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24
Cal is talking quietly to Sonny when Eastern and I enter his office. My anger hasn’t dissipated, in fact it seems to be growing with every passing minute, and I’m well aware I’m on the verge of either losing my shit entirely and ripping into the closest person near me or crying an ocean of tears. Neither of which will help Camden.
“Come in, take a seat,” Cal says.
Sonny is chewing on his lip, looking worried.
“I’m guessing what you’re about to say is going to be bad, am I right?” I ask, readying myself for whatever fucked up news Cal has.
“It’s not great, no,” Cal responds, motioning for Eastern to shut the door.
“So what is it? Spill,” Eastern demands. He hauls his chair close to mine and wraps an arm around my shoulder, sensing I’m not going to like what Cal’s about to say. I lean into him, my mind and body needing the contact.
“There was a note found with the body,” he begins, his eyes flicking to mine. Next to me, Eastern stiffens.
“What note?” I ask.
“A note from the King addressed to someone called‘the Black Sheep’. At first we thought it was some sick, twisted note meant for Camden but after re-reading it, we decided that it was aimed at someone else.”
“Wait, what are you talking about? Does Camden know about the note? Mr Carmichael never mentioned anything when we were with him just now,” I ramble, my confused thoughts spilling from my lips in a rush.
Cal turns away from me, and selects an email on his PC, opening it up. Attached is a photograph of a handwritten note sealed in plastic. The shot focuses on the note, but it doesn’t take a genius to see what’s blurred in the background: a woman’s naked body. Camden’s mum. My hand rises to my mouth as I gulp down the acidic rush of puke, but there’s no stopping the torrent as I rush for the wastepaper basket and throw up.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Cal!” Eastern snarls, getting up to rub my back whilst my stomach empties. Cal gives me an apologetic look as I sit back down then hands me a bottle of water.
“You okay?”
“No,” I mutter, washing away the taste of bile with a swig of water but reading the note regardless.
Tothe Black Sheep,
Let this be a reminder. There’s no escaping no matter how far you run, or where you hide. The past is your present and your future.
You’ll never be free of me. There’s only one way out.
I’ll see you in Hell.
The King.
“You don’t think this note was meant for Camden? It was attached to his mum, after all,” I say, swallowing down another mouthful of bile. It burns my throat, reminding me of my part in all of this. My eyes burn with tears, but I know if I let them fall they may never stop.
“At first, we did. But Camden has never hidden from the King, he’s never run. Every step of the way, that boy has done the King’s bidding to save his mum. This note, it wasn’t meant for Camden.”
“Who then?”
“Well, if that isn’t the fifty-million-dollar question…” Cal clicks the email closed, turning to face me. “When he spoke to you, the King gave you a name:Bennett. At first we believed it was a red herring. Just another dead end he’d sent us down.”
“But you don’t think that anymore?” Sonny asks, leaning his elbows on his knees and perching his chin on his hands.
Cal shakes his head. “Bennett is a fairly popular surname, but after a bit of digging we linked it to a man who rubbed shoulders with the Kray twins back in the 50’s and 60’s.A very powerful man indeed.”
“Who?”
“A man called Montgomery Bennett. He was known as the King of the East End.”
“Fuck,” Eastern hushes out. “He actually told the truth?”
“Yes, but that isn’t the most interesting part. The Bennett family tree ends with Montgomery. There are no records ofanychildren that follow. None.”
