The Traitor (57 page)

Holding Harry’s hand, Georgie led him over to their father.

‘Why don’t Daddy get you both a sandwich? Your nan said you didn’t eat breakfast this morning.’

About to agree, just to please her dad, Georgie changed her mind as Luke ran over and clung to her father’s legs. ‘Not hungry,’ she said sulkily.

Luke sidled over to Georgie and smiled. He tried to hug her, but Georgie pushed him away roughly and he fell backwards onto the grass.

Slightly inebriated and sick of all the deception, Jed grabbed both Georgie and Harry roughly by the arm. ‘Kids, I’m burying me brother and I don’t need this shit today. This is Luke and best you start being nice to him, ’cause he’s your fucking brother.’

In a Canning Town restaurant, Auntie Joan was playing her part in the plan to the full. All the Mitchell clan were well aware of how partial Joan had been to a glass of snowball over the years, so Ed had made her up a big jug of the stuff, and had lied to everyone that it was full of alcohol.

Eddie locked eyes with Gary and smirked. So far, the pretence was working like a dream. Ed counted the heads at the table. Himself, Gina, Raymond, Polly, Gary, Ricky, Aunt Vi, Reg and Albert were all there. The only ones he was waiting on now were Joey and Dom.

When the restaurant door opened and his son and Dominic walked in, Eddie winked at Joanie. It was time to put stage two into motion.

Jimmy O’Hara put a protective arm around his wife. ‘We have to go now, Alice, the undertakers are waiting.’

Alice threw her arms around his neck. ‘I can’t face it, Jimmy, I really can’t. I’ve got one of me bad feelings. It was seeing that fucking magpie that started me off.’

Seeing Jed poke his head around the door, Jimmy gesticulated for him to have a word with his mother. Jed nodded and urged his father to leave him to it.

‘Mum, you have to come to the funeral. I need you, Dad needs you, so does Billy and Tina and the kids.’

Alice shook her head. ‘I can’t, I’ve got a bad feeling, Jed, a really bad one. If I go to Marky’s funeral, something is gonna go wrong, I know it is.’

Jed hugged her. ‘Nothing is gonna go wrong, Mum. Look, I was gonna tell you this later, but I might as well tell you now. Sally’s pregnant again, she’s just over three months gone. You are gonna be a grandma again, sweetheart.’

Through her tears, Alice managed a smile. ‘That’s wonderful news. If it’s a boy, will you call it Marky for me?’

‘Of course I will, but only if you come to the funeral.’

Alice held her son in her arms. Jed was her youngest, had always been her favourite and, staring at Marky’s flowers earlier, she’d been consumed by guilt for favouring Jed.

‘Well?’ Jed asked.

Alice nodded. ‘Come on then, let’s go.’

Aunt Vi looked at Eddie in horror. Joanie had just toppled off her chair and landed on her arse. ‘You silly bastard – she’s pissed. Whatever did you put in that fucking snowball you gave her?’

Excusing himself from Gina, Eddie walked around the other side of the table. He bent down. ‘Are you OK, Auntie?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, but I’ve had enough now. When you get to my age, you can’t keep up with the pace any more,’ Joan lied.

Eddie picked his aunt up and sat her back on her chair. ‘Do you want to go home, Auntie?’

Joanie nodded. ‘I’ve had a wonderful time, but I need me bed now,’ she slurred.

Vi stood up. She was absolutely furious with Eddie for getting Joanie so drunk. ‘She could have really hurt herself just then!’ Vi turned to her nephew, ‘We’re no spring chickens, ya know. A man of your intelligence should have known better. We’ve got brittle bones at our age, you could have bastard well killed her.’

Eddie smiled. ‘Joanie’s fine, Vi. She’s had a fantastic birthday lunch, one she’ll never forget.’

Vi picked up her handbag. ‘I’m coming home with you, Joanie. I’ll stay there with you tonight. I keep reading these stories in the
Sun
where people who have had too much to drink are dying in their sleep. Apparently, you can choke on your own vomit.’

Eddie glanced at Ricky and Gary. Vi being involved was not part of their plan. Gary leaped out of his seat and grabbed Joanie’s arm. ‘Me and Rick will take Auntie home, Dad.’

Vi picked up her handbag. ‘I’m coming with you, Joanie.’

Joanie turned to her. ‘No, you bloody well ain’t. Last time you stayed round mine, you drove me up the bleedin’ wall. I’m fine now, honest Vi, I just need a little lie down. The boys can take me home and I’ll see you tomorrow at the bingo. I’ll ring you later this evening.’

Each holding one of Joanie’s arms, Ricky and Gary led their aunt from the restaurant. Once safely inside their motor, Joanie started to laugh. ‘Well, that was a fucking close shave, eh boys?’

Jed sat alongside his family in the first funeral car. Tina, Marky’s wife, had been beside herself leaving the house and had chosen to sit in the car behind with her own parents and Marky’s sons. Billy, Shannon and little Mush had opted to travel with them. The horrendous journey was made easier for Jed by Georgie’s fascination with Luke. Ever since he had told her that Lukey boy was her brother, she wouldn’t leave him alone. Even Harry seemed taken with him now, which was surprising, because Harry was rarely taken by anything or anyone.

‘Daddy, I’m hungry. Can me, Harry and Luke have McDonald’s?’ Georgie asked.

Jed ruffled her hair. He hoped that Georgie would be just as excited when he explained later that Sally was her new mummy. ‘Yes, darling, but first we’ve got to go to Uncle Marky’s funeral. I’ll get you a McDonald’s later.’

As Alice started sobbing again, Jimmy put his arm around her. ‘Something awful’s gonna happen, I know it is. I wanna go back home. I think we should all go home!’ Alice screamed.

Jed saw Sally’s look of horror. He put a comforting arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder. ‘It’s OK, Mum’s just upset. She thinks she’s psychic, but I’m sure she ain’t really,’ he whispered.

As Gary turned into her road, Joanie spotted old Bobby Smith walking along. ‘Toot your fucking horn and stop ’ere, quick,’ Joan ordered.

‘Bob, ’ere a minute,’ Gary shouted as he opened the driver’s side window. He and Ricky didn’t know Bobby Smith from Adam, but he wanted the man to take a good look at their faces.

Clocking Bob’s startled expression, Joanie opened the back door of the Range Rover. ‘Bob, it’s me, Joanie.’

Bob grinned and walked towards her. ‘Hello, Joanie. What you doing in a posh motor like this?’

‘I’m pissed, believe it or not. You know my Eddie, don’t ya?’

Bob nodded.

‘This is Gary and Ricky, his eldest sons. It’s my seventieth at the weekend and me family took me out to lunch today to celebrate. I was necking them old snowballs, Bob, like there was no tomorrow. I feel ill now, I do.’

Ricky nudged Gary and they both jumped out of the motor and shook Bob’s hand.

‘Pleased to meet you, mate. I’m Gary and this is my brother Ricky,’ Gary said loudly.

‘Hello Bob, Auntie Joanie often speaks highly of you,’ Ricky lied.

Pleased as punch by the compliment, Bob grinned from ear to ear. He’d always had a crush on Joan, but she’d never shown any interest in him until now. ‘Make sure you take care of her, boys. Do you want me to check on her later, make sure she’s OK?’

‘There’s no need, mate. We’re staying with her for a good couple of hours. We certainly won’t leave her until she’s sobered up.’

‘Pleasure to meet you, lads,’ Bob said, as Gary and Ricky got back inside the motor.

On the short distance to Joanie’s house, Ricky turned to his aunt. ‘Well, he got a fantastic look at us and we said our names a couple of times. He seemed a nice old boy an’ all.’

Joanie coughed. ‘Can’t stand him – fucking old lech, he is. Now, pull up ’ere and you can knock at Irene’s, Gary.’

Gary glanced at his watch. Time was getting on and he needed to be quick. The crash helmet and leathers were already upstairs at Joan’s. All he had to do was make sure he was seen by Irene, then it was time to get changed and make tracks.

Eddie sat in the restaurant laughing and joking with Raymond as though he didn’t have a care in the world. He did – his insides were doing somersaults – but he daren’t let anyone clock it, especially Gina, who was as bright as a button.

Gina was thoroughly enjoying herself. She was sat with Polly, Joey and Dominic and having a right old laugh. Out of all of Eddie’s family, Gina had taken a shine to Joey the most. He was an intelligent lad, with the most wonderful sense of humour, and Gina adored both him and Dominic.

Having had a go at Eddie earlier for getting her sister drunk, Vi was now pissed herself, and chewing Reg and Albert’s ears off. Vi had never known anyone gay in her life before. When she was young, gay meant happy, and she couldn’t understand or believe that Eddie had accepted Joey and Dominic’s relationship.

‘I mean it ain’t fucking right, is it? I think it’s bastard well disgusting, and if he was a son of mine, I’d have him shot, I swear I would.’

Aware that Vi’s voice was getting louder by the second, Reg stood up and urged her and Albert to do the same. If Eddie heard what Vi was saying, there’d be hell to pay. ‘Me, Albert and Vi are gonna make a move now. Thanks for inviting us, Ed, we’ve really enjoyed it.’

Eddie shook Reg and Albert’s hands, kissed Vi on the cheek, then nervously checked his watch. The service for Marky’s funeral was at three o’clock and Ed had given Gary strict instructions not to arrive at the cemetery until at least quarter-past. Gary knew where to hide – Ed had taken him over there a couple of days earlier and shown him the perfect spot. They’d gone armed with a couple of bouquets. Jessica was buried nearby and they’d lain them at her graveside.

Noticing that Eddie kept checking his watch, Gina smiled at him. ‘Are you waiting to make a move?’

Ed leaned towards her and kissed her. ‘Don’t be silly, I ain’t had me fucking dessert yet.’

Gary felt sick with nerves as he headed towards Upminster on the Yamaha. He was a dab hand with a gun and so was Ricky – their father had taught them how to use one at a very young age. While his dad was inside, Gary had been forced to shoot four men. He’d killed one and purposely just injured the other three. This, however, was different; he’d never had to kill a man at a graveside burial in front of so many people before.

Hitting a pothole along the A13, Gary felt bile rise in his throat. He quickly pulled over, took his helmet off and chucked his guts up. Wiping his mouth with his hand, Gary took deep breaths. Desperate to straighten himself out, he thought of Jessica, his beautiful stepmum. He then thought about his father’s prison sentence, Frankie being stuck in Holloway and poor little Georgie and Harry being motherless.

Feeling anger surge through his veins, Gary restarted the bike’s engine. Jed O’Hara had ripped his family to shreds, and it was high time for the evil, pikey cunt to pay the price.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Ricky Mitchell put on his brother’s bomber jacket and checked cap and studied himself in the mirror. He was slightly taller than Gary and not quite as broad-shouldered but, other than that they looked very similar. Both of them had short, dark hair and walked with a swagger, so, providing nobody stood a foot away from him, Ricky could easily pass as Gary.

Auntie Joan was in her rocking chair, knitting a baby coat for her friend Lil’s great grandson. She fleetingly thought of Gary and said a silent prayer that he would be OK. Joanie had helped Eddie out a few times over the years by providing alibis. She never asked any questions, as if she knew the implications beforehand, she’d probably worry herself to death. As Ricky walked into the room dressed in Gary’s outfit, Joan put her knitting down.

‘Well, do you think I’ll pass as him?’

Joanie smiled. ‘Course you will. Two peas in a pod, you are.’

Ricky pulled the net curtain to one side and looked out of the window. He needed to be seen by at least two people. ‘Who’s that over there washing their car, Auntie?’

‘That’s Norma’s son, Backward Brian. Washes that car every day he does. I wouldn’t mind, but the bastard thing don’t even work. It ain’t got an engine.’

‘Right, I’m gonna pop out now and make sure Backward Brian has a butcher’s. I’ll wave and shout out something to him. Be a good idea to ask him if he knows the time. Backward or not, he might remember that if the Old Bill come sniffing round asking questions.’

Joanie stood by the window and watched Ricky saunter outside. Whatever Ed and the boys had planned today was obviously a biggie and, not for the first time, when she watched the news in the next couple of days, Joan would probably guess what it was.

Eddie Mitchell savoured the last of his apple pie and put down his spoon. He glanced at his watch. It was twenty-past three and Gary should be in position by now. For obvious reasons, Eddie had told Gary and Ricky not to contact him on his mobile. The Old Bill were too cute for their own good these days; they could trace all sorts. The suspense of the wait would probably kill him, but Ed had told the boys that he would ring Joanie’s at six o’clock and ask if she had sobered up. ‘Yes’ would mean that everything had gone to plan, and ‘no’ would mean that something had gone terribly wrong.

Joey waved his hand in front of his father’s face to catch his attention. ‘Can me and Dom jump in with you and Gina on the way home, Dad? We’ve had too much to drink to bother with trains.’

‘Course you can. Me and Gina came by cab today, and the same driver’s gonna pick us up again later.’

Joey was taken aback. His father detested using public transport of any kind, and that included taxis. He usually drove everywhere, whether he was drinking or not. ‘I’ve never known you use a cab in your life, Dad. Is there something wrong with your motor?’

Eddie shook his head. ‘Them Essex police are fucking murder for drink driving. Two pals of mine have just lost their licences out there. I wanted to have a good drink today and, seeing as I’m still on probation, decided to be sensible for once.’