Read Online Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole - Free Book Online

Michael’s ruggedness whereas Geoffrey had softer features, almost effeminate.
    Anthony spoke. His voice in the darkness caused Geoffrey to jump. ‘How much longer have we got to wait?’
    ‘How the hell do I know? What do you think I am? The Oracle or something?’
    ‘Very funny. You get on my wick, do you know that?’ Anthony’s usual animosity was coming to the fore. Anthony Ryan was known in his family as able to pick a fight with his own fingernails. The only person he was even remotely respectful to was Mickey. ‘You think because you’ve read a few crappy books you know it all.’ Geoffrey rolled his eyes up towards the roof of the car. ‘Do me a favour, Ant… Save all your hag for what we’ve got to do tonight. I ain’t in the mood.’
    They were silent again. Anthony was frustrated because he wasn’t as quick-brained as Geoffrey so always came off worse in an argument. It didn’t deter him though. He tried a different tack.
    ‘I saw that sort you’ve been knocking about with last night. I’d give her one meself.’ Knowing that it would annoy Geoffrey, Anthony braced himself for the ensuing argument. Instead, Geoffrey put his hand over his brother’s mouth. They listened. Footsteps were approaching the car. They sat tense and nervous. Anthony’s hard features looked as if they had been carved from stone. His fists were clenched tight on the steering wheel.
    The man who was walking towards them stepped into the light of a streetlamp. It was Joe the Fish. He was walking unsteadily along the road, obviously the worse for drink. Geoffrey nodded and Anthony started the car. He did not put on the headlights. Reversing back a little, they waited until Joe began crossing the intersection between Penzance Gardens and Princedale Road. Pushing his foot down on the accelerator, Anthony thrust the car forward. if
    Hearing a loud noise through his drunken haze, Joe turned in time to see the car coming at him. He raised his arm as if to protect himself as the car hit him full on. His body flew into the air and landed on the bonnet. His head crashed against the windscreen. Anthony slammed his foot on the brake. As the car screeched to a halt, Joe’s body slid from the bonnet on to the road. Anthony ran the car over him one more time before speeding off. The whole operation had taken less than three minutes. A woman who had been up getting herself a glass of water heard the commotion and ran out into the street. She took one look at Joe’s face and began to scream. Lights began to go on all over Princedale Road.
    Anthony and Geoffrey drove the car from Holland Park to Moscow Road in Bayswater. The streets were deserted. Parking the car they left it there and walked around to Porchester Terrace, throwing the keys to the Humber Snipe down a drainhole. In Porchester Terrace they picked up a blue Mark 1 Zephyr and drove sedately home to Lancaster Road. It was just three o’clock. Inside a private house in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, Michael picked up his cards and studied them carefully. He was on a winning streak tonight. He had three aces and two kings. Joe had left an hour earlier. He had been given
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    a lift to the Bayswater Road by a mutual friend, Derek O’Connor. If everything had gone according to plan then Joe was well and truly out of the picture, and he, Michael, had the perfect alibi. He smiled smugly to himself as he raised the bet by fifty pounds. If Geoffrey and Anthony had bungled the job tonight, he would personally batter their brains out. Sarah heard a loud banging on her front door. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was five o’clock in the morning. Sleepily she dragged herself out of bed. Benjamin was snoring his head off as usual, so it wasn’t the police after him - that would make a change. She yawned, went down the stairs and opened the front door. Two men stood there and she recognised at once that they were CID.
    ‘Is Michael at home, love?’
    Blinking her