Maura's Game

by Cole, Martina

  He was still squawking like a parakeet at his own wit when Mickey Ball and a few other men arrived later. Abul’s leg was roughly bandaged and then they forced him, struggling and protesting, into the boot of a car. The last thing he saw as the door was slammed down was Vic trying to slap Tommy awake. Abul cursed himself for being so soft and giving him the H. He would have given anything now to have an easy way out for himself.

  Jonny was in a right state, Benny was beating him and he was screaming his head off. Benny was not letting up at all and when the cell door was finally opened it took three policemen to drag him off and out of the cell.

  Then Jonny started to fight the policemen.

  It went up like a bushfire.

  In the mêlée, Benny walked down the corridor that led from the cells and within seconds was out the back of the police station. Five minutes later he had dragged two young girls from a Peugeot parked outside a kebab van just off the High Street. He went driving off as fast as he could to pick up a decent motor. He couldn’t believe he was driving a Peugeot. It seemed to set the seal on what had been after all a really shit day.

  Then he saw a mobile and suddenly he felt that things were looking up.

  Maura lay in bed listening to her mother’s snores coming from across the landing. She had forgotten that her mother snored. When she had slept with her as a kid, she had liked to hear the sound, it had made her feel safe.

  Now she punched the pillow in an attempt to get comfortable. She wondered what was happening to Tommy and tried not to care. Abul’s betrayal was going to hit Benny hard. It was a good thing he was out of the way at the moment. This would really send him off at a tangent. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to stop her mind from whirling. It was nearly morning and she needed to get some sleep. Even the brandy she had drunk wasn’t making her feel tired.

  She wondered what tomorrow at Marsh Farm would be like in an effort to take her mind off other things. She had not seen Kenny’s little girl for a while and was looking forward to meeting her in the park.

  It didn’t work. She couldn’t sleep and she couldn’t stop picturing what was happening even as she lay in her bed. She had never felt so powerless in her life.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kenny was shattered. As he let himself into his house he heard his mobile bleeping. He looked at the text and his heart sank into his boots. He knew he had to be careful at this precise moment because the chances were Vic was actually sitting inside his home while texting him.

  He used the number on the text and was relieved not to hear a phone ringing nearby. Vic answered immediately.

  ‘Had a nice evening with the Ryans, Kenny?’

  ‘What do you want, Vic?’

  He kept his voice level.

  ‘I want to talk to you face to face. I have Tommy here and I think me and you need to discuss a few things.’

  ‘What things?’

  ‘Well, you are a fixer, aren’t you, Kenny?’

  ‘So I’ve been told.’

  Vic laughed and Kenny could almost see his bald head and even white teeth. He could almost smell Vic, he had such a feeling of him. He knew that Vic had something up his sleeve and also knew he wanted no part of it. He didn’t have much of a choice, though, and was well aware of that fact. Kenny sighed.

  Vic’s voice changed as he said in a friendly tone, ‘No trouble, I promise you.’

  Kenny sighed once more, more heavily this time. ‘What does Tommy have to say to you?’

  ‘There’s a car outside. Come along and find out.’

  ‘I am knackered, Vic, can’t this wait?’

  He laughed, a low deep chuckle.

  ‘Just get in the car, Kenny, there’s a good boy.’

  He rang off and Kenny felt an urge to smash the phone. He was bone weary and had had enough of the lot of it. Once this was all over he was going to retire. He was definitely going to retire.

  He picked up his land line and dialled Maura’s number. She needed to know the score. After speaking to her he went upstairs and gazed down at his sleeping daughter. She had given new meaning to his life since Lana’s death. He knew that if his wife had not died he would not have been as close to this child as he was now. He’d like nothing more than to be her father full-time and was working towards that goal. Once this was all over, he was out of the business for good. He was going to make this child’s life as happy as it could be. Give her everything in his power, and that included all his love and all his time.

  Something good always came out of tragedy. He had heard that many times and now he knew it was true. God had given him a second chance at life and he was going to grab it with both hands. In Alicia he finally had something more important than money, prestige and respect, and he loved her with all his heart.

  He walked from the house as quietly as he had entered it. His day out with Maura and his daughter would have to wait. But there would be other days, God willing.

  Benny had driven the crap car to Abul’s flat. He let himself in with his key, knowing Abul was still under the impression he was banged up. Inside he stalked around the empty flat looking for his one-time friend, and then he turned on the lights and started to tear the place apart.

  He found a mobile in a drawer and turned it on. The first thing he did was look through the text messages and check the numbers. He knew most of them; they belonged to mutual cronies. Next, he sorted through the kitchen until he found a mobile adapter and plugged in the phone he had found in the car. It was dead. He plugged in the phone from the drawer and then picked up the landline. As he was about to dial he stopped himself.

  Should he ring Maura or Garry? He decided to ring neither and phoned his father instead.

  Roy picked up the phone sleepily, but his son’s voice soon woke him up.

  ‘What the fuck you done now, Benny?’

  He was hurt at his father’s tone.

  ‘Ain’t you heard yet?’

  ‘Heard what?’

  ‘I escaped from the police station.’

  ‘You what? Are you really that fucking stupid?’

  Benny closed his eyes in distress.

  ‘You don’t understand, Dad. You don’t understand what’s going on . . .’

  He stared at the phone in his hand. It was dead. Roy had hung up on him. He stared at the receiver and felt like crying with temper. No one was willing to listen to a word he said. He knew it was his own fault but still it galled him.

  He saw a photo on the television set; it was of him and Abul at Ascot with two girls in big hats and expensive outfits. Abul had his arm around Benny’s shoulders and they were smiling into the camera. He closed his eyes to blot out the picture and the memory. He had loved Abul like a brother; had been friends with him for years since they were kids. Benny had trusted him more than he had trusted anyone else outside the family ever.

  They went back for such a long time, had done everything together, everything. They had even gone to bed with birds together; shared everything always. Now to find out that it was Abul who was the double dealer made him feel responsible for everything that had happened to the family. His mother’s death; his father’s breakdown. Abul knew who had killed Janine, and whether Benny was close to her or not, she was still his flesh and blood. Still one half of his parentage. Abul had even consoled him over his father’s breakdown. Had been there with him through the good times and the bad. Benny had trusted him to take care of his own pregnant girlfriend.

  It was impossible to believe.

  All this time his best friend had been conspiring against him and he, Benny, had never once guessed a thing. Never had even an inkling that everything wasn’t as it should be.

  He was going to kill Abul, slowly and painfully.

  The one thing he should have known was you never, ever tucked up Benny Ryan. Not unless you had a complete and utter disregard for your own life. Which Abul Haseem obviously had. He had to be on a death wish, it stood to reason. No one in their right mind would cross Benny.
No one with half a brain anyway.

  He carried on systematically searching the flat. If there was anything to find, Benny would find it. And if in the event he didn’t find anything it certainly wasn’t because he had not looked properly. He’d even dismantled the TV set and stereo.

  Maura was dressed once more and sat sipping coffee with Garry as she waited for Benny to get in touch. He would eventually, she knew that. Garry was waiting for Lee to arrive and she wondered if Roy was going to come too. When she had spoken to him he’d sounded as if he’d had more than enough of his son for one lifetime.

  She could understand how he was feeling.

  The police had mounted a search for Benny and even the solicitor had told her in no uncertain terms that it would take the National Debt to buy the little fucker out of this one.

  Maura had put someone outside Carol’s hospital room just in case Benny decided to pay the poor cow a visit.

  She had not realised just how much mobile phones had changed their lives until this evening. Years ago you had to wait to contact someone, use a phone box even and get them called to it. Now people could communicate at any time of the day or night without having to leave their homes or cars. Consequently you got used to talking to people as and when you wanted to. If you had a signal, you had a conversation. It was frustrating to sit here and wait for Benny to contact them, which was what they had to do.

  ‘I wonder how Kenny’s getting on with Vic? He said Tommy would be there apparently.’

  Garry sounded tired and Maura herself felt as if she could put her head on the table and sleep for a month. She saw her own exhaustion mirrored in her brother’s face and smiled gently at him.

  ‘If anyone can reason with Vic it will be Kenny. I want to know what Benny is going to do when he finds out about Abul.’

  Garry shook his head in despair.

  ‘I can’t believe it, can you? But it must be true or Abul would have brought Tommy straight here.’

  She nodded.

  ‘I thought it was all Tommy, didn’t you?’

  ‘They were probably in it together.’

  Maura shook her head. Her voice was stronger as she said, ‘At least we know who took young Tony Dooley out, don’t we? He would have trusted Abul. Brothers in arms, both helping to guard the Ryans.’

  Garry was quiet before saying, ‘I saw Abul as the voice of reason. He was the only person who could handle Benny outside the family. I felt better knowing that the boy was with him, didn’t you? Felt that he kept Benny out of trouble when he could, talked to him, reasoned with him. Fuck me, I could have done with a mate like Abul meself. You just can’t trust anyone these days, can you?’

  Maura shook her head.

  ‘So it would seem. I hope Vic doesn’t hurt Kenny.’

  ‘Who knows? He hasn’t so far. Got that much nous left anyway.’

  ‘I wish this was all over.’

  Garry laughed.

  ‘We have the trump card, love, which is why Vic needs to see Kenny. All the time we have Justin we have Vic by the short and curlies.’

  He finished building a large joint.

  ‘Vic is gonna want to do a deal of some sort, and we will do a deal with him.’ He lit the joint and inhaled deeply before saying, ‘Then I am going to kill him, at my leisure of course, him and that piece of shit Abul.’

  ‘What about Tommy?’

  Garry shrugged.

  ‘What about him? He’s a dead man, Maws. If Vic or Abul ain’t turned on him yet we’ll have him as soon as he shows his face. You needn’t be involved. Just try and forget about him.’

  Maura knew she wouldn’t be able to but Garry didn’t want any girlish confidences.

  ‘This has certainly been a long fucking night, Gal.’

  He grinned.

  ‘It ain’t over yet, the sun is up and the day is about to begin for everyone but us. It’s a waiting game, love, and we will wait. It’s all we can do.’

  Casha Haseem was woken up by a stinging blow to his face. He opened his eyes to see a fist crashing towards him once more. He tried to evade the blow but it caught him on the cheekbone and collapsed it immediately.

  Then he realised who was attacking him. It was Benny Ryan.

  Benny grinned down at him and raised his meaty fist once more.

  ‘What the fuck you doing, Benny?’

  Casha’s voice held equal parts of fear and curiosity. This was his brother’s best mate, after all.

  ‘I am smashing your fucking face in. Are you a bit thick or something that you can’t work that one out for yourself?’

  Casha sat up and put his hands over his face to deflect the further blows he knew were coming. Benny smacked him again and again.

  ‘Where the fuck is Abul? And I am warning you now you’d better tell me, Cash, because if you don’t I am gonna kill you and then I am gonna kill your whole family.’

  Casha wondered briefly if he was just dreaming. Benny Ryan was the person his brother loved above anyone else.

  ‘How the fuck would I know? He never tells me nothing, Benny, you know that.’

  He was nearly crying with fear. Benny saw the boy’s face swelling all over and then he hit him again.

  ‘Please, Benny, for crying out loud! What’s brought all this on?’

  Benny poked a finger in the boy’s face.

  ‘Where’s your brother? This is the last time I’m asking you.’

  Casha felt sick with apprehension.

  ‘I don’t know! I swear I don’t know, Benny. He could be anywhere.’

  Benny knew he was telling the truth, it was obvious he didn’t know what the fuck was going on. Casha was a shitter. If he knew he would talk.

  ‘Who would know? Tell me who he is close to other than me?’

  He could see Casha trying to think of an answer to his question.

  ‘Come on, answer me. I ain’t got all fucking day.’

  ‘Dezzy . . . ask fucking Dezzy, they’re always talking and poncing around together.’

  ‘What, you mean your Cousin Dezzy?’

  Casha nodded and Benny was suddenly sorry for the boy.

  ‘It’s nothing personal, Casha, OK?’

  The boy nodded, relieved it was all over.

  ‘What the fuck is this all about, Benny? What’s brought all this on?’

  Benny looked on the little night table beside the bed and picked up the alarm clock. It was a heavy affair, all brass and Roman numerals. He brought it down heavily on the boy’s head, and then repeated the action over and over again. Each blow was harder than the previous one.

  Benny watched the boy in a detached way. Casha knew he was dying and was really struggling to save himself. Benny was impressed. Finally Casha wasn’t moving any more and Benny would bet his last pound he wasn’t breathing either.

  This was meant as a message for Abul. It would bring his ex-friend out of the woodwork once the boy’s death became common knowledge.

  He sifted through Casha’s stuff and found yet another mobile number for Abul. Benny pocketed it and went downstairs. He was buzzing with excitement. He was going to sort this all on his own and then Maura and Garry would see that he was an asset, that he could control things, control himself when he needed to.

  He conveniently forgot about the rapidly cooling body of Casha in the bedroom. He made himself a cup of coffee and some toast in Casha’s kitchen. Flipped on the portable TV and watched himself being talked about on the news. It seemed poor old Jonny had been arrested as an accomplice to his escape. Benny would see that he got a drink. He would sort it all out when this was finally over. He turned over to Trisha and while he ate his breakfast watched people who had undergone DNA tests to see if they had fathered their own supposed children.

  He loved talk shows, marvelled at the predicaments people got themselves into without ever thinking about the life he led by comparison. He honestly thought he was an all right person, thought he was normal. He watched the poor saps on the TV and couldn’t understand these
people or their complicated lives, but it was compulsive viewing as far as he was concerned.

  He thought about his child then and felt sadness sweep over him. If only Carol had not been so fucking nosy, had not looked in the wardrobe, so much could have been avoided.

  He was surprised at just how hungry he was. He had to make himself more toast and coffee before he felt even remotely full up. He reminded himself that he had not eaten since the evening before so would be more hungry than usual. He had had, after all, a very demanding night one way and another. He was tired and he was annoyed, not a good combination for Benny Ryan. But he would sort this lot out and then he could have a few hours’ kip and be as right as the mail, as his old Nana used to say.

  He had a quick shower and then he was once more on his merry way. He used Casha’s car this time. It was a nice little BMW and he felt much better driving it than the poxy Peugeot. If anyone he knew had seen him in that he would have died of embarrassment. It would have taken him ages to live that one down. In fact, this little BMW was such a nice motor he thought he might invest in another one for himself.

  Benny gave another motorist the fright of his life as he cut him up by hurtling through a red light. He was annoyed with the man and wished he had the time to stop and sort him out. But Benny was a man on a mission and had to swallow this time.

  Such was the mindset of Benny Ryan as he set out to track down his oldest friend.

  Jack Stern was silently weeping with pain and all he could hear was Tony Dooley Senior saying over and over again, ‘Tell me what I want to hear, Jack, and I promise I will make it quick.’

  Jack was nearly going out of his mind. His arm was broken and his face burning from the drops of acid Tony was dripping on to him at regular intervals. But he was buggered if he was going to talk. They had him broken and were going to finish him but he would go to his death with the satisfaction of knowing they had not made him talk. It wasn’t a question of loyalty, more his own professional pride. He’d killed dozens of people on contracts and always despised the ones who gabbled and pleaded and tried with their last breath to do a deal. He’d always vowed that he’d never go like that and he wouldn’t, whatever they did to him.