It took their eyes a moment to adjust to the gloom. The roof was so low the atmosphere was oppressive. The pub was pretty quiet because of the time of day. The landlord, who was called Lonny and was Derek’s biggest rival, was standing behind the bar reading a newspaper. Casually, he glanced up to see who the new arrivals were and did a double take.
‘What the hell are you lot doing in here?’ he demanded, tossing the newspaper onto the top of the bar.
They ignored him as they looked around for the man who’d followed Jack.
‘Oy, are you deaf?’ he exclaimed.
Carly hurried over to him, taking out her phone. ‘Have you seen this man?’
‘Why? What the fuck is this, Crimewatch?’
‘Just answer the question.’
‘I’m answering nothing. Now bugger off out of it, you’re no’ welcome here.’
‘Useless as always, Lonny,’ she replied.
‘That’s it,’ he said, charging out from behind the bar and storming over to her. Before he could reach Carly, her cousins placed themselves in his way and his bravado wilted.
‘Answer her,’ Harry growled at him.
‘No, I havenae seen him. Now piss off,’ yelled Lonny.
‘He must be telling the truth,’ said Carly. ‘He’s not here.’
A door at the back of the room opened and out walked Cole and Ross. ‘Why are you shouting now, Lonny?’ demanded the latter. His eyes settled on the three Savages. ‘What the fuck are you lot doing here?’
‘Why shouldn’t we come here?’ said Carly. ‘You’re always popping into The Horseshoe where you’re not wanted.’
‘They were wantin’ to know if someone had come in here,’ Lonny told the Alexanders.
‘Who?’ Ross frowned.
At that moment, the mystery man in the baseball cap appeared behind Cole and Ross.
‘Him,’ said Lonny.
‘Why do you want to know about him?’ Ross asked the Savages.
‘Because he just waved his willy at a group of young girls outside the corner shop,’ said Carly.
Dean and Harry glanced at each other in surprise but said nothing, respecting her quick thinking.
‘No, I didn’t,’ exclaimed the mystery man. ‘I’d never do anything like that.’
‘Aye, ya would, ya dirty bastard,’ said Carly. ‘Those lassies were only twelve years old at the most.’
‘I didn’t,’ he cried when everyone in the pub turned to regard him with disgust, except Ross and Cole.
‘Course you didn’t,’ said Ross. ‘She’s lying to make you look bad.’
‘Why would I want to make him look bad?’ said Carly. ‘I don’t even know him. We just happened to stop at the shop and the lassies were there, crying. We said we’d sort out the bastard for them,’ she added with a glower at the mystery man.
‘Paedos aren’t allowed in my pub,’ Lonny told the Alexanders.
‘I’m no’ a paedo,’ cried the man. ‘There weren’t even any weans outside the shop. I went in, bought some ciggies and came straight here. Why don’t you go and ask the woman working in the shop? She’ll tell you.’
‘How would she know?’ said Carly. ‘It all happened outside the shop.’
‘We know you didnae do anything,’ Cole told the man while keeping his gaze riveted on Carly. ‘They’re trying to damage our reputation. If it got about that we hang around with paedos no one would ever do business with us.’
‘They won’t anyway,’ said Carly. ‘Not after you lost against us so spectacularly.’
‘That shows what you know, you stupid bitch,’ Ross spat at her.
Cole’s jaw set and he put a hand on his brother’s arm, urging him to curb his tongue. Ross nodded, eyes flashing.
‘Enlighten me then,’ Carly told Ross. ‘What don’t I know?’
She noted Cole’s grip on Ross’s arm tightened, using so much pressure his fingers turned white.
‘We’re no’ telling you,’ said Ross. ‘Just know that it will smash your family to bits.’
‘That’s enough,’ Cole told him.
Cole might have been the younger brother but it seemed he had some sway over Ross, who went quiet.
‘You’re just lying to make yourself sound like the big man,’ Carly told Ross, hoping to provoke him into another outburst. ‘Our family humiliated yours and you cannae stand it, especially after my wee sister nearly tore your baws off. If she manages to get hold of them again, she said she’ll turn them into a really tiny pair of earrings.’
There was a snigger across the room. A furious Ross whipped round but was unable to spot the offender. He turned back to face Carly, eyes full of rage.
‘You know fuck all. Well let me tell you that when we’ve sealed our deal, you’ll be the ones being humiliated, all of you. By the time my family’s done with yours, there’ll only be scraps of you left for the birds to peck at.’
‘Shut up,’ Cole hissed at his brother.
‘There is no deal,’ pressed Carly. ‘You’re utterly pathetic, do you know that, Ross? But then again, you always did live in a fantasy world. Now you’re stuck here in this shitey pub…’
‘Hey.’ Lonny frowned.
‘…coming up with lies to tell people to make yourself feel better while socialising with paedophiles. You’re a disgrace, even to the name Alexander, and that is not an easy thing to achieve.’
When Ross charged at Carly, Dean and Harry placed themselves before her, their demeanour aggressive.
‘Bring it on, big man,’ said Harry, pleased it looked like he was finally going to get a good fight.
Cole grabbed his brother by the shoulder and spun him round to face him. ‘She’s just trying to wind you up to get you to spill the beans,’ he told him. ‘Don’t let her get to you.’
Ross threw Carly a black look before taking a deep breath and raking his hands through his hair.
‘Nice try,’ Cole told her. ‘But it didn’t work.’
‘He’ll let your secrets slip one day. He’s incapable of keeping anything to himself for long.’
‘This pair cannae guard you all the time,’ yelled Ross, pointing at her cousins. ‘And I will get to you and make you regret that big fucking mouth of yours.’
‘Is that supposed to scare me after my baby sister put you in hospital?’
Ross’s temper erupted out of him and, not daring to tackle the brothers together, he kicked over a chair, breaking it.
‘Oy, careful,’ exclaimed Lonny.
‘Wait outside,’ Cole told Ross. ‘I’ll handle this.’
With one last glare, Ross left, kicking open the door as he went. It swung shut behind him with a loud bang.
Cole looked to Carly. ‘You shouldnae wind him up like that.’
‘Like that prick worries me. Whatever you’re scheming, it will fail.’
‘If you say so.’
Carly knew she wouldn’t be able to rile Cole like she had Ross, so she didn’t even try. ‘Does this scheme of yours involve paedos?’ she said, nodding at the mystery man.
‘He’s no’ a paedo, as you well know. You’re clever, Carly, you always have been but you need to be careful. Accusing people of things like that isn’t good for your health.’
‘Don’t you fucking threaten her,’ yelled Dean.
‘So you do still fancy her then? You’re a bunch of inbred twats.’
‘Dean’s my cousin,’ said Carly. ‘You’re the twisted one thinking things like that.’
Inwardly Dean winced as she destroyed the last of his hopes.
‘I suggest you leave and keep your noses out of my family’s business,’ said Cole. ‘I’d hate to see you get hurt, Carly.’
‘Let’s go,’ said Harry, realising staying would be fruitless. Not only would they not get the information they wanted, but it looked like he wasn’t going to get his fight either.
‘Aye, okay,’ said Carly. ‘It’s a crap pub anyway.’
‘Hey you,’ said Lonny. ‘It’s way better than that toilet Derek runs.’
‘Time to go,’ said Dean when the customers started to look surly at this affront to their watering hole.
The three of them left. Just before going through the door, Carly glanced over her shoulder at Cole, who was staring back at her. Once she’d been able to read every emotion in his beautiful green eyes but now he was a closed book to her.
She followed her cousins out, the three of them coming to a halt when they were confronted by a gang of six men, a smirking Ross at their head.
‘Not so fucking smug now, are you, bitch?’ he told Carly.
The pub door opened and Cole emerged with the man in the baseball cap, as well as three of the customers, all big, hefty men.
‘You need teaching a lesson no’ to come onto our territory,’ said Ross.
‘The whole of Haghill is our territory,’ said Harry.
‘Sounds like you’re the one living in a fantasy world. You go where you’re no’ wanted, you pay the price.’
‘Bring it on,’ said Harry with glee.
‘Stay behind us,’ Dean told Carly.
‘Bugger that,’ she said, producing the baton from inside her jacket.
Just as Ross and his men were preparing to charge at the three of them, someone shouted, ‘Oy.’
They all turned to see the Bitches storming down the road towards them, Jane at their head.
‘Oh, Christ, it’s that lot,’ said one of Ross’s men.
‘So what?’ he replied. ‘They’re just a bunch of women.’
‘They’re no’ women, they’re Valkyries.’
‘Don’t be a fucking coward. We can take them.’
From the opposite direction came Eddie and Peanut.
‘Do the sensible thing and get lost,’ Carly told Ross. ‘While you’re still able to walk.’
Ross grunted with rage before running off with the rest of his men, the Bitches chasing after them. Although the men had a good head start on them, they managed to catch up with one of their number and took him down like a pack of hyenas on a gazelle.
When Carly, Harry and Dean rounded on them, the customers from the pub and the man in the baseball cap rushed back inside. Only Cole remained.
‘Are you wantin’ your heid kicking in?’ said Harry.
Cole regarded him disinterestedly before looking back at Carly. ‘Do yourself a favour,’ he told her. ‘Take Rose and your da’ and get out of Haghill. Things are about to get tough around here for your family and I don’t want to see you get involved.’
‘Don’t tell me you still care?’ she said sarcastically.
‘Actually, I dae. I always have.’
Carly just stared at him in puzzlement as he returned inside the pub, closing the door behind him.
‘Now he’s the one trying to get into people’s heids,’ said Dean, not liking the look in Carly’s eyes.
‘You’re right,’ she replied, although her voice sounded faraway.
Jane jogged up to them. ‘You all okay?’ she said.
‘Aye, fine,’ replied Harry. ‘Where did this lot come from?’ he asked her, gesturing to the Bitches. They were all gathered around the unfortunate man who’d been brought down and were pulling off his clothes. They had big grins on their faces and were taunting the man’s physical appearance. The man begged for mercy and the only concession they made was that they allowed him to keep on his underwear, although the hilarity only increased when they saw he was wearing a hot pink thong. Eddie and Peanut were watching, doubled over with laughter.
‘I thought just you and Jennifer were in on this?’ Dean asked Jane.
‘I wasn’t taking any chances,’ she replied. ‘So I got all the girls together. They deserve a treat.’
They all turned to look. The man had by now been stripped entirely naked and he was running off down the street, hands cupping his genitals while four of the women pursued him, whipping his bare backside with his own clothes. They chased him halfway down the road before returning to their friends, chatting and laughing and tossing his clothes into the gutter.
‘Nice one,’ Carly told them.
‘I agree,’ said Harry, putting on his most charming smile. ‘Beautiful work by beautiful ladies.’
‘I don’t see any fucking ladies,’ said Stacey, a tall twenty-year-old woman with jaw-length light brown hair. She had sparkling blue eyes and a ring through her lower lip.
The women laughed but Harry wasn’t fazed. ‘You’re all ladies,’ he told them. ‘And you should be dripping in silks and diamonds.’
The women all curled their lips before breaking into mocking laughter.
‘I was only trying to be nice,’ muttered Harry.
‘You still don’t understand that the Bitches are all about breaking social norms and stereotypes,’ said Jane. ‘We are not like those empty-headed morons on reality TV.’
‘The Housewives of Haghill,’ exclaimed Leonie.
The laughter increased, to Harry’s chagrin.
‘You smooth operator, you.’ Carly grinned at him. She spotted Cole peering out at her from one of The Wheatsheaf’s windows.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ said Dean, who was keen to get her away from Cole.
The Bitches walked with them all the way to Eddie’s house, Eddie and Peanut tagging along with them and talking quietly. Carly glanced back over her shoulder, wondering what they could be discussing. The way they hung back from the rest of the group indicated they didn’t want anyone overhearing their conversation and she had a strong feeling that they were purposefully keeping something from her.
Dean walked alongside Carly and kept intermittently glancing at her.
‘What?’ she said, frowning.
‘You didn’t let Cole get into your head, did you?’ he replied.
‘Course not. Jeezo, you must really think I’m an idiot. Even if he meant it, I’d never go there again.’
Dean was relieved. ‘Good,’ he replied. ‘I wouldnae be surprised if his cow of a mother told him to say that just to mess with you.’
The six of them entered Eddie and Harry’s house to find dirty plates on the coffee table and even dirtier socks on the floor.
‘You always were a slobby bastard, Eddie,’ said Peanut.
‘Hey, don’t blame me for that travesty,’ he replied, pointing to the socks. ‘They’re Harry’s. I would have moved them but I was afraid they’d bite me. You’ve never seen feet like his before.’
‘Da’,’ exclaimed an outraged Harry.
‘Sorry, son.’ Eddie smiled, not looking in the least bit apologetic. ‘So, are you ready to tell us what was going on back there?’
Carly related the tale and when she’d finished, Peanut whistled.
‘Wow,’ said Peanut. ‘The Alexanders were having Jack followed. They don’t trust him.’
‘So it seems,’ she replied.
‘And Jack didnae even notice he was being followed,’ said Harry. ‘Which tells us he’s no such the big man.’
‘Maybe, maybe not,’ said Eddie. ‘We all have our off days. The one thing it’s safe to assume though is that man, whatever he was doing, was doing it on behalf of Cole and Ross.’
‘What if the Alexanders are the ones who’ve been making people disappear?’ said Dean.
They all turned to look at him.
‘You can’t be serious?’ said Harry. ‘That group of fannies?’
‘Why not?’
‘Because they’re no’ up to the job.’
‘They’re violent and ruthless, so why shouldn’t they be able to make people disappear?’
‘They haven’t got the brains.’
‘Cole and Jess have,’ said Carly. ‘And so does Jack. I find it strange that people started vanishing just as he arrives in the area. What if he’s the one who made those people disappear and now his own family’s afraid he’s going to do the same to them, so they’re having him watched? They must know about his Pokémon obsession and that he’d be distracted while out walking, giving the man in the baseball cap the chance to follow him and see what he’s up to.’
‘That is an excellent theory,’ said Jane.
‘Aye,’ said Eddie. ‘Impressive stuff, hen,’ he told Carly. ‘And I reckon you might be right.’
‘There’s one way to prove it,’ said Peanut. ‘If Carly is right then there’s something linking the three people who vanished to the Alexanders. We need to find it. Hopefully, that would also confirm what they’re up to and whether they really have been having talks with the Tallans.’
‘We could talk to the friends and relatives of the missing people,’ said Dean.
‘Will they be willing to talk to us?’ said Harry.
‘The friends and loved ones of missing people always want to talk about it in case it helps find them, but it’ll require subtlety. We don’t want to offend anyone and we don’t want it getting back to the Alexanders either.’
‘That’s Harry out then,’ said Eddie with a pointed look his older son’s way. ‘He’s as subtle as a kick in the goolies.’
‘I cannae argue with that.’ Harry grinned.
‘I propose me and Jane go,’ added Dean.
‘Hey,’ said Carly. ‘Why are you keeping me out of it?’
‘Because you have a history of losing your rag,’ he told her.
‘Dean’s right,’ said Eddie. ‘Him and Jane are the best ones to handle it. Leave it to them.’
‘Fine,’ Carly said, holding up her hands. ‘I won’t argue.’
‘That’ll be a first,’ said her uncle wryly.
‘Do you have the addresses we need?’ Dean asked his father.
‘Aye, nae bother. Peanut, would you mind going with them? You don’t need to go in with them, you could just wait in the car in case there’s trouble.’
‘Course, whatever you need.’
Eddie patted his shoulder. ‘Cheers, pal. But it can wait until tomorrow. This afternoon we’re taking Alec to look at that care home.’
They all nodded sombrely.
‘What can we be doing while they’re talking to the families of the missing people?’ Carly asked her uncle, pointing from herself to Harry, wanting to change the subject.
‘Stay out of trouble, that’s what you two can do,’ he replied sternly. ‘I’ll go and get those addresses you need, I jotted them down somewhere because I was thinking of questioning the families myself.’
When Dean saw his father head upstairs, he followed him into his bedroom.
‘What are you doing?’ Eddie frowned at him.
Dean closed the door behind him, ignoring the dirty clothes strewn about the room. ‘I need to talk to you.’
‘About what?’
‘You know who attacked me and Carly that day on the motorbikes, don’t you?’
‘How the hell do you know that?’
‘I can read you pretty well, Da’. So, who was it?’
Eddie sighed. ‘Fine, but don’t mention it to the others, especially Carly. God only knows what she’d do if she found out.’
‘Go on,’ said Dean, refusing to commit before he had all the facts.
‘I went to the nearest hospital to where you were attacked. It was easy enough finding the men responsible.’
‘You spoke to them?’
‘I didnae need to. I recognised them. They were the Tallans’ men.’
‘What?’ said Dean, eyebrows shooting up his head. ‘But why?’
‘They were testing you. Neil and Rod have been known to do that but no’ so harshly. I reckon these men went a bit overboard.’
‘Why test me and Carly and not Harry and Jane?’
‘The Tallans must have seen you as the weakest links.’
‘Charming.’
‘Don’t take it as an insult. It’s only because you’re the younger two. The fact that they then put you onto the blackmail operation tells me you impressed them.’
Dean sighed and shook his head as he processed this information. ‘Now I understand why you don’t want Carly to know. She’d kick off holy hell.’
‘Exactly, so you can never tell her.’
‘I promise I won’t. Not telling her is protecting her. Well, at least the mystery is solved and those men won’t come back for a second try.’
‘They certainly won’t but there are others who might try and take the money you collect from you. That will always be a very real danger, so don’t sit back on your laurels.’
‘We won’t. I’m glad I know though. It’s a weight off.’
‘Good. I’ve told no one else, no’ even Peanut, so let’s keep it that way.’