The Take (4 page)

Freddie looked into his wife's face and seeing the love there, alongside the need and the want so strong she was capable of killing for him. He felt suddenly as if he was inside again and the walls were coming in on him.

He hugged her to him and saw his mother-in-law walk from the room without a backward glance. 'I am home, Jackie. Everything is fine now, don't keep on about it.'

He wiped out in a few words the years she had been alone with the children, her loneliness and her daily struggle. He was telling her that he had had enough of hearing about it, and she knew better than to harp on, so she just enjoyed the feel of his arms around her.

Dianna broke the tension by walking in the kitchen and saying loudly in a mock French accent, '
Ooh là là
!'

Jackie watched as her husband picked up his daughter and kissed her. Dianna was already his favourite, and she could twist her father round her little finger. And all the time she watched the scene, Jackie had to swallow down her jealousy of a seven-year-old child. Her own flesh and blood.

She pulled the child from his arms and, giving her a playful slap on the behind she said gaily, 'Get back in there with your sisters. I am trying to cook a dinner here.'

As her daughter scampered merrily out of the kitchen, she turned back towards her husband but he was already rummaging in the ancient fridge for a beer. The moment was gone and she knew it.

She went back to her cooking, telling herself not to be so stupid, Dianna was a nice child and if she kept him home

then that could only be a good thing.

Maggie and Jimmy were in the pub when Jackie arrived. They had got there early and saved a table by the bar. It was already noisy and smoky. Maggie was drinking Southern Comfort and lemonade and even after three she didn't feel drunk. She was already a seasoned drinker, as were most of her friends.

Jimmy was, as always, looking at her. His dark hair and blue eyes were a winning combination as far as she was concerned and she smiled shyly back at him. As her mother said, he looked at her as if she was a great big present he was waiting to unwrap. Then she would remark with her acerbic wit, 'And make sure he don't unwrap too much, girl.'

Maggie would laugh, but now she had been well and truly unwrapped and the fear of losing him was acute. He seemed more enamoured of her, though, and that was allaying her fears for the moment.

She saw her sister walk in and waved her over.

'Where's Freddie?'

Pulling off her jacket Jackie said loudly, 'Give me a fucking chance to sit down will you!'

Maggie's eyes widened. This was Jackie all over. She talked to people as if they were dirt and, luckily for her, people swallowed because of Freddie and his reputation. But Maggie felt it more acutely because this was her big sister and she adored her.

Jimmy's brow was darkening and so Maggie said cheerfully, 'Who's rattled your cage?' She was skating on thin ice because Jackie was capable of turning on her, but she didn't know how else to diffuse the situation.

Looking down into her sister's eyes Jackie felt bad, but the familiar jealousy was once more upon her. Maggie's perfect skin, white teeth and neat figure had bothered her lately. She envied her sister her looks and her youth, she envied her the fart she had no kids and no ties. Freddie coming home had awakened her old anxieties. She knew he would cheat on her and she knew she would be once more plagued with self-doubt and self-loathing and, worst of all, she knew she would eventually accept his philandering because if she didn't he would leave her.

Not the most perfect of outlooks for any marriage.

'Sorry, darlin'. Get me a drink, would you?'

Jackie sat down and, as Maggie and Jimmy knew she would, stared at the door waiting for her husband.

Jimmy noticed that her hands were shaking. As she lit her cigarette he was surprised at how pronounced it was, but then he knew she was pilled up to the eyebrows most days, from slimming pills, Dexedrine to a few Mandrax. That was when she wasn't shovelling Valium and Norovail down her throat.

She was the proverbial accident waiting to happen.

He slipped from his seat and went outside to the car park. It was already dark and he could just make out the figure of Freddie in the corner of the car park, leaning down to the door of a dark green Granada. He walked over slowly, but he could hear what was being said.

'Ozzy said you could put me right.' The subservience in Freddie's voice was so shocking Jimmy stopped in his tracks.

'You sure you're up for this, Freddie? This is the big time, mate.' The man's voice was warm, friendly with an underlying threat running through it.

'Too right I am ready. I know the score, I can hold up my end.'

'Relax for fuck's sake, it's only a bit of puff.'

The man was smiling, Jimmy could hear it in his voice.

He toked on his cigarette before saying, 'I'll be in touch.'

Jimmy could see Freddie squaring up, could almost feel the excitement running through his veins. 'Thank you, Mr Clancy, I really appreciate it.'

'One last thing, Freddie?' The man pointed to Jimmy and said, 'That nosy little fucker anything to do with you?'

Freddie turned and motioned for Jimmy to come over to him, and as Jimmy got to him he grabbed him in a bear hug. 'This is me little cousin, Mr Clancy, Jimmy Jackson.'

'Little? Fuck me, what did they grow you lot in, horse shit?'

They all laughed.

The driver stuck his hand out and Jimmy shook it nervously. This was Siddy Clancy, and until now he had only ever heard the name. It was the Southeast equivalent of meeting a Hollywood star.

'I'll be in touch, OK?'

Freddie nodded once more and the car pulled away sharply, wheel-spinning out of the car park and nearly causing an accident as it barrelled down Dagenham Heathway towards the A13.

Freddie was puffed up like a peacock. Grinning, he grabbed Jimmy in an arm lock and started singing, 'We're in the money.'

Jimmy was caught up in his enthusiasm, and sang along.

'Fucking hell, Fred, Siddy Clancy. What a turn up!'

Freddie was serious suddenly.

'He's a
cunt
, and I am the man who is going to fuck him up.'

Jimmy wasn't sure he had heard right, Siddy Clancy was a bad man, a dangerous fuck. No one in their right mind would try to have him over, but he kept that pearl of wisdom to himself.

Freddie put a finger to his lip as he said, 'You keep this close to your chest right, and you can work with him alongside me. I'll show you the ropes, son. OK?'

Jimmy nodded as he was expected to. But he felt cold all of a sudden. Those were heavy-duty people and they were not really in his class, but he kept his own counsel.

Inside the warmth of the pub Freddie made his way straight over to a crowd of girls who were drinking at the bar.

Maggie saw her sister's face and sighed.

Jimmy slipped into the booth beside Maggie and, putting his arm around her, kissed the top of her head. Maggie instinctively snuggled in closer to him and watching the little tableau Jackie felt the rage that was always bubbling away inside her well up.

Her eyes were cutting through her husband's clothes and practically stabbing him in the back. He was aware of her watching but he didn't come back to sit with her until he had flirted enough to make the girls uneasy and his wife white faced and drawn.

Chapter Two

Steel Pulse was loud in the quiet of the room, cannabis smoke hung heavy on the air and the three men inside watched each other warily.

Outside the window were the usual summer sounds of kids laughing, traffic moving, and every now and then a car stereo booming its way down the street.

'What is it with him, eh?'

Freddie was shaking his head in disbelief while Jimmy was standing beside him, quietly watching the proceedings.

The black man with relaxed hair and gapped front teeth smiled wider. Jimmy knew that the man was dangerous. He looked friendly, affable even, but there was a steely glint in his eyes, and the unmistakable shape of a machete under his long leather coat. He also had a posse of mates outside the door of his house in South London.

Glenford Prentiss had a large spliff in his hand and he toked on it deeply before saying, in a gruff, smoke-filled voice that intermingled with his heavy coughing, 'It was shit, Freddie, that's the long and the short of it, man, nothing to wipe down. I sold it and you got your money. My boy made a serious fuck-up when he accepted it. I'm just saying in future I do the deals from now on.'

His thick Jamaican accent was interrupted as he tried to clear his throat. He was stoned but still lucid.

Freddie looked at the man before him. He was actually a nice geezer, he liked him, and he was absolutely right. Freddie had weighed Glenford off with some right shit the week before, and now he was learning a lesson.

Freddie prided himself on his ability to learn lessons, learn who could be had over, find out who might put up a bit of resistance. As he was Ozzy's front man he had to watch his step, mind his manners. Ozzy expected him to
cream
something off, not
rip
people off. There was a fine line and he knew that he had crossed it.

He had no choice but to hold his hand up, wipe his mouth and make the best of it.

He grinned, that white-toothed grin that crinkled up the corners of his eyes and made him look for all the world like someone's favourite son.

That grin belied the dangerous personality of its bearer and Glenford Prentiss knew that better than anyone. He had had his say, he was willing to fight his end, but he had a feeling he wouldn't have to. Why shoot the messenger boy? For all Freddie Jackson's hard-nosed demeanour he was only Siddy's puppet.

And Ozzy pulled all their strings.

Everyone knew that.

'It won't happen again.'

Glenford grinned. 'I know that, man.' He embraced Freddie then, laughing that infectious laugh he had. He slipped him a brown envelope stuffed with money, and Freddie didn't count it, he knew it wouldn't be light.

As Freddie pocketed the money Glenford said to him quietly, 'You got to try, man, I know that. I would have done the same myself.'

He passed the joint to Freddie who toked on it deeply, holding it in his lungs for a few seconds before he slowly exhaled it. Then looking at the joint he said, 'Now that is good grass.'

Glenford grinned. 'Me never smoke what me sell, boy. Especially when it was bought from white boys.'

They all laughed then and Jimmy felt the tension depart the room. He finally exhaled his own breath then. The blacks worried him, but only because they were so unpredictable. He liked Glenford though and he had said the week before that Freddie should only unload the shittier grass on the skinheads who never knew the difference.

In the car a few minutes later Jimmy said as much to him again.

'That was a close one, Freddie. I mean, like I said last week, they know their puff.'

Freddie stopped the car. Turning in the driver's seat he looked into Jimmy's face and said sternly, 'Don't you ever fucking lecture me again, right? We had a touch last week and that's the end of it.'

Jimmy nodded furiously. 'I know that, Freddie. I was just saying—'

'Shut it.'

Freddie was staring into his eyes and the venom was there for anyone to see. Jimmy could feel the menace and he swallowed down the retort he was longing to give.

He was nearly twenty years old and he was a player, and it was getting harder and harder to keep his anger on a leash. Freddie treated him like the hired help and it rankled. He could hold his own with anyone and he wanted the respect that should have afforded him.

Freddie slammed his fist on the steering wheel in frustration. 'I'm sorry, Jim, but look at me, I am still selling shite for Clancy and the time has come to put him wise, whatever Ozzy might think. He is lumped up for the fucking duration and I ain't spending the rest of my life as one of his heavies.'

He started the car up again. 'And I don't need you reminding me, all right?' He smiled then, a sad little smile. 'Let's go and get a drink, eh? I have a little bird on the go in Ilford, you can drop me there and take the car, OK?'

He turned on the cassette player and the sounds of Phil Collins filled the cramped space between them.

Jimmy sighed inwardly. Freddie hadn't been home for days and he knew it was bringing untold aggravation for everyone concerned, except of course, for the man who caused all the upset.

In the last six months he had caused murders with Jackie, and while everyone else suffered, Freddie just did his own thing.

As Maggie's dad always said, Freddie Jackson would never

change all the time women had tits.

'Stick the kids in the bath for me, would you?'

Maggie nodded, and, going upstairs, she started to run the bath, putting in a hefty dollop of Matey so the girls would have something to play with.

Once the girls were settled in there she washed their hair quickly and then left them playing with their toys.

In the front room she saw Jackie had opened another bottle of Liebfraumilch.

'Where the fuck is he? For all I know he's banged up.'

Lena, who was in the kitchen making sure her daughter had food in the fridge to feed her children, said loudly and sarcastically, 'They would have informed you by now.'

Maggie could have lamped her mother for her answer. While Jackie could convince herself Freddie was banged up she was, if not happy, then at least reassured that her errant husband wasn't trumping the nearest female he could lay his grubby hands on.

Jackie closed her eyes in distress. 'He's with a bird, ain't he?'

Maggie sat beside her on the sofa and said gently, 'You don't know that, Jackie. Calm yourself down, those kids can feel something's up.' She lit her a cigarette and placed it in her hand, taking the wine glass from her at the same time. 'This ain't going to do you any good, is it?'

Jackie sniffed, the tears near once more. 'It helps me sleep.'