He was certain that his mother would most definitely approve, and the best thing was that Colleen didn’t even appear to be trying to impress him. She was just being herself.
A little shy and nervous, but he could tell that underneath it all, she actually had a calm, self-assured confidence about her. As if she was happy in her own skin. Not needy like some of the other girls he’d dated.
Colleen didn’t seem to care what Jimmy thought of her. That was a new one on him. A woman who was a bit aloof. Jimmy had to admit that he rather liked it. It was a refreshing change to his usual bad choice of gold-diggers that he seemed to attract. In fact, Colleen was the polar opposite of anyone Jimmy had ever gone out with: the obvious girls who wore too much make-up and not enough clothes. The girls that always seemed to have something to prove.
Colleen was a breath of fresh air.
‘Thanks. I didn’t know what to wear, really. I’ve been working in the shop with my mum since I finished college. I don’t really get many excuses to dress up,’ Colleen said blushing. Instantly annoyed with herself that part of her felt pleased with the reception she’d got from Jimmy tonight, flattered almost. Her faithful little black dress had been a good choice; Jimmy hadn’t taken his eyes off her since they’d both said hello. Which was just as well, seeing as this was just about the only half decent thing she had in her wardrobe. She didn’t really own anything fashionable or designer. She’d always preferred to wear clothes for their comfort rather than their look.
The way Jimmy was acting though, was having an odd effect on her. She felt suddenly attractive. It was a weird feeling. A nice feeling, and that’s what caught Colleen off guard.
Glancing up at the flat, she spotted a glimpse of her mother peering out through the lounge window. Waving them both off enthusiastically.
‘Oh God, how embarrassing,’ Colleen said, offering Jimmy a small smile by way of apology as she nodded back to the house. ‘I’m so sorry about her, she gets a bit carried away.’
Turning to see what Colleen was looking at, Jimmy laughed, as he clocked the old woman peeping out at them from behind the net curtains and waving at them both frantically, like a demented lunatic. He politely waved back.
‘Ah, bless her. She’s just looking out for you. She seems lovely, a real character!’ Jimmy said with a small chuckle as he pulled away.
‘She’s a real something, all right,’ Colleen replied, not wanting to add that her mother had been a nightmare this evening. Flapping about in a constant state of both panic and excitement, unable to contain herself at the fact that THE Jimmy Byrne was coming to their house.
She’d spent the day cleaning the flat like a demon, so much so that Colleen was convinced that even now in the car she could smell the overpowering stench of furniture polish and bleach as if they were ingrained in her clothes.
‘I can’t believe that she made you bloody cakes! Honestly, if I hadn’t hurried getting ready tonight, and rescued you from her company, the woman would have probably had a good go at force-feeding you the entire plate before we left. I think she was more excited about this date than me.’ Laughing along with Jimmy now, relieved that he could see the funny side in her mother’s quirky nature, Colleen relaxed a little.
‘Ah, well it’s a shame that she was looking forward to seeing me more than you were,’ Jimmy said, mocking a face of a wounded man. ‘Though I have to say I do like the sound of you “rescuing” me.’
Feeling herself blush again, this time at her choice of words and with the obvious lack of enthusiasm about their date evident in her voice, Colleen quickly backtracked.
‘Oh, I didn’t mean that I wasn’t excited about seeing you. Well, I wasn’t excited,’ Colleen corrected herself, not wanting Jimmy to get the wrong idea and think that she was actually interested in him. ‘I mean, it’s lovely that you’re taking me out and all that. It’s just, well… if I hadn’t called you my mother would have never let me hear the end of it. I mean, that’s not the only reason I called you… Oh God, I’ll shut up, shall I?’ Biting her lip, Colleen realised that she was digging a hole for herself with every word she spoke.
The truth was she’d actually been dreading tonight. Her mother had gone on and on, nagging her into picking up the phone and thanking Jimmy for his flowers, and accepting his offer of a date. Colleen knew that her mother wouldn’t let up about it until she’d phoned Jimmy. So, reluctantly, she’d called him, though she’d regretted it ever since. Still, she’d promised her mother one date, to get the woman off her back. One date, and she’d never have to see Jimmy again.
Now she was here, sitting next to him in his fancy car, she knew she’d been right to have doubts. Jimmy Byrne wasn’t for her. The man just wasn’t her type.
Her mother might think that Jimmy Byrne was a successful businessman but Colleen knew better. Jimmy had a reputation. Colleen had heard all the stories about the man. How he was ruthless when it came to business. How he was involved in all sorts of shady business dealings. Drugs and brothels. Colleen wasn’t sure if the rumours were entirely true as she knew better than anyone how much people liked to exaggerate with gossip, but she was also a firm believer that there was no smoke without fire.
Jimmy was clearly doing well for himself, so he was earning his money from somewhere. That was one of the reasons Colleen had been so reluctant to go on this date tonight. She wasn’t the type of girl that wanted to be part of Jimmy’s ‘colourful’ life. The money, the power, it meant nothing to her. Material things didn’t impress Colleen. She and Jimmy were opposites. Two people from completely different worlds.
He was a gangster. A charmer. She was bland and boring. He was totally out of her league and it wouldn’t take him long to realise it either. She was shy, quiet, preferring to spend her time helping her mum out at the florist, and her evenings spent with her head inside a good book.
So she was convinced that Jimmy had made a mistake in asking her out. That any minute now, he’d realise how dull and boring she was and take her straight home.
‘Look, if you don’t want to come out with me, you really don’t have to,’ Jimmy said with a friendly smile as he realised the score here. He knew that this date had been more of Edel’s idea than Colleen’s and decided to just bite the bullet and say so.
‘People around these parts talk, and I’m sure you’ve heard all sorts about me. Christ, even I’ve heard things about myself that I didn’t even know I’d said or done.’ He laughed. Then he looked at Colleen seriously. ‘You’re not silly, Colleen. You seem like the type of girl that is more than capable of making your own opinions,’ Jimmy said, hoping that him being so honest would put the girl’s mind at ease. He knew that he’d hit the proverbial nail directly on the head. ‘You don’t seem the type that would believe idle gossip from nosey bitter people who are jealous of my success.’
‘I’m not, honest,’ Colleen said, suddenly feeling very guilty for doing exactly that. It wasn’t fair of her to prejudge him. She’d been dreading tonight for all the wrong reasons.
Jimmy was right. She hadn’t even given him a chance and, so far, he’d been nothing but polite. A true gentleman. Buying her flowers, picking her up, charming her mother. Feeling consumed with guilt now at how rude she’d been, Colleen felt awful.
‘I think it was just my mum pushing me into this, you know? I think she’s taken a real shine to you, that’s all,’ Colleen said eventually, hoping that she hadn’t offended Jimmy as they continued to drive in silence. She felt bad for assuming everything she’d heard about the man was fact. She was better than that. Of course he deserved a chance.
Deciding to make more of an effort, to be polite at least, Colleen persevered. ‘She’ll have us married off before we’ve even finished our starters tonight.’
‘Well, I can’t blame her. Your mum has good taste,’ Jimmy joked, glad to see that Colleen was lightening up a little. He wasn’t offended in the slightest; he’d already guessed that the reason Colleen had even contemplated going on a dat
e with him was massively due to Edel playing her part and persuading her. In fact, that’s exactly what he’d been depending on during the weeks he’d been going in there buttering up the old dear, for that very reason.
Only it appeared that the old lady was a lot easier to win over than her daughter was. He had to hand it to the mother, she’d even had him fooled. All that stuff that Edel had fed him about Colleen being keen to go on a date had just filled him with false hope. Colleen wasn’t acting aloof or playing hard to get, she was only here because her mother had made her.
‘Look, we don’t have to think of tonight as a date if you’re not comfortable with it. Let’s just call it “friends,” yeah? I get to spend an evening in your lovely company, and you get to keep your mum off your back. No strings, no funny business. We’ll just enjoy some nice grub and conversation, and I’ll have you home straight after dessert. How does that sound?’ Jimmy said, shooting Colleen one of his killer smiles. ‘Give me a chance, yeah? One date, that’s it?’
‘Okay.’ Colleen smiled approvingly, her smile genuine now, as she visibly relaxed for the first time that evening. ‘So where are we off to then?’
‘I thought we could try out that new Italian place in Covent Garden. They do a mean bit of grub,’ Jimmy said as he put his foot down once more, eager to get to the restaurant now that he knew Colleen was happy to be out on a date with him. ‘Oh, and they do the best cannoli you’ve ever tasted.’
‘What’s a cannoli?’ Colleen giggled, picking up on Jimmy’s enthusiasm.
‘Are you kidding me? You’ve never had a cannoli?’ he laughed, shaking his head. ‘Where have you been? They’re only the best Italian desserts in the world. Oh, Colleen you my girl are in for a treat.’
He meant it too.
Tonight he was going to do everything in his power to make this the best night that Colleen had ever had. He felt slightly on edge, excited even at the thought of having to win over a girl’s approval. He wasn’t used to having to try so hard. The type of girls that he went for had always been so easily impressed, desperate to be the candy on Jimmy Byrne’s arm; as long as Jimmy was throwing his money about they were happy to go along with whatever Jimmy did or said.
Colleen wasn’t like that though. The girl didn’t seem to care about his money or his kudos. Nor did she seem the type to play any games, which again only seemed to go in her favour.
This was new to him.
One thing Jimmy Byrne always enjoyed was a challenge, and this one he fully accepted. By the time he was done with Colleen Walsh the girl would be smitten with him. He was sure of it.
After all, he was Jimmy Byrne and everyone loved Jimmy.
Nine
Hearing a loud crash downstairs, Edel Walsh put her book down on her bedside table and looked over at the clock. It was almost midnight. She’d been waiting up for Colleen to get home so that she could find out all about her daughter’s date.
They were being awfully loud downstairs though, now that they were back, considering how late it was.
Deciding that she would go down there and check that the two of them weren’t up to anything untoward, Edel got out of bed and slipped into her dressing gown and slippers. But hearing another loud crash downstairs as she opened her bedroom door she bristled.
‘Colleen? Is that you?’ she shouted down the stairs, her instincts telling her that something was up.
She was met only by silence.
Until a few seconds later when she heard another almighty crash. This time the sound of glass shattering. Like an explosion. It must have been the main shop window?
Wrapping her robe tightly around her, Edel stood at the top of the stairwell unsure what she should do. Thinking that perhaps a car had crashed into the window, a second later her body tensed as she heard footsteps inside the shop.
‘Colleen?’ she shouted again. Knowing full well it wasn’t her daughter down there, but hoping her voice was enough to deter whoever the intruder may be.
It didn’t.
The footsteps continued. Along with the sound of her plants being kicked over and smashed.
Whoever it was down there was wrecking the place. There were several people by the sounds of it. Speaking in hushed whispers, and laughing amongst themselves.
About to go for the phone, Edel heard the sound of Mr Tiddles, her beloved cat, as a loud, guttural meowing drifted up the stairs. Hearing her little cat sounding so distressed, Edel didn’t even stop to think twice about going down there.
Rushing down the stairs she switched the light on, her heart pounding inside her chest as she was faced with the group of masked intruders, with scarves wrapped around their faces and their hoods pulled up to conceal their features.
They’d destroyed the shop.
There was glass everywhere.
The floor was covered in shards of glass where the thugs had completely obliterated the large window. The bricks they’d used to break it were also strewn on the floor, along with the beautiful contents of her window display. The intruders had sprayed the place with graffiti too. Red and blue streaks of writing that was too illegible to read had been sprayed across the wall behind the till.
‘The police are on their way,’ Edel lied. Speaking with more bravado than she felt, she tried to stop her legs from trembling beneath her, hoping that if she stood her ground, the gang would leave her be.
The masked men didn’t move.
Caught red-handed, they stood staring at her, as if challenging her on what she was going to do next.
It was them against her.
Five strapping lads and a little old lady.
She realised how stupid she’d been to come down the stairs.
As the tallest of the men stepped towards her, a crowbar gripped in his hand, his eyes firmly on her, Edel felt the fear creep in. Involuntarily flinching, she closed her eyes as she waited for the man to do his worst.
To strike her. To hurt her.
Only when she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she realised that he’d walked right past her.
He was at the till. Turning the key, he nodded, satisfied with himself as the drawer popped open. Then helping himself to the takings, he waved the small bunch of notes at Edel and laughed.
‘It ain’t fucking much,’ he said, enjoying the fact that he was taunting her before turning his attention back to his boys. ‘But it will do for a night’s earn. Let’s get the fuck out of here lads!’ he shouted, as he shoved the money into his pockets and kicked over a large urn of flowers in Edel’s direction.
They were gone. As quickly as they’d come, they fled through the large gaping hole in the main shop window. The same way they’d come in, Edel realised.
Shaking now, she went for the phone, about to call the police when she heard Mr Tiddles meowing once more. The sound muffled, as if he was somewhere far away.
Stumbling her way through the disarray, Edel searched amongst the damage, looking for the poor thing.
‘Where are you Mr Tiddles?’ she called, guessing that her poor baby was obviously terrified, and was hiding from all the noise and commotion.
Then seeing the upturned crate, she realised that the gang must have put her cat inside a box on purpose. Lifting the crate up, Edel gasped at the state of her precious little cat. The bastards had completely covered his lovely white fur in a bright blue spray paint.
Pulling the cat up to her chest, Edel stared around the shop in shock. Fragments of glass and broken flowers were scattered around her feet. The place was completely destroyed.
The bright yellow headlights of Jimmy Byrne’s Range Rover pulled up outside, and the sound of Colleen’s concerned voice sounded as her daughter jumped out of the car.
‘Mum?’ she shouted as she ran towards Edel.
‘They’ve just taken off. There was five of them. Look at the state of the place, Colleen. They’ve wrecked the shop.’ Relieved that Jimmy and Colleen had come back when they had, Edel broke down crying now as Colleen ran to her mother’
s side.
Jimmy had stayed in his car.
‘I’m going after them,’ he shouted, before speeding off down the road.
‘Oh Colleen. Thank God, you’re home. I was petrified. Look what they’ve done to my poor Mr Tiddles,’ Edel said, holding the cat up for her daughter to see.
‘Never mind poor Mr Tiddles. What about you?’ Colleen said, seeing the look of fear on her mother’s face.
It was the first time in Colleen’s life she’d seen her mother look so helpless. It broke her heart to see her mother so genuinely scared.
‘It’s okay, Mum. Jimmy will find them, I know he will. He won’t let them get away with this.’
Ten
‘Man, that was wicked! Did you see the woman’s face? She looked like she was going to fucking wet her knickers.’ Ryan Denman laughed as he held out his hand for his cut of the money that his mate, Stuart Matthews, was currently dishing out.
‘We didn’t get much though. Still, that isn’t the main payout.’ Stuart shrugged as he counted out the measly takings that he’d robbed from the shop’s till and handed each of the boys a five pound note. ‘And what the fuck did you do to that fucking cat, mate? The thing looked like a smurf by the time you’d finished giving it a makeover. The woman will do her nut when she sees the state of it.’
‘Good. I hate cats.’ Ryan shrugged, glad that he’d given the boys a laugh, as he pulled out his cigarettes and passed them around to the group.
Huddled in the doorway together, lighting up cigarettes, they all went over the break-in, oblivious that just a few yards up the road, a motor was pulling up and they were about to have company.
The first thing Stuart Matthews knew about Jimmy Byrne being hot on their tail was when he felt the strong grip of hands around the back of his neck and the force of being dragged out of the doorway, away from his boys, who on seeing Jimmy’s furious face, had all been rendered completely silent.
The Betrayed: A shocking, gritty thriller that will hook you from the first page Page 7