Takedown by Heather Atkinson (latest books to read txt) 📕

“It’s a shame you can’t cheer Kev up the same way,” she grinned.

“That wasn’t like you earlier,” he said, fastening his jeans.

“I know but after everything we’ve been through we’re all bound to change. Kev too.”

“I suppose.”

They looked at each other when there was a knock at the front door. A brown A4 envelope was slipped through the letterbox.

“Stay here,” he told Faith.

She watched as he walked over to the door and studied the envelope before picking it up. After deciding there wasn’t anything harmful inside, he tore it open and produced a handful of photos.

“Oh God,” he said.

“What is it?” replied Faith.

He held them out to her and Faith snatched them off him. She was appalled to see images of herself and Vance together in a compromising position.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed. Her first thought was that these were copies of the photos Lenny Paisley had of them together, until she realised the backdrop was different. Rather than a warehouse wall, Vance had her pressed up against a tree. “These were taken the other day,” she breathed. “When we went to our special glade.”

“We were being followed and we didn’t even realise.” He spotted something written on the back of one of the photos and pulled it out of her hand. “It says dirty incestuousbastards. Your secret’s going to come out.” His gaze darkened. “This is down to Adam.”

“It does look like his writing.” Her eyes widened. “Matthew was going to speak to him.”

“Then we need to get to him before he does.”

CHAPTER 13

After frantically pulling on their coats and shoes, Faith and Vance ran out of the building and jumped into the latter’s car.

“Do you know where Adam lives?” Vance asked her.

“No but I know he works at a garage on Rawcliffe Street.”

“Then let’s go there.”

They arrived at the garage in a state of high agitation but Adam’s boss said it was his day off. When they said they had something they needed to tell him urgently and asked where they could find him, the man became suspicious and refused to tell them anything else.

“Shit,” yelled Faith when they were back in the car.

“Maybe we should just let him out us?” said Vance.

“Are you mad?”

“We’d finally be free to be ourselves.”

“Do you really want the family to find out by seeing those photos? And we’d lose the respect of everyone in the town. Imagine what that would mean for business. You were just talking about us needing to stick together. This would tear us apart while we’re vulnerable and we’d never get the product back.”

“You’re right,” he sighed. “It’s not the right time but where can he be?”

“He told me he spends a lot of time at the gym.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s all we’ve got. We have to try.”

“I’ll look up the local gyms,” she said, taking out her phone.

“Forget the one on Vicarage Lane. I go there, so I know he doesn’t go to that one.”

“Oh good. That rounds it down to fifteen.”

“Christ,” he sighed, dragging his hands down his face.

“There might be another way. He’s good friends with the barman in one of the hotels on the promenade. He’ll give us his phone number.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because he regularly buys product off us. If he doesn’t give us the information we want then I’ll ensure his God-fearing mother finds out about his habit.”

“It’s worth a try.”

Faith breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into the tacky outdated hotel and spotted Adam’s friend working behind the bar. There was only one table occupied by two people enjoying coffee. Faith stalked up to the bar alone. She’d left Vance in the car.

“Hello Ian.”

He went rigid at the sound of her voice and slowly turned to face her, a bottle of white wine in one hand. “Faith,” he smiled, voice trembling with nerves. “Are you here for a drink?”

“No. I’m here for information.”

“Oh yes? How can I help?”

“I want Adam Parker’s address and phone number.”

“Why?”

“None of your fucking business,” she said, careful to keep her voice low.

“All right but it didn’t come from me.”

“Of course not.”

He put down the bottle, picked up a pad and pen and scribbled down the number. He tore the slip of paper off the pad and held it out to her. “Here you go,” he said, attempting a breezy smile and failing, relieved when she snatched it from him and left.

Faith Chambers scared the crap out of him and lately she’d been getting even scarier.

“I’ve got it,” Faith told Vance as she got back in the car. “Adam’s phone number and address.”

“Let’s try his home first. Does he live alone?”

“I think so, after he split up with his fiancée.”

“Then let’s get over there.”

They pulled up outside a rather tatty two up two down terraced house with a strip of neglected garden out front. Vance stormed up to the door and banged his fist on it but no one answered.

“I don’t think he’s in,” said Faith, peering through the front room window. Although the glass was grimy she could make out dirty crockery lying on the floor as well as heaps of clothes. If this was indeed Adam’s house and Ian hadn’t given her the wrong address – which she didn’t think he would, he was far too much of a wimp – then Adam had taken a serious downhill slide. He had always been rather fastidious about cleanliness and neatness. The Adam she knew wouldn’t live in a mess like that.

“Shall we try calling him?” said Vance.

“Looks like we’ve no choice. I’ll call him from the car.”

They climbed back