Tiger Ragtime (39 page)

‘We’re here to show solidarity.’ Harry buttered a piece of bread. ‘No one should have to go into court alone. No matter what they have done. Pass the salt and pepper, David.’

Micah parked his van behind Harry’s open-topped Crossley tourer outside the court at a few minutes before eight. David opened the passenger door and climbed out. The first people he saw were Aiden Collins and Freddie Leary, who were waiting in front of the building with the solicitor he had seen at the Maria Street police station the night before.

Another man was standing a short distance away from the group. Dressed like a tailor’s mannequin in a fine woollen three-piece suit, cashmere overcoat and trilby, he walked over and greeted Harry as he left his car.

‘Mr Evans, sir, I’m Alfred Lewis, from Mr Richards’s office.’

‘Pleased to meet you.’ Harry shook his hand.

‘I am going to need some details from you regarding your brother-in-law’s case, sir.’

‘We’ll talk inside and, please, call me Harry. Did you leave Mr Richards well?’

‘As well as can be expected. He doesn’t complain, but he hasn’t been the same since his recent stroke.’

‘I must call in and see him soon. David.’ Harry took David by the elbow and drew him aside. ‘This is the solicitor I have engaged to represent you, Mr Alfred Lewis. Alfred, this is my brother-in-law, David Ellis.’

‘I told you, Harry, Aiden has already got me a solicitor. I’m sorry you had to come down here on a wild goose chase, Mr Lewis. If you’ll excuse me, I must join Aiden and the others.’ David practically ran over to Aiden.

‘I’m sorry, Alfred,’ Harry apologised. ‘My brother-in-law is young, impetuous and, on occasions like now, downright ill-mannered.’

‘He must be under considerable strain,’ Alfred suggested tactfully.

‘Nevertheless, he could have been more polite. It was good of you to come down here at such short notice, and obviously I’ll pay your fee.’

‘It was the least the firm could do, Mr Evans, considering the amount of work your company puts our way.’

‘Would you mind coming into court with us and sitting in the public gallery?’ Harry asked. ‘There are bound to be things that we, that is Pastor Holsten and I, won’t understand.’

‘Not at all.’ Alfred shook Micah’s hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Pastor.’

‘Micah. Shall we go in? Between the press, interested parties, families of the accused, and nosy parkers, the seats go early, and they won’t allow anyone to stand in the magistrates court.’ Micah led the way inside the building, and Harry stopped and read the details of the cases pinned on board.

‘Are these all due to be heard today?’ Harry was daunted by the prospect.

Alfred Lewis studied the list. ‘If the timetable goes to plan, your brother-in-law’s case should be the last to be heard before lunch. If a prior case overruns we could be here until the end of the day. Or, if we are extremely unlucky, and more than one case drags on, David Ellis’s case could be postponed until tomorrow, or even the day after.’

‘Perhaps we should have brought a flask, sandwiches, and camp beds, Harry,’ Micah suggested, not entirely humorously.

Chapter Twenty

David stood in the dock and tried not to look as frightened as he felt. Three middle-aged magistrates, who wore whiskers that might have been fashionable in the Victorian era, were ranged on the bench above him. All appeared formidable. Only the man sitting in the centre had spoken during the proceedings, although he occasionally held whispered conversations with his two companions, which only served to heighten David’s anxiety.

David had never felt as alone as he did in that dock. Not even when he’d been tending his sheep on the Beacons, miles from the nearest road, let alone farmhouse. But the solicitor Aiden had engaged for him and the other runners had insisted all three defendants be tried separately.

The magistrate spoke, and everyone in the courtroom fell silent.

‘David Mark Ellis,’ he began formally, ‘we have considered all the evidence in this case. If you have anything further to say in your defence this is the time in which to say it.’

David recalled the advice the solicitor had given him and leaned on the rail in front of him for support. The magistrate pulled his glasses down to the end of his nose and looked over them. ‘You wish to speak?’

‘Yes, sir,’ David whispered tremulously.

‘What is it you wish to say?’

‘I am very sorry I broke the law. I promise I will never take illegal bets from anyone ever again.’ The solicitor had asked David to say more, but his mind had gone blank and he couldn’t remember another word.

The spokesman conferred with his colleagues again. After a few moments he looked directly at David.

‘David Mark Ellis, by entering a guilty plea to all the charges proffered against you, you have, on your own admission, broken the law. The only mitigating factor in your favour is that you have seen fit to make a full confession of your crimes. As this is your first offence, I have no doubt that you have been led astray by older men who have in all probability profited more than you from your wrongdoing. However, even taking all these things into consideration we cannot condone what you have done, nor can we be seen to be so doing. Therefore we will hand down a custodial sentence of six months’ hard labour.’

David gripped the railing in front of him even more tightly. His head swam as he fumbled to find another interpretation of ‘custodial sentence’. But whichever way he considered it, ‘custodial’ meant prison. He was going to prison! Where were Aled’s promises now?

‘The said custodial sentence to be suspended for one year. However, should you transgress and break the law during the year, in any way whatsoever, you will be taken into immediate custody and transferred to the nearest penal institution. In addition, we fine you the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds.’

The magistrate turned to the officers behind him. ‘We will now break for one hour.’

David was acutely aware of Harry and Micah sitting on the public benches to his right. But he couldn’t bring himself to look at either of them. Instead, he sought for and saw Aiden Collins moving to the back of the court. Aiden nodded and smiled at him. David only wished he could smile back.

One hundred and fifty pounds was a colossal amount of money. If he added his savings to the contents of his suitcase, he doubted he could have scraped together thirty pounds in total. And the last thing he wanted to do was ask Harry to loan him the money. But he decided that he could, and would, ask Aled James.

‘David.’

He looked down. Micah was standing next to him. ‘Come on, either Harry or I will drive you back to Edyth’s.’

‘You, please, Micah.’ David was too ashamed to face Harry.

‘As you wish. Edyth said she’d make a cold lunch for us that wouldn’t spoil if we were late.’

David stood transfixed, staring at the empty bench where the magistrates had sat.

‘David,’ Micah touched his arm, ‘it’s time to go.’

Micah looked round as they left the court. There was no sign of Harry or Alfred Lewis and he guessed that they were paying David’s fine.

Harry said goodbye to Alfred outside the court and joined Micah who was waiting by his van.

‘You didn’t see David inside?’ Micah asked. Harry shook his head.

‘He went back in. He said he wanted to thank his solicitor and say goodbye to Aiden. He’s worried about his fine. I think he wanted to ask Aiden to lend him the money to pay it.’

‘It’s already paid.’

‘You?’

‘Someone had to.’ Harry fished his keys from his jacket pocket. ‘David hasn’t that kind of money.’

‘If you go to Edyth’s, I’ll drive David there.’

‘He doesn’t want to drive with me?’ Harry guessed.

‘He’s feeling so guilty. I think he’d be happier if we chained him to a post and whipped him, or at the very least put him in the stocks and threw rotten vegetables at him.’ Micah joked.

Harry saw David emerging from the court with Aiden and the solicitor who had represented him. ‘At least the man Aled James hired had the sense to advise David to plead guilty.’

‘Given the evidence, what else could he tell David to do other than go on the run?’ Micah slapped Harry across the shoulders. ‘Go on, I’ll catch you up shortly.’

‘You won’t –’

‘Have a go at him? Give him a row? Wipe the floor with him? Do any of the other quaint things you people say when you’re angry with someone? No, Harry, I won’t because the last thing I want to do is make David feel any more wretched than he already does.’

Harry went to his car and drove off. Micah sat in his van and waited for David, he didn’t have to wait long. ‘I’m sorry,’ David apologised when he joined him. ‘The clerk made me wait. He wanted to give me a receipt for my fine.’

‘You paid it?’ Micah said innocently.

‘It’s paid, so Mr James must have given Aiden or the solicitor the money to settle it.’

Micah didn’t enlighten him. He started the engine and drove out into the road. ‘Have you thought what you are going to do now, David?’

‘Have lunch in Edyth’s.’

‘I meant for a job.’

‘That’s all settled. Aiden said they took delivery of a second roulette wheel this morning. It came in last night on a ship from America. It’s mine.’

‘Literally?’ Micah asked dryly.

‘To operate in the club.’

‘You still intend to work for Aled James?’

‘What happened wasn’t his fault, or Aiden’s. It was Gertie. I should never have got involved with her.’

‘I’ll second that.’

‘Anyway, after yesterday, I’m through with her, for good.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’

‘I wish Harry hadn’t come to court,’ David said.

‘He came to support you, David.’

‘I looked a right fool in there.’

‘Possibly, because you behaved like one.’ Micah slowed behind a horse and coal cart. ‘You could at least have thanked him for being there for you and hiring a solicitor even if you didn’t use him.’

‘He only came to crow.’

‘Did he?’

‘Ever since he married my sister he’s been trying to tell me what to do and how to do it. Where I should live, what I should do with my life. Just like Mary has ever since I was little. Well I’m grown up now; I can run my own life.’

‘It seems to me that you’re not doing a very good job of it at the moment,’ Micah said evenly. ‘But that doesn’t matter, because there are a lot of people on your side. Just don’t be too anxious to insult them. You never know when you might need them again.’

Edyth had set ham, salad, cheese, and Moody’s ‘special’ white milk rolls on the table. For dessert, Moody had baked a chocolate cream cake. But although the food was good, the atmosphere was strained and Edyth, Micah and Harry were relieved when David finished eating and insisted he wanted to go back to Helga’s to change. None of them tried to stop him.

‘It might have been easier if Judy had been here, but she had a rehearsal arranged with the orchestra.’ Edyth ignored the peculiar look Micah gave her as she piled their dirty dishes on to a tray ready to carry out into the kitchen. ‘She and David get on reasonably well. Or at least as well as anyone can with David.’

‘He barges around like a ram in rutting season most of the time.’

‘Harry!’ Edyth looked at him, then laughed.

‘Sorry, I’ve lived too long on the farm. I think like Mary, and it would appear I’m beginning to talk like her.’

‘Why didn’t you tell David that you paid his fine?’

Micah asked.

‘Because there’s no point. If he can’t see what’s under his nose, I’m not going to tell him to look.’

Edyth was tired of talking about David. ‘More coffee?’ she asked as Micah took the tray from her and carried it into her upstairs kitchen.

‘Please.’ Harry left the table. ‘But before you make it, can I borrow your telephone?’

‘You know where it is.’

‘In your office downstairs.’

‘That’s a big name for a little cupboard off the kitchen.’

‘I need to telephone Aled James. Do either of you know where he is likely to be?’

‘I’d say the Windsor hotel or the Tiger Ragtime,’ Micah answered.

‘Judy said that Aled has a suite in the Park Hotel in town that he uses as an office as well, but your best bet is the Windsor. If either of his hired thugs are there they will know where he is, and if they aren’t there and Aled wants to be found he will have left a telephone number where he can be contacted. But,’ Edyth set the sugar bowl in the centre of the table, ‘if you are going to ask Aled to leave David alone I don’t think you’re going to have much success. Not the way David was talking over lunch about running the roulette wheel in the club.’

‘I need to discuss a few things with Aled,’ Harry said evasively. ‘I won’t be long.’

‘I’ll put the kettle on.’ Micah parried Harry’s smile.

‘I’m trying to prove to your sister that I am domesticated and will make a good husband.’

‘Don’t go overdoing it or all the wives in the family will start expecting the same service.’ Harry ran down the stairs.

‘Is Judy really in a rehearsal in the club?’ Micah asked Edyth when he returned from the kitchen.

‘I believe so.’

‘Because that’s what she told you?’

‘And because I saw some of the musicians walking past when I was serving in the shop. They were carrying their instruments.’

‘Jed has heard rumours about Aled and Judy. Not all the staff in the Windsor are as discreet as they should be.’

‘What kind of rumours?’ Edyth’s heart started thundering against her ribcage. She’d never been very good at lying.

‘You don’t know?’

‘I know that some people on the Bay should mind their own business not other people’s.’ She sank down on one of her easy chairs.

‘Has Judy told you that she’s having an affair with Aled James?’

‘She told me that she thinks she’s in love with him.’

‘Dear Lord.’ Micah buried his face in his hands. ‘I love that girl like a daughter and she deserves a lot better than Aled James.’

‘Judy’s nineteen, Micah, that’s a bit old to be your daughter.’

‘Like a younger sister then. She’s a child …’

‘She’s the same age as David. They both think they know what’s best for them. And they both want to run their own lives. As I did, not so long ago. We can’t stop them from making mistakes.’

‘I suppose we can’t.’ He sat opposite her on the sofa, reached out and took her hand into his, stroking the ring finger on her left hand. It was bare because she had stopped wearing the wedding and engagement rings Peter had given her when he had left her. ‘It makes you wonder what our children will be like, doesn’t it? What will we do if they mess up, Edyth? Will we be able to stand back and allow the Aled Jameses of this world to lead them astray?’

‘We may have no choice. Because if they are anything like David and Judy they won’t take any notice of what we say.’ Edyth turned aside, hoping he wouldn’t see the guilt in her eyes. When she was busy in the shop she managed to forget the letter hidden at the bottom of her desk drawer. But the moment she was with Micah its presence surfaced, throwing a dark shadow between them and poisoning every private moment they spent together.

‘You do want children, don’t you?’ he asked, misunderstanding her silence. ‘We have talked about it …’

‘Yes, I want children,’ she said quickly.

‘Just as soon as those annulment papers come through. And they can’t take very much longer. A ship came in from South America this morning. The captain had a good voyage. Even with the stops he had to make along the way, he did it in less than a month.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Because I walk down to the docks most mornings to see if any of the Argentinian ships have brought a letter for you. I love you, Edyth,’ he said simply. ‘I can’t wait to make you my wife. You do feel the same way?’

She squeezed his hand. ‘That’s Harry coming up the stairs. I’d better go and make that coffee.’

Harry looked around the door. ‘You two look comfortable. Don’t disturb yourselves on my account. Aled can see me right away so I’m going to drive down to the Windsor now.’

Edyth rose from her chair. ‘I’ve left the shop for longer than I should have already. Will you be back for tea?’

‘No.’ Harry shook his head. ‘I’ll see Aled then drive to Pontypridd. I have a couple of meetings arranged with the board. I’ll spend the night with Mam and Dad and go back to the farm tomorrow.’

‘Give everyone my love, and kiss the children for me?’ Edyth hugged him.

‘I will, sis.’ He looked at her and Micah again. ‘I can’t wait for the next family wedding; it’s going to be such a happy one.’

‘That it is.’ Micah laid his hand around Edyth’s waist.

‘I’ll see you out, Harry. Unlike pastors, I have to work in the afternoon.’ Driven by guilt, Edyth couldn’t wait to get away from Micah and immerse herself in work.

‘What about the coffee?’ Micah called after Edyth as she ran down the stairs after Harry.

‘Bring it down into the kitchen. We’ll drink it there if I have time.’

Harry parked his car outside the Windsor Hotel and took his briefcase from the boot. He glanced around Stuart Street, saw the groups of idle men lounging on the corners of Louisa Street and George Street and did something he had never done on the farm or in Pontypridd. He locked his car.