Dangerous Lady (36 page)

‘Maura!’ Margaret’s voice broke into her thoughts. ‘Mickey’s on the phone for you.’

314

Maura stared around the kitchen blankly. Margaret looked at her curiously. ‘You all right, girl?’

Maura nodded and walked out of the kitchen into the lounge. The twins were watching Mary Poppins on television and baby Dennis was now sitting on his dad’s lap. Maura’s mind registered the fact that the Christmas tree was falling to one side where the kids had been playing underneath it. She walked out into the hallway and picked up the receiver lying on the telephone table. ‘Oh, darling. You’ll never guess what?’ His voice was bubbling over with excitement. ‘What?’ Maura’s voice was flat.

‘I just had a visit from Sammy Goldbaum’s daughter. You know her … the one with the big hooter?’ ‘Rebekka.’

‘Yeah, that’s it. Rebekka. Anyway, she said she had come to see me on Christmas Day to show that she bore me no ill will. Not that I give a toss anyway. Those front wheels are like the eye ties, full of crap. Anyway, the bottom line is she brought me some documents that belonged to Sammy. I’ve just been through them, and have a guess what I found along with a load of old betting slips?’ ‘What?’

‘The name of the property developer we’ve been looking for. The mastermind behind Dopolis.’

‘But Sammy said he had no idea who he was …’ ‘I don’t think Sammy realised just what he had. You see, I found an old cutting from a newspaper. The Daily Mirror in fact. It was from the racing section and it had a picture of Dopolis. And get this bit, Maws. He’s in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot! Now what, I asked myself, was he doing in there? Then I realised that he was standing with none other than William Templeton! That’s when it hit me. He’s the Mr Big that Dopolis was talking about.’

Maura was stunned. ‘But he’s a peer of the Realm!’

Mickey laughed. ‘I know. Saucy bastard! I bet he’s even in You Know Who … or whatever that book’s called.’

Maura laughed despite herself. ‘It’s Who’s Who, you wally. Christ Almighty, Mickey, if you’re right…’

‘I know I’m right. I’ve got a gut feeling about it. Look, can you get over to me now?’

‘I can’t, Mickey. I promised Marge and Den I’d have Christmas dinner with them.’

‘All right then, Princess. But get your arse over here as soon as you can. All right?’

‘All right then, Mickey. Merry Christmas.’ Her voice was sad.

Michael’s voice lost its excitement. ‘I know it’s been a bad time, the last few weeks, but I promise you, Maws - I’ll make it up to you somehow. Merry Christmas, my darling.’

Maura put the phone down gently. The implications of what Mickey had just said were phenomenal. She went back into the lounge and started to play with the children. She held them to the floor and tickled them till they screamed with laughter. Marge and Dennis watched her with amused expressions on their faces. This was more like it. This was the old Maura.

It wasn’t until she was sitting at the dining table eating her enormous Christmas dinner that-the excitement hit her. Lord William Templeton … Suddenly she could not wait to get started on him. Together Michael and she would eat him alive.

She picked up a bright blue cracker and pointed it at Patricia. ‘Come on, Patty. Let’s see who wins the paper hat!’ Lord Templeton was also sitting at his dinner table in his

316

large rambling house in Kent. The house dated back to the fifteenth century and over the large inglenook fireplace was a painting of one of his ancestors. It had been executed by Holbein, one of Henry VIII’s favourite painters. There was an old story in his family that it was this ancestor who had actually ordered the death of Sir Thomas More. William liked to think that the story was true.

At forty-five, he was a somewhat jaded man. Over the years he had used his vast wealth to engage in many pastimes, both sexual and otherwise. He had hunted big game in South Africa and had smoked hashish in Turkey. He had travelled to the Himalayas and had seen the Manta Rays leap from the sea in the Maldives. He had experimented with drugs, and did not think there was any country in the world that he had not visited. He had married once, when he was very young, a large voluptuous woman, years older than himself. She had left him after one year, taking with her a large amount of money and his good wishes. She had taught him much: that there was no pleasure without pain; that a man, especially a rich man, needs to use his wealth wisely. He had never, as far as he knew, fathered a child. Unlike most men. William Temple ton did not have the urge to reproduce. He rather like his solitary life. If he wanted a woman they were easy enough to find.

He picked at his expertly cooked Christmas dinner. At this moment he was a very worried man. He was regretting getting involved with the Greek, Dopolis. For a start it had not achieved his objective - the warehouses that the Ryans owned in the old docklands. Dopolis had turned out to be a penny ante type villain. Not at all the hard man he had said he was. The Ryans had completely obliterated him. If only he had had the sense to keep his eye on the his businesses. His main buyers were North African countries; Iran, Iraq, Libya - the list was endless. He also supplied Romania and the Czechs. All in all, Templeton seemed like their kind of guy!

Michael was jubilant! The only cloud on their horizon was Dopolis. Although they now had just about everything they wanted to know about him, plans for his demise were put on hold for the time being. He was the bait with which they were going to lure William Templeton. As Michael had playfully remarked to Maura, ‘Let him get over his injuries first. He can pay for Benny when he’s better!’

Sarah Ryan had still not acknowledged either of them. This had cut Michael deeply. His mother had been his life. But the estrangement from her had brought brother and sister closer together. They spent every available minute in each other’s company. Maura now needed Michael more than ever. When she was with him he could convince her that Sammy Goldbaum’s and Jonny Fenwick’s deaths were just the paying of a debt. While she was with him she could accept that. Away from him, she was frightened and lonely. Every day that passed was making her more bitter and confused. They had spent the days since Christmas following up their leads on Templeton, and decided they; would pay him a visit on New Year’s Day. Until then they would bide their time.

On the 29 December 1975 Roy’s son was born. He rang the news through to Michael at seven in the evening. Maura and Michael arrived at St Mary’s Hospital at eight-thirty. After looking at the new baby fleetingly, Michael and the rest of the boys took Roy out to celebrate, all feeling the loss of Benny more than ever.

Maura was left with Janine. She noticed that her mother was nowhere to be seen.

320

She held the baby, Benny Anthony, in her arms. ‘He’s beautiful, Janine. I hope you realise just how lucky you are?’

Janine smiled wearily. ‘I’m a bit sore, Maws, but he was worth it.’

Maura nodded. She was staring at the baby so intently that Janine felt a prickle of fear.

‘I nearly had a baby once, Janine. A long time ago.’ Maura’s voice was sad. For the first time ever Janine pitied her.

‘I know, Maura. Roy told me.’

She held the baby tighter to her chest.

‘It was a lovely gesture, naming the baby after Benny and Anthony. It brings them back somehow.’ She kissed the baby’s downy head. ‘I think that if they’d at least let us bury Benny, half the battle would be over. I can’t stand to think of him on ice.’

‘Please, Maura. Don’t talk about it.’ Janine was nearly in tears.

Maura’s sing-song voice as she spoke about her brother made Janine feel frightened. She had always been a little in awe of Maura. Now she was terrified. ” Maura smiled radiantly at her. ‘

‘I’m sorry, Jan. I’m getting a bit morbid!’ She kissed the baby’s head again and squeezed him to her breast. It took all Janine’s willpower not to snatch her baby away. Janine was sensitive and felt things very deeply. She did not want this woman anywhere near her child.

Roy had said recently that he did not think that Maura was right in the head. Looking at her now, Janine was sure that she was capable of anything. She had a terrible feeling that Maura would even kill a baby if it would get her what she wanted. Janine shivered.

‘You cold?’

321

kill ‘No, Maura, just tired. It takes a lot out of you, having a baby.’

‘Like shitting a football, is how Marge described it!’ ji

Janine pursed her lips. She had never understood the Ryans’ use of bad language. They swore in much the same way as her mother said ‘God bless you’.

Janine took all her courage into her hands and decided to approach Maura with an idea that had been floating around inside her head for months. I

‘Maura?’

‘What?’ She was rocking the baby in her arms, completely engrossed in his little face. He was looking up at her with the dark blue Ryan eyes.

Janine picked at her bedsheet, watching her sister-in-law warily.

‘It’s about Roy.’

Maura laughed gently. ‘He’s like a dog with three lamp posts! I’ve never seen him like this. All the boys are ribbing him terrible. You’d think this was the first baby ever born!’

‘I know … I know.’ Janine was finding it difficult to find the appropriate words.

Maura sensed that there was something going on and looked Janine in the face.

‘What’s on your mind? Come on, spit it out. I’m not really an ogre, whatever my Mum might say.’ Her voice was bitter.

‘I was wondering if you would help Roy set up a little business …’

Her voice trailed off as she saw the look of shock on Maura’s face.

‘You what! Roy work outside the family? You must be joking.’

Janine started to cry. ‘Oh, Maura, I’m so frightened.’ She put her face into her hands. ‘I feel like a policeman’s

wife, wondering if he’s going to come home. Then after what happened to Benny …’

Maura pulled her hands away from her face. ‘You’re just overwrought, that’s all. Having a baby makes you go funny.’

‘NO! It’s not that!’ Janine lost all caution. ‘I don’t want to be left a widow, bringing up the baby on my own. I want us to be a normal family. A real family. Roy’s not meant to be a thug.’

Maura put the baby into the cot by the bed. Her face was set. She loomed over Janine and began to speak to her in a low and menacing voice.

‘Shall I tell you something, Janine? In case it has escaped your notice. Roy, as much as I love him, is as thick as two short planks. He can barely count over fifty. He still reads Marvel comics, for Christ’s sake! The best he could ever have expected out of life was a job on the council or with the Water Board. Either way, you’d not be spending the kind of hefty wedge you’re used to now. Your father tried to turn him into a butcher and look where that got him. If Roy knew what you’d said here tonight he’d give you a well-deserved slap. Now about the other load of shit you was spouting …’

She pushed Janine back against the pillows hard and poked her in the chest. ‘You want to be a real family, do you? You dumped your daughter on my mother if you remember rightly, love. If push ever comes to shove, you can dump your new arrival on her and all, can’t you? Don’t you ever try and bullshit me again. DO you HEAR ME?’

Maura’s loud voice made the baby whimper in his cot. ‘I’m going to forget what you’ve said in here tonight, Janine, because I know that having a baby can make you a bit distraught. I’m warning you, though, if I ever get wind

322

that you’ve said this to anyone else, I’ll come and sort you out myself. Get it?’

Janine nodded, her lips trembling. She realised that she had just made an enemy for life.

Maura watched her closely. Then she smiled a soft little smile that did not reach her eyes. Picking up her bag from the floor, she opened it, took out a blue velvet box and handed it to Janine.

‘Well, open it then.’ She snapped.

Janine was shaking so badly that Maura had to place her own hands on top of hers to help her open the box. Inside was a gold and platinum identity bracelet.

‘I’ll have his name put on it for you.’

Janine swallowed heavily. She did not want it. ‘Tha … thanks. It’s lovely. Beautiful.’ A stray tear slid down her face. Maura wiped it away gently with her fingers.

‘Cheer up, love. You just had a lovely little boy. You should be laughing, not crying.’

Janine forced a smile she did not think she had in her. ‘As you say … it’s my hormones or something.’

Maura laughed. ‘That’s the ticket. Now, I’m off to the Crown and Two Chairmen. If that lot are left on their own with Roy, he’ll end up legless.’ She put her bag under her arm and kissed Janine on the cheek.

‘I heard a little saying the other day, Janine. It might give you something to think about. -It was on a wall in some public toilets and Mickey read it. It said: “Life is like a shit sandwich. The more bread you’ve got, the less shit you have to eat.” I’d think about that if I was you.’

With one last glance at the baby, Maura left the room. Janine was convinced that she was fuming inside and she was right. She sat in the bed staring at the identity bracelet. The tears came in a red hot rush. She felt like a trapped animal.

324

Her mother-in-law had been right. They would never let Roy go.

A while later a nurse came in and gave her a little talking to. And Janine sat in the bed silently as she was told all about ‘the baby blues’. She was still crying when the nurse finally gave up and left her. Maura drove to the Crown and Two Chairmen feeling better than she had for weeks. It had taken Janine’s smugness and petty strivings for respectability to bring her out of her depression.

She was honest with herself, though. Holding the new baby had brought back all her maternal feelings and she had resented the fact that the baby was Janine’s. Had she but known, Janine could not have picked a worse time to ask Maura for a favour.

Chapter Twenty Maura walked into the Crown and Two Chairmen pub in Dean Street. As usual it was packed. She pushed her way through the throng of people and finally located the boys in the corner. Roy was already very drunk. The air was thick with cigarette smoke and camaraderie. Leslie saw Maura first and raised himself from his seat unsteadily. He was as drunk as a lord. Maura smiled at him.