Betrayed by Anna Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

about it.’ She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘But I definitely want to pursue the story about the drugs on the football buses. I want to nail that down.’
    ‘Aye. And nail big Eddie down with it.’ She stabbed a finger in the air. ‘I’d pay good money to see that bastard locked up. Poor Wendy. She’s a skinny wee thing and that slimy bastard climbing all over her.’
    Rosie nodded sympathetically.
    ‘There’s more than one way to skin the cat, Liz. Did youfind out any more information for me? Like where the bus leaves from?’
    Liz nodded.
    ‘I did. As I told you, there’s supposed to be a few Rangers buses that do it, but the one Eddie will be on is leaving from the Tavern. You’ll know the pub. On the London Road. Big ’Gers pub. But it’s more than that. It’s a UVF pub as well. They have meetings there. Upstairs, so I heard.’
    ‘How do you know all that?’ For a barmaid she was pretty clued up.
    ‘My ex-boyfriend. He knows a lot of the boys. I still see him now and again. For a shag. He was over yesterday afternoon and I was spearing him for information about the bus that’s leaving from the Tavern. He’s going too. He says big Eddie’s on it. He didn’t say anything about the coke, but he told me once before that’s what Eddie does when he goes abroad. He always brings a few kilos back.’
    ‘Okay. Liz,’ Rosie changed the subject, ‘you didn’t tell me that Wendy had some problems years ago with her mum and dad. She ran away. Stuff like that?’
    Liz said nothing. She looked at the table and pinched her bottom lip.
    ‘Yeah. She went a bit nuts a couple of years ago. Went through a bad patch. She was doing a lot of coke.’ She looked shamefaced. ‘To be honest, we both were. We got caught up in some stupid things, and did a runner to Spain – Costa del Sol – for a while.’ She shook her head, her lipcurling a little. ‘Wild days. We carried on with it over there. Got to know quite a few people. Bad company and all that.’
    ‘It’s not smart to get mixed up in the coke scene on the Costa del Sol,’ Rosie said, beginning to wonder what Liz was going to come out with next.
    ‘You can say that again. But that’s also how I know a bit about big Eddie. There’s UVF men over there too. A couple of bar owners. I know where he goes.’
    Rosie said nothing. Even if Liz knew half as much as she seemed to know, the fact that she was talking about it so freely worried her. The last thing she needed if they were going to track a UVF drug story across Europe was a mouthy contact waving her arms around.
    Liz gave her a knowing look.
    ‘You don’t believe me, do you? I can tell.’
    Rosie put a hand up.
    ‘No, no, Liz. I do believe you.’ She spread both palms, trying to choose the right words. ‘But, cards on the table. I’m having a little problem here with the fact that you are talking about it so easily.’ She saw Liz’s eyes look downwards, then said quickly, ‘Don’t get me wrong. I totally appreciate what you’re doing, and I’m really impressed with the level of information. But you and I both know how dangerous it is to talk freely about anything involving these people. They are not just drug dealers and gangsters. This is the UVF. People pay them to get rid of people.’ She paused. ‘Look. I need to know that if we go into thisstory, and start a full investigation, I can rely on you. No matter who comes to you or how circumstances might change. Do you understand where I’m coming from? It’s dangerous.’
    Liz’s expression was part irritated, part on the verge of tears.
    ‘Rosie. I’m not stupid. I’ve told you that before. I know all about the danger. I’ve thought about this long and hard – agonised about it. I know that if Wendy phoned Jimmy and said Eddie McGregor raped her, then that is what happened. I have no way of knowing what happened to her after that.’ She swallowed. ‘But I’m worried sick that he’s done something to her. I’m