More drugs packages were set and ready to go. His supply had been flying out the door. Roxanne had been a dab hand at getting those girls to sell drugs and they were making a small fortune. That in itself was great, but on top of that Cole hadn’t been near a casino or a betting shop in a week, since he’d told Eddie about Jake. It had been difficult, but he’d needed to do it so he could afford the fee for the private investigator to find out what had happened to his brother.
Opening the door to Roxanne, Eddie and Jake, he welcomed them in and closed the door. This little team they had going was working well and if Cole ever needed to return to Glasgow once he’d made his money, then he knew who he’d be coming to for work.
‘Alright, mate?’ Eddie nodded.
Cole sensed the tension in the air and regarded them all. ‘What’s going on?’ Roxanne stood with her back to Eddie and Jake looked like a kid who’d woken up to fuck all presents on Christmas morning.
‘Eddie here can’t handle the fact that I screwed over his missus and he knew fuck all about it. Big businessman took his eye off the ball,’ Roxanne sneered.
‘Can I just get the gear so I can get the fuck away from her?’ Eddie said. Jake shot him a look but said nothing.
‘Are you going to let him speak to me like that?’ Roxanne said, reaching out and giving Jake a shove.
‘Wow, wow, wow. Seems the only person who took their eye off the ball is me. What the fuck’s going on?’ Cole said.
Before anyone could answer, the heavy footsteps outside the front door alerted Cole to the CCTV screen in the kitchen. He moved towards it and glared at it as it projected an image of the street. No police cars, no riot vans.
A gentle knock on the door caused a stir in Cole’s belly that made him feel sick. Something wasn’t right. He reached the hall and watched as Eddie pulled the door open. It all happened so quickly, Cole had to blink to check his eyes weren’t deceiving him.
‘Come in lads,’ Eddie said, stepping back.
The two men stepped into the flat and Cole straightened his back. This was it. The moment he’d been dreading, yet expecting.
‘I told you I’d find you in the end, Cole.’
Cole glared at Jez Kennedy and then at the other guy. Roxanne looked confused, but Cole noticed how the corner of Jake’s mouth was raised in a very subtle smile.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Roxanne asked.
‘Never you mind,’ Jez replied. He glanced at her and said, ‘Jesus, what happened to your face?’
‘Your missus happened to my face. Did you know she was here?’
‘No, I didn’t.’ He turned away from her and took a step forward, adjusting his coat. ‘So, tell me Cole. Where’s my money? And my mother’s wedding ring?’
Cole narrowed his eyes and shook his head. ‘I don’t have them.’
‘Please don’t insult my intelligence by lying to me. You and I both know you took one hundred grand of my cash as well as my mother’s wedding ring and I want them back. With interest, of course.’
Roxanne turned and glared at Cole. ‘You stole money from Jez Kennedy? Jesus Christ, Cole. Are you on a death wish?’
‘No, I didn’t steal money from him. I don’t know what he’s talking about.’
‘Shall I just contact the Albanians then? Have them come and deal with you?’ Jez said.
Cole froze. The thought of the Albanians getting him was enough to cause him to drop dead with fear on the spot. Just as Cole was about to answer, there was a swift movement from Jez, his hand a blur as it reached in and grabbed the handgun from the inside pocket of his coat.
Before Cole could move, the side of the gun connected with his temple and he went down quickly.
‘Jesus Christ, Jez. What are you doing?’ Roxanne shouted.
Cole felt his eyes closing but before the light went out, he saw Jake kneeling down in front of him with that wry smile across his face.
‘Good luck getting out of this one, Cole.’ He stood up, and his face was replaced with Jez’s.
‘Shame I’ve not got the same carpet I used to wrap your brother in twenty years ago,’ Jez whispered. ‘Two brothers, one carpet. One bin lorry. Suppose I’ll have to use my imagination with this one.’ The words stung as the realisation kicked in, but he couldn’t move. The blow to the side of the head had stunned him.
The last thing he remembered was Jez’s foot coming towards his face. The pain as it connected with his mouth. A black shadow crept in from the sides of his eyes then.