Double Dealings (The Kennedy Twins) by Stephanie Harte

Author:Stephanie Harte [Harte, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2024-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

31

MACKENZIE

When I pulled up outside The Castle, my heart started hammering in my chest. All the windows at the front of the pub had been blown out. Some of them had shattered into tiny pieces, while the others bore the telltale sign of bullet holes. I felt a shiver run down my spine. I’d never forgive myself if something had happened to Roscoe and Bernice.

I jumped out of the car and rushed up to the entrance. I had to slow my step when I got closer, treading carefully as I crunched over shards of glass littering the pavement. The pub seemed eerily quiet. But I couldn’t rule out whoever had done this might still be inside. Reluctant as I was to come face to face with the culprit, I couldn’t afford to bottle it, so I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. I was bricking it, scared of what I might find.

Roscoe was standing in front of the driftwood mantelpiece staring at the open fire when I walked in, but he turned away from the roaring flames to face me. He had a tumbler of dark spirit clamped in his right hand. A half-full bottle of Courvoisier sat on the wooden barrel table closest to him.

‘Thank God you’re all right. What the hell happened?’ I asked.

‘Samson took it upon himself to threaten Bernice with a sawn-off shotgun, and when she didn’t give him what he wanted, he turned the shooter on my boozer,’ Roscoe said, and then he downed the contents of his glass.

‘Jesus. Is she hurt?’

Roscoe shook his head. ‘She’s a bit shaken up, but that’s understandable. She’ll be as right as rain in no time. She’s a strong woman.’

I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. Roscoe hadn’t gone into details, but you didn’t need to be a genius to work out who Samson had come looking for.

‘So did you find Carly?’ Roscoe asked, changing the subject.

I was surprised he was pushing the incident to one side as though it was nothing, but that suited me just fine. No doubt Roscoe had a plan to get even.

‘Yeah. My source was right. She’s living at the hostel,’ I replied.

‘What did she have to say for herself?’

‘She said she was sorry, and she promised she’d pay back every penny,’ I replied.

‘Too right she will. She should count herself lucky I’m not adding interest! Did she say why she took it?’ Roscoe pulled out a chair, reached for the bottle and topped up his glass.

‘No, and I know this doesn’t excuse what she did, but I got the impression she’s in some kind of trouble.’

Roscoe put his drink down on the barrel and straightened his posture. ‘Why? What did she say?’

‘She didn’t say anything, but she’d have to be pretty desperate to bother nicking a couple of hundred quid. It’s not worth the aggro. And the place she’s living in is an absolute dive. You’d be hard pushed to find anywhere worse,’ I reported.

Roscoe shook his head. He seemed troubled to hear that she was so down on her luck.

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