“See you there.” Mo turned and walked out without another word.
Pete got up and closed the door.
“I don’t know why you bother. You’ve been at each other’s throats since you were six.”
Pete stared at his brother. “What? How would you know?”
“Because I’ve had to watch it.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Yeah, because it’s deep and complicated.” Josh’s sneer disappeared. “You shouldn’t sell that stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“You know what stuff. Whatever Mo’s been snorting. Do you think I’m stupid or something?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yeah, you do. Course you do. You don’t think Mum knows? Breaks her heart it does.”
Pete’s heart pounded. “I’ve no idea what you’re on about. Maybe you’ve been snorting something.”
Josh groaned and sat back heavily in his chair, causing the old wood to creak. “Whatever you say. I’m sure you’ll find a way to wriggle out of it and I’m not interested in sitting here and listening to you deny it. We have more important things to do. Let’s go to the Home Warehouse.”
“What, now?”
“Of course now. Things are going to deteriorate fast. We’ve wasted enough time as it is.”
Pete’s heart raced. Mo was gone. To Sam’s, most likely. Pete and Sam’s friendship wound him up so much he probably couldn’t resist. But that wouldn’t keep him out of Pete’s hair forever. Mo knew something was up. It was only a matter of time…
He stood up. “Maybe later. There’s something I need to do first.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Pete. Can’t you think of something besides yourself for once? We need to get the house secured.”
But Pete was already out the door before his brother’s words registered with him.
The big guy laughed. Pete didn’t know his name. He was just another anonymous bodybuilder from the gym. Harman’s laundry, some of the neighbours called it when they thought no-one was listening. “You want to see Harry?”
“Yeah. That’s what I said.”
“He’s busy.”
He’d probably have been a bit warier of offending a twenty stone giant if he hadn’t come by the green and seen the state of the place. It was like there was a festival on or something. People were lurking around, drinking cans and setting things on fire. Fighting. Screaming for water. He was having trouble shaking off the sight of it. The power hadn’t even been out for twenty-four hours.
But it was like Josh had said—this was only the beginning. The whole country was about to descend into chaos.
So he held his ground.
“Yeah, I know. But it’s important. I have… information.” He felt dizzy, like he was on the verge of something massive that he couldn’t even get his head around. “Just tell him.”
The beast didn’t move.
Come on, Pete wanted to say as he shifted from foot to foot. But he kept quiet.
Finally, the man mountain grunted and moved away towards the back, where he muttered something in another minder’s ear. The big guy’s voice was surprisingly high-pitched. Pete wondered then if he was into steroids as well as everything else. Nothing would surprise him anymore.
The man gestured with his fingers for Pete to turn around. He did so without question. He waited. The reception area of the gym was dingy, with paint peeling from the walls and layers of dust and dirt collected in the corners. It didn’t matter. People didn’t go in there for the atmosphere.
“Peter.”
He started at the sound of his name. He turned around, expecting to find Harry’s rangy figure behind him. It was Zane. His heart sank. Of course Harry hadn’t come himself. Pete had only spoken to the guy once or twice.
“Zane. I was looking for Harry.”
“Were you now?” His lips curled up into an expression that was meant to be a smile but fell far short of the mark. “He’s indisposed, I’m afraid.”
“It’s important.”
“Oh, so I should run and fetch him like a good little boy? Is that it?”
Pete gritted his teeth. All the lads hated the way Zane clung to everything you said and used it to mock you. But he said nothing. It wasn’t just sarcasm Zane was known for. They called him psycho behind his back; never to his face. Down the pub they often wondered if he knew he was called that, but no-one had the balls—or the stupidity—to ask him directly.
“No, not at all,” Pete said, forcing himself to stay calm so his voice didn’t betray how out of his depth he felt. He was used to taking orders from Zane—or, more usually, one of his lackeys. “Look, if it’s a bad time—”
“Did I say it was a bad time? What are you suggesting?” Zane stepped closer, and Pete could feel his putrid breath on his face. He did his best not to shrink away in disgust. “You saying we can’t handle this?”
“No, I’m not. That’s not—”
“Who are you to come in here and start ordering us about?”
“I didn’t!”
“Leave him. He’s just a kid.” It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Pete turned. “Harry,” he said stupidly. Of course it was Harry. No-one else spoke to Zane so dismissively.
Harry Harman was unmistakable. He stood barely five foot tall. No-one knew how he’d managed to manoeuvre himself to where he was, but rumours swirled around the estate and the neighbouring ones. Unbelievable rumours, especially to look at his slight frame. He looked more like an accountant than the owner of a knocking shop, betting ring and drug network that Pete suspected covered most of the county.
“You’re Benny Freeman’s lad.”
Pete winced. His dad hadn’t been on the scene for a long time.
“Oh, don’t look so down. You’re not the only kid around here who grew up without a dad.”
“I…”
Harry’s manner was completely different from Zane’s, but his words cut just as deep. “Go on. Spit it out.”
Pete looked around. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting. Maybe to be invited back to… he glanced towards the narrow corridor Harry had emerged from. He had no idea what was back there. An office? An underground lair? He’d heard that Harry used the gym as a front for his other, less legal, businesses. If that was true, Pete couldn’t understand why the police didn’t just raid the place. Maybe he’d paid them off.
“Well? Or did you come here to waste my time? I’ve got enough on today without this.”
Pete started. Could he have chosen a worse time to get distracted? He was so alarmed by the sight of Harry turning around to leave that he made a strange whining sound that seemed to freeze everyone else in the room.
“What the fuck was that?”
“Nothing. I…” he blew out all the air he’d held in. How embarrassing. He hadn’t expected to react like this. Play it cool. You can help him. “Look, I found something out today. Something I think you might want to hear.”
“Oh yeah? Don’t hold me in suspense for too long.”
The other men laughed.
Pete shook his head wishing they’d get out and let him talk to Harry in peace. But they weren’t going anywhere. For a moment he doubted himself—what if this turned him into a laughing stock?
Then he pictured Mo’s smug face as he gave Harry the news. For some reason, Zane had a lot of time for Mo. Nobody knew why. They wouldn’t have mocked Mo like this if he’d been the one to tell them.
“Right. Okay.” He sucked in a breath. “The power’s out. The water’s out. The—”
“You came here to tell me that? From the way you were talking, I thought I was going to get a heads up on the lottery numbers.”
The other men laughed again, savage sounds in the quiet air.