by Sam Michaels
‘You can threaten me all you like but I ain’t scared of you. I ain’t budging so bugger off.’
Georgina drew in a deep breath. Charlotte had always been a brat and mouthy with it, but she was Molly’s sister and Georgina had promised her friend she’d do all she could to bring her home. ‘All right, have it your way but you’ll be sorry.’
‘Why, what ya gonna do? Beat me up? Break me legs? Go on then, but I still won’t go with you. I’m staying here with Tobias. I love him and we’re getting married.’
Georgina rolled her eyes thinking Charlotte was nothing more than a silly little girl but she had to admit, the girl did sound adamant. Wishing to avoid using a heavy hand with her, Georgina pulled her gun from her clutch bag and aimed it at Tobias. He immediately dropped the cricket back and threw his arms in the air.
‘No, Charlotte, none of those things, but I will blow your boyfriend’s brains out,’ she lied, hoping Charlotte wouldn’t push her any further.
‘Please… don’t shoot,’ Tobias begged, the desperation in his voice evident.
‘Come on, Charlotte, let’s go. I’m not messing about anymore,’ Georgina said and cocked the trigger.
Tobias fell to his knees and covered his head with his arms. ‘Please don’t kill me,’ he cried.
‘You wouldn’t… You wouldn’t shoot him.’
Georgina could tell that Charlotte wasn’t sure if she’d pull the trigger or not. ‘You know I would. If you love him like you say, then come now or he dies. You’ve got until three to make your mind up… One… two…’
‘All right!’ Charlotte snapped and stepped from the shadows. ‘I hate you for this,’ she spat.
Relieved, Georgina told Johnny to take Charlotte to the car and once out of earshot, she warned Tobias, ‘If she goes missing again, I’ll know where she is. DON’T make me come looking and stay away from her.’
Tobias kept his head lowered and nodded.
‘Give my regards to your father,’ she said as she left through the broken door.
Johnny opened the car door for Georgina and she climbed in next to Charlotte who looked daggers at her.
‘If it makes you feel any better, I’ll have a word with Molly. If you promise to toe the line, I can tell her that I’d give you a job and you can be with Tobias. But you can’t keep running off like you do.’
‘I don’t want nothing from you,’ Charlotte answered and turned her head to look out of the window.
Fine, that suited Georgina. She didn’t want an impertinent young girl working for her but she’d have tolerated it to see Molly without any worries, though she knew Fanny would never have agreed to it. ‘Johnny will take you back to your mother’s tomorrow,’ she said, pleased to get Charlotte out of her hair at last. She had more important things to be thinking about, like Lash’s funeral and once she’d got through that, deciding on the best course of action to deal with David Maynard, the man she was sure had killed her husband.
11
Nancy Austin dabbed expensive perfume behind her ears, another gift from Harold. She checked her reflection in the mirror, pleased with what she saw. Her red silk negligée hugged her thin body and the black lace trim plunged at the front to reveal the curve of her small, pert breasts. Yes, she was sure to seduce Harold tonight and maybe even persuade him to stay.
As she came from the bedroom, she heard his key in the door and walked slowly and deliberately into the lounge. Harold was already at the drinks cabinet and pouring himself a whisky but she noticed he hadn’t removed his coat. ‘Good evening,’ she purred in the most seductive voice she could muster.
When he turned towards her, she gasped at the sight of blood splattered on his camel-coloured coat. ‘Oh, my goodness, what’s happened?’ she asked as she dashed towards him.
‘Let me sit down,’ Harold answered, brushing her aside. Then he gulped down his drink, removed his coat and threw it in the corner. ‘Get rid of that. Cut it to shreds, wrap it well with some of your old clothes and dump it in the dustbins.’
Nancy looked at the coat in a heap and wondered whose blood had stained it. She could see Harold had no obvious injuries. And why did he want her to dispose of it? ‘What have you done?’ she asked gravely.
‘Draw me a bath and get me a clean shirt,’ he answered. ‘And another drink.’
Nancy jumped to do his bidding. She’d never seen him in such a dark mood and the blood on his coat worried her greatly. She hurried to the bathroom and turned on the bath taps, then through to the bedroom where she pulled a clean shirt from the wardrobe and laid it on the bed. Back in the lounge, she poured him another drink and as she passed it to him, she noticed her hand shaking. ‘This is troubling me. Please tell me what’s happened,’ she said again.
Harold quickly drained the glass and handed it back to her. ‘Another,’ he said.
She did as she was asked, then sat beside him. ‘Whose blood is on your coat?’ she dared to ask.
Harold sighed and cleared his throat. ‘You must never speak of this.’
‘I won’t, I promise. You know I’m good at keeping secrets. No-one knows about us.’
‘And keep it that way.’
‘I will. But you’re scaring me. Please explain how blood is all over your coat and cuffs.’
He sat forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, and calmly announced, ‘I killed a man tonight.’
Nancy gasped. She couldn’t believe he’d do such a thing. Harold was an intelligent man, a barrister, and won his battles in the law courts. She’d never known him to physically fight and wondered if he’d been attacked and had killed in self-defence.
‘I know what you’re thinking but what I did was murder. Cold-blooded murder. I killed him because he knew too much.’
‘Too much about what?’
‘About me. He knew things that could bring me down and I can’t allow that to happen.’
‘I don’t understand,’ she uttered.
‘You don’t need to know anything more. The fact of the matter is a man is dead by my hands. And all the while this wretched war rages, I cannot swear that more men will not be killed either by me or on my orders. It is a big responsibility and not one I take lightly. But there is a method in my madness and one day, you’ll see it and then you’ll understand. Until then, ask nothing and trust me.’
Harold stood up and went through to the bathroom, leaving Nancy on the brink of tears. Had he lost his mind? Yet he appeared in control and had spoken in such a matter-of-fact tone. She thought mad people ranted and garbled nonsense. No, Harold wasn’t mad. So what had he become involved in? It must be something to do with the war. And then it dawned on her – Harold must be a spy. That made sense. That’s why he couldn’t tell her anything. After all, he probably knew information that could be a threat to national security. It all seemed to fall into place. He already worked for the government and had likely been recruited because of his education and knowledge. It explained the less frequent visits to see her. His lateness, with no explanations. The secrets and talking in riddles. Yes, of course, her lover was working in espionage and he’d been trying to let her know without telling her too much.
Nancy smiled, proud of her man, so brave and dashing. And once the war was over, she’d be fascinated to hear his stories of undercover operations. She thought the man he’d killed tonight was most likely a German spy and Harold had carried out a most courageous act. She felt so silly now and awful for doubting his sanity.
Harold called from the bathroom. ‘Are you coming to join me?’
‘Yes, my love, I’m coming,’ she answered happily, thrilled at the thought of making love with a real-life war hero.
*
Georgina, dressed all in black and looking every part the mournful widow, marched into her office. Benjamin looked up from his desk, appearing astonished to see her.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ she said, avoiding eye contact.
‘I, er, wasn’t expecting you.’
‘No, I d
on’t suppose you was but it’s three days until Lash’s funeral and I can’t sit at home twiddling my thumbs. Molly’s getting on my nerves with her constant cleaning and my father looks like he’s desperate for a drink. If I stay at home, I’ll end up saying something to one of them that I’ll regret.’
‘I’ll, erm, keep quiet then.’
‘Yes, thank you,’ she answered, pulling some papers from a drawer. ‘Where’s the monthly financial report?’
Benjamin jumped up, pushing his seat back so quickly that it almost fell over. ‘In the, erm, safe,’ he said, rummaging in his pocket for the key.
She could tell her inopportune presence in the office had made him feel uncomfortable. Even Victor seemed awkward around her, as did Johnny and Mary next door. She knew it was because they didn’t know what to say to her. And in all fairness, she thought, the mood she was in, she was likely to bite someone’s head off. But she wasn’t an ogre. She was a grieving widow. But she had to admit that she had no time for grief – fury had replaced any sorrow.
Benjamin placed the report on the desk in front of her.
‘Thank you,’ she said, still not meeting his eyes. She was afraid that if she did, she might crack. Benjamin knew her well. He was a sensitive man and had a knack of drilling down to the truth. How could she explain that she couldn’t cry? How could she admit that instead of thinking about Lash, she spent her time fantasising about putting a bullet in between David’s eyes? It wasn’t normal. Her emotions had frozen and even the heated anger in her heart couldn’t melt the ice around it. ‘You can take the rest of the day off,’ she said.
‘I, erm, have tax returns to complete,’ he answered.
‘You can do them tomorrow. Or take your work home.’
‘No, I’ll stay.’
Georgina had run out of patience and shouted, ‘Just go home, Benjamin. I want to be alone.’
The moment the words had left her mouth, she regretted them. God, why couldn’t she control her temper? From the corner of her eye, she saw him push his glasses up his nose but he made no attempt to pack his things away. Instead, he carried on working.
Ten minutes later, as Georgina studied the same column of numbers for the umpteenth time, Benjamin broke the silence.
‘We all, erm, have our own way of dealing with things.’
Georgina kept her head down and ignored him.
Five more silent minutes passed and she was looking vacantly at the same set of numbers.
‘Crying isn’t a sign of weakness,’ he said.
Still Georgina blanked him. She agreed with him. She had every right to cry. Her husband had been shot down in the street and their last words had been spoken in anger. Of course no-one would think her weak if she cried. After all, crying would be typical. But she wasn’t typical.
More minutes ticked by, the only sounds coming from outside. Georgina turned the page of the report. More numbers. More columns. More notes. None of it meant anything to her. All she could see was David’s face. Had he smiled when he’d killed Lash with one bullet? Benjamin’s stuttering voice pierced her thoughts.
‘You’re, erm, not really concentrating on that report, are you?’
Finally, she looked up and glared at him. ‘What do you want from me? Do you expect to see me on my knees? Bawling for my husband? Should I be a blubbering wreck? I’m broken-hearted, devastated, upset for my son too. Is that what you want to hear? Tell me. Please, tell me, Benjamin. How is a woman whose husband was murdered supposed to behave, eh?’
‘I’ll get us coffee,’ he answered.
He returned quickly, handed her a cup, placed one on his desk and then closed the door. ‘Anything else you’d like to scream at me?’ he asked.
Georgina felt terrible. Benjamin didn’t deserve to be at the receiving end of her angst. She was angry with herself, not him. ‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered.
‘Apologies are not required. I’d rather you, erm, used me as a punchbag than keep your feelings bottled up.’
Georgina sipped the coffee. It was strong and dark but tasted bland. Nothing had any flavour since Lash had died. Her son’s smile no longer warmed her heart. Her father’s hugs left her cold. Molly’s kind words felt empty. She’d shut down and apart from the rage, she felt nothing. And she knew why. She knew exactly why but couldn’t face the truth.
‘I think you, erm, believe Lash’s death was your fault.’
It was as if he’d read her mind and his words felt like a blow to her stomach.
‘It wasn’t. The only person responsible for his death, is the person who pulled the trigger. That wasn’t you.’
She knew that, but no-one understood. Only she knew the truth. She alone knew who had killed Lash and, worse, she knew why. ‘But it was my fault,’ she whispered. ‘It was my fault… He died because of me. My son will grow up never knowing his father… because of me. I didn’t pull the trigger that killed Lash but I loaded the gun.’
‘We know the risks that come with being a part of your world.’
‘Yes, there’s risks but Lash wasn’t killed by an enemy.’
‘You know who, erm, did it?’
‘Yes. And don’t ask me because I won’t tell you. But if it wasn’t for me, Lash would be alive,’ she answered, thinking of the times she’d been excited by David’s inadvertent touch and the way they’d looked at each other. She’d let it go too far, to the point of him telling her he loved her. She’d rebuked his advances, too late, and her husband had paid for her mistakes with his precious life.
‘Will you, erm, seek retribution?’
‘Of course,’ she answered. David must die for what he’d done but how could she ever forgive herself? Was her guilt punishment enough? She didn’t think so. Would the fire of fury in the pit of her stomach be quenched by getting revenge on her husband’s killer? Possibly, but she’d always hate herself. That self-loathing would never leave her and she thought she deserved to be unhappy for the rest of her life. But one fear worried her more than anything – would her son one day blame her too?
*
‘I dunno, Ray, it sounds a bit risky,’ Jack said to his friend and partner in crime.
The white-haired man took his hand off the steering wheel and placed it on Jack’s shoulder. ‘A bit of risk ain’t never put you off before.’
‘Yeah, I know, and you know me, I love the thrill of it, but I can’t Ray. I’ve gotta keep me nose clean.’
‘What, that wonky thing on your ugly face?’ Ray laughed, and took the steering wheel again with two hands as they turned a corner.
Ray had just proposed a high earner but high-risk job. He’d suggested they could hijack the van that delivered cash to the banks and get away with thousands. The thought of it was appealing and Jack was tempted but now wasn’t the right time.
‘It’s me girl, Ray, she needs me. I can’t go getting meself banged up, not now.’
‘Oh, right, yeah. How’s she doing?’
‘I ain’t sure, to be honest. She’s tough but this is enough to break the hardest of us. She’s gone to work today. I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea but she’s always had her own mind, that one. I don’t mind telling you though, Ray, me old ticker breaks for her, it really does.’
‘Fucking rotten for her. I remember what I was like when my Dolly popped her clogs. Fuck me, it knocked me for six and I was a right mess. But Georgina will get through it. We do, don’t we?’
‘Yeah, we do. I had to when Sissy died. Georgina was a baby and needed me. She does now an’ all, which is why I’ve gotta keep meself out of trouble.’
‘Right you are, Jack, I get it. Anyway, we don’t need the money and there’ll be plenty of other opportunities in the future.’
Neither of them had extravagant outgoings and they both had a roof over their heads and food in their cupboards. They stole for fun but with Lash’s funeral looming and Georgina’s world shattered, it didn’t feel right to be enjoying themselves.
‘Actually, mate, I reckon I sh
ould get back. She might come home from work early and I want to be there for her.’
‘Sure, I’ll drop you off. Has she found out who did it?’ Ray asked.
‘Not yet, but she will.’
‘Cor, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. I hope he’s got a good funeral plan.’
‘Oh, I don’t think there’ll be a funeral, mate. A death, yeah, but I can’t see Georgina allowing any sort of proper burial for the geezer.’
They pulled up outside her house and Jack bid his friend farewell. ‘You will be there, for Lash?’
‘Too right. The least we can do is give him a good seeing off,’ Ray answered.
‘Cheers, mate,’ Jack said and waved as Ray drove off.
Inside, he was disappointed but not surprised to find Molly home alone with Alfie and the Barker twins keeping a watchful eye over them.
‘She’s still at work then?’ he asked Molly.
‘Yes, Mr Garrett. She telephoned a few minutes ago to make sure Alfie was all right. I don’t think she’ll be home for a while yet. Can I get you a cup of tea or anything?’
‘No thanks, love. There’s no point me sitting around waiting for her. I might as well get off. But make sure you send for me if she needs me.’
‘Yes, I will, thank you. But I think she’ll be fine until the funeral and then it will probably hit her.’
‘I know. It’s not gonna be an easy day. Look at that lad,’ Jack said, gazing at his grandson playing happily on the floor with a wooden train set. ‘The poor mite ain’t got a clue what’s happened to his father.’
‘It’s for the best. He’s too young to understand. He’s asked me when his daddy is coming back from heaven and if the angels are coming home with Daddy too. I don’t know what to tell him,’ Molly said quietly, her eyes welling.
‘Gawd, it ain’t fair. I should think the funeral is gonna be confusing for the lad and all.’
‘Yes, probably,’ Molly answered sadly.
Jack said farewell and headed back out. The weather had cheered up so he decided to take a slow amble home. His thoughts were with Georgina when he realised he was on the street where Lash had died. Flowers had been laid against a garden wall close to the spot. Jack stopped to read some of the messages on the cards. The kind words touched him and he found the outpouring of love and sympathy for Georgina moving. He wasn’t one to cry but the cards were becoming unclear as his eyes filled with tears.