Two Women

by Martina Cole

  June’s personality and body were overtly sexual and that was the nub of all her man problems. It was what had attracted Jimmy, until he had seen her for what she was. Villains didn’t have to have molls hanging on their arms any more. This was the sixties and people like Johnny Binden and his ilk could take any kind of woman they wanted. Jimmy Vincent wanted this too.

  June knew she was now an also ran and she had to salvage something. If it meant that she had to take back her husband then all the better really. At least she would be in an environment she knew, with people who knew her and accepted her for what she was: June McNamara, slag extraordinaire. Battered wife, haphazard mother and Jimmy’s ex-bird.

  As her husband made them both tea and toast and they chatted about the girls she felt herself relax. When Joey was like this she loved him. This was the man she had fallen for, this was the man she had wanted more than anything once.

  Now she knew that if he took her back there would be a subtle shift of position. After all, she had crossed into the real world of villainy and her husband was aware of that.

  She would let him think that she had left Jimmy. That she had gone off him. Joey would believe her, would want to believe her.

  She began to talk to him, her voice soft, her eyes moist. As he responded with shy smiles and little gestures, lighting her cigarettes, pouring her more tea, she relaxed.

  This was going to be easier than she’d thought. But she would miss her Jimmy, miss him very much. After all, he had shown her another way of life and for that alone June would always be grateful to him.

  Jimmy walked out of his new amour’s house a happy, happy man. He was glad Junie had taken it all so well. He’d hated hurting her but what could a man do?

  She was old news, like a newspaper read from cover to cover. Why keep it?

  He would see her off with a couple of grand and promise he would keep an eye on her. And every now and then, when he felt the urge for a bit of strange, he would call on her.

  Junie was like that.

  He realised now she was as mercenary as him. You didn’t make respectable women out of the Junes of this world. You shagged them, used them, had a few laughs then tossed them aside when the next one ambled into the pub.

  But he had loved her, at least for a while he had, until he had seen a different way of life, a better way of life. Realised that women could actually think as well as shag.

  As the baseball bat hit him on the back of his knees Jimmy was nonplussed for a few seconds. He thought for a moment he had fallen over. As he hit the pavement and the gun was shoved into the back of his head he realised he had been set up.

  And who better to do that than his new woman?

  His last conscious thought was that, if he survived, he would take a baseball bat and crack it over Maureen’s head until it was smashed to pieces.

  Maureen Carter watched the commotion from the bedroom of her house, grinning to herself. Jimmy really thought she would want him? It was laughable.

  The phone rang. She picked it up, her heavily varnished nails glinting in the half-light.

  ‘Yeah, just now. It’s over.’

  She replaced the receiver. Then, deliberately smudging her mascara, she walked sedately down the stairs and into the street. Her screaming and carrying on brought everyone to their doors. In a respectable area, the murder of a known villain was unheard of. Maureen was hysterical, the police left her alone, and afterwards her son made her a nice stiff drink. All in all not a bad day’s work.

  Jimmy’s death had earned her thirty grand.

  Maureen sipped her drink and planned a nice holiday with the money the Davidson brothers had promised her for setting up her new boyfriend. It looked like 1966 was going to be her year.

  Chapter Four

  June was in shock, complete and utter shock. Even though he had been leaving her, she still couldn’t believe her Jimmy was really dead.

  Inside she felt glad, and that frightened her.

  The police had knocked just after she’d arrived home from Joey’s, full of Scotch and camaraderie, fuelled with the knowledge that if push came to shove she was home and dry with her husband. She had let him cop a quick feel while pretending she was still staying faithful to Jimmy.

  She had reminded him that walking out on a big-time villain was not something she could do lightly, and even Joey had had to concede that one. Finally she had hinted that Jimmy was playing around on her and that maybe she had made a big mistake . . . With a parting shot about how she missed the children, she had left.

  Though she knew and Joey knew that the part about the girls was pure fabrication, while they were still getting on friendly terms he wasn’t about to pull her up on it. All in all June felt it was a good night’s work.

  Now Jimmy was dead, murdered in the street. And she could hold her head up, tell everyone he’d been giving Maureen the elbow and was still her beau. After the police had left, June set about the serious business of the night.

  Looking for his money.

  Jimmy always kept large amounts around the house and June knew where most of them were. She had arranged to identify his body in the morning, saying she was too distressed at this time. She was hoping she could pick up his effects at the same time then she would have the key to the safe and that was what she really wanted. In there he’d kept his address books, everything. They would be worth a pretty penny to the right person.

  Smiling, June poured herself a large Scotch, for her shattered nerves, and then after a long hot bath set about tearing the house apart.

  By Christmas morning she had found over two thousand pounds in notes bundled up and stuffed in wardrobes, drawers, even the electric cupboard. She placed it all on the bed and looked at it for a long time.

  It was a small fortune.

  Stretching like a long-limbed cat, June looked at herself in the mirror. She could do with a make over really but that would have to wait.

  Going to the safe, she was amazed and euphoric to see that the key she had found in the bedroom drawer fitted perfectly.

  The shock caused her to start trembling all over.

  Inside was more money, a few pieces of jewellery she knew she couldn’t pawn in the usual way and his address books, account books and a gun.

  Settling herself on the bed, lying on over three thousand pounds, June began to read his books and his simple system was so easy to understand she realised even she could have run it if she’d wanted to.

  Jimmy had lent money out then dragged it back with violent threats and intimidation. He’d kept a book with all the debtors’ addresses, phone numbers, and details of family members.

  As she lay on the money she began dreaming about what she would do with it. And Joey was in the equation now, only not as he would like to be. That was something she would sort out as time went by.

  What she really needed now was Joey’s reputation for violence. After all, no man but Jimmy would have dared to take her on under normal circumstances.

  It was all about front and June knew this.

  If Joey had had even a bit of nous he could have been a Jimmy himself. God knew he had the other attributes. But Joey’s biggest failing was his complete lack of any ambition or brainpower. He was a thug, simple as that. People paid him to do their dirty work.

  As an armed robber he’d been a disaster. He had actually gone into a local bookie’s in the sweltering summer heat to rob them. He had put on a balaclava but forgotten to hide his tattoos, so everyone knew it was him.

  Wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and a string vest he had displayed tattoos saying ‘Junie and Joey’ in a large red heart, and ‘ACAB’, meaning All Coppers Are Bastards, on his hands. On top of this he had a large dragon on his belly which he liked to make dance by moving his stomach as a party piece.

  Everyone had sussed him immediately, especially the bookie who had given him five hundred pounds and told him to go away.

  Joey had taken the money but that night had had a visit from th
e Davidsons who were paid to protect those particular premises and had had to swallow his knob and go round and apologise.

  Even Davey Davidson had laughed.

  For weeks afterwards every time Joey went in there to put on a bet everyone fell to the ground as if he was robbing them and laughed their heads off. Even Joey had seen the funny side of it, and that said it all about him as far as June was concerned.

  He was as much use as a chocolate teapot.

  Still, she would sort out Joey because now she had the money, she was in charge, and if she looked after him then he would look after her.

  Finally she hid the money and went to bed.

  Susan took communion at midnight mass and prayed again to Our Lady to make her father be asleep when she got in. If possible, she beseeched, could he please be paralytic and unconscious too?

  She didn’t ask for him to be dead because that might be too much even for Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

  After mass she walked up to look at the nativity scene. It was lovely. As she admired it a hand came down on her shoulder and, turning, she saw Father Campbell smiling down at her.

  ‘You’re a grand child, you know. You never miss the mass, do you?’

  Smiling radiantly, she nodded.

  ‘Only if I’m very ill. I love coming here.’

  ‘And how’s your mother? It must be a terrible night for her, God love her, what with the murder . . .’

  Susan looked into his face in shock. Was her father dead at last? Her heart constricted in her breast. She could hear her pulse hammering in her ears.

  ‘What murder?’

  As she looked into the priest’s face and he informed her that her Uncle Jimmy had been shot in the street Susan sighed.

  Life was so bloody unfair.

  Poor Uncle Jimmy. She had always liked him, he had been kind to her and Debs. Giving them a few minutes of his time, asking them about school, their lives. Things it would never have occurred to June to ask.

  Now he was dead and it was inevitable her mother would take up residence back at home. Susan didn’t want that.

  She didn’t want that at all.

  Bowing to the inevitable as usual, she smiled sadly.

  ‘He was a nice man, me Uncle Jimmy. I’d better get home and see if me mum needs me.’

  ‘You do that, child. Sure you’re a boon to your mother, a boon.’

  The priest watched her hurrying from the church on dumpy little legs and smiled sadly. She was a lovely little thing, plain as a pikestaff but with a huge heart that was crying out for a bit of affection.

  Now the man was dead, God rest him and keep him, perhaps that whore of a mother might get herself home and take care of her children as nature intended.

  Davey Davidson was over the moon. He knew his biggest rival was finally off the scene and that pleased him.

  What wasn’t so pleasant was the knowledge that a lot of people would now be after his blood.

  He would deal with that when it came up.

  What he wanted now were the notebooks and ledgers of the man he had killed. To get them he needed access to the house and that was where Joey came in. After all, his old woman was the bird in the know, as he had explained to them when he had set all this up.

  Joey was shrewd there, very shrewd. He’d wanted that woman of his back and had laid the foundations for this night’s work with the Davidsons. Davey wondered idly if Joey would tell his wife that he was the reason her new boyfriend was lying on a mortuary slab.

  He had wanted to do the actual murder but had been clever enough to see that he was going to be the prime suspect. So he had arranged to be at home with his children when it took place.

  Where any decent man would be on the night before Christmas.

  He had also paid a big mouth called Bella to collar his wife in East Ham market, where he knew his wife would be that Saturday with her two daughters. In effect he had masterminded a murder and had got what he wanted from it. His wife would give up the man of her dreams and he would get back a woman most men would have hung, drawn and quartered.

  Davey shook his head sadly at the way some people lived their lives.

  Maureen Carter was up and out early on Christmas morning. She was dressed in a blue Oscar de la Renta suit with matching shoes and bag, her hair expertly set. She looked calm and collected as she knocked at the door of Jimmy’s house.

  When June opened it she nearly died of shock.

  ‘It’s six o’clock in the morning, for fuck’s sake!’

  Maureen wriggled past her, smiling.

  ‘I’m well aware of that but I need to pick up a few of Jimmy’s things.’

  June, annoyed and still half asleep, sneered at her.

  ‘And what things would those be?’

  Suddenly her mind was as clear as a bell. She knew exactly what this woman was after and she also had an idea why Jimmy was dead.

  Maureen looked sadly at her. Changing tack she said quietly, ‘I have a few things here. You know, things Jimmy was looking after for me. After all, we were in business together.’

  June laughed outright at this then said sarcastically, ‘You were in bed together, I know that much. Tell me then, what are you after? If it’s within my power I’ll give you just what you want, lady.’

  Her words were loaded and Maureen knew this. She looked June up and down, considering whether she would have to fight her at some point. Maureen could fight like a man. It was one of her assets and she knew it. She also knew that June was smarting at this particular moment in time and the chances were she would be angry enough to give Maureen a real up and downer.

  She changed tack once more. Standing in the lounge, she looked her adversary in the eye and said honestly, ‘Come on, June, he was a wanker. A good-looking Scottish wanker who kept the two of us for months.

  ‘Now I don’t know about you, but Old Bill will be sniffing around soon and I don’t want to be implicated in anything. So let’s have a cup of Rosie Lee then get to work sorting out all his stuff.’

  June nodded without a word. She made the tea. As they sat at the kitchen table, Maureen lit a cigarette with a gold lighter. Her nails were long and painted a delicate shade of pink like her lips.

  She looked gorgeous.

  Taking in her hair and her clothes June could see the attraction for Jimmy but that didn’t make it hurt any the less. In fact it just depressed her because she knew she would always be second best in any comparison with Maureen and knowing that didn’t make her life any easier.

  But she had a trump card and she knew it even if Maureen smart-car Carter didn’t as yet. Lighting a Number Six she sighed heavily.

  ‘What are you after then?’

  Maureen waved one well-manicured hand.

  ‘Just his address books, things like that. Things that could incriminate us, really.’

  June nodded solemnly, her expression unreadable as she smoked.

  ‘His little black book, eh?’ She smiled. ‘I’ve always wanted to say that to someone. Sounds like one of them old films, don’t it?’

  Maureen stubbed out her cigarette impatiently.

  ‘It sure does. So where does he keep it?’

  ‘Up his arse so far as I know. That book was always with him. Never let it out of his sight.’ June sounded convincing and she knew it.

  Maureen sighed heavily.

  ‘Don’t fuck about with me, June. I’m warning you, some very heavy people want that book and I intend to get it for them. I have a lot of money riding on this and neither you nor anyone else will stand in my way. Do I make myself clear?’

  ‘Loud and clear. But, be fair, what would I know about anything like that, eh? Unlike you I was strictly for shagging. Whereas you, as I understand it, were for talking to as well. I bet that was thrilling after sex - a good old chinwag about his business dealings! Beats a graphic description of what he was going to do to me the next time we was at it. The nearest I got to his business was him asking me to pass him over the phone. So
there you have it. The book must be with his effects at the hospital, unless the filth or someone else has got their hands on it.’

  Maureen’s face drained of colour.

  ‘I understood from Jimmy that the book was kept here in his safe at all times. It isn’t good business practice to carry everything around with you . . .’

  June laughed as she interrupted.

  ‘What Jimmy said and what he did were two different things, as we both know now. So all I can say is, have a look about if you want. The safe is locked and closed and he had the keys. Unlike you, I had no idea what he was up to half the time.’

  Maureen was livid and she didn’t try to hide it.

  ‘The Davidsons will be after you, Junie, you realise that, don’t you? And unlike me they’ll literally stop at nothing to find out what you know. I am not threatening you, mate, I am just stating a fact.’

  June looked into her eyes.

  ‘So that’s who was behind it, is it? Davey Davidson, the poor man’s friend, Jimmy’s mate and business partner to be or so I understood. You set Jimmy up, didn’t you? You never wanted him, you just blew my life apart on a whim. Because you, Maureen high and fucking mighty Carter, wanted something he wasn’t prepared to give anyone. You were after his business. Poor Jimmy. He thought the sun shone out of your arse. And me? Well, I was just good old June. Use and abuse her, give her a couple of grand and then forget she ever existed. Well, girl, looks like you fucked up this time. Should have got your hands on his dewberries before you had him topped.’

  Maureen’s face was hard, her cheekbones standing out like beacons in the whiteness of her skin.

  ‘Looks like you’ve dropped the proverbial bollock, girl.’

  June enjoyed the other woman’s discomfiture.

  ‘I bet Davey Davidson will love you, won’t he? Murder done, Old Bill all over the place, and no one any the wiser so far as Jimmy’s contacts are concerned. I’d say this was an almighty fuck up. Well, the safe’s in there and you can tear the place apart if you like, but I tell you now, you’ll find nothing.’