Maura's Game (18 page)

It amazed Maura that more of these women didn’t realise that children drove a wedge between couples at least, lots of children did. Most men were still children themselves at heart and wanted to be taken care of. A woman with six kids had no time for herself, let alone her old man. She sighed as she thought of the number of times Danny had been on the receiving end of Jamie’s latest affair.

Even banged up he was still running women. Once Danielle had turned up for a remand visit at the same time as another of his birds.

This one was heavily pregnant and very vocal about the love of her life. Danielle had chinned her as she had chinned countless other girls during her married life. Even Jamie was wary of her when she lost her temper and it was surely a sight to behold. Danielle was a laugh, she was kind and she was funny. But woe betide anyone who upset her. Then she was a force to be reckoned with, a tiny, fat fighting machine who made even Garry quip that she could join the family firm if she liked as he could do with a decent minder this after she had been up before the beak for ABH on a social worker.

But basically, as Maura knew, Danielle was what Jamie had made her. Every day of her life was a struggle, a fight for existence. Jamie was not free with his money, not to his wife anyway. She still had to get her Social Security because he was off the scene so much. Jamie would travel miles for a good shag, as he often declared when drunk, and then his family would be forgotten about. Until eventually, penniless and disgruntled, he would roll home and Danielle would take him back.

Maura walked into the maisonette the door was rarely locked -and called out in a friendly manner: “All right, Danny. It’s me, Maura.”

Danielle came rushing down the stairs. She was out of breath as usual and, Maura was sorry to see, heavily pregnant. Also as usual.

“Hello, mate. I was just thinking about you! Come and have a cup pa

Maura followed her into the tiny kitchen and sat herself at the small breakfast bar that was more a serving hatch into the lounge. From there she observed the usual clutter of kids’ junk. The furniture was old and scruffy, and knowing the hefty wedge that Jamie had made over the years it annoyed her. Instead of this place they should have been in a nicely decorated semi somewhere. God knows he could have bought one five times over for cash, the money he had earned from the Ryans over the years. He was a ponce and when she located him she was going to tell him exactly what she thought of him.

Placing a chipped mug full of strong tea down on the counter, Danny said gaily, “Where is the bastard then? Sent you round to see how the land lies, has he?”

The pleasure in her voice made Maura feel terrible inside. Danny wanted that piece of shit, as she thought of Jamie, so badly and yet he had brought her this low, had brought her to this place and then abandoned her here without a second’s thought for her or for his children.

Maura sipped the scalding liquid before replying.

“I was hoping you could tell me where he is?”

Danny looked troubled.

“Don’t Garry know then? He always knows where that tosspot is.”

Danny was smiling; Maura knew she was hoping to hear exactly what she wanted to hear. She could feel panic rising in the smiling girl opposite her and felt so sorry for her she could have cried herself.

Maura shook her head.

“It seems he’s batting for the other side these days, Danny.”

Danny’s bloated face was all worry and fear now. She was intelligent enough to know that if Maura was looking for Jamie herself then he was in deep shit.

“What do you mean?” she said fearfully.

Maura shrugged.

“What I say. He’s in with Vic Joliff. They were seen together at Le Marais yesterday. Seems we ain’t good enough for him these days. Garry and me want a word with him as well need to clarify a few things.”

“Such as?”

“Such as what the fuck Vic wants from him.”

Danielle felt her heart sink at the thought of what Jamie had dragged her into this time. He had brought trouble to her door many times: other birds some with babies, debt collectors, Old Bill. But never had she felt in actual danger until now. Until Maura Ryan, with whom she had always got on, was sitting in her kitchen and asking where the bastard was. She was also telling Danielle in her own subtle way that the few quid that came in regularly each week was on the out now because Jamie had taken up with another firm. Danielle would launch that ponce into outer space when she got her hands on him. She instinctively put her hands to her swollen belly.

“I ain’t seen him, Maura. I thought you was here to tell me he was on his way home.”

She started to cry, a silent tearless crying that was all the more powerful because it was so deathly quiet.

Maura lit her a cigarette. She knew that Danny had smoked Silk Cuts throughout all her pregnancies. The girl took it gratefully. She had almost finished it before she spoke again.

“The cunt. I hate him sometimes, do you know that? He walks in and out of here like it’s a hotel. Uses me and the kids, then ups and fucks off again without a thought as to how I’m coping. Now on top of all this I’ve lost the few quid Garry bungs me every week, and I depend on that money, Maura, fucking depend on it. I’m paying off so much, loans he took out for Christmas, and I had Trevor Tanks round here last night looking for him for gambling debts. Threatened me and all. Said he’d use a blade if I didn’t tell him where Jamie was. As luck would have it, me little boy Richie came in then and I think he felt bad for letting a kid see that. Trevor ain’t a bad bloke, he just wants his dough. Now you tell me that I ain’t even got the protection of you lot any more thanks to fucking Jamie, the slimy two-faced shit bag that he is!”

Maura let her talk it out of her system. She knew the girl needed to let off some steam.

“I had the social worker round again last week. My eldest, Petey, crunched another fucking boy at school and broke his pelvis, nicked a motor and slagged off the filth. I have to go to court with him in two weeks’ time and this one is fucking due on the same day! I told him: “Petey,” I said, “with the name Hicks you will be a natural target for the filth.” But he thinks that fucking Jamie is the dog’s bollocks. Well, boys do, don’t they?”

She was really crying now, heaving with sobs, and Maura put one arm gently around her.

“The money won’t stop, I promise you, OK? But you have to promise me one thing in return. If Jamie shows up you must let me know. It’s better he talks to me than to Garry or Benny. They’ve got the right arse with him. You understand what I’m saying, don’t you? Don’t tell him you’re going to call me, sweetie, you just tip me the nod on the quiet like.”

Danielle looked into Maura’s serious face for long tortured moments before saying, “Is Garry going to kill him?”

Hysteria was rising in her again and Maura hastened to reassure her.

“Of course not. But he might have to be taught a lesson, see. He’s tucked us up big time and we can’t let that go.”

Danny relaxed.

“Maura, could you do me a favour, please?”

She smiled.

“Of course, Danny, what do you want?”

“Break his fucking legs if you find him. At least that way he won’t be walking anywhere for a while.”

She was half-joking, half-serious, and Maura’s heart went out to her once more. It was at times like this she was glad she had no children. They got you caught up in situations that would be laughable if they were not so tragic. To see this beautiful girl brought so low over a man broke Maura’s heart, and the worst of it all was, she knew that if Jamie walked in the door right now, Danny would get down on her knees and thank God for answering her prayers.

Though if Maura had anything to do with it, Jamie Hicks was never coming home again.

Sarah and Sheila had been to early Mass and now they were back at the house making themselves some lunch.

“Your hair looks gorgeous like that.”

Sheila smiled happily.

“Thanks. It cost the earth but it was worth every penny.”

“You look different altogether lately. If I didn’t know you better I’d say there was a man on the horizon!”

Sarah laughed at her own wit, but Sheila didn’t. She knew her brand-new image, which pleased Lee no end, was really for the benefit of Tommy Rifkind. She was a foolish woman and she knew it, but it made her feel better to look good and Lee thought she was fabulous. But then, he thought she was fabulous in a donkey jacket and Wellingtons. That was a lot of their trouble. It was hard being adored all the time, especially when you could not adore the other person back any more.

Sarah answered a knock on the door and Sheila was stunned to see her usher in a big bald man who came into the kitchen carrying a huge bunch of flowers. He had a nice smile and was kissing and hugging Sarah who was loving every second of it.

“How are you, girl?”

The man’s voice was loud and genial and Sarah was over the moon. She loved attention and this man was certainly giving it to her big time.

“You’re looking good, Mrs. Ryan. I had to come and say hello. I was in the area like and I thought, I have to see how that lovely lady Sarah is getting on. I was sorry to hear about the old man, Mrs. Ryan. He was a nice old boy. I was on remand at the time but I said a prayer in the prison chapel for him.”

Sarah was nearly crying with happiness. This man had remembered her and she was gladdened by that fact.

“Look at these flowers! My God, they’re absolutely fantastic. Thanks, son. Thank you so much for remembering an old woman like me!”

She was being positively coquettish and Sheila was amazed to see her mother-in-law like this. Sarah placed the flowers in the big butler’s sink by the window and cried: “Sit down and have a cup pa Or can I get you a beer?”

Sheila was watching them with an amused smile on her face. Some of the types the boys knew were outrageous. Most people would take one look at this obvious hard case and run a mile, and yet here was Sarah treating him like a long-lost son. The scars on the man’s neck alone told you he was trouble.

“I ain’t got time, love. Next time, though, I promise. I just couldn’t pass the door without saying hello and paying me respects like, to such a lovely lady.”

Sarah was now on the verge of fainting with happiness.

“And who is this other lovely lady?”

He was smiling at Sheila as he spoke, little black eyes fixed on her. He certainly had a way with him, could make you feel you were the only one who mattered to him.

Sarah slapped her forehead with her hand.

“Where’s me manners! This is Lee’s wife, Sheila.”

The man shook Sheila’s hand gently, swallowing it up in his huge callused mitt.

“How do you do, Mr… .”

“Joliff, Sheila. The name’s Vic Joliff. You make sure you remember me to Lee, won’t you? Tell him I can’t wait to see him and I’ll be in touch.”

He hugged and kissed Sarah once more and then he was gone. The kitchen seemed empty without his huge, oddly benevolent presence, and almost too quiet.

“He was a case!”

Sarah flapped her hand.

“Vic’s all right. A bit of a tear away when he was younger, but then weren’t they all?”

She was thrilled to have been remembered like that. And the flowers! She could still see him and Michael as teenagers in her mind’s eye, along with Gerry Jackson, Michael’s best pal. They had all been friends years ago.

She only wished it was those days still and she knew what she knew now. How different it would all have been! Sighing with happiness, she set about putting the flowers into vases. Vic Joliff had made her day. It wasn’t often that old people were remembered like this and when it did happen it made you feel special and wanted once more, something Sarah rarely felt these days.

Tommy and Maura were at her new house. She had purchased the property five years earlier and rented it out. Now she had moved back in for the interim. It was a good base and though she’d never said it out loud she’d been relieved to stop living with Carla and Joey. Tommy had been glad of the change as well, which pleased her.

As they ate she watched him. He was a fine specimen of a man and she knew on one level how lucky she was to have him. On another she didn’t really know whether she wanted a man in her life at such a tricky time.

It was always like this with her. Michael always said she was too like a man for most blokes, and she wondered not for the first time if he was right.

“What do you think about Joliff, Maura?”

She closed her eyes in distress.

“If I could only see Vic, on me own, I honestly think I could talk sense into him. He always liked me and I always liked him. We’re similar in many respects. Vic’s a natural-born villain but he’s been knocked off kilter by Sandra’s death. Needs to blame someone and exact retribution. I understand that, as do my brothers. We would need to do the same if one of the family died.

“To make it worse, Vic’s been on the missing list for six years, and knowing him like I do this will have been festering inside him like a cancer all that time. I assumed he was dead, most people did, but he ain’t, is he? He is very much alive and off his trolley, as Garry would say. He feels he is righting a wrong. We need to make him see the error of his ways.”

“Kill him, you mean?”

Tommy’s voice was low.

Maura shrugged.

“If necessary.”

She looked into Tommy’s eyes.

“I would see anyone dead who threatened me or mine, wouldn’t you?”

She realised her mistake the second she saw pain cloud his eyes.

“I know what you’re saying, Maura,” Tommy said gruffly.

She was sorry for her clumsiness then, and grabbing his hand said sadly, “I am sorry about young Tommy B. I wish it was different. Because it will always be there, won’t it? He’s there between us like a silent ghost.”

It was the first time either of them had mentioned what had happened to his son while they were alone together. Maura wondered what the upshot would be, but she knew that all this had to be said and the sooner the better before they got involved any further.

“I don’t blame you, Maura, if that is what you want to know.”