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  Leigh shuddered when she thought about how her life could have turned out so differently. What would have become of her if she hadn’t aborted Nathan Conlon’s child? If he’d divorced Grace and married her instead, as she had once begged him to do? Would it be her sitting in a mansion in South Liverpool? She had to believe that she would have never have sunk so low, but who knew? She had been an entirely different person back then. She smiled at the irony of it all. If it wasn’t for Grace Carter, she’d have been left for dead in an alleyway. Grace had saved her life, and given her the chance to become who she was today. And it would be Grace who’d try to stand in her way when she finally brought the Conlon–Carter empire down. Leigh would do it though. Even if that meant bringing Grace down too.

  Chapter Three

  Michael was waiting at the open front door by the time Grace and Connor arrived home at a quarter past midnight. Connor walked up the path first and Michael pulled his son into a hug before ushering him inside.

  ‘I told you I’d bring them home,’ Grace said with a smile as she reached him.

  He put an arm around her. ‘I never doubted you for a second,’ he replied. ‘Where’s Jake?’

  ‘Gone to his club. Said he needed a drink and didn’t want to talk about anything. Not yet anyway.’

  Michael didn’t respond as they walked into the house together and Grace suspected he was resisting the urge to say something she might not appreciate. She was well aware that she had overlooked too much of Jake’s selfish behaviour recently, but what choice did she have? He was her son and he was in pain. So even if, on this occasion, she might agree with whatever Michael had to say, she was still grateful that he chose not to say it.

  Walking into the living room, Grace saw Connor and his heavily pregnant girlfriend Jasmine locked in an embrace. Jasmine was holding onto him as though she might never let him go and Grace could hear her gentle sobbing.

  Seeing them walk into the room, Connor gently pulled away from her. ‘I’m not going anywhere, babe. I promise,’ he assured her, before turning his attention to Grace and Michael.

  Jasmine turned to look at them too and Grace noticed how tired she looked. At eight months pregnant, and after the day they’d all had, she had every reason to be.

  ‘I’m sorry, I must like a right mess,’ Jasmine said as she wiped the tears from her face. ‘Pregnancy hormones?’ she added with a slight shrug.

  Grace walked over to her and gave her a hug. ‘Well, either that or this one and my son almost giving us all a heart attack,’ she said as she pulled away and nodded towards Connor.

  Jasmine laughed and gave Connor a playful shove. ‘Oh yeah, and that.’

  Connor held his hands up in mock surrender. ‘Don’t blame me. I didn’t plan to be arrested for murder when I got out of bed this morning.’

  A silence fell across the room and nobody spoke for a moment, not wanting to think about the potential implications of that statement.

  ‘Why don’t you head off to bed, babe? You look shattered,’ Connor said to Jasmine.

  ‘Yes, I think I will,’ she said. ‘I’ll see you all in the morning. Goodnight.’

  ‘Goodnight, Jazz,’ Grace and Michael said.

  ‘I’ll be up soon, babe,’ Connor said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘Brandy?’ Michael asked as Jasmine left the room.

  ‘Yep, and make it a large one,’ Connor replied.

  ‘Just a small one for me,’ Grace added.

  Connor knocked his drink back straightaway and Michael quickly poured him another.

  When the three of them each had a drink in hand and were sitting comfortably, Grace was finally able to ask the question she was sure she knew the answer to, but had to ask anyway.

  ‘So, did you and Jake do it?’

  Connor nodded and sat back against the sofa with a sigh. ‘We hadn’t planned to, but it just got out of hand. Neither of us were thinking straight. We just wanted … for Paul…’

  Michael placed a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder. ‘We know, son.’

  Grace appreciated that it was painful talking about what happened, but now wasn’t the time to let emotions run away with them. She had to know what happened and whether the police would find any further evidence, or, more importantly, whether there was anything she could do to prevent that from happening. ‘Faye said the police didn’t seem to have much to go on. That it was all circumstantial?’

  ‘Yeah. Seemed to be. They have our car driving into the street around the time of the murder, but thanks to the building works at the end of the road, no CCTV of us leaving the same road. They took our fingerprints and DNA samples, but we both wore gloves, so it’s not likely we’d have left any of our DNA on the body. We weren’t cut or anything.’

  ‘Did you use any weapons?’

  Connor shook his head.

  ‘Well, at least there won’t be a weapon to be found, or any fragments on the body that could have your DNA on,’ she said as she sat forward. ‘But Faye mentioned they had an eyewitness?’

  ‘Yes. She told us that. But there were no witnesses, I told you that.’

  ‘How are you so sure no one could have seen you? It could have been a neighbour who saw you go in the house.’

  ‘That street’s half empty. Most of the houses are boarded up. And the people who do live there don’t talk to the filth. None of them saw us, but even if they did, they wouldn’t have talked. I guarantee it.’

  ‘Was there anyone else in the house?’ Grace asked.

  ‘No. We checked.’

  ‘But Billy lived with his youngest brother Scott. So maybe he was there and you didn’t find him?’ she said, aware that after a day of being interviewed, the last thing Connor probably wanted to do was answer more questions, but it was important that she knew everything that there was to know. She had to think of every angle, just as the police would.

  ‘He may have been there before we arrived, but he definitely wasn’t there afterwards – we checked. And if he’d been there and seen his brother getting the shit kicked out of him, he’d have phoned the bizzies, wouldn’t he?’

  Grace nodded and sat back in her chair, deep in thought. ‘Faye said that it was Scott and Craig who found the body. I think maybe Scott was at the house before you got in, and he went to get his brother.’

  ‘You’re probably right,’ Michael said.

  ‘So, you think Scott’s the witness then? But he must have lied and told them he saw us going into the house,’ Connor said.

  ‘How else would he be an eyewitness? He would have to have seen you, and if you’re sure he didn’t, then he must have lied,’ Grace replied.

  ‘But why is he just coming forward now?’ Michael asked.

  ‘Maybe he’s not. Faye mentioned she thought the police had revealed their hand too soon. Maybe they’ve been trying to put together an investigation for a while but this is all they’ve come up with?’

  ‘Or maybe he’s only just plucked up the nerve?’ Michael added.

  ‘Whatever the reason, I think Scott Johnson may be the key to all of this,’ Grace said.

  ‘Well, let’s just see if Faye can work her magic first, eh?’ Michael said as he downed his brandy.

  ‘Either way, the Johnson brothers are going to need managing,’ Connor reminded them.

  Grace nodded but she saw the hint of a scowl flicker across Michael’s face. He’d been getting increasingly restless lately. Talking about moving out to the suburbs and selling the security business. He seemed to want to turn his back on everything they had built. She knew it was because of Paul’s death. He wanted better for their remaining children, but he didn’t understand that they couldn’t just walk away and leave Connor and Jake to handle things. Not until the boys had proved they were capable of doing so, at least. And so far, they hadn’t. What Michael didn’t seem to realise was that leaving this life behind them might protect Belle and Oscar, but it would be tantamount to throwing Jake and Connor to the lions. Grace couldn�
��t bear to think what might happen if both she and Michael took their eye off the ball. They both wanted to protect their family, but they both had different ideas about how to go about it. It was a strange feeling when he wasn’t on the same page as her, and one she wasn’t used to. He’d always had her back. He had always trusted her judgement. Perhaps he still did, but she wasn’t so sure…

  ‘Any chance of a refill?’ Connor asked as he held up his empty glass.

  ‘Of course,’ Michael said, standing up and taking the glass from his son’s outstretched hand.

  ‘I think I’ll head to bed and leave you two boys to it,’ Grace said as she stood up too. ‘It’s been a long day.’

  ‘I’ll be up soon, love,’ Michael said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  Grace slipped out of the room and left them to it.

  Grace looked up from her phone to see Michael entering the bedroom. He walked towards her as she sat on the bed, placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

  ‘Has Connor gone to bed?’ she asked him.

  ‘Yeah. That last glass of brandy sent him over the edge. I practically had to carry him upstairs.’

  ‘It’s been a tough day,’ Grace said.

  ‘For everyone,’ Michael replied as he sat on the bed beside her.

  Grace placed her hand on his. ‘How are you feeling?’

  Michael shrugged. ‘Better now that Connor and Jake have been released. But this isn’t going away, is it?’

  Grace shook her head. ‘Not for a while,’ she replied with a sigh. ‘But Faye is the best. And if she can’t fix it, we always have other means at our disposal.’

  ‘Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.’

  Grace nodded. Although she hoped so too, there was nothing she wouldn’t do to prevent Jake and Connor going to prison for murder and if what Connor had told her about that night was true, then she was in no doubt that the police’s eyewitness was the youngest Johnson brother, Scott. It would be easy enough to get to him, but if she got to him now, it might look too suspicious and make the police even more determined. However, if she left it too late, the police could build a stronger case. Without knowing exactly what the police had, it was hard to determine what to do for the best. Grace was sure that her meeting with Faye the following day would give her some answers. For now, all she could do was wait.

  ‘What time are you meeting with Faye tomorrow?’ Michael asked as if reading her thoughts.

  ‘We didn’t agree a time. I’ll probably go over in the afternoon. You coming with me?’

  ‘Yeah. It will be good to hear what she has to say. Then we can plan our next move.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I was thinking,’ Grace said as she turned to look at him. The day had taken its toll on him. In the past, he’d have taken something like this in his stride, but since Paul’s murder he’d lost something of himself – he’d once had a belief that things would always work out in the end. Understandably, he no longer viewed the world in quite the same way.

  ‘You didn’t know I could read your mind, did you?’ Michael said with a faint laugh.

  ‘Well, you must know what I’m thinking now then?’ she said as she turned her body and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  ‘I think I have a pretty good idea,’ he answered with a grin before pushing her back onto the bed and smothering her with a kiss.

  Chapter Four

  Grace looked around Faye Donovan’s beautifully furnished office while she and Michael waited for her to arrive. She’d been delayed at court and was running late, which wasn’t unusual for her. Grace had first met Faye ten years earlier when Michael’s father, Patrick, had found himself in a spot of bother with the police while doing some business for her. Even back then, before she’d married Michael, Patrick had been like a father to her, so she’d looked around for the best solicitor she could find and had stumbled upon Faye.

  Faye Donovan was a formidable opponent and a formidable woman. She was only a few years older than Grace, and the two of them had hit it off straightaway. Grace had been impressed by Faye’s commitment and her willingness to do whatever it took to get the job done. Grace supposed they were alike in many ways, and the two women had worked together ever since.

  Glancing across at Michael, who was sitting beside her nursing the now lukewarm coffee Faye’s assistant had brought them ten minutes earlier, she wondered just how much longer Faye was going to keep them waiting. Michael looked up at her and was about to speak when the large wooden office door swung open and a breathless Faye walked through it. Grace had always marvelled at how quickly Faye could walk in five-inch heels.

  She smiled at the two of them as she brushed her long blonde hair back from her face. ‘I’m so sorry to keep you both waiting,’ she said as she walked past and took a seat opposite them. ‘I just couldn’t get away this morning.’

  ‘No problem. Beth made us a coffee while we waited,’ Grace answered with a smile.

  Michael nodded and downed the last of his, before placing his cup on the desk.

  Faye nodded and leaned forward in her chair. The smile slipped from her face and her carefully composed and cool façade took its place, signalling that the pleasantries were over with.

  ‘Your boys have got themselves into a bit of a mess with his one. I’ve told them they’ll need to be careful from now on and expect every move they make to be under scrutiny. They could well be under surveillance. That new DI, Leigh Moss, is on a crusade. She’s determined to make them go down for this. But that could also be the very thing that tips the scales in our favour.’

  ‘Oh? How so?’ Grace asked as Michael placed his warm hand over hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  ‘I think DI Moss may have jumped the gun arresting them when she did. She could have taken the time to build a better case in my opinion, but she obviously thought what she had was enough.’

  ‘And is it?’ Grace asked.

  Faye gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. ‘There’s an eyewitness – apparently. Not enough to charge them with yesterday, but who knows what will happen in the future?’

  ‘Maybe she didn’t have anything else to build a case with? Maybe this eyewitness is all she’s got?’

  ‘It was certainly all she had, but now she has the boys’ prints and their DNA…’

  Michael nodded. ‘That’s why she pulled them in then.’

  ‘If they left any prints at the scene…’ Faye started, not needing to finish her sentence.

  ‘They said they wore gloves,’ Grace replied.

  ‘Let’s hope so. Limits the chance of any DNA being left behind too.’

  ‘So who is this eyewitness?’ Grace asked.

  Faye shook her head. ‘They haven’t disclosed yet. But I’m working on it.’

  ‘I have a feeling it’s Scott Johnson,’ Grace said. ‘He lived with Billy. He’s the only one who could have seen anything, and he’s probably the only one green enough to go to the police about it if he did.’

  ‘From what the boys told me, they’re sure there was no one else around, but you never know,’ Faye added with a raise of her eyebrows.

  ‘What do you think the chances are that they’ll go down for this?’ Michael asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

  Faye looked at him, as though giving serious thought to his question. ‘If you want my honest answer, in a murder trial it could go either way. If this witness is credible, and he really did see something, he could be the key to the whole thing…’

  ‘But?’ Michael asked, as though he was waiting for her to finish her sentence.

  ‘But if anyone can discredit a witness, to gain the sympathies of a jury, then it’s Faye,’ Grace replied for her.

  Faye gave a faint smile. ‘I’ve certainly beaten worse odds before.’

  ‘But there’s a chance they’ll go down for life if this ever goes to trial?’ Michael snapped.

  Faye nodded. ‘There’s always a chance if it goes to trial. But I’ll
do my best to make sure that never happens. I promise.’

  ‘And so will we,’ Grace said as she looked at her husband.

  Michael sat back in his chair, his shoulders slumped as though in defeat. ‘We’ll fix this,’ Grace said to him as she placed a hand on his arm. He looked at her and nodded but Grace saw no conviction in his eyes.

  Grace leaned back in her seat as Michael pulled the car away from the kerb and began the drive home from the city centre to their home in Mossley Hill.

  ‘Are you still going into the office?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Yeah. I need to sort some stuff out. I won’t be too long though.’

  ‘No problem. I have to take the kids to that party anyway.’

  They drove in silence for a few moments before Michael spoke again. ‘So, what are we going to do about Scott Johnson?’ Michael asked.

  Grace closed her eyes. ‘I don’t know yet. We need to be careful. If we approach him, we need to be one hundred per cent certain that he’ll co-operate. Or…’

  ‘Or we need to make sure that he doesn’t have the chance to co-operate with anyone?’ Michael finished her sentence for her.

  ‘Exactly,’ Grace replied.

  She heard a soft sigh and out of the corner of her eye saw Michael shaking his head.

  ‘What?’ she asked him. While they might be effectively discussing the elimination of Scott Johnson, it was nothing they hadn’t done before to protect their family.

  ‘Nothing,’ he replied.

  ‘Don’t lie to me. What’s going on with you?’

  Michael turned to face her as they stopped at the traffic lights on Edge Lane. ‘Our kids might go down for murder, Grace. That’s what’s going on with me,’ he snapped at her.