Page 110 of Corrupt

Wolfe seemed to shake himself off, the moment slipping away as neatly as it had arrived. “But enough of that. Tell me about your recent cases. Anything of interest there? Somewhere I might… steer and guide?”

At least it was work. At least that I understood.

I shifted, pulling my mind back into familiar channels. Facts. Procedure. Arguments. I gave him what he’d asked for, careful and composed, as if nothing in me had just tilted.

Because wasn’t that what Razor did, too?

Put his head down. Focused on the job in front of him. Pretend the machinery wasn’t already turning.

And trust it wouldn’t grind him under when it was done.

* * * *

Razor

I sat in the car until my hands stopped shaking.

Then I drove.

No music. No calls. Tarmac sliding under the wheels and the noise in my head. Tyler was alive. That was the line I kept circling. Alive meant I hadn’t crossed the point of no return. I could still square this. Whatever this was.

By the time I got home, the sun scorched the tops of the buildings, Hackney carrying on as if nothing had happened. As if their men didn’t die quietly in warehouses and their blood didn’t soak into concrete and vanish by morning.

I showered until the water ran cold. Scrubbed my knuckles raw. Watched the skin redden and split and told myself it was just dirt coming off.

Then I dressed.

Not Rich.

Razor.

Rich would sit and think about Tyler’s breath hitching. About Kyan cooling on the floor. About Tristan’s voice on the phone, tight with worry and trying not to show it.

Razor had work to do.

First, I checked on Mum.

Her flat smelt of ash and booze, and stale washing. Door locked. Windows shut. She was out cold in front of the telly, chin tipped to her chest, whatever daytime rubbish murmuring away. I made sure there was food in, slipped cash under her mug, and ordered a Tesco delivery to stock the cupboards properly. Kissed her cheek. She stirred but didn’t wake.

Good. I wasn’t sure I could handle it if she had.

Next was Keeley.

She took one look at my face and started arguing before I’d even opened my mouth. I handed her cash, telling her to lie low. No dating. None. It wasn’t safe. She stamped her foot, furious, but she knew when not to push me. I ordered her groceries too. Enough that she wouldn’t need to leave the house for a while. Told her if anything went wrong she went to Lennon and Amara. No hesitation.

I bent and kissed Maisie’s head as I left.

“You are coming back, right?” Keeley shouted after me as I ran up to my parked car.

I opened the Audi. “Always do, don’t I?”

The lie came easily. Too easy.

Then I went to Tyler’s.

Courtney looked like hell when she opened the door. Grey around the mouth. Eyes hollowed out, as if someone had reached inside her and scooped the light clean away. My guess, Tyler had found a way to tell her, or it was instinct. A code they might have between them, to let her know he wasn’t coming home by himself. Then Shanice appeared behind her and cut off anything I could do. Her best mate. The one I used to fuck on the bounce when I needed noise more than sleep.

“Razor.” Shanice folded her arms. “What’s the prick done now?”