The Jump (40 page)

Alan nodded.

‘Georgio’s A grade, you know that,’ Anthony went on. There’ll be the sweatbox, a Rover, two motorcycles, and a Range-Rover on his arse. It’s too big a deal to go through with all that. That’s not

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forgetting the local police who’ll have to open the roads for us. You know there’s no way the entourage will stop for anything.’

Anthony thought about Alan’s words as his daughter chewed on his fingers, her face covered in spittle. She grinned toothlessly at Alan and he grinned back.

‘She’s a real darling, ain’t she,’ he said dotingly. ‘Good job she don’t look like you. Except for the bald head, of course.’

‘Up yours, Coxy Apples. Remember that from school?’

‘How could I ever forget it, eh? I lived with that every summer of my life.’

The two men laughed, then Anthony said seriously, ‘What we have to do is arrange the route. Once we fix that, we can concentrate on getting hun out on some pretext.’

‘I’ve got Jojo O’Neil and his lumbering sidekick sorting out safe houses up north, just in case, and the queer feller in Glasgow is sorting out the boat. We should be all right in that way at least. Jimmy Mac is sorting the rifles. Do you think we’ll still need a helicopter?’

Anthony shook his head. ‘Not now. We don’t need a helicopter but we’ll need scrambling bikes for the chop. We need to check the route from Portsmouth to Wandsworth and find the right spot for the jump. It will need to be near a footbridge of some kind for the chop itself, the changeover from bikes to cars. If the Old Bill’s following they can only go by foot then, see. By the time they drive round we’ll all be long gone.’

, Alan nodded, feeling the sense of excitement filling him once more. ‘Let’s all have a good think, get the route sorted and the safe houses. The boats are ours from next weekend. We could spring Georgio in a month to five weeks, top whack.-‘

Anthony grinned. ‘I’ll drink to that. There’s a bottle of scotch behind you. Bring it over with the glasses, would you?’

Alan poured out generous measures for them both. Anthony put a meaty finger in his glass and rubbed it on his daughter’s gums. ‘Sharon would have a fit if she saw me doing this, but my old mum swears by it. Cheers!’

Alan smiled as the baby’s face screwed up and she spat out the scotch as if it was hemlock.

‘Like I said, good job she don’t take after you apart from the hair. She don’t like whisky either!’

Anthony grinned and sipped the burning liquid. ‘If we get our thinking caps on we should be all set before we know it, then it’s just biding out the day. That will be the hard part. We’ll definitely need the Armalites now - the sweatbox windscreen is bulletproof. The

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them screw will laugh in our faces until he sees the Armalite, then he’ll shit

himself.’ “I’ll get the Ordnance Survey maps later on and I’ll drive the route

some time this week. I’ll keep you informed.’ Anthony smiled. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ Alan grinned back at his friend. ‘You could say that, Anthony.

Yes, you could say that!’

Donna had been listening to Dolly’s chatter for twenty minutes and it was beginning to wear on her nerves. Since she had walked into the house Dolly’s mouth had not stopped except for the odd breath.

‘Paddy’s going up to see your man today. I expect he has a lot to sort out with him.’ Dolly glanced at Donna as she spoke.

Donna nodded and sipped her coffee.

‘How did the weekend go then?’

This question was what Donne had been waiting for.

‘OK, thanks. How did your dinner go at Maeve’s?’

Dolly smiled, a steely glint in her grey eyes. ‘OK. Your mother-in law is a demon of a cook, the Yorkshire were like diddy men, the size of them! But I’m more interested in Scotland. Where did you go? Did you visit anywhere nice? I hear the food is great and the people aren’t as bad as the comedians make out.’

‘It was lovely, and the people were lovely too.’

Dolly wasn’t to be put off. ‘Did Georgio know you weren’t going alone, like?’ Immediately the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.

‘I beg your pardon, Dolly! Exactly what are you getting at?’ Donna fixed dark brooding eyes on the small woman in front of her and saw her visibly pale. ‘Are you trying to insinuate something here? Have I missed something? I was away on business, nothing more. Remember when Georgio used to swan around on business - all over the world, in fact? Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Italy, Germany … to name but a few of his trips. Trips he made alone, Dolly. Trips where he was sometimes gone for six weeks at a time, while I was banged up in here with just you and an old black dog for company. So let’s get something straight here. If I want to leave the house I don’t have to answer to you, Georgio, or bloody King Street Charlie about where I am or who I’m with. You would do well to remember that. This is my house, the money in the accounts is mine, the businesses are mkie, and I will look after them as I see fit.’

She only just stopped herself from telling the older woman that the marvellous Georgio would be quite happy to dump his longtime housekeeper out on the street without a by your leave.

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‘The estate agent rang, by the way,’ Dolly told her in a choked voice. ‘He has a couple who want to view the house. I told him to wait until you came home, as I knew nothing about it at all.’

Donna dropped her eyes. Dolly had hit her where it hurt and knew it.

‘I was going to tell you about it,’ she began awkwardly. ‘Georgio wants the place sold up. It’s too big for just the two of us—’

Dolly interrupted her. ‘It was much too big for the three of us but he never wanted to sell it before.’

Donna slammed her fist on to the table. ‘Well, he does now! We need the-money, Dolly. The bottomless pit has dried up and the goose that laid the golden eggs is vegetating in Parkhurst. Think about it, will you? The gas bill in this house is over seven hundred pounds a quarter in the winter, the electric is the same. That’s without everything else. The pool alone costs over two hundred a month, what with the Voxanne and algae killer and the rest. It’s just too much at the moment. I need something smaller.’

She saw the haunted look on Dolly’s face and the woman’s next words shattered her.

‘What about me, then? Am I part of all this cutting back?’

Donna rushed from her chair. ‘Of course not Dolly. Don’t be silly.’ She held the woman to her and hugged her. ‘How could I ever get along without you, eh? Even if you do drive me to distraction sometimes.’

Dolly grasped Donna’s hand, lying across her shoulder. ‘You’re like me own child, Donna. More to me, in fact.’ Her voice broke. ‘Since Georgio got caught, everything’s been so different. I’d give ten years off me life to have him walk in that front door now and kid around as usual. It’s all gone wrong, everything has changed, and I’m too old for change now. I’m too set in my ways.

‘I loved Georgio Brunos like me own, too,’ she said tearfully. ‘I love both of you, and I can see the rift coming now even if you can’t. Why would you go away to Scotland with Alan Cox, eh? Why him? Georgio had no business dealings with him, did he? Alan’s as straight as a die now,’

Donna stared down on to Dolly’s grey head and the words ‘Georgio got caught’ and ‘Alan’s as straight as a die now’ whirled around inside her head. With stunning clarity she realised that Dolly, Paddy - all of them, even his mother - knew Georgio was guiltier than he had made out. From day one they were all aware of what he was up to. Everyone was, except her - his wife.

She knelt down on the Italian tiles and made Dolly look into her face. ‘You knew he was guilty, didn’t you? You always knew.’

Dolly gently stroked Donna’s cheek. ‘I never knew for certain, but I’ll tell you this much. Coming from where I do, and knowing what I

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them know, Cockney boys don’t get all this through collar and sweat. Georgio was a wise man, and he used what he had to better himself, and while he was at it, he gave you the earth, girl. Remember that. Alan Cox is a cold-blooded murderer, you’d do well to keep that in mind when you’re dealing with him. He kicked and punched a man to death on a crowded street. It was a vicious, senseless killing. Don’t be too hard on Georgio when you can spend a weekend with the likes of Cox.’

‘I did not spend the weekend with him, Dolly! I went away on a business trip with him. Christ Almighty, Georgio had more women over the years than bloody Warren Beatty! If I had had an affair, which I didn’t, it would be nothing to what he’s done to me over the years.’

Dolly smiled gently. ‘Oh it would, Donna. It would be much worse.’

Donna sighed. ‘How do youVoake that out?’

‘Because you would be emotionally involved. Georgio was out shagging - there’s a difference. He only ever loved you, girl.’

Donna shook her head in exasperation. ‘Oh Dolly, I suffer from the same blindness as you do. I only ever wanted Georgio, whatever he’s supposed to have done, real or imagined. In my heart I don’t really care. Stop worrying about Wonder Boy, he’ll be all right. He’ll always be all right. Especially while there’s women like us around to support him.’

‘And Alan Cox, what about him?’

Donna shrugged. ‘What about him? He’s a man, a good-looking man, who committed, in your words, a cold-blooded, vicious murder. He is helping Georgio out now, and that’s all. Georgio knew I was going up to Scotland. Georgio knows everything.’ She nearly added: Thanks to you and Paddy, but stopped herself. If only Dolly knew how ruthless Georgio really was! Then it occurred to her that when she had finally realised how ruthless, selfish and self-involved he was, she herself had still loved him. Dolly would probably be the same.

Dolly lit a cigarette, drawing the smoke deep into her lungs. ‘You’ve come so far, stood by him through so much, don’t let him down now, girl. He’s depending on you. I don’t know for certain what’s going on but I keep my eyes and ears open. If Georgio’s for the jump, then you make sure the jump is high enough and long enough to get him out of England. Now, shall I make us some fresh coffee?’

Donna was not surprised to hear that Dolly had sussed out what was going down. Nothing surprised her any more.

‘You sit there, Doll, I’ll make it.’

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She went to the sink to fill the kettle and Dolly said quietly, ‘If I can help, you only have to ask, love. I’d do anything for that man. Anything.’

Nick Carvello was fast asleep. Devoid of his outrageous makeup and outlandish clothes, he looked an altogether different person. He turned in the bed and cuddled up to the woman lying beside him. She stirred, snorting slightly, and settled into his arms. Opening one eye she said lazily, ‘It’s late afternoon, I have to be going soon.’

Nick kissed her earlobe gently. ‘Make a cup of tea, Sandy, and I’ll drop you off at your mum’s.’

The woman grinned, showing small white even teeth. She pushed a hand through her short black hair, fingernails bitten to the quick.

‘You’re a lazy sod, Nick.’

He laughed, his eyes still closed. ‘I’m getting another hard-on, actually.’

Sandy slipped from the bed. Her body was lean, small-breasted and compact. Not an ounce of spare fat anywhere. Nick watched her lazily. A few white lines above her pubic hair showed that she was a mother.

‘How’s the little fella?’

Sandy stretched. ‘Growing like mad. I’ll bring him Friday if you like?’ Her voice was hopeful.

Nick shook his head. ‘Bring some more photos, love. They’ll do.’

Sandy pulled on a pair of jeans and a small crop top. “I’ll make the tea.’

As she walked from the bedroom, Nick relaxed in the bed. His son was an anomaly to him. He loved the thought of his flesh and blood growing steadily somewhere, but he was afraid of seeing him in person. Frightened of getting too involved. He sat up in the bed and reached for his cigarettes. Then all.hell broke loose.

His front door was unceremoniously battered into the hallway by twb men with sledgehammers. Before Nick could utter one word his bed was surrounded by men.

He lit himself a cigarette and smiled sleepily. ‘Hello, Jo Jo, still like to make the odd entrance I see?’ His voice was once more pure camp, his body language effeminate.

It didn’t fool any of the men around his bed. If you wanted to scare Nick Carvello, you came mob-handed.

Nick looked the men over slowly, savouring their discomfort as he eyed their trousers longer than their faces.

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them ‘What’s the matter then, boys? Liverpool been bombed, has it? Not before fucking time anyway. Don’t stand there like a cunt, Jo Jo, sit down and tell me what all this little show is all about. I’m beginning to get bored.’

Jo Jo O’Neil, to the amazement of his paid muscle, sat on the bed and started laughing.

Nick looked towards the bedroom door and grinned. ‘Hello, Albie love, come in and say hello.’

The men looked towards the door and their faces paled. Albie, his tongueless mouth grinning, had a compact Uzi in his hands.

Nick tapped Jo Jo’s face gently with his fingers. ‘Never underestimate a queer, Jojo. You of all people should know that. Now what do you want?’

‘I want to know everything you have on Georgio Brunos and Alan Cox. Your little mute friend don’t scare me, Nick.’

He smiled lazily then nodded at Albie, who walked a few feet into the room and opened up two shots into the carpet by Jojo’s feet.

‘You should be scared, Jojo, you should be very scared, because I know everything that’s going down with you and Coyne and I think it stinks, personally. Albie, let him have one in the hand to teach him a lesson.’

Albie shot Jojo’s hand. Three fingers were severed with the first shot. Two more shots hit him in the thighs.

Jojo’s henchmen were silent and wary. All were armed and all were too intelligent to go for their equipment. Albie looked the nutter he was and they automatically respected that.

Nick tutted loudly. ‘Listen to me carefully, boys. I want you to take this piece of shite out of my home, then I want you all back in Liverpool as soon as possible. If ever I get wind that any of you is within shitting distance of me again, there’ll be big trouble. Now take Jojo home. He’s bleeding all over me carpet and bedspread.’