She glared at him for a few moments, watching the sly smirk on his face as he mocked, ‘Ooh, temper, temper.’

‘D’you know,’ she asked, refusing to back down now she had started, ‘I used to think you were respected by the staff, but now I realise that it isn’t respect at all. It’s fear. You actually bloody intimidate them. Well, apart from the ones that you play up to, like Cindy, that is.’

‘Ooh, steady,’ he said. ‘Anyone would think you were a bit jealous.’

‘You must be bloody joking! She’s welcome to you and good luck to her. She’ll need it.’

‘You know your problem, Adele?’ he asked, before answering his own question. ‘You’re still holding a torch for me.’

She laughed and, although it was more of a snigger, it still sounded strange in the hostile atmosphere. ‘You’re deluded as well as fuckin’ nasty,’ she sniped.

‘Doesn’t stop you from caring about me, though, does it? Like last week, when that druggie smacked me one. You were all worried about me then, weren’t you?’

‘No I bloody wasn’t! I was just showing the same concern as I would have done for anybody.’

‘OK,’ he said, breezing out of her office to the sound of Peter in the corridor asking what was going on. As he passed through the door Glynn called over his shoulder, ‘You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart, and you might actually start believing it.’

Once he had gone, Adele hammered her fists on the top of her desk. She could hear him talking in the corridor with Peter, his tone now conciliatory. As the rage consumed her she prepared herself to tackle her brother, too, if he came to see her. But then all went quiet and Adele was left alone once more, trying to calm her raging temper.

How foolish she’d been ever to be taken in by Glynn. But that was what he was like: a charmer. He took you in till you’d served your purpose. Then he stabbed you in the back.

Chapter 52

Peter was pacing up and down his apartment, the muscles of his legs and feet powered by his nervous energy. Glynn was due to arrive any minute and Peter wasn’t looking forward to his visit one bit. He approached the drinks cabinet, tempted to pour a copious measure of brandy. But it was too early for that; he needed to keep his wits about him.

Glynn had told him on the phone that he’d sourced some weapons and would be calling round to deliver them. They’d also be discussing the detailed plans for their forthcoming raids on Angels and Bramleys. A feeling of disquiet gnawed away at Peter every time he thought about the raids. But he’d have to hide his true feelings from Glynn.