‘In business you learn to let people get on with what they’re best at.’ She looked across at him. ‘So anyway, I take it this is a yes?’

Abbott looked over the rolling lawns. Whatever Lady Norton’s motives – and they were surely far more complicated and murky than she was letting on – there was indeed that one very compelling motive where Abbott was concerned: Doyle – the organisation that had spawned Sweaty and Jason Scutter, the pondlife who had tried to kidnap his brother.

Those people would be stopped, and it would be Abbott’s finger on the trigger.

‘Yes,’ he told her. Their eyes met, and Abbott thought, And when I’m done with Doyle, I’m coming for you.

Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

They were on the M1 when Abbott broached the subject with McGregor.

‘So, today seems to be one for telling the truth. How about you tell me about your relationship with Her Ladyship back there?’

McGregor arched an eyebrow. ‘I don’t know what you’re thinking, pal, but it’s not that.’

‘You’re an employee?’

‘Well, you already knew that.’

‘Something tells me that being an employee of Lady Norton and being an employee of Ray Doyle are two very different things. Something also tells me that you’re much more an employee of her then you are of him. Would I be right about that?’

‘Aye, you would,’ agreed McGregor, nodding, smiling. His hair was more than usually plastered to his forehead and Abbott wondered if the oft-present smile was in fact a cover for a case of nerves. ‘The truth is that it’s me who’s been reporting back to her. For what it’s worth, I’m also the reason that you could very soon be a rich man.’

‘According to her, I’d achieve that myself.’

‘No, I meant hitting Doyle.’ He jabbed a finger at his own chest. ‘It was me who put that idea into her head. “We’ve got the perfect man for the job already inside the operation,” that’s what I told her.’

Abbott let out a huge sigh. ‘What is it with you lot constantly telling me that I’m part of some operation?’

‘You know what I mean, Abbott.’

‘You seem fairly confident that I’m going to fall into line on this.’

McGregor glanced across the seats at him. ‘Come on, Abbott. You can’t tell me that you haven’t been thinking about your brother. It’s why you’re here, isn’t it? The other night when you wasted Sweaty, it wasn’t just about taking him out of the picture, was it? You wanted the whole operation shut down. That’s why you called the cops on us. If you just left it at plugging Sweaty then maybe you could have maintained your cover, but you didn’t, did you? You wanted to deal a death blow.’

‘Maybe.’