Get Even (5 page)

Jack smiled then. ‘See that you do. Now, get that wife of yours home. I want you in bright and early tomorrow.’

Lenny nodded gratefully, aware of just how lucky he was.

Sharon lay in bed beside her new husband, listening to the sound of his breathing. It was a wonderful feeling being married, and having her own home. But she couldn’t deny that the events of the night before had frightened her. Not that she would ever have
not
married this man of hers, but it had shown her a side to him she had not known existed. Unsurprisingly, her mum had been
very
vocal about her feelings; Sharon had just kept her head down and not risen to the bait.

She shivered suddenly. The old saying of someone walking over your grave came to mind, so she settled into her handsome new husband’s body and, like many a bride before her, wondered at what the future would bring. She loved Lenny Scott with a vengeance, and she would do everything in her power to make sure their marriage worked.

Nevertheless she was unable to sleep. She put it down to being in a new home, in a new bed, with her new husband. But she was still awake as the sun came up and the estate came to life.

‘They said you ain’t pursuing charges, Keith, and I can’t thank you enough, mate.’

Looking at Keith, Lenny Scott felt shame washing over him once more. He had really made a mess of this bloke’s face and head.

Keith shrugged. He had not been an oil painting to start with, but he now looked like something out of a Hammer Horror film. Jack Johnson had offered to pay for his plastic surgery, but he would be left with a glass eye. It was hard not to hold a grudge, but what could he do? Lenny Scott was an up-and-coming Face, and Keith had to live round here. But it still burned him. Jack Johnson had referred to it as ‘an unfortunate accident’; he had warned Keith off, simple as that. He had slipped him a couple of grand and wished him well. If only Keith could shrug it off so lightly. His whole life was ruined, and there was nothing he could do about it. That was the bugbear.

‘Look, Lenny, it happened. Let’s get over it, eh?’

Lenny Scott knew how hard those words had been for Keith, and he admired his stoicism. He wasn’t sure he could bring himself to be that magnanimous if the boot had been on the other foot. He shook the man’s hand and was glad to get away from him, if truth be told.

At six months pregnant, Sharon Scott had just a tiny bump; but, according to the midwife, the baby was fine and a fair size. Sharon felt she had been short-changed; she hardly even looked in the club. She was full of energy and she looked amazing. Her skin was glowing, and her hair was thick and shining. She had not had any morning sickness after the first two months and she had never felt better in her life.

She and Lenny were building a lovely home for themselves, and she was delighted that they were managing to save as well, thanks to her new job. They both wanted to buy a property – it was their dream. She was working in a small betting office in Green Lane and she loved it. The hours were perfect and she knew most of the clientele now. The owner, an old Jewish man called Isaac Templeton, was a dote. He thought the world of her and he trusted her implicitly. She was good with numbers and could work out a bet in her head – something that had surprised her. She had taken to the job like the proverbial duck to water.

She cashed up the till and locked the money in the safe in the office, then she went through the slips and sorted out who would need to be paid out the following day. This was her kingdom, and she loved it here. It was a good little gig for her; Isaac pretty much left her to her own devices and she enjoyed her days.

She was aware she had been offered the job through Jack Johnson and she was grateful to him. Since that terrible night before the wedding it was clear that Lenny had been doing everything in his power to show Jack that he could be trusted.

She pushed those events from her mind – she hated to think about any of it, and she knew that, without Jack Johnson fighting their corner, Lenny could have gone away for a few years.

Even though she was relieved that the charges had been dropped, she still couldn’t quite get it out of her head. That Lenny was capable of such a brutal attack frightened her. Of course she knew his job was not without violence, but the debt collecting was controlled violence, more about the threat of it really – or so Lenny assured her on a daily basis. She knew he would never hurt
her
, but it lingered there between them, and that bothered her. She guessed that Lenny sometimes sensed her reticence with him now, and he was heartbroken to have caused that.

She locked up the betting office and made her way home, wondering what to cook for dinner and whether to start painting the bathroom. Anything so she didn’t have to think of the one thing that plagued her at all times of the day and night – especially the nights.

Jack Johnson was over his annoyance with young Lenny Scott’s actions. If anything, his mad half-hour had only enhanced the lad’s reputation. Far from hindering him, it had been a great help. People were mentioning him with a different tone of voice. Jack had even observed some of the older men who worked for him giving the lad his due. No more of the good-natured ribbing – now he was an equal.

Jack had a little job for Lenny and he was interested to see if he was willing to do it. It was a bit out of the ordinary, but he needed it done fast and with the minimum of fuss. Not everyone would take it on, but he had a feeling that Lenny would. He was determined to show willing, bless him. But this was a tricky situation and would need to be handled with great tact and diplomacy. Jack poured himself a large Courvoisier brandy and sipped on it thoughtfully.

Ten minutes later, he heard Lenny’s car pull into the yard, bang on time as always. You could set your watch by this kid. He was a Brahma, there was no doubt about that. Jack sat back in his chair and waited for the lad to come into the offices.

Lenny entered with his usual sheepish smile, and Jack was reminded just how good-looking he was. Yet he was all loved up with his little wife. Jack had asked around and there was not a hint of scandal about this boy taking up with any strange whatsoever. He was genuinely on a love job, by all accounts.

Lenny placed a Waitrose carrier bag on the desk, filled with money. It was a big drop – over twenty grand. He took out the bundles of notes and then he carefully folded up the carrier bag and put it in his pocket. Jack Johnson watched him, marvelling at the lad’s concise movements. He moved like a boxer, fluid for all his size.

‘A Waitrose carrier bag?’

Lenny laughed as he said, ‘That’s the Fagans for you. No wonder they have to borrow so fucking much. But it’s the wife – she spends money like fucking water. They’ve got the biggest TV Dixons can provide – they could hardly get it in their own front room!’

Jack shrugged, smiling at the boy’s incredulity. It was the Fagans of this world that kept them in bread and butter.

‘What we like to hear in this game.’ He didn’t offer Lenny a drink; he knew he would refuse. ‘Sit down, son. I need a favour from you, a favour you will be handsomely paid for. I will genuinely understand if you refuse and there will be no ill will. But you’re my first port of call.’

Lenny sat down, intrigued.

Jack sipped his brandy before saying quietly, ‘Be honest with me, son. Have you heard anything untoward about Billy Mason?’

He saw Lenny’s face close up. It was what he expected – the lad was loyal to him as well as his co-workers, of that Jack was convinced.

‘In what way, Jack?’ Lenny asked carefully.

Jack smiled then, a nasty smile. ‘Where shall I start, eh? My nose told me he was taking the piss somehow, I just couldn’t work out how. So I had a little bird I know go round to his earns and have a chat. I then found out he was undercutting my loans and giving them loans himself. I deduced this, Sherlock, by how much they were paying him. Less than they would be paying me. Now, I am all for free fucking enterprise – as long as it ain’t taking the food out of my mouth, so to speak.’

Lenny nodded. ‘I thought he was up to something too, I just wasn’t sure what, Jack. I wasn’t about to come running to you until I had sussed it out.’

Jack could see the logic of that, and he liked that the boy hadn’t come telling tales before he had the facts.

‘So, what do you want me to do?’ Lenny asked.

Jack Johnson was thrilled. This kid never disappointed.

‘I want you to take that cunt out, that’s what I want.’

Lenny Scott frowned, weighing up what had been said. ‘Kill him, you mean?’

Jack grinned. ‘No. I just want a really good example set. If we kill him, he’s won. I want a walking reminder of his folly. I want people to know that he tried to have me over and what the consequences of such behaviour will be should they embark on such a quest. It’s simple really. You fuck
me
over, I will fuck
you
over big time.’

Lenny nodded in agreement. ‘Cripple him, or blind him?’

Jack laughed. Lenny was a fucking diamond. ‘Bit of both, son.’

Lenny stood up and said seriously, ‘I know you will reward me handsomely, as you put it, Jack.’

‘’Course, Lenny. And this will enhance your standing with the rest of the workforce. It means you’re my main man. That in itself will make sure the collecting of your debts will be much easier. But it also means you will be the victim of envy and malice. Are you prepared for that?’

Lenny grinned. ‘What do you think, Jack?’