by Sam Michaels
‘Good. Gerty can be a bit jumpy when a bloke kicks off so I’m sure you hanging around put her mind at rest.’
‘Yeah, she seemed all right. Shall I make us a brew?’
‘No, thank you,’ Charlotte answered but hated being polite to him. The man was part of a plan to murder her tomorrow morning yet here he was, offering her a cup of tea. The cheek of it! ‘You get yourself one; I’ve got some things to attend to,’ she told him, hoping he’d leave her in peace. The more she looked at his dishonest, lying face, the harder she was finding it to control her tongue. But she knew that once she opened her mouth, she wouldn’t stop until she’d said too much.
Big H closed the door as he left and Charlotte checked the time again. The first customer would be arriving in half an hour. It felt like ages away. The day wouldn’t go quickly enough and although Charlotte didn’t want to be there, she wasn’t in any rush to get back to Georgina’s either. The atmosphere at home was tense. Benjamin was nervous and it showed. Georgina, though remarkably calm, was snappy. The sooner this murderous business with Nancy was finished with, the better, she thought, and couldn’t wait for things to return to normal. But then when Charlotte thought about it, she supposed that this was normal in Georgina’s world and if she intended on being a part of it, then she’d better get used to it.
She couldn’t relax. Her jangled nerves made her restless and she wished she’d brought Dog with her. At least she would have had a good excuse to go for a walk. But Georgina had insisted Dog should stay at home with Benjamin.
She took a deep breath and decided she would have a cuppa after all, but one she’d prepared herself. She wasn’t going to take any risks in case Nancy had changed her plans and they’d moved her death date forward to today.
As she came out of her office, she was pleased to see Johnny arrive. At last, she felt she wasn’t alone amongst her enemies. It was good to have someone else in the house who was on her side. Johnny gave her a knowing wink before sauntering up the stairs to Nancy’s room. She had no doubt what they would be discussing – Georgina’s death.
Charlotte emptied the water from the kettle and refilled it. She grabbed a cup and saucer from a cupboard and was about to put the loose tealeaves in the pot when it occurred to her that anything could have been tampered with. The thought terrified her and she abandoned any notion of a cuppa.
Back in her office, she left the door open and listened for signs of anything out of the ordinary. Nancy’s door closing. Footsteps coming down the stairs. It would be Johnny.
‘You all right?’ he asked when he appeared in the doorway.
Charlotte nodded but she wasn’t. Paranoia had crept in and she was beginning to think that Nancy and Big H would attack her as soon as Johnny left.
‘I’m going now – things to do, people to see. See ya.’
Charlotte waved him off but she wished he didn’t have to leave. Her eyes lifted and she stared up at the ceiling. Nancy’s room was above her. She could picture the woman sat on her chaise longue, relishing that she’d sent Johnny off to shoot Victor then Georgina.
‘I hate you,’ she muttered to herself.
‘The first customer has arrived,’ Big H said.
His booming voice made her jump and her eyes snapped to him.
‘Close my door and don’t disturb me again,’ she told him, looking at him with scorn.
Alone again, she rummaged in her big cloth bag and found the small pistol that Georgina had given her the night before. She pulled open a drawer in the desk and carefully placed it inside. She’d have liked to walk up the stairs and blow Nancy’s brains out. She’d have enjoyed putting a bullet in between Big H’s eyes. But just having the pistol to hand eased her nerves somewhat and she sat staring at the door. If they came for her, she’d kill them first. And she was ready.
*
Georgina waited patiently for the telephone to ring. With each call that came through, she was being updated on progress of which of her men had been located and their fate. So far, the Barker twins had found two blokes who were now secured in the basement under Dina’s eye in Clapham. Georgina had told the twins to protect the house and to stay there until further notice. Johnny had called next and said that him and Max the Axe had caught Tim and two other wankers and they were also now in Clapham, tied up in the basement.
When Georgina had taken the next call, she heard Ned’s voice on the other end of the line.
‘You don’t have to worry about Bob and his sidekick, Mini. None of us will be seeing them for a very long time,’ he said proudly.
‘You haven’t killed them, have you, Ned?’
‘No, you said no murders yet so we refrained from knifing the bastards but we did give them a bit of a kick-in.’
‘What state have you left them in?’
‘Alive. We’ve sent them away on some travels.’
‘What do you mean?’ Georgina asked.
‘The pair of them are in the cargo area of a boat going off to some foreign country. And it only cost me a few quid to get one of the crew to help.’
‘That’s smashing, Ned, and brilliant. Max is going to meet you at The Penthouse. I want you both to keep an eye on the place.’
‘Yeah, OK, Miss Garrett. Pat’s wiv me – what do you want him to do?’
‘Keep looking. There’s still four more blokes to bring in.’
‘What’s so funny?’ Benjamin asked when Georgina came back into the front room.
‘That was Ned on the telephone,’ she answered and told him about what had happened to Bob and Mini-Bob.
‘Oh, my goodness! I hope they don’t suffer with seasickness,’ Benjamin said and joined in with Georgina’s laughter.
But her mirth was short-lived. Seven of her gang were now out of reach of Nancy’s control but there were still others to find and she wouldn’t relax until she knew their whereabouts.
She’d only just sat down when the telephone trilled again and after dashing to answer it, she was pleased to hear Johnny’s voice.
‘There’s another two in the basement. Errol and V just brought ’em in,’ he told her.
V’s real name was also John but after an encounter with one of the Soho Italians, his face had been left with a V-shaped scar, hence his nickname.
‘Great. Get Errol and V to go and watch Livingstone Road. Max and Ned are on their way to The Penthouse and I’ve told the twins to stay there at Clapham.’
‘Are there many more to round up?’
‘Yes, just two.’
‘This lot here – are you sure you don’t want me to finish them off?’
‘Yes, Johnny, I’m sure. Sergeant Woodman is happy to take my money but I don’t think even he would turn a blind eye to that many dead bodies. Just make sure that none of them can escape and get yourself home. In a couple of hours, you’re supposed to kill me.’
‘Cor blimey, Miss Garrett, I don’t even like hearing those words. It makes me blood run cold.’
‘I can’t say I’m thrilled at the prospect either. Anyway, you know what you’ve got to do in the morning.’
‘Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Johnny said and the line went dead.
Georgina walked back into the front room and informed Benjamin there were now only two renegades on the loose and she was confident they’d soon be found. Then that just left Sparrow, Lillian, Big H and Nancy but she already had their fate planned, especially Nancy’s. And so far, everything was going exactly how she wanted it to.
‘The one thing you haven’t said, what erm, are you going to do with the men?’ Benjamin asked as she sat down again.
‘Once Nancy has been dealt with, I’m going to show them what happened to her, take back any money she’s given them and then cut them lose. They won’t be working for me anymore.’
‘Aren’t you worried about erm, repercussions from them?’
‘No.’ Georgina’s answer was short and to point. Without her name for protection and earning a good wage, she knew the turncoats would
regret agreeing to work for Nancy. And she also knew them well enough to feel safe as none of them had the nerve or the resources to go against her. They were petty criminals who’d been privileged to work for the business but were nothing without Georgina’s organisation skills.
Two hours later, one of the Barker twins called and Georgina was pleased to discover that the last of the gang had been rounded up without a hitch. Just as she put down the telephone, Dog bounded towards the front door, his tail wagging and barking with excitement. Charlotte walked through the door looking exhausted.
‘All right?’ Georgina asked.
‘Yep. Job done. All the women will meet at nine tomorrow morning at Livingstone Road.’
‘Good. And did Nancy suspect anything?’
‘No, I don’t think so. She stayed in her room for most of the day.’
‘What about Big H?’
‘No. I don’t think he suspects anything either. He was trying to be nice to me. I reckon he must feel guilty or something.’
‘I doubt it,’ Georgina replied. ‘And I suppose he’s too thick to have suspected anything going on. Good work, Charlotte.’
Georgina went up to her bedroom and sat on the edge of her gran’s bed. The same bed she’d shared with Lash and where Selina had been conceived. Her hand stroked the pillow where Lash’s head had rested. She wished he were here with her now. And her gran. Cor, the woman would have had plenty to say about Nancy! She turned her head and looked in the mirror on her gran’s old dressing table. She was shocked to notice that the woman looking back at her appeared older than her years. At twenty-six, Georgina had been through a lot and carried much responsibility on her young shoulders. And though she didn’t like to admit it, she felt very much alone and afraid.
She took a deep breath and thought of David. Please wake up, she implored, feeling that she needed him more than ever. It was all well and good putting on a brave face and pretending to be fearless, but inside, there were times when Georgina Garrett felt like that terrified teenager who’d dressed in boys’ clothes and was horrifically abused in the police station. That feeling of sheer horror would sometimes revisit her and remind her of her vulnerability. This was one of those times.
*
Later that night, Benjamin lay in Charlotte’s bed whilst she slept on the sofa though he guessed that, like him, she was probably wide awake even though it was gone two in the morning. Benjamin shuddered. How could any of them sleep peacefully? Maybe Georgina could, but he knew his eyes would be open all night.
It had been a fretful evening and he’d been on edge, almost afraid of his own shadow. It hadn’t helped that there had been three incidents that had alarmed him. The first scare had come when the air raid sirens had sounded. Thankfully, the German planes hadn’t passed over Battersea. But in truth, for a fleeting moment, Benjamin wished they had and dropped a bomb right on top of Nancy. Then he’d felt bad for having such thoughts, as a bomb hitting Nancy would have also killed the other women in the house.
The second scare had come when he’d heard a gruff male voice outside. The man had shouted, ‘Turn that light out.’ Georgina had laughed and said it was Mary next door’s husband. Apparently he walked up and down the street every night as part of his warden duties.
The third scare occurred when Dog had run to the back door and started barking. Charlotte told Benjamin to take no notice. There was probably a cat on the prowl.
Now in the dark stillness, with the deeds to Georgina’s properties tucked safely in a wallet under his pillow, Benjamin longed for the sun to rise. Though the day wouldn’t be any less frightening than tonight.
As the hours gradually went by, though Benjamin’s eyes were heavy, he remained alert until eventually, he heard movement from Georgina’s room and her light footsteps tapping down the stairs. Wearily getting out of bed, he went to the kitchen to join her.
‘Good morning. Did you get much sleep in Charlotte’s bed?’ she asked as she filled the kettle from the tap.
‘No, not a lot. You?’
‘I slept like a baby,’ Georgina said with a bright smile.
‘I’m glad someone did,’ Charlotte said when she trudged into the kitchen and slumped at the table.
‘I suppose that sofa is getting a bit lumpy.’
‘The sofa was fine. It’s Victor. He’s in the armchair snoring like a bear. But being awake for most of the night gave me plenty of time to think.’
‘Oh, and what have you been thinking about?’ Georgina asked.
‘Well, I was thinking about today and I don’t understand why you, Johnny and Victor don’t just kill her. All this planning and whatnot, it seems a bit complicated.’
Benjamin had been wondering the same and was glad Charlotte had asked.
Georgina pulled out a seat at the table, sat down and clasped her hands in front of her. ‘I’ll explain it to you, Charlotte, because I believe you can go a long way with me and the business but you need to think more cleverly. Yes, I could have sent Johnny in to shoot her, job done. And yes, it would send out the message that I’m not to be messed with. But anyone can do that. Mickey the Matchstick would have done that and so would Billy Wilcox. I’ve learnt that it’s better to be more… creative. If you can out-think your opponents and if people know you’re smart, it breeds more respect and not just fear.’
Benjamin was grateful for the explanation and the insight into how Georgina’s mind worked. As always, the woman impressed him.
‘I get it,’ Charlotte said. ‘It’s not just about being brave and tough, you’ve gotta be clever too.’
‘Yes, that’s right. Let’s face it, most of the blokes who work for the business are a damn sight harder than me, and they know it, but they’re happy with me as the boss because they don’t have to think about things.’
‘Yeah, that makes sense. And Nancy is clever too so some of the blokes don’t care who they work for just as long as it’s someone with brains who’ll keep things running nicely and pay their wages.’
‘Indeed. It’s unfortunate that we’re going to lose nearly half the gang but no-one is irreplaceable. Not even me.’
Benjamin begged to differ. He believed Georgina was irreplaceable and there was no-one who could ever fill her shoes. Especially not Nancy. And he hoped that after today, Georgina would still be the guvnor and his most admired boss.
33
Nancy looked out of the window anxiously waiting for Johnny’s car to arrive and right on time, she saw it pull up. After quickly checking her reflection in the mirror and happy with what she saw, she dashed down the stairs to greet him.
‘Good morning,’ she drawled as he came through the front door.
‘Good morning to you, sweetheart,’ he answered and then pulled a key from his pocket. ‘Look what I’ve got,’ he said and took Nancy by the hand and led her to Georgina’s office.
Nancy stood by his side as he opened the door, a wicked grin on her face, and when they went inside, she edged closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
‘Did you bring me another key too?’ she asked and playfully nibbled his earlobe.
‘Of course. I said I would, didn’t I?’
‘Are you going to give it to me or are you going to make me be very, very nice to you first?’
Johnny fished in his coat pocket and pulled out a smaller key. ‘’Ere you are, this will open the safe.’
Nancy grabbed the key and squealed with delight. She was pleased she didn’t have to make love to him but did feel quite awful about what she knew was going to happen to him now. ‘You’ve been a very good boy,’ she told him teasingly and walked across the room where she leaned back on Georgina’s desk and popped the safe key into her bra. ‘I assume Victor and Georgina are dead?’
‘Yes. It was straightforward. What ya gonna do now?’ Johnny asked.
Before Nancy could answer, and as Big H been instructed to do, he burst into the room and with no time for Johnny to react, the huge man grabbed both of Johnny’
s arms and held them behind his back.
Johnny struggled but Big H was twice his size and strength.
‘Get orf me, you big fucking idiot,’ Johnny growled.
Big H held firmly and Nancy saw a look of panic cross Johnny’s face and was ready to gloat.
‘Oh, Johnny, how silly of you to have underestimated me,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘What you on about, woman?’
‘You remember I told you how intelligent I am? Well, you seem to have forgotten and assumed I’m just a stupid woman.’
‘No, I didn’t do that. Get this fucking lump off me, will ya!’ Johnny protested.
‘Are you still going to claim you’ve killed Victor and Georgina? Say you’ve shot them, like you promised?’
‘Yeah, how else do you think I got hold of her keys?’
‘I think she gave them to you, Johnny. I believe you and her are conspiring against me.’
‘Don’t be daft, woman. Georgina Garret is dead. I shot her wiv me own gun and now she’s in the Thames, sunk down in the water.’
‘It’s such a shame, Johnny. I had wonderful things in mind for you and I; but, alas, my instincts were correct and you’re not to be trusted.’
‘For fuck’s sake, what is wrong wiv you? You’ve got the fucking key now – tell him to let me go.’
‘No, I can’t do that. You see, I wasn’t convinced that you wouldn’t double-cross me so I had you followed. Sparrow is very good at being incognito. If he wasn’t quite so dumb, he would have made an excellent British spy.’
Nancy watched as Johnny struggled some more but was unable to release himself from Big H’s grip.
‘I had a feeling that you wouldn’t kill Georgina. You couldn’t, could you, Johnny, because you’re in love with her, aren’t you?’
‘That’s fucking ridiculous. I love her like a sister, that’s all,’ Johnny argued.
‘No, it’s not. You’ve been in love with her for years only you know she’s far too good for you. You couldn’t stand the humiliation of being turned down. That’s why you haven’t declared your love for her. You’ve kept it to yourself for all these years. Oh, Johnny, it must have been terribly difficult for you to watch her marry and then when her husband was killed, you still didn’t have the courage to tell her how you really feel and now she’s in love with a hopeless case. You’re secretly praying that David Maynard never wakes so that you can have Georgina for yourself.’