No Going Back by Casey Kelleher (bill gates books recommendations TXT) 📕

‘But I thought…’

‘We know nothing about Riley’s disappearance. All we know is what we’ve been following on the telly. It’s all anyone is talking about right now,’ Sam said, letting the news sink in.

The world and his wife were talking about Riley. How could they not? The disappearance of a one-day-old baby boy from hospital had everyone’s attention.

‘I’m sorry that it’s happened to you, Ashley. But trust me, like Russ said, kids ain’t our style. We draw the line at that sick shit. It’s not something we’d ever get mixed up in.’ His tone was genuine, sympathetic even. ‘But I’m glad you saw sense and finally paid up,’ he added, opening the bag and eyeing the piles of money.

‘The police are looking for a Jay-Jay Andrews. He works for you? He’s the guy who attacked Shelby, isn’t he? If you haven’t got Riley, then he has,’ Ashley said, unwittingly raising his voice a few notes, panic consuming him now that the trail might run cold. That he might never find Riley. He’d fleeced Pete for twenty grand in the hope that the payback would be bigger than the fallout. On the understanding that as soon as he brought Riley back his father-in-law would forget all about the money. He’d be forgiven. Shelby would forgive him too.

Only if Ashley didn’t find his son, and the police got wind of the payout, it would only be a matter of time before they realised that he had demanded the ransom. That he’d once again dragged his entire family through a complete shitshow.

‘He don’t work for us. Like I said, we don’t get caught up in any of that shit. That bloke’s got fuck all to do with us,’ Russ said, kissing his teeth, making sure Ashley heard the message loud and clear.

‘Just tell me where to find him, please?’ Ashley said.

‘You what?’ Russ raised his voice, riled up now. ‘Didn’t you hear what I said? He’s got fuck all to do with us.’

Ashley had paid them their money. Now he needed to leave. Only he was still standing there gormlessly in their flat. Acting as if they owed him something.

‘We don’t have to tell you jack!’

Sam raised his hand again, silencing his brother. ‘It’s all right, Russ. It’s only an address. Look at him, man. The lad’s broken. It’s the least we can do.’

He recited the address to Ashley as he scrawled it down on a bit of paper for the man, before he showed him out and closed the door behind him. Ashley Cooke was one of life’s leeches. Sucking the blood out of anything and anyone that he came in contact with to get what he wanted from life.

How he’d managed to marry into Pete Baker’s family, Sam Boland had no idea, and he was willing to bet all the money that Ashley had just given him that it had come from Pete Baker. Because there was no way that Ashley could come up with the cash on his own. It was unfortunate that a little kid had gone missing in the process. But that really wasn’t any of his or Russ’s concern.

‘Why are we cutting Ashley favours? When all we’ve done for the past few days is chase the man for what he owes us?’ Russ asked, confused as to why Sam had been so accommodating.

‘Because it wouldn’t surprise me if that fucking weirdo Jay-Jay has taken the kid.’ Sam shrugged, seeing the way that Russ looked at him then. ‘I mean who the fuck goes around threatening pregnant women with knives? And that woman over at Richmond Park, she had her stomach slit right open.’ Sam grimaced as he spoke. That shit was too dark even for him. ‘It ain’t no skin off our noses if Ashley goes around there, is it? They can both give each other a pasting as far as I’m concerned. Two less beatings for us to dish out. I just wanted the bloke out of my hair and out of my house. Now, let’s get this money dished out. It’s payday!’ Sam grinned, letting his brother know that he hadn’t gone completely soft as he grabbed the bag of money and started dishing out the piles of cash, fairly, between them both.

40

‘Okay, Sarge, so Ashley is now leaving the address on Broomwood Road that is believed to be the residence of a Samuel Boland and his brother, Russell. He went in with the ransom money, and he’s come out empty-handed.’

‘And there’s no sign of Riley?’

‘No, Sarge.’

‘Shit!’ DS Morgan said. His team were still standing by – they’d gone with Lucy’s suggestion of following the money, hoping it would lead them to the missing child. But so far, they’d drawn another dead end.

‘Shall we bring him in, Sarge? Only, I spoke with him at the hospital and he admitted that he owed money to the Bolands, so I don’t know if he’s just paid off his debt to them or if he is trying to get Riley back,’ Lucy said. ‘But my hunch is still on Riley. He’s dropped the money off, but he’s not heading in the direction of home, or Shelby Cooke’s place. Maybe he’s paid the ransom, but Riley isn’t being kept there. He might be on his way to pick him up.’

DS Morgan was silent at the other end of the phone, trying to work out which shot to call. They had units placed outside Pete Baker’s house and back at the Griffin Estate.

‘We’ve come this far, Sarge. I think we need to see where he’s going next,’ Lucy said, sounding more definite about her decision than she felt.

‘Okay,’ DS Morgan said, knowing that his younger colleague was right to want to stick with this.

So far, they had one suspect for who had attacked Shelby Cooke and had taken Riley; it was the same man: Jay-Jay Andrews. Recently released from prison,