‘I’m surprised she talked to you long enough to tell you that.’
Freddie grinned as he blew up one of the enemy soldiers.
‘Yeah well, she did. That and throw a pillow at me, telling me what a useless husband I’ve been.’
Ray-Ray spoke seriously but there was no maliciousness to his voice. ‘Well you have, haven’t you?’
Freddie smiled. ‘I expect my son to back me up, not stick another bleeding knife in.’
‘Just telling you the truth Dad. She’s hurt; she hasn’t told me why, but I know Mum.’
Freddie glanced at Ray-Ray, regretting it immediately as he was shot down and lost another life on the game. He had to respect Tasha for not saying anything. She would’ve known as much as he did how much it would’ve irrevocably damaged his and Ray-Ray’s relationship if his son ever found out he’d put a hit on her. A lot of women he knew would’ve been chomping at the bit to tell all, so it was really fair play to Tasha. ‘She told me she didn’t love me.’
‘Have you ever told her you do?’
‘She knows I love her.’
‘How?’
‘Because she wants for bleeding nothing.’
‘For women it ain’t enough. They want to hear it.’
‘You something of an expert?’
‘What do you think Dad?’
Freddie put his controller down. ‘I’m sorry. It was a stupid thing for me to say. If only you could try to remember who did this to you. One of them hypnotherapists or shit might work.’
‘Dad, I don’t want to go through this again. I don’t remember. Just leave it. I have.’
‘But I can’t leave it. I don’t want to. It eats me up inside to think the person who did this to you is still whistling down the wind. Christ, Ray-Ray, don’t you want revenge?’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘Why not?’ Freddie said disbelievingly. ‘Look at you!’
Ray-Ray got up from his chair. His tone levelled with the icy glare his father was giving him. ‘Yeah, look at me.
Me
, Dad, not you. My face, my problem, my revenge.’
‘Why are you so flipping stubborn? I sprung out for you.’
‘No, you did it for you. You just went ahead and did what felt right for you. I didn’t want you to.’
‘You aren’t thinking straight. You don’t know what you want.’
Ray-Ray’s voice was loud and he could feel the pain in his eye from where his blocked tear ducts were trying to cry.
‘Why can’t you respect me enough to listen to me? Don’t you think I haven’t agonised over it? Don’t you think when I look in the mirror I don’t want to do the same to them as they did to me?’
‘Them, you said
them
.’ Ray-Ray turned away but Freddie grabbed him. ‘You know who it is, don’t you? Look at me son.’
‘Leave it Dad, just fucking leave it.’
‘Tell me. Tell me who it is. Why won’t you tell me? Did they threaten you? Is that it? Did they say they’d do something to me? Are you trying to protect me? Whoever it is, I ain’t scared of no one.’
‘Will you listen to yourself? Why does it have to be about you? Maybe it’s about me, maybe it’s about somebody else.’
‘Tell me then. Please tell me.’
Freddie’s eyes filled up with the tears Ray-Ray couldn’t shed. Ray-Ray went towards his father, putting his arms round his dad. ‘You’ve got to let it go Dad. For me, let it go.’
Freddie choked back the tears. ‘I don’t know how to son. It eats me up and I know your mother blames me.’
‘It ain’t your fault Dad.’
‘Maybe I could’ve protected you. If I hadn’t sent you up to Bradford; if I hadn’t done the deal with the Keenan brothers from South London, or even the deal I did with the Turks.’
‘Stop, Dad, stop. I want you to listen to me, you’re not to blame.’
‘How do you know? How do you know it wasn’t someone wanting to hurt me by hurting you? I just can’t live with myself son, it’s doing me nut in.’
‘I promise you it’s not your fault – because I know exactly whose it is.’
An hour later, Freddie sat in his front room with Johno. What Ray-Ray had said was still playing on his mind; in truth it was gnawing at him, but for the time being he wanted to try to focus on other things. Things which he was sure would make Ray-Ray feel better.
‘I want to give him his confidence back. I reckon he needs some fun.’
‘Who?’
‘Ray-Ray. I want you to organise a party. Booze and birds. White, black, S&M, threesomes, twins. The whole lot. I want to give him a party he’ll never forget.’
His elation made his cappuccino taste even sweeter, though it could also have been the excessive amount of chocolate he’d got the waitress to sprinkle on top of it.
Arnie stood on the doorstep of the large white London house and rang the bell. He looked round and smiled. He had come to London especially to be with her. Bradford was nothing without her. He was so close he could almost smell her. The door opened and a woman answered. ‘Yes?’
‘I’m here to see Izzy.’
‘You’ve got the wrong house mate. There’s no Izzy here.’
Arnie frowned as Linda gave the once over to the incredibly handsome man standing on the doorstep.
‘I’m certain this is the one.’
‘Afraid not, never heard of her. Now if you don’t mind, I’m busy.’ The door slammed shut, leaving Arnie perplexed. He was sure this was the right house. Perhaps the woman was wrong; she hadn’t been very helpful, in fact she’d been verging on rude.
Another frown appeared on Arnie’s face as another thought came into his head. Perhaps the woman had been lying and Izzy
was
in there after all but just didn’t want to see him after he’d let her down? Contemplating this, Arnold slowly walked away, putting his hand in his pocket and feeling the sharpness of the jagged-edged knife.
Eddie Davidson pushed his body against the wall as he was about to turn the corner. It couldn’t be, could it? A minute later he craned his neck round to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. The sunglasses he had to wear indoors or outdoors to stop him being recognised weren’t helping, but he was certain. What the hell was Tasha’s ex-boyfriend doing not only in London but outside her house? More importantly, what the hell was he going to do about it?
Eddie felt like a muppet. Though it wasn’t a new feeling. He’d felt like that ever since he’d been on the run and had to walk around in shades and a hat looking like something from a bad seventies’ detective movie. He’d dyed his hair but it still looked like him, only with a different colour barnet, so he had no option but to wear a stupid disguise. And standing outside the block of flats – where he’d followed Tasha’s ex to, trying to look discreet – was turning out to be harder than he thought. He had no idea the man had moved down to London, but then why would he? It wasn’t as if Tasha would tell him. This was her dirty little secret.
The concierge had come out twice already and now this third time he was actually speaking to him. ‘Can I help you sir, you look a bit lost.’
‘I ain’t lost; I’m waiting for someone. I couldn’t come in and wait could I?’
‘I’m sorry. Residents or guests with residents only.’
‘Do you want me to say the magic word?’
The concierge looked haughtily at Eddie. ‘I really
don’t
think saying please will make a difference sir.’
Eddie went into his pocket, pulling out some fifties, and pushed a dozen or so into the concierge’s hand, whose eyes lit up. ‘But I guess it depends on what
sort
of please it is.’ Eddie gave a wry smile. The magic word worked every time.
Inside the flats, Eddie whistled to himself. They’d only just been built and the spec was higher than the one Freddie had put him up in, and that was saying something. Black marble covered the floor and the walls. Red roses sat on mirrored tables. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings and a sweet smell of orange blossom hung in the air. The man must have a bit of dough tucked away unless of course Tasha was footing the bill for him.
The corridor was clear. Eddie put his head on the door to see if he could hear anyone. Nothing. Without hesitation, he used the electronic door pick he’d acquired from Bobby, Johno’s cousin, to undo the lock and enter the flat.
The moment he entered, Eddie could hear the shower running. He took the opportunity to have a quick look around. As he did, he began to think and the more he thought about it, the clearer it became to him. Tasha and this fella hadn’t ever really finished in the first place. He wasn’t so much of her ex as her current. She obviously hadn’t been able to live without him and had brought him down to London to be near her.
How Tasha thought she could get away with it he didn’t know, especially as Johno had given him the nod to tell him Freddie was back in the country and hoping to start again with Tash.
Oddly, Tasha’s betrayal, even though it wasn’t directed towards him, hurt Eddie. More so than Nora’s betrayal had. Perhaps it was the lies, or maybe even the fact he’d put his neck on the block for Tasha, going against Freddie’s orders. Whatever the reason, it cut deeply. Thankfully he wasn’t a fool to it any longer, and Tasha Thompson would regret trying to dupe him.
Opening the drawers, Eddie found nothing of interest. The closet was the same. Though for a runt like Arnie, he was surprised to see the stash of knives he kept. It was a shame the bloke hadn’t tried to use them in Bradford, instead of rocking in the corner like some kind of basket case. It might even have made Eddie have something resembling respect for him.
‘Well, well, well.’ Eddie spoke out loud to himself, belatedly clocking the fact he sounded too much like a policeman for his liking. He studied the contents of the large beige envelope, his eyes opening wider with each document he looked at. Photos. Paperwork and a few letters. There was certainly more to this fella than he thought. Folding up the envelope and stuffing it in his inside jacket pocket, Eddie sat at the table and waited.
‘Hello son, remember me?’ Eddie grinned his best smile; part sneer, part menace and amusement, as Arnold walked out of the bathroom, wrapped only in his towel. Arnie froze and turned to run back through the door, but the sound of the trigger made him freeze. ‘Oh I don’t think it would be wise to run, mate. I never did like shooting anyone in the back.’
Eddie laughed as Arnie turned round in what seemed like slow motion. He was as he remembered him to be; a fucking coward. Eddie could see the colour drain from the man’s face.
‘I don’t know if you’re a fool, or just like being damaged mate, but I know you ain’t brave. I wonder if Tasha knows what a pussy she got together with?’
For the first time, Arnie spoke, although it was barely audible. ‘Who’s Tasha?’
‘Now I know
you’re
a fool but worse still, you think
I
am too.’
Eddie got up from the leather chair. He backslapped Arnie with the butt of the gun, wiping off the blood which splattered from Arnie’s mouth onto his face. Eddie yelled, towering over Arnold, who lay stunned on the floor. ‘I told you didn’t I? I warned you mate. Stay away. Clearly I never did a good enough job of it, cos you’re here.’
Eddie booted Arnie in the ribs, bringing his foot down again and again. ‘I don’t want to damage you too much because then how are you going to walk away? So count yourself fucking lucky geeze, cos I’m giving you a day to disappear. If you haven’t gone by then, I’m going to do the job for you. I’ll make you disappear permanently.’
Giving Arnold one last kick in the head, Eddie left, feeling like it was a job well done.
Arnie hugged his knees, his head tucked down into them as he laid tightly curled up on the floor. He heard the passing traffic outside, the shouts of children, the noise of a plane flying above and the people in the corridor outside coming and going.
After a long time, finally he sat up slowly, wincing at the pain of his injuries. The man had come back. The bad man from before; but this time it was going to be different. This time Arnold wouldn’t let him take Izzy – because this time he was going to make sure she was safe.
‘Get up; I’ve got a job for you.’ Johno shouted at the top of his voice, amused at Yvonne’s groaning under the cover. ‘I said, get up.’
‘Do you have to shout Johno? My head’s thumping.’
‘Who’s shouting darling?’
‘You are. Now please shut the fuck up.’
Johno scowled. He barely knew this girl and she was already crossing the line when it came to the way she spoke to him. He walked into the tiny galley kitchen, coming back with a glass of water.
‘Hey! What the hell did you do that for?’ Yvonne leapt out of bed, her hair dripping wet. She stared at Johno who was grinning, an empty glass in his hand.
‘I was just about to get up.’
‘And you babe, are a mouthy cow. Keep it zipped and maybe you won’t need a glass of water poured over you to keep yourself cool.’
Yvonne got up and went to pour herself a drink. It wasn’t even midday, but she needed the hair of the dog to help her get through it. A large whiskey was poured to the top of the glass, some posh stuff she’d never heard of that belonged to one of the other girls. She drank it and immediately poured herself another one. Too smooth for her liking. She liked to feel like she was drinking something. What was the point in alcohol if you couldn’t taste it?
‘What’s the urgency anyway?’
‘I’ve got a job for you. A nice little earner for you and Janie.’
‘Look I told you,
I’m
fine about it but not Janie. That was the deal.’
Johno leaned forward. ‘You don’t get to make the deals.’
Yvonne decided that backing down might be the better option this time. She softened her voice, trying a different tact.
‘I’m not trying to Johno. She’s just not ready. Give her time.’
Johno sniffed. ‘Fine, but make sure you’re here tonight. I’ll tell you all you need to know when I come and pick you up. Here, I want you to wear this.’
Yvonne held up the dress. It was a beautiful cream Stella McCartney dress cut on the bias, with a waterfall neckline giving it the feel of a vintage twenties dress.
‘Crikey, this is a bit of all right.’ She put it down on the bed, turning to Johno with a slight look of apprehension on her face. ‘It ain’t nothing weird is it? I’m not into any weird stuff.’