn’t do well in prison and that worry was growing with each passing month as Alex’s demands became more bizarre the more unhinged he became, his paranoia reaching unprecedented heights and he feared what he was going to ask him to do next.

Taylor’s throat went dry when he heard the rumble of a car engine. There was the slam of a door then footsteps approaching. For once those footsteps weren’t slow and taunting but quick and staccato, indicating the source of that noise was agitated. Great, he thought. An edgy Alex Maguire was even more dangerous and unreasonable.

“I need you to do something for me,” Alex opened.

Taylor’s large forehead creased with annoyance. Alex treated him more like a servant than a detective chief inspector. “What?” he said, hating the defeat in his tone.

“My wife has gone.”

“Missing?”

“No. The stupid bitch has run off with my kids. I want them brought back.”

“She left of her own free will?”

“Yes.”

“Then there’s nothing I can do. If she’d been kidnapped then of course I would intervene…”

Alex stood nose to nose with him. “I don’t want to make this fucking official, I want the daft bint brought home. She is not allowed to leave me.”

Taylor didn’t even try to hide his incredulity. “She’s a grown woman, she can do what she likes.”

“She can’t run off with
my
children, they belong to me.”

“I beg to differ, they’re not possessions. I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do.”

Alex’s eyes burned with fury. “If you weren’t a fucking copper I’d put a bullet in that huge head of yours.”

Something in Taylor snapped. He was not one to be bullied and he glared right back at him. “Don’t ever talk to me like that again. I’m not one of your sycophants. You’ve surrounded yourself with so many yes men you can’t stand it when someone says no to you. If your wife’s left you that’s your problem, you’re not the first man it’s happened to. I will not drag an innocent woman back to be physically and mentally tortured by you. You want her, you go find her.”

“You’re making a big mistake.” Alex had to spit the words out because his jaw was so tense he could barely speak.

“You’re right, I did, when I let you wrap me round your little finger. Well not anymore, I’ve had a gutful. Everyone has their limit and you’ve pushed me to mine.”

“You’re dead Taylor, do you know that?”

Taylor snorted with laughter. “You’re going to kill a DCI, seriously? Even if you do put it out that I let myself be corrupted by you my colleagues will still hunt you down because no one kills one of us and gets away with it. And what will all your business partners think when they find out what you’ve done? Imagine what Frankie McVay will do.” He noticed Alex’s eyes widen and he smiled. “Oh yeah, I know all about your little deal with Glasgow. I’ve kept it quiet, for now. Killing a copper is stupid because it draws so much attention. Not only will you be hunted by us but by Glasgow too. The Maguires would be finished on your watch.” He revelled in the wrath in Alex’s eyes. “Come to think of it, you’d be doing Manchester a favour. Go on Alex, take your best shot,” he cried, holding out his arms. “Kill me and kill your own family at the same time.”

Taylor’s heart hammered in his chest when he saw Alex’s hand slide into his inner jacket pocket, no doubt seeking the gun he kept there. He wouldn’t have put it past him to do something so reckless and he could see the inner struggle taking place. Then common sense won out and he retracted his hand. He grabbed Taylor by the shirtfront and yanked him close. “You’re fucking finished, I promise you that.”

Taylor thought of the wife he loved who hated him, the kids he rarely got to see and his mountain of debts. “You know what Alex, you’d probably be doing me a favour.”

With an angry snarl Alex shoved him away and stormed out. Taylor listened to the sound of his car speeding away and sighed with relief. He’d just made one very dangerous enemy but the sense of fear was accompanied by elation. He’d always been proud of the fact that he was good at his job and that his service history was a long and proud one. Alex Maguire had taken that from him but now he had it back. At least in one sense he was free.

Beth walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

“Are they all asleep?” smiled Nick.

“Yeah, finally. They were so excited it took them ages to drop off.”

He held out a glass of wine and patted the seat on the couch beside him. Beth smiled, accepted the wine and gratefully sat down.

“I can’t believe we’ve actually done it,” she said, taking a sip of wine. She gazed out at the lights of Weymouth harbour below. As usual Alex hadn’t come home the previous night so she and Nick had woken the kids at four in the morning and driven non-stop to Weymouth in Dorset. They’d booked into a beautiful Victorian seafront hotel for the night under an assumed name then tomorrow they’d drive on to Plymouth where Nick had arranged for them to stay in a cottage until they could get to France on his friend’s boat.

“But are you happy?” he said.

She kissed him. “Very, even though I’m frightened he’ll find us.”

“He won’t. I’ve covered our tracks too well. Soon we’ll be in Paris, the most romantic city in the world and from there we’ll fly to America, our new home.”

“And Alex definitely won’t find us?”

“No, I promise. You don’t need to be scared of him anymore.”

“It’s Alfie’s fear as well as mine. He’s terrified of him catching up with us.”

“What about Holly and Archie?”

“Holly’s too young to understand and Archie’s so excited about Disneyland he seems to have forgotten all about his dad. Alfie’s always been older and wiser, he knows the score.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Just before he fell asleep he told me he saw Alex hit me the first time. No wonder he’s been so quiet and withdrawn lately. I hate it that my baby has suffered so much.”

Nick hugged her tight. “He won’t have to go through that again. We’ll give the kids a good life and maybe one day we’ll have one of our own.”

She smiled and kissed him, ecstatic that the future was now so bright. When she straddled him and took him inside her they both forgot all about Alex Maguire.

As Frankie descended from the small private plane clutching a holdall, Mikey resisted the urge to jump back in his car and drive away. Quickly. He eyed the leather bag in Frankie’s hand and wondered if it contained a hatchet and a Tupperware box and if part of his anatomy was going to end up in it. It didn’t help when Frankie looked very pissed off to see him standing there.

“Where the fuck is Alex?”

“Some urgent business came up. He asked me to send his apologies. I’ve to take you to The Wherry Tavern.” It was a lie, he’d no idea where Alex was, he’d disappeared, Col Sugar too. He’d just received a curt text ordering him to collect Frankie from the private airfield and take him to the pub. As much as he hated being stuck with this job he had no choice but to do it. Leaving Frankie hanging would only unleash hell.

“What could be more important than meeting me?” said Frankie.

It took Mikey a moment to realise he was being serious. “It’s big Frankie. Someone tried to top him.”

Frankie leaned into him, eyes wide and unblinking, freaking Mikey out, he was sure Frankie could read what he’d done on his face.

“Me and you need to have a wee talk. Take me to the pub, I need a bevvy.”

Mikey nodded, grateful when Frankie broke eye contact. However in the car it was even worse. It was like driving with a rattlesnake on speed in the passenger seat. Frankie couldn’t stop fidgeting and sighing loudly. He didn’t speak until they were clear of the airfield.

“So what happened?” opened Frankie.

“Someone tried to shoot him when he drove out of the compound.”

“Jesus, is he alright?”

“Yeah, he’d had bullet proof glass fitted in his car.”
Unfortunately.

“Any idea who did it?”

“He reckons it was the Barlow brothers from Moss Side, he’s been doing some business with them and thinks they might have got greedy. He wants this sorting sooner rather than later.”

Frankie appeared thoughtful. “So he has bullet proof glass installed just before someone tries to shoot him. He knew he was in danger?”

“Things have been tense between us and Moss Side for a while.”

“There’s always tension in our line of work. The timing’s funny, I don’t like it.”

Unease crept up Mikey’s spine. “Alex has a good instinct, he must have known trouble was coming.”

“There was a lot of friction at the funeral between Alex and Rachel.”

“They were both grieving and Alex is worried he won’t see his niece now Martina’s gone,” replied Mikey, trying to keep his voice light. Even though he was looking straight ahead he felt Frankie’s eyes boring into him.

“You really believe Rachel and Ryan are well out of it?” said Frankie.

“I know they are. They’re happy.”

“The Jordans shit them up?”

“Big style.”

“I didn’t think they’d lose their nerve like that.”

“They’ve not lost their nerve, I don’t think they ever could. Their kids come first and after what happened to Thomas they’re afraid of the others getting caught in the crossfire.”

“It’s a bloody shame because they were born to be in this business. Alex has been letting things slide lately, he’s unstable and sloppy. Things ran like clockwork when Danny was alive. They did when Alex took over but he’s changed. He lets his temper get the better of him. He reminds me of that arsehole Terry.”

Mikey knew if he agreed too readily he’d look like a treacherous bastard. “The money’s rolling in.”

“He’s getting people’s backs up, including mine and that’s never good.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

Frankie gave one stern nod. “Me and him need to have a talk and the arsehole’s not got the decency to be here. Where is he exactly?”

“I don’t know Frankie.”

“He didn’t tell his number two where he was going?” He shook his head disapprovingly. “No one’s got his back.”

“I think he’s taken Col with him.”

“That guy’s a dick. I don’t like him and I don’t trust him. His head’s so far up Alex’s arse he could lick his tonsils. He’s too busy telling him what he wants to hear to give him good advice.”

“Tell me about it,” sighed Mikey as they entered the city centre.

Frankie remained in angry silence until they pulled up outside The Wherry Tavern.

“It looks empty,” frowned Mikey. Curiously the lights appeared to be off, the pub radiating an air of barrenness and somehow danger.

“I don’t like this. My shit-o-meter’s going wu-tang,” said Frankie.

“Why don’t you wait here while I check it out?”

Frankie was disgusted. “What do you think I am, a fucking lassie? You talk to me like that again and your cock will end up in my Tupperware box.”

“Sorry Frankie.”

“I’ll forget it, just this once. Let’s go,” he said, eyes shining with excitement.

They hopped out of the car and approached the pub, looking up and down the street for danger but all was quiet. Mikey entered first, heart pounding in his chest as he pushed the door open. Usually he was greeted by the sound of talking and laughter but there was only silence. Inside it was dim and he squinted to see in the gloom.

“What the fuck is going on?” said Frankie.

“I have no idea.”

The swooshing sound cutting through the air alerted Mikey to the danger and he just had time to shove Frankie out of the way before the baseball bat connected with the back of his head. Mikey slammed his fist into the assailant’s face, feeling the bone of the man’s nose disintegrate beneath the force of the blow and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Mikey was alarmed when Frankie pulled a hatchet from inside his jacket and raised it over his head. Mikey braced himself for the impact but the hatchet embedded itself in the shoulder of the man standing behind him holding a knife he hadn’t even realised was there.

The man dropped the knife and stared in horror at the weapon stuck in his flesh. “Get it out, get it out,” he screamed.

Mikey punched him in the side of the head and he dropped beside his fallen comrade.

The third attacker who emerged from behind the bar was smarter. He threw down the machete and ran for the door, but they grabbed him and hauled him back inside. Mikey held him while Frankie punched him in the stomach, doubling him up.