The Rules: A gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked

‘Yes, I know, but, as it stands at present, the crime rate is increasing so fast, and there is no money in the pot for more police officers on the streets. Three detectives who are trying to get the head honcho of these drug-fuelled gangs are due to retire shortly, and the way they look, I think they will be victims of a heart attack before they do retire. The work is sloppy and slow, and I am beginning to feel as though the gangs are making a mockery of us.’

‘Well, Son, you have answered your own doubt. You need the likes of Mike Regan on board because without the budget and with the lack of staff, this hideous gang situation will soon turn Kent into the Bronx. Rebecca will lose her career and that, Son, we cannot let happen. I came from nothing, but I’ve worked damned hard to have you in your position and Rebecca in hers. Don’t let me down.’

***

Zara was sitting in the Regans’ large and well-appointed lounge, flipping through the pages of a wedding gown brochure. A tear trickled down her nose. The long-sleeved gowns were beautiful and the women modelling them looked stunning, but how would she look with only one hand?

Gloria, Mike’s mother, watched her future daughter-in-law’s sad expression and guessed the reason. Hurrying over to put Zara’s mind at rest, Gloria put the brochure away.

‘Listen to me. Stop torturing yourself. You, my babe, will look stunning in anything you choose to wear. The only less than perfect thing about you at the moment is your downtrodden smile. Now then, there’s nothing we can do about your hand, but we can concentrate on everything else. The first thing you need to do is get your confidence back. There’s no point in hiding away from the world. Didn’t Davey Lanigan want to meet up with you?’

Zara smiled up at Gloria with admiration, and for a moment, she felt like a kid. Gloria was so much in control of herself and those within her orbit. With her hair fashionably styled and her clothes sharp and tasteful, Zara had never seen her without make-up or a piece of jewellery around her neck. Then, she looked down at her own attire and wondered why she was still dressed like she had been for most of her time in that basement cell. There was no need to do so now.

‘Ya know what, Gloria, you’re right. I’m going to get my hair styled. And it’s been so long since I wore anything new and fashionable. Fancy shopping?’

Gloria was ecstatic. Firstly, she’d hoped that Zara would get herself together, and secondly, she never needed an excuse to shop. ‘Arthur, where are the credit cards?’ she shouted, with a hint of excitement.

Everything seemed daunting at first, and Zara couldn’t explain how she felt. Having spent five years kept as a prisoner with no daylight and only a television for company, the world seemed almost alien to her now. Yet, she also knew that come what may, she would have to pull herself together. She was Izzy Ezra’s daughter and now the head of his estate and the business. Although the Lanigans had taken over, thinking she was dead, the proceeds of all profits had still been split fifty-fifty and her half placed in an offshore bank account, in the unlikely event she was found alive.

Mentally, she had to retrain her mind: she wasn’t a captive anymore, she was a businesswoman, with one fuck-off firm behind her. She only hoped that she still had the balls to take back control.

***

Wandering around the department store, Gloria held up a pretty blue Ted Baker dress with long sleeves and a gold trim. ‘Zara, this would look stunning on you.’

Zara laughed. ‘But who would take me seriously?’ She held up a black blazer and dark jeans. ‘Now then, look at these! These are what I need to fit the part.’

Gloria jovially rolled her eyes. ‘Aah well, let’s see if they have this gorgeous blue number in my size then.’

As Zara headed for the changing rooms, Gloria watched the slim, graceful woman and wondered if Zara was really ready to carry on with her firm. She was older, damaged, and probably not geared up just yet. Most women Gloria’s age would never have understood why Zara would want to go back to her business when she was already worth a small fortune and could comfortably retire. With properties here, there, and everywhere, she could live the high life and never lift a finger. However, Gloria understood entirely why Zara was committed in this way because her own husband and his pals used to run South-East London many moons ago. Then Arthur’s two sons took over. While they too became very wealthy, it wasn’t all about the money. A life of crime was in their blood – it never went away.

Another thought crossed Gloria’s mind – her son Mike and Zara’s relationship. Of course, they both loved each other, but they were at the top of their firms, with equal standing. Would the relationship work? She wasn’t sure: in reality, family, business, and friendships still had a pecking order. She couldn’t see either of them relinquishing their role as leader. Realizing that her musing was getting herself agitated, she sighed and found the floral dress she’d spotted on entering the store. It was in a size 12. Perhaps this would look ideal for the mother of the groom.

***

The shopping trip had exhausted Zara. If she was honest with herself, the outing had been a bit of an eye-opener because it told her that she was still very weak. Her sudden pale complexion and tired eyes sent Gloria into mummy mode. As soon as they returned home, she cooked Zara a chunky meat pie, determined to get her strength up.

The hearty meal was gratefully received, and as they placed their cutlery down and leaned back on their chairs, they could hardly move.

Arthur winked at Zara. ‘It’s such a pleasure to have you with us. At last, I get to have proper home-cooked meals.’

Gloria gave an exaggerated tut and whacked Arthur with her tea towel. ‘You ain’t done too bad by my cooking. You’re still alive, ain’t ya?’

The teasing came to a sudden halt when the phone rang.

Gloria, as always, got there first, hoping it was Mike. ‘Hello?’

‘Good evening, Mrs Regan. Could I speak with Zara? It’s Davey Lanigan.’

Gloria beckoned Zara over. Holding her hand over the receiver, she whispered, ‘It’s Davey Lanigan, Zara. Remember you’re still recovering, babe.’

Zara smiled and answered. ‘Davey?’

‘Zara, I called just to say how delighted I am that you’re . . . ’ He paused. ‘Er, well, that you’re alive.’ He hadn’t thought over his words before he made the call. The news that Zara was found alive was a relief, but on hearing that she’d been brutally disfigured, it had sickened him.

‘Thank you, Davey, thank you for everything. I know you did your best to find me and keep the business running in my absence.’

The silence seemed to linger, and Zara wondered if he was about to make a statement.

‘The business is, er . . . fine. I can carry on, and we can talk about the future once you’re well.’

She could tell he was holding something back. ‘What’s going on, Davey? Please tell me, or I won’t get back on my feet if I’m worrying.’

‘I didn’t call to talk about work.’

‘No, I know you didn’t, but tell me anyway. What’s going on?’

‘Okay’, he replied, ‘but not on the phone. How are you fixed for tomorrow lunchtime? I think it’s better discussed away from the public. Would it be convenient to come over to Mike’s parents’ home?’

Zara looked over at the dining room table where Arthur and Gloria were sipping the last of their wine. ‘Would it be okay if Davey Lanigan comes here tomorrow? Say, lunchtime?’

Arthur smiled and nodded his head. ‘Of course.’

Unexpectedly, Eric appeared. They hadn’t heard him come in through the back door, too intent on trying to listen to Zara’s conversation. It wasn’t for any reason other than to make sure she was okay.

Once she’d completed the call, she turned around, and as she sat down, she was surprised to see Eric seated at the table.

It wasn’t so much that he was there, it was his appearance. His hair was cut short similar to Mike’s, and instead of his T-shirt and jeans, he wore a fresh white button-down shirt and black trousers. She had to blink because for a moment she thought it was Mike.

Even Gloria was surprised and had to remark, ‘So, off out with anyone special, Son?’

‘No! Christ, can’t a man wear a decent shirt without someone suggesting there’s a date involved?’ Instantly, he realized how harsh and childish he sounded.

But the tension wasn’t lost on Gloria. She arched her brow, and then her eyes flicked to Zara. Zara looked equally troubled but for a different reason.

‘Are you okay, love?’ asked Gloria, somewhat concerned.

‘I feel bad. This isn’t right. I should be back at my own home, not have people come to your house to discuss—’

Arthur waved his hand to interrupt her. ‘Now, no talking nonsense. You need our support.’ He looked at Gloria. ‘Besides, Old Mother Hen here would be lost. And it’s what our Mike wants, so, my babe, you treat this place like your own, and when you’re completely better, if you want to go back to . . . that house, then, that’s up to you.’

Gloria almost screeched. ‘What? . . . Go back there after what the poor girl’s just been through? I won’t be surprised if she wants to burn the bloody place down.’

With her mind back to when she was held against her will, Zara smiled. ‘You’d think it would be the last place I’d ever go, but the truth is, if it wasn’t for Ismail’s pathetic attempt to keep me alive in my father’s basement, then the Segals would probably have finished me off. My dad would turn in his grave if he knew that the suite he built would end up holding me a prisoner. But the rooms were styled and designed by him, so, weirdly, I felt at home. When I do go back, though, I’ll have the metal door removed and keep the basement as guest rooms.’

She looked up to find both Gloria and Arthur with their mouths open.

She chuckled. ‘Don’t worry. I wouldn’t ask you to stay there.’

Gloria knew then that Zara was no ordinary woman; she was hard and had taken on more than most people could handle, but she would still face her demons.

Zara, though, miraculously didn’t see these as demons, merely challenges.

Eric placed his hand on her back and gently rubbed it. ‘If you need to go back there for anything, I’ll go with you.’

Gloria clocked the look on her son’s face. She didn’t like it one little bit.

***

Rebecca sat at the kitchen island with her head in her hands, the tea towel covering her sodden cheeks. At forty-three years old, she should have been in her prime, but she wasn’t. The signs were all there: a thickened waist, grey hair, and crow’s feet around her once bright and, some would say, come-to-bed eyes. She wasn’t even sure if her husband knew what she looked like under her elastic-waisted trousers and iron-free blouse. All the intimacy that had once been between them had diminished over the last two years. His business – so he said – was growing, and his excuse for staying away was that he had to strike while the iron was hot. It must be bloody molten lava by now, she thought.

The stress of it all pushed Rebecca to consider resigning, but as soon as she mentioned those words, Alastair and her father went off like a Catherine wheel, spitting, hissing, and spinning in circles. Her eyes looked to the cupboard under the sink, the place where she thought every housewife hid her booze. Her husband certainly wouldn’t look there: he didn’t even know where the kitchen sink was.

Just as she bent down and opened the cupboard, a crashing sound made her jump. Spinning round, she almost lost her balance. There, giving her an unwelcome sneer, stood Kendall. The noise was from her daughter flinging her rucksack onto the worktop. Like her sisters, Kendall had not an ounce of respect for her.

Usually, she would have offered her daughter a drink or something to eat, but not this evening, though; she was sick to the back teeth of pussyfooting around Kendall. So, instead, she sneered back and tutted.

‘So, tell me, Mother, who exactly is your puppetmaster?’

Rebecca tilted her head to the side with a questioning expression. Silently, she wondered why she’d ever bothered to take Kendall away from her father. She should have left her there. There was not a smidgen of her own genes in the girl – not in looks, attitude, not even in interests. If she didn’t look so much like her real father, Rebecca would have sworn she’d been swapped at birth.

‘Kendall, I have no idea what you’re talking about, and, to be quite frank, I really don’t care!’

She turned away from her daughter and searched for the bottle of Bombay Sapphire. Pulling a tumbler from the top shelf, she poured a generous helping and took two large gulps. So uptight and angry, she didn’t bother to add the tonic; instead, she swallowed more of the bitter, clear liquid and smarted as it ripped the back of her throat. After taking a deep breath, she looked up at her daughter, who appeared to be stunned. Well, she would be; she’d never seen her mother do that before – she’d thought her too straight-laced to knock back neat gin.

‘What’s up, Mother? Did you find Alastair with another woman?’ she scoffed.

Rebecca stared at her daughter’s ridiculing eyes and was hit by overwhelming anger that shot up from her feet to the top of her head. Instantly, she threw the glass tumbler at the wall, and then, with both hands, she wiped the centre island clear, sending the vase, the condiments, and Kendall’s rucksack flying to the floor.

Still incensed, she smashed both her fists on the worktop and glared with fire in her eyes at her daughter. ‘Now, you fucking listen to me. You’re a spiteful, evil bitch, and if you weren’t my daughter, I would give you what-for. So, fuck off, away from me.’ She paused, sucking a deep breath as she stared at the horror-stricken look on Kendall’s face; yet she didn’t feel in the least bit sorry or guilty for those harsh words.

‘I wish I’d never applied for custody. I wish I’d never brought you back into my home to give you a better life. In fact, I wish you’d never been born, you ungrateful, nasty girl. Now, before I do something I really do regret, fuck off, go back to your bastard of a father, and leave me alone!’

Kendall stood frozen to the spot. Never in her life had she seen her mother act that way. The overly polite and sickly-sweet manner had been replaced by a raging lunatic, but Kendall wasn’t going to stand there and take that. ‘My dad, the bastard, yeah? Weren’t you the one who couldn’t keep your knickers on? Weren’t you the one who fucked off with Alastair and left Dad and me on our own? I think the truth is, Mother, you’re the bastard – or the puppet.’

She knew the minute the words left her mouth she was going to get it from her mother, so she turned to rush out of the door before something was thrown her way. However, she wasn’t fast enough and was ripped back by her T-shirt and pushed against the wall. With a tight grip around her throat, Kendall’s eyes nearly popped out of her head and her heart felt like it was beating outside her chest. Her mother was a millimetre away from her face and foaming at the mouth. This wasn’t her mother, surely? This was a demon who had taken over her mother’s body. Then, to her horror, her mother pulled her fist back ready to launch a punch. Kendall stared into her mother’s eyes, searching for any sign of the rage leaving. To her relief, her mother dropped her arm and pushed her away.

With legs like jelly and her body trembling, Kendall scurried away. As soon as she was out of reach, she shouted back, ‘Don’t worry, I’m moving out next weekend. My father has a flat for me, so you can go and fuck yourself.’

Heading to her bedroom, only too pleased to have had the last word, Kendall didn’t hear her mother sobbing. As soon as Kendall reached the end of the hallway, the front door opened and in walked Alastair, looking very chuffed. Dressed in a grey suit and with a golden tan, Kendall had to admit he wasn’t bad looking. She could see why her mother was attracted to him. A well-built man, with ripped muscles and piercing eyes, he wouldn’t seem out of place at a prefight weigh-in. However, the way he looked at her still made her want to cringe.

‘Hello, Kendall, how’s Brooke?’ he said, not noticing the sheer spite on her face. He took off his jacket, placed it on a hanger, and rolled up his sleeves. Kendall didn’t reply but went up the stairs, leaving him to see for himself the carnage in the kitchen. Once she reached the landing, she strained her ears to listen, wondering if her mother would revert to the sweet housewife fussing over her husband like it was in the 1950s.

‘What’s the bloody matter now, Rebecca?’ Alastair’s voice was less than compassionate, which sent Rebecca into a further downward spiral.

‘Where have you been?’ she snapped.

‘Where the hell do you think? I’ve been to work, Rebecca. Now, will you pull yourself together and stop badgering me. I’d have thought you had more pressing issues to be concentrating on, like the upcoming election. Oh yes, and not forgetting, you have our daughter up there suffering.’

Kendall crept back down the staircase and waited midway, listening.

‘Brooke won’t even look at me, and damn the bloody election. In fact, Alastair, I might resign. I’ve had enough.’

‘What!’ he bellowed, his tone now deep and masterful. ‘Don’t be so bloody ridiculous, woman. We’ve come this far, and now you want to bail out? Well, all I can say is, Rebecca, you aren’t the woman I thought you were. I thought I’d married someone with guts, drive, and determination, not some pathetic crybaby who wants to give up at the first hurdle!’

There was silence and Kendall could only picture her mother’s crumpled expression. She got that very wrong.

‘We, Alastair? We? Who is the we? Because as I recall, it’s me who happens to be the member of parliament. I hold that seat, not you, and this isn’t the first hurdle. I’ve been working my bloody arse off to get to where I am.’

Alastair’s voice instantly mellowed. ‘Sorry, love. Look, it was just a turn of phrase. I am proud of you, and what you’ve achieved. You’re such an amazing MP. It’s tough, I grant you, but it’ll get easier. The voters love you and no doubt they’ll vote you in again and then you can relax. How about after the election we take a short holiday, just me and you, eh?’

Her step-father, the ace manipulator, Kendall thought. She pictured the scene and recognized her father’s skill at managing the situation to his own personal advantage. She could just imagine her mother falling into Alastair’s arms and wiping her eyes. She is so pathetic, she thought. Why, Mother, can’t you see through him?

‘Forget it, Alastair. I am fed up with everything. Our marriage is a mess because either you’re working or I am. We never spend time together, and as for my job, I hate it. I am sick of it. The crime rate in my constituency is climbing daily, and I’m damn sure my voters will view it as me being incompetent. Why should I have to go through all this stress? I’ve enough money saved not to work ever again.’

‘I know, my darling, it’s hard. I’ll tell you what. I’ll take a week off and help you as much as I can. I don’t like to see you like this. What do you say?’

Kendall cringed, wishing her mother would flatly refuse his offer. Stand your ground, Mother, she willed.

‘Well, you’ve no need to do that, Alastair.’

Kendall sensed her mother was taking back control.

‘I want to, Rebecca.’

‘No, I mean, I have help. I have Father and Conrad and they have a plan to—’

Alastair interrupted before his wife had a chance to finish. ‘You what! You never said. How? I mean, what do they propose to do?’

The sudden panic in Alastair’s voice made Kendall stay put. Surely, her mother would have recognized that worried tone?

‘Conrad has a plan to clean up the streets and get to the bottom of this gang problem.’

‘What? How? I thought he didn’t have the budget for that?’ Alastair asked, now quite agitated.

‘He doesn’t have the budget, so I guess he has another plan. Anyway, I’m bushed. I’m going to have a shower.’

Finally, Kendall was about to creep back up the stairs before her mother caught her earwigging when she realized her parents hadn’t finished talking.

‘Wait a minute. What’s going on, Rebecca? Your brother is the chief of police. If he doesn’t have the budget, then what does he propose to do? We need to know because . . . well, what if he makes a mess of things? Christ, Rebecca, if he does, then you’ll be the one with egg on your face, not him. You need to find out what his intentions are, and then we can decide whether or not to let him get involved.’

‘I’m pretty sure he has a good plan because he’s been discussing it with our father!’

Kendall sensed her mother’s tone was now tainted with annoyance. She waited to see who was next to serve, thoroughly enjoying this game of tennis.

‘Your father? Jesus, it gets worse. What the hell does your father know about politics? Seriously, Rebecca, you should be discussing this with me, your bloody husband, not running to your daddy like a child!’

‘Alastair, I am not discussing it anymore. I’m going to take a shower and then I’m off to bed. I’ve had quite enough rows for one day.’

Kendall quickly snuck away to her room. This is getting interesting, she thought. Maybe she should have studied politics or puppet mastery.

CHAPTER FIVE

Mike looked behind him to find four eager faces. ‘Before we get outside, just remember, not a word to anyone, even family. We got released early because of overcrowding and cutbacks.’

Staffie frowned. ‘D’ya think they’ll buy it?’

Mike nodded. ‘Come on, Staff, they’ll be only too pleased we’re out to bother about questioning it. Not a word though, ’cos who would understand it, and we don’t want to lose respect, now do we?’

The others nodded in agreement. It was a good point and they certainly didn’t want to lose face.

The last secure door slid open. He winked as if to say, ‘This is it, lads.’ There, waiting to greet them, stood Arthur, Mike’s father, and Teddy Stafford, Staffie’s father. Embraces were exchanged, and, excitedly, they hurried to the cars. Mike stopped for a moment and looked up at the clear blue sky and sighed. He was free: for almost twelve years he’d been locked up, and now he could breathe and learn to live again. Ricky was by Arthur’s side, held close with Arthur’s arm around his shoulders. Mike looked on, fondly. He knew that Ricky would be fussed over for months or even years to come.

Ted opened the door for Staffie, Willie, and Lou to climb in, while Mike and Ricky travelled home with Arthur.

For Ricky, it was a dream come true. He’d been sentenced to a year in the nick, believing he would come out only to face his mother and their tiny caravan – a way of life that he detested. To be sitting next to his grandfather in the front seat of a new car and driving off to his real family’s home, after serving only a few weeks, felt overwhelming and left him with a permanent grin.

As Arthur pulled away, Mike looked back at the dark, miserable building and tears began to well up. All those years of sitting in solitary confinement, believing his son and Zara were dead, tormented with all the what-ifs, the whys, and the wherefores, and now to be free and to have his loved ones back once more, he wondered if he should actually start going to church because God had undoubtedly answered his prayers.

Mike knew the outside world would have changed in twelve years and if he had served out his full sentence, he suspected it would have been a slow process to acclimatize to the life of civvy street. Having missed out on so many changes, the first one he noticed was the billboards advertising new technology and the number of pedestrians with their faces glued to a phone or wearing, as he saw it, oversized headphones. And while his mind was on those, looking at the interior of his father’s car, it seemed as though he’d entered the space age. The technology was incredible, and he gazed in wonderment at the huge dashboard with sat nav, hi-fi, and telephone, all integrated and shown on just one screen. He clocked the way people dressed – these new skinny jeans – on men – and it made him shake his head. What the fuck did they look like? He saw some young women walking down a street and noticed that their hairstyles were different too, now every shade of the rainbow.