Two-Faced (48 page)

Back inside, Darren let his friends in when they arrived. Locking and bolting the front door behind them, he handed out the coke he’d promised them and got them all tooled up and tanked up. Then, when everyone was ready, they crouched in various positions around the ground floor of the darkened house to wait.

‘They’re here!’ Pete hissed from the kitchen some time later, hearing the distinctive crunching sound as creeping feet made contact with his booby trap.

‘Wait till they get inside,’ Liam whispered back. ‘Then we’ll know how many we’re dealing with.’

‘And nobody shoot each other!’ Darren warned. ‘We stay low and aim at the ones who are still standing.’

‘It’s too quiet,’ Noel muttered, squinting up at the darkened windows for signs of movement.

‘That’s ’cos there’s no one fucking
here
, you thick cunt,’ Steve hissed back at him angrily. ‘So quit acting like a shithouse and check the back door.’

‘It don’t feel right,’ Noel insisted. ‘I feel like we’re being watched.’

‘Say one more word and it’ll be
me
watching you,’ Steve warned, ramming the barrel of his gun into Noel’s cheek. ‘On tomorrow’s news, when they find you floating down the fucking Irwell!’

Noel yanked himself free and said, ‘You ever threaten me like that again and I’ll bang you the fuck out, Steve. I ain’t one of your little knob-head dealers, and don’t you ever forget that.’

Steve snorted softly and said, ‘Just check the fucking door, you paranoid twat.’

‘With me foot?’

‘Yeah, ’cos we really want every fucker for miles around to hear you kicking it in, don’t we?’

‘Well, I ain’t got no blade.’

‘
Jeezus!
’ Steve hissed exasperatedly. He spun around and looked at the other goons. ‘Anyone got a fucking blade?’

‘No,’ a voice replied calmly and coldly from the shadows of the alleyway behind them. ‘Just this . . .’

‘What the
fuck
?’ Pete hissed, instinctively covering his head at the distinctive whooshing sound of bullets being fired from a silenced gun out in the yard, followed by the slumping noises of heavy bodies hitting the ground.

‘Fucking hell, they’re shooting each
other
!’ Darren exclaimed in a loud whisper when he saw the momentary blue flashes illuminating the darkness outside the window.

‘Stay put!’ Liam ordered calmly as he slid across to the hallway door and cocked his head to listen for sounds of movement outside the front door. It could be Steve and his men shooting each other, but it could just as easily be an Armed Response Unit if Sammy had panicked and alerted the police.

When several seconds of heavy silence had passed, Liam whispered to them all to slide their weapons over to him. Then, taking a chance – because he’d go down for life if the police suddenly charged in and caught him in possession of this arsenal – he crawled out into the hall. Remembering where he’d seen Pete take the gun from earlier, he pulled the carpet back and stashed everything beneath the loose floorboard. He crawled back to join the others when he’d done and asked if they’d heard anything.

‘Not sure,’ Pete said, his ear pressed firmly against the wood of the back door. ‘But I think someone’s still moving about out there.’

‘Well, get back,’ Liam advised. ‘Just in case the door gets booted in.’

Doing as he was told, Pete joined the rest of them in the small back room. They all held their breath, listened, and waited.

‘Right,’ Liam whispered decisively after a few minutes. ‘We’re going to leave by the front. Make it casual, one at a time . . . You guys,’ he said to Darren’s mates, ‘go home and keep your heads down. I’ll see you right.’ Then, to Darren and Pete, ‘We’ll go back to Didsbury – find a pub and get ourselves noticed.’

‘Why Didsbury?’ Pete asked.

‘’Cos that’s where we got dropped off straight after Darren got released by the Alderley Edge police,’ Liam explained patiently. ‘Perfect alibi so we don’t get roped into whatever just happened out there.’

‘Right you are,’ Darren and Pete said in unison.

35

‘You are one stupid fuck,’ Davy whispered, the soft sing-song tone of his voice at complete odds with the glint of madness in his eyes as he stood over Steve in the dark back yard.

‘And you’re a
dead
fuck,’ Steve hissed up at him, gritting his teeth against the searing pain in his thigh from the shot that had sent him down.

‘The only dead fucks round here are your lot,’ Davy reminded him. ‘Which just leaves
you
.’

Squatting down now, he rammed the silencer into Steve’s mouth. Hearing the crunch of teeth breaking, he laughed softly.

‘You really should have known better than to try and fuck with my boys, Stevie. And fancy ringing
me
to ask where you’d find them – like you really thought I was going to tell you. But like I said – you really are one stupid fuck!’

EPILOGUE

‘Are you absolutely sure you don’t mind?’ Michelle asked. She sounded guilty as she watched her mother sweeping the debris into the corner of the living room.

Kim squinted at her through the smoke curling up from the cigarette clamped between her teeth. ‘Don’t be daft, you dozy cow. I’m made up for you. Anyhow,’ she added, chuckling slyly, ‘Sammy’s not exactly used to the whole –
you know
– so he probably wouldn’t have been very relaxed with you in the next room listening.’

‘Mother, I
really
didn’t need to hear that,’ Michelle said, grimacing.

Sammy came in at that exact moment and looked from one to the other of them questioningly. ‘Have I missed something?’

‘Just girl talk,’ Kim said, winking at Michelle.

‘Righto.’ Sammy sounded doubtful. Then, rubbing his hands together, he said, ‘Well, everything’s in the boot, so when you’re ready . . .’

‘Just need to get this lot in the bin,’ Kim said as she flicked ash onto the pile. ‘Don’t want the likes of Fat Slag next door coming in after I’ve gone and saying I’m a dirty bitch.’

‘Mum, you’ll never be coming back here after today,’ Michelle reminded her. ‘So what does it matter what anyone thinks?’

‘I’ve got my pride,’ Kim told her tartly. She scooped the rubbish onto a shovel and dropped it into a bin liner. ‘There,’ she said, dusting her hands off when she’d finished and looking around with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. ‘Ready for the next one to move right in.’

Michelle shook her head at Sammy and stood up when Liam came in from the kitchen where he’d just taken a phone call.

Kim sighed. ‘I suppose that means you’re ready for the off?’

Nodding, Michelle swallowed loudly as the tears began to prick at her eyes.

‘Don’t you bloody dare,’ Kim warned her brusquely, pulling her into her arms and hugging her tightly. ‘Now, you’re absolutely sure about this, aren’t you? No second thoughts.’

‘No, definitely not.’ Bringing herself under control, Michelle took a deep breath to calm herself. ‘Modelling was never for me.’

‘But you were so good at it,’ Kim said wistfully. ‘And you seemed really happy doing it.’

‘I hated every single second of it,’ Michelle told her truthfully. ‘The only reason I carried on doing it was because it was the first time I’d ever been able to get close to you without Mia getting in the way.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Kim murmured guiltily. ‘I never realised you felt like that.’

‘Oh, shut up,’ Michelle chided softly. ‘I wasn’t blaming
you
. I know what Mia’s like, don’t forget. No one gets a look in when she’s around. Anyway, I’m just glad we had the chance to really get to know each other,’ she went on, smiling slyly as she added, ‘’cos you’re not half as bad as people make out, you know.’

‘You cheeky cow,’ Kim protested.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ Liam said quietly. ‘But that was Darren on the phone, and I know you probably don’t want to hear this but he said Mia’s been seen down by Steve’s old club trying to score crack.’

‘
Pfft!
’ Kim snorted, flapping her hand dismissively. ‘Not interested. She’s made her choice, and I’m not going to waste any more of my life wiping her backside.’

A flicker of concern in her eyes, Michelle said, ‘You won’t turn your back on her completely, though, will you, mum? I know she’s put you through hell, but if she gets clean and proves she means it . . .’

Kim gave her an incredulous look and shook her head. ‘You’re a right one, you.’

‘I can’t help it.’ Michelle shrugged. ‘She’s still my sister.’

‘Yes, I know,’ Kim said wearily, rolling her eyes in exasperation. ‘And,
no
, I won’t turn my back on her if she comes back. But she’ll have to
really
bloody prove she’s changed before I give her any more chances.’

A car pulled up outside just then. Liam glanced out when the horn sounded and said, ‘It’s Davy.’

Michelle nodded, and gave her mum another hug before turning to Sammy. Closing her eyes when he crushed her to his chest, she said, ‘You’d best look after her, or you’ll have me to deal with.’

‘Don’t worry, I intend to,’ he replied, kissing the top of her head.

‘Too flaming right you will!’ Kim scoffed. ‘It took you near enough three years to find your tongue; you’ve got a lot of making up to do.’

‘
Mum!
’ Michelle groaned.

Feigning shock, Kim said, ‘By
God
, you’ve got a dirty mind, lady! I only meant it’s took him that long to ask me out.’

Sammy blushed because he knew exactly what they meant, and ushered them towards the door.

Davy hopped out of the car when the front door opened and unlocked the boot for Liam to put the cases in.

‘Got everything?’ he asked. ‘Tickets? Passports?’

Patting his breast pocket, Liam nodded.

‘Man, I’m gonna miss you,’ Davy said, his perpetually red eyes clouding with emotion. ‘Too many bad men round here; we need more like you.’

‘There’s still
some
good ones around,’ Liam replied quietly, giving him a knowing look as he added, ‘Like the ones who cleaned that other lot off the street.’

Davy shrugged as if he didn’t know what Liam was talking about. Then, tilting his head to one side, he grinned at Michelle who was standing at the gate with her mum and Sammy. ‘Ah . . . here she is – the future Mrs Grant.’

‘Leave it out,’ Liam hissed, seeing Michelle blushing. ‘We’re not rushing into anything. And don’t you go putting her off, ’cos it’s taken ages to persuade her to come over to Dublin and spend a bit of time with me.’

A passing taxi screeched to a halt in the middle of the road just then and the back door flew open. A camp voice yelled out, ‘Don’t you
dare
get in that car, Mizz Thang!’

Glancing amusedly up at Liam, Michelle shrugged when a pretty, blond, heavily tanned young man, wearing skintight white trousers and a pink T-shirt emblazoned with the words
Killer Queen!
in diamante letters jumped out and marched around to stand in front of her with his hands on his hips.

‘So, Ms
Blaze Cosmetics
,’ Bruno spat, pursing his lips in mock anger. ‘A boy goes away for a few months to find himself a sugar daddy, and a girl can’t even be bothered to ring to let him know she’s become a fucking
supermodel
in his absence – what’s
that
all about?’

‘Sorry, that’s got nothing to do with me,’ she told him. ‘You’re mistaking me for my sister. My name’s Michelle.’

Feeling really good that she was finally able to be herself again, Michelle climbed into the back of Davy’s car.

‘Is she for real?’ Bruno gasped, looking at Kim in disbelief as the car drove away.

‘Oh, yes.’ Kim beamed, nodding proudly. ‘That’s my Michelle, all right.’

Looking at Sammy now, Bruno narrowed his eyes and said, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere?’ Then, clapping a hand over his mouth when it came to him, he said, ‘Oh, my God! You’re Mia’s agent, aren’t you? I’ve been
dying
to meet you. You see, my agent’s really,
really
crap, and I need someone who can get me up there, like you did for Mia. I’m really good, and I—’

‘Sorry, son,’ Sammy interrupted, putting his arm around Kim. ‘As of this morning I’m officially retired. So, if you’ll excuse us, we have a pressing engagement with a luxury cruise liner.
Kimberley
 . . .’

Grinning when he opened the passenger-side door of the Bentley for her, Kim reached behind her and closed her gate for the last time before climbing in – leaving Bruno watching in dismay from the pavement as they drove away, and Pam sick with jealousy as she stared out at them from behind her nets.

About the Author

Bestselling crime writer Mandasue Heller returns with her trademark mix of grit and glamour - perfect for fans of Martina Cole.

By the same author

The Front

Forget Me Not

Tainted Lives

The Game

The Charmer

The Club

Shafted

Snatched