The Victim. Kimberley Chambers

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СКАЧАТЬ It’s a wonderful recipe; my mother gave it to me.’

      Eddie smiled. He was anything but hungry – he felt too worried to eat – but he didn’t want to be rude. ‘I could do with a drink first, actually. Listen, I need to speak to yous boys, so get us all a drink and we’ll chat before we have any grub.’

      Joey sat down nervously on the sofa. His dad wasn’t his usual jovial self and he hoped that whatever was wrong didn’t involve Frankie. His twin sister had been through hell already and it would be awful if she had been beaten up in prison or something.

      Dominic handed Eddie and Joey a bottle of lager each and sat on the armchair.

      ‘Please tell me that nothing bad’s happened to Frankie, Dad. I couldn’t deal with her having any more bad luck.’

      Eddie shook his head. ‘Frankie’s OK. She rang me yesterday. Look, I don’t want you to worry about this, because it’s probably just me being paranoid, but yesterday I went round to Jimmy O’Hara’s to try and sort things out. Someone has to try and shovel up the mess your uncles have created, so I thought I’d offer him a truce.’

      The colour drained from Joey’s face. ‘He didn’t threaten you, did he?’

      ‘No, he wasn’t even there. The whole place was locked up, no one was there, so I rang Pat Murphy, who informed me that the O’Haras have gone away and they’ve been missing for over a week. Georgie and Harry are obviously with them, but no one seems to know where they’ve gone. I don’t trust O’Hara – he’s a snake, always has been – so I just want you and Dominic to be extra vigilant, in case they’re planning any repercussions.’

      ‘What! And you think they’d come here?’ Dom asked anxiously.

      ‘No, I don’t. If Jimmy or Jed want anyone’s blood, it’s mine, not yours, but just watch your backs. I shouldn’t think for a minute that they even have a clue where you live, but I don’t trust the pikey bastards. They’re scum, the lowest of the low and I would never put anything past ’em.’

      When the room fell silent, Joey picked Madonna up and held her to his chest. ‘If anyone tries to hurt you, I’ll kill them,’ he whispered in her ear.

      Aware that his boyfriend was worried, Dominic broke the ice. ‘So how’s Gina, Eddie? And when are you both going to let me and Joey take you to that fabulous new restaurant we told you about?’

      ‘Gina’s fine. She’s staying at her mate Claire’s at the moment, but as soon as I sort things with O’Hara, she’ll come back home. To be honest, I really miss her; I’m rattling around like a lost sheep in that cottage on me own.’

      Joey handed Madonna to Dominic. ‘Take her outside for a wee-wee, Dom. I need to have a quiet word with my dad.’

      When Dominic left the room, Joey closed the door and turned to Eddie. ‘I didn’t want to say too much in front of Dom ’cause, unlike our family, his parents are so normal, but what I don’t understand is how is Jimmy O’Hara going to accept a truce when Uncle Ronny and Paulie have killed his son and blown his grandchild to pieces?’

      Eddie was a little taken aback. Unlike his other two sons, Gary and Ricky, Joey had rarely taken any interest in the family business or asked any questions in the past. Ed downed the rest of his lager and decided to be truthful with Joey.

      ‘I’m going to offer O’Hara Ronny and Paulie on a plate. Tell him that what happened was fuck-all to do with me and if he wants revenge, it’s all right to do whatever he wants to do to them. And before you call me a wrong ’un, Ronny and Paulie are in Belmarsh, where I know plenty of people who will watch their backs for me so O’Hara’s henchmen can’t get to ’em. What else can I say to the man, Joey? I have no choice.’

      Joey had steel in his eyes as he faced his father. When he was a child, he’d been a proper crybaby and even now he’d sob at the drop of a hat, especially if it was a sad story or film where someone was nasty to an animal. But at the end of the day, he wasn’t a boy any more, he was a man. He might be gay, enjoy a normal life and detest violence, but he was still his father’s son.

      ‘Paulie and Ronny are both a pair of arseholes, always have been. I’ve never liked them and neither has Frankie. They haven’t exactly got many good points, have they?’

      Eddie threw an incredulous glance Joey’s way. He couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing and for a second he wondered if his son was taking the piss out of the callous way he’d sometimes behaved in the past.

      ‘Are you having a laugh with me or what, Joey?’

      ‘No, Dad. I’m deadly serious.’

      Eddie scratched his head. It was a habit of his when he was struggling for the right words. ‘Look, I know what you’re saying, and yes, your uncles are both arseholes, especially Ronny, but they’re still our flesh and blood, son. Even though I’m gonna tell O’Hara it’s OK to fucking top ’em, I don’t think he has the power to do it. Once they come out of Belmarsh he might, but they’re looking at life and until then, I think they’re both safe. Whatever my or your opinion of ’em, I grew up with ’em, and you know how much I loved your grandad Harry. I can’t, in reality, order a hit on me own, Joey, it ain’t done in my circles.’

      Joey faced his father with a nonchalant expression on his face. He walked towards him and placed his hands on Eddie’s shoulders. ‘Listen to me Dad, and listen carefully. I might not be part of your world, but I’m not stupid. If I was, I wouldn’t be working in the Stock Exchange. I’m worried about us. Me, you, Frankie, Dom, Nan and Grandad. And let’s not forget about Dom, Gina, Gary and Ricky. Mum’s death toughened me up and I’ve thought about your world a lot since. Do you honestly think that if you offer O’Hara Paulie and Ronny and then he can’t get to them, he’s gonna fall for that? He won’t. I barely know the man and even I know he won’t. Frustration at not getting his own back will set in and then he’ll look for other targets. You seem to be more concerned about Jimmy, but I know that Jed is the worst out of the lot, Dad. Frankie didn’t tell me too much, but I know he’s evil and he won’t let something like this rest. Don’t ask anyone to protect your brothers in prison. It’s all their own doing, aint it? Let the O’Hara’s have their revenge. If you don’t, you’re putting all our lives at risk.’

      Frankie’s good mood evaporated as she walked into the dormitory and saw who she’d be sharing with. The girl that had bullied and humiliated Frankie on her arrival at Holloway had been black and this girl was the same colour. Fearing the worst, Frankie smiled and nervously held out her right hand.

      ‘Hi, my name’s Frankie.’

      As the girl stood up, Frankie was shocked by how short she was. She was no more than five feet tall, if that. With a mass of bushy afro hair and enormous breasts, she almost looked as though she was about to topple over. The girl smiled, and as she did, her face lit up. She had one of the most beautiful smiles that Frankie had ever seen, and perfect white teeth. As she began to speak, her voice had a slight Jamaican lilt to it.

      ‘Thank you, Lord. I prayed last night that I wouldn’t be saddled with another head case, and he must have listened because he sent me you. My name’s Barbara, but you can call me Babs. Me and you, Frankie, are gonna get along just fine.’

      Eddie arrived home, poured a large Scotch and sat at the kitchen table. The cottage seemed dismal and lonely without Gina’s presence and he couldn’t wait for her to return. Unable to stop thinking about what Joey had said earlier, Ed mulled СКАЧАТЬ