The man laughed, a loud, boisterous laugh that belied his true nature. He came across as a buffoon and that was exactly how he wanted to be perceived.
‘Come through to the back, boys. Dom is there – he’s looking forward to saying hello.’
They followed him warily. This was when the Carter twins were at their most dangerous: when they were smiling and joking and laughing with you. Lenny had heard a story once where Dominic Carter had been telling a joke and, just before the punchline, he had cut a man’s throat with a razor. The Carters had found that utterly hilarious but they were in the minority.
In the large kitchen they saw that Dom was already pouring them large whiskies. They sat down at the scruffy Formica table and accepted the drinks.
‘So, what can I do for you two?’
Dicky was smiling as he spoke; Dominic was straight-faced and seemed genuinely interested in their answer, whatever it might be.
Lenny sipped the whisky and said easily, ‘The Wilson brothers, as if you didn’t know, you rascals.’
The Carter twins looked at one another for a moment and then they both burst into loud laughter – real laughter this time.
‘What did I tell you, Dom? Lenny Scott is a funny fucking man!’
Then the laughter stopped as quickly as it had started and Dom said seriously, ‘It is not what you think, lads. They were into us for a lot of money. They were dealing outside your firm, and they thought they were safe because of Jack Johnson and yourselves. Well, they fucking well made a big mistake because me and my brother ain’t scared of anybody.’
It was said not as a threat, but as a statement of fact.
‘Where are they?’
This from Reggie, who was not as welcome as Lenny and should have remembered that. He immediately realised his faux pas.
Dicky sneered at him as he said theatrically, ‘It fucking speaks!’
Lenny closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and his temper. He wasn’t in the mood for game-playing tonight.
‘Answer the question, lads.’ His voice was low and he sounded genuinely interested in the answer.
‘Nowhere you will ever find them. They are gone, mate.’
Lenny Scott nodded.
Dominic Carter leaned forward and said conversationally, ‘Before they slipped off their mortal coils, they tried to tell us that you two were stuck up each other’s arses. Said that you went off on a boat together for days on end. Nice people you had working for you, Lenny.’
Lenny and Reggie were both shocked at the words and it showed.
‘They fucking what?’ Lenny sounded suitably outraged, which, of course, he was.
The twins were laughing again now.
‘I know. Honestly, by the time we were finished with them they would have said anything to get another few minutes on the earth. Pair of treacherous cunts. Reckoned they’d sussed it out a few months ago. Said there was something a bit iffy about you two and your deep friendship.’
Reggie and Lenny realised that the Carter twins believed it. Lenny nodded gently at Reggie, and they both pulled out knives from inside their coats.
It was all over in under two minutes. The Carters had had their mouths sliced open and their throats cut.
Lenny and Reggie watched them bleed out. That was the trouble with the serious nutters: they never thought anyone would ever take them on their own doorsteps. They had let their guard down, and paid the price for their big fucking mouths.
The men slipped out the back door, aware that this deed would be all over the Smoke by breakfast time. But what the twins had said had rattled them and they wondered who else had heard the same story. Both were quiet as they drove back to East London.
Chapter Fifty-Three
‘You two had a lovers’ tiff?’
Sharon’s voice was full of fun so she was shocked when Lenny turned on her and shouted angrily, ‘What is that supposed to fucking mean?’
She realised that he had been drinking, and remembered all too clearly that he was not a good drunk. She was stammering now as she tried to placate her big, powerful husband. ‘I’m sorry . . . Look, Len, it was just a joke . . .’
Lenny, even drunk as he was, knew deep inside that he should not be bullying the woman who had done nothing to him. But he couldn’t stop. The anger had been building inside him since the run-in with the Carters. And now, weeks later, it had reached boiling point.
Sharon felt cold dread wash over her as he advanced. The kitchen table was between them and, as she tried to run away from him, he leaned across it and dragged her by the jumper over the table towards him. All the while he was screaming and shouting at her, his words making no sense whatsoever.
‘You and your smart fucking mouth! You can’t keep it shut, can you!’
As he raised his fist, she pulled away from him with all the strength she possessed, and ran into the hallway. Lenny chased her, so drunk his huge body was banging against the doorway and the walls. He brought her down by the front door, sending the telephone table crashing to the floor. He hit her three times in the face and head before his sons’ screams broke through his anger. He looked up the stairs and saw them watching, wide-eyed and white-faced, as he attacked their mother.
It was as if Lenny was waking up from some kind of nightmare. He looked at his Sharon, and saw the blood streaming from her nose and mouth. She was terrified and he pulled himself off her and staggered to the sink where he started to throw up the whisky and brandy he had been consuming all afternoon in the pub.
Sharon dragged herself from the floor; the shock of what had happened had barely set in, so she didn’t even hurt anywhere yet. Seeing the blood dripping down on to her clothes, she stared at it in total amazement until her maternal instincts took over and she went up the stairs and gathered her sons to her. That was when the tears started.
Lenny could hear his wife and his sons sobbing above him and he stood gripping the sink tightly, wondering at what he had turned into.
But he knew exactly what was wrong with him, and he couldn’t admit it to anyone in the world.
He was frightened his secret was out.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Reggie was in his flat. It was three weeks since the Carter debacle and, though it had done their creds the world of good, there were still murmurings of what those shitbags the Wilson brothers might have said to people in their circle. It worried Lenny far more than it worried Reggie but he knew that he had to do what Lenny wanted – and Lenny felt they should not be seen so much together. Just for a while, he said, to see how the land lay. Reggie had no option but to go along with him.
He looked around his home and sighed; he loved it here. There were many reminders of good times in this flat – it was a haven for him and Lenny. He was frightened that Lenny was going to call it all off. He had not understood until now just how terrified Lenny was about them being found out. But then, he had a wife and two young sons, so he had a lot more to lose than just his street credibility.
The phone rang and he picked it up casually. Then after a few seconds he said urgently, ‘I am on my way.’
Chapter Fifty-Five
Sharon Scott had been taken to the hospital for stitches, telling a story of falling down the stairs that no one believed. Reggie Dornan had held her hand and talked to her as the doctor fixed her lip and eyebrow. He was shocked at what Lenny had done to this poor girl who had done nothing to warrant such an attack.
In the car going back to the house, he said seriously, ‘If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes, I would never have believed it, Sharon.’
She looked awful; her face had swollen up like a football and the bruising was already starting to go black.
Sharon spoke with difficulty. ‘I don’t know what it was over. I made a silly joke, that’s all.’
She explained what she had said and he saw that she was watching his reaction; he was careful to give nothing away and instead simply sighed heavily. ‘You know Lenny can’t take a drink, Sharon
. Anything can set him off when he is drunk. Silly cunt, he is. But I will have something to say to him, don’t you worry. So will Jack Johnson . . .’
She grabbed his arm then and said quickly, ‘You can’t tell anyone, Reggie. That’s why I called you and not my mother. No one can know about this.’
He could sense the urgency in her voice and he wondered how a woman could stay with a man who had hurt her, attacked her like an animal. Whatever his feelings for Lenny, even Reggie knew that this wasn’t his finest hour. He supposed it was the bond of having children together; but women were far more forgiving than the male species, he realised.
‘Sharon, love, how are you going to hide that away?’
She shook her head sadly. ‘I don’t know, but I will sort something out.’
Then she started to cry again and, pulling the car over, he shut off the engine and took her into his arms, comforting her as best he could. For the first time ever, he could cheerfully smack Lenny Scott right across his handsome face.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Liam was sitting beside his big brother on the sofa, watching warily as their dad tried to explain that he had not meant to hurt Mummy. Young Lenny was looking at his father with a face full of hate and fear. He had heard his father shouting at their mummy before, but he had never seen him hurt her like that. It had been such a frightening experience, and nothing his daddy could say would make it right. Young as he was, he knew that this was all wrong and that his mummy did not deserve to be hurt like that.
The boys were relieved when the front door opened and Mummy came in with Uncle Reggie. They rushed to her, but Liam held back when he saw the state of his mummy’s face. He burst out crying again and Lenny tried to pick up his son but the boy fought against him. He went to his mother and, grabbing her legs, he cried into her skirts as she soothed him, calmed him and rubbed his back.
Lenny, sober now, was looking in horror at what he had done to his wife’s face. He stepped towards her, his arms out in supplication, as he said brokenly, ‘Oh God . . . Shaz, I’m so fucking sorry. I could cut me hands off, darling . . .’
He was crying too now and Sharon felt a wave of pity wash over her for this man who she loved so much and who she knew could be unpredictable with a drink inside him.
Reggie watched as she pulled her son from her legs and allowed her husband to hold her against him tightly. It was as if they were alone now, both talking at once, Lenny begging her forgiveness and her forgiving him.
It was horrible to watch, and Reggie took the two little boys and shepherded them into the kitchen. He shut the door behind them and started to make the lads something to eat and drink. He guessed that what these two needed now was a bit of normality.
In the hallway Lenny was swearing on his boys’ lives that he would never raise his hand to her again, and Sharon was believing every word he said.
Reggie stayed until everything had calmed down and then the family drove off to stay at a hotel in the Lake District until Mummy’s face got better. Reggie cleaned up the house and set the burglar alarm before shutting the front door behind him.
As he drove back to his flat in Kensington, he wondered what the magic ingredient was that Lenny possessed to keep him enthralled as well as his wife, no matter what he did to her.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
‘It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, Mum. We decided to have a bit of time together as a family.’
Ivy Conway wasn’t so sure but she was too shrewd to say it. ‘You’re wearing a lot of make-up these days.’
Sharon sighed heavily. There was still a bit of bruising but nothing she couldn’t cover with a decent foundation. She knew her mum was aware that something had happened, but she was fucked if she would give her the excuse to turn on her Lenny.
‘Look, Mum, if you have something to say, then fucking say it, will you? If not, drink your tea and leave me alone, yeah? Think you could manage that?’
Ivy was more convinced than ever that something was radically wrong in this house and she also knew she would not get to know unless this little madam here decided to tell her. The two boys were creeping around like mice, not in their usual smashing-and-crashing mode she knew so well. It was normally like Casey’s Court in this house, and now it was as quiet as a library, as if everyone was afraid to raise their voices. She loved this house; it was a detached four-bedroom with a large garden and she envied her daughter her beautiful home. Money was no object with this lot, and they lived in the best part of Manor Park. Suddenly she realised what had been bothering her since she came into the house.
‘Where’s the telephone table?’
There was a new one by the front door, and it was much bigger and more opulent than the one it had replaced. She had always admired the old one though and she said brightly, ‘I’ll have it, Sharon, if you’ve got a new one.’
Sharon smiled tightly and said quietly, ‘The boys broke it, Mum, rough-housing in the hallway.’
Young Lenny looked at her with the eyes of an ancient as she lied to her own mother’s face.
Ivy was upset. That table would have looked lovely in her hall. ‘Break the house up around you, they will, those little sods.’
She frowned crossly at her grandsons as they played with their cars quietly on the kitchen floor. Young Lenny glared back at her and she shook her head at the cheekiness of the lad.
Sharon busied herself making more tea; she couldn’t look her elder son in the eye. But she shrugged; what was one more lie on top of all the others she had told? She blinked back the tears that were threatening to come. She loved her Lenny so much and that love was so big it included hiding from the world what he had done to her.
The few weeks in the Lake District had been like a new beginning. Lenny had charmed her and charmed his sons. They had gone on days out together, fed the ducks on Lake Windermere and eaten Kendal Mint Cake. Lenny had been his old lovable self, and he had gradually brought them all back to normal. This was the man she had loved for half her life – not the monster he became when he had alcohol. He had sworn to her he would never have more than a few beers again and she had believed him.
She had to believe him. He was her husband and the father of her children and, God help her, she loved him more than life itself.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
‘The wanderer returns!’
Jack Johnson was pleased to see Lenny back after his impromptu holiday. There was a story there, he guessed, but that was for Lenny to tell in his own time.
‘All right, Jack? Hope you didn’t mind my sloping off but we needed a bit of time as a family, you know?’
Jack nodded his understanding. ‘Good break?’
Lenny cracked one of his endearing crooked smiles as he said with feeling, ‘The best. I needed to be with my lads, Jack. They are only young once.’
Reggie was amazed at how easily Lenny could lie but he kept his own counsel.
‘Reggie has been doing fine on his own. I know you two have been in touch by phone so you’re up to speed. I think taking out the Carters was a fucking good move – even the Filth are pleased!’
They all laughed. Particularly mad Faces getting taken out by one of their own often made the police feel as if they had had their job done for them.
‘They were asking for it anyway. Pair of cunts!’ Lenny’s voice was disgusted.
Jack laughed. ‘That’s what I like to hear, Len. Back in work mode, are we?’
‘Who has taken their businesses over?’
Reggie grinned at him and Lenny felt his heart flip over in his chest.
‘Believe it or not, one of their bouncers, Terry Cobb. He is doing a fucking good job too. Well liked, he will go far. Been fair with the wives – that’s what I like to see. Honourable man, I think.’
Jack was nodding his agreement. ‘Very reasonable type of person, and you can bet your life the Carters treated him like fucking dirt. From what I hear on the street their deaths were celebrated all over the Smoke. Never a good
idea to make too many enemies in this game. Fuck knows, trouble can brew in an instant so why go looking for it?’ Then he sighed heavily. ‘Talking of trouble, Frank Barber has raised his ugly head.’
‘What’s that got to do with us?’
Jack waved his hand in dismissal. ‘Nothing – yet. I don’t trust him. He has been away a long time and he holds grudges. I had a few run-ins with him years ago.’
Lenny and Reggie exchanged glances.
‘Keep an eye on him, and find out what he’s up to, will you? You know the old adage, forewarned is forearmed? Well, armed is exactly what you will need to be if Frank comes looking for you.’
‘Do you want us to pay him a friendly visit on your behalf, Jack?’
Jack Johnson smiled at the loyalty Lenny had to him. He had chosen well with this lad – he’d never had a moment’s doubt about that.
‘Nah. Just keep an ear out – see what he’s up to.’
Chapter Fifty-Nine
‘God, I missed this, Reg.’
Reggie was sitting on the edge of his bed and they were having the egg sandwiches and coffee he’d made for them.
‘I know the feeling. How was it really?’
‘I can’t believe what I did to her, Reggie. Every time I looked at her poor fucking boat race I felt terrible. The kids were scared of me . . .’
Reggie sighed. ‘Well, you can’t blame them. It ain’t something they can brush off, is it? I mean, you really fucking lost it, Lenny.’
He nodded. ‘It was so hard, Reg, trying to win them back, you know? But I did it and I even managed to do a bit of business on the side.’ He laughed.
Reggie grinned sadly. He pushed Lenny’s hair back off his face and caressed the back of his neck.
‘I thought you might want to stop this.’ He motioned around his bedroom. ‘After what the Carters said, especially.’