‘For fuck’s sake Alex, there are two police cars outside. What am I going to do with three dead bodies in my living room?’ Nervous and panicking, Percy looked down at the bodies and then back at Alex still holding his gun.
‘Well, why don’t you go out there and tell the police you were harbouring the very men they’re looking for? Or let Mark know you have sold him down the river and his friendship means nothing to you? Go on Percy, you son of a bitch! Because your police buddies can’t get you out of this one, this time!’
Angry and red faced, Alex slowly put his gun away. ‘I am Alex Silva, but I am sure you have known that for some time. Like I give a fuck. I have got bigger and harder men after me than your three clowns. But you’re asking me what to do? Well I suggest you call your other friends and tell them that this lot are dead. They will clean the mess up, believe me. And if your friends come looking for me for revenge, remember this Percy. I have more of these,’ Alex said, tapping the gun in his jacket, ‘and my family know how to use them and one bullet has got your name engraved on it.’
Percy stood there as white as a sheet and shaking with fear.
‘Be fucking warned!’ With that, Alex left the same way he had got in. Sweat poured down his forehead and he brushed it away with his coat sleeve. He couldn’t believe what he had just done. Rubbing his face, he looked up at the moonlight. No matter how many times he tried to start afresh, he was still a cold-hearted killer. As he walked back to the pub, he decided this was one secret he would definitely keep from Maggie. This new leaf he had turned over, was just an old leaf with a new colour. Old habits die hard, Alex thought to himself.
‘You feeling better now Mark mate? Come and have a drink,’ he shouted above the crowd. ‘And then we will help you clear the decks.’ Alex noticed that the ambulance had gone in his absence and people were slowly finding their way back to their homes and the pub. Looking around for Maggie, he couldn’t see her. ‘Where is Maggie?’ he asked.
‘Back in the pub with Olivia. They are having a drink to calm Olivia’s nerves.’ Alex waited for Mark to join him, and they both walked towards the pub.
Much to Alex’s surprise, the pub was packed to the hilt. He knew Maggie would be pleased the cash register was opening and closing as people bought more drinks, and like any good tale, the story got better and better each time it was told. Mark wasted no time in gulping back a drink, smacking his lips and letting everyone know how he had fought the intruders and got a few punches in. Alex thought back to the men he had seen at Percy’s and couldn’t remember any of them a nursing any wounds or black eyes. In fact, they had looked very calm and composed drinking their tea and biding their time with Percy until the police had left.
‘Who called the police?’ Alex asked, surprised Mark had called them considering he had been sniffing cocaine.
‘I did!’ Olivia cried, making her red, tear-stained face even worse. ‘My Mark could have been hurt. He’s a hero. A bloody hero saving me and my George from those hooligans.’
Alex cast a glance towards Maggie and they stared at each other for a moment and smiled. Both of them knew that Mark was going to dine out on this tale for a long time to come!
Excusing himself, Alex walked towards his own back door and pushed his gun deep into the umbrella stand beside the rifle under the coats and hung his own coat up. For a moment, he stood there staring at the coats and wondered what Percy was doing at this precise moment. He knew his cover was blown, but what the hell. It was all going to come out soon enough anyway. He also wondered if he had just got rid of all of Luke’s enemies. He doubted it, because like all puppets, somebody was always pulling their strings. These Liverpudlians would have another boss giving out the orders.
Turning around to walk into the bar, Maggie stopped him. ‘Everything okay, Alex?’
‘Everything is fine, darling. Sorry I took so long. This place is so boring, and the minute I go out there’s a bit of action,’ he laughed. As she searched his face, he kissed her on the cheek, while whispering in her ear, ‘The deed is done love – all gone.’
Nodding her head and smiling, she said, ‘I’ve told Olivia that they can stay here tonight. We will all muck in tomorrow to help them clean up their house, love.’
As much as Alex liked Maggie playing hostess, he felt it hindered him. He wanted to see the cement first thing in the morning, preferably before the builders arrived. The last thing he wanted was Mark on his heels.
Hearing a loud banging on the pub door, Alex looked at Maggie.
‘That will be for me,’ shouted Mark. ‘I’ve got a bloke coming out to secure the front door. I told them to knock here.’
Alex opened the door and true enough, the carpenter stood there. Swaying, Mark put his arm around Alex’s shoulder. ‘He’s a mate of mine,’ Mark boasted. ‘Owes me a favour, which is why he has come out so late.’
Seeing his drunken state, Alex decided to take over and talk to the carpenter and offer any help, if needed. He took some chipboard out of the back of his van and Alex helped him carry it to Mark’s front door. As he stood with it while the workman went about his work, Alex spotted a small transit van outside of Percy’s house about to drive off.
A smile spread across his face as he watched Percy come to his front gate and close it. Quickly, they glanced at each other before Percy turned swiftly and walked back into his house.
Alex realised that Percy had followed his instructions and had called his friends to get rid of the dead bodies. All in all, a job well done. He then remembered that he had left Mark’s van parked further up the street. Now was the time to bring it back.
Yawning as he parked the van up and checked the back for traces of anything he might have left behind, Alex locked it and walked back towards the pub. What a bloody day, he thought to himself. He was sick of seeing dead bodies! Now he would have a drink!
26 THE AFTERMATH
Waking with a start, Alex opened his eyes to the sound of the builders turning up. He jumped out of bed so quickly he nearly fell out. He needed to see if the cement had dried properly and if the body had definitely been covered. Pulling on his jeans, he crept downstairs and went out to them.
‘Morning, how you all doing?’ Staring across at the tarpaulin, he watched the two young builders’ apprentices pull it away. His heart was in his mouth.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he saw that it looked like it had set.
‘Morning Mr Silva, don’t suppose that gorgeous wife of yours has the kettle on yet?’ The foreman smiled.
‘I’m sure she does,’ Alex laughed nervously. ‘So, I presume you will be putting up the bike shed today?’ he asked nonchalantly.
‘Hopefully. We have the tarmac to do first. Can’t leave it just concrete for safety reasons. It dries pretty quick though, and we should be out of your hair by the end of today.’
Tarmac? Alex grinned. He’d never thought of that. That was even better!
‘What happened to the house over there? It’s all boarded up.’
‘Break-in of some kind.’ Avoiding going into detail, Alex said he would go and see about the tea and wandered back indoors.
Going upstairs, he could see Maggie was up and already filling the kettle. ‘You must be a mind reader Maggie. The foreman has just asked me about his early-morning tea.’ Going over to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. ‘Are the others up yet?’ The slamming of bedroom doors and the shower running answered his question. ‘Never mind. I was wondering about that promise you made me now my tadpoles have surfaced.’
‘Go on with you, you saucy bugger. With a house full of guests and kids. You don’t stand a chance.’ Turning around, she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. ‘We’ll put that on ice for now.’ She winked, making him laugh at her inuendo about the freezer.
‘Oy, oy, am I interrupting something?’ Mark stood in the doorway, large as life. His face had strips of plaster on where the paramedics had put them to glue the cut to the side of his head. His eyes were black, but he seemed to be in his usual high spirits. ‘Any paracetamol going spare once you two have finished your morning snog.’
Deana pushed past him into the kitchen. ‘Christ I didn’t think you could look any worse, but you definitely do in the morning, and that’s without your face looking like a car crash. And don’t even think of scratching your balls in those boxer shorts, you hairy monster. Why is it all men do that in the morning, Mum?’ she scoffed and slumped into a chair at the breakfast table.
Smiling, Maggie shook her head in answer to her question and handed Mark some paracetamol.
‘You will be glad of some bloke scratching his balls in your kitchen one day,’ Mark said, doing it on purpose to make Deana squirm even more. ‘It wakes everything up,’ he laughed. ‘Ask your dad!’ He sat beside Deana, making her move her chair further away from him in disgust.
‘Is Olivia coming through?’ Maggie asked, ignoring Deana’s contempt and Mark’s comments.
‘Yes, but she’s having one of her nervous days. She’s already making a mental list of the new stuff she wants. She’s been wanting a new kitchen for ages and now she has the opportunity to go bonkers at my expense.’ As an afterthought, while he sipped his coffee, Mark asked, ‘Did you pick up the exhaust Alex?’
‘Yes, in the back of the van. The scrap dealer said he would sort out the cash with you later today.’
Nodding with satisfaction, Mark slurped his drink. ‘I’ll sort it, but first I need to check Olivia isn’t going to decorate the kitchen in pink flamingos. Don’t know why, but she likes them. Weird if you ask me. I like stags personally.’
‘And I like drinking my tea without an ape sat next to me,’ Deana snapped.
Alex couldn’t help but laugh. He knew Olivia would get her own way and Mark would just have to swallow it. As for Deana, well, whatever sarcastic remark she made just seemed to fly over Mark’s head.
‘I know you would have jumped in last night and helped me, Alex. The others just stood there like idiots and ran for cover, chicken bastards! Call themselves mates. Useless, the lot of them.’
‘Too right I would Mark. It’s ironic I wasn’t there to help. The only night I go out and you needed my help.’ Although, Alex thought to himself, he wondered what Mark would think of the three dead bodies in Percy’s house. He wondered what Percy had said to explain the situation. He decided he would find out later.
Dante and George left for school, Deana got ready for college and everything returned to normal. Olivia declined to go and see her house in the state it had been left and so, once showered and dressed, Alex and Mark strolled over to have a look.
‘Fuck Alex, it looks worse in daylight. Let’s borrow a crow bar off your workmen and get in through the front door.’
‘Did you know them, Mark? Have you argued with a lot of people lately?’ Alex asked.
