Nasty Business

by Gillian Godden

  ‘No, officers, but a man in my position has many enemies, I suppose.’

  ‘We want no repercussions from this, Mr Lambrianu. Leave the investigating to us. Do you understand? Let’s face it, we’ll know whose door to come knocking on if people start dropping like flies.’

  Tony put on an innocent expression and shrugged.

  ‘Good day, Mr Lambrianu.’

  ‘Tony! Tony!’ Jake had waited until the police had left but couldn’t hold it in any longer. ‘Come out the back, you were right!’

  Outside, in the back yard, an Alsatian dog was convulsing and foaming at the mouth. It had spewed everywhere. Suddenly, it gave one last howl and collapsed. The dog lay still; it was dead.

  ‘What happened, Jake?’ Tony stared at the dog lying dead on the ground; he was at a loss for words.

  ‘I gave it that jerk chicken Marlon brought you last night. It ate it, then it just started spewing and foaming at the mouth. What the fuck was in it?’

  ‘Marlon was going to poison me and make me look like that?’ Tony looked at the dog, bewildered. ‘Well, Jake, he got a nicer death than the one he planned for me, didn’t he?’ He turned round and walked back into the club, where a team of workmen were sorting out the mess.

  ‘Sorry, Tony, you were right,’ was all Jake could say.

  ‘Get someone to sort the dog out, then we have some work to do. The South London Mob boss is dead. We need to sort things out before someone else steps in and it gets out of hand.’

  ***

  Once Tony arrived at Marlon’s place, he saw that the bodyguards were still there. A little mournful and at a loss, but they were there. They seemed pleased to see him; it was time to talk.

  ‘Will you be taking over, Tony?’ one of them asked. They didn’t know what to do. It was pretty obvious they were at a loss and needed a leader.

  ‘I don’t deal drugs, lads, you know that.’ He was adamant he wouldn’t get drawn into that game.

  One of the men spoke up. ‘Bennie knows all the drug dealers around here and he’s getting a little too old to be standing at his usual street corner,’ he said. ‘Maybe we could leave things in his hands. After all, he’s known and they all trust him.’

  It seemed to Tony and Jake that they had already thought this through. Bennie was a good and trusted friend. They knew him well.

  Scratching his chin and leaving them in suspense, Tony made a big pretence of thinking about things. There was money on that side, to be sure, and he could offer protection and possibly even do some money-lending.

  Tony felt sick to the stomach about how things had ended up. He had liked Marlon in the beginning. They both worked their own turf in their own way, without any gang wars. It was now up to Tony to put the South London mob in order and make sure the drug dealing was done as far away from him as possible. He knew people took drugs; he wasn’t stupid. He just felt that, if he was going to spend twenty years behind bars, it wasn’t going to be for drug dealing, plus it brought back all those horrible memories of his mother and her ‘medicine’.

  ‘If that’s what you want fellas,’ he said, ‘but I’ll be putting my own manager over this side, just to take care of things. If you don’t like it, well, remember it is you who asked me.’

  Nodding in unison, they all agreed to Tony’s terms. Better the devil you know – plus, this way, they were still on a wage. Without this, they had nothing.

  ***

  Tony knew Marlon had an ex-wife. There would be no legal issues, because he had left her secure. The house and plenty of money were in her name. Marlon had spoken of her fondly. There was no ill feeling, she had just got fed up with her house being permanently turned upside down by the police, and asked for a divorce.

  Tony also knew Marlon had a girlfriend, which he kept quiet about. All this had come spilling out one evening when they’d had a drink together.

  ‘Tony, man, will you do me a favour?’ Marlon had handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. ‘That my girlfriend. If anything was ever to happen to me, like taking too much of this stuff, give her ten thousand from me.’ Marlon had handed over a brown envelope containing the money and Tony had taken it and promised. Now was the time to keep that promise.

  ***

  Tony didn’t know how young she was until he got there. She was just seventeen, and he didn’t know how long Marlon had been seeing her for. It made him feel uneasy.

  She was living in a shared house with some friends. When Tony told her he had something from Marlon for her, she simply held out her hand. He didn’t like the idea of turning over that kind of money to her, but he had promised and, after all, it was Marlon’s money. Tony handed over the brown envelope containing the notes, and she shut the door in his face. He was pleased about that, because he had done his duty and didn’t want to get into conversation.

  When Tony told Jake, and John, his driver, about Marlon’s girlfriend, they seemed to already know how much he liked very, very young women, bordering on schoolgirls.

  ‘I thought you knew Marlon liked them young,’ said Jake. ‘Everyone else does.’ He was nodding his head to emphasize his point.

  Tony was amazed. No wonder people thought he was taking his eye off the ball. All this had been going on around him and he knew nothing about it.

  ‘Well, why didn’t you tell me? Bloody hell, Jake, she’s just a kid.’

  ‘Not really. Besides, they were all looked after, none of them suffered any hardship. I think his youngest was sixteen, nothing lower than that. All consenting age.’

  Tony shrugged. ‘Yeah, I suppose.’

  ‘Anyway, do you know that drunk doctor, the one who got struck off?’ said Jake.

  ‘No.’

  ‘Yes, you do. He lives in some shitty bedsit down Camberwell. I got Dan to have a quiet word with him. He tested that Tupperware box and it had cyanide in it.’

  ‘It had to be something like that to work as quick, but I wish you hadn’t involved Dan and this doctor bloke.’

  ‘I just wanted to find out what it was. How the hell did Marlon get his hands on that kind of shit?’

  ‘He was a drug dealer, Jake. They can get anything. I’ve heard that he sometimes mixed cocaine up with rat poison to get rid of his enemies. With me not taking any of that shit, he had to come up with something else.’

  Jake felt deflated. For once he thought he had come up with a good idea and now it had backfired.

  ‘Dan will keep his mouth shut, Jake, but this drunken doctor needs taking care of. Make sure he has a nasty drunken fall and breaks his neck, eh? That Angus will do it. Keep it nice and quiet, and then only you, me and Dan know about what Marlon had in mind.’

  ‘What makes you sure we can trust Dan?’ Jake was now kicking himself. He had involved too many people. If people thought Tony and Marlon were at each other’s throats, the police would be suspicious.

  ‘Dan’s a good boy, he reminds me of myself as a kid. He’s streetwise and knows what side his bread is buttered. He likes the money and he likes his friends knowing he works for Tony Lambrianu.’

  A few days later Tony heard that some drunken doctor who always sat in the pubs hoping someone would buy him a drink had been buying more drinks than he could usually afford. He was on his way home when suddenly he slipped or fell while crossing the road and fell in front of a London bus.

  No one was surprised or cared.

  Now was a good time to toast Marlon, Tony thought. He had been a good associate, in many ways, but he couldn’t be trusted. Now Tony was the undisputed gangland boss of London, and that was how he liked it.

  THE SOUTH LONDON MOB

  After a lot of discussion, both Tony and Jake decided it would be best to keep the reputation of the South London mob going. It would be good for business. After all, a lot of the pubs who paid them both were frightened of the idea that the South London mob would try and take over their pubs and demand they paid their protection money to them. If there was no South London mob boss, who would they fe
ar? They needed Tony and Jake to keep the drug dealers and the trouble away from their front doors.

  It seemed like a good idea, but they needed a front man, someone they could trust. They would also go and see Bennie and his associates and give them their own patch to do their dealings on. Neither of them wanted to be associated with drugs, or the low life they attracted.

  There was a local pub not far from where Bennie did his dealing that they thought would be perfect. It would keep him away from the street corners, which was only right, at his age, and keep the other dealers and users in one place. It would be like some drug ghetto, all in one place.

  One of the men that worked for Tony, and had for a while now, seemed like a safe bet to front the South London mob and act as boss. Obviously, he was an ex-con. They had turned out to be as reliable as Tony had said they would. Each and every one of them was glad of a second chance and having someone show some faith in them. It gave them self-respect.

  Scottish Angus, or ‘Angry Angus’, as he had been known in prison, was a typical Scottish guy, with bright red hair. He was as tall as he was wide. His arms, neck and God only knew where else were covered in gruesome tattoos. Even the guys he worked with, whom he actually liked, were afraid of him. What was worst was, when he had a few whiskies too many, on his night off, they weren’t sure if his red face meant he was just drunk or if it was anger. Yes, he would be a good safe bet.

  The side none of the men he worked on the doors with as security knew about was that he was a happily married man with a family, but the way he looked and the image he presented meant he had never been given the opportunity to be anything other than a petty thief and a fighter.

  Angus was invited into Tony’s office, and Tony explained that he was a very busy man, and was thinking of hiring a foreman or some kind of overseer to look after things in the south of London. As much as Angus was large and scary, he was also as thick as a plank, and Tony and Jake squirmed as they watched Angus stroke his ginger beard, as though trying to think of someone to recommend.

  Dear God, couldn’t this guy take a hint? They weren’t asking his advice, they both wanted him to ask for the job, or at least show some interest in it.

  He shook his head, and said, ‘Dunno, boss, have to be someone you could trust, though.’ He was still stroking his beard, as though trying to think.

  In the end Jake had had enough. ‘What about you, Angus? You’re well respected around here, no one would mess with you and we both trust you a lot. After all, we’re all friends.’ Jake felt that was the simplest way of putting it, and hoped the suggestion might just seep into the man’s brain.

  The surprised look on Angus’s face made Tony realise he had picked the right man for the job. As big and as scary as he looked, he was a modest, good man at heart who only wanted the best for his family. He looked even more surprised when Tony mentioned how much more money he would be earning. That seemed to be the icing on the cake.

  ‘I can’t do maths that well, boss, and I’m not so good at writing things down, the wife deals with all that kind of thing, but I would make damn sure your collections were made and no one would make any trouble, that’s for sure.’ Angus waved a tattooed fist in the air.

  ‘Don’t worry about that side of things, Angus, we’ll take care of all that. But here’s the thing; no one must ever know that you’re working for us. Even when you have more than just a wee dram.’ Tony mimicked Angus’s Scottish accent, when he said the last bit. ‘If you ever mention Jake and I are your bosses, I don’t care how big you are, I, personally, will see to it that you never see daylight again.’

  Angus knew Tony meant it. He’d seen Tony lose his temper, on occasion, and as much as he was a fighting man with a temper of his own, and even feared by his friends, he knew Tony was far worse. Angus got a little drunk and caused chaos, but Tony did it when he was stone cold sober and he seemed to enjoy it. That was the scary part, he hurt people with that charming smile on his face.

  ‘I’ll give it a try, boss, but all I am is muscle. I’m not clever, like you two, and as for telling anyone, why would I cut my nose off to spite my face? The wages you’re offering me would pay for a nice holiday for the wife and the wee ones. Aye, boss, I’ll give it a go. You do all the clever stuff and I’ll handle the rest.’ His face seemed to go even redder with embarrassment at having to admit he could hardly read or write. And yet, despite that, Tony was giving him a good wage, respect, and now a promotion as a boss, answerable only to Tony.

  ‘All I want you to do is the same as you do here, but you’ll be in charge of the other men, you’ll make sure they do their collections and come back with the money. If there’s any trouble in the area that needs to be sorted, you speak to Jake or me and we’ll tell you what to do. There are drug dealers in the area, it’s a popular place for it, as you know, and I don’t want to hear that you’re doing it as well. I want a clear head at all times, or they’ll think you’re weak and a pushover, not the kind of man I want as a boss for the South London mob.’

  Angus suddenly forgot himself, and forgot he was talking to Tony. He was quickly on the defensive. ‘Hold on, laddie, I don’t do anything like that. I like a little drink, but you know I’ve never been drunk on duty. The wife would kill me, and believe me, laddie, I’m more scared of her than I am of you.’

  Tony and Jake both burst out laughing at that one. The thought of this big man being frightened of his wife was, indeed, funny.

  ‘Maybe I should let her take things over in the south, then, she sounds like she keeps you in order,’ said Tony. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. This was his angle. The upstairs accommodation that Marlon had used as his office was now clean, decorated, and set up as normal living quarters. He knew Angus and his family were living with his wife’s mother. She had always lived there, because Angus was always in and out of prison. If she had her own home, and all she had to do to keep it was keep Angus in good order, Tony was sure she damn well would.

  ‘Of course,’ he said, ‘there’s a large flat above one of the pubs. It’s a good size and has a few bedrooms. Maybe you and your family could live there? That is, if you want to.’ Tony knew this was a great big carrot to dangle before Angus’s eyes. A home of their own, without his interfering mother-in-law bad-mouthing him. It would be sheer paradise.

  ‘You mean we get our own place as well, boss, just for looking after things for you and making sure no one tries to swindle you? Boss, you just got yourself a deal. Hell, my wife in her curlers and dressing gown, shouting and screaming, is a bloody scary sight. Aye laddie, I’ll do it, and I’ll make sure I do a good job for you. You just tell me what you want me to do, okay.’

  Tony held out his hand to shake Angus’s. ‘Well, leader of the South London mob, you had better go home and tell your wife to start packing.’ He smiled, oozing charm. Tony felt this show of flattery and trust would make Angus the loyal puppet he wanted.

  After Angus had left, all fired up and excited to tell his wife the good news, Jake burst out laughing. ‘I think you’ve made a mistake there, Tony, sounds like we should let his wife take over, instead. Can you believe it? A guy that size is frightened of his wife! I bet she’s only five foot.’ They were both laughing at the irony of it.

  ‘Make sure Angus gets some extra cash, Jake, for gadgets or furniture or something that will make his life a little harder.’

  ‘Make his life harder?’ Jake echoed.

  Tony grinned. ‘There’s no way on God’s earth will his bossy wife let him make mistakes and lose her home and livelihood. The more nice things she has, the more she’ll want to keep them.’

  The deal was sealed, and what was more, Tony knew there would be no hiccups. Mrs Angus, or whatever her name was, would make sure of that.

  As well as sorting Angus out, Tony and Jake spoke to Bennie. He was more than happy to take over his little quarter, so that he could carry on dealing with his friends. Apart from keeping it all together, it also put everyone on the same side. Now, th
at was good business.

  ***

  ‘What time does the auction start, Tony?’ Jake was looking at his watch. Today was a day they had been waiting for, for some time. A large well-known casino, situated only a few streets away from the club, was being auctioned off. It had been losing money, though God knew how or why, and in the end the bank had taken it and was now auctioning off the building.

  It was a huge place, and after looking at the accounts and weighing things up, they had all come to the conclusion that it had been badly run, and some of the staff had been embezzling, and things had gone wrong from there. Considering it was a casino, there were hardly any roulette tables. It mainly focused on slot machines. This didn’t attract the right custom, as far as Tony was concerned.

  On occasion, a few of the high-ranking police detectives liked to play poker, and needed somewhere to play it. They had asked Tony if they could use one of the booths that were used for the strippers. He had let them. He wasn’t too happy about it, because he didn’t have a gambling licence, but this was the police, after all. He liked to play cards, himself, so he thought why not open a casino, with poker tables, roulette wheels, and even the slot machines?

  The accountant who had been sorting out the money laundering liked the idea. A casino was a fantastic place to launder money. There would be so much of it going in and out, it would be extremely hard to trace.

  Today was the auction. They all knew the price would be high, because of the West End location. The accounts had been checked and double-checked, everything had been looked into, and everyone agreed this would be a good buy. Tony had dropped the idea of buying the casino building into a conversation he’d had with the detectives, while losing to them at poker one night.

  Tony was losing a lot of money, and was prepared to. So, each time he had a winning hand, he folded his cards and dropped them on the table, and let the chief inspectors win. They had all had a good drink together and a thoroughly enjoyable evening.