Rough Justice Read Online Free PDF Page A

don’t want it all to go tits up.’
    ‘As far as I’m concerned, the tits are already up,’ said Simpson. ‘I didn’t sign up for rape. And I sure as hell didn’t know that Maloney here had form for it.’
    ‘Can we at least stop using names?’ said Grimshaw. ‘We’re not bloody amateurs.’
    ‘It’s too late for that,’ said Maloney. ‘The damage is done. We’re gonna have to top them all. Are you happy now, Simpson? We’re going to have to kill all three of them, however this pans out.’
    ‘Nobody has to kill nobody,’ said Grimshaw. ‘Look, guys, let’s just put the guns down, get the stuff in the vans and drive off into the bloody sunset. Then we can all go our separate ways.’
    ‘They know our bloody names!’ shouted Maloney.
    ‘How many bloody Maloneys do you think there are in the phone book, you tosser?’ sneered Grimshaw. ‘And a name’s no good without forensics or a face to put to it. We’re cool. Are we cool, Eddie?’
    ‘No, Lex, we’re as far from cool as you can get without falling out of the fridge.’
    ‘What? What the hell does that mean?’
    Simpson waved his shotgun. ‘I don’t know what it means. I just mean we’re not cool because Maloney’s a vengeful bastard and as soon as I lower my gun he’s going to shoot me. Aren’t you, Geoff?’
    ‘See?’ shouted Maloney. ‘Now he’s told them my first name.’
    ‘Forget the bloody names – the names don’t mean shit,’ said Grimshaw. He put his hands up as if he was trying to calm a startled horse. ‘Look, Eddie, tell me what you want to make this right. I don’t want you to pull that trigger and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to either. We can still make a good score here – we can all walk away with our heads held high.’
    ‘Tell Maloney to go downstairs.’
    ‘Sod that,’ said Maloney.
    ‘Go downstairs, Geoff,’ said Grimshaw.
    ‘Will you stop using my bloody name!’
    ‘It’s too late now. They already know your name.’
    ‘So we top them.’
    ‘We’re not topping anybody, Geoff.’
    Maloney waved his gun at Grimshaw. ‘I’m not going down for this. I’m not going to prison again. Not for you, not for anyone.’
    ‘No one’s going to prison,’ said Grimshaw. ‘We leaving no forensics. No one’s seen our faces, we’ll all have alibis. Names mean nothing. Now, get the hell downstairs and help the guys load the vans.’
    Maloney hesitated.
    ‘Now!’ roared Grimshaw. ‘Or I’ll bloody well shoot you myself.’
    Maloney muttered under his breath and left the bedroom, pointing a warning finger at Simpson as he went.
    ‘Thank you,’ Rawstorne said to Simpson. He had rolled onto his back and managed to get into a sitting position next to the bed.
    ‘Don’t thank me,’ snapped Simpson. ‘Just keep your mouth shut and let us do what we’re here to do.’
    Grimshaw picked up the holdall. ‘What do you want to do, Eddie? You wanna stay here with your new-found friends?’
    ‘This isn’t about choosing sides, it’s about not wanting to get involved in rape,’ said Simpson. ‘My sister was attacked a few years back. Got into a pirate mini-cab, bastard beat her up and screwed her without a condom. She got pregnant, had to have an abortion. Ruined her life. So don’t get in my face about this, okay?’
    Grimshaw nodded. ‘Okay, I get the picture. Fair enough.’ He put his gun back and pointed at the door. ‘Time to go.’
    ‘Haven’t you forgotten something?’
    Grimshaw frowned. ‘What?’
    Simpson gestured with his shotgun at Rawstorne’s mobile phone on the bedside table. ‘You’re going to leave that there, are you?’
    Grimshaw growled and went to pick it up.
    Simpson pointed his gun at Rawstorne. ‘Don’t even think of trying anything,’ he said. ‘Maloney’s still downstairs and he’s just looking for an excuse. Stay here and keep quiet. We’ll be gone in five minutes. You wait at least half an hour before you try to get free.’
    Rawstorne forced a smile.