As they drove out the gates, neither Jed nor Frankie noticed the woman clocking them in the little black Micra.
Oblivious to what was happening to his sister, Joey was trying to iron out his own problems. Unable to stop his emotions, he hugged Dominic for what would probably be the last time and could only watch as he walked away. As Dominic turned around and waved, Joey stood rooted to the spot for a few minutes. Devastated, he then found the nearest pub to down his sorrows.
‘I want a triple vodka, with ice and a dash of lemonade,’ he told the barman.
Finding a quiet table, Joey flopped onto a seat. What his father had done to Dominic was despicable and unforgivable.
Joey had never been that close to his dad. He had always known deep down that his dad preferred Gary and Ricky. It didn’t really bother him. Even when he was a child, he had sensed that his dad saw him as a disappointment, the weakest link, and he had just got on with things in his own little way.
Another thing that Joey was always aware of was that his father was a villain. Frankie and he had both clocked on when they were about ten years old and spent many a night giggling about what their school teachers might say.
Although not a big fan of his father, Joey had never imagined him as a violent, nasty, vicious bully. Dominic wasn’t lying, Joey knew that, and he was flabbergasted by his dad’s behaviour. To force his way into Dom’s flat with a knife was bad enough on its own. But then, to make him lie naked on the floor while threatening to chop his penis off was the most callous act that Joey had ever heard of.
‘You will always hold a special place in my heart and I will always love you, Joey. But, promise me, for my safety, you won’t contact me again,’ Dominic had begged him.
Finishing his drink, Joey slammed the glass on the table and stormed out of the pub. He couldn’t wait to get home and tell his mum the story. She was married to an animal who had a screw loose and she had every right to know the truth.
As Joey got on the train, his thoughts turned to his sister. If his dad was capable of doing what he had done to Dom, Christ only knows what he was capable of doing to Frankie’s boyfriend. Joey had no idea if Frankie had told their parents after he had left this morning, but he knew he had to warn her. He didn’t particularly like Jed, but at this moment in time he preferred him to his sadistic headcase of a father.
As the train stopped in a tunnel, Joey listened intently as an announcement was made: ‘Due to signal failure, there will be a short delay.’
‘Shit,’ Joey muttered. He needed to get home – and fast. Jed could be in serious trouble and he had to warn Frankie immediately.
After his minor show of emotion, Eddie had now got his act together. Just in case things turned sour, he needed to get anything dodgy off the premises. ‘Right, stick the jewellery and diamonds in that sports bag, Ray. Get that picture down from in the front room as well. That’s hooky – came out of an art gallery, I think.’
As his son reached above his head to take the painting off the wall, Stanley looked at his wife in horror. ‘I always said Eddie was a crook, didn’t I?’ he whispered.
‘Why don’t you just shut the fuck up,’ Joyce said, punching him in the arm.
Jessica was having a lie on the bed and Joyce was worried about her. She had almost fainted earlier with bad stomach pains, but had begged her mum not to tell Eddie.
Joyce turned to Stanley. ‘I think him and our Raymond are going out somewhere. Do you think I should tell Eddie that Jess ain’t well?’ she said in hushed tones.
Stanley shrugged. He hated this house, hated Eddie and couldn’t wait to get home to his pigeons.
As Buster and Bruno came in from the garden and leaped on him with muddy paws, Stanley stood up. ‘Our son and son-in-law are probably just popping out to rob a bank, dear. I’m going outside to have a cigar. I need some fresh air and I can be lookout for the police arriving,’ he said sarcastically.
‘You are one miserable old bastard,’ Joyce told him, as he left the room.
Upstairs, Jessica was wide awake and crying on her pillow. She had had pains and twinges all day. Unbeknown to her family, she had rung the hospital earlier.
‘You haven’t lost any blood at all?’ the nurse had enquired.
‘No, but I sort of passed out,’ Jessica had replied.
‘You’ll be fine. You’ve just been overdoing it. All you need is rest,’ the nurse insisted.
Hearing the front door slam and an engine start up, Jessica got up and walked over to the window. Seeing her husband’s Land Cruiser roar away, she ran downstairs. ‘Mum, where’s Eddie gone? Is Raymond with him?’ she asked, panicking.
Joyce smiled and patted the seat next to her. ‘Sit down and I’ll make you a nice cup of tea. Raymond’s with Eddie, they’ve gone to the pub. Ed wanted to come up and tell you but I told him not to. I thought you were asleep.’
Picking up the house phone, Jessica rang her husband’s mobile, just to check her mother’s story.
‘I’m fine, Jess. I’ve calmed down now, honest. Me and Raymond are going out for a few pints,’ Eddie assured her.
Jessica was relieved. He sounded OK. ‘Promise me, Ed, you won’t get on the Scotch,’ she begged him.
‘I promise, and I love you,’ Eddie replied.
Jessica felt her body relax as she sipped the strong, sugary tea.
As Joey burst into the room, Jessica knew her day was destined to end as badly as it had begun. ‘Mum, I need to talk to you alone,’ her son insisted.
Jessica stood up. Joey was visibly upset, so she led him upstairs, away from his grandparents.
Stanley, who had followed his grandson into the house, looked at Joyce. ‘No wonder them kids have got problems. There’s more dramas going on than Dallas in this family. Our Jess should never have married Eddie, I told you that years ago, but you wouldn’t listen, would you?’
Joyce pursed her lips. ‘I should have never married you, but I did. Now, just sit down and shut your bastard trap.’
As Joey sobbed his heart out, Jessica did her best to comfort him.
‘I can’t understand what you’re saying. What did Dad do?’
‘He broke into Dominic’s flat, made him lie on the floor naked and threatened to chop his penis off and shove it down his throat. Dom won’t see me no more, Mum, he’s too scared. And now I’m worried about Frankie. If Dad did that to Dominic, what will he do to Jed?’
Jessica felt the hairs on her body stand on end. She suddenly didn’t feel as if she knew her loving husband at all. ‘We need to ring Frankie and warn her, Mum. Dad’s capable of anything, I just know he is. Dominic told me that Dad even made a little cut on the end of his penis, then he laughed as he wiped the blood all over his dressing gown.’
Jessica felt physically sick as she told Joey to search his sister’s bedroom. Frankie hadn’t taken her mobile with her and they needed to find Jed’s number to ring him. As Jessica felt a sharp twinge in her stomach, she lay on her bed and prayed. ‘Please God, keep me and my children safe. Amen,’ she whispered.
A few miles down the road, Eddie and Raymond were doing a bit of digging. After leaving home, they had purchased a bottle of Scotch and a bag of ice, and headed straight to Ed’s salvage yard.
‘That’s deep enough,’ Eddie said, handing Raymond the haul they had dug up from his father’s house. Eddie knew it was about to all go off, and he didn’t want anything dodgy indoors in case the rozzers came sniffing around.
‘What about the painting?’ Raymond asked.
‘I’ll deal with that. You OK for a minute? I’ve gotta make a couple of phone calls. If you need me, I’ll be in the cabin.’
Pouring himself a large Scotch, Eddie drank it, then rang Gina’s number. ‘Well, are they still in Rainham?’ he asked.
Gina smiled when she heard Eddie’s voice. ‘No, they’re in Tilbury. Earlier they went shopping, bought clothes and a sleeping bag and now they’re in an old trailer on what looks like some kind of scrapyard.’
/> ‘Get yourself home now. Can you get back there first thing tomorrow? I might need you to watch them all day. Money’s no object, you know that.’
Gina was usually very professional, but couldn’t resist letting her guard down for once. ‘I’ll do it on one condition, Mr Smith.’
‘What?’ Eddie asked.
‘That you buy me dinner as a thank you.’
‘You’ve got a deal,’ Eddie lied. He had no intention of taking Gina anywhere. Not once had he ever even thought of cheating on Jess, and he wasn’t about to start now.
‘I’ve gotta go now. Get there at six,’ he said, ending the call.
Eddie refilled his glass and studied the guns that he and Raymond had dug up earlier. He had no idea where his father had got the machine gun from. He held it in his hand and smiled. It felt good, it felt right and, providing everything went to plan, it would spell the end of Jed O’Hara, once and for all.
FORTY-ONE
Opening her eyes, Frankie nudged Jed. They were snuggled up together in a sleeping bag, but the bed they were lying on smelt musty and damp. ‘Jed, I need to get up. Move over, will you? The smell of this bed’s making me feel sick.’
Jed unzipped the bag so Frankie could climb over him. Unbeknown to her, the trailer they were staying in used to be his little shagging den. When his mum and dad split up, Jed had kept in close contact with his old man and when he was thirteen, his dad had given him the key to this place.
‘It’s got everything you need in there, boy. Anytime you wanna pull yourself a little gorjer bird, take her back there,’ he told him.
Within a month of being given the key, Jed was making regular use of the trailer. He had been knocking about with his cousin, Sammy Boy, at the time and, between them, they must have brought a thousand birds back. Jed smiled. He and Sammy boy had had some good times here. None of the birds had meant anything to them, it was all just a bit of fun. Jed had changed since he’d met Frankie. He had never been in love before, but Frankie had cast her magic spell over him. He was content now and other girls didn’t interest him in the slightest.
‘Jed, what’s in this little box room that’s locked? Have you got the key? Can I have a look in it?’
About to say yes, Jed remembered what was in there. ‘Shit. I’ve gotta get rid of that stuff,’ he mumbled. ‘It’s a load of old rubbish in there, Frankie. It’s me dad’s stuff, he don’t like anyone going in there,’ Jed lied. Frankie would have a fit if she knew what was really in there. If she ever saw those photographs, that would be the end of their relationship. Cursing himself for being so slapdash, Jed made a mental note to burn the photos as quickly as possible. He had only kept them as souvenirs and should have got rid of them yonks ago.
He got out of bed and slung on his clothes. Frankie smiled as Jed put his masculine arms around her. ‘What we gonna do today? Can we get something to eat? I’m starving,’ she asked.
‘I’ll tell you what, why don’t we go and get a Maccy D’s? And then later, when it’s dark, I’ll clear me dad’s shit out of that spare room and we can make ourselves a nice romantic campfire to sit round.’
Frankie kissed him. She had not sat around a campfire since she was a kid. Her dad used to make a big thing of Bonfire Night when she and Joey were little. ‘Perfect,’ she said.
As he shut the trailer door, Jed smiled. Later, those photos would go up in smoke and then his beautiful girlfriend would never be any the wiser.
With his brain doing overtime, Eddie got out of bed as soon as the birds began to sing.
‘Can’t you sleep, love?’ Jessica asked softly.
Eddie sat on the edge of the bed and held his arms out for a hug. ‘Listen, I can’t rest not knowing what our Frankie’s up to. Today I’m gonna bring her home, Jess, and I need you to do me a favour. I don’t think there’ll be any trouble, but I don’t want you here until she’s home. I want you to take Joey and stay at your parents’ for a couple of days.’
Jessica moved from her husband’s grasp. ‘How are you gonna bring her home? You’re not gonna do anything silly, are you, Eddie?’
‘Of course not. Me and Raymond know exactly what we’re doing. I swear to you, Jess, all I want is our baby home, safe and sound.’
Unable to stop thinking about what Joey had told her, Jessica got more involved than usual. ‘What about Jed? What are you planning to do to him? I know you better than you think, Eddie, and if you hurt that boy, then I’m leaving you for good.’
Eddie looked at Jessica in amazement. Her leaving him was never going to happen. ‘What the hell are you talking about? Has someone been telling tales about me, or what?’
Jessica shook her head. She had promised Joey that she would never repeat what he had told her. ‘If you say one word, Dom will be as good as dead, Mum,’ Joey had begged her.
‘I’m just worried, Ed. No one’s said anything to me, but I know what you’re like. When you’re on that Scotch you’re a different person. Just promise me that you won’t hurt Jed.’
Eddie crouched down, took her hands in his and looked as sincere as a child. ‘I swear to you, all I’m gonna do is buy off that boy. I want Frankie home and him out of her life. If I pay him enough, he’ll move on and he won’t come back. These pikeys are fly-by-nights, Jess. They ditch one bird, then they’re with another five minutes later. He won’t return searching for our Frankie, not if the money’s good enough, I bet ya.’
Jessica sighed. She wanted to believe Eddie, but didn’t know if she could any more. ‘It’s not as easy as that, Eddie. What about the baby? You seem to have forgotten that Frankie’s pregnant. If Frankie wants to keep the child, Jed’s bound to want to see it at some point.’
Every time Frankie’s baby was mentioned, it was a struggle for Eddie to keep his temper intact. ‘That pikey piece of shit probably already has about ten kids dotted about the country. That’s what they’re like, all fucking inbred. None of ’em go to school and the only thing they learn is to fuck one another. Pat Murphy reckons Jimmy O’Hara’s wife, Alice, is his cousin, so that says it all! I dunno about you, Jess, but I refuse to let my daughter live in that community. Now, are you going to your mother’s with Joey, or what?’ Ed asked angrily.
‘Yes. I’ll get up now, wake Joey and we’ll get going.’ Jessica said sadly.
Annoyed with himself for shouting at her, Eddie held Jessica tightly. ‘I’m sorry, babe. You know what I’m like. I’ll ring you when I’ve sorted things, then you can come home.’
Staring into his cloudy eyes, Jessica knew he had bigger plans for Jed than he had admitted. She was worried now, really worried. The last thing she wanted to do was betray Eddie, but she knew she had to do something. Feeling terribly guilty, she pecked him on the lips. ‘I love you,’ she told him.
Thankful she was OK about his plans, Eddie smiled at her. ‘And I love you too, babe.’
Jed laughed as Frankie polished off her second egg and bacon muffin. ‘Sure sign you’re eating for two. You’ll be as fat as a bull soon, you will.’
Frankie playfully punched him. When she had first got with Jed, his warped sense of humour used to give her the hump. Now she just joined in with him. ‘I don’t care if I get big and fat. If you don’t want me, Jed, there’s loads of others that will.’
Jed grabbed Frankie’s face and, not caring about the other diners watching, stuck his tongue down the back of her throat.
‘Do you mind? That’s disgusting,’ said a grey-haired woman sitting nearby.
Jed grabbed Frankie’s hand. They had eaten all their food and were ready to leave, anyway.
Never able to resist a parting shot, Jed grabbed the woman’s hand as he walked past her, and guided it towards his penis. ‘You’re only jealous, you old grunter. You want me and me cory for yourself, don’t ya?’ he taunted her.
‘Management! I demand you call the police. Never in my life have I been so insulted,’ the woman screamed.
Pissing themselves with laughter, Jed and Frankie ran from the re
staurant.
Eddie was sitting opposite Raymond in Rosie’s Café along the A13.
‘Yous two are looking as handsome as ever, may I say,’ Rosie shouted out to them.
Rosie was a plump woman in her late fifties and Eddie always had a laugh with her. Rosie had a personality to die for and the biggest pair of tits he had ever seen in his life. ‘Rosie, put them knockers away, shut your trap and cook my fucking bacon,’ he shouted back.
Turning back to Raymond, Eddie filled him in on the plan. ‘So what we’re gonna do is turn up there when darkness falls in two separate motors. I want you to run in with a baseball bat and, if Jed starts, clump him over the head with it. Then I need you to drag Frankie out the trailer, shove her in the car and take her home.’
Raymond shook his head. ‘That ain’t gonna work. Your Frankie’s like a wild fucking cat. You don’t honestly think she’s gonna come out gracefully and sing to the radio on the way home, do ya?’
‘I’ve brought a load of rope with me. I know she’s my daughter, but you’re gonna have to tie her up. There’s a gag in me boot: stick that on her as well,’ Eddie told him.
Raymond’s face was a picture. ‘So where do you come into all this? And what am I meant to do with her when I get her home? What’s Jess gonna say when I bring her daughter home looking like an escape artiste?’
Eddie smirked. Raymond had cottoned on to his sense of humour over the years – so much so that he could probably give Eddie a run for his money now. ‘I’ve sorted everything. When you get home, Gary and Ricky will be there. I didn’t really want to get ’em involved in this one, but I had no choice. You can leave Frankie with them, they’ll take care of her. Then I want you to drive back to Tilbury to help me clear up what’s left of Jed.’
‘Surely Frankie’s gonna realise you’ve killed him. She’s got a will of her own, that girl. Say she starts blabbing to someone?’
‘She won’t. I’m gonna tell her I gave Jed ten grand to get out of her life. He put it in his pocket and ran like a racehorse, I’ll tell her,’ Eddie said confidently.
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