Richard Ward laughs and sets his knife and fork together on the plate in front of him, leaning back with a small sigh of appreciation at the meal he has just eaten. ‘You really think Nathan’s that stupid?’

‘Well, I don’t know’ Marilyn says thoughtfully ‘Leonie was adamant it was true’ she says, standing to put their plates and cutlery together.  ‘There’s crumble.’

‘And Nathan knew?’ Richard snorts his disbelief. ‘ …Yeah…right…I’ll buy that. Sort of brainless thing someone like him would do isn’t it, getting himself hanked in with the local mob?’ He pats his stomach, adding ‘Not right now, thanks, maybe later’ as he gets up from his chair.

‘Not so local, Richard.’

‘Maz, I was being sarcastic. Can you really see Nathan jumping at a piddling little job like that for a chance to get in with Bartlett?’ He grins again, amused by her seriousness. ‘What do you reckon he’s thinking of doing, using him as some sort of muscle? Nathan doesn’t need persuaders to get work in, never has done and never will.’

‘It might have been him that was persuaded.’ The huff is a small one but a huff nevertheless as Marilyn passes from the dining room and sets the plates next to the dishwasher in the adjoining kitchen.

‘Wilson’s got something over him courtesy of Bartlett? Come on!’ Richard scoffs. ‘If you believe that then you’re a bigger fool than I took you for. Think about it. All this crap he’s had to put up with, with the girl, you think that would have happened if he was on their payroll?’ He finishes tidying away the tablemats into the drawer of the dresser and stands in the doorway.

‘He didn’t defend himself over it, did he?’ she argues, lifting the apple crumble from the oven and placing it on a trivet.

‘Marilyn!’

‘Well, he didn’t did he? Not really.’

‘I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. What about Wilson? ’

‘What about him?’

‘You honestly think he’s in Bartlett’s pocket too?’

‘Bartlett might be in his!’ she insists.

‘You see Vince Wilson as some sort of Godfather?’ Richard groans. ‘You are joking!’

‘It happens. It’s not them that get their hands dirty is it?’

‘Yeah, on Crime Night on Sky’ he retorts sarcastically. ‘Vince Wilson is a bit of a wheeler-dealer but he’s clean. You think somebody wouldn’t have heard something by now if he wasn’t?’

‘But we are hearing, aren’t we? It’s all coming out now.’ Marilyn pushes the plunger on the cafetiere so hard in annoyance that coffee spills over.

‘All? Bloody hell!’  A questionable tie to Bartlett through Wilson’s daughter and it’s all coming out? And that’s on the word of Leonie.’ Richard yanks sheets of kitchen roll from the holder and blots the coffee from the worktop. ‘Talk sense! It doesn’t work like that does it? Think about it. The whole point of being a Godfather is that everybody knows you’re a Godfather. That’s where they get their power, nobody says no to them because they know who they are and what they stand for.’

‘Nathan didn’t say no.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake, Marilyn! You think I’d have got where I am now without having heard a whisper? I know Bartlett, I know about his connections and I’m telling you, Vince Wilson isn’t one of them. I’d have told Nathan to steer clear if I had!’

‘But he is connected…. Leonie said..’

‘So Nathan must be too? I thought better of you, Marilyn. I really did. You’ve known Nathan what…damn near twenty years..’

‘Bit less’

‘Ten, fifteen, twenty, what bloody difference does it make?’ He tosses the sodden kitchen paper into the sink. ‘We know that boy inside out, almost as well as we know our Andy and there is no way he would get himself tied in with the likes of Gerry Bartlett!’

‘He did go off the rails a bit when…’

‘That was back then!’

‘But we don’t know who he got in with though, do we? And please don’t shout, I was only saying.’

Richard lowers his voice. ‘Marilyn, we’re talking a bit of smack and probably a line or two’ he says wearily. ‘Something a lot of kids his age were doing. Doesn’t make it right but…’

‘So where did he get it from, answer me that …or more to the point, who?

‘Okay, I’ll give you that’ he agrees, taking his mug of coffee. ‘Whoever he got the stuff from was probably working for one of Bartlett’s mob but Wilson wasn’t around was he?’

‘Not here, maybe, but that doesn’t mean to say..’

‘No more!’ He shakes his head ‘not another word. Nothing will convince me that you’re right and I’m wrong.’

Richard walks across the hall into the living room with Marilyn following in his wake. He sits on the sofa opposite the television, relaxing into the cushioned back and crossing his legs. He sips from his coffee, smiling at Marilyn as she sits beside him.

‘Nobody who’s got their act together the way Nathan has would risk everything they’ve achieved by mixing with the likes of him’ he says patiently. ‘Why would he? And while we’re on the subject, why would Vince Wilson? We’re not talking small here are we? He’d got a million pound turnover and making a name for himself while Gerry Bartlett was still fretting over acne and pimping two quid whores out of the back of a beat up Cortina. You can’t tell me that’s the first bloke Wilson would think of as a potential business partner?’

‘Oh, I don’t know, Richard.’ Marilyn sighs and tucks herself under his arm as he puts it around her shoulder. ‘I’m just worried for Nathan, that’s all.’

‘Daresay Lenny’s got it wrong’ he drops a kiss on the top of her head. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it.’

‘She seemed so sure though…’

‘Maz, if Wilson and Gerry Bartlett were bosom buddies, it wouldn’t mean Nathan was mixed up in it. He’s not a kid any more and naïve he most certainly ain’t! Not when it comes to business.’

Hill House, Boundary Road

Chapter Two

The White Horse

‘Don’t see you in here much’ Kester James stops on his way to the bar and smiles down at Leonie Ward who is sitting at a table next to the window overlooking the car park. ‘Can I get you a drink?’

‘No, I’m fine, thanks’ Leonie raises a half filled glass. ‘Haven’t seen you in ages, either.’ She shifts along the bench seat as an invitation for him to sit down. ‘I’m just waiting for somebody to pick me up.’

‘Won’t I do?’ Kester grins.

Leonie blushes. ‘I meant as in collect me….in their car.’

‘Oh, right. Missed the boat again!’ he sighs dramatically ‘Gimma a sec, let me get one in.’ He glances towards the bar and smiles broadly at seeing a pint waiting for him. ‘See? Now that, is what you call service!’

‘No’ Leonie sniggers ‘That’s what you call a woman with the hots.’

‘Oooh, you reckon I’m in there then?’ his eyes widen.

‘I reckon you might be.’ She giggles softly.

‘I told Harriet it was only grannies that fancied me, at least she is this side of sixty’ he hisses

‘Just’

‘Can’t be too picky, you know.’ He sucks in his cheeks and swaggers towards the bar.

Leonie dives into a handbag for a tissue as wine splutters from her mouth.

‘You are a wicked sod’ she scolds when he returns and sits down next to her. ‘Look at my top!’

‘I am, I am!’ Kester grins and waggles his eyebrows, earning him a slap from Leonie.

‘Be serious!’

‘Sorry….and sorry. Good job it was only white.’

‘If it’d been red, I’d have killed you’ she glowers, dabbing ineffectually at the wet mark on the front of her shirt.

‘New boyfriend?’ Kester asks, taking the first swallow from his glass.

‘No, just some friends’ she replies absently, still trying to blot the worst from the fabric.

‘I was sorry to hear about you and…you know.’

‘Simon? Glad it’s over to be honest. It’s nice to feel me again.’

‘Do girls always feel like that?’ he asks thoughtfully.

‘How do you mean?’

‘When you split up with someone, do you always go off men?’

‘I didn’t say I was off men…just off that one!’ Her brow creases. ‘What makes you ask?’

‘Oh, no reason.’ he says nonchalantly. 'No reason'

‘That isn’t why I didn’t take you seriously….you know…when you asked if you would do…earlier.’ She blushes again.

Kester laughs and gives her a quick hug. ‘No worries! Why don’t you go and put that under the hand drier in the ladies? I’ll keep an eye out for your mates if you like.’

Leonie’s eyes narrow. ‘Yeah, right, I won’t see you or my mates then. One seat and they’ll have you in it and not give me another thought!’

He chuckles. ‘Go on! I’ve got other things to do tonight so I’ll be the epitome of decorum and refuse to get into a car with any bunch of women no matter how gorgeous they are, just for you.’

‘Oh….ok then. Dark blue Audi, blonde Swedish looking driver…’

‘But there again….Ouch!’ Kester puts a hand to his ear and pouts at Leonie. ‘That was uncalled for! Don’t go then. Doesn’t matter to me if your top has gone transparent in places. I’m quite enjoying it. Pink lace....mmmm.’

‘Oh!’ Leonie hurriedly pulls the material away from her body and slaps him again.

Kester grins as she scurries from the table.