by Jacqui Rose
‘I tell you what, why don’t I take Star out with me. It’ll do her good to get out for a bit, babe. Then you can relax and take a nice bubble bath or something.’
‘Would you mind? Maybe you could take her to the cinema, then perhaps you could go to Chinatown and get something to eat afterwards. Just have a good time. I don’t want her or you moping around with me. One of us is bad enough.’
Claudia gently pushed Bunny away so she could look in her face. ‘I’m here for you. You know that.’
Bunny smiled. A proper warm smile, which for a moment wiped the sadness away. ‘I know, Claudia, and I’m grateful.’
‘What about this little one?’ Claudia placed her hand on Bunny’s stomach.
‘I dunno. I can’t get me head round it at the moment.’
‘I don’t like to ask and it makes no difference to me, you know that, but …’
‘Is the baby Del’s? That’s what you’re asking, ain’t it.’
‘Yes, but I’m not judging. Christ …’
Bunny put her hand on Claudia’s arm. ‘It’s fine. I don’t mind you asking, but yes. Yes of course the baby’s Del’s. You know I never bareback with any of me punters.’
Claudia’s shoulders visibly dropped, her face looking relieved. ‘Oh thank fuck. Oh thank God for that Bun. You don’t know how good it is to hear that. It’s one less thing to worry about. Bleedin’ hell.’
Bunny looked at Claudia and burst out into laughter. ‘Go on, get on with you.’ She then turned to call her daughter.
‘Star! Star! Come on darlin’, Claudia’s going to take you out.’
As Bunny and Claudia waited for Star to appear, Claudia spoke. ‘Bun. You are going to tell him, ain’t you? I know he’s been a fucker but he deserves to know.’
The laughter disappeared from Bunny’s eyes. ‘I don’t know Claudia. Like I say, I’ve got a lot to think about.’
‘But …’
Bunny interrupted her. She spoke firmly. ‘I know you mean well, Claudia, but don’t get involved. This is my problem not yours. I don’t want you saying a word. Do you promise me?’
‘I …’
‘Promise me Claudia.’
Claudia scanned Bunny’s face. ‘Okay babe. I promise you. He won’t hear anything from me. I just worry about you. I don’t like to think of you on your own.’
‘But I ain’t on me own, am I? I’ve got you.’
Tears came to Claudia’s eyes and she smiled. ‘You have babe, and you know I’ll help with the baby.’
Bunny lowered her head. ‘Oh don’t, Claudia, you’ll have me filling up and I think I’ve done enough crying, don’t you?’
Claudia gently put her fingers under Bunny’s chin, lifting her head back up. ‘Just tell me you’ll be all right … Bronwin, please.’
Bunny stared at Claudia, but didn’t react. She took Claudia’s fingers away from her chin, but not before giving them a gentle squeeze. She nodded her head, then turned to call at Star again. ‘Star! Claudia ain’t got all day, girl. Hurry up, babe.’
Star Barker-Williams sat at the top of the stairs, just out of sight from her mum and Claudia. She hugged herself with excitement, not knowing how she was going to contain herself. She’d been there the whole time and had heard it all. Now she had another secret to put in her jar and this secret was simply the best one she’d ever heard.
Only a moment after Bunny had said her goodbyes to Claudia and Star – who’d been acting even more excitable than usual – the doorbell went. Bunny smiled and turned back down the stairs.
‘What have you forgotten?’ Bunny opened the door with a large grin, expecting to see the harassed looking face of Claudia with Star by her side. She stopped, frozen.
‘Oh. It’s you.’
‘Is that any way to say hello?’
Bunny crossed her arms around her, suddenly self-conscious that she was wearing a silk robe with nothing underneath it. Her smile was tight. ‘I thought it was someone else.’
Teddy Davies gave a sly smile. He looked at Bunny, seeing the outline of her curvaceous body under the thin robe she was wearing. ‘I wanted to come and pay you a visit.’
‘I don’t have my customers just turning up. You need to make an appointment.’
‘Yeah, but I’m here now. Don’t tell me you’re going to turn me away and I’ve had a wasted journey.’
Bunny tightened the robe round her. She remembered this man from the last time. He hadn’t wanted to do anything but talk. At the time he’d made her feel uncomfortable but looking back it was probably the way she’d been feeling. She hadn’t known she was pregnant and no doubt that was probably why she’d been feeling so strange these last few weeks.
‘I don’t know. I don’t usually …’
Teddy put his foot in the door and winked. ‘Oh come on. I don’t bite.’
Bunny looked at the man. She wasn’t really in the mood, but then she never really was. She rarely admitted it to herself, but she hated every moment of what she did. But now, more than ever, she didn’t have the luxury of deciding if she was in the mood or not. She was properly on her own now. Yes, she had Claudia to help out with looking after Star, but when it came to earning money, it was all down to her.
Essentially it was Bunny who looked after Claudia, paying her a wage, putting a roof over her head – and soon not only would there be Star and Claudia to look after, she’d also have a baby. And in reality how long would she be able to keep on working for? She wasn’t going to continue once she started showing so, if the last time was anything to go by, she’d only have another month or so before it was impossible to hide.
After the baby was born she wouldn’t go back to work for a little bit so there’d be no money coming in; they’d all be living on her savings. There was no way she was going to rely on Del. She hadn’t in the past and she certainly wasn’t going to now.
Looking at the man again, Bunny knew there was nothing else for it. She needed to make as much money as she could whilst she still could, and what better moment to start than right now? She took a deep breath, bracing herself. She smiled a lazy smile – the feigned smile she’d fostered over the years and the one she only used for her paying punters.
Opening the door wide, she spoke. ‘Come on then, but I don’t want you thinking you can make a habit of just turning up like this. Next time you make an appointment like everybody else.’
Teddy grinned. ‘Maybe there won’t be a next time. Maybe this will be enough for me.’
Bunny didn’t say anything. As she led Teddy up the stairs he watched her walk, her shapely backside moving under the robes. He could feel his erection beginning to start. He had no doubt it was going to be one helluva lay.
27
Del Williams couldn’t believe what he was hearing as he sat surrounded by not only the shipment of cocaine, but also the money. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing – and he certainly couldn’t believe what he’d done. Sitting in the large back room of Fat Man Burke’s warehouse hidden in the Sierra Blanca hills, he put his head in his hands for the twentieth time as he listened to Burke delight in what had happened.
He couldn’t remember a thing. Not one iota. The last clear memory he really had was of Bunny walking out on him. That was days ago and everything had been a blur ever since. He felt a sickness in his stomach. Bunny. The thought of her was in the forefront of his mind, but it was driven out by the other hollow feeling in his stomach. Milo. What the fuck had he done? What had he been thinking? But more importantly, how the hell was he going to get out of it?
There was no explaining it; shit, he couldn’t even explain it to himself let alone to one of the main faces of the Russian mafia. What was he going to say? Sorry? Jesus, he’d shot Milo’s right hand man in the leg; apologies weren’t going to cut it.
In the world Del lived in, giving the money back or even the money and the coke back wouldn’t make any difference.
Inadvertently what he’d actually done was embarrass Milo and humiliate t
he Russian mafia, and the only sorry would be someone’s claret being spilled. Specifically his claret – unless he spilled Milo’s first.
‘We need to sort out what we’re going to do next.’ Del growled at Fat Man as he threw back a double whisky.
Fat Man looked bemused. ‘Push the gear out, what else?’
‘You ain’t hearing me, Burkey. I’m not putting the quiver out. Milo will just think I’m rubbing his nose in it.’
‘And your fucking point is?’
Del raised his voice. ‘The point is, Burkey, by not putting out the shit perhaps we can save our behinds. Damage limitation. It’ll be the only way to show Milo that it’s all been one massive fuck-up. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll get away with our frigging lives intact.’
Fat Man Burke’s face darkened. ‘Listen, I ain’t a pussy. No commie cunt is going to have me running for the hills.’
Del shook his head. ‘What the hell era are you living in, Burkey?’
‘The era that has us Brits standing on the frontlines and not being told by any Stalingrads what we can or can’t do.’
Del decided to ignore Fat Man. Sometimes there was no getting through to him. ‘It’s a mess, Burkey.’
‘What are you talking about? It’s perfect. Pukka.’
‘Perfect? Have you lost the plot? What part of ripping the granny out of the Russians then shooting one of them in the leg, before tying the rest of them up in their cars is perfect?’
Fat Man pulled a face, tilting his head to the side.
‘Well when you put it like that, Del, I’d say all of it.’
Before Del could answer, his phone rang. Dragging it out of his pocket, he saw the number was withheld. ‘Yes?’
There was silence on the phone. He felt his stomach wrench. ‘Bunny? Is that you, doll?’
‘Afraid not.’
Del sat up straight. He knew that voice and he wasn’t interested in engaging with it. ‘What do you want? Make it quick.’
On the other end of the phone Teddy Davies grinned. ‘Is that any way to talk to an old pal?’
Del pulled the phone away, looking at it as if it was a wind-up. Putting it back to his ear he spoke, his tone threatening. ‘I don’t know if you’re on something, mate, but who the fuck do you think you are, calling me up like this? I ain’t one of your Soho muppets. Do yourself a favour, Davies, and jog on before it gets nasty.’
‘Oh that is a shame, because I was actually calling to talk about Bunny.’
Del’s eyes opened wide. He turned to Fat Man and gestured for him to go. ‘Bunny? Who the fuck are you to talk about Bunny?’ Del stopped as a thought entered his head. His whole demeanour changed. He swallowed, then took a deep breath.
‘She … she is all right ain’t she? What is this about, Davies? Don’t wind me up because I swear I’ll come looking for you. You keep Bunny out of any of your pathetic games.’
‘Del?’
‘What?’
‘I suppose fucking her is included in that?’
There was nothing but silence from Del.
Savouring the silence, Teddy listened to Del breathing, visualising the images that now must be exploding into Del’s head.
‘I fucked her.’
Del still said nothing.
‘The oldest profession in the world; they say that about prostitution don’t they?’
‘I’m going to kill you Davies. Do you hear me? I’m going to kill you.’
Undeterred, Teddy continued. ‘I had a nice chat with Edith the other day.’
‘Edith?’
‘Old lover of mine you know … or maybe you didn’t know. Though I must admit Edith’s not in Bunny’s league is she? I can see why you’re with her. That ass … that pussy.’
‘I’m coming to kill you.’
Teddy laughed. ‘I’ll be waiting. You know where I am.’
Fat Man Burke stood at the door of the warehouse, open-mouthed in amazement. Standing behind him were Del’s men who stood equally amazed and equally open-mouthed. The only person within the warehouse who wasn’t, was Del. He was too busy trashing the place.
No one could quite understand what was happening. And they certainly didn’t know what to do. Fat Man Burke stepped forward, but seeing Del’s wild eyes and the way he was swinging his arms around, he quickly stepped back to his original position.
‘What are we going to do, boss?’ One of Del’s men whispered into Fat Man’s ear.
Speaking out of the side of his mouth, Burke answered, ‘How the fuck do I know?’ And he didn’t. But as he watched Del yelling and screaming, tears and rage spilling out of him with the kilos of cocaine being thrown and stamped on, bursting open like snow clouds, Fat Man knew he had to do something quickly, before all the coke and the money were destroyed.
‘Get out of here guys.’ Fat Man didn’t bother turning his head as he spoke to Del’s men, but he heard the scurry of feet. He waited until it’d stopped and he knew he was alone before he opened his arms wide to speak to his long-standing friend.
‘Del? Del? You’ve got to stop this.’
Like an animal in a cage sensing someone was there to torment it, Del leapt forward towards Burkey. He snarled as he stared at him, saying nothing, before drinking down the rest of the whisky straight from the bottle. Wiping his nose and mouth on his expensive shirt sleeve, Del pushed the words out. ‘She slept with him.’
Now this was difficult for Fat Man. It wasn’t hard to guess Del was talking about Bunny. But Bunny was a whore. That’s what whores did: sleep with people. So he couldn’t see the problem. He scratched his head, not quite sure what to say, but knowing if he said the wrong thing it could send Del off into another tirade. ‘Ain’t that a good thing? At least she’s earning her keep.’
Del threw the bottle of whisky to the side then grabbed hold of Fat Man’s Hawaiian shirt lapels. It occurred to Fat Man that he might have said the wrong thing.
‘Don’t fucking wind me up, Burkey. It ain’t a joke.’
‘Do I look like I’m fucking laughing, pal?’
‘But you think I’m a muppet don’t you? Giving me heart to some bird.’
Fat Man shook his head. Fucking women. ‘Bunny’s all right, she’s one of the good ones, Del, but let’s have it straight. She’s a woman – and eventually they fuck you up or kill you.’
Del gaped drunkenly at Fat Man. ‘But you ain’t telling me what I should do, Burkey. Tell me what to do. She slept with him. With Teddy Davies. How the fuck can I ever touch her again, knowing she’s been with him?’
‘I dunno what to say to you, mate. I ain’t good at shit like this. I don’t even know what’s gone on, but I do know you’re letting some bird pull your fucking tail. Look at you mate. You’re falling apart in front of me eyes.’
Del let go of Burkey, straightening his Hawaiian shirt for him. He took some deep breaths, nodding his head as he talked himself down. Breaking open a box of stolen whisky, Del grabbed a bottle, untwisting the top and gulping it down. ‘You’re right, Burkey. You’re right. What the fuck have I been thinking? I’m going to sort it. One by one.’
Fat Man grinned, though it was followed by a nervous glance as he watched Del continue to down the booze. Once the whisky was finished, Del banged on his chest, letting out what sounded to Fat Man like a war cry. ‘One by fucking one, Burkey, those bastard Russians won’t know what hit them.’
Fat Man almost jumped in the air with delight. ‘Now you’re talking. Now you’re talking.’
‘But first I’m going to sort out that that cunt Davies. And I want you to sort out that two-faced money-grabbing bitch. She thought I’d never find out. I don’t ever want to see her again. You understand what I’m saying?’
‘You want me to get rid of Bunny?’
Del looked bewildered. ‘Bunny? Not Bunny, you plank. Edith. Sort out Edith.’
It was Fat Man’s turn to look bewildered. ‘Edith?’ He hadn’t even known she came into the equation.
Del roared. ‘Don’t qu
estion me, Burkey. Just sort it out.’
Fat Man shrugged his shoulders as he thought about it. Actually it wasn’t such a bad idea at all. Life was certainly sweeter without his missus around. ‘No problem. I’ll sort it as soon as.’
Del staggered to the door. He held onto the frame, not noticing the tiny splinter going into his finger, and pointed at Fat Man. ‘Don’t mess up this time. I don’t want a repeat of the Russians. Just let me know when it’s done.’
28
Leaning over half a dozen fat long lines of quiver in his flat on the wrong side of Poland Street, Teddy chuckled to himself. Del Williams was going down. He would walk right into his trap. But before that could happen, Teddy needed to go and see somebody. And he knew exactly who that was. That someone was going to help put Del in his grave and then he, Teddy Davies, would be king of the castle.
‘So is this your bedroom?’ Teddy Davies had never been interested in interior design – quite frankly he didn’t give a shit – but however uneducated he wanted to be, Teddy couldn’t help admiring the room. The room belonging to none other than Star Barker-Williams.
Expensive handmade pastel yellow wallpaper dotted with silver bows matched the swathed curtains and bed linen that lay on the solid white wood four-poster bed. Cushions and throws were scattered on the long white leather settee, which took up the whole length of the back wall. A sixty-inch television was on the wall, with a three-sided open line fire completing the luxurious room.
‘Yeah and I hate it. I wanted to have some wallpaper with pirates and ships on. Even skull and crossbones, but me mum said no, ’cos she thinks I’m too much of a tomboy as it is.’
Teddy picked up a silver-framed photo of Star and Bunny. ‘Well maybe she’s right. You’re far too pretty to be a boy.’
‘Yuk. I don’t want to be a boy, but I do want to go on adventures, but me mum says they’re dangerous. She’s worried something will happen to me – but I told her nothing happened to Harry Potter, did it?’
Star pulled a face when she thought about it. Whenever she asked her mum to take her anywhere they always ended up being chauffeur-driven in one of her dad’s cars to the shops or to get manicures together, which wasn’t the same as hiking over the hills and getting covered in mud. But her mum would never think about doing anything like that. She hated even a spot of dirt.