This is a romantic crime thriller which contains some romantic sex, some non consensual sex, some male on male violence, and a lot of very interesting and interacting characters, with some twists and turns in the story.
I have tried to keep things as tasteful as I can, keeping in mind some peoples sensitivity.
As with all my stories there is not always a nice tidy happy ending for everyone – life is just not like that.
*
Jerry walked leisurely down the road from where he had parked his car trying to look as unconcerned as he could. The house with the old air raid shelter was in the next street and turning the corner he smiled to himself when he saw the old Scouts hut surrounded by trees next to the house that Patrick had drawn in the diagram.
Patrick had chosen his hiding place well. The house had metal stair railings and a gentle slope leading down from the front door, pointing to the person that lived there being disabled, and the Scouts hut with the trees would make easy access at night into the back garden where the old run down air raid shelter left over from the second world war sat at the end of the back garden.
Walking past the house to the end of the road and then turning back he sauntered slowly checking out the houses opposite and next door. It all looked quiet and from the looks of it no problem for tonight when he came back to retrieve the goods under the cover of dark.
Getting in his car he drove over to where Patrick had told him he stashed his spare car and other stuff in a rented garage about five miles away. Checking all the way to make sure he wasn't being followed he parked his car with the boot towards the garage and getting out walked up to the end of the row of garages looking for the slab of pavement stone next to the brick wall at the end of the dead end of twelve garages. Lifting the stone he found the key as Patrick had told him he would. Walking back to the garage he opened the padlock and eased himself in.
The garage was dark and it took a few moments for Jerry's eyes to adjust. Squeezing down the side of the car that was parked in the small space he moved to the back of the dark garage until he came to the end and lifting up the pile of old plastic bags filled with rubbish he found the one holding the two bags of cocaine, wrapped in newspapers. Leaving the garage, he locked it up and placed the plastic wrapped bags of coke in the special concealed hiding place in the boot of his car that he used in his normal retrieval job for Snake. He then replaced the key under the paving stone from where he found it and got in the car, driving off to see Megan for a couple of hours.
*
The Police were running the prints through the computer to see if they could come up with a match, and within the hour they did. One set belonged to a known criminal called Patrick Curtis, a known associate of Nick 'Snake' Armstrong, the local head of a criminal Firm.
At the Police team meeting of Rachel's disappearance Curtis's profile was discussed.
"He's mixed up with a lot of scams and is thought to be the brains behind planning for Armstrong, but has never shown any bent towards violence before, especially towards women."
"Not that we know of." One of the detectives dropped into the discussion. "That doesn't mean he hasn't done this before."
"He's not usually that far from Armstrong's side who does have a reputation for treating woman as scum. Maybe he's picked her up for him."
"I don't see Curtis pimping, not even for Armstrong."
"They've been together for ten years since they met in the nick. In all that time Curtis was the brains behind the scenes, Armstrong the boss of the firm. We get Curtis this might help us to bring down the whole lot of them. Clear up the manor and put away that bastard who has his bloody fingers into everything that happens locally."
"What about the girl?"
"What do you mean 'what about the girl'?"
"Isn't she our main focus? Finding her?"
The main detective on the case looked down at the other man sitting behind a desk as if he was a stupid child who had asked a dumb question. "Of course she is, but we find the girl, we get Curtis, we get our hands on Curtis we bring down Armstrong.....we get to clear up a pile of the outstanding crimes in one full swoop."
All eyes stared at the Detective Inspector standing in front of them, all to a man thinking the same thing. That he would get the glory and they would do the work.
*
Jerry's mobile rung just as he and Megan had settled down in the small kitchen at the table for supper. Looking at the number he answered it with a grunt. The voice at the other end told him, "Get down to the lab ASAP, Snakes orders."
A cold chill went down his spine as he listened to the voice at the end of the phone.
"What's up?"
"No idea, just get there now." And the phone line went dead.
Looking across the table to Megan her face one of concern he bit his lip and then told her. "Sorry......got to go....something has sprung up....an emergency at work."
Getting up from the table she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a foil wrapped bundle. "I made this for you for later tonight during your shift.....its mushroom quiche....better take it with you and I'll put your supper in the fridge if you want it warmed up when you get back." Kissing Megan and taking the wrapped food he hoped he would see her later and that Snake hadn't discovered he was working with Patrick, and that he wasn't just walking into the Snakes pit and his possible death.
Climbing into his car he sat there for a couple of minutes, he stomach churning, heart beating fast. He wondered to himself if he had time to hide the two bags of cocaine in the compartment in the back of the car. He couldn't hide it here near Megan. If it was found it might pull her into the mess and he would never to that. No he was going to have to drive over to the lab fast, with no time to dump it and just pray that if Snake hadn't found out that he was working with Patrick no one asked to search the car and give himself away.
*
Rachel woke up slowly, the hot body of Patrick lying on his back beside her on the bed. She lay there for a while staring at the ceiling reviewing her options before very carefully sliding out of the bed, keeping her eyes on the sleeping man, fearful of waking him. Bending down she scooped up both his and her clothes where they lay on the bedroom floor and tiptoed out of the room, and walked up the hallway and into the kitchen naked. There she stood, indecision slicing through her. Make a run now and take the chance or wait until tomorrow night. Running now seemed like a possibility but what if he woke up and came after her and caught her? Better to get him drunk and really sexually exhausted tomorrow night and try escaping when he would be in a worse state and unable to catch her. Suddenly she heard him running up the hallway and she bent over with the clothes as if she was putting them into the washing machine just as he slammed into the kitchen.
"What the fuck are you doing in here?"
Turning to face him, both standing completely naked in front of each other, she told him, "Putting our clothes on to wash so they will be clean for tomorrow."
Patrick stepped forward, pulling her into his arms, "We don't need clothes." And he bent his head down to kiss her neck, "Not here in this flat....not for the next couple of days.....not for what I have planned."
"Maybe you don't mind your friend seeing you naked when he comes here, but I do mind him seeing me undressed." And she pushed him away and turned to put the soap in the washing machine and turned it on. She felt his arms slip around her from behind, pulling her towards him, his arms linking in front of her holding her loosely captive.
"I thought you might be trying to do a runner."
"You promised me you would let me go in a couple of days....."
Laying his cheek against the top of her head Patrick realised that letting her go and keeping his promise was going to be the hardest thing he would have to do. "Maybe I can make you change your mind and get you to come with me. The Florida Keys are paradise on earth. Beautiful beaches, laid back life, no one in a hurry and asking no questions. It's the place to go to re invent yourself. Make a new life. You get up in the morning and before you is a day filled with nothing but pleasure. Now doesn't that sound enticing?"
"Is that what you think life should be like.....just drifting along without any responsibility?"
Turning her around so that they were facing each other, his arms around her waist, her breasts pressed against his chest he smiled at her. "Why not? Life is too short to work and worry.....come away with me and find out just how sweet it is to live the good life."
"And when the money dries up?"
"There's always more......"
Taking her hand he led her back to bed.
*
Jerry stood in the office along with the other men. The room held Snake and about ten other men, all who worked for him and some that Jerry recognised. Nodding across the room at one of them he received a short nod back and a big grin from the colleague.
