‘Their mouths and hands – tie ’em up nice and tight.’
Annie did so, seething with anger. He should have told her he was planning this. Furiously she started ripping off lengths of tape, roughly gagging the two men and securing them in their chairs.
‘That’s good.’ When both men were gagged and bound, Max and Alberto gave their guns to Annie. ‘Take ’em out to Dora.’
She hurried in the direction the cloakroom attendant had vanished, and found the woman waiting outside in the alley behind the building, puffing on a cigarette. Annie handed her the guns, scissors and duct tape.
‘When did Max set this up?’ Annie asked.
‘Yesterday,’ said Dora with a quick smile.
‘You’re going to have to make yourself scarce.’
‘All arranged. I’m gone.’ Dora sniffed in disdain. ‘Never did like working for that bastard anyway. He’s all hands.’
Annie went back inside, through the cloakroom, into the office section where the two men were tied up and where Max and Alberto were waiting for her.
‘Are we set?’ asked Max.
She nodded.
‘OK, let’s go.’
They went out into the lobby. ‘Addicted to Love’ was blaring out of the club, and through a swinging bead curtain painted with dolphins they could see a tired-looking stripper bumping along in time to the music, peeling off layers for her adoring public. Max paused by the door and spoke to the Delaney heavies.
‘Benny says he don’t want to be disturbed for a half-hour or so,’ he said. ‘He’s got some urgent work he wants to get through.’ Max gave a shark-like smile. ‘And the mood he’s in, I wouldn’t risk it, if I were you, or he might just decide to tear you an extra arsehole.’
The Carters and the Barolli boys departed into the night.
‘I want a word with you,’ said Annie to Max as they strode towards the cars.
‘Save it. We’ve bought a bit of time, until Benny with the fashionable footwear manages to put in a call to Rufus and warn him we’re on our way. Best make use of it.’ Taking her arm, Max walked her to the Jag, where Tone was waiting. ‘Get her home,’ he said, and hustled her inside the car, closing the door behind her and hurrying away.
Fuck you, Max Carter, she thought.
Tone climbed in behind the wheel, and drove her home.
By the time they got to the Partyland amusement arcade in Southend, it was gone midnight and the whole place was in darkness, the shutters pulled down against the vandals. Everyone piled out of the cars gloved up and with masks over their faces. They paused outside the side door.
Steve stepped forward and, using a heavy police battering-ram, he broke the door in. The alarms started going, but what the hell, they’d be in and out and away before the rozzers responded.