The girls all had their own flats in the area, and all with one or more kids, they worked the benefits system a treat. With their own premises, it was a no-brainer to get them accepting trade from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Being limited to just five girls, he was no Mr Baker, and the business certainly wasn’t his main earner, but he still pulled in a good few hundred a week so it was worth the limited hassle.
His money-making tree was certainly growing beyond his own expectations and still working for Reggie (who was ignorant of a lot of what he got up to nowadays) was becoming more and more of a burden. Kamal had been lenient regarding his continuing employment with Reggie. Aiden was grateful to him. As Reggie’s direct competition, Kamal could quite easily be a cunt about it. But local drug deals were a very small part of Kamal’s business these days, a smaller part than Reggie understood it to be.
Working for both Reggie and the KKKs had worked out alright, even if he was working his arse off. He was like a father working four jobs, something his own father knew fuck-all about. Most of what Aiden did, he did for Kamal. He had whole-heartedly embraced each and every opportunity handed to him, and he was, for now, content with how life was panning out. He had always envisaged himself having fingers in many lucrative pies, and that was exactly what he had done. At just nineteen years old, he’d achieved it far earlier than he’d ever imagined. It was astonishing, really. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to check he wasn’t dreaming it all.
When Gina returned, she was fully dressed and ready to go. She stormed out of the house. Aiden lit up a cigarette and followed her out on a sigh.
Chapter twenty-seven
Aiden buzzed Mr Baker’s front door and he was let up by Jackie Mansfield. Jackie was standing at the front door to the apartment when Aiden arrived at the top of the stairs. “Jackie…” He nodded.
He and Jackie had never seen eye to eye. For a reason he didn’t care less about, she had never taken to him.
For the past eighteen months Aiden had been supplying Mr Baker with drugs through Kamal, unbeknown to Reggie, and Reggie had been livid when Mr Baker had confirmed that he no longer wanted him to be his supplier. He had sent Aiden to talk him round, and that’s when Aiden had made his move and arranged the current understanding.
Aiden had to admit: Kamal’s gear was far better quality than Reggie’s. For clients as affluent as Mr Baker, you couldn’t get away with anything but the best. Reggie’s gear nowadays was good enough for those on the estates, but not for big earners, and that’s who Mr Baker supplied to.
Jackie stepped aside and allowed Aiden into the apartment. She watched him with contempt as he swaggered into the lounge like he owned the place. Mr Baker was sitting on his couch, leaning over some papers that were spread across his glass coffee table.
“Mr Baker, you asked for me,” Aiden announced.
Mr Baker tore his eyes away from the coffee table and relaxed back on the couch. “Aiden, sit down.” He gestured to the armchair opposite, then asked, “Has Jackie offered you a drink?” eyeing Jackie with a raise of the eyebrows, knowing full well that she despised Aiden Foster. Jackie considered him arrogant and dangerous. He always responded with ‘Good, we need more dangerous’. Jackie pursed her lips and reluctantly left the room to perform the task asked of her.
“So, what’s this all about?” Aiden enquired with intrigue, placing a shiny Boss winkle-picker shoe over his knee.
“See all this?” Mr Baker gestured to his coffee table. “All of this is an account of where my money comes in and where it goes…” Aiden frowned, confused as to what this had to do with him, but he allowed Mr Baker to explain. “To cut a long story short, Aiden, I need to make more money, and you have someone I know could make me – well us – a mint.”
“I guess you’re talking about Gina…” Aiden stated rather than questioned.
“Of course. She’s been a big hit in your movies, and she’d be a big hit working for me too.”
“I have prior commitments where Gina’s concerned,” Aiden replied.
Mr Baker smiled. “I understand Don is interested in selling Gina to the masses.”
Aiden shifted in his chair. “What do you know of it?”
“Don is a very good friend of mine.”
Aiden stood abruptly, licking dry lips. “Had a word with him, did ya?” he retorted.
Mr Baker was not intimidated. Aiden had always been a lairy little bastard. Eyeing him with confidence, he explained, “You could earn a lot of money off of her, if you work her through me, Aiden. As you know, I have a lot of very prestigious contacts who enjoy sex as much as cocaine. They would pay an arm and a leg to spend a night with Gina Watson. And I’m talking full nights. We could earn more from her in one night than you’d make in a week of filming.”
Aiden glared at Mr Baker as he processed what the man was telling him. So Mr Baker could influence any decision he made in regards to the sex tapes… this was news to him. He slowly sat back down. “She wouldn’t work for you without my backing,” he replied gruffly.
Mr Baker smiled politely. “I know that, Aiden. She’s very loyal to you. You must make her very happy.”
Aiden didn’t answer. He took a box of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one up in the same moment that Jackie returned with a crystal tumbler half filled with whisky. She set it on the table beside Aiden’s chair.
“An ashtray, please, Jackie,” Mr Baker instructed further.
Jackie sighed irately, and left the room once again. When she returned, she held the ashtray out to Aiden. He took it from her with a smirk and she spun around to face Mr Baker. “Anything else?” she asked curtly.
“No, thank you, Jackie,” he replied, glaring at her now. She took in his fierce expression and skulked out of the room.
“So, what sort of money are we talking?” Aiden prompted.
Mr Baker peeled his eyes away from the doorway through which Jackie had disappeared, and with regained composure he replied, “Could be anything between £1500 and £3000 a night, depending on the client.”
Aiden drew on his cigarette and nodded. “Alright, but she still does the films…”
Mr Baker thought on this for a moment then replied, “Whatever you say, Aiden. But I must have her at least four times a week.”
Aiden left Mr Baker’s apartment feeling apprehensive about what Gina would make of their new arrangement. He would make her do it, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn’t looking forward to arguing it out with her.
He jumped into a brand-spanking-new black – previously red – BMW 3 series that he’d picked up from Lowe & Son the previous day. He loved this car and was going against his own rules of driving around in his own stolen goods because he’d wanted to take it for a ride, but he had a buyer, and Ricky, who had finally passed his driving test, was picking it up from a garage in Bethnal Green later that evening.
Half an hour later, he was pulling up outside Kamal Kakar’s apartment in Limehouse. He was buzzed in and the large glass door opened. Stepping into the foyer lift, he hit the button for floor six and was elevated to Kamal’s apartment. The front door swung open and it was Kyle that greeted him. They shook hands and Kyle ushered him inside, closing the door behind him.
When Aiden stepped into the lounge, he saw Kamal and three other men he did not recognise huddled around the large coffee table in the centre of the room. As he approached them, Kamal stood to his full height and greeted him with a warm smile and a handshake.
“Aiden, come. Look at these!” he urged enthusiastically. The other men stepped back as Aiden approached the table. “These have just come in from Germany. This is a Walther PPK double-action semi-automatic, used by the military police in World War II. ” He lifted one of the three hand guns that were laid in boxes on the table and held it up, turning it around between the tips of his fingers with fervent admiration. “It’s fit with a silencer, to reduce the noise of the shot…” he added zealously.
Kamal passed the gun to Aid
en. He took it with care and his wide eyes studied the device with admiration. Bearing in mind the length of time he’d worked for Kamal, he had never actually held a gun before. The words said to him when he was a child came back to him: ‘Guns aren’t for men, they are for cowards”. Grant O’Donoghue had said that to him. He dashed the memory away. That had been a different time. The streets had changed and were always changing, rapidly. It had become more and more obvious that a gun was the weapon of choice in their world and, in all honesty, Aiden was relieved to be finally jumping on the bandwagon. “It’s impressive,” he muttered in awe.
“I thought you’d appreciate it… I want you to have it.” Aiden stared at Kamal, his lips curling up into a roguish smile. Kamal was serious all of a sudden. “On two conditions…” he disclosed. “Firstly, you use it only when I instruct you to use it.”
Aiden twisted his lips. “Go on.”
“Secondly, you do not tell anyone that we have these. Do you understand?”
“Yeah… ’course,” Aiden replied. “That goes without saying…”
“Good.”
Kamal took the gun from Aiden and placed it back into its box. Turning to the three strangers in the room, who Aiden noticed he hadn’t been introduced to, Kamal nodded and they seemed to understand that this was their cue to leave. They left in silence.
Kyle began packing up the guns, as Kamal prepared drinks in the kitchen. “So, when do I get to shoot somebody?” Aiden asked with a shred of amusement.
“You don’t,” Kamal replied, pouring a shot of vodka into two crystal glasses.
“Oh.” Aiden looked bitterly disappointed.
Kamal smiled to himself. Aiden was an eager son of a bitch, he had to give him that! Walking the drinks into the lounge, he placed them on the now clear coffee table and settled into his leather armchair. He gestured for Aiden to sit, and he did so on the couch opposite as usual.
Kyle took one of the glasses and downed its contents in one then announced, “I’ll see you later.”
Kamal nodded and watched his associate leave before his caramel eyes fell onto Aiden. He took a deep breath then declared, “Using weaponry such as a gun is not our preferred way of fighting our battles. But times are changing, and unfortunately many that we choose to battle with are armed and therefore needs must…” he tailed off with a shrug then added, “But, guns are for cowards, Aiden.”
The irony of Aiden’s recent reminiscence didn’t escape his notice. “You sound like my uncle Grant,” he muttered, lifting his glass from the table and taking a large gulp of his drink.
Kamal pursed his lips and added, “We shall use them only in defence…”
“You used one at Billy Wyatt’s that time… you must remember putting a bullet in me uncle’s head… not to mention the other three you ruthlessly blew away,” Aiden responded tersely.
Kamal’s eyes narrowed, but he ignored Aiden’s quick temper, as he usually did. “We knew Billy had a gun. I couldn’t risk going in without one of my own. The others? Well, they were witnesses that I couldn’t afford to keep alive. But my point is, if we do not need a gun, we do not use one… understand?”
Aiden nodded reluctantly.
************
Kate Foster sat nervously on the edge of the couch in the living the room of her home as her mother flitted about the kitchen as usual. Duggie was sitting in his armchair watching the television and was in one of his infamous strops. Vivien had insisted that he stay home that afternoon because Kate and Adam Draper had an announcement to make.
Kate was waiting for Adam to arrive. She glanced at the clock: 5:55pm. Adam was expected at 6pm and he never failed to be on time. Adam hated lateness. It was part of his exceptional work ethic – a work ethic that had finally got him the position of project manager with a national building firm he had been working for for the past year. He had been working in his new role for a few weeks now and was getting paid handsomely. Kate was very proud of him. He was so independent and grounded, and this had convinced her that he would be able to look after her, financially and emotionally, for the rest of their lives.
Things were so different now since, what seemed like a lifetime ago, they used to hang around the garages like children. Staying together had matured them both and Kate now studied hair and beauty part-time at a local college, and worked weekends at a local hairdresser.
There was a rap at the door and it shook Kate from her reverie. She jumped to her feet and jogged to the door. Opening it with a wide smile, she ushered Adam inside. When he entered the living room, Duggie glanced up from the television and nodded his salutation. Surprisingly, Duggie didn’t mind Adam, and Kate knew this was the only reason he had agreed not to go to the pub until they had made their announcement.
Vivien came bustling into the room. “Adam!”
She looked from Adam to Kate, eagerly awaiting their announcement. She was banking on Kate being pregnant. She needed a project. Aiden had slipped away from her, and Kate spent most of her time at Adam’s family home. A grandchild would give her something to live for.
“Mum, Dad,” Kate began. “Adam and I are moving in together! We have just put a deposit down on a flat in Shoreditch!”
Duggie switched off the television and rose slowly from his chair, his leg hindering him as usual. He limped up to Adam and held out his hand. Both Kate and Vivien glanced at each other, surprised by this unexpected gesture – the switching off of his beloved television being the biggest surprise. Adam took Duggie’s hand and shook it with a firm handshake that conveyed his masculinity. Duggie smiled awkwardly, then limped off to the kitchen.
There was a moment’s silence as both Vivien and Kate recovered from Duggie’s unfamiliar display of interest. Vivien was the first to speak. “Congratulations, to the both of you,” she crooned, but there was a melancholy behind her grey eyes.
Kate gave her a sympathetic smile. She understood her mother’s reservations. She didn’t want to be left completely alone with Duggie. And in that moment, by the expression on her face, Kate realised just how much her mother had always relied on her company in order to cope with her cantankerous bully of a husband.
Chapter twenty-eight
Gina’s heart somersaulted when she opened the door of her flat to see Aiden leaning against the balustrade of the walkway, dressed in an expensive charcoal suit, smoking a cigarette. He looked dapper, truly exquisite. They hadn’t spoken for over a week following the last video shoot at Ashley’s house.
Though as ever thrilled to see him, she leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms in indignation. But before she could speak, he distracted her by holding up a set of car keys and twirling them around his index finger, exhibiting a full-on megawatt smile.
He looked so damned happy with himself, and she had to try her best to conceal the fact that her icy demeanour was already thawing by how wonderfully jovial he was being. “What have you nicked this time?” she asked, a twitch of a grin threatening to form on her lips. “Take a look for yourself.” He threw the keys at her and she caught them with ease. Stepping out of the flat, she peered over the balustrade and saw a shiny black Corsa parked in one of the parking bays below. Aiden leant in close to her ear. “It’s yours,” he whispered with a boyish grin. She turned to him, clearly surprised. “Really?” He nodded. “Oh, Aiden, you’re the best!” she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head towards hers. She pressed her lips against his and for a moment he responded, then he pulled away.
“Wanna go and see it?” he asked.
“Yes, please!”
Grabbing the keys for the flat, she locked the front door and she and Aiden headed down to ground level. Gina jogged over to the car and gazed inside the window. “Open it up!” he enthused.
She unlocked the car and slid into the driver seat, running her hands over the steering wheel. “I haven’t driven since my test,” she announced nervously.
“You’ll get the hang of it, G. You always do.”
His encouragement was enough to thwart her anxiety, and she continued to study the car excitedly as Aiden let himself into the passenger side. “Are we going for a test drive?”
“In a minute,” he replied.
Gina turned to see that he was frowning. “What is it?”
“I need to discuss something with you…”
“OK,” she replied warily.
“I met with Mr Baker last week…”
“Right…”
Aiden ran his fingers over his chin, in deliberation over something Gina was soon questioning whether or not she wanted to know. The familiar stirring of anxiety returned to her stomach and a little voice inside her head reminded her that Aiden never gave without the expectation of receiving. The notion was a depressing one.
He went on, “He’s keen for you to work for him.”
Aiden glanced at her. She stared at him, trying to comprehend whether he was merely informing her of some irrational request by this well-known pimp or whether he was asking her to realistically consider this… offer. And once again, the voice of her subconscious reminded her that, Aiden didn’t ‘ask’ for anything, not from her: he ‘told’ her to do things, which was the prompt for her next question. “And you said?”
Aiden inhaled deeply and sighed. “I said I would discuss it with you…”
Gina’s eyes narrowed. He was acting way too guiltily for this to be true. She sighed. “You said I’d do it, didn’t you?”
He turned his body round to face her, leaning back against the inside of the car door. “Yes, but listen…”
“I don’t believe you sometimes, Aiden!”
Human Conditioning Page 20