Mike spent the best part of five minutes queuing at the bar in Angels nightclub, and it had irritated the hell out of him. He was used to getting served straight away in the Golden Bell. But he knew it was important to look the part of an average punter so it was better if he had a drink in his hand.

Once Mike had been served, he threw some change moodily at the barman and walked around the nightclub’s interior until he spotted Alan and David sitting in a corner with two attractive young women.

Keeping a safe distance from them, Mike concealed himself behind a stone pillar. He didn’t want to be recognised by Alan, who had known him while he was inside. The pillar provided perfect cover, giving him a good view of Alan’s table while staying hidden.

Mike peered over. While he watched, a barmaid sauntered to the table with a tray laden with drinks. He noticed that there were already more than enough drinks for four people in front of them; they were obviously being greedy. David chatted with the barmaid as she passed the drinks around. Then, just as she was about to walk away, he grasped her buttocks. The barmaid squealed and quickly left the table while David and Alan laughed uproariously.

As he watched, Mike’s face formed a scowl. Bastards! They were really living it large and acting as though they owned the fuckin’ place. He noticed there was still a massive queue at the bar; it seemed that waitress service was only for the privileged few.

It was obvious to Mike that Alan and David were now firmly ensconced in Angels nightclub. There was something else, too: the bouncers had changed since the last time Mike had been here. He had an uneasy feeling that Alan’s mob were now also controlling the doors. That meant they could decide who came into the club, including the dealers, and they would take a handy mark-up from any drugs sold. Mike knew enough people for him to check out whether that was the case.

Mike quickly downed his drink. He’d seen enough of Angels for one night. Now he was off to Bramleys to find out what was going on there. Then he’d have to report back to Glynn about what he’d seen. He knew for sure that Glynn would want to do something about it. And it would involve a lot more than pissing about trying to pay Alan off, like Pete had done.

Chapter 50

The Golden Bell was heaving. Adele had let Peter persuade her to stop by for a few drinks. Even though she wasn’t in the mood for a night out, she knew it was Peter’s way of getting things back on track between them. Besides, it was Friday night and she had nothing else lined up other than sitting at home worrying every time she heard the floorboards creak.