Playing Around (36 page)

‘Let’s go and get some coffee. You won’t be late. I’ll pay for a cab for you.’

‘No. It’s all right. I’ve got my season ticket.’ Jackie nibbled at her lip. ‘I really have got to be going.’

‘Course.’ Angie managed a weak smile. ‘And give my love to Marilyn, eh?’

‘Yeah. I will. She misses you.’ Jackie pecked her on the cheek. ‘And so do I.’

*

Angie stood by the tube station for nearly an hour, watching the commuters buying magazines and the early evening papers for their journeys home. Their journeys back to nice ordinary, boring, homes like the Murrays’. Homes that didn’t have a resident madman in them. She couldn’t stand the idea of going back to the flat, not with that pig still there. She’d have to tell David about him. Tell him how he’d acted, and the things he’d said. Her head still ached and she felt so tired. But she had to do something.

She gathered up the last of her energy and dragged herself into the phone box outside the theatre just along the street and called the office in Greek Street.

‘Bobby, it’s me, Angel. I need to speak to David.’

‘He’s busy.’

‘But I—’

‘Look. I said, he’s busy.’

‘But it’s serious. There’s something bothering me. I’ve got to talk to him.’

‘He can’t come to the phone.’

‘What time will he be finished?’

‘How do I know?’

‘It’s nearly five o’clock now. Can’t you ask him?’

‘Not really.’

‘OK, I’ll come round to the office then,’ she said, but Bobby didn’t hear her. He had already put down the phone.

‘So, Lukey. We’ve caught up with you at last.’

Lukey Gold, who now owed David Fuller a lot of money, was unable to speak because of the filthy rag that Bobby had rammed into his mouth, and unable to move because of the leather straps that Bobby had used to bind him to the chair. All he could do was stare,
wild-eyed
, at the long, slim blade that David was heating up in the gas fire.

David tutted and smiled pleasantly. ‘But I know what a rascal you are, Lukey. And I just know you’re gonna say you ain’t got the money. The money you owe me.’ He moved closer to the chair. ‘But I ain’t a fucking bank. And I don’t like being mugged off. Got it?’

Despite the gag, Lukey managed to let out quite a scream as David touched the white hot blade to his throat.

David grinned. ‘Now, now Lukey. Just think yourself lucky Mad Albert’s otherwise disposed.’

‘I’m telling you, Bill, he knows I’m coming. I phoned and spoke to Bobby. Less than twenty minutes ago.’ Angie was standing at the top of the stairs, in the shabby hallway outside the outer office at Greek Street, totally frustrated in her attempts to get in to see David.

‘George,’ she pleaded, standing on tip-toes and peering over Bill’s shoulder. ‘You’ll let me go through, won’t you?’

‘Look, darling. We’re working ten phones between us in here. And if we don’t do it right, we’re going to have some very unhappy punters. Now, do as Bill says and go home. I’ll give Dave a message for you later.’

‘Can’t you tell him I’m here?’

Bill rolled his eyes. ‘For Christ sake, George, stick a note under Dave’s door. Anything to stop her giving me this flaming earache.’

‘I’m trying to settle bets here, Bill.’

‘George.’

Within seconds of George doing as he was told, the door to the inner office opened, and Bobby appeared.

Angie’s smile of relief was short-lived. It was now Bobby who was determined to bar her way.

‘Dave’s busy.’

‘Tell him I’ll meet him.’

‘Yeah.’

‘At the Canvas.’

‘No. He’s gonna be a while. He said you was to get back to the flat.’

‘But I can’t. It’s Albert.’

‘He’s gone.’

‘But—’

‘This afternoon.’

‘But how do you know—’

Angie shut up abruptly as she was sure she heard a cry, or a scream, coming from the inner office.

‘David?’ she called, trying to push her way past Bobby and into the office.

But he wouldn’t move. ‘Leave. Now.’

As another scream, and it was definitely a scream, tore the air, Bobby slammed the door in Angie’s face.

She turned and ran down the stairs and out into the street as fast as her kitten heels would let her.

DAVID STOOD IN
front of the wardrobe mirror adjusting his tie, and watching Angie’s reflection as she sat up in bed smoking.

‘You don’t look very happy, Angel.’

‘I want to ask you something.’

‘This is about Albert.’ David turned round and held out his hands in supplication. ‘It was all a misunderstanding. I didn’t know he’d upset you. If I had, I’d never have let him stay here. Soon as I realized, I moved him out.’ He lied easily.

Angie dropped her chin. ‘I heard something yesterday. At the office.’

‘How d’you mean?’

‘In Greek Street. It sounded like someone being hurt.’

David frowned as if trying to work out what she could possibly be talking about. Then, slowly, he smiled. ‘That must have been Bobby.’

‘No. Bobby shut me out of the office. There was nothing wrong with him.’

‘Daft. I don’t mean Bobby was hollering. I mean it was his fault. It was the telly. He kept it on after we’d finished watching the racing results. He’s like a little kid, that feller. Loves his telly. It was some old gangster film or other. Edward G., George Raft. You know.’

‘Humphrey Bogart?’ she said flatly.

‘Yeah, that’s right, Angel. Humphrey Bogart.’ He kneeled down on the bed, pulled her to him and kissed her.

‘I don’t have to go to the office right away, now do I?’ he said, throwing his jacket on the floor, ripping off his tie, and then pushing Angie back on to the pillows. ‘I am the boss, after all.’

A few hours later, Sonia was standing in the outer office in Greek Street, surprised to hear David’s voice coming from the other side of the door – surprised because there had been no sign of his car outside – but totally dumbfounded when she heard what he was actually saying. She couldn’t believe he was telling all these things to a moron like Bobby Sykes.

Still it was no skin off her nose if he was being so reckless. He could rot in hell for all she cared. And all his disgusting thugs along with him.

Growing bored with David’s talk about Lukey Gold, Albert Roper, and the market for tabs of LSD, Sonia stared down at her nails. She really had to get a manicure, her hands were looking as if they belonged to a washerwoman.

But suddenly she lost all interest in her beauty regime. Did she really hear him say that?

She pressed her ear flat to the door that connected the inner and outer offices door, oblivious of the rough, splintered paint.

‘And according to Jeff, when he came to do his check on the premises – this was in the early hours of this morning, mind, Dave – the copper was hanging around here again. It must have been him who pulled out all that stuff on Mad Albert. Good job we got him out of the way again.’

David wasn’t usually one to show if anything was getting to him, he knew it made you vulnerable, but Bobby distinctly saw him flinch. He was getting through to him at last, making him take this seriously.

‘The same copper who turned up at Bill and George’s places yesterday afternoon. Jameson. He’s a young DC. Right nosy bastard.’

David’s chest was rising and falling with the effort of keeping his temper. Bobby who hardly ever opened his trap was going on like some bloody old woman. He’d give him two more minutes …

‘It was all right when Marshall was still about.’ Bobby was desperate to get him to see sense. ‘He looked out for you. But now he’s gone, this little berk’s off the lead. Thinks he’s the flipping Masked Avenger or someone. Asking all sorts of questions, he is. George’s wife went potty, him going through their house. Nosing at everything. She was on the blower to my Maureen leading off alarming that he’d spoiled her Sunday dinner he was there that long.’

Despite it being only midday, David reached for the whisky bottle and two glasses that he kept on top of the tatty filing cabinet in the corner of the office. He poured two large measures.

‘I don’t want to talk out of hand, Dave, but why didn’t you contract it out? There would have been no link between you then. No trail. Nothing. Why the amateur bit?’

‘Bob, you’ve been my mate since we was at school together. So don’t make me lose my temper with you, eh?’ David threw the whole measure of Scotch down his throat and then refilled his glass to the brim. ‘I killed the little fucker because he pushed me too far. Got it?’

Sonia’s eyebrows shot up. That was why he had his car tucked away out of sight. He was lying low. He’d done a sodding murder, and the police were on to him.

She walked over to the grotty partner’s desk where Bill and George did whatever it was they did in the outer office, and picked up one of the bank of
telephones
. She could only hear the low drone of conversation now from the other side of the door, but she had heard more than enough for her purposes.

When Sonia had finished on the telephone, she took her mirror from her handbag, checked her lipstick and hair, then stood up, smoothed the creases from her skirt, lifted her chin, and marched boldly into David’s office.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’

David’s shocked expression gladdened Sonia’s heart. ‘Really, David, your mouth is exactly like a sewer. And drinking whisky at this time of day.’ She shook her head disapprovingly. ‘If you’re not careful you’ll end up—’

‘Cut the shit, Sonia. What do you want?’

‘I was looking for Mikey, but when I heard what you two had to say for yourselves, it was far more interesting standing out there listening.’

David leaped to his feet. ‘Bob, where’s Bill and George?’

Sonia perched on the edge of the table that served as her husband’s desk. ‘I mentioned – in jest you understand – that there was a police car downstairs, and they should get lost if they knew what was good for them.’ She smiled coldly. ‘It seemed to work. They shot down that fire escape—’

‘Sonia, don’t start winding me up. Just spit out what you’ve got to say.’

‘I heard it all, David. Everything. And I thought I’d let you know that I’ve called the police and passed it all on.’

David sneered. ‘Yeah, course you did. I can see how heartbroken you are.’

‘Why should I be heartbroken? It’s you that’s in trouble, darling.’

Bobby was getting worried. This could all go very wrong.

‘Sonia, why don’t you piss off?’

‘What? And miss all the fun?’

‘If listening to us talking business is fun, they stay. If not, go and find yourself another bloke. Another little toe-rag like that ponce, Mikey. If one exists. And when you do, I’ll have him as well.’

Bobby ran his hand over his bald head. ‘Dave, she’s probably bluffing about what she heard.’

Sonia twisted round to Bobby. ‘Shut up you.’ Then back to David. ‘You’ll
have
him?’

David laughed. ‘Yeah. I’ll have him all right.’

‘Mikey.’ She lunged at David’s face with her nails. ‘You’ve killed Mikey.’

He swatted her away. ‘For Christ’s sake, woman.’

Completely thrown off balance, Sonia somehow managed to launch herself forward, and began pummelling David’s chest with her fists. ‘I loved him, you animal.’ Tears were spilling down her no longer immaculately made-up face. ‘Really loved him.’

David for a fleeting moment actually looked concerned. ‘Don’t carry on.’

‘I have grassed you.’ She was shrieking, out of control. ‘I told them all about David Fuller and his respectable business interests.’

‘Don’t be stupid, Son.’

‘They’ll be here soon. Then you’ll see who’s stupid.’

David grabbed her by the wrists, and held her still, trying to work out what to do next. If she was telling the truth, where he would be most exposed?

‘Bob, call Angel, tell her to disappear, in case they turn up at the flat.’

As Bobby dialled Flood Street, Sonia writhed around in David’s grasp, frantically trying to break away from him, but he was too strong, he held on to her as if she was no more than a bothersome child.

‘No reply, Dave.’

‘Sonia, you are beginning to annoy me.’ He let go of one of her wrists and smacked her, hard, around the side of her head. ‘Will you just keep fucking still?’

Sonia felt as if she had been hit by a train. Her head lolled back, her ears rang and her eyes rolled.

Bobby stepped forward, this was all they needed, him losing it and doing her in as well.

‘Dave, sit down and finish your drink, mate. Let me take her.’

David handed her over like an unwanted parcel.

Still stunned from the blow and wanting only for the pain in her head to stop, Sonia had no choice but to let Bobby sit her down on a chair by the filing cabinet.

‘Don’t worry, Dave. You’re too careful. There’s nothing around here that can tell them anything.’

‘Depends what this silly whore’s told them.’ David took another gulp of Scotch, all the while staring at Sonia slumped in the corner. ‘Better check Jeff didn’t leave any pills around over the weekend.’

‘He knows the place has to be cleaned up after Saturday nights.’

‘Bob. Just do it, will you? Just phone him.’

Bobby was about to do as he was told, when they heard the door to the outer office opening. Both men’s heads jerked up as if obeying the instructions of a starting pistol.

‘Fuck it. Sonia must have left it open. I’m gonna kill her.’

Bobby, with surprising agility for his size, sprang across the room and grabbed David by the arm.

What neither of the men expected to see next was Angie, in a bright red trouser suit, walking in from the outer office, with a broad smile on her face, a basket over one arm, and a tartan travelling rug over the other,
looking
for all the world like a sexy Red Riding Hood about to go down to the woods.

She stood in the doorway, the threshold between the two offices.

‘I’m sorry if I’m interrupting you, David, but,’ she held up the basket and the rug, ‘I know I was a bit silly this morning. I thought I could make it up to you. And to thank you for moving Albert. We could go into Soho Square for a picnic. I’ve got all sorts of nice stuff.’