No Mercy (23 page)

Adam Vasser prowled the backstreets of Kellston, keeping to the shadows. He didn’t want to go home, not yet. First, he needed to walk off the rage that was surging through his veins. And he needed to think. Yes, he had a lot of thinking to do. It was pissing down with rain, but that was a good thing. No one looked at you when it was raining; people kept their heads down or sheltered under umbrellas. And the fact that it was raining like this, wasn’t it proof that God was on his side, that He was taking care of him, protecting him?

His hoodie was up, but somehow the cold still leaked down the back of his neck. He needed a shower. He needed to get rid of the clothes he was wearing. Where could he dump them? In a bin, perhaps, in one of the alleyways. It was too wet to light a fire, and anyway, burning them was too risky. All it would take was one nosy neighbour peering out of a window and he’d be done for. Maybe the best thing would be to take a cab and dump them somewhere else.

He hissed out a breath. All of this was
her
fault, his bloody mother’s. If she’d told him, if she’d been honest, then none of this would have happened. Secrets and lies – that’s what it was all about – secrets and bloody lies. His gloved hands curled up in his pockets. He had a right to know that the bastard who’d killed his father was coming out of jail, but had anyone told him? No, of course they fuckin’ hadn’t. He’d had to find out like this. So who could blame him for getting mad? It was enough to try the patience of a saint.

‘Cato,’ he murmured, with his voice full of hate. What was ten years? Nothing. A drop in the bloody ocean. That shithead was still breathing, still existing, while his father was… his father was nothing more than grey, gritty ash. He recalled the feel of it running between his fingers in the graveyard. Flesh and blood turned to dust.

Why was everyone against him? What he couldn’t bear was people talking behind his back, laughing at him, sniggering. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t respectful. He’d only done what he had to, what his father would have done. The bitch deserved it. She’d had it coming. The way she looked at him, the things she said. Although, he still didn’t get why she’d been gabbling on about a ring. It hadn’t made any sense.

As he breathed in the dank wet air, a sudden shiver of alarm ran through his body. What if she’d already been found? The filth could be knocking on his door right now. He’d be buggered. He wouldn’t have time to get rid of the evidence. Her blood was on him, soaked into the white cotton of his shirt. Shit, what if…?

‘Calm down,’ he muttered to himself. Only fools panicked. He was smart. He was sly and invincible. He was shot through with brilliance. No one had seen him, and even if they had, they couldn’t have recognised him. It was dark and he’d had his hood up covering his face. No, nothing was going to go wrong. He would get away with it like he got away with everything else.

Adam slunk along Rose Avenue and cut through a side alley until he came out in Morton Grove. He stopped across from number 34 and stared at the house. There was a light on in the hall. Was she home, or was it just some pathetic attempt to deter burglars? He could imagine himself walking across the road, making his way up the short path and ringing the bell.

Maybe she was in bed. Maybe she’d forgotten about the light.

But not tonight. It wasn’t safe. You could only push your luck so far. There was no hurry, no rush. He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets, a smile catching the corners of his lips. ‘You’re next, Maddie Layne,’ he whispered. ‘You’re next.’

Maddie couldn’t stop smiling as she headed towards Violet Road. Her head was still full of the night before, her limbs aching with a deep, sensual pleasure. She recalled the smell of him, the touch of him, the sweet, easy rhythm as their bodies moved together. His kisses, as if imprinted on her lips, still lingered. Everything had been
so
right. She had slept in his arms and had never felt so wanted, so safe or so damn lucky.

Even the morning had been perfect. He had got up, raided the fridge and made scrambled eggs on toast. They had eaten it in bed, scattering crumbs in the crumpled sheets. They had drunk their mugs of tea and talked. And then they had made love again. Nothing so perfect, she reflected, could ever be wrong.

She had not wanted it to end, but time had eventually caught up with them. With Zac due to be picked up from his grandparents, the goodbyes had to be said. One day soon, she thought, the two of them would need to be introduced. Would Zac like him? Would he like Zac? Or was she getting ahead of herself? It was early days yet. Best to live in the moment and make the most of it.

‘I’ll see you soon?’ he’d asked, standing on the doorstep.

‘I’ll call you.’

‘Will you?’

‘I just said I would.’

‘I’m feeling insecure.’

She had stood on her toes and kissed him on the mouth. ‘No you’re not.’

‘Less than I was.’ He’d kissed her back, holding her face in his hands. ‘But don’t keep me waiting.’

‘Patience is a virtue.’

‘I don’t want to be virtuous.’

‘Me neither,’ she whispered, but quickly pushed him away before she succumbed to temptation again. ‘I’ll call. I promise. Now go.’

Maddie had watched as he’d walked off down the street, wanting to run after him and drag him back. It had taken every ounce of self-restraint to close the door and go inside. Even then she had almost changed her mind, thinking of how she could ring Alisha and tell her she’d be round later. It was only the thought of Zac that stopped her. He’d been none too happy about her date with Rick in the first place. If she failed to turn up on time, she would only make matters worse.

She was strolling past Shauna’s house when she remembered what Cato had told her about the blackmail. Would Shauna know about it? She might. If she’d heard about the stolen cars, she could have heard about that too. Maddie looked at her watch. She wasn’t due until midday and it was barely a quarter to. She could spare five minutes. Turning round, she retraced her steps and walked up the path.

The doorbell was answered by a sleepy-looking Shauna, still wearing her pyjamas. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘It’s you.’

Maddie had had nicer welcomes, but she didn’t let it put her off. ‘Hi. Have you got a minute? I just wanted a quick word.’

Shauna, obviously suffering from one of her hangovers, pulled the sort of face that suggested she’d rather walk over red-hot coals. ‘Now?’

‘Unless you’re busy.’

Shauna wrinkled her brow as if trying to think of something she might be busy doing while still wearing her pyjamas. The effort was clearly too much for her. With a grunt, she stood back and waved her over the threshold. ‘You’d better come in, then.’

Maddie followed her through to the living room, as untidy as always but unusually quiet. The huge widescreen TV was blank. ‘No Kyle?’ she asked.

‘He’s at my mum’s.’ Shauna slumped down on the sofa and stared at her. ‘You want a brew?’

‘No, it’s okay. I’m not stopping. It’s just…’ Maddie sat down, trying to think of the right way of putting it. ‘Someone told me something and I wondered if you knew anything about it.’

‘What’s that, then?’

‘About Bo and Greta.’

‘If this is about the motors, then I don’t know nothin’ else,’ Shauna snapped. ‘I’ve told you everything. That’s it.’

‘It’s not about the motors.’

‘Oh.’

Maddie, short on time, decided there was no point in beating about the bush. She may as well come right out and say it. ‘I’ve been told that they were blackmailing Adam Vasser. Is it true?’

‘What?’ As if she’d been slapped, Shauna flinched and her face went pale. ‘Who told you…? Why would…? What?’

Maddie stared at her. Shauna was more than flustered. There was a sense of panic about her. Her eyes darted around the room as if searching for an escape route. ‘So it is true. Why didn’t you tell me?’

Shauna shook her head furiously. ‘I don’t know nothin’ about any blackmail.’ Her hands did a manic dance in her lap, rising and falling and twisting round each other. ‘I don’t. Why would I? Why are you asking me?’

‘Oh, come on, Shauna. I can see by your face… and I’m not blaming you for anything. It’s not your fault.’ It was patently obvious that the blackmail story was true. Maddie felt a tiny stab of disappointment. A part of her had still been hoping that Cato had made it up, some tall story to get him off the hook and shift suspicion on to someone else. ‘I just want to know what you know. We’re mates, aren’t we? I need your help if I’m ever going to find out who killed Greta.’

Shauna seemed to relax a little, as if this wasn’t what she’d expected her to say. She thought about it a bit and then gave a shrug. ‘I won’t talk to the filth, though,’ she said sulkily. ‘Whatever I tell you, I ain’t repeating it to them.’

‘No one’s asking you to.’ Maddie leaned forward, her hands on her thighs. ‘Just tell me. That’s all you need to do. I won’t ever say it came from you. I promise.’

Shauna stared at the carpet for a while before lifting her gaze again. ‘Okay,’ she shrugged. ‘I did hear something. But not much. Only that Adam Vasser had tried it on with Bo. You know, he’d —’

‘What? Made some kind of pass?’

‘Yeah, and Greta was well pissed off about it. The guy had been coming round, all friendly like, drinking her coffee, drinking her beer, and all the time he’d had his eye on her feller. So she wanted to make him pay, didn’t she? Wanted some compo from him. She figured that was only fair.’

Maddie found herself thinking, yet again, how little she had known her sister. ‘And did he pay?’

Shauna shrugged. ‘I think so. Some, anyway, before… I’m not sure how much. She never said exactly. But she was well pleased about it. Reckoned she was sorted, that she could screw him for thousands.’

Maddie felt a wave of anger wash over her. What was wrong with Shauna? She’d known all this, must have realised that Vasser was a prime suspect, but hadn’t said a bloody word about it to the cops. All this time and… She bit down on her tongue, knowing that she had to keep calm if she was going to find out the rest. This wasn’t the moment to be losing her rag. She tried to keep her voice calm, without accusation, as she asked her next question. ‘But didn’t you wonder if Vasser had done it, if he’d killed them?’

Shauna grew antsy again, her eyes flashing. ‘How would I know? Bo and Greta were into all kinds of stuff. It could have been anyone. Maybe they nicked the wrong car. Maybe they ripped the wrong person off. I couldn’t be sure it was him, could I? I’m not going to go grassing him up to the pigs. You think I wanted to end up like Greta? That guy’s a fuckin’ psycho.’

And Greta was your friend
, Maddie felt like hurling back. She swallowed down the retort and took a few deep breaths. ‘I understand,’ she said, trying to make her tone sympathetic. And actually a part of her did understand. When you lived on an estate like the Mansfield, it didn’t do to be branded a grass, no matter what the circumstances. Not to mention the fact that Adam Vasser would scare the hell out of anyone. The price for loyalty could sometimes be too high. ‘I really do.’

Shauna raised her hand to her mouth and chewed on her fingernails. ‘It might not have been him,’ she said, as if the more she repeated it, the more likely it was to be true.

‘What I don’t get, though, is why we didn’t find any money when we cleared out the flat. There was hardly anything in their bank accounts either. What happened to it all?’

Maddie had only been thinking aloud, but Shauna’s reaction was telling. She jumped up off the sofa with her hands curled into two tight fists. Her face was bright red, and her chest was heaving.

‘What are you saying? That I took it? Are you calling me a fuckin’ thief?’

‘No,’ Maddie said, staring at her. She hadn’t thought that at all… until now. ‘No, of course not.’

‘Well, it sounds like it to me. It was your bloody sister who was the thief. I wasn’t the one nicking motors or screwing Vasser for cash.’

‘Did I say you were?’

‘I want you to go. I’ve had enough. Just leave me alone. I’ve got a fuckin’ headache and you’re making it ten times worse.’

Maddie slowly rose to her feet. ‘You took the money, didn’t you?’

‘I didn’t! I didn’t!’ Shauna stamped her foot like a five-year-old. Her cheeks were bright red and she was starting to sweat. ‘It wasn’t me.’ And then, as she gradually realised that the game was up, her mouth twisted into a snarl. ‘You can’t prove it,’ she hissed. ‘You can’t prove anything.’

Maddie took a step forward, bringing her face close to Shauna’s. ‘You think I give a damn about the cash? This isn’t about that. It’s about two people who are dead. Remember them? Bo and Greta. It’s about finding out the truth.’

Shauna continued to glare for a moment, but then the rage seemed to drain out of her. Her shoulders fell and she slumped back on to the sofa. There was a short silence before she finally began to talk.

‘It went on for a couple of months. Greta was constantly banging on about it, saying she was set for life, that she had Vasser over a barrel. He was queer, an arse bandit and all that… and the guy was terrified of anyone finding out. Liked to pass himself off as a Jack the Lad, one of the boys. She bought a load of new stuff with the money, clothes and bags, a fancy TV, things for Zac.’

Maddie remained on her feet, looking down at Shauna, saying nothing.

‘A mate called me on the night that they found Bo. He said they’d found the body in the Thames. Greta was still missing, though, and they didn’t know what had happened to her.’

Shauna paused, her gaze fixed firmly on the carpet again. ‘I reckoned it wouldn’t be long before the law came round to search their flat. And then… well, they’d find all the cash, wouldn’t they? And they’d know it was dodgy, bound to. Anyway, I had a spare key – Greta was always locking herself out – so I figured I’d nip along the landing, grab the money and keep it at my place until…’ She glanced up at Maddie. ‘I never meant to keep it. I swear. I was just keeping it safe until Greta came back.’

‘Except she didn’t.’

Shauna gave a gulp, although whether it was from grief or guilt, it was hard to tell. ‘No,’ she murmured. ‘And then later I thought, Why not? Why not keep it? What else could I do with it, anyway? I could hardly give it back to Vasser, and I didn’t see why the pigs should have it.’ Her voice suddenly grew indignant. ‘I wanted to get me and Kyle out of that place, off the estate, but the council wouldn’t shift us. And I didn’t have the deposit for a private rental unless… and so that’s what I used the cash for, moving here. That and some stuff for Kyle. Why shouldn’t he have nice things for a change? Why should he have to go without when he don’t need to?’

‘How much was it?’ Maddie asked. ‘The money in the flat, I mean. The money you took.’

Shauna gave a shrug. ‘I dunno exactly. A few thousand?’

Maddie didn’t believe for a second that she hadn’t counted every penny. ‘Is that all?’

‘Five or six, maybe.’

It wasn’t really the taking of the cash that made Maddie so angry. It was all the lies and deceit from someone she had viewed as a friend. It was the fact that she’d withheld the information about the blackmail from the police and let Adam Vasser get away with it. The money was the evidence, and Shauna had removed it. ‘Five or six,’ she repeated softly. ‘Doesn’t seem that much, considering the risk they were taking.’

‘That was just the latest instalment. They’d spent the rest. They got loads out of him.’

‘Until he decided he’d had enough.’

‘You don’t know that,’ Shauna said.

‘No, but the odds are pretty good, don’t you think?’

‘I can’t give it back,’ Shauna said. ‘I ain’t got it any more.’ She looked up, her eyes faintly pleading. ‘What you gonna do?’

Maddie gave her a contemptuous glance. ‘What do you think I’m going to do? I’m going to nail the bastard who murdered my sister.’