by Sam Michaels
The door flew open and Gwyneth, the prostitute who’d replaced Varvara, burst in looking flush-faced and breathless.
‘Knock next time and wait to be told to enter. What do you want?’ Varvara asked sternly. She was sure Gwyneth wouldn’t have so rudely intruded if Miss Garrett had been present.
‘I’ve got a customer upstairs who said he ain’t gonna pay me.’
‘Why is he still here? Is he waiting to be beaten?’
‘No,’ Gwyneth squealed in her high-pitched voice, ‘I managed to shackle him to me bed post and took the money from his pocket.’
‘So, what is the problem?’
‘I’m scared he’s gonna go for me when I let him go, ain’t I.’
‘Of course. Come,’ Varvara said and marched from the office and upstairs. She thrust open the bedroom door and saw a podgy man in a vest and baggy trousers, handcuffed to the bed and looking rather annoyed. Varvara spotted a cane on the floor by the side of the bed and picked it up, then swiftly lashed it across the man’s face.
The thrash took him by surprise and he looked at Varvara with wide eyes. ‘Gwyneth will release you now and you will leave. You are not welcome here again,’ she said and rifled through his pockets. ‘For my expenses,’ she said and took his remaining money.
The man didn’t argue and once freed, hurriedly gathered the rest of his clothes before running out of the door. They heard him stumble down the stairs and Varvara watched from the window as he scuttled up the street.
‘Back to work,’ she told Gwyneth and returned to the office.
Benjamin looked at her with raised eyebrows and remarked, ‘He left in rather a hurry.’
‘I think because he valued his life,’ Varvara answered.
‘There, I told you. You are strong and capable. That chap obviously thought so too. Miss Garrett will be pleased with your work.’
Varvara hoped so.
‘But I’m afraid we have a problem developing. I’ve just taken a telephone call. It’s Cyril, the old man at the bike shop. He’s been taking bets on the fight tonight, big wagers that he’s not even sure he can cover. He’s been offering better odds than the Maynards and now he’s heard that Maynard’s blokes have got wind of it.’
‘Miss Garrett specifically told him not to accept any bets regarding the fight. He is supposed to send punters to Maynard’s men, especially the big spenders. He shouldn’t be accepting large bets for anything. What is that silly old man playing at?’
‘I don’t know but you’d better get down there quick and sort it out.’
‘OK, but maybe Mr Maynard will send his men here?’
‘Oh, shit. I hadn’t thought of that. Stay here, just in case.’
Varvara could hear the fear in Benjamin’s voice and guessed he didn’t want to be alone to deal with them. ‘Fine. Any suggestions what I should tell them?’
‘No, but I suppose wait and see what they have to say.’
Varvara leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she thought, what would Miss Garrett do?
‘No! I will deal with this now,’ she said and picked up the telephone.
‘What are you doing?’ Benjamin asked and she sensed the panic in his voice.
‘I’m going to speak to David Maynard. That is how Miss Garrett would deal with this.’
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Varvara. It’s one thing for Miss Garrett to call him, but I don’t think it would be the correct protocol for you to ring him.’
‘Why not? Because I am just a whore?’
‘No, Varvara. Because you are not the boss. Only bosses speak to bosses in this world.’
Varvara replaced the receiver. Perhaps Benjamin was right. But Cyril had now left them in a vulnerable position. David Maynard would know Georgina was in Liverpool. The bicycle shop and Cyril could be in imminent danger, as were she and Benjamin. She was very aware that friendship between gangsters meant nothing if one thought the other was double-crossing them. ‘Mr Harel, please contact the Barker twins and instruct them to guard the bike shop. Have Ned escort Cyril here. Tell him to bring all the betting slips and the money. I will give it to Mr Maynard and any winning bets that are over the odds, we will pay the difference.’
‘But that could be a small fortune! We have no idea what odds Cyril has given out or to how many people. It’s a huge risk, Varvara.’
‘It is better to pay money than be shot, no?’
‘I, erm, suppose so but I don’t think Miss Garrett will be pleased.’
‘No, I don’t think she will, but this is Cyril’s fault. We are just cleaning up his mess.’
Benjamin nodded and got on the telephone whilst Varvara hoped it wouldn’t come down to any blood being spilt. Yet she’d been around people like David Maynard long enough to know that money was worth more to men like him than a life was.
An hour later, with Cyril and Ned tucked away in the back room, Varvara saw a dark car pull up outside. ‘Here we go,’ she told Benjamin and waited at her desk as Gwyneth showed David Maynard into the office. His driver waited in the car. She thought this was a healthy sign.
Varvara rose to her feet to greet the man but he didn’t look pleased to be there. She was immediately struck by how young he looked, and though she didn’t like men, she acknowledged his good looks. ‘Good day, Mr Maynard. I am Varvara, pleased to meet you,’ she said. She thought the fear in her voice showed and she wasn’t nearly as composed as Miss Garrett would be. It was one thing to play boss, but now realised she was out of her depth.
‘So, Miss Garrett has left a Russian tart in charge. Well she’s either original or very misguided.’
‘I know why you are here and can I firstly apologise for the inconvenience and assure you that Miss Garrett will be furious when she returns and discovers the terrible mistake Cyril has made.’
‘As I thought, you lot are going to deny knowing anything about what your man was up to. You were hoping you’d get away with it and cash in. How unfortunate for you that I stumbled on your little scheme.’
‘Honestly, I can assure you, Mr Maynard, we were as much in the dark about Cyril’s activities as you were. In fact, you probably knew about it before we did.’
‘Honestly… did a tart just say to me, honestly? Don’t make me laugh. Actually, I’ve been thinking on my way over here and I don’t reckon this is Miss Garrett’s style. I wouldn’t be surprised if you lot hatched this without her knowing to make a quick buck the minute her back is turned? When the cat’s away, the mice will play. Is that it, eh? Did you think you could get one over on her and me?’
‘No, Mr Maynard, no! I would protect Miss Garrett with my own life. I’d never deceive her. Never!’
‘Well, she talks with some passion, what about you, Jew boy?’
‘I, erm, err…’
‘I want to know what you’re proposing to do about it? And it had better be good because I don’t want to leave a bloody mess in Miss Garrett’s office.’
‘Actually, we have all the bets and monies here… for you. And we will pay out the difference on the winnings that were offered higher than your odds.’
‘I don’t think so. I’ll take the bets but you will be paying out every penny of all the wins, not just the difference. Cheeky fuckers, but it was a nice try.’
‘But… but we won’t have the money from the losing bets to cover the pay-outs.’
‘Your lookout, not mine. Unless you’d like to do it another way but I don’t suppose either of you want your faces rearranged?’
‘No, Mr Maynard. Thank you, I will accept your generous offer.’
‘And what are you going to do about this Cyril bloke? The one you say stitched you up? I mean, if it was one of my blokes there’d be no question about getting rid of him… for good.’
‘Yes, Mr Maynard, I’ll see to it.’
‘Fair enough. I’m sure Miss Garrett will be happy with the way you’ve handled things in her absence. You can tell her from me that if she’s got a problem with any of th
is, to come and see me.’
Varvara glanced across at Benjamin as David Maynard collected up the bets and left without bidding them goodbye.
‘Phew,’ Varvara said and steadied herself on Georgina’s desk. ‘I thought for a moment that he was going to kill us.’
‘Yes, me too. But what about Cyril? Maynard expects us to get rid of him.’
‘Then it will be done.’
‘You can’t… How?’
‘Shoot him.’
‘NO!’
‘Why?’
‘Because, err…err…’
‘Everyone who works for Miss Garrett must know their place,’ Varvara interrupted. ‘Cyril must die. I will see to it.’
‘Wait… please, Varvara… what would Miss Garrett do? She’s a compassionate woman. I’m sure she’d give Cyril another chance.’
‘No, I do not think so. Do you have a silencer on your gun?’
‘I don’t have a gun. You’re not going to kill him here?’
‘Yes, it is convenient. We will need another layer of wet concrete for the cellar.’
‘No, Varvara. I’m having nothing to do with this.’
‘Go, then. You have not the stomach.’
Benjamin pulled on his jacket and picked up his briefcase. ‘You’re making a terrible mistake,’ he said as he walked out of the door. ‘And Miss Garrett won’t thank you for this.’
‘I think she will,’ Varvara called after him. ‘I think she’ll thank me very much.’
26
Georgina sat ringside in the crowded hall. This was billed as the biggest fight anyone had seen in a very long time and men had turned out in their droves, jostling for a better viewing position.
Georgina’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure it could be heard over the cacophony of men’s voices. Then she spotted Mabel, Kevin Kelly’s wife, edging her way between the ring and the seating area, heading in her direction. Georgina could tell from the way she was dressed that it had to be Mabel. Her clothes looked very much like the reception room in Kevin’s house – over the top and distasteful, though the height of fashion. From the cut of her long gown, with billowing sleeves and a large neck bow, Georgina could tell the dress was imported from New York and hadn’t been knocked up on the sewing machine from a Simplicity pattern. Unlike her own. Mary next door did a great job of creating suitable work dresses for her, but the woman was limited in skills and her clothes lacked detail.
‘Miss Garrett, I’ve been really looking forward to meeting you. I’ve heard so much about you. My goodness, you really are as beautiful as they say. Oh, I’m Mrs Kelly, you can call me Mabel. Shall I call you Georgina? After all, we’re friends now. You must be so nervous about this fight. He’s your husband, isn’t he? I hear he’s a gypsy. That must be exciting. I’ve never met a gypsy before. Will I meet your husband after the fight? Do you think he will win? Of course, I’ll be cheering him on but I don’t think Kevin will like me to. Oh my, listen to me babbling on; whatever must you think of me? Not to worry, Kevin’s always telling me I talk too much.’
‘Yes, you do,’ Kevin said as he came to stand beside his wife.
Georgina was glad to see him. His presence had at least momentarily shut up Mabel.
‘Miss Garrett, you’ve met my wife then?’
‘Yes, good evening, Mr Kelly.’
‘I hope your man is prepared for a pasting. Mine is in peak condition. But whatever the outcome, it will be a fair fight. Look at this crowd, a good earner too, for the winner.’
‘Quite,’ Georgina answered, feeling sick to her stomach.
‘You don’t look too happy. I’m surprised. I heard fighting is right up your street.’
‘It is, Mr Kelly, but not when it’s my husband in the ring.’
‘Ah, don’t worry. He’s a hard bloke, one of the best, which is why I wanted him to fight my man. He can take a few good punches and it won’t kill him. But, hey, don’t you go jumping in that ring with your handbag swinging, will you?’ Kevin said and chuckled.
‘There’s no fear of that happening,’ Georgina answered. ‘Lash is more than capable of fighting his own battles.’
‘Come on, Mabel, we best take our seats before the fight starts. Good luck, Miss Garrett and may the best man win.’
Georgina watched as he walked away, shaking men’s hands as he went and clearly lapping up the adoration for him in the room. Then the referee climbed through the ropes and Georgina looked around for Lash. She’d seen him minutes earlier and could still taste his kiss on her lips. She’d gone over it a thousand times in her mind and still couldn’t believe she’d allowed them to get into this position.
She saw Lash coming through the crowds and inadvertently jumped to her feet. A few men applauded him but, as expected, most booed. Lash locked eyes with her as he climbed into the ring and she mouthed the words, ‘I love you.’
Then the opposition appeared and the crowd broke into rapturous cheers. Kevin looked across to her and she saw the confidence in his eyes. He was so sure his man would win but she prayed he’d underestimated Lash.
The bell rang and both boxers met in the middle of the floor. Lash threw the first punch and missed. He threw another but missed again. A third, fourth and then a fifth, none of them connecting. Georgina twisted her mother’s wedding ring. She knew boxing. She understood the moves and the tactics. This man was trying to wear Lash down. He was coaxing Lash to do all the work, hoping Lash would tire. The crowd jeered at every punch Lash attempted to land and Georgina saw Kevin Kelly smirk.
The bell rang and both boxers retreated to their corners. ‘Tell Lash to conserve his energy. Tell him to step back, let him come to him,’ Georgina told Johnny and pushed him to his feet. ‘Go on, tell him,’ she urged but it was too late and the bell rang again.
This time, Lash came out fiercer than before and as a quick left jab missed, his right upper cut caught the man’s jaw. He jabbed him again with his left twice and then a right to the side of his head. The man dropped to his knees and the referee began to count. At three, he got back on his feet and charged at Lash. Lash did well defending himself but as he backed away, Georgina shouted, ‘NO,’ when she saw he was trapped against the ropes.
Two hard knocks sent Lash’s head flicking sideways but he suddenly came back and punched his opponent across the ring. After several blows to the head, the undefeated champion crouched down and held his fists over his face. The referee pulled Lash away and the champ came back at him, but Lash unleashed a tremendous amount of energy that knocked the man to the floor. Again, the referee began to count and Georgina willed him to stay down. But he slowly climbed to his feet again and then the bell rang for the end of round two.
By round six, Georgina thought they were more or less equally matched but she could see Lash was losing momentum. She’d noticed Kevin elbow Mabel in the ribs when she’d talked of supporting Lash, and now the woman sat quietly, her face grim. Her eyes fell on Kevin. He didn’t appear concerned and he smiled snidely at her.
Georgina turned to look back at the ring. The noise from the crowd was almost deafening as Lash pummelled his opponent’s face. Somehow, the man managed to stay on his feet and was only saved by the bell.
Johnny was waiting in Lash’s corner and when round seven began, he came back to sit beside Georgina and told her, ‘Lash said he’s got this. That bloke is going down in this round.’
Georgina nodded. She hoped with every part of her body and soul that Lash was right. She saw her husband swing a punch. It was a good one and connected with the man’s eye socket, but he punched back and then she saw blood shoot out from Lash’s mouth as his body turned sideways and followed his head towards the floor. He landed with his back to her. She couldn’t see how badly injured he was and she jumped to her feet again. Johnny grabbed her arm. ‘It’s all right, he’ll get back up.’
Georgina took her seat and willed her husband to move. The referee had started counting. ‘Come on, Lash, come on,’ she urged.
; He was on all fours now and she could see he seemed dizzy, yet somehow he pulled himself up on the ropes. She prayed for the bell but it didn’t come. Instead, Lash’s opponent punched him again and this time Georgina could see her husband was unconscious before his face hit the floor. But something wasn’t right. She knew Lash could take harder hits than the punch she’d seen thrown at him. It didn’t make sense that he’d be out cold. Unless Lash’s opponent was playing dirty and he had something in his glove.
There was no time to think about that now. Her husband was lying motionless. She once again jumped to her feet and ran towards the ropes. Johnny tugged her back and then she heard the referee declare Lash out. It was over. Lash had lost but right now that didn’t matter. She had to be sure he wasn’t badly hurt. Crowds suddenly filled the ring. The champion had been lifted onto shoulders and was being paraded as everyone cheered. She couldn’t see Lash and felt herself being shoved and pushed. Johnny wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her out of the throng.
‘Come on, I saw them stretcher him out. He’ll be in the back getting seen to,’ he said and led her through a door.
Georgina glanced over her shoulder. Victor was right behind them. Kevin Kelly was nowhere to be seen.
‘Where is he? Where’s Lash?’ Johnny asked two men guarding a closed door.
They didn’t answer.
Victor came from behind and pushed one of them against the wall and held him by his throat. Johnny asked again.
Georgina heard a voice from behind and spun round to see Kevin Kelly stood with several armed men.
‘Your husband is receiving the medical attention he requires, Miss Garrett.’
‘I want to see him,’ she demanded.
‘That won’t be possible until you give me the diamonds, as agreed.’
‘I said I’d give you the diamonds if Lash lost. And he wouldn’t have if you hadn’t cheated!’
‘I don’t know what you mean, Miss Garrett.’
‘Come off it. Lash would have won but your man had something in his gloves.’