Backlash

by Charley Dee Brown

  ‘I’d say it will be here or Hampstead, so we need to be one step ahead.’ Billy warned.

  ‘The fucking gaff’s up for sale!’ Weaver yelled in a raucous voice. ‘So what happened to Ronnie, and who the fuck was in the gaff?’

  ‘I’ve warned you mate not to send one bloke, it has to be one of their mob, and they’re still connected.’ Ken Reed emphasised. ‘That old cunt can’t be far away. Surely the bitch wouldn’t be hiding him, she’s got more reason to hate his guts than anyone, if the gossips right.’

  ‘Yeah, but she’s a devious cow, we need to get our hands on her or the brother.’

  ‘What’s up with you mate, her fucking mobsters are right up her arse.’ Reed yelled.

  ‘But how…’ Weaver started.

  ‘Use your fucking brain, you won Seb over, so why not another one.’

  ‘The difference you prat, was Seb wanted to cross over.’

  ‘And so would another at the right price!’Reed insisted.

  ‘Yeah and who’s got the fucking big bucks?’

  ‘I have my doubts about you Weaver, he’ll never get paid you wanker, soon as we have our hands on him he’ll squeal.’

  ‘Who’s gonna make him, we aint got another Seb.’

  ‘Don’t fret about that I’ll sort it.’ Reed tapped his nose. He knew Weaver was a total loser; however it suited him to use him for the time being. He’d already lost two of his sons, the man didn’t use his grey matter….Reed grinned to himself….difficult when you’re as thick as shit!

  I tried Archie again, to no avail; I feel he’s trying to prove a point, to both Larry and me…bad choice of time. I chose to leave it temporarily, although I intend to ring the library at Childs Hill during the next few days, knowing he’s at work will be reassuring. After the desultory events of yesterday, I had a strong urge to speak to Matilda. Wanting complete privacy I headed downstairs to my flat and dialled my trusted friend’s number. ‘The voice was so clear Matilda.’ I defined. ‘When I went to Archie’s with Larry, I had no intentions of visiting Nancy. I mean as you’re aware, I’ve had nothing to do with the woman since they moved out of The Docket, before dad was killed. In fact her name is seldom mentioned.’

  ‘You were being guided lass.’ Matilda responded. ‘I knew about the events. When Johnboy rang me I made the decision not to tell him of the danger you were in. Having said that, I also knew the spirits would take care of you.’ She assured. ‘So why cause him further distress.’

  ‘I had to save her Matilda. I have a plan in place for the house, and in the future for Clouds, if I survive I hasten to add. Their divorce is vital though, Nancy is a nervous wreck.’

  ‘You gave her her life back lass, she’ll be better off away from it all, although she was loud, she was never resolute.’

  ‘I have to agree with that. Changing the subject, Larry is a benefit, sadly Archie disagrees, and he is so needy. I really could do without worrying about him at present. I just wish he would settle until this feud is over.’ I said hopefully. ‘That’s if this feud is ever over.’

  ‘It will end lass, although you have a way to go yet. Be careful though and listen to the voices, your father knows what he’s doing.’ Matilda warned.

  ‘You make me feel as though my dad will be at home waiting for me, if only.’

  ‘Well lass, in a way he will be’……..

  As Matilda replaced the receiver, she sat back and reflected on the conversation. Harry had told her about Nancy, nevertheless she worried about Crimson, especially when she knew there was a gun involved. She knew the girl was under immense pressure to keep everything together. Her first intimate love affair had come late to the girl, due to the life she’d been born into, with the added stress of searching for her mother’s killer….even now they couldn’t go public, as she worried about the boys not feeling equal…after the dire ordeal with Seb, she was afraid of backlash. Matilda knew the girl felt equal to all the boys, however she wasn’t, she was the boss’s daughter, in reality she was the boss. Unbeknown to the lass there was another revelation that could elicit suddenly without warning, as Johnboy was not the only one who had fallen in love with her. Matilda had chosen not to mention this to the lass, as she had enough to contend with. All she could do was watch and listen….emotions buzzed and throbbed like pent up bees….

  Chapter 17

  The firms van J. Boyston & Son, was parked outside of Nancy’s old house of ill repute, Matt and Larry were happy to start renovating the inside, while they were living there. A week had passed since that fateful day, and the sold board was now in place. Nancy had been safely installed in Archie’s old flat, while Cedric found a suitable house for her. I had an uneasy feeling, as so far there had been no reprisal from Weaver, since the day his son was taken out. I’d heard nothing from Archie, although I’d spoken to a person at the library where he worked, and they had seen him.

  The boys were all out on various jobs; Janet and I were in the office, when the other phone rang. The new firm phone, Janet replied professionally and went through her planned procedure. I watched as she wrote down an address, her final words before she ended the call. ‘There’ll be a representative with you tomorrow, and thank you for your call Olivia.’ Her mouth curved into a smile. I eyed her with suspicion, as she pushed the address towards me to read. The address was in Notting Hill and the woman to ask for was Olivia.

  ‘She had a strong Irish accent.’ Janet revealed.

  ‘We’ll let the boys check it out, maybe it’s time to bring in a couple of sub contractors. Tod and Larry can make the visit tomorrow, if the work is legitimate then time to employ a full time worker.’ I suggested thoughtfully.

  ‘We’d need to get the yard and an office arranged as well Crimson, before too many questions are asked.’ Janet added.

  ‘Absolutely, in fact I feel we should get started on it now. Let’s face it we’re always employing builders, why not use our own.’

  Ken Reed had sat tight for a few days, Weaver was raring to go, however Reed had taken hold of the reins. He’d driven over to the house, the place they all referred to as the brothel. He’d been shocked that the property had sold so quickly, in less than a fucking week! Then he’d noticed the work van J. Boyston & Son parked outside. He quizzed Weaver about the firm; being a scouser he had no idea of local firms. ‘So who’s the builder J. Boyston?’

  ‘I checked them out, when the van was parked outside the bitches Hampstead house, they’ve been going for years by all accounts.’ Weaver replied gruffly.

  ‘What made you check it?’Reed insisted.

  ‘I’d never seen it before.’ Weaver added.

  ‘I need some work done on my new gaff; I’ll get my old woman to ring ‘em. I’ll soon suss the bastards out.’

  As soon as Jack saw the address was Notting Hill, his jaw clenched. ‘That’s Reeds house, me and Larry followed him there last week. Who will you send there lass?’

  ‘I thought Tod, however Janet and I think the time has come to move forward with the firm, employ one full time worker to start. The need for a yard and office seems to be the next step. As I say we’re always employing builders, we’ve enough work to keep one going.’

  ‘Good idea, plus you’ll be cutting out the middle man. ‘Jack responded. ‘Who did Janet speak to, was it a bloke?’

  ‘No a woman called Olivia, with a strong Irish accent.’

  ‘No doubt his Mrs.’ Jack nodded. ‘Warn the lads, that asshole’s not to be trusted.’

  ‘He’s obviously seen the van parked outside of Nancy’s gaff.’ Billy chipped in. ‘Time to be on our toes, we’ve all said it’s been far too quiet.’

  ‘There’s ample room for our new building firm to have a yard, at the back end of the scrap yard, where the old beer barrels are stacked.’ I said thoughtfully.

  ‘Won’t that be too close for comfort girl?’ Billy asked.

  ‘Not necessarily, the scrap yards registered in the name of Jackson. Weaver and Reed are not aware of the
history, only George knows that, and he’s hardly compos mentis is he. ‘I assured. ‘We can look for an office anywhere in the area, purely for advertisement, all the work will be dealt with here.’

  ‘Seems a good idea, they’ll always be room for expansion if things pick up.’ Jack added.

  ‘Exactly, whoever works for the building firm, apart from Larry and Tod, will not be involved with us?’

  They all nodded in agreement.

  ‘What time has Janet arranged for the boys to visit Reeds place?’ Billy asked.

  ‘Around ten tomorrow morning, Larry’s going to pick Tod up in the van.’

  ‘Ok lass I’ll make sure I’m in the back ground.’ Billy suggested.

  ‘I’ll tag along with you mate, then maybe we can call in and see Dougie, and get that yard sorted out.’ Johnboy proposed.

  ‘That sounds good; I’ll give Dougie a ring and let him know what’s going on.’ Although Dougie runs the scrap yard it’s still officially owned by my grandfather Eddie Jackson, Dougie’s brother. My father took over the business when Eddie went missing, since my father’s murder I’ve made further arrangements for the yard, which has to be sanctioned by my grandmother Brita, being Eddie’s wife. No way will I let Dougie lose out financially.

  Tod and Larry’s visit to Reeds house, went to plan, the large Victorian style detached property had looked a tad tired on the inside. Basically every room required a coat of paint. Olivia mentioned possible work needed in the kitchen, however she stated that would be at a later date. There had been no sign of Reed. From the notes the boys had written down, it appeared to be a straight forward job. Janet and I worked out a generous estimate; we wanted this work for obvious reasons. After speaking to Olivia on the phone, she’d accepted our price, and the work was going to commence on Monday. Janet had found a sub contractor, although Larry was going to help, we needed his input for other reasons. So far all was going to plan….or was it?

  Janet had typed out a job sheet for the subcontractor; he was going to make his own way to Reed’s house. Larry was going to work on the downstairs rooms, in the hope Reed would appear during the day time….the first day had passed without incident…as anticipated. On the second day Larry was greeted by Olivia. ‘Your mate is already upstairs.’ She said with a smile. ‘Before you start work my husband would like a word, he’s in the dining room.’ She casually pointed towards the room. Larry had thought about this, he knew Reed would be curious, the firms van had been seen at Hampstead, and outside Nancy’s old gaff.

  He tapped on the door and waited, his black woollen cap was pulled tight over his blonde hair, and he’d also neglected to shave for a couple of days. He was aware Reed may have seen him on the night he visited Scrubs with Jack. Although he’d need to have a very photographic mind to recognise him, only the eyes speak the truth. ‘Ok come in.’ Came the sharp voice.

  Larry had planned not to look around, but to focus on the job at hand. ‘Is there a problem with the job?’ He asked cautiously.

  ‘No, how long have you worked for this firm?’ Reed asked, his mouth was set in a hard line.

  ‘About a year.’

  ‘So who owns it?’ Reed probed.

  ‘No idea, I work from a job sheet, it’s been going for years by all accounts.’

  ‘You must have some idea mate.’ Reed kept quizzing.

  ‘All I know it’s owned by a company in the East End, so long as I get paid I don’t give a monkeys.’ Larry insisted.

  ‘Well do me a favour mate and find out what company, there’ll be a few quid in it for you.’ Reed tapped the side of his nose, and then went on rummaging through a pile of papers on his dining table.

  Larry kept quiet; he’d speak to Crimson about this, she’d be sure to come up with an appropriate answer, he could tell Reed was desperate for information. He left the room and got on with the painting. During his lunch break he intended to ring Crimson. It was time to have an office or something available locally, as questions on the firm were being asked.

  Our state of affairs had transpired over the last few days, I’d managed to speak to Archie. The conversation was short and somewhat hostile, nevertheless we’d connected. He’d enquired about Larry, as expected, I assured him Larry was working and living in Nancy’s old house, and working with Matt…..Janet had found an appropriate small office in Shepherds Bush, which was now displaying a sign for J. Boyston & Son. The office was empty as far as being manned, however that was irrelevant temporarily. A surprise second job had been requested, as far as we could tell there was no connection to the feuding mob. The boys had organised the yard and a bold sign was on the way, all I needed now was an address in the East End, to satisfy Reed. The one person, who could help me there, was my grandmother Brita. Before he went missing, my granddad Eddie Jackson was a well known face in the area, and had strong connections. Brita was a tough old bird, as she’d proved, when Weaver had snatched her. After a lengthy conversation on the phone with Brita, I was on my way to the East End, once again on the back of the bike. This time Jack was my driver. Brita had told me she would be back in London within the next few weeks. With this information installed in my head, I knew I must encourage Matilda to visit Ava, as soon as possible. As once Brita returned she would interfere, as she was a total sceptic towards anything paranormal….

  With this knowledge in the forefront of my mind, the thrill of riding pillion behind Jack eased the pressure. I had a sudden urge to invest in a bike for myself, the movement and freedom was bracing, stimulating……..

  After Archie’s brief conversation with Crimson, he’d felt precarious, a chill feeling had crept over him as he’d laid down to sleep….constant visions flashing through his mind. He knew they all thought he was a wimp, worthless….He’d always been afraid of Seb, he was gone now…the others, although they’d said nothing, he was aware what they thought of him. He desperately wanted to prove to them all, especially Larry, that he could be strong, robust. As he was drifting off to sleep….the sound wound itself around his ears….beginning to change like a terrible lullaby….then came the words…the ghost hissed as it spoke…the voice was like iron nails dragging over rock…Archie froze…then he could see the eyes, black as coal….from the blackness came sounds no living thing could ever make….then in a spark of pale silvery light, a face appeared…a face he feared. In utter paralysis he was drawn towards it…a distorted vision of Seb, his soulless eyes stared…Archie clamped his hands over his ears…the sounds were sickening, hideous guttural sounds…then maniacal laughter which came in gusting bursts…you gutless bastard! The words screamed at him…only then did he realise he was listening to his own voice……

  Larry understood why Crimson had taken him off the job at Reed’s house. She’d put another subcontractor in his place. He was now working full time at Nancy’s. The previous night he’d been disturbed by the sound of a car pulling up outside, drifting into consciousness and then back out, was he dreaming? The slam of a door brought him back to the outside world; he jumped out of bed and rushed to the window, just in time to see a cab pulling away into the darkness of the night. He made his way downstairs; it wasn’t Matt, as he could hear him snoring. George, it had to be George, but how? As he reached the basement the odour emanating from the rooms was foul. Switching on the light and taking a quick look around, he could see George had gone! How? The man had seemed incapable of functioning in a natural way. As he made his way back upstairs, he vowed to decontaminate the basement….after he’d informed Crimson off course. There was never a dull moment in this outfit, he reflected, as he slipped back into bed….

  With the office and the yard both now set up in the name of J.Boyston & Son, for advertising only. I felt relieved, at least we were covered. We even had an address in the East End, from the contact Brita had given me. There was no way Weaver or Reed would wonder into that territory, if they valued their lives. Janet was now interviewing for staff, we had two positions at The Docket that required filling, plus of course for th
e new firm. She had proved to be such an asset, I was so fortunate to have such a brilliant backup team…..In the background loomed the threat of trouble, how it was going to manifest…was debateable, I just knew that it would…

  Jack had purchased a second Triumph motorbike, to stay at The Docket, I couldn’t wait to try it out, and Jack had offered to give me lessons, away from here for obvious reasons. For me this would mean a sense of freedom, something I longed for. Being confined to The Docket all day and every day had become tedious. The boys were in and out all of the time; the fact, it was me the mob wanted. I knew full well that this restrained state of affairs had to be resolved….why did my thoughts always return to my dear friend Matilda….because she knew more than any of us?.....

  The news that George had left Nancy’s during the night was incredible, how the hell had he managed that? Larry and Matt had since been to Clouds to check if he was there. We had made an easy entrance at the back of the property, since Nancy had the building boarded up. As expected they found him inside, the biggest shock came when they realised he wasn’t alone! Matt had managed to get inside without making a disturbance, at a brief glance he could see the person with George, was an elderly man?

  We were all baffled as to who this man was with George, I knew the only chance of revealing the man’s identity was through Matilda….and my father? The brief description from Matt’s fleeting glance was imperceptible.

  ‘I’ll take a look girl.’ Billy suggested.

  ‘Ok Billy if it’s a face from the past, you’d be the one to recognise him.’ I agreed hopefully.

  ‘I’ll tag along mate.’ Johnboy endorsed. ‘Two heads and all that.’

  ‘Right let’s go now, the bloke may not hang around.’