by Sam Michaels
‘Well?’
‘One of them cars, like yours, it came up the road really fast. I thought to meself, that’s going like the clappers, that is. It’s gonna knock over one of the kids if it don’t slow down.’ The woman looked around at all the eyes on her, obviously enjoying the attention. ‘So then it got to the end of the road, spun round and came back this way. I thought they must be playing silly beggars and was gonna give ’em a piece of my mind but the car slowed down and I heard a terrific bang. That’s when I saw him fall to the ground,’ she said, pointing at Lash. ‘I reckon he’s been shot but where’s all the blood?’
‘Who did you see in the car?’ Georgina asked, her voice steady and calmer now.
‘I ain’t sure. Can’t say I knew ’em. Three geezers I think. They looked right evil. Wicked. Well, they must have been to have shot him in broad daylight and with him holding your kiddie’s hand.’
Georgina couldn’t hold back this time and spewed the contents of her stomach into the gutter. She retched until her belly hurt then the young man led her to a wooden seat someone had brought from their kitchen and placed a glass of liquid in her hand. ‘Drink this – it’ll help with the shock,’ he told her gently.
Georgina knocked the brandy back in three large gulps. Dear Alfie had witnessed his beloved father being gunned down on the street. The child must be distraught. She went to stand up again when she saw Molly push her way through the crowd and the sound of police bells approaching.
‘He’s fine, Georgina, happily playing with Mrs Carter’s litter of puppies. She said to leave him with her for a while. I don’t think he realises anything has happened.’
‘Thank you,’ Georgina answered, relief washing over her grief. She turned her head to look back at her husband but someone had placed a sheet over him. Somehow, that made it more real and a sob caught in her sore throat. ‘He was shot,’ she whispered to Molly who was crouching beside her and holding her hand. ‘I’ll find out who did this and…’
Molly nodded. ‘There’s nothing you can do here. I think we should get you home.’
‘No. I can’t leave Lash there on the ground like that. I’m staying with him until…’
‘All right. The ambulance will be here soon.’
Another lady handed Georgina a handkerchief. ‘I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Garrett. ‘’Ere, wipe your face.’
Georgina took the hanky then another stepped forward to offer her condolences and gave Georgina a piece of chocolate. ‘Eat it. The sugar will help keep your strength up.’
An elderly woman came from her house and placed a blanket over Georgina’s legs and another offered to refill the glass of brandy.
‘I’ve got some smokes, Miss Garrett,’ a man said, holding out his packet to her.
‘Take this, miss – it ain’t much but maybe get the kiddie some sweets,’ from a middle-aged bloke.
Georgina’s eyes flitted from one sympathetic face to another. She felt overwhelmed by their kindness but tried to stifle her sobs. ‘Thank you, but I’m fine,’ she said curtly.
‘You’ve been good to a lot of people round here. They just want to show you they care,’ Molly said quietly.
Georgina nodded, finding herself unable to speak for fear of her anguish tumbling out.
‘The ambulance is here,’ the young man said.
Georgina stood up. Her legs felt steadier, probably the brandy she assumed, and she walked towards her husband. The ambulance men asked questions, mostly answered by Molly, Georgina offering a nod or shake of her head occasionally. As they stretchered Lash into the back of the emergency vehicle, Georgina went to climb in after them.
‘I’m sorry, love, you can’t get in here.’
She still couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth, not even in protest, but Molly was quick to take her hand and lead her away.
‘No, Georgina. We’ll go home and call Victor.’
The crowd began to disperse though a few people remained to titter in whispers and Georgina watched as the ambulance carried off her deceased husband. Encouraged by Molly, she finally began to walk towards home but her legs felt heavy, as if she was wearing diving boots.
Had it really happened or was she in a nightmare? No, it was real. Lash is dead. She repeated it in her head trying to get it to sink in. Lash is dead. Lash is dead. Lash is dead. Finally, ‘Oh, God, Molly,’ she cried, her breaths coming quick and rapid now.
‘I know. We’re nearly home.’
‘I will avenge his death, I swear. Someone is gonna pay for this.’
Anger replaced her heartbreak only to be pushed aside by heartbreak again. But the anger she could handle. The burning need for revenge felt easier to cope with than the all-consuming pain in her heart. Yet no matter how much she tried to embrace the anger, thoughts of their last moments together kept invading her mind, leaving her with regret and sorrow. ‘I loved him, but do you think he knew?’
‘Yes, Georgina, he knew. And he loved you too.’
They arrived home and whilst Molly made some telephone calls, Georgina sat on the sofa alone with her thoughts. Who killed Lash? Why? To get at her? Probably. But who? Then the thing she’d feared sprung to mind – had David Maynard done this? Had he left her a widow so that he could have her for himself? Was David Maynard her husband’s killer?
9
The next evening, Wayne Warner nervously drummed his chubby fingers on the table in the Lamb as he stared at the pub doors. ‘Fuck, Dan, I wish we hadn’t been so hasty to cut the brake lines of her car yesterday.’
‘Why? It was a piece of piss. You ain’t feeling sorry for her, are you? Not after she messed up your foot.’
‘No, of course I ain’t, you fucking idiot, but can’t you see how this looks?’
‘What?’
‘She’s gonna think that we knocked off her old man.’
‘Why would she think that?’
‘Fuck me, Dan, do I have to spell it out to you? She fucking shot me. She’s gonna think I killed Lash. Payback.’
‘But what’s cutting the brake lines got to do with it? No-one knows it was us.’
‘She’ll put two and two together and come up with five. We didn’t get rid of her in a car crash so we got to her husband instead.’
‘She can’t prove nothing.’
‘She don’t have to! If Garrett gets it in her head that I was behind this, that’ll be it for me.’
‘She’ll have to get past us lot first.’
Wayne clenched his fist, wanting to lump Dan for his stupidity but instead drew in a deep breath before he spoke. ‘It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s her husband’s family. Have you seen how many there are of them Hearns?’
‘Oh, yeah, bollocks, I’d forgot about them lot.’
‘Now do you get it?’
‘Yeah, yeah, Wayne, I do. So what we gonna do? Sit tight and see what happens?’
‘No. That’s just asking for trouble. I’ll have to go and see her. Tell her I had nothing to do with it. I’d rather lay me cards on the table than have me head blown orf.’
‘Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, she could shoot you before you’ve got a word out of your mouth.’
‘Maybe, but it’s better than sitting here and watching the doors, waiting for the gypsies to come for me. But I don’t mind admitting that I ain’t relishing the idea of facing her at the moment. Fuck knows what sort of mood she’ll be in, but it’s got to be done.’
‘I suppose,’ Dan answered though didn’t sound convinced.
‘Come on, drink up. We’ll go now. The sooner we get this sorted, the better.’
‘But what if she don’t believe you?’
‘If she don’t, then I’m done for. But I’ve got nothing to lose. If I don’t give it a try, I’ll be done for anyway. I’ll tell her it was me who fucked the brakes on her car. She weren’t hurt so no harm done. But if I hold me hands up to that, she might believe I had nuffink to do with killing her husband.’
Dan knocked ba
ck the last of his stout and tucked his shirt into his trousers as he stood up. ‘I hope you’re right, mate.’
Wayne rubbed his clean-shaven chin, a knot in his stomach as he replied, ‘Yeah, I hope so too.’
*
Charlotte Mipple swigged on the bottle of rum Tobias had stolen from his father’s bar. ‘I can’t believe it. Are you sure?’ she asked, shocked at the news he’d told her of Lash’s death.
‘Yeah. Everyone downstairs in the pub tonight was talking about it. No-one knows who did it.’
Tobias went to the window and looked out then came back to sat on the edge of his bed and began to chew his thumbnail.
‘Are you all right? You seem worried about something,’ Charlotte asked.
‘Yeah, I’m fine.’
Charlotte took another swig from the bottle and passed it to Tobias who drank greedily from it.
‘Hey, slow down. We’re supposed to be sharing that.’
‘Sorry, Charlotte,’ Tobias said and took another mouthful before handing it back to her.
‘Something’s wrong, I can tell.’
‘I’m just worried about my dad, that’s all.’
‘Your dad? Why are you worried about him?’
‘He… erm… it don’t matter, forget I said anything.’
‘No, go on, Tobias. Tell me,’ Charlotte urged.
‘All right, but you’ve gotta promise me you won’t say anything, ever.’
‘Yes, I promise.’
‘When I was sneaking that bottle up, I overheard my dad and this bloke talking. Turns out, the bloke is a copper and he wants information on Georgina.’
‘But your dad don’t have much to do with her, does he? Apart for paying out the insurance money and buying this stolen booze,’ she said, holding the bottle of rum in the air before glugging down some more.
‘That’s right, but he has a mate who works for Georgina.’
‘So?’
‘Well, the copper told my dad to find out what he can or he’ll have me dad sent down.’
Charlotte nearly spat her mouthful of rum out, and coughed as she gulped to swallow it. ‘You’re kidding me? Your dad is a grass?’
‘No, not really. He ain’t got much choice. I know my dad though, he won’t say more than he has to… Enough to keep the copper off his back but not enough to land Georgina in prison. But please, Charlotte, keep it to yourself or my dad could end up getting hurt or on the end of the hangman’s noose.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. But what’s this copper got on your dad and why would he swing? If he’s paying his insurance, Georgina would look after him and she’s bought most of the police in Battersea.’
‘Yeah, some of them. But this bloke is new here and wants to make a name for himself. He comes from Sutton and the thing is, so does my dad and he did something a long time ago that this copper knows about.’
‘What did he do?’
‘He bottled a bloke and accidently killed him. It was fifteen years ago, in our old pub. My mother was in her usual state and flirting with some of the punters. My dad kept telling her to get upstairs so when she disappeared, he assumed she’d gone to bed and passed out. But when he went down to the cellar to change a barrel, he found her with a bloke. They were, you know, doing it. He told me he saw red, picked up a bottle, smashed it then jabbed it in the bloke’s neck but didn’t mean to kill him.’
‘Bloody hell! I thought Georgina was the only murderer round here but it turns out your dad is too.’
‘Well, he ain’t really. He was in a bad way for a long time afterwards. He felt terrible about it and turned to alcohol to blot it out. For a while, him and me mum were a right state. That’s how I know about what happened. He was plastered one night and I found him crying on the stairs. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me about accidently killing that bloke.’
‘So what’s it got to do with that policeman?’
‘At the time, he was the local copper and my dad’s mate. He helped my dad cover it up. They dumped his body in an alley and took his money so it looked like a robbery gone wrong. The crime was never solved and my dad sold the pub and moved us here.’
‘And now he’s blackmailing your dad? Surely he would stitch himself up if he said anything?’
‘He’s got the bottle that my dad used. It’s got his fingerprints on and the fingerprint bureau at Scotland Yard have got a print of the killer, my dad, from a bloodstain on the bloke’s jacket. The evidence is stacked up against him. He’s got to keep his nose clean so his prints are never on record. If my dad doesn’t give this copper the information he wants to send Georgina down, he’ll have my dad arrested and once he’s been fingerprinted, it’ll be curtains for him.’
‘Blimey, Tobias, that’s terrible! He’s caught between a rock and a hard place. If he grasses on Georgina, she’ll have him killed and if he doesn’t, the courts will sentence him to death.’
‘I know, but like I said, he won’t tell him enough to land Georgina in trouble. I wish I could help him but I don’t know what to do.’
‘I don’t think there’s much you can. You’re better off keeping out of it. Maybe your dad would be better off finding out something that this copper can use on Georgina so that she gets banged up and won’t be able to get at your dad. And who’s to say she’ll ever find out it was him who grassed on her?’
‘Oh, she’d know. That woman would find out one way or another. But that ain’t my dad’s style. He’s been in this pub business most of his life and met all sorts of criminals, and he’s always drummed it into me that you never tell the Old Bill nuffink.’
‘He’s right but Georgina is different,’ Charlotte said, the rum starting to take effect. ‘We should find our own place and get away from here. We don’t want to be caught up in all this.’
‘I can’t just leave my dad in the shit.’
‘Well, that’s up to you but it ain’t your shit and I have no intention of staying around to see how this plays out. I hope to God that your dad gives the copper the information he needs to send that bitch down but I ain’t gonna hang around to see what happens. Your choice, you’re either coming with me or you’re not? If you’ve got any sense and know what’s good for you, then you’ll find me and you somewhere else to live and sharpish.’
Tobias sighed and took the bottle back from Charlotte before draining the dregs. ‘All right, I’ll take some more money from the till tomorrow and see about finding us somewhere.’
Charlotte sidled closer to Tobias and ran her hand along his thigh. ‘Thanks, it’s for the best,’ she said and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. She hoped the worry of his father’s situation would put him off wanting to have sex with her tonight and again in the morning. But if he did, at least she could just lie there and take pleasure in picturing Georgina Garrett behind bars, and with any luck, locked up for a very long time.
*
When Georgina had awoken in the morning, for a brief second she’d forgotten Lash was dead and reached across the bed to lay her hand on his firm chest. But then her eyes had opened and she’d gaped at the empty space where her husband should have been and she’d remembered he was no longer alive. The pain of losing him had struck her again and she’d buried her head in her pillow to stifle her cries. And as much as she would have liked to stay lost in a pool of sadness, under her covers away from the world, she’d known she had to get up and face the day.
She’d struggled with her emotions for most of the morning, trying to put a brave face on for Alfie. The child had asked for his daddy on many occasions and eventually, Jack had sat him down and explained that Daddy was in heaven with the angels. It seemed Alfie didn’t quite understand the enormity of what he’d been told but accepted that he wouldn’t be seeing his father for now. It had felt like a knife in Georgina’s heart as she’d listened to her father talk to her son, but then her heart had hardened a little.
Molly had brought her an endless stream of cups of sweet tea and encouraged her to t
ry and eat some bread and cheese. Her friend had promised to stay until after the funeral for which Georgina was grateful. After all, Molly had left Battersea to move to Kent to escape the dangers of the Wilcox business and now here she was, back at a worse time than ever. When she’d thanked her friend and seen the genuine sympathy in Molly’s eyes, again, Georgina’s heart had hardened a little more.
As the afternoon passed, with each visitor calling to offer their condolences, her heart had hardened further until, as night began to fall, Georgina thought she’d never shed a tear again. Instead of pain, fury bubbled beneath the surface, waiting to explode like a volcano spewing molten hot lava.
‘Would like a cup of tea?’ Molly asked after she’d come off the telephone to her mother.
‘No. I’m sick to the back teeth of fucking tea,’ Georgina snapped.
‘Hey, I know you’re upset but don’t take it out on Molly, sweetheart,’ her dad said gently.
Before Georgina could offer an apology, they heard a knock on the front door and Jack went to look out of the window.
‘It’s Archie’s son, Wayne,’ he said, sounding surprised.
‘What the hell does he want?’ Georgina replied and grabbed her clutch bag.
‘Oh, God, Georgina… What… what if he killed Lash and now he’s here to do the same to you?’ Molly said, alarmed, and her hand flew over her mouth.
‘No, he wouldn’t knock on the door so brazenly. Victor, answer it. See what he wants. If he’s come to say he’s sorry for my loss, then tell him to piss off.’
As Victor went to the door, Georgina noticed Molly was holding her breath.
‘It’s all right, don’t worry. He ain’t come here for trouble,’ she told her friend, hoping to reassure her.
Moments later, Victor walked back into the front room with Wayne following, limping from where she’d shot his foot.
‘He’s not carrying. I’ve told Dan to wait outside. Wayne has something he wants to get off his chest,’ Victor said, his voice a low rumble like rolling thunder.
‘Miss Garrett, I’m very sorry to hear about your husband,’ Wayne said.