‘When you were together, I suppose you talked about your life, your friends…?’
‘He wanted to know all about me.’ Her mouth twisted with bitterness. ‘He asked about my friends… he did seem particularly interested in you, but I thought it was because of your dad being Max Carter. You know what it’s like when the champagne’s flowing – I spilled my guts, I told him everything he wanted to know.’
‘He used you,’ said Layla. ‘To get to me.’
‘Yeah, I know that now.’ Precious sobbed. ‘He beat me up, Layla. He beat me up. And you know what he said before he did it?’
Layla shook her head.
‘He said, “Now I am going to hurt you, Precious. First you, then Layla Carter, then Annie Carter and Max Carter too. I’m sorry as hell about it, but I need to send a little message to the Carter clan.”’ She winced again. ‘“Tell them this is from me,” he said. “From Rufus Malone.” Those were his exact words.’
Junior wasn’t at his usual digs, so Max went with Tony to the safe house in Ilford where his mother and sister were staying. Molly opened the door to him, looking sullen.
‘Junior here?’ asked Max.
‘Who is it?’ called a female voice from the bowels of the house.
It was Kath, Annie’s cousin – Max knew that foghorn voice of old. Then Junior came clumping down the stairs.
‘Who is-’ he started, then froze mid-step when he saw Max standing there with Tony, a bald-headed three hundred pounds of muscle, right behind him.
‘Yeah, it’s me,’ said Max. ‘Having a cosy family visit, are we? Come on outside, I want a word.’
But instead of doing as he was told, Junior hopped over the newel post and took off up the hall to the back of the house.
Max let out a curse and shot off after him. He shoved past Molly, who responded with a string of colourful swear words in protest. Then he ran along the hall, into the kitchen. He had a quick impression of Kath sitting fat and shabby at the kitchen table, yelling something at him, but he was focused on Junior, who had flung the back door wide and was now legging it away down the garden.
Junior had youth on his side, but Max was in far better physical shape. He charged after the youngster, who was halfway up a six-foot fence when Max caught him and dragged him off.
‘You little fuck,’ snarled Max. Junior’s reaction to the sight of him had told Max everything he needed to know.
Junior was scrabbling to get his footing when Max swung him against the fence. All the breath went out of him in a loud humph as he hit. Max hauled him away, then slammed him against the fence again. A neighbour’s dog was going berserk on the other side of it, barking its head off, drowning out whatever Junior was shouting at the top of his lungs. Wrapping an arm round Junior’s head, Max clamped him in a vice-lock until he stopped shouting and started to turn purple.