As she had done the previous evening, Caelan made a slow circuit of the nightclub. It wasn’t as busy as Stand had been, and it was easier to move around. There was only one bar, and a dance floor with a metal staircase, blue paint flaking from it, leading to an upper floor half the size of the one beneath. She trotted up the stairs, reasoning that Reuben Nash’s office was most likely to be up there, out of the way. She paused at the top, looking down on the DJ sitting in an enclosed glass booth at one corner of the dance floor. Nathan Nash stood beside it, arms still crossed, looking like he’d rather be somewhere else. Caelan knew the feeling. She turned, narrowly avoiding being barged to the ground by a staggering young woman. She hiccuped an apology as Caelan moved past her.
There were several scruffy red leather sofas placed at intervals along the walls, as well as chairs and tables, mostly occupied. Caelan saw Mulligan’s friend Jolene on a sofa in the corner, her legs draped across the lap of the man she was with. As Caelan passed, Jolene locked eyes with her, a challenge in her gaze. Remembering what Mulligan had almost said about her, Caelan kept walking. Maybe the man was the latest in a long line of victims she had conned, maybe he wasn’t. It was not Caelan’s concern.
There was a door set into the furthest wall, marked Private. Caelan smiled to herself and tried the handle.
Locked.
Instantly she moved away, turning so her back was against the wall, scanning her surroundings to see if anyone had spotted her. No one seemed to have even glanced in her direction, but she moved away, deciding to go back down to Ewan and Mulligan.
Then Nathan Nash appeared at the top of the stairs.
He strode towards her, his face thunderous. She stood her ground, hoping he was heading for someone else.
No such luck. He stood in front of her, hands on hips, preventing her from moving away from the wall. His shoulders and chest were heavily muscled, his hands huge. Caelan had been well trained in the art of defending herself, both fairly and outside the rules, but Nash looked as though he would take some beating. He stared down at her, enjoying the fact that he was so much bigger, no doubt expecting her to be intimidated.
No chance. Caelan knew she couldn’t give an inch.
‘Can I help you?’ she said.
He gave a slow, sardonic, unsettling smile. ‘I was going to ask you the same question.’
‘Well, one of us should answer, otherwise we’ll be here all night.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘I own this place, and you’ve just been trying the door of my office. You want to explain why?’
‘I was looking for your brother.’
That surprised him. ‘You know who I am?’
‘I’m here with James Mulligan. He pointed you out.’
Nash chuckled. ‘Bet he did.’
She wasn’t going to ask him what he meant. ‘I thought Reuben owned the place,’ she said. ‘Doesn’t that make this his office?’
‘We’re partners, not that it’s any of your business.’
‘Equal partners?’
His fists clenched. ‘Straight down the middle.’
Raw nerve, Caelan thought. ‘I’ve met your brother already, and he thinks we might be able to help each other.’
‘Yeah?’ He looked unimpressed. ‘How?’
‘You better check with him. He didn’t tell me.’
Nash tipped his head to the side. ‘Who are you?’
‘Like I said, I’m here with James Mulligan. He’s my cousin, and I’m here to help with his business while he recovers from his operation.’
That amused him. ‘Operation? When he got shot in the arse, you mean?’
Caelan put her nose in the air. ‘I think you’ll find it was his thigh.’
A silence. Nash leant closer. ‘Shame the bullet didn’t hit him between the eyes.’
She looked up at him, hoping she appeared calculating. ‘You’re not the first to say it.’
Nash’s lips twitched. ‘Not his biggest fan either?’
‘I walked away from a successful business up in Scotland to come down here and help James out. He told me he was doing well, that I could make a fortune, but he owes money and it seems he’s nowhere near as successful as he told me. I’m wondering if I’ve made a mistake.’
Nash lifted his shoulders then let them fall. ‘Why are you telling me?’
‘Because your brother told me James is a disaster. I’m wondering if it might be worth my while making some contacts of my own.’ Caelan waited. She was playing a dangerous game, and if Mulligan could hear her, he would be furious. The problem was, no one seemed to be taking him seriously. If she was going to find anything out worth knowing, she might have to bypass Mulligan, or get rid of him altogether. Send him back to Belmarsh and forget about him. Do the job on her own.
Nash appeared to be considering her words. ‘We don’t know you,’ he said finally.
‘Maybe that’s why your brother suggested we have coffee, a chat.’
‘I doubt he meant tonight.’
Caelan tried a smile. ‘No time like the present.’
His face closed. ‘We’re working. The place is heaving, same as every night.’
‘I can see that. How many people do you employ?’
He hesitated, and she guessed he was torn between telling her to mind her own business and boasting about how well he and his brother were doing.
‘Officially, around fifteen,’ he said.
‘Right. And unofficially?’
His face darkened. ‘What is this, twenty questions? Why do you want to know?’
She held up her hands. ‘Hey, calm down. I’m just making conversation.’
‘Yeah, well it feels more like you’re fishing for information.’
‘Maybe I am.’ She folded her arms. ‘I want to know if having a meeting with your brother is going to be worth my while.’
Nash’s eyes bulged, and for a second Caelan thought she had gone too far. She’d belittled Nathan Nash himself, his brother Reuben and their business in one sentence. She waited, watching as Nash visibly brought himself under control. When he spoke again, his voice was low, his aggression reined in, but only just.
‘You’re a cheeky bitch, you know that? If I were you, I’d turn around and walk away now. You think you can march into our club, our city, and start dictating what’s going to happen? If we want to do business with you, we’ll let you know. It’s not up to you to pick and choose.’
Caelan uncrossed her arms, put a hand on her hip. ‘You think? Here comes the man who makes the decisions.’
Nash spun around to see his brother approaching. Reuben flashed Caelan a grin.
‘Can I get you a drink?’ he said.
Nathan started spluttering. ‘You know what I caught her doing?’ he demanded.
Reuben shrugged. ‘Dancing? Enjoying herself?’
‘Trying to get into the office.’
‘I tried the door, yeah,’ Caelan said. ‘It says “Private”, and I thought there must be a corridor, more than one room. If the door leads straight into your office, then I apologise. Of course, I’d never walk in without your permission.’
‘Gave it a go, though, didn’t you?’ Nathan snarled.
‘She’s already said she tried the door, Nath.’ Reuben tried to slip an arm around his brother’s shoulder, but Nathan pushed him away. ‘Why don’t you let me handle this?’
‘Handle it? Fucking handle it? You’ve never heard of her before tonight, never met her, and you want to talk business? She’s related to James Mulligan. That should be all you need to know.’
Reuben scowled, moving close to his brother. ‘I think you’re overstepping the mark here, don’t you?’
‘Fuck off.’
‘Why don’t you go and collect some glasses or something?’
‘You’re a prick,’ Nathan snarled at him.
Reuben smiled. ‘Takes one to know one. Now get the fuck out of my sight.’
It looked like Nathan might argue, but in the end, throwing Caelan another furious glance, he marched away. Reuben looked at her, seemingly amused, then pulled a key from his pocket and held it up. ‘Shall we?”
‘I’ve owned the place for three years,’ he told her once they were sitting down with cups of coffee. The office was windowless, about sixteen feet square, with a desk and chair at one end and a couple of sofas, a low table and a complicated coffee machine on a wooden cabinet at the other. The walls were painted a light grey, with black and white canvases of city skylines and landmarks hanging at intervals along them – the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, Tower Bridge. There was a second door leading off the room, and Caelan wondered what was through it. A cash office, perhaps? There must be a safe somewhere. A place like this would no doubt only accept cash payments. She made a point of not studying the door, which was timber-clad and ordinary-looking, though she was willing to bet it had a steel core and frame as well as a six-point locking system at least. No doubt Ewan and Mulligan were wondering where she was, Ewan at least probably worrying, but the chance to talk to Nash privately was too good to pass up.
‘It was a dump when I first bought it,’ Reuben Nash was saying. He sipped his coffee, watching her over the rim of the cup. ‘You’re probably thinking I haven’t improved it much.’
‘Your brother gave me the impression you and he were business partners,’ Caelan said. ‘Is that not the case?’
Nash chuckled. ‘Well, we are in a sense. Nathan spent years in the army. When he left, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had some savings, so I offered him a role in my business, let him invest a bit of money so he didn’t feel like a charity case. But equal partners?’ He took another mouthful of coffee and shook his head. ‘No.’
‘What’s his role?’
‘His role? You’re taking quite an interest in my brother. Isn’t your boyfriend downstairs?’
Caelan smiled. ‘I’m trying to get an understanding of how things work around here, that’s all. And I’m pretty sure your brother hates me.’
‘He’s cautious, maybe even paranoid. He doesn’t like change or taking risks.’
‘And I represent both?’
‘Not in my view.’
Nash’s tone hadn’t changed, but his expression had. There was a veiled threat in his words and in his eyes, like a fox approaching a chicken coop. The chickens might feel safe behind the wire, but the fox knew it was an illusion, that it could break in and destroy them any time he wanted. Caelan realised she couldn’t afford to underestimate this man. Stefan Harris had been brash, upfront, boasting about how he made his living. Reuben Nash was reserved, courteous and no doubt much more dangerous.
‘I suppose being in the army would teach you to be cautious,’ she said. She tasted the coffee. ‘This is delicious.’
‘It should be, it’s stupidly expensive.’ Nash gave a slow smile, and again Caelan felt a flicker of unease. ‘Most people only get the supermarket own-brand stuff, but I’m willing to make an exception tonight.’ He set his mug on the table between them and leant back, crossing his legs. ‘Now, can we talk about you?’
Ignoring the tiny voice in her head telling her to run, Caelan said, ‘Of course.’
‘Cards on the table,’ Nash said. ‘I know Mulligan’s a drug dealer, so I’m guessing that’s your business too?’
‘It’s a safe assumption.’ She was going to be cautious, because in this situation, Victoria Smith would be. Also, she guessed Nash would be expecting it.
‘Anything else?’ he asked.
‘How do you mean?’
He exhaled sharply. ‘Come on. There are lots of different ways of making money.’
‘True. Why don’t you tell me how you make yours?’ She waved a hand. ‘Other than this place, I mean.’
‘I’m a businessman. That’s all you need to know.’
‘You said we could help each other.’
‘The way I see it, you’re new to London, wanting in on what happens around here. I can help, introduce you to people, put in a good word, but I’ll need something in return.’
Caelan’s stomach clenched, but there was no sign of fear in her voice. ‘Oh really? What?’
He smirked. ‘I haven’t decided yet.’
She put down her cup and got to her feet. ‘Well, get back to me when you’ve had a think about it. I’m a busy woman.’
In two steps he was beside her, using his height as his brother had to try to intimidate her. He didn’t touch her, because he didn’t need to. Caelan stood her ground, staring into his face.
‘What can you offer me?’ His expression made the insinuation clear.
‘I need to make some money, and quickly.’
He inclined his head. ‘Can I ask why?’
‘His name’s Stefan Harris.’
She saw the rage in Nash’s expression before he controlled himself and shut it away.
‘Let me guess. Mulligan,’ was all he said.
Caelan nodded. ‘And since James can’t pay, Harris is expecting me to.’
Nash moved away, hands in his trouser pockets. ‘But you don’t have the money.’
‘Or the inclination to bail James out.’
‘Guess you’re fucked, then.’ Nash didn’t sound overly concerned.
‘Unless…’
‘Unless?’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Someone gives me a chance to make some cash.’
He went to the door, held it open. ‘Nice talking to you, Victoria. Give my regards to Stefan Harris.’
Caelan walked past him, chin up, not looking back. Let Nash think he’d scored a victory. She would find out what his game really was, and then she would destroy him.