Larry Grey had a gambling problem. It was one that had gotten him in a spot of trouble a time or two.
One of many problems his father had bailed him out of. Dickie tried to encourage his son in a different direction but the two never saw eye to eye.
This little gambling problem was a secret he always managed to keep.
His father didn't know what went on in his life any longer now that he wasn't in control of Cavenham and out of his life.
Larry simply couldn't believe that he threw away his life for that woman he married.
A Crawley no less, he shuddered.
She wasn't one of them. He knew his mother was rolling in her grave. How could a common woman like Isobel be a part of their family?
From the very beginning, he had it in his mind that she simply married his father for title and money.
She was in his eyes a greedy woman.
When his father became ill and the prospect of having to care for him was in the way, he couldn't wait to get rid of him, instead he survived and luckily Larry managed to get his way with the estate as his own and his father no longer lurking about.
He refused to attend their wedding and avoided all contact with them, wanting to not even set eyes on them.
He certainly had his mother's stone cold heart.
Dickie had abandoned everything at Cavenham in pursuit of a woman he loved and Larry could never understand who would want to give it all up, especially for a woman that had hardly a fortune to her name and a dead son.
Larry was away on a trip one particular evening, enjoying a brandy and a bit of gambling. He was sitting around the table with one man he'd met before and two strangers.
The two strangers were visiting from Scotland and from what Larry could tell, weren't the least bit intimidated by the high stakes game they were playing that night.
The bar was a mere hole in the wall and the brandy tasted watered down and wasn't doing the job, but at a place like this, Larry didn't expect the drinks to be well made.
The bar keep was a rough looking older man with four fingers on one hand and a greasy complexion. It was clear the kind of company this place kept.
The game began to intensify once a 5th round of drinks came to the table. It was evident that tensions were high and Larry wasn't one to give up so easily.
One by one everyone at the table threw down their cards. Larry smirked, being the last one to lay his cards down.
" Well gentlemen, it was a great game played, but I seem to be the lucky one this evening." he says.
" NO!" the man across the table slams his fists down, causing the liquid in the glasses on the table to slosh around.
Larry raised a pointed brow at the man, not used to anyone being a sore loser.
" I won fairly. These are my earnings." Larry says a bit more sternly before adding, " better luck next time, old chap."
" How about another round?" The elder man Elias asks before throwing down a stack of more money.
" All that and you get to keep the lot." he points to it.
Larry thought for a moment. The money was tempting. He still had unfinished business left to deal with the bloke so he decided to take his chances.
The dark haired man dealt the cards.
Larry straightened up and took a sip of the ghastly brandy before checking his hand.
The odds were clearly in his favour in the first round but not the second. A bit cocky, he found himself at a loss, much more than he anticipated.
The dark haired man across the table laughed. " Better luck next time."
He waved the money around taunting Larry before leaving.
He left the bar soon after and headed to the waiting car to take him back to the hotel, angry at his loss and a bit nervous.
Once in the lobby of the hotel, he was headed towards the lift, unaware of the man behind him until he felt a metal barrel of a handgun in his back.
" Well well well if it isn't Mr. Grey. I hope you've brought payment."
Larry trembled a bit as the man steered them away from the lifts and outside of the hotel to an alleyway.
It reeked of trash and was dimly lit by a street lamp in the distance, only giving the two men enough light to make out each other's figures in the dark.
" I believe you owes my boss money. He sent me to collect." The man said, pressing the barrel further into Larry's side.
" Here, take it. That's all I've got." Trembling he reaches into his coat pocket and removes the money he won at the table.
The man can tell simply by the feel of the stack it's not nearly enough for repayment. If he didn't come back with the money, he knew he would be a goner.
" No games mister. I needs the money."
Larry swallows nervously. " I don't have it. I told you all I have is in your possession."
" I really hate to blows ya brains out but I'm gonna have to do it." The gunman says.
" WAIT! Stop! I'm good for it. Don't shoot me!" Larry pleads.
" Oh yeah? What do you have?" He snidely remarks.
" Collateral. Until I can get you the payment." Larry hands the man a paper that's got a scribbled address and name.
" I promise. I'll get you the money." The man steps from the shadows to catch some light on the paper before reading out the name.
He knows it will by him some time. " The boss will like this one. He loves the ladies."
Larry breaks away and swiftly heads back to the hotel to get away from the man.
He owed lots of money and figured using Isobel as a decoy would certainly get him all the money he owed and more...
TBC...