by Ricky Black
‘I know,’ Delroy stared into his glass. ‘I wanted you to take over. Winnie didn’t have the tools. Not for war anyway. Spinks went missing, and no one even noticed. Lennox probably forced him to share Winnie’s routine. After Mack’s attack, Spinks drove Winnie around. They were close.’
Lamont absorbed the information, going over every little point in his head. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but Lennox had played a brilliant move. He had effectively weakened Delroy’s position by killing his son, having already arranged for his spot to be raided.
The pressure was now on Delroy to strike back, yet looking at him, Lamont couldn’t see it happening. Not effectively at least. Delroy wore every single one of his years on his face. He was finished, even if he hadn’t yet realised.
‘Where’s Eddie?’ Lamont asked. Eddie Williams was more in the mould of Shorty; he was a hothead who needed little provocation to cause destruction. The death of his brother would put him on the warpath. Delroy shrugged, refilling his drink.
‘No one’s seen him. Either Lennox got him too, or he’s gone directly after Lennox. He didn’t answer my calls, and he hasn’t stopped by. Possible he doesn’t know, but I doubt that. Word spread quickly.’
Lamont agreed. He’d had well over a dozen phone calls once the news hit the streets about the murder. A man in Eddie’s position definitely had contacts.
‘What now?’
‘Are you going to take up my offer?’ Delroy finally looked at Lamont.
‘No.’
Delroy nodded.
‘I’ve got a crew in place. They’re gonna wipe out Lennox and the rest of his people,’ Delroy held Lamont’s attention, his lined face hard. ‘You might wanna stay out of Chapeltown for a while.’
‘It’s mad.’
Shorty was tucking into some fish soup with K-Bar, Darren and Maka at a safe house. A stream of empty containers and carrier bags surrounded them.
Shorty was in his element, happy to be back in the life. He’d spoken with K-Bar and picked up right where he’d left off, but with a newfound calmness. Yesterday, he’d even spent time with Grace, under Amy’s careful supervision.
Shorty was re-learning the ranks, but found he spent less time amongst the soldiers and more time analysing things from a distance. As he’d told Lamont, Shorty knew of the risk involved with the police. He had no desire to go back to prison. There was too much to live for.
‘What is?’ Darren asked K-Bar, wiping his mouth as he finished a dumpling.
‘This whole situation. How the hell does someone get the drop on a man like Winnie? He’s supposed to have security out of the ass.’
‘Winnie never took it seriously. He was probably sitting in the restaurant stuffing his fat face,’ said Shorty.
‘He had one guard there with him; he was just a little slow on the draw,’ replied K-Bar.
‘Lenny was gunning at them. Winnie needed more people, or he needed to avoid being out in public. We’ve all done dirt before. We know the signs.’
No one could argue with Shorty. Other than K-Bar, Shorty was in a league of his own when it came to warfare. His track record spoke for itself.
‘Either way, everyone needs to be careful. Delroy is old, but he won’t sit tight on this. He’s gonna have his people out there hitting back against Lennox. Lennox’s people might not discriminate, so we need to have people out there when necessary.’
‘Do you think L’s gonna get involved?’ Maka asked. No one spoke for a moment. All were aware of the weird relationship between Lamont and Delroy. At times there was a father and son vibe. At others, they were at each other’s throats.
Lamont had mentioned an offer that Delroy made for him to lead his organisation, but no one expected Lamont to take it. Lamont wouldn’t work for another person; it was the one consistent fact about him.
‘I don’t know, fam,’ Shorty finally replied. ‘I don’t think so though. L’s playing it different. He’s not trying to take on someone else’s drama. Not anymore.’
Lamont left Delroy’s, his mind full of questions. The situation with Lennox was about to heat up. Lamont hoped Delroy’s shooters were good, because he couldn’t see them having many chances to take out Lennox Thompson.
Lamont was focused the future. He’d heard about Malcolm’s speech on Chapeltown Road, but didn’t know if Jenny had been there.
Long-term, Lamont could slide into Delroy’s spot if Lennox murdered him. He had the infrastructure in place and it would help placate people if they were able to earn more money. The positive about the conflict was that it was keeping him from overthinking about his estranged girlfriend.
Reaching home, Lamont paused. There was a note pinned to the door. Removing it, Lamont noted it had a number to call. Sighing, he called the number.
‘Lamont Jones?’
‘Who’s asking?’
‘A car will pick you up in ten minutes.’
‘The person hung up. Lamont called Akeem.
‘Someone left a note at the house. A car’s coming to pick me up in ten minutes to take me somewhere.’
‘I can have someone at your place in five minutes. Go inside and lock up.’
‘It’s fine. I believe I know who’s behind this.’
When the car arrived, Lamont was blindfolded and driven to a location. Despite the circumstances, he felt oddly calm. He was led into a building, and then the blindfold was removed.
‘Hello, Mr Jones,’ a familiar voice intoned. Lamont nodded, a small smile on his face.
‘It’s good to see you, Akhan.’
Chapter Fourteen
Friday 13 March 2015
Lamont and Akhan stared at one another, neither man blinking. Lamont recalled their last conversation; when Akhan had calmly blackmailed Lamont under threat of Lamont’s murder of Ricky Reagan becoming public knowledge.
Akhan looked the same; unflappably calm and fastidiously dressed in a shirt, trousers and dress shoes. Finally, he motioned for Lamont to sit down.
‘Would you like a drink?’ Akhan asked.
‘Some water please,’ replied Lamont. Akhan signalled for someone to fetch it.
‘How are you?’
‘I’m well,’ said Lamont, keeping his words succinct. He was aware of the guards posted by the door.
‘Our last meeting, things went in a different direction to how I’d intended.’
‘I doubt that. You wanted to establish control, and you did.’
Akhan shook his head, his expression almost pained.
‘I wanted what was best for you. The freedom you desire, it doesn’t exist. Chapeltown needs you, especially with the current situation with Delroy and Lennox Thompson.’
‘You know about that?’
‘Delroy will lose. We both know this. Lennox is more organised, more logical, and he’s utterly ruthless. He wants everything, and Delroy is in the way. Even before his son’s death, he could not have won.’
Lamont rubbed his forehead, drinking the water, so he had something to do.
‘Are you going to explain what this has to do with me?’
Akhan assessed Lamont for a long moment. The guards shifted slightly, but held their positions.
‘Lennox is a problem because if he wins, he won’t leave you unchecked. You’re a threat, maybe the only one he has in Leeds. He doesn’t think the same way as Delroy and he will not co-exist. You’ll be taken out.’
‘Why do you care?’ Lamont understood Akhan’s concerns, but the fact remained Akhan had blackmailed him, and that loomed over everything else the warlord said. ‘You could do a deal with Lennox. He’d be forced to take you seriously. You don’t need me for this.’
Akhan grinned. ‘I meant everything I said, Lamont. It’s only your unwillingness to really get involved that holds you back. If you looked at your whole city the way you do your crew, things would work better, and everyone would profit handsomely. Lennox is concerned only with himself.’
Lamont closed his eyes.
‘If I take o
ut Lennox, will you allow me to walk away?’
Akhan again gave Lamont a long look.
‘Stay for dinner and let us talk of other matters. One more thing,’ Akhan began as he led them from the study. ‘Darren is to stay away from Rashad and any other member of my organisation. If he doesn’t, he dies.’
Jenny played with the food on her plate, her appetite awol. She was in a trendy restaurant near Park Row, but her thoughts were scattered. She looked at the mobile phone resting on the table, thinking of Lamont and what he might be doing. She’d had a lot of time to think about their argument and hated that things had grown so out of control.
Several times, she’d considered contacting Lamont and trying to work past things, but she couldn’t predict where it would end. The future seemed murky, and Jenny had no idea how to navigate that.
‘Aren’t you eating?’
Jenny glanced at Malcolm and shook her head. He’d called earlier, inviting her to get some food. Jenny appreciated the distraction and agreed. Malcolm met her eyes, a strong, confident presence in the full venue. Women snuck appreciative looks at him as he ate his food but he paid them no attention, completely focused on Jenny.
‘Starving yourself won’t make things any better. You need to eat something.’
‘I’ll eat later.’
Malcolm looked for a moment as if he would argue, but shrugged and kept on eating. After a while he wiped his mouth.
‘What do you know about the war in Chapeltown?’ He asked.
‘I try not to think about it. I still gave nightmares from what happened to my partner a few years ago.’
Malcolm’s face was unreadable as he surveyed Jenny.
‘You don’t talk about him much.’
Jenny sighed. ‘There isn’t much to say. Sometimes, relationships are a struggle. I’m sure you’ve heard all the cliches before.’
‘What does your boyfriend think of you spending time around me?’
Jenny made a face. ‘Why would you ask that?’
Malcolm grinned. ‘I’m a curious fellow. You won’t eat, so I’m going to talk at you for a while and see how that works out. So, stop avoiding the question.’
‘I’m not avoiding the question. Look, he’s a private guy, and he’s fantastic at hiding his emotions. If you’re trying to ask if he knows about you, the answer is yes.’
‘And, he said nothing at all about spending any time with me?’
Jenny thought back to the conversations she and Lamont had shared about Malcolm. Lamont had mentioned his name the day they’d argued. Malcolm was a good-looking guy; he was articulate and quirky, and Jenny enjoyed spending time with him. The fact he was a superb writer was an additional bonus.
Jenny saw him as someone she could confide in, and wondered if that would upset Lamont. She tried putting herself in his shoes. If Lamont was speaking with another woman the way she spoke with and spent time with Malcolm, how would she feel?
Seconds later, her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head to clear the thoughts from her mind.
‘Where the hell were you just then?’ Malcolm’s eyebrow rose.
‘Somewhere I’m not sure how to navigate,’ Jenny admitted. ‘To answer your question, no he didn’t. He’s a closed book.’
Malcolm rubbed his eyebrow. ‘Let’s talk about something else. What do you want to do with the rest of your life?’
Jenny’s face crinkled in surprise. It was such a simple question, but it startled her.
‘I want to grow my business. I can make it better than it was before, it’s just going to take time. I often have to remember that and stop beating myself up.’
Malcolm nodded. ‘I told you before that your passion was one of the things I liked the most about you. I know you’re in a relationship and you’re giving that your attention, but you should always put yourself first because quite simply, you deserve the best, Jenny. Whatever or whoever that may be.’
Jenny couldn’t speak at first, moved by Malcolm’s words. They were empowering and touching and warmed her in a way that it shouldn’t.
They stared at one another for a long moment. Jenny’s hands trembled, her stomach churning in a way that had nothing to do with nausea and everything to do with nerves.
‘Have dinner with me. Tonight. I’ll cook.’
Jenny’s heart seemed to stop for a second. She thought again of Lamont, but Malcom was right. He was invested in her and wanted to spend time with her. With that in mind, there was only one answer to give.
‘Okay.’
Lamont met with Akeem. They sat in the study, Lamont pouring drinks as he shared Akhan’s words.
‘We need a strategy for getting rid of Lennox. Delroy will struggle. He’s got shooting crews in place but Lennox will see them coming. Lennox’s team is solid, but he’s the key.’
‘He’s powerful. He has people ready to die for him,’ Akeem agreed.
‘The police exposure at the moment won’t make it easy either.’
‘Shorty could kill Lennox?’ Akeem suggested. ‘K-Bar is still benched. The only other person I’d suggest is myself.’
‘I don’t want to use you for that. I’ve no doubt in your ability, but it’s a risk, and I need you for too many other things.’
Akeem nodded. ‘What’s Akhan’s game? He could go after Lennox himself if he thought he was a threat.’
Lamont didn’t reply. He agreed that Akhan definitely had an agenda he hadn’t shared with Lamont. He was playing a role, and Lamont couldn’t predict what Akhan would do if he killed Lennox.
‘I don’t know. He seems determined to have me in place. Maybe he wants to keep me distracted? He knows about Darren getting close to Rashad, meaning Darren was sloppy, or Rashad told Akhan what he knew . . .’
‘Or, Akhan knew all along and let it happen.’
Lamont flinched. He’d given thought to Akeem’s theory, but didn’t want to believe he could be outplayed in such a manner. He wasn’t on top form though. Jenny occupied a permanent place in his mind; he was trying to listen to Kate and stay away, yet felt things would only grow worse if he did.
‘For now, let’s focus on Lennox. Akhan is the long-term plan. We have a few goons in place now. Let’s at least get an idea of Lennox’s team, and any potential weak links.’
‘I’m on it, boss.’ Akeem downed his drink and reached for his phone.
‘I’m glad you’ve made up your mind.’
In the middle of doing her hair, Jenny turned to look at Kate, ignoring the wide grin on her friend’s face.
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Sure you don’t. You and Malcolm going on a date and you going over for dinner is a sign you and L are done, girl.’
‘I’m in love with L, Kate. Malcolm is a friend, a good one who has stepped up when I needed someone. We’re friends, that’s it.’
‘Whatever you say; you’re wearing that sexy-ass black dress and those fuck-me heels. I haven’t seen you like this in years, so you can save the friends shit for someone who doesn’t know you.’
‘L knows about Malcolm. He doesn’t mind me having friends.’
‘Course, and if the position was reversed, you wouldn’t mind L going to dinner with a beautiful woman who wrote really well, would you?’
Jenny didn’t reply. She didn’t know where they were at, but her feelings were unchanged. She loved Lamont, but the confusion and his refusal to let her in were jarring. Deciding to put it out of her mind, she focused on finishing her hair, ignoring Kate’s triumphant cackling.
Jenny’s heart hammered. She knew why. She knew how she could stop it. It’s just dinner, she kept telling herself. She took her car. A powerful red Mercedes. While Lamont was recovering, and she was driving him around, he’d insisted on buying it:
‘I don’t need a car, L.’
‘I know you don’t. You’re happy with this one, and that’s fine, but I want to buy you one.’
‘And I don’t want you to. Like I said. I have my own money.’
‘I know you do,’ Lamont smiled. ‘We both have money. So, if you’re not going to let me buy you one, then I’ll treat myself. A nice cherry red Mercedes,’ he gently rubbed his stomach. ‘But, with my condition and all, I’m going to need you to drive me around.’
So, they both got what they wanted. Jenny got a car and kept her independence, and Lamont got to buy it for her. She quickly found a buyer for her old car, and it was never spoken of again.
Jenny wondered what Lamont was doing, but shook the feelings. She pulled into Malcolm’s drive, parking behind his Range Rover. The house was detached and pale-bricked, with a sturdy looking brown door. Her chest fluttering, Jenny knocked at the door.
‘You’re right on time,’ said Malcolm, beaming when he saw Jenny stood there. He wore a green polo shirt, tight around the biceps, khaki trousers and deck shoes. He showed her into the living room. The lights were dimmed low, the TV on, but muted, silently playing what looked like the Evening News.
Jenny was surprised at the organised clutter. Books, newspapers, notepads, pens and paper were all over, but haphazardly placed into piles.
‘Can I get you a drink?’
‘I’m driving, so just a glass of water will be fine,’ said Jenny. Malcolm snorted.
‘Glass of wine coming up. Take a seat.’
Jenny did as she was told. The comfortable sofa was a dark murky brown. She watched the news, hearing the music playing in the background. Al Green. She had owned several of his CD’s when she was younger.
‘Here you go,’ Malcolm handed her a glass of red wine. ‘Try this.’
Jenny sipped it. It was strong, but did a lot to ease her nervousness.
‘So, how was work after our lunch?’ asked Malcolm. Jenny glanced at him.
‘Are we doing small talk?’
‘If you want to go straight to bed, then that’s fine with me,’ replied Malcolm. Jenny laughed.