‘I am not your mate, Percy. Be warned. You might have friends in high places, but I have friends in low, low places.’ With that, Alex discarded his own cigarette on the pavement and walked away.
27 A PROPOSITION
Whilst Mark and Olivia sorted out the house, Mark had asked Alex to help him with his mechanic business. ‘Only doing easy jobs, Alex. I’ll turn away the big ones and give them to my mate. Are you up for it?’
Alex couldn’t believe his luck. This was perfect. It meant he could pop out, see Luke and do whatever was necessary to build his own bank balance up. The nights were getting lighter and he decided to tell the police about his new job. They didn’t seem too bothered as long as they knew his whereabouts. If nothing else, they felt it kept him busy and out of mischief!
Deana had offered to go to Luke’s with him on occasion, claiming it looked better if the police saw that he had his young daughter with him – they knew he wouldn’t risk her safety. He’d agreed it was a good cover, although Maggie hadn’t liked it, but once he had filled her in on Luke and his lifestyle she had appreciated him telling her. She knew he was trying to scrape as much money together for the family in case they needed it and had accepted the situation.
Each morning, as Alex went out for his first cigarette of the day in the beer garden, he looked across at the newly built bike shed. Strangely enough, people were using it, including Dante and George. The workmen had done a really nice job.
Things were looking up, and he had another thirty thousand stuffed away in the cellar. Luke and his brother had business booming and everyone liked the new stuff they were giving out. Luke had been right, people didn’t mind paying that little extra for good stuff and eventually, they wouldn’t even notice they had mixed it with herbs.
On occasion, he had noticed a spark between Luke and Deana, but decided to ignore it. He hadn’t liked it, but had swallowed it. Their lives would change soon enough, so why not let her have a little fun while she could? Who knew what their future would hold? And he liked Luke, but had warned him to never offer Deana any of his drugs.
Shocked, Luke had felt insulted by the insinuation. ‘I wouldn’t do that to you Alex, or Deana. I’m not trash. And I know you would make me wear my balls for earrings.’
Apologetically, Alex had told Luke he didn’t think he was trash, not at all. He liked him, but they drew a line under their conversation and carried on as normal.
After a long evening serving behind the bar, Phyllis and Pauline had gone. Alex told Maggie to go upstairs and chill out while he locked up and cleared away. It was midnight when he looked up at the clock and he was just about to switch the hallway light off when there was a knock at the back door. Thinking it was some customer who had left something, he opened it.
Stunned, he stood rooted to the spot and paled as he looked at the man before him. ‘Boa noite Alex.’ The man wearing an expensive dark grey suit was well groomed and wore a diamond earring. ‘Don’t bother reaching for a gun. I come in peace and am not tooled up.’ He opened his jacket. Alex could see there was no gun in the holster. Still with his jacket open, the man did a slow twirl, so Alex could see there was nothing in the back of his waist band either.
Swallowing hard, and moistening his lips, Alex spoke. ‘John, what brings you here? Stupid question I know, but why you?’
‘I want you to come out and see for yourself, or are you too chicken these days? I assure you I have no driver with me and there is no one in the shadows at either side waiting to blow your head off. I come in peace to talk to you.’
The two men stared at each other, and with his heart in his mouth, Alex knew these could be his last living moments on this earth. Nodding, he stepped into the street and closed his eyes, waiting for the rain of bullets to hit him, but nothing happened. Opening his eyes again, he saw John smiling.
‘You haven’t forgotten who you are, Alex, that’s good. Now, can we talk?’ he asked, raising one eyebrow.
Ushering him into the small sitting room, Alex offered John a chair at the dining table. ‘How did you find me. Did Pereira send you?’
‘Pour us both a whisky, and I will tell you why I am here. I am sure you’re curious, I would be…’ He trailed off. ‘But first, Maggie, put down the gun you have pointed at my head. You haven’t crept down those stairs as quietly as you might think,’ he added.
Entering the room fully, Maggie still held the gun in her hand.
‘Leave now John, or I will blow your head off. My kids are upstairs and I won’t have them seeing their father killed in his own home.’
‘It’s good to see you too. And how well you look. Playing the publican obviously suits you. Now this is man talk, so go and get us both a drink and join your kids upstairs.’ John looked at Alex sternly, waiting for him to tell Maggie to leave.
‘It’s okay Maggie, love. Do as he says and go upstairs with the kids. If he was going to kill me, he would have done it by now.’
Nervously, Maggie walked forward and put the handgun in the centre of the table between them. ‘One of you is the quickest draw. I’ll let you decide which.’ With that, she walked into the bar, brought two glasses and put the whisky bottle on the table between them. She looked at Alex, concern and fear written all over her face. John was a killer with no conscience. He and Alex had worked together on many occasions and had been close. And now it seemed they had sent his friend to murder her husband. How ironic.
Alex waved his hand in the air, dismissing her. ‘Go Maggie.’ And as a measure of good faith, he held up the gun. ‘And take this with you. Let’s not leave temptation on the table, eh?’
Once she had left, John took a sip of his whisky. ‘I have taken over from Pereira now, or rather, I am in the process of doing so.’ Although Portuguese, John had perfected his English accent and spoke almost like royalty. He was suave and sophisticated, even charming, and had been like a celebrity in their circle of friends.
‘Pereira is in no position to look for you any more. He was transferred and put into solitary confinement weeks ago. He is allowed no visitors. Possibly because he is being beaten up at every opportunity and no one wants to show his bruises off. I’ve organised that, Alex. He’s an old man with old ways and it’s time for fresh blood. It’s time for me.’ He smiled. ‘Did you hear that Ramos hung himself in his cell? He was sixty-five. He couldn’t hold his own behind bars without his heavies protecting him. There is always some young wannabee who wants to be in charge in those places.’
Shocked, Alex shook his head in surprise. ‘I haven’t been told that. So that means there are only five left, plus their families.’
‘Their families are scared shitless. What I want to know Alex, is why the police have never come knocking at my door? They must have wanted you to incriminate me too, along with Pereira.’
‘They showed me photos of you, and they know you’re not innocent John,’ Alex laughed for the first time that evening, ‘but they have no real proof or know of any bodies you have hidden. I said I knew of you, of course I did, but that I didn’t know that much about you. My reason is not just sentiment. We were street soldiers together and had each other’s backs many a time, but you were the only one that agreed Pereira was wrong about me murdering his brother. You said he deserved it after what he had done to Maggie and there should be a line drawn underneath it and a lesson to all. Pereira ignored that, but that is why your name never came up.’
John gulped back his drink and put his glass down, waiting for Alex to pour another. ‘Never let sentiment come into business, that’s my philosophy. All this shit: you, him, the court case, could all be done and over with if he had seen sense and drawn a line under it. He felt he looked weak if he didn’t defend his stupid brother, well, he looks weak now and his brother is still dead. Now, you are going to do one last job and help me Alex, and then I am going to help you.’
Puzzled, Alex looked at him, waiting for him to carry on. ‘You’re already a grass with a court case looming, looking over your shoulder with every creak of the staircase. I want you to put my competition behind bars. When you’re in court, I want you to spill the beans on the lot of them and put them away. What happens after that, is my business. In return Alex, I will take the heat off you as best as I can. There is a bounty on your head, but who is going to pay it? Me? Absolutely fucking not!’ John burst out laughing at such a stupid notion. ‘I cannot guarantee that there won’t be a lone ranger out there thinking he will ingratiate himself by killing Alex Silva. No one can. But I can promise what happens to him if he does.’
‘The police already know everything John. There will be convictions, so why ask me?’
‘I want certainties. More fingers pointed. I want you to look them in the eye and face them when you point them out, Alex. I want them all out of the way and then the coast is clear for me to take over. No competition. They will all come to me begging for a job and that is when I take the heat off you. No one will have my order to kill you or your family. It will be over. Like I say, there are no guarantees – you know that. But, rest assured, the threat won’t be coming from me. I want things tidy. No hiccups. You’re already behind bars.’ John laughed at his own joke when he realised he was in a pub with a bar. ‘No seriously Alex. This is not who you are. You lived the good life, wore suits like mine, had fast cars and expensive holidays. Now, you’re stuck in the middle of Kent running a pub without your own name above the door? To me, that’s hell. I couldn’t do it.’
‘Some days John, neither can I.’ Alex shrugged and laughed. ‘I have memories, good ones. But when your own turn on you and put a bounty on your head, what’s left? Our life is short and sweet, and all I want to do is live it to the full with my family, knowing they are safe.’
‘Do you take my proposition then?’ John looked at Alex over the top of his glass. He could see this wasn’t the life he wanted to live, but was settling for it, for the sake of his family. Humdrum suburbia, with no excitement. The very thought of it made his blood run cold.
‘I know you’re a man of your word John, you always have been. So yes, I take your proposition. But as you say, there are no guarantees on either side. We don’t know what sentences they will get, and I don’t know if some loose cannon will come looking for me. After all, what happens when it all comes out and we have to leave here? Fuck knows, John. I am winging it by the seat of my pants every day I’m alive.’
John’s voice turned softer, almost a whisper. ‘Do you need cash? I can help you, for old times’ sake. We’re friends still, well, I’d like to think so, and if you ever need a job when all this shit is over, there is one waiting for you. I need people I can trust around me. You could work on your own and not bump into any of the old gang.’
Although Alex was tempted, he shook his head. ‘Let’s see what happens first, eh? Talking of gangs, do you know there are a bunch of Liverpudlians in the area selling goods and waving guns around?’
John’s eyes narrowed and he frowned. ‘I know of some Liverpudlians who are small-time scumbags. But I didn’t know they had come this far to sell their goods. I will get Jimmy Bananas to look into it for me.’
