Terry Reid stared at his ex-fiancée, taking in everything about her. She looked exactly the same as the last time he had seen her, except for a few lines at the sides of her eyes and slightly shorter hair. He couldn’t quite believe he was looking at the same woman he’d asked to marry him ten years ago. As much as he was confident that he would finally catch up with her, he was still surprised that the day had finally come.
She couldn’t meet his eye, looking at everything except him. Terry thought back to when they first met in his pub in the east end of Glasgow. Fiery red hair, although toned down more than the last time he’d seen her. Blue eyes. Her personality matched her looks. Yet now, she seemed different. A shell of who she used to be.
‘So, Annie, I’ll get right to it,’ Terry said. ‘Where’s my money?’
Annie stared back at him, her expression neutral. ‘Before we start, my name isn’t Annie. Not anymore. But you already know that, don’t you?’
Terry’s eyes narrowed as he looked on at the woman he once wanted to marry. He hadn’t expected to feel so calm when he saw her. ‘Yeah, I heard. Leah? Doesn’t really suit you, does it? But then, neither does being a mum. You said you didn’t want kids.’
She drew her eyes away from him. ‘It just happened. It wasn’t planned.’
‘And my twenty K, was that planned?’
Annie didn’t reply, instead she hugged herself harder. ‘How did you find me?’ she asked.
‘Lee Whitelaw saw you in the city. Followed you a few times to make sure it was really you. Funny thing is, I told him it wouldn’t be you, that you’d have been an idiot to have stayed in Scotland after what you did. But I was wrong. Then he said you tried to confront him one night in your local but you were hammered so he left. Then of course there was the hit at the multi-storey. That was Derek. You saw him. Police came asking questions, didn’t they? I watched all that unfold myself. You did well not to grass him in. But then you didn’t do that for him, did you? That was to make sure we didn’t blow your cover on the Joe Allison killing. Then of course Kenny met your man, Tom, is it? Aye, stood chatting to him for a bit while watching your boy play football.’
Annie’s eyes darted in his direction. Yes, now he had her right where he wanted her. She would have to do anything he said because he could tell that all she cared about was keeping her family out of this.
‘Seems as though my money got you everything you wanted in life, Annie. Now it’s time to give it back.’