by June Tate
Once they were settled, George didn’t waste any time in getting to the point.
‘Your old man’s got it in for you, son,’ he said. ‘What steps have you taken to protect yourself?’
Johnny didn’t argue – he knew the score. His father would pay him back in spades for what he saw as a betrayal. ‘At the moment, none,’ he admitted.
‘Then now is the time to do so,’ George insisted. ‘You know your old man; he won’t let this pass, it’s not in his nature. How far do you think he’ll go?’
‘Surely he wouldn’t top his own son?’ Sandy was aghast at such a thought.
George looked at Johnny. ‘Would he?’
Johnny frowned and peered into the contents of his glass before he looked at Coleman. ‘To be honest I wouldn’t put anything past him. You saw the look he gave me.’
‘Oh shit!’ said Sandy.
‘Right then.’ George Coleman took charge. ‘I have a few favours I can call in. You need someone at your back twenty-four hours of the day.’
Johnny looked astonished. ‘You’d do that for me?’
Coleman laughed heartily. ‘Strange, isn’t it, considering the hard time I gave you when you first arrived on the scene?’
‘You hated me!’ Johnny declared.
‘I did! But eventually you stopped being an arsehole and became a man! Besides, I have also to protect Victoria. She’s involved with you and I don’t want her near you if your dad sends someone to teach you a lesson, do I?’
Frowning, Johnny said, ‘Perhaps it’s best we don’t see one another for a time.’
Sandy let out a snort of derision. ‘Of course, you can see her agreeing to that . . . I don’t think. Our girl has too much spirit for her own good!’
Johnny looked at George. ‘If anything happened to her through me, I couldn’t live with myself. What are we going to do?’
‘Leave it to me, lad. I’ll arrange for you to have a bodyguard with you at all times. There’ll be a team of men lined up to do so. Just give me twenty-four hours. Your dad won’t have time to do anything until he’s been settled in his cell, that’ll give me a bit of breathing space.’
‘I don’t know what to say, George.’
‘Nothing to say, but you let my girl down – I’ll top you myself?!’
Sandy looked at the old-time gangster and knew he meant every word.
Once they returned to Southampton, George and Sandy told Victoria what had transpired. She listened carefully as they set out George’s plan before her.
‘It’s really that serious do you think?’
‘You should have seen the look old man Daniels gave his son,’ said Sandy. ‘He’s an evil devil.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ Victoria told them. ‘When I met him here, I thought he looked a cruel and dangerous man. Seems I was right. How long will you have to protect Johnny do you think?’
‘Hard to say.’ George admitted. ‘A lot depends on whether Daniels can keep his boys together during his time inside.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Victoria.
‘Well, when the boss of a gang is sent down, sometimes the men get restless and, if they’re any good, they get filtered into other organizations until, eventually, by the time the boss gets released, they’ve all gone. We’ll have to wait and see.’ He stroked his chin. ‘I might be able to drop a word here and there to move that along.’
‘Don’t you start going back to your old ways, George.’ Victoria warned him. ‘You’ve been out of that way of life ever since my father died. Please don’t do it,’ she pleaded. ‘I don’t want you to get involved like that and neither would Johnny.’
He smiled benignly. ‘Have no fear, love. It would be nothing more than a phone call to the right people, that’s all.’
And with that, she had to be content, but later, when Victoria was alone, she worried about what lay ahead. How would Johnny’s father get his revenge? She remembered the steely look in the man’s eyes when last he’d spoken to her – and her blood chilled.
Lily Langford, Victoria’s mother, read about Pat Daniels’ case in the national newspaper. It made headlines and, as she read the account of the trial, she frowned. This was far too close to home and she was worried. She passed the paper to Luke who read it and then looked at her.
‘Why are you looking so concerned?’
‘To be honest, I don’t really know, but I have a gut feeling about this and that makes me nervous.’
‘Then give George Coleman a call, he’ll be able to tell you if you have any reason to fret. Go on, do it now or you’ll be like a scolded cat all day long and that’s not good for my nerves!’
Lily went to her office and picked up the receiver.
It was Coleman who answered the phone. He listened to Lily and then told her what had transpired and the steps he’d taken to ensure Johnny Daniels’ safe-keeping.
‘I damn well knew this wasn’t straight forward!’ she exclaimed. ‘Do you think my Victoria is in any danger?’
‘Not directly,’ he assured her, ‘but of course if she’s with the lad, that’s a different kettle of fish, but . . . there’ll be someone with them all the time.’
‘Not if she stays overnight with him.’
‘My man will be in either flat, Lily. Trust me, I’ve left no stone unturned. Relax. She’ll be fine.’
But as she put down the receiver, Lily couldn’t help but worry. She understood the criminal world and the lengths that some would go to pay back any slight and Johnny had pulled the unforgivable sin, by shopping his own father. This was seriously bad news.
Twenty-One
Pat Daniels sat in the back of the Black Maria as it was driven away from the courthouse. Newspaper reporters held their cameras high towards the windows, trying to grab a picture of the well-known criminal inside. Daniels swore under his breath at the flashes from the cameras reflected against the darkened windows. His bloody son was going to pay for this!
His temper didn’t abate as he was led into Wandsworth prison and made to empty his pockets. ‘Sign here,’ said the officer on duty who went through everything in detail. Then he was stripped of his clothes and made to take a shower before being bodily searched – which infuriated him. He snarled at the warders as they went about their business.
‘You need to calm down, Daniels,’ said one. ‘In here, you’re just a number, like all the others.’
‘I am not like all the others!’ he snapped.
‘Suit yourself?!’ said his jailer. ‘You’ll soon learn.’
After being given a set of prison clothes, a pair of pyjamas and a change of underwear, plus a sheet and a couple of blankets, he was taken to a cell. As he walked along the alleyways, he caused quite a stir among the other inmates. They were heard to whisper among themselves. ‘That’s Pat Daniels! Never thought I’d see him here. He’s a smart bugger!
‘A bloody dangerous one,’ said another. ‘I’d keep well clear if I was you!’
Daniels allowed a sly smile to himself. Like all the others, be damned! But the smile soon faded as he was shown into a cell to share with three others, two of whom were seated on their bunks. They looked at him with interest. He ignored them.
One of them spoke. ‘Watcha! I’m Jim Bracken.’
‘So?’ Daniels glared at him. The other remained silent.
Daniels looked round. The two men occupied both bunks on the left of the cell, the top bunk on the right was stripped of linen, but a book and newspaper were placed neatly on the mattress. Its occupant was elsewhere.
A voice behind him said, ‘That’s Charlie’s bed, he’s gone to change the linen.’
Pat removed the book and paper and threw them on to the empty bottom bunk. ‘Now it’s mine!’ he declared and, carefully placing the sheet on it, then the blankets, he climbed up and, sitting with his legs dangling over the side, lit a cigarette.
There was much mumbling from the other two men, which Pat ignored. He was going to make his presence felt from the very begin
ning. People would need to realize he was not to be messed with.
An exchange of banter outside the cell door announced the imminent arrival of the third inmate.
‘Wet the bed again, Charlie?’
‘You watch your mouth you cheeky bugger!’ And Charlie entered the cell. He immediately saw Daniels sitting on his bunk.
‘You’re in the wrong bed mate!’ he said.
‘No, this is the one I like. I don’t want someone pissing on me in the night!’
Charlie flushed angrily. ‘That was all in fun what you heard. Now get off my fucking bed.’
One of the others grabbed his arm. ‘Charlie, this is Pat Daniels!’
Charlie stood glaring at Pat, who could see the man was making up his mind as to what to do next. He waited, staring the other man down.
Eventually Charlie said, ‘All right, I don’t care where you sleep, but don’t push me too far just because I let you get away with this. It’s the only time you will. Capiche?’
Daniels just gave a mocking smile and lay back on the bed, blowing smoke rings. First round to him.
Victoria was finding Johnny’s bodyguard somewhat restricting. She and her lover never seemed to have a private moment, except when they were in bed together and, even then, knowing the man was in the other room made her inhibited and their love life suffered. Curled up in Johnny’s arms, she was unable to respond to his mounting passion and pushed him away.
‘I’m sorry, darling, I can’t.’ Getting out of bed she put on a dressing gown and walked towards the door.
‘Where the hell are you going?’ he demanded.
‘To make a cup of tea,’ she replied and opened the door.
Johnny sat back against the pillows and sighed. This would never do. He’d have to sort it out. Whilst Victoria was in the kitchen he got out of bed and, walking into the living room, spoke to the man on duty.
‘Look mate, I know you’ve got a job to do but this isn’t working. Take yourself home for the night. We’ll be fine. The windows are secure and I’ll lock the front door behind you.’
‘Sorry, Mr Daniels, but I’ve got my orders. Mr Coleman would have my balls if I left you unguarded.’
Johnny cursed beneath his breath. He’d have to have a word with George. This was too much of an intrusion into his privacy. It was also making Victoria very jittery. He’d call and see him in the morning.
He wandered into the kitchen where Victoria was pouring three cups of tea. He stood behind her, his arms enclosing her, his hand on her breast, nuzzling the back of her neck.
‘Be careful,’ she warned, ‘you’ll make me spill the tea.’
He took the pot out of her hand and, turning her round, kissed her, his hand slipping inside her gown.
‘Johnny!’ she whispered. ‘Stop it.’
But he heard the longing in her voice and, lowering his head, he took the pert nipple in his mouth, slipping his other hand between her thighs, his thumb running over her pubic hair.
She moaned softly.
He kicked the door shut with his foot and they slid down on the floor together.
At Wandsworth prison, the inmates were restless. It was visiting day and those men who knew they would see their family or a friend could hardly wait. It was the one time they felt in touch with the outside world. It was the time when the warders were alert and ready for trouble. Not every visit was a success. Those men who were incarcerated always feared that their women were being unfaithful. Some of the wives were finding life difficult and resentment often flared on both sides.
Pat Daniels had no such concerns. All he wanted was to settle the score with his son and was pacing up and down the cell waiting for his head honcho to visit so he could make plans to pay his son back for his betrayal.
Eventually the criminals were led out of their cells to the visiting room. On one side of the room were long tables laid together with chairs on both sides. The inside for the prisoners, the far side for those who came from outside the prison walls.
Pat walked in, his gaze sweeping the chairs of those waiting until he saw Jack Mills, his head man. He hurried over.
‘Hello, guv!’ said Jack, ‘I’ve left you some tobacco and cigarette papers with the warder and some matches. He said you’d get them later.’
Daniels barely acknowledged this but sat down and, leaning forward in a low voice said, ‘Now listen carefully.’
Johnny went to the Club Valletta to see George Coleman and plead his case.
‘You’ve got to give me some leeway,’ he said. ‘I am grateful to you, George, don’t think for a moment that I’m not, but having a man with me twenty-four hours a day is driving me crazy! It’s also getting on Victoria’s nerves. We don’t have any privacy!’
But Coleman wasn’t impressed.
‘Your father has had time now to make any plan he has in mind to pay you back, maybe even take you out. Doesn’t that worry you?’
‘Of course it does, I know my old man.’
‘Then what are you bellyaching about? Besides, I have to protect Victoria. Every minute she’s with you puts her in danger.’
Johnny rubbed his forehead trying to think straight. ‘I have told her it would be best if she stayed away from me for a while—’ he began.
‘But of course she refused,’ George interrupted and finished the sentence.
‘I’m afraid so,’ Johnny agreed. He looked at the other man. ‘What can I do?’
‘If only we could send her away somewhere,’ George suggested. ‘I can manage without her. Perhaps I can ask her mother to take her on a holiday. Mind you, we’ll have a hell of a time convincing her.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Leave it with me; I’ll have a word with Lily. You go back to work.’ He looked over at the man on duty for the day and nodded.
The man walked over to Johnny. ‘You ready?’
With a deep sigh, Johnny said, ‘Yes, I am, we need to go back to the office.’ The two men left the club.
George was about to call Lily when the telephone rang.
‘Club Valletta,’ he said.
‘Hello, is that you, George? It’s Bruce Chapman here. Is Victoria around? I want to give her my address.’
‘Bruce! You have no idea how pleased I am to hear your voice!’
Later that day, George Coleman paid a visit to Lily, and between them they made plans. George told her of his conversation with Bruce.
‘When I told him what was going on between Johnny and his father, the captain had a fit!’ he said. ‘It seems that Victoria promised him if ever she was in need she’d go out to Malta and stay with him. We need to convince her that if she goes it would help Johnny.’ He sighed. ‘If only she’d stayed with Bruce, none of this would be happening.’
Lily, as always, came to the point. ‘Well, she didn’t, which to my mind is a great pity. Johnny Daniels isn’t a bad lad but with Bruce she’d have a much better life.’
With a shrug Coleman said, ‘That’s love for you. Common sense has no place when two people want each other, you should know that, my dear.’
Lily became impatient. ‘That was then, this is now. How can we get her there?’
‘Bruce said he would arrange it all with his naval links if only you can persuade her it’s the right thing to do.’
‘I’ll come to the club this evening and talk to her,’ said Lily. ‘She has to see sense.’
Their discussion behind closed doors was often heated, as George heard when he walked past the office door a couple of times, but he knew that Lily was as obstinate as her daughter.
Eventually, Lily played her ace card. ‘Don’t you realize Victoria that your stubbornness is putting the man you confess to love so much in danger?’
Victoria stopped her ranting. ‘What on earth do you mean?’
‘All the time he’s worrying about you, he’s letting his own guard down. He needs to be watchful all the time. How can he when you’re around?’
Victoria had never considered this and it made her think. Her m
other was right, of course. When she was with Johnny, he was always considering her and her safety, worrying about what could happen when she was with him. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to him because of this.
‘But do I have to go so far away?’
‘If you stayed here, darling, could either of you keep away from each other?’
Victoria knew they would be unable to do so and eventually she conceded. ‘But I want to be able to say goodbye to Johnny first.’
‘Of course you do, but please do it here, surrounded by people. You can use the office. Don’t go to either his flat or yours. Even with a bodyguard, that’s where you’re vulnerable.’
Plans were made very quickly. A naval vessel was already taking families to join their husbands as well as stores for the men stationed in Malta and Bruce had secured a place for Victoria among the other wives.
She had packed a case and she and Johnny met at the Club Valletta for their goodbyes.
Tears filled her eyes as her lover walked in and they clasped each other tightly.
‘I’m so scared for you,’ she told him.
‘Then don’t be, darling. Being on my own I can make a few backup plans myself. Dad has only to make one bad move, that’s all, and I’ll have him, then it’ll be all over, I promise.’
He gazed deeply into her eyes. ‘I love you and nothing will ever come between us. We’re going to have a great life together.’
She saw the determination on his face and kissed him softly. ‘If anything ever happened to you . . .’
He placed a finger over her mouth. ‘Shh. Nothing is going to happen to me, I can take care of myself, you’ve got to believe that.’ Trying to lighten the conversation he added, ‘You just tell that sailor to keep his hands to himself?!’
She smiled softly. ‘I will. Bruce is a man of honour; he knows you are the only man for me. He just wants me to be safe.’
There was a tap on the door and Lily called, ‘There is a taxi here for you, Victoria. It’s time to go.’
Victoria threw her arms around Johnny Daniels and clung to him. ‘You watch your back!’ she urged. ‘I want to come back to you very soon.’