Maura's Game (53 page)
He looked so young and peaceful.
Garry sighed as Maura and Roy held each other and cried like babies. It had to be done, Roy knew. Benny was a nutter who would only have ended up banged away for the rest of his life, but what mayhem would he have caused before that happened to him? Maura had not needed to know about their plan for him until it was all over. She would see the sense of what they had done, he was sure of that. Her idea to put the others in the motor and leave them had been brilliant, but Roy had decided to place his son there with them and his brother had agreed it was the right thing to do.
Garry walked over to where Tony Dooley and Gerry Jackson were standing watching the spectacle and rolled his eyes heavenwards,
tut ting loudly. But then he saw the sadness on their faces and didn’t say anything.
He glanced at the three dead men in the Range Rover. The police rifles would throw everyone, but as far as he was concerned it wasn’t the first time the filth had executed known criminals, was it? It was getting to be almost a pastime with them. Then they just set up a few faces to take the flak and had their backs slapped for doing such a fine job in solving a terrible crime.
Well, let them work this one out without breaking into a sweat, that was his attitude. Fuck them, it was about time the filth tasted a bit of their own medicine.
Maura’s desolate sobs were making even him feel upset now so he walked over to one of the vehicles and took a long gulp of Chivas Regal straight from the bottle. Then he strolled back and placed it in his brother’s hands.
Roy took it gratefully and drank deeply. He stared into Benny’s surprised face and kissed him one last time on the forehead.
Then, getting up, he said in a strong voice, “Help me get him in the motor, Gal.”
Thirty minutes later the place was deserted except for the Range Rover and its grisly contents. There was nothing else to say anyone had been near or by the place in the last twenty-four hours. Not even any footprints around the vehicle. That was Garry’s last laugh on the police and he smiled every time he thought of it.
The rifles were dumped nearby so a passer-by would find them, and the newspapers would be tipped off that they were actually police-issue guns that had never been reported stolen.
Benny and Abul were as united in death as they had been in life. Benny’s body was slumped beside his old friend and they looked almost like they were holding hands.
Sarah suddenly felt much better inside herself. She stretched her arms and the pain was gone from her body. She smiled and put the kettle on. She stood at the kitchen window and looked out over Maura’s extensive gardens. The sun was high now and the day was going to be glorious.
She would go to Mass, she decided. Give thanks for such a wonderful day and for the new lease of life she could feel pulsing through her old body. She heard Maura’s car in the drive and put out another cup and saucer for her. She had a feeling on her that everything was going to be all right now.
Epilogue
“Come on, Maura, get a move on, will you?”
She heard Kenny’s voice coming up the stairs and took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She looked good, she knew she did, and it was important she looked good today of all days. She picked up a pale pink lipstick and ran it over her mouth. It finished off her toilette and she smiled at herself again.
Her gaze drifted to the photographs on the windowsill near her. Benny standing with Roy looked out at her with clear blue eyes. She and Michael laughing together in the club, both of them looking young and carefree. There was an old faded black and white of them all when they were kids and she remembered all her brothers, those still alive and those who were gone. Her father and mother looked so proud of their brood that Maura felt a sudden urge to cry.
She put a smile back on her face. Nothing was going to ruin today, she was determined on that.
“What you doing, Maws, you got another bloke up there?”
Maura ran down the stairs of her new house, laughing. In her arms was a large teddy bear dressed as a Scotsman, his sporran glittering and shiny.
“Where did you get that?”
“I saw it on Roman Road Market and had to have it. Where is she?”
“Where do you think? She’s looking at the new baby.”
They walked through the house to the sunny morning room, smiling as they saw little Alicia petting Carla’s new baby boy Michael.
“I love him, Maws. Look, he’s smiling at me!”
Alicia was thrilled with the baby and adored being able to play with him.
“He loves you and all, Ali, look at that little face beaming at you.”
Carla looked on, smiling wanly. She was a different woman these days. Happier in some ways, or resigned to her lot anyway. It often took all Maura’s will-power not to knock her to the ground with one fell swoop. But she knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t. Michael was Tommy Rifkind all over again and even that fact didn’t stop her loving every bone in the child’s body.
Kenny watched her closely. He knew it would be only a matter of time before Carla passed the baby over bag and baggage to her aunt, the way she had been passed over by her own mother. History repeating itself. Carla was already seeing a soot from Deptford, a nice geezer who would give her the earth, and in return Maura would see that he rose to the very top of his profession though what that profession was no one had as yet established. But certainly if he could sell the skunk as fast as he could smoke it they would all be quids in.
None of them would ever forgive Carla, or Joey for that matter, but all the time Maura acted like she did her brothers had to swallow.
Who was it who once said: “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer still’? An astute man whoever he was, Kenny decided.
Maura looked down at the baby once more and he gripped her finger. He was a strong child, he would be a strong man, and of course he bore the Ryan name.
The thought made her smile.
“Is that for me?”
Alicia’s little face was gazing up at Maura longingly.
“Of course he’s yours. I’m too big for teddies, don’t you think?”
She knelt down and the girl hugged her tightly. The feel of the pudgy little arms around her neck nearly brought tears back to Maura’s eyes.
“Where’s me mum?” Maura asked.
Carla grinned.
“Three guesses.”
“Not more tea surely!”
Even Kenny laughed.
AH?
“Tell her to get the champagne out, will you? They’ll all be here in a minute.”
Maura picked up Alicia and the teddy bear and walked her out into the garden.
“You look lovely, you do.”
Alicia preened herself at the praise.
“Will you be my mummy after today?”
Her voice was full of hope as she asked the question. Kenny listened to them talking and felt as if his heart would explode with love and happiness.
“If you want me to be your mummy then that would make me very happy,” Maura replied.
He could see the love she bore his child shining in her eyes.
“I love you, Maura Ryan.”
She heard the emotion in his voice and laughed softly.
“I’ll be Maura Smith soon.”
“I love you Maura Smith then.”
She grinned.
“Daddy is silly sometimes.”
Alicia said the words with all the worldly wisdom of a seven-year-old ancient.
“I know.”
“Can I go and show Nanny Sarah my teddy?”
“Course you can, sweetie.”
Alicia ran away clutching the teddy bear.
“Are you happy, Maws?”
She looked into Kenny’s serious face. Kissing him gently on the lips, she said, “Happier than I have ever been in my entire life.”
He smiled at her then, and she knew how lucky she was to have such a decent man at last. He might not be the handsomest in the world and, as they both joked, thank God little Alicia had taken her looks from her mother, but he had a rugged dependable quality about him and she was proud to be marrying him. She adored him and adored his Alicia.
“I love you, Kenny, more than you will ever know.”
He was the one for her and they both knew it.
Eileen Smith and Sarah Ryan were now bosom buddies and this made their children breathe a collective but heartfelt sigh of relief.
Sarah loved Kenny because of his strength and dependability and Eileen loved Maura because she was not a nineteen-year-old idiot, the likes of which he used to bring home after Lana died.
“Now when we get back from the church, you and I will sort out the caterers, right?”
Eileen nodded in agreement and Frankie Barber, who was the chef in charge of the wedding breakfast, sighed heavily. It was only a small gathering but it was going to be perfect, he was determined on that. Despite what these two old bats might think. He kept that to himself, though, he wasn’t stupid. After all, the same old bats were the mothers of enough villains to repopulate Chicago!
As Sarah watched her daughter and her soon-to-be son-in-law walking together in the rolling grounds of the new house in Essex she sighed with contentment.
At last her Maura was to be married. At fifty-one years of age she was finally shedding the name of Ryan, and Sarah knew in her heart that after all her trials and tribulations her daughter would finally find peace in the arms of Kenneth Smith.
Carla was watching her. She caught her grand-daughter’s eye and smiled.
“You all right there, lovey?”
Sarah knew it would be hard on her today.
“They look good together, Mum, don’t they?”
Garry’s voice made them jump. Sarah turned to see her son and that little child he lived with standing in the doorway. Leonie was dressed in the finest Versace could offer and still looked like she should be charging men for her time, but Sarah swallowed down the thought and hugged the girl to her. She rather liked her really.
“You look gorgeous, child.”
“Thanks.”
Leonie being Leonie didn’t think to return the compliment.
“Lee is outside with Sheila and the kids. Shall I send them through to the garden, Sarah, and we’ll serve the champagne there?”
Sarah nodded at Frankie. She knew he was trying to get rid of her but he had another think coming if he thought she was going to let him rule the roost this day. Winking at Eileen, she carried out a tray of glasses and passed them to a subdued Joey who, smiling nervously, placed them on one of the trestle tables by the patio. He was still not forgiven and he knew it. Garry, Roy and Lee still blanked him and he knew it was going to take a long time to get back on an even keel with everyone.
Marge’s loud voice could be heard reverberating all over the garden as she screamed with pleasure when she saw Maura in her white wedding suit.
“You look fucking handsome, girl.”
Maura hugged her hard and Dennis said loudly: “You only take my Marge anywhere twice, the second time to apologise.”
Kenny laughed and Garry watched as the big man followed Maura’s every move devotedly.
Roy came out holding his grandson in his arms. Walking over to Maura, he said gently, “You are doing the right thing, Maws.”
She smiled happily.
“I know that, Roy.”
“I wonder what this little one will turn out like?”
He was gazing into his grandson’s unreadable eyes.
“He’ll be all right, Roy.”
He kissed the child’s downy head and smiled.
“Maura Ryan getting married, eh? I never thought I would see the day.”
“Neither did I.” Then she said seriously, “Do you think I’m too old for all this, Roy, honestly?”
She swept out her arm to encompass the garden and the house all decorated for what could be mistaken for a society wedding.
“No, I do not! You deserve this happiness, Maura. More than anyone else I have ever known in my life, you deserve to be happy. And you will be happy with Kenny, he loves you so much.”
Baby Michael started to cry, he was hungry, and Maura looked on as her brother walked back to the house where the baby would be fed and changed to make him happy again. Then she watched as the guests all started to arrive and saw her mother’s deep happiness because her only daughter was finally going to be married, and she knew she had done the right thing.
Alicia ran to her with her arms outstretched. Maura picked the child up and hugged her tightly to her.
“Maura Smith. Daddy said that’s his favourite name now, along with mine, of course.”
Maura grinned as she said honestly, “Funnily enough, it’s my favourite name now as well!” She kissed the little girl on one rounded cheek.
“Along with the name Alicia Smith, of course.”
They laughed as they walked back across the lawn together, holding hands, their faces radiant in the sunshine.
Kenny was waiting for them, and Maura knew he would always wait for her from now on and the knowledge made her feel good inside and out.
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