Bloodline

by Carl Hancock

  ‘Oh for fucks sake cant you do it yourself?’ She was seated with her right leg hanging over the old man’s left leg, his hand resting on her inner thigh that lay exposed by her short skirt.

  ‘I wouldn’t have fuckin asked you if I could would I? Now do as you’re told!’ He glared directly at her waiting for his instructions to be followed. She stood up and composed herself, tugging at the bottom hem of the tight black skirt before storming off in a huff.

  The man had pushed his luck and now Billy would sort it, a one off warning with the threat of violence should it happen again. It was natural to him, it always had been. Violence had been his bread and butter and he knew how to feed his family well. ‘Now you listen to me you fuckin cunt…’

  ‘What’s the problem Billy? Don’t you recognize me?’

  Billy squinted his eyes as the man interrupted him; a dazed empty expression crept across his face. His mind was churning through the countless people he had met over the years, the associates and friends before he went away and then the fellow prisoners and Guards in his most recent past flashing before his eyes in the hope of finding a match. He had been caught off guard; the amount of spirits he had drunk did nothing to help put a name to the man who had him at an advantage.

  ‘Just think back to 1993 Billy,’ he said helping him with his struggle. ‘And how it all began.’ It had gone better than planned so far, he almost talked himself out of gate crashing the party sure that Billy would ID him and make a scene before he laid his cards on the table. It was a surprise that Billy had forgotten the copper who sent him down.

  Billy’s squint retracted with recognition, his eyes widened to their usual size and bigger ‘You!’ he said. ‘And what the fuck are you doing here?’ He immediately forgot the reason he had approached the table in the first place. ‘Come to fuckin gloat have you?’

  ‘No Billy, I haven’t,’ replied the moustached man. He sat tieless wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt.

  ‘Well you aint come to nick me cause I only just got out, I know things have changed since my day but do old bill really check up on newly released cons?’

  ‘Drop the sarcasm Billy, anyway I’m not a copper anymore, I’m retired.’

  Billy glanced across in the direction of the bar; Tina was on her way back clutching the cigars he requested. ‘Then I got fuck all to say to you, now piss off and keep your distance from my girls!’

  ‘Everything alright Dad?’ Hearing his raised voice and feeling the tension in the air; she held a cigar in either hand and offered them to each of the men.

  Billy lent his body forward and reached out grabbing both from her. ‘It isn’t for him, the fuckin prick.’ He put one away in his shirt pocket for later.

  ‘Take it easy will you? You nearly took my hand off!’

  ‘Be a good girl Tina and leave us alone, I need to have a quiet word here!’

  ‘I’m a big girl now I can do what I like,’ she replied and looked toward the man who had offered her comfort for moral support.

  ‘It isn’t all about you luv. Me and this fella got history to resolve.’ He unwrapped the cigar and disposed of the wrapper carelessly tossing it on the floor. ‘He only latched onto you to get my attention, he’s the reason I went away isn’t that right Chief Inspector?’

  The ex copper shifted in his seat as her glare turned to him.

  ‘A fuckin copper! Old bill coming to your get out party Dad? That aint fuckin on.’

  She turned on the man and leant down to face him. ‘Should I get Jack to throw the shit head out on his feet?’

  Seething on the outside that the man had dared impose, he was curious for the motive and silently proud of his girl’s reactions to his true identity. Smiling inwardly that she either shared his hatred of all things lawful or was just displaying her feelings toward him, whichever was the most truthful he couldn’t complain, although he wasn’t happy about her use of colourful language. The difference in his two daughters were plain for all to see, Suzy had made something of herself, she spoke well and was educated whereas it was easy to see that Tina didn’t know how to make an effort, but maybe in his absence he was to blame for that.

  ‘It’s alright luv, he’ll be leaving by his own accord in a few minutes,’ he said. ‘You go have a dance, find some respectable company to hang with!’

  Tina pulled back and stood up straight, after one last disdain look at the ex copper she walked away leaving Billy to his business.

  ‘Well? What the fuck do you want?’

  ‘I see your time served at HMP hasn’t changed you one bit.’ He leant forward and cupped his two hands together. ‘Straight to the point it is then.’

  Billy drained his bottle empty, tipping what was left into his glass whilst at the same time searching in his trouser pocket for something.

  ‘I couldn’t believe my ears when an old colleague of mine informed me that you were being released, I thought the day would never come.’

  ‘Miss me did you?’ he said. He placed his empty hands on the table and took hold of his cigar. ‘You got a light?’

  ‘Didn’t miss you no Billy but I was waiting for the day you came out so I could offer you something.’ Placing his hand in his pocket he took out a lighter and placed it on the table.

  Billy bit one end off the fat cigar and popped it in his mouth; he took the lighter and lit it taking a deep inhale. ‘Nothing you can say is of any interest to me, as of a couple of hours ago I’m a free man, no parole or nothing!’

  ‘That won’t last Billy, people like you never learn.’

  ‘Old bill won’t get another chance to stitch me up’ he insisted. ‘Not again! Anything I do from now on, anything illegal will go unseen.’

  He looked at Billy sat there puffing away at his celebratory smoke and smiled with satisfaction. ‘I wish I was still on the force then I could show you firsthand how much has changed since you were last able to walk the streets.’

  ‘What the fuck do you mean by that? Go get a job as a traffic warden or a lollipop lady if you’re missing the power.’

  He shook his head, unsurprised at Billy’s lack of knowledge. ‘What I mean is in the few short hours you’ve been out you’ve already broken the law in front of dozens of witnesses and if I could I would arrest you right now.’

  ‘I aint done nothing, your fuckin wrong again just like the last time,’ he replied angrily. ‘And that cost me a hell of a lot.’

  He laughed at Billy finishing his drink, his naivety evidence of his incarceration. ‘Smoking in a public place is against the law,’ he told him bluntly. ‘And we both know you were guilty of what you were convicted for!’

  ‘Yeah maybe I was but you had no fuckin evidence did you?’

  Looking around at the discouraging looks he was getting from the other patrons, his alleged guests he stubbed the remainder of the cigar out on the polished table leaving a scorch mark behind.

  ‘Only your admission statement Billy and you coughed to it all in open court, don’t blame me for your own actions! I’m sure the owner will appreciate that, another crime to add to the evening’s list, defamation of property.’

  ‘Well let the fuckin cunt come and complain to me directly then, if he’s fuckin man enough that is!’ Wiping the ash from the table he continued his rant. ‘Fuckin smartass we both know the reason I had to cough to the charges was because you were blackmailing me.’

  From what Charlie had heard about the owner, he had no doubts about where his strengths lie, he was a new breed that was smarter and more cunning than any criminal that he had ever had to deal with. ‘Blackmails such a nasty word, I presented you with an opportunity that might have benefited you and I’m sure that it did as your still in one piece aren’t you?’

  ‘Opportunity, that weren’t an opportunity it was a threat to label me something despicable just to try to get me hurt by my own kind,’ he argued. ‘Besides you never had any evidence to prove that either or you would have used it.’

  ‘I had the evid
ence Billy, but you grabbed the offer to cop to the armed robberies so quickly that I knew you was guilty of the other, I must admit though I was a little surprised.’

  ‘You’re bluffing, if you had the means you’d have seen me go away for all of it.’

  ‘You’re right Billy I would have and I wouldn’t have lost an ounce of sleep over it either but as you said… I needed you to confess to the blags, they carried the heavier sentence and I just wanted you off the streets where you couldn’t hurt anyone else.’

  ‘Yeah well it’s fuckin done now, I served my time with me head held high,’ he replied. ‘You got fuck all on me now.’

  ‘Actually Billy I do, what I have could either put you away for another ten stretch or at the very least put a seed of doubt in all your associates minds by labeling you what you once most feared!’

  Billy laughed aloud; he understood what he was being threatened with and what he was being approached for. ‘Fuckin coppers, all the fuckin same’ he said. ‘Dodgy while in the force and even more dodgy when kicked out. What you think that you can come down here and demand hush money off me? Now after all these years, you must be even more fuckin stupid than I credited you for!’

  ‘I have the witness statement Billy,’ he calmly urged. ‘The one the boy made when you assaulted him, after you snapped my hand off to make the deal I put it to one side, lost it for future use.’

  ‘You’re fuckin lying,’ Billy snapped back. ‘He never made any statement, he wouldn’t fuckin dare.’

  ‘So smug and confident aren’t you? Well he knew you were going down so he came forward, but in the end I had to convince him we couldn’t proceed with the charge.’

  ‘Maybe you’re telling the truth, but it doesn’t matter,’ Billy replied. ‘A statement alone wouldn’t get a conviction and I’m damn sure he wouldn’t back it up now.

  ‘If it was to become public knowledge then the damage will already be done and he’ll have nothing to lose by taking an oath,’ the ex copper replied. ‘I’m not unreasonable; it’s in no-one’s interest for it to go down that road, although the document could easily find its way back to the yard for case re-opening.’

  The situation was one of discomfort for Billy, the reminder of his heinous crime being forced upon him now; reawakening the fears of it becoming hot gossip and threatening the clout he may bring to any future enterprise. He silently weighed up the odds of calling his nemesis’s bluff or whether to hear his demands for consideration, his mind boggled as he thought of the family of his victim, a well respected unity among his circle that were known for their intolerance toward grasses. That being said it was possible that at the time he did actually succumb to desire for revenge along the lawful lines knowing full well that the alternative violent action would certainly follow from within the prison walls. ‘Tell me what you want?’

  ‘Twenty grand Billy, not a fortune by anyone’s standards,’ he said. ‘I just want what the papers worth.’

  ‘It’s a lot to me!’ Billy retorted. ‘I don’t have that kind of dough.’

  ‘That’s not quite true is it? Maybe you don’t have the cash flow but you certainly have the means to get it.’

  Billy shook his head and pouted his lips. ‘Sorry but you’ve got me?’

  ‘Let’s just start this relationship off with a bit of honesty, what about Westmarsh Road?’

  Billy shot forward instantly knowing what he was referring to and bewildered as to how he knew about it. ‘That’s all I’ve fuckin got.’

  ‘Calm down Billy,’ he said understanding his obvious anxiety. ‘Like I said I only want a small fraction of what it’s worth, just liquidate it or get me my cash one way or another the choice is yours!’

  Chapter Three

  ‘Cyrus,’ Matt called out as he left the office.

  The small smartly dressed man ahead of him stopped and turned to face him. ‘Yes Boss?’

  ‘Everything alright is it?’

  ‘Yes Boss, it was a smooth run, thanks for the extra work,’ he replied gratefully. The 62 year old was always pleased to receive more hours.

  Matt had instructed him to keep the assignment to himself; he didn’t wish to be seen manipulated at the hands of Billy or too helpful to his future father in-law. What success he enjoyed in his life had come from his own hard work and he didn’t want anyone’s actions impose upon it continuing. ‘I guess it was a chance for you two to catch up and talk about old times.’

  ‘Yeah it was,’ he replied rolling his eyes. ‘But listening to Billy you’d think it was still the nineties and he’s at the top of his game.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Matt asked ‘He hasn’t changed then?’ He had learnt to fear the worse in all situations, and in most it wasn’t as bad as he first thought.

  ‘Don’t seem like he has,’ he said. ‘If you ask me he won’t be out long. He doesn’t understand how it works out here now. When we were driving down the high street past all the shops he was slagging off all the dark faces that we passed saying how much he hated them.’

  ‘Was he really?’ Matt replied.

  ‘Oh yeah, he even said he had a few ruckus with some Albanians in the jail and that he wanted to even out the score now he’s out, I bet he does one of them sooner or later he was that angry about them all being here.’

  ‘I suppose when you think about it, there is a lot more since he was last out but he better watch himself, they are a pretty tight group and the fact that they’ve been inside means that they’re ganged up. If he starts something he better remember he’s on his own.’ The last thing Matt wanted was a war on his doorstep just because of Billy’s prejudice.

  ‘Your right about that…I’m not going down again, especially for him. I don’t want anything to do with whatever he might be planning, not the violence or money. I’m chugging along alright without the worry of four walls especially at my age, I couldn’t handle it again.’

  Matt could relate with his sentiment, he knew Cyrus had served nearly ten years inside for armed robbery of a Securicor van in the early eighties, one of the many pulled off by him and Billy yet he was the only one convicted.

  ‘It’s ironic really, that you were already inside when Billy pulled the job that got him sent down.’

  ‘Yeah that’s right; I guess it worked out in my favour that time,’ he replied. ‘In an ironic way.’

  Matt nodded in agreement. ‘I need you to take Billy to this address later.’

  Cyrus took the paper offered him and unfolded it to read the address before looking up to Matt for clarification.

  ‘It’s his digs for a few weeks until he’s on his feet again.’

  ‘He aint gonna like that Boss,’ he said. ‘That place is a dump’

  ‘It’s got to be better than the cell he was in,’ Matt replied defending the accommodation that he had begrudgingly coughed up for on top of everything else, the bar bill alone would run into a few grand. It was hard for him to keep a straight face though as he knew of the place he was sending his fiancées father to live in and it didn’t rate well.

  ‘It’s a fleapit boss, dealers and whores work out of that place.’

  ‘I didn’t know that,’ he lied. ‘Too late now I’m afraid, anyway if he complains it just goes to show how ungrateful he is. Until he can pay for himself that’s the best he’s going to get.’

  Cyrus wobbled his head from side to side as if to make sense of it and then nodded his unneeded approval. ‘Ok Boss. Still on for tomorrow as usual?’ He placed the paper in his trouser pocket.

  ‘I’m glad you mentioned that Cyrus, I don’t need you for that,’ he told him straight.

  ‘What…why?’ he stuttered in surprise, the Friday job was routinely his and he managed to do it with ease because of the system he had created and followed precisely. ‘I need the money Boss.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that Cyrus, I’ve got something else planned for you, you won’t lose out.’ One of the calls he had had to make was to get cover for Cyrus and it had to be s
omeone reliable and honest, another irony considering the job was collecting the weekly protection money and no truly honest individual would want to be involved.

  ‘Oh Ok,’ he replied relieved. ‘What is it?’

  Again he struggled to suppress his laughter, having been an ear for Cyrus to talk to and listen to his woes of not wishing to spend time with Billy; here he was now sending him away to do just that. ‘I’m sorry Cyrus,’ he lied again after breaking the news. ‘But I need someone to keep an eye on him at all times but don’t worry I don’t expect you to sleep at that place.’ Of Course he was unsure whether Cyrus’s own gaffe was any better. He just hoped that his own future didn’t follow their respective routes. He doubted that he could readily accept orders from a much younger man if he was sixty two, yet he was pretty certain that if his luck held out he would be retired and living abroad long before that.

  ‘What if he does something illegal? Or even kills one of them foreigners?’ he asked expressing his concerns.

  Matt placed his left hand on the old man’s right shoulder and looked down on him, much like most people he met these days. ‘That’s why you’re going to be there Cyrus, to prevent that from happening! It’s a shitty job I admit but someone’s got to do it!’

  ‘There you are Matt,’ Suzy called at just the right time. ‘Your ten minutes are up!’ she added walking over to the two men. ‘Hello Cyrus.’

  Cyrus had Suzy to thank for the work that Matt pushed his way; Matt had ignored the advice from Griggs to give him a wide berth and instead gave him the benefit of doubt hoping that he was no longer the loose cannon that some say he once was.

  ‘Hello Suzy luv, how are you?’ Cyrus replied.

  ‘We’re finished here now,’ Matt said directing the statement to Suzy. ‘I suppose we better get on with it?’