A Gangster's Grip: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 2

by Heather Burnside

  As soon as they settled down in the lounge, Vinny began. “Right, one of the lads from work has been doing a bit of fishing, and I don’t think you’ll like what I’ve heard.”

  “Go on, I’d rather know.”

  “Well, apparently Leroy Booth and the rest of his family moved to the estate from Moss Side about a year ago. He’s been in loads of trouble with the law. He has a few younger brothers and sisters; a couple of his younger brothers are tearaways as well, but not as bad as him. Leroy has a really bad reputation and he’s not bothered who knows it. In fact, from what I’m told, he loves the fact that people are scared of him. They reckon his mam’s a nice lady, but she’s on her own, and she just can’t control him.”

  “So, what sort of trouble has he been in?”

  “Hang on, Rita, I haven’t finished yet. For starters, he deals in dodgy goods. From what I’ve heard, your dad’s well in with him and is one of the people who sells the stuff in the Brown Cow.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. What sort of stuff?”

  “Electricals mostly. Video recorders, CD players, cheap CDs and video tapes; that sort of thing.”

  “OK, so what about drugs? Was there any mention of that?”

  “I’m coming to that … Oh, don’t worry; your dad’s not selling drugs, not from what I’ve heard anyway. I think Leroy might be though. Have you ever heard of the Buckthorn Crew?”

  “Not really, why?”

  “It’s a gang that’s named after the Buckthorn Estate in Moss Side. That’s where Leroy used to live before he moved to Longsight. There’s a pub on the estate as well, called the Buckthorn Inn. Apparently, there are a few gangs in Moss Side; some are worse than others, but from what I’ve been told, the Buckthorn Crew are really bad news. They’re into drugs in a big way, and violence.

  “That’s why all the locals are so frightened of him, not just because of how he acts, but because he’s part of the Buckthorns. There have been a few shootings in the press that are connected to drugs. The police can never find out who did it, but it’s all supposed to be connected to gang wars over drugs and turf, that sort of thing.”

  “Jesus, I don’t like the sound of this! Why move to Longsight though? It makes no sense.”

  “That’s what I thought. Unless he has a good reason for it; maybe he’s hiding from something or someone. I don’t know.”

  Just then Julie walked back into the lounge, but Rita was too hyped up to take heed of the fact that she was accompanied by her daughter Emily.

  “Julie, I don’t like the sound of this,” Rita repeated. “I can’t believe my sister would be daft enough to run around with a bleedin’ gangster. I suppose the drugs go without saying then, if he’s involved with that lot?” she asked Vinny.

  “Well, I haven’t heard anything specific, but your guess is as good as mine.”

  “Right, well there’s only one way to find out. Yansis, we’re going to this bleedin’ Buckthorn Inn at the weekend to see what we can find out about him.”

  “Oh no, Rita; it’s too dangerous,” said Vinny. “And you don’t want to be dragging Yansis there either.”

  Once Rita had her mind set on something, however, there was no stopping her. “Not half as bloody dangerous as the mess my sister has landed herself in. He’s gonna be moving in with her, for God’s sake! We’ve got to do something. If you don’t come with me, Yansis, I’ll go on my own. Anyway, we’re only asking a few questions, what harm can that do?”

  “Alright, Rita, I will come with you. You know I wouldn’t let you go alone, but I don’t like that you put me in this situation.”

  “For God’s sake, Rita, be careful!” pleaded Julie.

  Rita and Julie’s friendship went back years. Rita knew that Julie wouldn’t even bother trying to dissuade her from going; she would be wasting her time.

  “Don’t worry, Julie, I will,” said Rita. “I’m only going to see what I can find out. Maybe when Jenny learns what a scumbag she’s going out with, she might come to her senses. I just want to get her away from him, that’s all.”

  “What if she doesn’t want to get away from him, Rita? It might be harder than you think,” said Julie.

  “Well I won’t know till I try, and if something happened to our Jenny, I couldn’t live with myself, knowing that I hadn’t done anything to try to help her.”

  She then lit up a cigarette to calm her nerves.

  Chapter 4

  Friday 15th March 1991 - evening

  Vinny had been kind enough to let Rita and Yansis use his Vauxhall Cavalier to travel to the Buckthorn Inn in Moss Side on Friday evening, although Yansis would be driving as Rita didn’t drive. He didn’t need much persuasion from Julie. Vinny had got on well with Yansis whenever he and Julie had visited Greece, and he considered him a friend. Besides, as Vinny mainly used his work van, his car was often available.

  During the week, Rita had checked the Yellow Pages to find the address of the Buckthorn Inn, then she and Yansis had mapped out the route in the A to Z. She was thankful that they could use Vinny’s car because it would be easier for them to leave quickly if there was any trouble. She didn’t like the thought of having to wait for a taxi if it was kicking off; that’s supposing she could find the number of a local taxi firm. Worse still, they could end up wandering around the Buckthorn Estate late at night with no idea how to get back to Julie’s.

  When Friday night arrived, she was a little apprehensive, but she assured herself that she was doing the right thing. She needed to find out more about Leroy if she was to have any chance of persuading her sister Jenny to split up with him. As Yansis drove, Rita studied the A to Z and followed the street signs. After a while, they turned off the main road and into a housing estate.

  It was similar to the estate where her parents lived, but worse; full of modern but shabbily maintained houses crowded into a confined space. Some of the gardens were not only overgrown but littered with refuse. Although it was evening, she could see huge patches of mould growing down some of the walls, and painted areas that were cracked and peeling. Several of the windows were boarded up.

  She wondered how these properties could have become so dilapidated in such a short space of time. The weather worn bricks on corner properties bore evidence to the fact that the houses were built with second rate materials. There were a few smarter homes amongst the decay, and she sympathised with the house-proud owners, having to live amid such despondency.

  When they arrived at the Buckthorn Inn, it seemed innocuous enough from the exterior, apart from the fencing, which might have given a clue as to the omnipresent danger. It was another modern building, but better maintained than some of the houses they had passed. There was a yard at the back of the pub surrounded by a high, sturdy-looking metal fence topped with barbed wire. The top floor had an outdoor roof terrace, which was also protected by the same high fencing. As they stepped out of the car, a Rottweiler ran onto the terrace and snarled at them, while straining at the fence.

  “Bleedin’ hell! They know how to welcome their customers, don’t they?” Rita commented, trying to hide her increasing unease.

  She caught Yansis’s nervous glance, but she was here now, and wasn’t about to back out. She took the initiative and grabbed hold of Yansis’s hand, leading him towards the entrance.

  “Take no notice of that bleedin’ thing. It can’t get out, and you know what they say – its bark’s probably worse than its bite.” Because Yansis was from Greece, this saying was lost on him, as were a lot of the old adages that Rita used.

  The only people they noticed at first were some teenagers further up the street, on mountain bikes. Then, as they approached the doorway, they saw a young couple. They were tucked into the side of the porch, so Rita didn’t notice them until she was a few metres away. Once they were in view, though, it was obvious they were getting very amorous and their antics were a bit much for public consumption. Rita tried to avert her eyes as she passed them. Although she was broad minded, this over
t display embarrassed her.

  Rita pulled the door handle and the atmosphere engulfed her. The air was heavy with smoke but from more than cigarettes. Rita recognised the sweet, sickly smell of cannabis. The place was full of it, and the atmosphere wasn’t just to do with the smell either. Now she knew what Clint Eastwood felt like when he rode into a strange town. Jesus! Talk about hostile. People were actually pausing their conversations to examine them as they walked past. The only welcoming sign was the music as the sound of ‘Groove is in the Heart’ by Deee-Lite was blasting through the speakers.

  The walk to the bar seemed to last forever until she compared it to the time waiting to be served. That must have broken a new record. When the barman deigned to serve them, Rita ordered a pint of lager and a double whisky. Somehow she thought she was going to need it, and for extra succour she lit up a cigarette too. Poor Yansis had to make do with a Coke as he was driving and didn’t smoke.

  She looked around the room, trying to decide where to go. The seats all seemed to be taken, so it looked as though they would have to stand. However, the place was crowded and there were some mean looking characters eyeing them up. She didn’t fancy being accused of barging into anyone, so she led Yansis to a side of the pub that seemed calmer. They positioned themselves next to the wall and Rita glanced around, planning a strategy while avoiding eye contact with anyone. Meanwhile, Yansis stood uncomfortably sipping his Coke.

  Rita noticed a group of girls sitting around a table. They looked younger than her but might be friendly if she approached them in the right way. There were a couple of seats empty between their table and the next one. The people at each table had spread themselves out, so anyone wanting to sit there would either have to prise themselves in or ask them to move up. Rita, having appraised the situation for a few minutes, and after gulping down the last of her double whisky and a good measure of lager, decided it was worth taking a chance.

  “Come on, Yansis, let’s get a seat.”

  Before Yansis could protest, Rita made her way over to the table full of girls.

  “Hiya girls, d’you mind if we grab them two seats, only my bleedin’ feet are killin’ in these stabbers?” she asked, indicating her shoes as the source of her discomfort.

  “Er yeah, go for it,” one of them replied, and they shuffled closer together while Rita sat down next to them, leaving the seat at the other side of her free for Yansis. It was a tight squeeze for him, and the people on the neighbouring table weren’t as accommodating, but he coped. Meanwhile, Rita struck up a conversation with the girls.

  “Ooh that’s better, you’re a life saver,” she said loudly to the girl sitting next to her, who had encouraged the others to make room. Then, while she had their attention, Rita continued, “I’ve only just got them. I knew they were a bit high but I couldn’t resist.” She lifted her right foot and turned it at an angle to show off the shoes.

  “They’re gorgeous,” said her new found friend and the others joined in.

  “I’m Rita by the way, and this is Yansis.”

  The girls introduced themselves, and Rita found out that the one sitting nearest to her was called Alesha.

  “It’s alright here, buzzin’ isn’t it? Is it your local?” asked Rita, playing the role of loquacious drunk.

  “Yeah, we come here all the time. We’ve not seen you in here before though.”

  Rita picked up on the air of suspicion but she was prepared. “No, we were supposed to come with my sister and her boyfriend, but she backed out at the last minute, so we thought, sod it, we might as well come anyway. It’ll make a change.”

  Alesha turned away, ready to resume her conversation with her friends. ‘Shit, I’ve lost her,’ thought Rita. She knew she had to think fast to keep the conversation going, so she leant over to the girl and whispered conspiratorially. “Actually, I think they’ve had a row; I’m not sure he’s good for her. I don’t wanna say too much in case you know him, ’cos he’s from round here, but people keep telling me he’s bad news and she should finish with him.”

  Rita knew she would have piqued the girls’ interest, and Alesha was quick to respond. “What’s his name?”

  “Leroy Booth,” whispered Rita.

  There was a definite shift in the girls’ attitudes as soon as Rita spoke his name. She sensed it straightaway despite the double whisky she had drunk. She hoped they weren’t close to him; they might have been related for all she knew. But that was why she had been careful not to call him; instead she had implied that it was other people who were saying bad things, and had feigned ignorance. With that in mind, she carried on prodding.

  “Do you know him then? I don’t know much about him myself. We’ve just come back from Greece, so I wouldn’t mind finding out if all these rumours are true.”

  “Shshsh,” whispered Alesha, as she looked around her. Rita then understood that the reason for the change in the girls was down to fear. When Alesha was satisfied that no-one was listening to them, she continued quietly. “You wanna be careful, coming in here, asking things like that. It’s dangerous asking questions about Leroy Booth.”

  “Why?”

  Alesha nodded towards a young woman standing a few metres away from them, and said, “You see that girl over there, in the blue top?”

  Rita looked across the room and noticed a slim, pretty young woman in profile, with smooth, caramel coloured skin. “Yeah,” she replied.

  “She used to go out with Leroy, and she got too involved in what Leroy was up to. Do you wanna know what happened to her?”

  Rita looked at Alesha, unable to answer straightaway as a feeling of dread descended on her.

  “Laura!’ Alesha called to the young woman.

  Laura turned around to look at them. She was a stunning young woman, with beautiful brown eyes and full lips, as well as the smooth caramel coloured skin. In fact, if it hadn’t been for that one imperfection she would have been flawless. Unfortunately, the ugly scar running down one side of her face ruined her flawlessness.

  “I didn’t know you were out tonight. How long you been in here?” asked Alesha.

  “About half an hour.”

  “Oh, I’ve only just seen you. Be over later for a chat.”

  The conversation was soon over. It was only a pretext to let Rita see Laura’s damaged face. Alesha lowered her voice again as she turned back to face Rita. “That’s what happens if you get too involved in Leroy’s business. You probably wish your sister could finish with him, but let me tell you; she can’t. The only way she’ll be finished with Leroy is when he’s finished with her. If you’ve got any sense, you’ll leave her in the mess she’s made for herself, and piss off out of it. I’d be off back to Greece if I was you.”

  For once Rita was speechless. She quickly downed the remainder of her lager, and stood up to leave. “Come on, Yansis, we’re going.”

  They dashed from the pub without uttering another word to the girls. When they got outside, they noticed that the group of five or six teenagers on mountain bikes had now moved down the street, and were circulating around the pub. Rita and Yansis had left the car on the pub car park, so it didn’t take them long to notice that the front windscreen was smashed.

  “Oh shit, that’s all we need!” cursed Rita, who was already feeling agitated following Alesha’s revelation.

  Her reaction was bait to the group of youths, who began to taunt.

  “Looks like someone did your windscreen in lady.”

  “Tyre’s lookin’ a bit flat too, bitch.”

  The youths followed these comments with laughter and jeers. Rita’s first impulse was to give them a piece of her mind. The cheeky little bastards! She glared at them, the fury building up inside her. As she made eye contact with them, they stayed still and silent, surveying her, waiting for a response. She could feel Yansis pulling her arm, trying to lead her towards the car.

  There was a time when she’d have leapt at them and vented her anger. But she’d changed during the last few years, a
nd developed an instinct for danger. She noticed they were even younger than she had at first deduced, ranging in age from about 10 to 14. Nevertheless, they looked menacing, especially as a few of them were carrying large baton-like lengths of wood, which they were switching from hand to hand in a threatening manner.

  She knew that retaliation would have been foolish; she would have been like a gladiator slave stepping into the arena. But unlike the gladiator slaves, Rita had a choice. This was one time when she would have to swallow her anger, and concentrate on getting home safe. She and Yansis continued towards the car, noticing the flat tyre on the passenger side. Yansis unlocked the doors and Rita got in immediately, despite the shower of broken glass all over the seats. She could see the gang of youths making their way towards them. Yansis was standing with his back towards the youngsters, and was preoccupied with the state of the car. He leant in, and began brushing the glass away with his hands.

  “Oh, Rita. What can I do with the car like this?” he asked. “I don’t know what I will tell to Vinny.”

  Rita, her patience running thin, and aware of the gangs’ increasing proximity, yelled, “Just fuckin’ drive, Yansis!”

  -------------------

  Saturday 16th March 1991 - afternoon

  “Just get hold of the bleedin’ thing will you?” Ged shouted, as he lifted one end of a two seater settee that had seen better days.

  At the other end of the settee was Joan. They had been helping Jenny to move house for over two hours now, and Joan was getting tired. Ged was in a foul mood. He could have been in the pub, flogging his gear, and making sporadic trips to the bookies in between pints. Instead, he had been lumbered with helping to shift Jenny’s furniture and smaller items, and he’d had it dropped on him at the last minute.

  Up until yesterday morning, Leroy had supposedly been taking care of everything, but then he’d rung to say he couldn’t do it because he had a bit of business to tend to, and he’d asked Ged to take over. And when Leroy asked you to do something, you did it, no matter what your other plans were.