Blood Ties, page 28
Adele showered and dressed quickly, then left without eating, hoping she might find out more once she arrived at the club. But neither Peter nor Glynn nor Mike was at the Golden Bell when she arrived.
Although it was a Sunday, she spent an anxious few hours poring over her bookkeeping to take her mind off things. It didn’t work. When lunchtime arrived she left her office and went downstairs, intending to go outside for some fresh air. But there inside the club were Glynn and Mike, deep in conversation.
She rushed up to them but Mike walked away as soon as he spotted her, leaving her alone with Glynn.
‘Have you seen anything of Peter?’ she asked.
‘No, but Mike’s just brought me some news,’ he replied.
She looked at him, curious, until he spoke again. ‘He’s been arrested.’
‘W-what for?’
‘He was out on a raid last night.’
‘A raid? What do you mean?’
‘Oh, come on, Adele. You’re not that fuckin’ naïve,’ he snarled. Then she thought she spotted the faint sign of a smirk as he added, ‘The coppers caught him attacking the bouncers at Angels.’
‘What? Why?’
‘Why d’you fuckin’ think? You know what game we’re in, surely. The security business is no fuckin’ walk in the park, y’know.’
He started to move away but she stopped him again, grabbing hold of his arm.
‘What?’ he yelled, pulling his arm away.
‘What did he do?’ she asked.
‘They caught him with a machete. He made a bit of a mess of the bouncers, apparently.’
‘You knew what was going on last night and you wouldn’t tell me!’ she accused. When Glynn just shrugged, she asked, ‘Where is he? I need to go and see him.’
‘Ha, you’ve got no fuckin’ chance. The police are holding him. And, if you ask me, they’ll be charging him, that’s if they haven’t done already. He’ll probably get GBH.’
‘GBH? You’re joking!’ she said as the shock registered. Then she asked, ‘How long will they hold him for?’
‘Depends if he gets bail or not. But if he doesn’t get bail they’ll hold him till the trial.’
‘No!’ she yelled.
This time there was a definite smirk on Glynn’s face when he responded, ‘I’ve sent a solicitor down there. I’ll let you know when I hear anything further. But, even if he doesn’t get bail, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to go and visit him.’
Then Glynn walked away, leaving Adele distraught. She stared after him, open mouthed with astonishment. Just what sort of world did Glynn inhabit where he seemed to think she’d be comforted by the fact that she could still visit Peter in prison if he didn’t get bail? Memories of her time in prison were only too fresh in her mind. She wouldn’t wish that life on anyone, especially her own brother, even if it wouldn’t be the first time he’d been inside.
Adele couldn’t believe her brother would do something so foolish. OK, so he’d been no angel in the past. But he was a businessman now. Why would he want to go getting involved in something like this? She couldn’t understand any of it. And she wasn’t happy that he’d kept her in the dark.
If she had known what he was involved in then maybe she could have talked him out of it. Adele silently cursed herself for ignoring what was going on around her. She should have made it her business to know.
As she stood in the middle of the Golden Bell, recovering from the shock and trying to make sense of what had happened, she came to a decision. From now on she would make sure she knew what went on in Peter’s business world. After all, if the police didn’t release him, she would be at the mercy of Glynn and Mike. And she didn’t trust those two at all.
Chapter 58
It was a week later and Adele was visiting her brother in Strangeways where he was being held on remand. As she peered across the prison visiting room a memory flitted through her mind. It was of the first time Peter had been locked up when he was only a boy. And how that had changed him! Thrown out by their father on his return from the detention centre, he’d spent his teenage years living in a squat; surviving on his wits and the wrong side of the law.
Now he was awaiting trial for GBH following his attack on the bouncers at Angels nightclub. She had chosen to visit him alone, even though her mother had pleaded with Adele to take her too. Adele knew her mother wouldn’t visit him without her. The strain would be too much, but Adele could take her another day. Right now she had important matters to discuss with Peter and there was no way she could do that in front of their mother.
Catching sight of her brother’s handsome face, Adele rushed up to the table where he was sitting. He stood up to greet her and Adele fought back the tears as they embraced.
‘Oh, Peter,’ she said, pulling away and holding him at arm’s length. ‘How are you?’
He shrugged. ‘Alright, y’know.’
They sat down, Peter on one side of the desk and Adele on the other. She took a deep breath, ready to speak to him. There were things she needed to know and she’d make damn sure she found them out before she left this place.
‘Right, Peter,’ she began. ‘I think it’s about time we spoke about everything. I’ve been burying my head in the sand up to now but I need to know exactly what’s been going on,’ she said.
He shrugged again. ‘I thought you preferred not to know the details.’
‘I did, but that was before. I think we’ve reached the stage now where I need to find out. After all, you’re not gonna be around, are you? And I need to know what I’ll be dealing with.’
‘Glynn will look after the security business,’ said Peter. ‘He’s already been in touch.’
‘I bet he has,’ she snapped, and her face fell into a frown. ‘I bet he couldn’t wait to get his bloody hands on it.’
‘No, it’s not like that. Glynn’s a good guy.’
‘Is he? Is that apart from the fact that he’s a cold-blooded killer?’
‘Shush,’ he whispered. ‘We don’t want everyone to know, do we?’
Adele took no notice of Peter’s warning and continued to demand answers. ‘If he’s so bloody loyal then tell me why he didn’t go with you when you raided Angels?’
It was difficult to read the expression that now formed on Peter’s face. Was it a look of resignation at having to divulge the details or was it shame at what he was involved in? Either way, his voice was barely audible when he said, ‘Because he was supposed to go to Bramleys. We decided to hit them both at the same time.’
‘But he didn’t go, did he?’ she asked.
‘No, something cropped up. Mike had to take his place.’
Adele ignored his response for now. She was more concerned about what had driven her brother to do something so foolish. ‘Why did you do it, Peter? Why?’ she demanded.
‘Because I had no bloody choice,’ he grumbled. ‘Alan Palmer is trying to take over the security in a lot of my pubs and clubs. He’s even got his own fuckin’ men on the doors of Angels and Bramleys. So we had to send him a message not to fuck with us.’
‘Alan Palmer?’ she asked. She hadn’t heard his name for a long time.
‘Yeah, Dave works with him,’ said Peter.
Adele’s mouth dropped open in shock. No wonder David and that other guy had threatened her. ‘Jesus, Peter!’ she said. ‘Why do you get involved with these people? Those two have always been bad news!’
Peter hung his head in shame but didn’t say anything.
‘Was it really worth doing something so stupid just to stop them from taking over?’ she persisted. ‘Why don’t you just give up the security business if those are the sort of people you’re dealing with? Surely you’ve got enough with the Golden Bell and your other businesses.’
‘Because I can’t,’ he said. ‘You don’t understand, Adele. If I backed away everyone would think I was a right fuckin’ mug. They’d take the door of the Golden Bell and might even go for my other fuckin’ businesses, too.’
He hesitated a moment before continuing, ‘Besides, I don’t want to walk away. Can’t you see? It’s what I do. It gives me a buzz. I’m a fuckin’ big name and I get respect because of it.’
Adele stared at him, incredulous. After all this time she still didn’t really understand her brother and what made him tick. For a short while she was stuck for something to say; then a thought occurred to her.
‘Is that where the van was going that night?’ she asked. ‘To attack one of the nightclubs?’
‘What van?’
‘The white van that Mike was inside.’
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘That one was going to Bramleys.’
‘And why did Glynn decide not to go?’ Even though Glynn had already told her, she wanted to check that his story was consistent.
‘He had to go and see his sick aunty in hospital,’ said Peter. ‘She’d taken a turn for the worst.’
‘And you believe him?’
‘Yeah, course I do. I already knew about his sick aunty.’
‘And it just so happens that she took a turn for the worst on the very night that he was due to raid Bramleys,’ she said sarcastically.
Adele watched as Peter’s eyes narrowed and a deep furrow formed between them. She knew she’d sown a seed of doubt in his mind.
‘Look, Glynn’s a good guy,’ he said, but his words seemed to belie what he must be feeling inside. ‘Just because you don’t trust him any more doesn’t mean I shouldn’t.’
‘It’s nothing to do with how I feel about him, Peter. Just look at the facts.’
‘OK, OK. Maybe it was a coincidence.’
‘Yeah, a bloody big coincidence. Have you checked whether he actually went to see his aunty that night?’
‘Oh, come off it, Adele. I can’t do that. Glynn’s my number two. I’ve got to have some trust in him. He’s helped me a lot, y’know. He’s even sorted out the solicitor for me while I’ve been in here. And he’s the only one who can run the security side of things. He’s the only other person who knows exactly what’s involved.’
His words weren’t convincing. To Adele he sounded as though he was trying to reassure himself about Glynn’s loyalty. ‘Are you really sure you can trust him to run your businesses for you while you’re inside?’ she asked.
‘I didn’t say he was going to look after my businesses, just the security side of things.’
‘Well, what about your other businesses: The Golden Bell, the bookies and—’
‘I was coming to that,’ he cut in before inhaling sharply. ‘I want you to look after them. They’re all kosher. It’s only the security business that’s a bit dodgy.’
‘Hang on a minute,’ she protested, pulling herself back in her chair, and subconsciously creating a physical distance between them.
Peter cut in again before she could continue. ‘I need you to look after them for me, Adele. You’re the best person to do it. You know the accounting side of things and how the businesses run.’
Then he sighed before adding, ‘The truth is, you’re right. I don’t really know who I can trust in my business. Dave and Alan have already betrayed me. And Glynn can be a bit ruthless at times. I need someone who I can depend on to keep an eye on things. That’s why I’m asking you.’
‘No way!’ she said. ‘It’s too risky. I’ve already had David and his sidekick threatening me as it is.’
Peter reached out and took hold of her hand. ‘Please, Adele. I’m begging you. I don’t want to come out of here and find it’s all been pissed away. I know you’ll take care of things for me. Besides, what else will you do? Work for Glynn?’
Adele hadn’t thought that far into the future. Her head had been full of concerns for her brother and the circumstances surrounding his imprisonment. She realised now that she had been relying on him to come up with the answers. But he was shifting the responsibility onto her and it had become terrifying.
‘No, I’ll get a job somewhere else. I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll think of something,’ she said, uncertainly.
‘Do you really think it’ll be that easy?’ he asked. ‘I mean, you did struggle to find work last time.’
After watching her reaction for a second, Peter added, ‘Please do this for me, Adele. It’s taken me years to build things up and I don’t want to lose it all.’ Then he hesitated before he spoke his next words: ‘I’d do it for you. You know I would.’
As soon as he said that Adele knew he had her. After all, he’d taken a big risk in trying to cover up her killing of their father. And he’d done it without question; out of loyalty to his sister. Now things had turned around. It was him asking her for help. How could she let him down after all he had done for her?
‘Jesus, Peter!’ she said. ‘You’re asking a lot. I hope you’ll let Glynn know who’s going to be in charge.’
‘I was hoping you’d do that,’ said Peter. ‘Do I take it that’s a yes, then?’
‘Looks like I’ve got no bloody choice, have I?’ she said, smiling wryly.
An impish grin lit up his face, reminding her of their childhood. It was the sort of grin he wore whenever he was up to mischief. ‘Thanks, sis,’ he said. ‘I knew I could rely on you.’
They chatted for a few more minutes before Adele left. She was glad to get away from the large, imposing walls of Strangeways prison. That eerie old building was intimidating.
But Adele didn’t go straight home. She needed time to reconcile the enormity of what she had just taken on. So she found a small café tucked away in the industrial backstreets of Manchester, near Victoria Station, and ordered a cup of tea.
Adele sat gazing out of the café window, deep in thought, long after she had finished her drink. There was no doubt in her mind that Glynn was somehow behind Peter’s arrest. She had known by the smug way in which he’d told her about it. Glynn probably thought he would have the perfect opportunity to take over Peter’s empire once he was behind bars. And she was the only person who could stop him doing so.
As Adele nervously rubbed her finger around the rim of her empty tea cup, she vowed that somehow or other she would put a stop to Glynn. After all, she owed it to her brother to protect his empire and pay him back for everything he had done for her in the past.
Chapter 59
It was a few days later and Adele was in Peter’s office. She was waiting for all the staff to arrive for the special meeting she had called. It was something she had been putting off for the last couple of days. Just the thought of it made her heart rate escalate. But she knew she had to do it.
If she was to command the respect of the staff then she had to get things off on the right footing. And it had to be in Peter’s office. It was a psychological move. This was the office where the boss had always been based, regardless of the fact that Glynn had been making himself at home there since Peter had been behind bars.
Glynn was the first to arrive and he automatically stood next to her, on the side of the desk where the boss sat. But he couldn’t take the seat; Adele was already sitting there.
‘What’s all this about?’ he demanded. ‘Is it something to do with your visit to Pete the other day?’
‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ she said, trying to disguise the feeling of trepidation that had her heart doing somersaults. She hoped he hadn’t connected the flush in her cheeks with the rush of fear that swept through her.
To Adele’s relief Paula soon arrived with another of the barmaids, breaking the awkward atmosphere that hung over the room.
‘Come in, take a seat,’ Adele said to each of the staff as they arrived, indicating the seats that she had placed at the opposite side of the desk.
‘Is everybody here?’ she asked, when the office was full.
A few of the staff muttered a yes so she stood up to speak, ignoring her trembling knees. ‘As you’re probably aware,’ she began. ‘My brother is currently being held in Strangeways. I’m not about to go into the details right now but I just want you to know that it could be some time before he’s back at work.’
She paused, allowing the staff to digest these opening words before she carried on. When the mutterings around the room settled to a lull, she said, ‘In his absence he’s left me in charge of a number of his businesses.’
Adele couldn’t resist a quick peek across at Glynn and she noticed the stony expression of fury that clouded his handsome features.
‘I’ll be looking after the nightclub as well as my brother’s sunbed salons and the bookmaker’s, she continued. So, if you have any problems, you are to take them up with me. Is everybody clear on that?’
When the staff had mumbled their agreement she said, ‘Has anybody got any questions?’
‘Yes!’ said Glynn, his voice booming out. ‘When will all this take effect?’
‘Immediately,’ Adele quickly replied, meeting his eyes and seeing the steely look of hatred that flashed from them. For a few moments he glared at her until she broke his gaze and turned back to address the staff. ‘That’s all for now,’ she said, glad that it was over.
The staff filed out of the office, apart from Glynn, who hung back. As soon as the last of the staff had left he asked, ‘When the fuck was all this agreed?’
‘When I went to visit Peter,’ she replied, trying to hide the slight quiver in her voice.
‘Then why the fuck didn’t you have the decency to tell me before you told that lot?’ he demanded.
‘I didn’t see any reason why I should,’ she said. ‘You’re a member of staff like everyone else, apart from the fact that you run the security business.’ She deliberately emphasised the word, ‘security’, showing her scorn for such a misnomer.
‘You’re taking the fuckin’ piss!’ he yelled. ‘You’ve got no idea how to run a nightclub; you’ll buckle at the first fuckin’ hurdle.’
‘If you’ve got a problem with me running the business then I suggest you take it up with Peter next time you see him,’ she said, trying her best to remain cool. ‘But I doubt you’ll get very far. Peter was adamant that he wanted to leave me in charge. So, from now on, Glynn, we’ll be doing things my way whether you agree with them or not. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a business to run.’
