the images that comment stirred in his head. “I thought you were going to try and speak more politely at work.”
“Sorry, I thought we were just chatting. Do you want to kill Dane?”
“No,” he exclaimed. “He’s a good business partner, we make each other a lot of cash. His past with you is not my business,” he said before hastily turning his attention to some papers on his desk.
Jules smiled at the top of his bowed head, amused, while Jez looked from one to the other with a frown. One day he’d work out what the hell their relationship was.
“How did you deal with the attack on his business?” Jules asked.
“By doing nothing,” replied Jez. “He handled it pretty well on his own.”
“This was an attack on us too.”
“It was just a group of junkies chancing their arm,” said Jez.
“I bet Jared Slattery’s behind it.”
“It’s possible, but what can he do all the way up here?”
“Take my advice and don’t take any chances. You don’t want to embarrass yourselves by not looking into it properly and letting a bunch of no-necks get the better of you.”
“Yes, thank you Jules for telling us our business but we have already thought of that,” said Jez. “We’ve got Grant and Mark still looking for Bobby Nilsen.”
“They’re both really good at what they do but at times like this I wish Battler and Bruiser still worked for us,” said Mikey. “There was no one like them for battering in someone’s door and scaring the living shit out of them.”
“I wouldn’t mind that pair bursting in on me in the shower,” grinned Jules. “Sorry,” she added when they both looked at her disapprovingly.
“Anyway,” continued Jez. “Hopefully they’ll find him and neutralise him.”
“Neutralise him?” said Jules. “I didn’t have you down as the type to use euphemisms.”
“I’m trying to be subtle. You should try it sometime.”
Jules just smiled at him and pulled the pack of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket. When Mikey opened his mouth to yell at her she stuffed them back in.
“You should really quit,” said Jez.
“I enjoy it. Do I tell you not to keep impregnating Cathy?”
“Ha fucking ha,” he frowned. He glanced at Mikey, who had drifted off into his own world. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I was just wondering, how did it feel seeing Alice again?” he asked Jules. “Does it do you some good or is it a torment?”
“What sort of weird question is that?” said Jez.
“Just curious.”
Jules however understood his reason for asking. “Well, it used to be hard work. I was so scared she was going to tell someone about how the fire really started but as time went on I realised she was the scared one. Now it’s not a problem, although she isn’t pleasant to look at. Why?”
“Just wondering. That must be Grant and Mark,” he added when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
The two men entered, looking sheepish.
“Well?” said Jez.
“Sorry Boss,” said Grant. “We can’t find Nilsen anywhere and everyone’s denying all knowledge. The Starklaws have vanished too.”
“They’ll be holed up together, like a bunch of sewer rats,” hissed Jules.
“This is far more than someone taking pot shots at us, it’s a fucking plot,” exclaimed Jez.
“You’re probably right,” said Jules. “A power grab - Nilsen and the Starklaws working together with Jared Slattery. They’re going to keep hitting us then hiding in the shadows.”
“So how do we find them?” said Mikey.
“We could grab someone they care about and use them to draw them out of hiding,” offered Grant.
“Nilsen and the Starklaws don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves,” said Jez.
“The Starklaws’ crew are notoriously gobby,” said Jules. “We could track one of them down and make them tell us where they’re hiding.”
“If we can find them,” said Mikey.
“There’s always the planks Dane put in hospital who turned over his business. They
“Sorry, I thought we were just chatting. Do you want to kill Dane?”
“No,” he exclaimed. “He’s a good business partner, we make each other a lot of cash. His past with you is not my business,” he said before hastily turning his attention to some papers on his desk.
Jules smiled at the top of his bowed head, amused, while Jez looked from one to the other with a frown. One day he’d work out what the hell their relationship was.
“How did you deal with the attack on his business?” Jules asked.
“By doing nothing,” replied Jez. “He handled it pretty well on his own.”
“This was an attack on us too.”
“It was just a group of junkies chancing their arm,” said Jez.
“I bet Jared Slattery’s behind it.”
“It’s possible, but what can he do all the way up here?”
“Take my advice and don’t take any chances. You don’t want to embarrass yourselves by not looking into it properly and letting a bunch of no-necks get the better of you.”
“Yes, thank you Jules for telling us our business but we have already thought of that,” said Jez. “We’ve got Grant and Mark still looking for Bobby Nilsen.”
“They’re both really good at what they do but at times like this I wish Battler and Bruiser still worked for us,” said Mikey. “There was no one like them for battering in someone’s door and scaring the living shit out of them.”
“I wouldn’t mind that pair bursting in on me in the shower,” grinned Jules. “Sorry,” she added when they both looked at her disapprovingly.
“Anyway,” continued Jez. “Hopefully they’ll find him and neutralise him.”
“Neutralise him?” said Jules. “I didn’t have you down as the type to use euphemisms.”
“I’m trying to be subtle. You should try it sometime.”
Jules just smiled at him and pulled the pack of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket. When Mikey opened his mouth to yell at her she stuffed them back in.
“You should really quit,” said Jez.
“I enjoy it. Do I tell you not to keep impregnating Cathy?”
“Ha fucking ha,” he frowned. He glanced at Mikey, who had drifted off into his own world. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I was just wondering, how did it feel seeing Alice again?” he asked Jules. “Does it do you some good or is it a torment?”
“What sort of weird question is that?” said Jez.
“Just curious.”
Jules however understood his reason for asking. “Well, it used to be hard work. I was so scared she was going to tell someone about how the fire really started but as time went on I realised she was the scared one. Now it’s not a problem, although she isn’t pleasant to look at. Why?”
“Just wondering. That must be Grant and Mark,” he added when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
The two men entered, looking sheepish.
“Well?” said Jez.
“Sorry Boss,” said Grant. “We can’t find Nilsen anywhere and everyone’s denying all knowledge. The Starklaws have vanished too.”
“They’ll be holed up together, like a bunch of sewer rats,” hissed Jules.
“This is far more than someone taking pot shots at us, it’s a fucking plot,” exclaimed Jez.
“You’re probably right,” said Jules. “A power grab - Nilsen and the Starklaws working together with Jared Slattery. They’re going to keep hitting us then hiding in the shadows.”
“So how do we find them?” said Mikey.
“We could grab someone they care about and use them to draw them out of hiding,” offered Grant.
“Nilsen and the Starklaws don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves,” said Jez.
“The Starklaws’ crew are notoriously gobby,” said Jules. “We could track one of them down and make them tell us where they’re hiding.”
“If we can find them,” said Mikey.
“There’s always the planks Dane put in hospital who turned over his business. They
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