Roaring along the Hagley Road, John chewed the inside of his cheek. Gripping the steering wheel, his hands trembled with pure rage.
How he’d kept his rag when that spoilt bitch informed him she would be actively running the Orchid and all the underlying enterprises after all, he didn’t know, but somehow he’d managed it. And then for her to have the audacity to ask why he hadn’t appraised her of all of this ‘trouble’ surrounding the Orchid’s territories?
Since when was she aware of territories? Len had always made it crystal-clear that his darling Samantha and the dippy mother should be told nothing about that side of the business.
John’s nostrils flared as he sucked in a huge lungful of air.
Somehow Sam knew, meaning someone had told her. But who?
Christ, after years of arse-crawling and putting up with the sickeningly fair and decent ways of Uncle Len, how had it come to this? To end up as a poxy right-hand man to his bloody cousin was one step beyond. And for it to be Samantha – the girl who fiddled with photos on a screen all day for a bloody living?
The stupid cow really thought he would assist in gaining her footing and telling her the ins and outs of everything?
Dream on, darling!
John scraped his hand through his hair. It was all very well Len being six feet under, but what use was that if he was still regaled to second fiddle? This should have been sorted years ago and would have been had it not all gone tits up.
He’d be helping Samantha out well enough. Just not in the way she expected. Before long, she’d be begging him to take the whole fucking place off her hands.
Tom-fucking-Bedworth might have got him over a barrel and he’d hoped to never see the loser again, but he was here and thanks to the man’s idiocy, he’d now been roped into more shit – like disposing of that body, which he could have done without.
John scowled. Regardless of the threats Bedworth held over him, this time the man’s return would work in his favour.
Screeching into the carpark, John stomped out of the car and wasted no time hammering on the front door of the Aurora. Being as this bloody idiot was shoving his big hooter in and causing problems around Brum, then he’d get some use out of him before he got rid of the fucker.
Where John came from, things worked two ways, but would make sure he got the lion’s share.
Tom wasn’t pleased to be disturbed so early. Jesus Christ, it wasn’t even eleven in the goddamn morning and he’d already had Maynard on his back laying down the law. Now he’d got this stupid slag to deal with?
He knew it wouldn’t take this greedy bitch long to come digging once she’d got the message an earner was on the cards. Still, no time like the present.
‘Morning, Tom.’ Melanie’s bright voice contradicted that she looked like she hadn’t slept for the best part of a week. ‘You wanted to see me?’
She made a big show of looking around the Aurora’s large room. ‘Nice place you’ve got here,’ she lied. ‘Luce said you’ve got some work for me?’ Moving towards Tom, her hand ran down the front of his stained T-shirt. ‘You know I’m always up for regular work.’
‘Come upstairs and we’ll discuss it there,’ Tom muttered.
‘Oh, I get it! You want a freebie before you make anything permanent?’ Melanie laughed, following Tom up the stairs, her feet clumping loudly on the bare steps. ‘You hardly need to test me out, Tommy. I mean, it’s not like you haven’t sampled my wares more than a few times already, so you know I’m good.’
Tom jerked his head towards one of the empty rooms. ‘Business is business,’ he grinned. To be fair, Melanie was bloody good in the sack. It was just a shame about her face.
Shutting the door, he turned to find her already half-undressed. He frowned. He hadn’t planned on bothering with a sampler, but being as she was offering…
He glanced at his watch. Half an hour before Lee and Steve were due to turn up. More than enough time.
Pushing Melanie onto the bed, Tom unzipped his flies and, without further ceremony, plunged straight into her.
‘Fucking hell,’ Melanie yelped. ‘Haven’t you ever heard of working a girl up to it?’
‘You don’t need working up to nothing,’ he grunted. Fixing his eyes on Melanie’s breasts rather than looking at her face, he continued thrusting. Despite being in her fifties, she still had a decent body on her. This would be her parting gift.
Raising her hips, Melanie grasped Tom’s buttocks, knowing that would be all it took to push him over the edge, and grinned as he groaned loudly. He’d always been a two-stroke. ‘So when can I start?’ she asked, running her hand down his unshaven face.
‘When you tell me why you told Stoker that Jock Sawyer was here the other night,’ Tom growled.
Seeing the sudden change in Tom’s countenance, Melanie stiffened, then attempted to unpin herself from under his weight. ‘I – I never meant anything by it. It were just a passing comment, Tom. Trade’s been slow the last few weeks and the guy offered a fifty for info.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘Besides, he was a rare, nice looker, so what could I do?’
‘Not opening your fat gob would have been a start!’ Tom spat, closing both his hands tightly around Melanie’s throat.
‘Tom!’ Melanie squawked, pulling at Tom’s fingers. ‘Don’t be daft! There’s no need to be…’
‘Shut the fuck up!’ Tom roared. ‘You’ve caused no end of bastard problems, you whore. Jock’s dead because of you!’
Melanie’s eyes bulged as the grip around her windpipe tightened. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise. I…’
‘I said shut up!’ Tom barked. ‘You should have said nothing, you stupid slut! Nothing!’
Running out of oxygen, Melanie thrashed around under the weight of Tom’s body, her face turning from red to purple, the whites of her eyes bloodshot as the blood vessels ruptured. ‘Tom… I…’
‘No point in begging now, you trash,’ he smiled. Putting extra effort into his grip, Tom glanced at the pillow. If she didn’t hurry up, then he’d use that.
Tom snorted a nice fat line from the bedside table and glanced contemptuously at the woman in the bed. Fucking ugly pig. Still, at least that was one down. People needed to start realising they couldn’t fuck with Thomas Bedworth.
He inhaled sharply, enjoying the rush of the powder. All of these wastes of space needed to jump on a quick learning curve because they’d want to make sure they were in favour when he was cream of the city. When he was the one everybody wanted to know, everyone would wish they’d been more attentive when it mattered.
Tom wiped the back of his hand under his nose, making sure there was no trace of residue.
There was no point in them crawling up his arse once he was kingpin. It was now that counted. He would remember every person who stood by him, as well as more than remember every single fucker who didn’t.
Hearing voices at the bottom of the stairs, Tom scowled. It was like the M5 around here. He quickly checked he was tucked back into his trousers and left the room, making sure he locked it behind him. He didn’t want any silly tarts stumbling across Melanie before he’d sorted it. And sorting it was the first task.
He poked his head over the rickety banister. ‘Thought I heard you,’ Tom smiled. ‘Come on up. We’ll talk up here.’
Ushering the two men into another empty room, Tom was only grateful the girls were either downstairs catching up with their morning lager or still in their pits up in the attic. He didn’t want any of the nosey cows overhearing.
Shutting the door behind him, he turned to face the two men, not bothering to offer them a seat. Not that there was anywhere to sit, short of the bed, but this wouldn’t take long.
‘Good to see you again fellas. Glad you’re on board. I always appreciate loyal, long-standing friends.’ Tom made sure he emphasised the word ‘friends’. Not that they were friends – just a couple of stoners he’d known from years back, but they were trustworthy and most importantly, not linked to the Stoker or Reynold firms. And that was, by far, the most important factor. ‘Looking forward to earning yourself a good wedge, boys?’
Lee Baxter grinned widely, showcasing his missing front teeth. ‘You betcha! Really appreciate this, Tommo! Couldn’t believe it when we heard you were back, let alone that you’ve got yourself this gaff and all.’
Steve Maddox nodded enthusiastically. ‘I’ve been wriggling since getting laid off from the Rover, so, got to ask, mate, what are we being paid and what exactly do you want us to do?’
Tom eyed Steve, noticing his brashness hadn’t toned down in his absence. Neither had his looks improved, although he had gained an additional feature to his physical repulsiveness.
He peered closer at the man’s cauliflower ear. ‘What happened there?’ Tom nodded at the mangled monstrosity on the side of the man’s head.
Steve laughed, touching his deformed ear. ‘Too many bare-knuckle stints in the gaff under the swimming baths in Northfield, mate.’
Tom grinned. Still thick as fuck then? But he had successfully deflected quite nicely from the question of money. He’d pay them handsomely for this first job, then pare it right down to basics after that. They’d swallow it because it was more than either of them were getting right now, which was diddly squat. This chunk would keep the situation primed and make them believe these pay-outs could be regular.
He folded his arms and leant casually against the door; partly to stop anyone coming in and the rest to help hold himself upright. ‘I’ll want you here most nights, but expect the occasional special job too.’
Lee glanced at Steve and then at Tom. ‘What sort of special jobs?’
Tom shrugged. ‘Could be anything.’ He fished out two rolls of money and chucked them on the bed. ‘That’s for you once you’ve undertaken the first special job, which needs to happen either tonight or tomorrow.’
Steve’s eyes locked on the fat wad of money. ‘No problem,’ he grinned, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. ‘What do you need us to do?’
Tom smiled thinly. ‘Firstly, I need your complete loyalty.’
‘We’d never drop you in it, Tommo, you know that. Never!’
Tom nodded. ‘Glad to hear it. What you do will not be forgotten in the future when I excel.’
‘Got your sights set high, Tom? Steve grinned.
‘I have,’ Tom said, unsmiling. ‘Now, this job… I need somewhere burned down.’
Lee blinked. ‘Burned down? I didn’t think th…’
‘Whatever you need is not a problem,’ Steve interrupted, nudging Lee sharply. Lee might be able to afford to pass this up, but he couldn’t. ‘Where? And how?’
‘A pub. Do it whichever way you wish, but I want it done mid-evening when the place is packed,’ Tom said bluntly. ‘You know the drill. Make sure there’s no cops lurking and that it looks like an accident.’ He eyed both men slowly. ‘If others get taken down as part of this, that’s okay and more realistic, but the gaffer’s got to go for definite. I want him finished.’
Watching the two men silently glance at each other, Tom turned to Lee. ‘You’re a sparky, aren’t you?’
‘Used to be,’ Lee shrugged. ‘Before all my work dried up.’
Tom grinned. ‘Can you make it look like an electrical fault? A bad one? One that would cause fast damage? Anything but arson.’
Lee nodded. ‘That’s certainly doable.’ He looked at Steve. ‘You up for that?’
Steve rubbed his hands together. ‘I’m up for anything, me. How much are we getting for this?’ He jerked his head towards the money on the bed.
‘Five grand a piece. You’ll get it once the job’s done.’ And they’d better do it. This was the last chunk of his brass. A big gamble, but he couldn’t risk those people hanging around. Not now he knew they’d squealed because they’d keep squealing.
‘Which pub do you want done?’ Lee asked.
‘The Gun Barrels,’ Tom muttered. ‘The one just off Horsefair.’
‘The Gun Barrels?’ Steve gasped. ‘You want us to off Dave? Why?’
Tom’s eyes narrowed. ‘That’s none of your fucking business and keep your voice down. That’s the job. Take it or leave it.’
Lee and Steve nodded, neither stupid enough not to realise they had no choice but to undertake the work. They would hardly be allowed to disappear now they knew the plan.
‘Good. Make sure you do it well. I want no fuckups.’ Shaking hands with the two men, Tom smiled. ‘Remember, I need it done either tonight or tomorrow. Oh, and before you go, there’s also a little something I want you to do for me now.’
Tom walked out the room towards the room where Melanie’s body lay, knowing Lee and Steve would follow and, furthermore, do exactly what he asked.