Kimberley Chambers

Backstabber


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       Copyright

      Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2017

      Copyright © Kimberley Chambers 2017

      Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017 Cover photograph © Glenn Ferguson/Arcangel Images

      Kimberley Chambers asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

      A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

      Source ISBN: 9780007521807

      Ebook Edition © October 2017 ISBN: 9780007521821

      Version: 2019-07-08

       Dedication

      In memory of Bradley Arthur

      Taken far too soon

      1990–2015

      A loving son, brother, father, grandson,

      friend and fellow Spurs fan

      RIP Brad

Epigraph

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

      Copyright

      Dedication

      Epigraph

      Prologue

      Part One

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Part Two

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Chapter Nineteen

       Part Three

       Chapter Twenty

       Chapter Twenty-One

       Chapter Twenty-Two

       Chapter Twenty-Three

       Chapter Twenty-Four

       Chapter Twenty-Five

       Chapter Twenty-Six

       Chapter Twenty-Seven

       Chapter Twenty-Eight

       Chapter Twenty-Nine

       Chapter Thirty

       Chapter Thirty-One

       Chapter Thirty-Two

       Chapter Thirty-Three

       Chapter Thirty-Four

       Epilogue

       Acknowledgements

       Keep Reading …

       About the Author

       Also by Kimberley Chambers

       About the Publisher

       PROLOGUE

      It was a cold February evening. So bloody cold, the car windscreens had started to freeze.

      Beads of sweat forming on his forehead, the man wanted to take off his crash helmet, but daren’t. How had it come to this? he mused, even though he already knew the answer. His brother had a screw loose, wasn’t right in the head. He’d never been sane, truth be known. That was obvious, and it should have been dealt with.

      There had been some good times, brilliant in fact, but the bad outweighed those massively now. His brother was a ticking time bomb that exploded every now and then, leaving a trail of carnage and sadness. Well, this time he had gone a step too far. Which was why a decision had been made to stop him in his tracks, for ever. There was no other option.

      The man’s heart rate went into overdrive as he heard the distinctive sound of an approaching vehicle. He knew without a doubt it was him, could hear the sleek diesel engine, and the song ‘Jealous Guy’ blaring out the speakers. His brother had always been a big fan of Roxy Music, reckoned Bryan Ferry’s voice was second to none.

      Sporting the number plate VB1, the black Range Rover screeched to a halt and a tall suited man leapt out. He looked the part, as always. Thick black hair greased back, expensive watch and shiny shoes.

      ‘Bruv! You shit the life outta me then. Where’s your motor? I’m pleased you called.’

      Hands trembling, Michael Butler lifted the gun. ‘I’m sorry, Vinny, I really am. But …’

       PART ONE

      ‘I’m not upset that you lied to me,

      I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you’

      Friedrich Nietzsche