A Gangster's Grip: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 2

by Heather Burnside

  Before the doctor could dismiss Rita, she took the opportunity to ask a few questions. She needed to know what the possible outcome would be. Then maybe she would have something to hold onto; something she could tell Yansis that might give them hope during the difficult times that lay ahead.

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  Thursday 6th June 1991 – evening

  They had already arranged to go out with Julie and Vinny that evening. Rita was glad, in a way, because Yansis had been difficult to talk to since they had got back from hospital. They had been so busy having tea and getting ready to go out, that they hadn’t had chance to discuss matters with Julie and Vinny. The way things stood, Rita preferred to talk to Julie while Yansis was out of earshot. So, when they had returned from the hospital, and Julie had asked whether everything was alright, Rita had replied, “I’ll tell you later” before rushing upstairs after Yansis so she could speak to him first.

  It hadn’t been easy. Within the space of a few hours, Yansis had become sombre and withdrawn, and he met all of her suggestions with negativity. But at least that was an improvement on the trip home, when he hadn’t spoken at all. She was trying to be patient, knowing it was a massive blow to his male pride, as well as a big disappointment.

  While she was showering and putting on her make-up, she had replayed the scene at the hospital in her head. How different this appointment had been from the first one! It was amazing how the emphasis had switched from her to Yansis. And no matter what the doctor said about things being inconclusive, his focus on Yansis suggested that he believed the fault lay with him. She could have throttled that doctor for his lack of subtlety. Poor Yansis!

  Thinking about it, Yansis must have had as big a shock as her. She had always assumed that the problem lay with her and, judging by Yansis’s reaction, she now realised that he had made that assumption too. Yansis’s way of dealing with the situation was different to hers, though, and things were going to be tricky where his emotions were concerned. She would have to handle him like a day old chick.

  The plan was for them to have a few drinks in the local pubs. Yansis and Vinny often enjoyed a game of pool, so Rita anticipated that this would be her chance to chat to Julie. Unfortunately, Julie didn’t wait till they were on their own.

  “Are you two gonna tell us how you went on at the hospital?” she asked, when they were in the pub.

  Noting Yansis’s pained expression, Rita quickly answered. “There’s no rush. I thought you lads would be having a game of pool. You normally do when we come in here.”

  Rita spotted the look of relief on Yansis’s face, and was thankful for her quick thinking.

  “Yeah, Vinny, I bet I win this time,” he responded.

  “Oh dear! Have I just put my foot in it?” asked Julie, once Yansis and Vinny had gone.

  “Oh, don’t worry; it’s not your fault. But, for future reference, don’t mention the hospital in front of Yansis. It’s a sore subject.”

  “Why, what’s happened?”

  “He’s only firing bleedin’ blanks. I’ve tried talking to him, but he’s been really moody since we got back.”

  “I thought he hadn’t been himself. I wondered what was wrong.”

  “Well, apparently he’s got a low sperm count. On its own that wouldn’t necessarily mean that we can’t conceive, but we got the results of that other test too. You know, the one where we had to have sex, and then they look inside me to see what’s going on?”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Well, they couldn’t find any sperm.”

  “What d’you mean? What’s happened to it? Has it slid back out or summat?”

  “No, you daft cow,” Rita replied, laughing. “I know what you’re talking about. What we call sperm is actually called semen. Sperm is short for spermatozoa, those little tadpole things that wriggle up your tubes and go to find the egg. There should be millions of them every time a man ejaculates, but they couldn’t find a one inside me.”

  “Oh God, does that mean he’s infertile then?”

  “Well, that’s where it gets confusing. Listening to that doctor explain everything was like listening to double Dutch. I’ll swear he’d swallowed a bleedin’ medical encyclopaedia. Anyway, I got him to explain it properly, and from what he says it’s looking that way, but they won’t know properly until they carry out loads more tests.

  “The problem is that it’s really complicated with men. There are loads of different things it could be, and it could take months to find out what’s causing the problem. He did say that the problem might be temporary though, and there are things they can do in a lot of cases, depending on what the cause is. Oh, and they’d run a few more tests on me too, just to make sure everything’s OK, but from the results they’ve had up to now, all my bits seem to be in working order.”

  “Jesus, I bet Yansis is gobsmacked, isn’t he? I believe virility is very important to Mediterranean men.”

  “He’s not very happy, no. He wants to go back to Greece now. He thinks it’s a waste of time waiting around for more tests, but I think it’s really because he couldn’t stand the humiliation of going through it all. The problem is, I don’t want to go back to Greece yet; I can’t risk leaving our Jenny with the way things are. I want to make sure she’s OK.”

  “I can understand that, Rita, but don’t forget to take care of yourselves too. Yansis is hurting now and he needs you. Perhaps once he calms down, you can talk to him again and persuade him to have some more tests.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. He’s only just had the bad news, so he needs time to get used to it. Once he’s in a better mood, I’ll have another word with him, and see if I can persuade him to stay in Manchester for a bit longer. If we can at least hang on until after Jenny’s had the baby, I’ll feel better. That’s if you don’t mind us staying with you for a few more weeks.”

  Rita almost slipped up and told Julie about their plans to help Jenny escape to Greece, but she corrected herself just in time. To leave no doubt in Julie’s mind about her intentions, she added, “Maybe once she’s had the baby, she might stand up to Leroy and break things off with him. That’s what I’m hoping for anyway, but I want to be around in case things turn nasty.”

  “Whatever you decide, Rita, you know I’ll always be there for you. You stay as long as you want. Friends for life,” she added and they raised their glasses.

  Chapter 28

  Friday 7th June 1991 – evening

  Leroy had found a phone box in a quieter part of Moss Side, where there would be nobody around to listen in on his call. As soon as the phone was answered, he began his tirade.

  “What the fuck’s going on? Why hasn’t it been done?” After a moment’s pause, he continued. “It should have been done over a week ago. What’s taking you so long? What d’you think I’m paying you for? Another pause, then, “It better had be!”

  He then loosened his grip on the telephone receiver as he listened to his contact, before tensing again, “I don’t want it traced back to me. Whatever you do, you gotta cover your tracks. You get me? This is between you and me. Don’t tell no-one, and I mean no-one!”

  The person on the other end of the phone had calmed him down a little, as his voice was more suppressed when he rounded up the call. “Tonight? OK, sweet. Let me know when it’s sorted. Usual method of communication, alright?”

  Leroy put the receiver down abruptly and sauntered off towards the centre of Moss Side.

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  Friday 7th June 1991 – late evening

  It was a day since Rita and Yansis had received their devastating news from the hospital. Rita still hadn’t had a proper talk with Yansis, but he seemed to be in a better mood since he had walked in from work with Vinny. As the four of them sat watching TV, she was relieved by his continuous displays of affection. Although it appeared on the surface as though Yansis was back to his usual self, Rita felt that matters remained unresolved.

  Between her concerns about Yan
sis and her anxiety over Jenny, Rita was feeling on edge by the time she went to bed. Yansis was in a different frame of mind, though, and he soon made it obvious what his show of affection had been leading up to. It couldn’t have been further from Rita’s mind; despite her empathy for Yansis’s situation, she wasn’t going to submit to his wanton desires in order to massage his ego. She tried to let him down as gently as she could.

  “Not tonight, Yansis, maybe tomorrow. I’m knackered and feeling really stressed.”

  His reaction took her by surprise, “What is the matter? You think I am not a man now?”

  For a moment she stared at him open-mouthed. This was so uncharacteristic of Yansis. “For God’s sake, Yansis. You’re being ridiculous. As if that would make any difference to how I feel about you.”

  “What is so ridiculous? It is perfectly normal for a man to desire his wife. Or maybe you think I am not normal now, eh?”

  “Yansis, you are being ridiculous,” she snapped. “It’s got nothing to do with that and you know it! There are more important things in life than your male pride, you know.”

  As soon as she spoke, she regretted it. Of course, it was important to him. He wanted a baby desperately and, to him, his ability to father a child was everything. She didn’t mean to snap but she found his self-pity irritating, and he had no right to suggest that the only reason she didn’t want sex with him was because he might be infertile. Her reaction inflamed the situation even more.

  “That is the problem, Rita. You think everything is more important than me. Sometimes I wonder why you came back to Manchester. Was it really to have a baby, or did you just want to sort all your family’s problems out for them? Why don’t you let them sort out their own problems and start caring about us more?”

  “Now come on, Yansis, that’s not fair,” she replied, her voice shaking. “It’s not a ‘them or you’ situation. I didn’t know what I was walking into, did I? Don’t you think I’d prefer to be back in Greece, rather than having to deal with shit every day of my life? Have you any idea what I’m going through?”

  “Yes, I know, Rita because you tell me all the time.”

  “Well that’s just where you’re wrong, because I don’t bloody tell you! I try to protect you from it half the time. I try to protect you because I don’t want you to have to deal with it. I beat myself up because I think that I might be spoiling your cosy little life, with your nice restaurant and your lovely family. And what do I get in return? You putting more pressure on me! You’re just a self-centred bastard! Maybe if you started thinking with your brain instead of with your dick, then we might get somewhere.”

  When she saw the shock on his face, she wished she hadn’t gone so far. Her anger consumed her as it had done so many times in her life. Rita couldn’t help herself. She could still feel the adrenaline pulsating through her body, her limbs shaking and her heart beating erratically. And as she felt her eyes fill with tears, she turned away, not wanting him to notice.

  The adrenaline was driving her to do something, so she stomped to the window and yanked the curtains shut. Then she plonked herself down on the edge of the bed and changed into her nightwear, pulling her clothing off furiously.

  Instead of inciting Yansis, her loss of control seemed to quell his rage. He came over to her and spoke more gently. “Rita, I am sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you. I know you have a lot of problems to deal with, but it has been difficult for me too.”

  “I know,” she said, on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have lost it, Yansis. I know it can’t have been easy for you, especially with what happened yesterday … but we need to talk about it and decide what to do.”

  She could tell he was trying not to get angry again, as he replied, “Rita, I already told you; there is no point in having more tests, not after what they told me.”

  “But there might be something they can do, Yansis.”

  “Yes, and there might be nothing they can do, and we could be having horrible tests for months and months, just to find out what we already know.”

  “Aw love,” she said, hugging him, “Won’t you at least try?”

  “We can’t anyway, Rita. We need to get back to the restaurant. My family and friends have been very good in looking after it for us, but we can’t expect them to do it forever. They never expected that we would be away so long. And what about Julie and Vinny?”

  “Julie’s fine. She won’t mind.”

  “It’s still difficult with the restaurant, Rita, and I am missing my family and friends.”

  “You know there’s another reason why I want to stay, don’t you?”

  “I know, because of your sister.”

  “Yes, can’t we at least stay till she’s had the baby? It will only be a few weeks.”

  “Perhaps, but first I need to know everything, Rita. You said you had been protecting me, but you shouldn’t do. I am your husband and whatever happens to you, we have to go through together. I need to know everything that has been happening.”

  Rita wished that she had kept her mouth shut, but in the heat of the moment she had confessed that she had been keeping things from him. Now she knew that if she stood any chance of persuading him to stay for at least another few weeks, then she had to open up.

  She braced herself as she went through the whole of the events, including the nasty way her father had acted towards her, the weapons that Jenny had discovered hidden in her home, the recent death due to skimming and Debby’s suspicions that Carl might be responsible.

  When she had finished, he said, “Oh, Rita, I am so sorry that you didn’t feel you could tell me. I wouldn’t have gone to the police. I understand that it is risky because of the gangs. You must tell me everything in future. I know it is bad but it isn’t your fault … OK, we’ll stay a few more weeks and we’ll have to think what to do about the tests. Maybe we could come back just for appointments in the future but it would be very expensive … I don’t know.”

  “I know. Let’s not worry about that now,” she said, clutching his hand. “One thing at a time. We’re still young, Yansis; we’ve got plenty of time to decide what to do. If you don’t want to go through loads of tests, there might be other things we can do. It’s just too much for me to think about at the moment, love, with everything else that’s going on. Once we’ve made sure that our Jenny’s safe then, I promise you, we’ll focus on us. Our next hospital appointment won’t come through for a few weeks anyway, so it’ll give us time to think about what we want to do. OK?”

  “OK,” replied Yansis, before giving her a reassuring squeeze.

  Chapter 29

  Saturday 8th June 1991 – early evening

  It was unusual for Leroy to come home for tea on a Saturday evening. Jenny could understand it in a way because he had been lying low since someone had died from drugs bought in Longsight. The police were still swarming all over the place and, from what she could gather, he was spending most of his time either with her or at his mother’s house. She knew Leroy was somehow involved in the death. He didn’t tell her everything but, as time went on, he was letting more and more things slip.

  What she couldn’t understand was why he had rung her and suggested they have tea together. That was so out of character for Leroy. He usually just turned up when he felt like it and demanded something to eat, or sent her round to the take-away. In the circumstances, she decided it was best to keep him sweet. So, she would make him something tasty for tea and hope he was in a good mood.

  At 35 weeks pregnant, Jenny had reached the stage where she tired easily. After standing at the sink preparing vegetables for several minutes, she was beginning to feel heavy on her feet. She was looking forward to ending the task when Leroy arrived home.

  It was while she was still at the sink that he strolled up to her and made his casual announcement. She thought it was strange that he had been so attentive, wrapping his arms around her from behind while resting his chin on her shoulder, and nuzzling her neck. It was
during his embrace that he said it.

  “Oh, by the way, I got a bit of bad news today ...” He paused, giving her chance to react before delivering the final blow, “Winston’s dead.”

  She spun around, dropping the potato peeler and covering her face with her wet hands. “Oh my God! What happened?”

  Leroy stepped back, scrutinising her. “Seems he upset a few people. You do know about Winston, don’t you? He was a drug dealer and he liked his women. Well, other people’s women. Only, this time he pushed it too far. He played around with the wrong man’s woman, another drug dealer. And these drug dealing gangsters don’t like that. So he got what was coming to him.”

  Jenny knew then for certain that he had known about her and Winston. The colour drained from her face and she felt lightheaded, her legs weak beneath her. She grasped the draining board behind her with both hands, and leant back against it to steady herself. Conscious of Leroy analysing her reaction, she fought to control her emotions.

  “Cheer up, babe,” he said. “I know it’s bad. No-one’s more gutted than me, but he was nowt to you, was he? After all, it’s not like I’ve been killed. I could understand you being upset then.”

  She hated this sick game he was playing. Jenny wanted to scream. To howl. To cry! But she couldn’t. If she let him see how much she was hurting, she would be openly admitting the truth. That would be more than his pride could take. And it would put her own life at risk. She knew that now. So, instead, she had to play along and force back her tears, when inside she was crumbling.

  “H-how did it happen?”

  “Shot, last night. He’d just left home.”

  “When?”

  “What the fuck does it matter? Talkin’ about it ain’t gonna bring him back, is it?”

  Jenny had asked too many questions. Shown too much interest. But she had needed to know. She was tormented by the thought of him brutally gunned down in the street. And now she would never see him again. The man she loved! She tried to suppress the thoughts that were threatening to overwhelm her. As a distraction, she carried on preparing the vegetables, peeling and chopping them savagely.