The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) T. Belshaw (management books to read .txt) 📖

ones looking for him, love. He can’t hide for long in a town this size.’

Jess tried to hold the man’s stare but looked away after only a few seconds, then a mobile phone rang and the man on the bottom step answered it.

‘Yes… all right. We’re on our way.’ He pushed the phone back into his pocket and looked towards the taller man. ‘They’ve got an address.’

‘Did you hear that? They’ve got an address,’ he snarled. ‘I’d get on to the bank if I were you… and don’t even think about handing that number to the cops. It won’t be traced.’

Jess pulled back the door with her left hand and slammed it as hard as she could onto his knee. The man cursed and pulled his leg back, Jess quickly pushed the door shut, and turning to face the stairs, stood with her back against it as the man outside hurled threats at her.

After a minute or so, she heard a car engine start, she waited until it had pulled away before rushing through to the kitchen and blinking away the tears, she picked up her phone and dialled her father’s number.

‘Hello, Jess?’ For a man whose life was in mortal danger, her father didn’t sound too worried.

‘I’ve just had two men here making threats.’

‘Oh no! Jess, I did say they might find you. What did they say?’

‘They wanted money of course. Fifty thousand pounds.’

‘Fifty?’ Bill sounded puzzled.

‘The latest round of Interest is included.’

‘Jess, please, don’t mess with these people, just pay the money.’

‘I’m not giving them a penny, Dad.’

‘Jess, please. I don’t want you to get hurt. You don’t know what these people are like.’

‘What are they like, Dad? Do you know this pair?’

‘No, of course I don’t. I’m just saying. I know their type; I know their boss. These people will have been sent up from London. They’re with one of the East End gangs. I was warned about them.’

There was silence on the line, then Bill began to plead.

‘Jess, I beg you. I don’t want to die. I don’t want you to die. You live alone down there. I worry about you. I couldn’t get to you in time if there was a fire.’

‘Oh, so you know about the threat of a fire?’

‘No… no, it’s just one of the things they do if they can’t get people to pay up.’

Jess thought for a few moments.

‘Do London gangsters always drive around in twenty-year-old bangers?’

‘I don’t know… they might have stolen it… Jess, please pay the money. Parents should never have to attend their children’s funeral. It should be—’

‘You’re disgusting. Don’t try to scare me like that. Your friends couldn’t and nor will you.’

‘Jess, they’re not my friends, I don’t know who they are. I’m just worried about you, honestly, love, I’m more concerned about your life than mine. It’s my fault we’re both in this mess, but there is a way out. Just do as they ask, darling.’

‘Don’t give me the darling bit. I saw through that when I was eight.’

‘Jess… wait, there’s a car pulling up outside. Oh God, Jess, please, let me tell them you’re going to pay up… Look, your mum is here, I don’t want her to get hurt.’

‘YOU BASTARD!’

‘Jess, please.’

‘Dad, I saw through this scheme of yours as soon as you picked the phone up.’

‘What do you mean, scheme. I don’t—’

‘Dad,’ Jess spoke slowly and calmly. ‘Here’s how I worked it out… One! East End gangsters wouldn’t be seen dead in cheap, Asda suits. Two! East End gangsters wouldn’t be seen dead in a twenty-year-old car that sounds like it’s about to conk out. Three! East End gangsters don’t speak WITH A LOCAL ACCENT! I grew up with that accent, Dad. I know a Spinton accent when I hear one. I doubt if that pair have ever been out of town in their lives.’

‘I don’t know where they’re from, Jess. They might be working for the local hoods.’

‘Or they might be working for you.’

‘Jess…’

‘Dad. I’m not going to go to the police straight away. I’m going to give you one last chance. Now, go back to wherever it was you came from, get out of our lives for good. I’m coming over to Mum’s on Saturday, and if you’re still there, I’ll call the police there and then.’

‘You think you’re so clever,’ he sneered, ‘but there are people in this town who would genuinely hurt you, and I really don’t want that to happen.’

‘Who, Dad? Who would think I’m worth killing? They’d never get the money if anything happened to me. If I die, the trust goes to a farm worker’s charity.’

‘They can still hurt you, Jess. The Duncan brothers are a bad lot. I’m still on their radar from five years ago. These people never forget, especially when money is concerned. Don’t be surprised if they call again, one dark night.’

‘I’m ending the call now, Dad. I meant what I said. I never want to see you again. Goodbye.’

Jess hit the red button to end the call, then sat down at the kitchen table and with her head in her hands, sobbed until there were no tears left.

At six-thirty, Jess was just about to cook herself dinner when there was a knock on the door. She tiptoed to the front window and opened a crack in the front curtains. To her relief, she saw Wade standing at the bottom of the steps.

‘Hi, Wade, come in.’ Jess stood aside as the technician stepped inside carrying her laptop.

‘It only took twenty minutes to remove the spyware. It was an amateurish attempt really.’

‘Calvin won’t like being called an amateur,’ said Jess with a little laugh. ‘He thinks he’s a tech guru.’

Wade put the laptop on the kitchen table and opened it up. ‘There was a spyware tracking app on it, but that was all. This guy Calvin, or whoever it was that loaded it on, attempted to add a bit of extra code to the tracker. It’s different with phones. Lots of people use the