Three Steps to Hell (10 page)

Ultimately Maria directed all her anger into making a success of her newly enforced life and lifestyle. She desperately wanted to contact people in Valencia to find out more of what had happened but knew that may prove to be the signature on her own death warrant. The only way she could see to honour her father’s wishes and pay private tribute to his life would be to use that which he had provided for her to hopefully build her own empire.

Manuela and Carlos had been similarly provided for with an address in the same apartment block in Chiswick in order that Manuela could continue to look after both to the best of her ability until she felt they could safely go their own way.

Maria’s first weeks in London were very troubled but hardened her to a life where everything was not just easily provided on a plate but would have to be worked for. Her father’s arrangements created a great start but she found the expensive London lifestyle a fast drain on resources. Her schooling and ability with languages stood her in good stead in the work place and by the age of 27 she had a senior management position within a global shipping company in London. This had provided her with numerous worldwide contacts within shipping and haulage companies, her fluency in Spanish and German giving her a considerable edge in worldwide business. She had by now purchased a new apartment in Chelsea and was getting to like London life. Her substantial bonuses allowed her to develop an interest in and appreciation for fine furniture, art and antiques and allowed her to create an apartment nearly as grand as that she remembered from Valencia. A stunning woman, she had had various relationships but none had offered her what she was looking for. Unlike most women, love and affection were low on the list. She was looking for someone who could open doors to increased wealth and power. Valencia and her early years there now seemed a lifetime ago. She never tried to make contact with any of her father’s old friends. She and Carlos remained very very close like brother and sister. Carlos had been treading a far more dangerous but very profitable path in the world of drug trafficking with a little help on the sidelines from Maria’s more dubious shipping contacts.

Eventually Sothebys in Bond Street seemed to provide the answer to Maria’s search for a relationship. She had attended many sales there and had on several occasions noticed a man who seemed to have an immense knowledge of antiques and art, an abundance of available funds and an appreciation of fine clothes and good grooming. All this coupled with the fact that she found him fairly attractive compelled her to get to know him further.

His financial power attracted her and her efforts to get to know him resulted in a happy and reasonably fulfilling courtship and later, an expensive designer wedding in Henley On Thames and a honeymoon in Sardinia. Her new husband, Colin Peterson, seemed to have an innate ability to make money. This excited her and probably accounted for seventy five per cent of her attraction to him. She learnt and benefited from his ability in buying and selling antiques, art and real estate and he from her knowledge of shipping, transport and general movement of goods.

Their unison on the business front had enabled them to amass considerable wealth. She had quickly discovered the major contributory factor to his wealth. The importation of cocaine. At first he had been shocked to discover her relaxed attitude towards this particular criminal business interest. To his amazement, Maria had gradually and willingly become more and more involved and very successfully applied her immense logistics knowledge. This coupled with some very important contacts in the criminal underworld had expanded this business quickly and beyond belief, so much so that Colin was being forced gradually to take a back seat. Colin had become extremely intrigued in relation to the validity of what he knew of her background. He would often try to question her about her growing up years but she would always change the subject or flatly refuse to discuss it. This had on many occasions caused arguments and annoyed him intensely. In fact in some ways he had started to distrust her a little especially when, without consultation, she had introduced Carlos to the scenario. At that point Colin had drawn the conclusion that both had, in their younger years, been somehow connected with the crime world but dared not delve too deeply, particularly as he had become rather fearful of Carlos. He felt that Carlos had a presence of evilness about him that he had never witnessed in any other human being. Anyway, he was enjoying his playboy lifestyle spending the vast profits so why concern himself.

It seemed like the perfect business marriage and partnership although seriously lacking in the areas of love, devotion and fulfilling sex. A considerable proportion of the profits were being successfully laundered in property deals around the world and within the antiques industry. Secretly Maria enjoyed the buzz and the inherent dangers. She was starting to understand what drove her father and had fully inherited his love of the money and power. On the other hand Colin Peterson had always played around and couldn’t resist meaningless regular affairs with much younger women. Maria Peterson knew that every man who saw and met her longed to get close to her but her desire to make money took priority over her sexual appetite and she rarely capitalised on her indisputable and natural sexual charisma. In recent years though, she had become very dissatisfied with her marriage, had started to find her husband tiresome and annoying. She felt the wealth had gone to his head. He had developed boastful flamboyant antics and Maria was extremely concerned that he was starting to draw unnecessary attention to their ever-increasing wealth.

Today, though, Maria’s hard unemotional shell had been softened. She had met a man to whom she felt an immediate sexual attraction. Tom Lancaster. Shit she thought, a Detective, the last sort of occupation I would desire in a man! She got up off the floor and turned the CD off. The first man in my life that I really fancy and feel a strong sexual attraction to and he’s a fucking Detective. How unreal is that! Holding that thought Maria Peterson went into the bathroom, ran a hot bath and lit some candles. A hot relaxing bath before bed, a ritual in her life. She secretly imagined Tom climbing into the hot soapy water with her and to her surprise felt stirrings that she hadn’t felt for some considerable time. She laughed out loud to herself as she thought. Sex with a Detective!! How ridiculous would that be? I’d have to shag him silly then kill him before he found out what I was up to. A bit too dangerous even for me I think! Fun though. She smiled to herself as her imagination ran a little wild.

Unlike Maria, Carlos was not particularly interested in the high life or the trappings of immense wealth. A man of simple tastes he enjoyed considerable success from his own criminal endeavours. However he was always secure in the knowledge that whatever happened, Maria would look after him more than adequately financially, should the need ever occur. He had developed into a very hard and dangerous man having inherited many evil and violent traits from his father. As the Peterson’s drug importation empire had expanded he had found the perfect niche as an organiser and trouble-shooter. Maria called him her ‘fixer’. He kept an extremely low profile and was only known by name to very few immensely trusted people. He was greatly feared and quite rightly so. He had the utmost respect for Maria Peterson whose father had been his own father’s mentor. He felt he owed her a great deal for helping him so much after his father’s demise, something that he had experienced great difficulties in coming to terms with. A man of few words but of great presence is how she had described him prior to introducing him to her husband Colin. Colin tolerated his place in their affairs but knowing nothing of their past was highly suspicious of Carlos’s interests in their business and disliked his brutal mannerisms and displays of violence towards anyone who dared cross him or argue with him. For this reason Maria kept Carlos’s involvement to a minimum, rarely discussing his use with Colin. Colin was always happy to watch the off shore bank account balances grow together with their international property empire but was growing suspicious of Maria’s methods of increasing profit and her regular use of Carlos. This had recently been the cause of many rows between them. Colin had started to see a very hard and occasionally violent side of Maria that he neither liked nor understood and which had on more than one occasion frightened him a little.

Carlos would be wearing all black clothing tonight. He always liked to blend in to the night when he was merely observing. He disliked being seen or recognised by too many people. He picked up his Smith & Wesson revolver, opened it and checked all chambers were full. He placed it securely into his shoulder holster. The discomfort from the shoulder holster paled into insignificance when compared to the feeling of power and invincibility it gave him. He always remembered being allowed to wear his father’s shoulder holster at times of play at home in his early years. Even then he dreamt of one day having his own. He checked the pockets of his thick black rainproof overcoat to ensure that he had all he needed.

His Jeep Cherokee made easy work of the pothole ridden back roads between his main home and East Point. He approached the gates to Colmar Grounds and called Maria Peterson’s mobile. He heard Maria’s voice.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me Maria, I’m approaching the gates.”

“Okay, go straight to Rashid, don’t come to the house, drop the crates off then put your car out of sight by one of the cottages. Don’t let Rashid fuck up on this Carlos, it’s got to be moved tonight and is just as important as unloading what’s coming in.”

“Don’t worry it will all get done, the water’s calm tonight and the moon is good and clear. If Rashid fucks up you won’t see him again.”

“Fine, whatever but it’s got to be out of here tonight.”

“Go to bed Maria, it’s as good as done.”

“Thanks Carlos, you’re a great comfort to me.”

Carlos drove to the old farm buildings and parked adjacent to Rashid’s office. He got a small leather bound cosh and a powerful hand torch from a compartment under the driver’s seat and put both in his coat pockets. He was a man who did everything slowly and surely like a lioness quietly stalking its prey. But, when action and speed were needed his reactions to a situation were usually fierce, instantaneous and conclusive.

Rashid sat in an office adjacent to Maria Peterson’s in the older of the renovated barns awaiting Carlos’s arrival. He had an immense fear of and dislike for Carlos. Rashid had mixed with, and sometimes fought with, the hardest of men but Carlos unnerved him and he sensed that Carlos knew it. He immediately recognised the aggressive knock on the office door, opened it and let Carlos in.

“Turn the main lights off Rashid.”

“Why?”

“Don’t fucking argue, just do it.”

Rashid flicked one of the light switches leaving one small desk lamp lit.

“I need my eyes to accustom to the dark so that I can watch every move you make tonight Rashid.”

“Look, you don’t even need to be here Carlos, it will all be okay. What’s so important about this shipment that she wants put on the boat anyway, she told me that it’s bad powder to be dumped well out to sea, what’s the big deal in that and why metal crates instead of wood?”

“Far too many questions Rashid. You don’t get paid to think, just do as you’re fucking told!”

“Okay, okay, I just couldn’t believe it when she told me that we had some bad powder. I had no idea there had been a problem. I can’t check every case, I can only do random checks as it’s unloaded, I was worried that she might blame me.”

“Perhaps one of your crew has been swapping good for bad eh Rashid!.”

“No, I can’t believe that, they know what their fate would be.”

“People get greedy Rashid, sometimes temptations overtake common sense, perhaps you got tempted and made a swap,” he intimated, enjoying watching the fear grow in Rashid’s eyes.

“Hey, listen man, I work hard for the Petersons and I know where I stand. They pay me well anyway, I don’t need the sort of grief that would come from stupidity like that. Give me a break, Carlos, I’m on the same side remember.”

“No-one will know of my presence tonight other than you and the boat crew, okay Rashid?”

“Yeah, fine.”

“Unless of course things aren’t done properly and I have to take control. Remember I’ll be near enough to hear you and see everything, but you won’t see me and don’t look for me. Just do a good job.”

“She told me you would tell me where the cases were. I can’t believe we got bad gear, Carlos.”

“Three cases, all quite large, heavy and welded shut. Go now and get them shifted out of my Jeep and moved to the high cave out of harm’s way. I packed and cased it all myself. If you or one of your dick-heads drops one they’ll be swimming the channel tonight. Understand?”

Carlos looked at his watch.

“Just before you go Rashid, I’m told you had someone snooping around after dark yesterday.”

“Yeah, he did have a reason to be here. He’s an agency driver I’ve been using for deliveries, antiques and the like. He came back with the lorry to load up for the next day. We were busy sorting a couple of things out in the upper cave. We’d locked the gate! He obviously started snooping around and climbed the fence beside the gate. He’d started to walk down the path towards the cave when my two lads spotted him, caught him and took him back. They took him to the van but apparently he was being mouthy. Stroppy little shit apparently. I told them to get him off the premises and tell him his services were no longer required. He was kicking up a right fuss. They took him off in the van and later told me that everything was sound because they’d taught him a lesson.”

“What sort of lesson, Rashid?”

“I don’t know the full details yet I haven’t had a chance to ask them.”

“Well fucking well find out Rashid, before I lose all confidence in you. We can’t afford to have attention drawn to us. I will not tolerate shoddiness, where are these two men of yours?”

“They’ve walked down to the caves to unlock and wait for the boat.”