Dirty Dealings

by Gillian Godden

  Francesca had wanted to go but Julie explained that she couldn’t sit in the court and listen, she was a witness and she would have her chance to look her husband’s killer in the eyes soon enough. It was going to be a pretty short case because everyone knew the outcome and the man who had killed Tony had given a guilty plea. It would all be over in a few days. Katie had flown back from Italy especially for it and joined the rest of the family in court. Only Scarlet, Ralph and Francesca weren’t allowed in.

  Julie waited outside the court as planned with Ralph and saw the judge. Yes, she knew him – and his tastes. Accidentally on purpose bumping into him through fair means and foul, she had got to meet him. He had hurriedly taken her to his chambers. He couldn’t be seen with Julie Gold. Quickly getting to the point, Julie explained Ralph’s plan. The judge was astonished at the very idea of it. He was also on edge in case anyone came in and saw him with Julie. ‘I have an old video tape here.’ Julie took out the tape and waved it in the air for good measure as she sat in his chambers. ‘I wonder if your respectable wife would like to see how you like the Thai men you visit? It must have been hard for you, being in the closet all of these years and playing the respectable husband. I understand. But I doubt the papers would.’

  ‘That’s blackmail, Julie. And people don’t look too kindly on that, either,’ he shot back at her.

  ‘True. But I don’t have a reputation to lose, like you. I’m sure people would be interested in this.’ Waving the tape in the air, Julie’s expression said it all. She wasn’t bluffing.

  ‘What you’re asking is impossible. I could go to prison for this. Do you know how they treat judges who have sent the men inside those places?’

  ‘Okay, John. Just a thought. I will drop this off on my way home. Nice to see you again.’

  Standing up slowly, Julie waited. She could see John was nervous. He was pacing the room and wringing his hands.

  ‘Drop it off where?’ Just exactly what is on that tape, Julie?’ John’s curiosity got the better of him.

  ‘To one of the local newspapers. This case is so hot at the moment any little bit of scandal is worth publishing. Especially if it involves the judge who is known for his promiscuity with the male gender. Oh, I know they were all over the age of consent, but it’s still gossip and gossip sells newspapers.’ Raising a waxed eyebrow, Julie smiled at him. ‘I hear you go to Thailand a lot. All those pretty lady boys, eh?’

  Rubbing his chin and in a state of panic, he looked at the tape in Julie’s hand. ‘I could try, but I couldn’t guarantee anything. Everyone is checked. You’re asking the impossible, Julie. You must see that,’ he pleaded.

  ‘Everyone but the judge is checked, John. The judge just waltzes in.’ Julie smiled. ‘Here, take the tape, I have copies. Take a look and see what the journalists would make of it.’ Opening the door wide, Julie mentally counted to three in her head and smiled when John called her back.

  ‘Okay. I will do my best, but I want any copies you have as well. I also want to walk away from this a free man. No scandal on my part. That bastard, Lambrianu. We paid a lot of money to be members of that club. Is there no honour left in the world?’

  ‘Done. I will send you all I have after the event and no sooner. By the way.’ A wide grin spread over Julie’s face. ‘Yes, Your Honour. There is honour amongst thieves. I’ll see myself out, I know the way.’

  Sick, and with a heavy heart, Julie went to see Francesca. These days she seemed better and those happy pills and booze were behind her. She focused on Adam. Julie thanked God that she had Adam. If it hadn’t been for him Francesca would have stayed under the duvet and once she had taken the top off a bottle of gin there would have been no turning back. Elle plodded along. Both of them were like people clinging to a lifeboat to stop themselves drowning.

  Taking a deep breath, Julie walked in. The house seemed to have lost its laughter but she had to keep up the momentum. ‘Hi, ladies, I hope that kettle’s on, I’m parched.’

  ‘Of course it is. Since when did you know me not to have the coffee boiling?’

  ‘How’s the grandchildren, Elle? Keeping you busy?’ Julie was also pleased that Katie had brought her children. It was just another thing to keep Elle and Francesca occupied and keep their minds off the forthcoming events.

  ‘Noisy and smelly, Julie. Have you ever known young toddlers any other way?’ Elle smiled. ‘They are lovely, though, and little Antonias looks just like Tony, with all that blonde hair and those blue eyes.’ Looking across at Francesca, Elle stopped short.

  ‘How’s Ralph? We haven’t seen him lately.’ Francesca’s concern was apparent. Julie had looked after everyone but herself. Ralph was ill and yet Julie hardly mentioned it.

  ‘Oh,’ Julie sighed, ‘same old Ralph. He’s not getting any better, if that’s what you mean. He looks like shit and is a shadow of his former self. Tony was like a son to him, Francesca. That or a younger brother. Yes.’ Julie nodded at them both. ‘It’s time someone stopped pussyfooting around and mentioned Tony’s name.’

  Wincing slightly at the mention of Tony, Francesca nodded. She had to admit to herself Ralph, Tony and Jake had been close and they had faced God knows what together. Now Ralph had lost them both, too, possibly just when he needed them most.

  ‘How do you feel about giving your statement in court, Fran? You’re their number one witness. Everyone is waiting for you to take the stand.’ It was true. Everyone wanted to see and hear Francesca pour her heart out about that night. It was sickening.

  ‘My statement doesn’t count for anything, Julie. Tony’s dead. There, I have said it now. What difference will it make, reliving that night? It won’t bring him back, will it?’

  ‘No, but you may feel better if you get justice.’

  ‘No, Julie. Nothing will make me feel better. And what is justice?’ Francesca’s eyes clouded over. She seemed disinterested in it.

  ‘Okay.’ Julie was fishing and she had her answers. Maybe Ralph had a point, but it didn’t make it right. ‘Thanks for the coffee, Elle. Now, if you don’t mind, I will leave you to your crèche and leg it while I can.’

  Her next step was to go and report back to Ralph about her meeting with John. She had a heavy heart, but she had made Ralph a promise and she couldn’t go back on that. He looked old these days. He was deteriorating and he hated it. His hands and feet shook constantly and, worse still, he was forgetting things. For now, he still had his faculties but even she wondered how long that would last. He hardly went out because he didn’t want anyone to see him like that.

  ‘Do you think everything will go as planned, Ralph?’ Even Julie was unsure. It seemed a little far-fetched given the circumstances. She felt nervous but didn’t want to show it.

  ‘I’ll make damned sure it does, Julie. Thank you, love. I know this is hard for you, but it’s for the best, believe me. Either way, the outcome would be the same. Only this way is better.’ Sitting in silence and holding each other, it seemed like the deal was sealed. There was nothing more to say.

  ***

  Looking around the courtroom and rising as the judge walked in, Julie took in the surroundings. Standing in the long queue to get in had been bad enough, but seeing how full the courtroom was made her feel sick. She sat in the gallery with all the family and listened to the proceedings, all the while looking at the pale, spineless man who had killed Tony sitting there and twiddling his thumbs, looking nervous. It was all very long-winded, but Julie had what she had come for.

  ***

  ‘For some unknown reason, Ralph, the barrister is calling you as a witness on Thursday. It seems they want to know what frame of mind Tony was in, whatever that has to do with it. Maybe they think it will add some glamour to the proceedings having you there. I have told them that you’re not well and that you will need a chair in the witness box. Everything else is arranged.’ Her face saddened and she reached out and held his trembling hand. ‘I have never said this often enough, but I’m saying it now. I love you, Ra
lph Gold.’ She felt tears well up in her eyes, but sniffed and blinked hard to keep them at bay.

  ‘I know that, Julie. I love you, too. You are the only person in the world that I trust. This is for all of us. Most of all, for me and for Tony. Thank you.’

  Sitting beside him. Julie rested her head on his shoulder while they sat in silence.

  CHAPTER 41

  PURE GOLD

  ‘Is everything in place for Mr Gold?’ The judge sat in his chambers, drinking a cup of coffee and talking to his clerk. ‘Make sure he is called first. If he is not a well man, we can’t have him hanging around all day.’ Brusque and businesslike, he gave his orders. ‘Has the courtroom been checked?’

  ‘Yes, sir, everything is in place.’ The clerk proceeded to put the judge’s red robes around his shoulders. ‘Although we don’t need Mr Gold in court. There’s nothing he could add to the proceedings.’

  Brushing his clerk away from him the judge looked at the man. ‘It is not our affair, Mr Jones. The point is, Mr Gold was one of the last people to talk to Mr Lambrianu in private. Had Mr Lambrianu seen the man when he came in? Did he mention anything to Mr Gold? That is why he is taking the stand.’

  The judge just wanted today to be over. Julie had met up with him again in secret and slowly given him his orders. She had been very matter-of-fact about it all. She made it sound so simple.

  Ralph was called into the witness box. He looked up and saw Julie sitting there in her white trouser suit. She had gone to extreme efforts so that she would stand out in the crowd. Scarlet had already given her version of the night’s events the day before. She had suffered interrogation by the defence lawyer and was angry. She knew if her name had been anything other than Lambrianu they would have been more sympathetic.

  Much to the jury’s annoyance, so had Knuckles. His hand, or rather what was left of it after it had been shot that fateful night, was part of the evidence. They all looked on in awe at Knuckles. His very presence made them cringe. Only his emotionless, short answers annoyed them. Even the barrister gave up.

  Scarlet had looked along at the rest of her family as Knuckles had to confirm his name and then swear an oath on the Bible to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

  ‘Don’t believe in it, but I will swear if you want,’ he’d said nonchalantly. The clerk of the court had looked towards the judge awkwardly. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. How could someone swear an oath on the Bible if they didn’t believe in the Bible?

  ‘Did he just say his name was Julian?’ Scarlet whispered to Katie. ‘Knuckles’ real name is Julian?’ She had never thought to ask Knuckles his name. It was a subject that hadn’t come up. Now she knew why he wasn’t forthcoming with it. If anyone had been wrongly named at birth it had been Knuckles! What had his mother been thinking of? She’d presumed he had a name but thought he would be a Charlie, or an Eddie, like so many of the men were called. But Julian?

  ‘Have you never asked him his name in all this time?’ Katie was amazed that Scarlet didn’t know.

  ‘Can I go now?’ he had asked when the judge said he could step down. They were all exasperated. He’d told his story, but it had been a very short version. He answered the questions with a yes or a no, and when asked if he could see the man who had shot Tony Lambrianu in court today, Knuckles’ answer was brief. ‘Yeah.’ He’d pointed at the man in the secure dock. ‘He did it.’

  Everyone was expectant and excited at the prospect of seeing Ralph Gold in the flesh. They had read about him and seen his photo in the papers many times. Now it was time for the real thing.

  People looked on in awe. They had heard about Ralph Gold, but this aging, thin man wasn’t what they had expected. Halfway through his speech, he coughed and held his chest. He leaned forward slightly, supposedly to catch his breath. The judge asked someone to get Ralph a glass of water. While bending forward slightly Ralph felt for the gun, which he hoped had been taped underneath the chair he was sitting on, as planned. This was his only chance. He quickly pulled at the tape, which gave way easily. He was surprised the weapon hadn’t fallen on the floor as it hadn’t been secured well, but now he had it in his hands. Pointing it directly at the man in the secure dock, who had shot Tony, he fired three times in quick succession. The high glass secured wall of the dock cracked. Ralph knew it was bulletproof glass, but no glass was completely bulletproof. Depending on the power of the gun and the angle you shot it from, it could be done. He had taken all of that into consideration when he had planned this. Ralph had used and fired so many guns in the past it had become second nature.

  Mayhem and panic filled the courtroom as the shots rang out. Some people were running for the doors and others were crouching down beneath the benches for protection.

  Two policemen in the far corner instantly got on their radios to ask for assistance as they ran towards Ralph. Shouts and screams filled the courtroom, Only Julie remained in her seat, in stony silence, as people pushed past her to get out.

  The doors burst open and more police ran in. ‘Put the gun down!’ they shouted. They didn’t go any further because Ralph pointed the gun towards them.

  ‘You want it? Then come and get it,’ he shouted at them. Glimpsing over at the man who had shot Tony, Ralph felt satisfied. He was dead. Justice was served. His hands shook slightly as he held the gun, but he continued waving it around and then he pointed it at the judge.

  Other police were trying to implement some form of crowd control as people pushed each other out of the way in a stampede to get out.

  ‘You. You bastard, you were going to let that prick walk with a minimum sentence. Dressed in your fine red robes, you don’t give a shit about Tony. You probably felt he deserved it,’ Ralph snarled. ‘Stay back, you lot, or I will shoot him,’ he shouted at the police. They stood back a little and tried talking to him, asking him again and again to lower his weapon.

  Pleading with Ralph to put the weapon down, the judge looked at the gun, which was firmly pointed at him. All hell had broken loose. The doors burst open and police with guns ran in and shouted their orders. ‘Put the gun down! Put the gun down or we will fire!’ Their own guns were firmly fixed on Ralph. They knew this was a life-or-death situation. This wasn’t just a threat, Ralph had already killed one man.

  Julie and Ralph quickly exchanged glances. Putting her fingers to her lips, she blew him a kiss. This is what he had wanted. This would make him a legend. He wanted to be remembered and talked about in a manner that befitted his reputation. He was going to go out in a shootout and a blaze of glory!

  ‘This is for you, Mr Judge.’ Ralph aimed higher than the judge, just slightly above his head. ‘Fuck you, asshole,’ he shouted, and pulled the trigger.

  ‘FIRE!’ was the last word he heard as the police fired their guns. It was over. Ralph slumped in the witness box. He was dead. It had been a potshot.

  Tears slowly ran down Julie’s cheeks. Now she knew how Francesca must have felt. But Julie had had the chance to say goodbye. Ralph had planned and wanted this and had relied on Julie one last time to help him. It was his dying wish.

  Brushing away her tears, she stood up. The room was now filling with paramedics. Police swarmed the half-empty room as they walked up to Ralph, tentatively still pointing their guns at him just in case he wasn’t dead. She looked over at the judge and gave a slight nod and made to leave.

  She was stopped by the police and led away. She had expected this, they both had. She was interrogated for hours. They wanted to know how Ralph had smuggled the gun in there and what part she had played in it.

  She had no answers to give them. She cried and played the new widow unable to give them any answers, even accusing them of murdering her husband. Eventually her lawyer insisted they let her go home. The police had no choice.

  Julie knew that wouldn’t be the end of it and there would be a huge investigation, with a lot of red faces in the police force. She was prepared to face it all. For Ralph’s sake. She knew they were
more interested in saving their own skins; this breach of security wouldn’t pass without someone’s head on the chopping block!

  Tired and weary, she made her way home and poured herself a large whisky. ‘This one’s for you, Ralph, love.’ She held her drink up in salute then gulped it down in one. After switching on the television, she watched as the news showed footage of the scene outside of the court. Blue lights from police cars and vans with their sirens blaring out were everywhere, and people were running around in panic. Some had been interviewed, giving their tearful stories about what had happened.

  The telephone interrupted her thoughts. She had a fair idea who it would be. ‘Julie! I have been trying to get hold of you for hours. Where the hell have you been?’ Francesca shouted down the telephone.

  Tired and exhausted, Julie told Francesca what had happened, even though she knew most of it from the news. They had a long conversation, which Julie drew to an end when Diana ran through the door. Francesca insisted Julie didn’t spend the night on her own, but should stay with her. Julie declined and told her Diana was there and she wasn’t alone. ‘I’m going to have a bath, Fran. It’s been a long day, I need to be on my own for a while. See you tomorrow.’

  As predicted, Diana was distraught. She, too, had been investigated, although she had been nowhere near the courts. This was the fallout. After comforting her as best she could, Julie sat in the bath. She welcomed the warm soapy water. For once she was tired of being the strong one. Bursting into tears, she sobbed.

  Half of her thought Ralph had been selfish, the other half of her agreed with him. Diana, Josh and herself would have been distraught at some point – Ralph was dying, they all knew that. How he chose to die was up to him. She would have to inform Josh. He was still in Japan, God knew what time it was there.

  Paparazzi were already gathering at Julie’s door and over the next few days the police were constant visitors. Francesca had begged her to go and stay with her and so she had. Julie felt numb, but she had to remain in control.