Dangerous Games

by Gillian Godden

  She put down her mug and shook her head. ‘No, you can’t, Tony. I know you offered sperm donation, Jake told me, but don’t you see? You can’t do that.’

  ‘Why not?’ said Tony. To him, it seemed like the obvious solution.

  ‘Because then their baby would be your baby … it’s too close to home. The little one could look like you. Jake would be the dad, but you would always be the father.’ She wrapped her hands around her mug of coffee. ‘And what about the child? In time, he or she might learn that you’re their father, which would complicate things further. Don’t you see? It could open a whole can of worms.’

  Tony had never thought of it like that, he had only wanted to help Jake. Elle was right, though, they had to leave Jake and Sharon alone to sort themselves out.

  Finally, a couple of weeks later, there was a knock at the door. Elle opened it to see Sharon standing there. She looked tired and drawn. ‘Is he in, Elle?’ she said. ‘I need to see him.’

  Yes, he is, Sharon, he’s upstairs.’

  Sharon looked so serious that Elle feared the worst. Maybe having a baby was so important to Sharon that she wouldn’t even consider adoption, or even fostering.

  ‘Do you want a coffee or something?’

  Sharon shook her head, then shouted, ‘Jake!’ Her voice carried through the hallway and up the stairs. ‘If you think I don’t love you and that I’m that shallow, don’t bother coming home!’

  Elle felt relief wash over her. Sharon gave her a smile, then turned and walked away.

  There was Jake’s answer: Sharon loved him, no matter what, and yes, there were other avenues to go down.

  Jake happily packed his bags and went home. At least, he reasoned with himself, I gave Sharon the choice. It was a big thing, being able to start a family, and it saddened him to think he couldn’t give her any children and make their home complete.

  They would talk about other options, but Sharon had decided that, before they approached any adoption agencies, they should look like respectable, responsible parents.

  She wanted them to have their own home, and be in a better financial position. Sharon and Jake both knew it could take years, but they decided to put it on hold for now, until they were in a better position financially.

  ***

  Things settled down for a while, but then there was a frantic knocking at the door, one evening. Tony answered to find Eddie standing there. His face was flushed, he was out of breath and he looked like he had run all the way to Elle’s house, although Tony knew he hadn’t – his car was parked outside.

  ‘Hi, Eddie, what’s up?’ he said.

  Eddie looked uneasy, which wasn’t like him – he was an easy-going friendly guy, who usually spent all his time and money down the bookies, where Tony worked. Sometimes he won, more often, he lost, but he didn’t care either way, it was all good fun.

  ‘Tony, mate,’ he said, ‘the bossman wants to see you. He’s sent me especially to fetch you.’

  Tony stared at Eddie; it had been over two years since he had seen the bossman. ‘Why?’ he said. Why does he want to see me? Why now?’

  Eddie gave an open-handed gesture. ‘I just do as I’m told.’

  ‘Look, I’m sorry, mate, but you know what I mean. The guy hates me. I’ve served time for him, wasn’t the sentence long enough for him?’ Tony shook his head. ‘I’m well out of it. No.’

  Elle, who was busying herself in the kitchen, had heard the conversation and decided this was her cue to leave them to talk while she went to do some shopping. She knew Tony and Eddie would want to be alone. She wasn’t happy that this bossman’s name had popped up again, after all this time, but then again she wasn’t happy seeing Tony so unhappy, either.

  ‘I’ll not be long, Tony,’ she said, as she headed out of the door.

  Elle knew that although Tony still spent a lot of time with Jake, Jake had Sharon, and he had to put her first. Tony felt like a gooseberry at times, when they were playing happy families.

  And, even though Elle had heard Tony telling Eddie he wasn’t interested and his answer was no, as she left the house, she had seen that sparkle in his eye again. Maybe this, whatever it was, would lift his spirits and maybe, just maybe, Tony had learnt a valuable lesson in life – not to trust this man, or his wife.

  Later that evening, Tony went around to see Jake and told him what Eddie had said. He wanted his opinion.

  Jake was forthright and made his feelings clear. ‘Stay clear, Tony,’ he said, ‘wasn’t two years enough for that bastard? He doesn’t love his wife that much, we both know that, but he’s vindictive. Is this vendetta going to carry on forever? Stay away, no good will come of it.’

  Jake didn’t want to see Tony get drawn in by all that again, he’d been through enough, because of that man. Sharon, who was listening to the conversation, had her own piece to say.

  ‘Does Eddie not know what it is, Tony? Can’t you find out more from him? Surely, he must hear the odd whisper.’

  Tony looked at her, stunned; she was right. So why hadn’t Eddie told him?

  ‘She’s right, you know,’ said Jake, echoing what Tony was thinking. ‘Even if he doesn’t know all the ins and outs, he has to know something.’ Tony and Jake both looked at each other and laughed, that was the obvious thing to think, and they hadn’t thought of it.

  After a week of hanging around the bookies and trying to talk Tony into seeing the bossman, Eddie gave up and coughed up some more information.

  ‘Tony, mate, I don’t know what the deal is, but there’s talk of some big stuff going on. It’s all hush-hush, but the bossman must be desperate, because he’s told me to fetch you and offer you five hundred pounds for two hours’ work, maximum.’

  Now, Tony was curious … what was so important that he’d been sent for, again, and with such a large sum of money on offer?

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ he said, ‘I’ll let you know tomorrow.’

  ‘Come on, Tony, mate,’ Eddie said, ‘he’s sent me to fetch you, and I can’t go back without you, not again.’

  ‘Let some other fool do his dirty work for him, Eddie. Why does it have to be me? He has enough people on the payroll. No, let some other fool do it.’

  ‘Like me, you mean?’ said Eddie.

  Tony hadn’t meant to put Eddie down like that, but he wasn’t going to make any decision without speaking to Jake first.

  ‘Well, I can’t,’ said Eddie. ‘I might work for him, but I don’t speak Italian.’

  ‘Tomorrow, Eddie, I have to talk to Jake first. If it’s that important, he can wait another day. I’m not asking how high when he says jump.’

  ***

  Sharon had made a casserole for dinner. It was Elle’s bingo night, she always spent Tuesdays at the seafront in Southend, with Minnie, her friend from way back when. Minnie had retired there a few years earlier, but they still kept in touch. So, tonight, for Tony, it was Sharon’s casserole.

  Sharon knew Jake and Tony were inseparable, and just accepted it. You married one, you married both, it was as simple as that. Jake never kept any secrets from her, and she knew of Tony’s reputation, but he was a loveable rogue; no wonder the girls liked him so much.

  Jake laughed when Tony told him that Eddie had been round again, and there was five hundred pounds on offer.

  ‘Tony, it doesn’t take two hours to beat a man up, let alone kill him. What big stuff is that old man involved in? He’s not in the big league, we both know that. What’s he up to, and why does he want you so badly?’

  ‘Eddie said something about speaking Italian, but I don’t know any more than that.’

  Sharon, Jake and Tony all sat at the table eating their dinner, talking it over. Sharon was no cook; she was pretty, clever and funny, but definitely no cook. Tony looked across the table at Jake, who was also trying his best to swallow the casserole without insulting Sharon.

  ‘There’s only one way to find out, Tony,’ said Sharon. ‘I can tell that you’re curious, and to be honest,
so am I. What is it you have got that he wants so desperately? No, don’t answer that, he’s not paying you five hundred pounds to keep his wife happy.’ She raised her fork to her mouth, then put it down again. ‘God, this is awful, isn’t it.’ Then she burst out laughing.

  ‘Yes!’ Tony and Jake both echoed her sentiment together, and put down their own forks.

  ‘Well, be it on your own head, Tony, but whatever it is, I’m with you. Okay?’ said Jake.

  Tony felt embarrassed. He didn’t want to drag Jake into the situation, he was just using him as a sounding board. ‘No, you’ve got Sharon to think of, forget it,’ he said.

  ‘We’re brothers, I’m with you all the way. Brothers, remember?’

  Jake’s loyalty never failed to surprise Tony. Jake was better than a brother and Sharon was a good understanding sister.

  Jake grinned at his wife. ‘Now, come on, let’s go out and pick up some fish and chips!’

  ***

  Tony told Eddie to arrange a meeting with the bossman; he wanted to know more before he committed himself. This would solve the mystery and help him make up his mind.

  Going back to the old club felt strange, like being in a parallel world. It hadn’t changed much; it was still a dump, it smelt of damp and the paint was peeling off the walls. The junkies and the lowlifes came to party, which was a shame, given its location.

  Memo to self, thought Tony, remember to wipe your feet on the way out!

  Tony walked into the back room and saw that the bossman still used an old table as a desk. What big stuff did he have going on? Jake had been right, nobody would do a big business deal with him. Tony also knew, now, that he was a police informer, so what was he getting out of all this?

  ‘Antony, my lad, come in and sit down. You’re looking well.’ It was like nothing had changed, the bossman was smiling at him and acting like an old friend.

  Tony remained standing. ‘It’s Tony, now,’ he said.

  The bossman gave him a stern glare. ‘Whatever,’ he said, and he waved his arm in the air, suddenly carefree. ‘You look all grown up now, “Tony”.’ The bossman emphasized his name. ‘Out with the boy, in with the man, eh?’

  Tony couldn’t help his sarcasm. ‘That’s what prison does for you,’ he said. He still didn’t sit down.

  There was a silence in the room and the bossman stopped what he was about to say and stared at Tony, from across the table. He sat back in his chair and nodded. Okay, there were things left unsaid.

  ‘One day, Tony, when you are married, you will want revenge if some young kid who works for you is having sex with your missus and treating you as a joke, probably laughing behind your back.’

  ‘That won’t happen, because I won’t marry a woman that would sleep around with her husband’s employees.’ Tony really didn’t care what he said. After all, the man had been desperate enough to send for him twice, Tony hadn’t gone crawling back to him, begging for his old job back.

  ‘All water under the bridge now, Tony, eh? No hard feelings and all that, what’s done is done.’

  No hard feelings? Tony wished Jake was there to hear the man. It occurred to him that the bossman was desperate, because normally he would have told him to get the hell out of there for being sarcastic to him. He always said Tony had a bad attitude and no respect.

  ‘I’m leaving, now. I don’t need a lecture, and I have no interest in reminiscing about the good old days.’ Tony turned to go, he’d heard enough. He had come, as requested, and he was still no further on in finding out what the bossman wanted.

  ‘Wait, Tony, I know you don’t know why I asked you here, and you’re probably wondering what it’s all about.’

  Tony hesitated, then turned back and sat down. Finally, he was going to find out the truth behind this meeting.

  ‘There’s a job I’m partly involved in. You’re Italian, right?’ The bossman already knew the answer to that.

  ‘No.’ Tony stood up again to leave; he didn’t want to be involved in some job. ‘I like my freedom too much, I don’t want any part of any job that you’re involved in.’

  ‘For God’s sake, Tony, sit down,’ shouted the bossman. He knew getting Tony onside again wouldn’t be easy, he knew he was stubborn and bad-tempered, but he wanted his help.

  ‘As I said …’ The bossman took a breath and started again. ‘You’re Italian, right? You know all the slang words, and not just book learning Italian. I know, because I have heard you and Jake speaking it together.’

  Now Tony was curious; he knew you didn’t have to be Italian to beat someone up, so why was this man so interested in him being Italian? He was right, of course, many was the time Jake and himself spoke Italian to each other to confuse landlords and other gang members. It was their own protection.

  ‘I want an inside man,’ the bossman continued, ‘someone who knows the score and can keep his mouth shut. I know you keep yours tightly zipped, Tony, and I respect that. I have been approached about a little business deal, and the men offering the deal are Italian. I want to know what they are saying about me behind my back, I want you to interpret and keep your ears open, that’s all.’

  Tony was taken aback; he hadn’t expected this. ‘Don’t they speak any English?’ he said. He felt it was strange to be approached by someone that you couldn’t communicate with

  ‘Of course they do, but like you and Jake always did, they will use their own language to speak to each other. I want to know what they are plotting against me.’

  ‘What makes you think you can trust me? Anyway, Joe speaks a little Italian, why don’t you get him to help?’

  Joe was one of the club bouncers. There had been a time, when Tony and Jake had been speaking – fortunately, for them, about a group of girls – when Joe had interrupted and said he knew what they were talking about and laughed with them.

  ‘Joe’s a book learner; he’s been on holiday there a few times and picked up a bit of the language, but these guys are going to speak real Italian to each other, slang words and such. You don’t speak the Queen’s English, do you? But that is how any learner would pronounce things. You’re good in business, Tony, at least when women aren’t involved. As far as trusting you, I don’t, but I’m the boss; I have friends, and I’m not just out of prison.’

  Tony raised his eyebrow and gave the bossman a wry grin. Despite all the talk of ‘no hard feelings’, the bossman was still threatening to stitch him up with something. He was prepared to use blackmail and threats. The man, Tony realised, was scared.

  Whatever he had got involved in was too big for him, and he was afraid. Tony didn’t like the bossman or his threats, but he was interested in this business and what it was all about. The plot thickened.

  ‘Five hundred pounds, right? For two hours, maximum. Where and when? I’ll do it.’

  The boss nodded; he knew, if nothing else, Tony would take his money. After all, he wouldn’t earn much working in a bookies, taking bets on horses all day.

  ‘I’ll be in touch,’ said the bossman. He picked up his newspaper and started to read it; Tony was dismissed.

  ***

  Tony went straight around to Jake’s house and told him what had taken place at the meeting.

  ‘That all sounds a bit weird. He must be in it up to his neck with these guys, whoever they are, to make him sweat. I bet he owes them money, or something.’

  They both went back to Elle’s house, had a few bottles of lager and talked through the night.

  Both Jake and Tony agreed, this deal was full of mystery and, as much as they wanted nothing to do with it, curiosity got the better of them. They discussed all the whys and maybes, but still they couldn’t figure it out.

  ‘Well, we’ve just got to wait and see. Eddie still has his ear to the ground, but he’s not hearing much, he actually wants information from me,’ said Tony.

  ‘I like Eddie,’ said Jake, taking another drink out of his lager bottle, ‘but I wouldn’t say anything to him; when he gets drunk, he talks a lo
t. If the bossman ever asked him if you’d said anything, you know for a fact Eddie would tell him, because he’s scared of him.’

  ‘You’re the only person I discuss this with, Jake, if you tell Sharon, that’s your business, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve only told you.’

  Tony trusted Sharon, but didn’t want to incriminate either her or Elle. Both women knew that something was going on, but at least they could be trusted. One was their mother, the other one was Jake’s wife.

  ***

  A few days later, Eddie came knocking at Elle’s door again. Fortunately, Tony was home; he had just got in from work.

  ‘The bossman, he wants you tonight, Tony. He told me to tell you, no messing, he wants you now.’

  It was pretty obvious Eddie seemed worried that Tony would change his mind or send him back to the bossman empty-handed.

  ‘Okay, but I need to get ready first. Take the weight off your feet and stop looking so worried, Eddie, for God’s sake, you’re making me nervous.’

  Tony offered Eddie some of Elle’s famous shepherd’s pie, and his friend tucked in while he showered and changed. There was no way Tony was going to turn up at some important meeting without looking his best.

  He wore the best suit and tie that he had, and slicked back his blonde hair. He viewed himself in the mirror and smiled to himself. One day, he would be having business meetings, and he would do it a damn sight better than the bossman.

  He’s so desperate, he’s prepared to trust an enemy to help with negotiations … why? he thought. It was a puzzle, but he’d soon know more. He went downstairs.

  ‘Come on, Eddie,’ he said, ‘you’ve had your fill, let’s go to this meeting.’

  Eddie swallowed his last mouthful of food and followed Tony to the car.

  The meeting was taking place in one of London’s famous hotels. Tony looked on in awe at all the different nationality flags flying outside. He had expected it to be at the club, that was where the boss usually did business, not somewhere like this.

  ‘Told you this was big stuff, didn’t I?’ Eddie was clearly impressed by the surroundings, too. ‘Go on, you go in. He’s waiting in the bar. I’ll stay with the car.’