Dangerous Games

by Gillian Godden

  ‘Obviously, I’m sorry to hear this, Mick, I really am, but I don’t understand why you’ve asked me here today.’ Tony and Jake watched them all, in turn, look at each other, confused.

  Mick’s wife, a forthright woman who’d had enough of all this pussyfooting around, stuck her chin out and pouted. ‘Well, if they’re not going to say it, I am. You’re the blonde one they were looking for, aren’t you?’

  Tony put his hand up to stop her speaking further and stood up. ‘Come on, Jake, we’re leaving.’

  ‘No! Wait!’ Mick’s wife sounded panicky. ‘I didn’t mean that, it’s just that it was going to take five of them to take down one of you. And you, of course,’ she said, as she looked at Jake apologetically. He just smiled at her. ‘Please sit down Mr … erm …’ She looked at Mick.

  ‘Mr Lambrianu. This is Tony Lambrianu, love, and this is Jake Sinclair.’

  ‘Please, sit down,’ said Shirley. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and make some tea for us all, then we can talk.’ She stood up to busy herself at the kitchen worktop.

  Mick’s wife may have blurted out what they were all thinking, but you could see by the expression on all of their faces that they were relieved that someone had said it.

  Tony and Jake pulled out their chairs and sat back down again. Emotions were running high, it was understandable.

  This was what Tony had fought for, this was one of his dreams. He didn’t want to go into the pubs shouting threats at the landlords and demanding money for protection. He had wanted them to ask him, then it would be their choice. Gratitude, loyalty, respect, that was how Tony saw it. There would be no violence, just a civilized business arrangement between the publicans and himself. They were scared and at their wits end; they needed him.

  ‘They’ll probably burn our pubs down for refusing to pay them for protection, but what have we got to lose? Look around you, they’ve already done that, Mr Lambrianu. Mick’s out of pocket, this is his livelihood, God knows when he’s going to get the pub up and running again. You came around the other day offering protection at a price and stupidly, because we were scared, we turned you away. That South London scum had already been with their threats and we had no choice but to pay them.’ The publican slammed his hand down on the table and stood up in despair. ‘We’re all losing business, nobody wants to come around here for a quiet drink. Can you help us, Mr Lambrianu, or not.’ He sounded desperate, almost like it was a challenge.

  Tony sat forward and scanned the room, then he looked at Jake and smiled. Looking back at the group of men before them he said, ‘Yes, I can, if you want me to, but I don’t offer security and protection for nothing.’

  Mick’s wife put two mugs of steaming tea in front of Tony and Jake, passed them the milk jug and sugar bowl, and smiled.

  ‘We know we have to pay, Mr Lambrianu, that’s the name of the game around here, isn’t it?’ one of the publicans said. ‘But, can you offer us the kind of protection that will keep us safe from those people? We pay to keep the bad guys out, we don’t pay them to come in and fire guns at our customers.’ They all nodded in unison with what he had said.

  Tony gave a charming smile to Shirley, took a sip of his tea and thanked her for it; he was thinking fast. ‘Firstly, Mick, you can’t pay me anything with no money coming in. Get some workmen in and get the place decorated for opening. I’ll lend you the money until your insurance comes through; no interest. It’s in my interests that there’s money in your cash register, okay?’

  Tony and Jake watched as they all nudged each other, smiling and nodding approvingly at this gesture of good faith. That was what they needed, someone they ask for help when they needed it, and then get it.

  ‘The South London mob won’t bother you again, I promise you. Leave that to me and Jake. That’s our business. You sort out your own businesses, with peace of mind.’

  Shirley had tears rolling down her face and couldn’t stop thanking them both. She looked like she was going to hug them, but stopped herself short. She knew the insurance company would take at least a month to pay up – that is, if they were going to pay up at all.

  Jake spoke up and asked her how her children were. She dried her eyes and explained to Jake that she had sent her children to her mother’s house, until they got themselves sorted out. The youngsters were badly shaken up.

  Again, this was showing a touch of humanity and concern for the people they would be doing business with. The people round that table could all see now, Jake was the reasonable one and Tony was the fighter. They all looked pleased and more relaxed. Mick was a well-respected publican in the area, the other businessmen in the area trusted his judgement. They felt he had done the right thing by asking Tony and Jake for help.

  The meeting carried on in an informal manner. Each, in turn, discussed their terms of payment. They told Tony and Jake how many other businessmen in the area also wanted to be under their protection, but explained that they couldn’t all attend today; they were waiting for Mick to sort out a meeting, first. They all shook hands and Tony told them he would be in touch, then left.

  Back in the car, Tony and Jake each let out a deep sigh. They had been keeping their feelings in, as they watched everyone fall apart before their eyes.

  ‘For Christ’s sake, Tony, did you expect all that to happen? Poor sods, what a mess they are in.’

  Tony ran his hands through his hair, and laid his head back on the seat of the car. ‘No way did I expect to hear all that. I do feel guilty about Mick’s wife and kids, though.’ His tone was low, almost a whisper. He straightened himself up, and took a breath. ‘Right, Jake, one last hurdle. Let’s go and see that mob boss, talk some terms and get the ground rules sorted out.’ With that, he started the car and drove off towards South London. Tony seemed to work best on adrenaline, he was now in charge and people were depending on him; all he had to do was prove himself.

  ***

  Tony and Jake walked into the pub where the boss lived and, now knowing the way, went through the door marked ‘staff only’ and on up the stairs to his office and living quarters. The boss was shocked; he had heard footsteps and presumed it was one of his own men, but no, it was that blonde nuisance and his partner.

  Three tall black men walked forward and took guns out of their waistbands. Tony and Jake swallowed hard. Maybe this was a mistake, it was pretty obvious that these guys meant trouble. They looked like they were going to take great pleasure in beating them both up and possibly killing them. All they needed was the nod of approval from their boss and it would all kick off.

  Tony acted cool as ice and ignored them; even though inside he was shaking, he didn’t want to show it.

  ‘I come in peace,’ he said, and smiled at the boss. ‘I’d like a truce, and I have a proposition for you.’ He hoped his words might at least provoke some curiosity in the boss’s mind.

  The boss looked Tony up and down with a sneer on his face. This man had wandered into his office, without invitation; he had caused a war and two of his men were dead. Three others were remanded in jail, facing a host of charges too long to list. What trouble had this blonde upstart come to cause now?

  He looked at his three bodyguards, their guns in their hands, just waiting for the ‘okay’ from him, and then looked back at Tony and Jake. If nothing else, he thought to himself, this man has a lot of guts. It was either that or he had a death wish.

  The boss waved his men away. ‘Sit down,’ he said to Tony and Jake, then he fixed his eyes on Tony. ‘You’ve got five minutes, boy; now, say what’s on your mind and get out, before the boys get itchy fingers with those guns.’

  Tony and Jake glanced at each other as they took their seats; this was a huge improvement on last time; for a start, they were offered a chair. Fortunately, as Tony hadn’t wanted to feel vulnerable and at the mercy of the boss’s men when he walked in there again, he had taken his own gun, just in case they had need to shoot their way out. Stupid, he thought to himself, that this boss didn’t have his men check
us for weapons. He would have had them searched.

  His faithful gun made him feel safe and on level ground with these trigger-happy thugs. He remembered fleetingly the night he had picked it up off the ground, when this very same gang had gone to cause trouble at the club he now managed, where he was meeting a woman he’d thought he loved and ended up fighting alongside Eddie Rawlings. A lot had happened since that night.

  Now seated and at eye level with the boss, Tony started again. ‘As I said, I would like a truce between us. I’ve heard you’ve had some trouble, and I’ve come to assure you it was none of my doing. Now you have the police breathing down your neck and who knows what they’ll discover.’

  Tony turned his head to the table at the far side of the room, where some men where bagging up cocaine for sale. The boss followed Tony’s eyes and then looked back at Tony and Jake, still saying nothing.

  ‘The publicans from the East End have approached me to take over the protection in the area. It seems they’ve lost faith in your men,’ said Tony. He made it sound light-hearted and nonchalant, not threatening or sarcastic. ‘I didn’t have to tell you that, but I want to start out by being honest with you.’ They could both see that the boss was listening; they also knew, following recent events, this boss couldn’t possibly think the men involved that night were worth his steady income. Even so, the silence was deafening.

  Tony took a deep breath and started again. ‘I want the territory in the East End, leading up to the West End. You have the south of London, leading up to wherever. That’s none of my business. I have my turf and you have yours. I also know that you don’t trust me. That feeling is mutual, I don’t trust you, either. The bossman, as was, ripped you off constantly, which was what caused so much bad feeling between you. He was greedy, he wasn’t a businessman. You are a businessman and so am I, and we have to start somewhere and build that trust. Don’t you agree?’ Tony paused, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement, but none came. On the other hand, he thought, we haven’t been shot or thrown out yet and he is listening. He threw his hands up in the air and carried on, even though he felt his mouth going dry.

  ‘Of course, you could have those guys put a bullet in my brain, right now, and who would know? Either Jake would shoot you, or you would end up in prison for the next twenty years, considering the police are not happy and know those guys work for you. You’re their prime suspect. But where would that get us? There is money for both of us out there, we’re not dogs fighting over a bone, we’re businessmen. With us both dead, someone else would step in and take over, and we would both end up with nothing.’ Tony finished his speech and swallowed; he licked his lips and waited for a response.

  He could see the boss was listening; he didn’t need any more trouble, either. The police had been all over his place and he’d had to flush a lot of his drugs down the toilet. A lot of money lost, and all for what? Revenge.

  The boss sat back in his chair and folded his arms. He had listened to Tony, and to be honest, the last thing he wanted was any more dealings in the East End. The police were watching him and, after what had happened, no one would pay up anyway, and he knew Tony knew that. At last, he spoke.

  ‘That bossman was always trying to swindle me. What makes you so different? And don’t mess me about, man, I know it was you behind my men being arrested and killed. You planned it all, although you didn’t get your hands dirty.’ He nodded and smiled. ‘Nice trick. Very clever, in fact. I’ve been asking around about you, blondie, and your man here. People say you’re nuts, loco. Why should I listen to you?’

  Tony smiled. ‘I’m being straight with you now.’ This man was serious about business, but obviously didn’t trust anyone due to recent circumstances, and he had done his homework about him and Jake. Being called ‘nuts’ and ‘loco’ was not exactly a compliment, but it had served its purpose.

  The boss cocked his head to one side, and looked at them both. ‘The south of London is all mine, is that correct?’ he asked. Tony nodded. ‘I’ll give you a three-month trial to prove yourself. I warn you, cross me and I’ll put a bullet in your brain, no matter what.’

  Tony felt like punching the air with excitement, but he remained calm. That would come later. He stood up, as though to leave, then had a second thought. ‘You have the advantage over me,’ he said. ‘My name is Tony, Tony Lambrianu, and this is my brother, Jake. And your name is?’ Tony waited. There was a pregnant pause. Possibly, he thought, this man has been called boss for so long he’s forgotten his own name.

  Tony and Jake watched as they saw the boss turn around and look at his men, then he turned back to face them. He reached out his hand to shake Tony’s. ‘They call me Marlon, remember that, Tony. As I said, do not cross me or tread on my toes. Three months is all you have to stay alive; three months, and counting.’ Tony and Jake both shook his hand in turn, then left.

  ***

  Back at the car, Tony was exuberant, he was all smiles and full of chatter, telling Jake about all the plans he had, his face was red with excitement and his blue eyes shone like sapphires.

  Jake was laughing, but more in wonderment; he couldn’t believe what had just taken place in there. ‘You pulled it off, Tony! How the hell did you do it? My God, you have a lot of balls, walking in there like that.’

  ‘We pulled it off, Jake.’ Tony was emphatic. True, he had done most of the talking, but he couldn’t have done it without Jake at his side, giving him confidence. ‘Marlon is a businessman, he really doesn’t need any more trouble. And when the publicans refused to pay his men, what was he going to do? Kill them all?’

  They started to drive away. ‘Come on Tony,’ said Jake, ‘let’s drop the car off. I need a large, stiff drink after that and I’m sure you do, too.’

  ‘Too bloody right! We do that and then we get down to business, we have a lot to do.’

  ***

  Marlon was sitting at his desk. He started to count the previous day’s takings that had been brought in. His three men approached and stood at the side of his desk, making him look up at them to see what they wanted.

  ‘Are you sure you want to do business with him, boss?’ said one of them. ‘Why share it when we could have the east and south of London? We could have it all.’

  Marlon stood up and slapped the man across the face, angry that his decision was being questioned. ‘We’re not sharing anything, moron, we’d already lost it. Look at the devastation that man has caused, and he wasn’t even there. Yes, he is nuts, and he’s dangerous. All the police know them drugged up addicts were connected to me, you know that they’ve been here, asking questions, and we had to flush merchandise. We’re just lucky there were no civilians killed; it was just Lee, and that brother of his, committing suicide. That Tony’s been warned. Now, I may as well trust him as anyone else, but I’m going to watch him like a hawk, believe me, and you lot are not going to make any trouble. Let’s see how it goes first, okay?’

  They all nodded, there was a lot of sense in what the boss had said. Tony had just signed his own death warrant, if he crossed Marlon.

  ***

  Back at Jake’s house they both got out the champagne and popped the cork. Even though they were thoroughly mentally and physically exhausted from the last few days’ events, they were laughing, slapping each other on the back and dancing around the room.

  They were telling Sharon some of it, even though they saw her disapproving looks, but she was relieved that it all seemed to have gone okay. It had all been one big life-threatening risk but, as long as they could prove themselves to Marlon, everything would be okay. In fact, it would be better than okay; it would be great.

  ‘Are you telling me,’ she shouted over their laughter and excitement, ‘that you two are now in charge of the protection racket in the East End? For real? Well, if that’s the case, Mr Gangland Bosses, you’re going to need some men of your own. You can’t be everywhere at once, can you?’

  Suddenly, in one fell swoop, Sharon had wiped the smiles off thei
r faces. She was right, of course. Tony hadn’t thought that far ahead; his only interest was sorting out the business side of things and making a deal with the publicans and the boss. Now realization was dawning. As much as Sharon had laughed and joked about them being bosses, she was right. They were the bosses of the East End, now, and they couldn’t look like amateurs. They needed a firm.

  ‘I wouldn’t want any of the same guys that were used by the bossman and Eddie,’ Tony said, as the three of them sat around the kitchen table. ‘We need new, fresh faces that no one knows.’

  ‘You’re right, Tony,’ said Sharon. ‘All those men know each other, they all took pleasure in ripping each other off, drinking the profits and causing trouble; that’s not what you want. You have to look like a legitimate businessman, on the surface, at least. After all, you’re soon going to be a club manager, and you haven’t even got a drinks licence yet.’ Both of them looked at Sharon; they were struck dumb, bloody hell, she was right.

  ‘I’m not going to get one, I’ve got a prison record,’ said Tony. ‘What the hell are we going to do?’

  ‘I can get one,’ said Sharon. ‘I don’t have a police record, nor have I been in prison. Anyway, who looks at the name above the door as licensee?’ She smiled at them both. ‘Well, you two might be the godfathers, but it seems I’m the godmother.’ They all burst out laughing.

  ***

  Miriam had sent Tony five hundred thousand pounds, four times what his apartment was worth. Mick was an extremely happy publican; he had got his pub all fixed up and redecorated, ready for opening. He had offered to pay Tony back what he owed him out of his insurance money, but Tony had declined his offer, saying it was a goodwill gesture between businessmen.

  Jake knew why Tony didn’t want his money; it was guilt, pure and simple. It was because of Tony and his explosion of fireworks that had caused all the trouble in the first place. Tony felt this was payback time; Mick and his family had suffered enough.