by Sam Michaels
One of the men rose from his seat and dragged the chair to one side for Georgina to pass. She stood alongside Temi and studied the strange painting.
‘A copy of Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights,’ Temi told her. ‘Every time I look at it, I see something different.’
The strange painting was in three parts. To the left, a depiction of a peaceful world with animals and beauty and God standing between Adam and Eve. The middle part was filled with naked bodies and debauchery in fantastic detail. The painting to the right looked like hell. Georgina wished Lord Hamilton was with her. He’d be more informed about this sort of thing.
‘What do you see, Miss Garrett?’
Georgina looked closer. She was drawn to the dark world of hell, the black buildings at the top of the picture, surrounded by smoke. She pointed to it. ‘It reminds me of the Blitz,’ she said flatly.
‘Ah, like me, hell attracts you. Do you believe in God?’
Georgina glanced sideways, surprised at how youthful Temi appeared. His greased-back black hair receded at his temples but there were no lines around his eyes. His nose hooked slightly down and, with his protruding chin, he put her in mind of Punch from the puppet shows. She turned back to the painting before answering, ‘I might believe in God, though I don’t answer to him.’
‘I’m told you answer to no man.’
‘You were told correctly,’ she said.
Temi startled her when he did a sharp about-turn and addressed his office. ‘Leave,’ he said loudly, pointing to the door.
His men followed the instruction without question, leaving Johnny and Jacob Flowers looking perplexed and uncomfortable.
‘All of you,’ Temi ordered, looking from Johnny to Jacob.
‘So disrespectful. I shall be having words with your father,’ Jacob warned before leaving.
Johnny’s eyes met Georgina’s for approval and she discreetly nodded affirmation, swallowing hard as Johnny closed the door behind them.
‘Take a seat, Miss Garrett,’ Temi offered, indicating to one in front of his desk.
She sat down, her face stern, concealing her nerves.
‘I’m glad we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding between us and I’m sorry that it must have cost you dearly. Jacob Flowers overcharges and is overrated but he is my father’s friend and a good accountant. You could have come to me directly. I’ve always got time for a pretty face that wearing men’s clothes can’t disguise.’
Georgina squirmed in her seat. As beguiling as she found Temi with his olive skin and dark eyes, she was in no mood for a coquettish exchange. ‘What do you want, Mr Zammit?’ she asked directly.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled drily. ‘Please, call me Temi. If we’re to work together, I think we can drop the formalities.’
‘What do you mean?’ she asked, her brow creasing.
‘Let’s have a drink and discuss it. I don’t suppose you’re a sherry sort of lady?’
‘Champagne,’ she replied, though felt quite ridiculous requesting champagne when she was dressed in heavy boots and dungarees.
Temi poured their drinks and asked her to join him on a green sofa against the side of the office. Another elaborate piece of art hung over the sofa and Georgina wondered if Temi had heard about her heist of reproduction Old Masters.
She sat on the sofa, pushing herself up against the arm, as far away from Temi as possible.
‘I trust you’ve made arrangements to secure your freedom on the outside?’ he asked.
‘Yes, things are in place.’
‘Do you require any assistance from me?’
‘No, thank you,’ she answered emphatically, her mind racing as she wondered what Temi’s intentions were.
He edged closer towards her. ‘To freedom,’ he said, raising his glass in the air.
‘To freedom,’ she parroted and clinked his glass, noticing the large gold ring he wore on his little finger. She wished he would shift back up to the other end of the sofa.
‘How are you enjoying your freedom?’
‘As you’d expect.’
Temi sipped his drink, looking over the top of his glass at her. She felt he was scrutinising her but she couldn’t read him, though she knew he wanted something from her.
‘You’re a fine looking woman, Georgina. And this,’ he said, waving his hand up and down in front of her, ‘is your disguise to evade the police?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s good. You carry it off well. I’d have liked to see you dressed as a lady should. I’m sure you turn heads wherever you go.’
She didn’t like where this conversation was heading and drank three large gulps of the champagne. After placing her half-empty glass on a table beside the sofa, she turned to look at Temi directly in the eyes. ‘I don’t want to be your friend. I don’t need your help. But I’m willing to do business with you,’ she told him straight.
Again, Temi’s eyebrows raised and he smiled. ‘I’m hurt, Georgina, genuinely hurt,’ he said in jest and, smiling, placed his hands on his chest. ‘You’ve broken my heart.’
His humour relaxed Georgina and she finally offered a small smirk.
‘If I’ve misled you, I apologise. My intentions are strictly business. I’m a happily married man with two children and my wife is the only person I fear. She’s a remarkable woman. In fact, you’d probably get on well with her!’
‘Thank you,’ she answered, relieved that he didn’t have an ulterior motive to be alone with her. ‘What business would you like to discuss. I’m assuming it’s about the artwork I have at my disposal?’
‘Artwork? No, it wasn’t, but I’d be interested to know more. But first, something of a more serious matter… The Top.’
Her blood ran cold at the mention of his name.
‘I’m a powerful man, Georgina, equally, so is The Top. You seem to appreciate straight talking so I won’t beat about the bush… I want him dead.’
Georgina rubbed her finger where her mother’s wedding ring had once been and checked herself that she wasn’t showing a reaction to Temi’s statement. She didn’t know the man. It could be a trap. He could be working with The Top to try and flush out her intentions.
As if reading her mind, Temi continued, ‘I know you’ve visited him and while there, you were told he was the man who murdered David Maynard. I also know how you felt about Mr Maynard. This leads me to believe that you’d want some sort of revenge. Am I correct?’
Georgina reached round for her glass and knocked back the remaining champagne.
‘I’ll get you another,’ Temi offered, reaching for her glass.
‘No, thank you,’ she said, wanting to keep a clear head.
‘I worked with Mr Maynard on several occasions. I was nothing back then, just the son of a Maltese man. My father was trying to make a name for our family. He respected Mr Maynard and was saddened to hear of his untimely death.’
‘That’s not enough for you to want The Top dead.’
‘No, it’s not. But The Top is more powerful than David Maynard was. We don’t know enough about him. It concerns me that he simply walked in and destroyed Maynard. The Top could do the same to any of us. I want him toppled before he tries to crush what my father has built.’
‘Why do you want me involved? Why not just do it yourself?’
‘As I explained, The Top is equally as powerful as my family. And I don’t want to start a war with him.’
‘I see. You want me to take the risk to keep your name out of it. Any comeback will be on me.’
‘When you put it like that, yes, I suppose so. But you want him dead and I can help you. With my help, you’re more likely to succeed than if you attempted it alone.’
‘I’ll have that glass refilled now,’ she said, holding it out.
Temi took it from her and went to the drinks cabinet on the other side of his office, which gave her time to think. Acutely aware that this could still be a set-up, she pushed for more information. ‘How do you propose to help m
e?’
Temi handed her a full champagne flute. ‘I’ve a man on the inside. He can get you in with your gun.’
Georgina thought back to the man who’d frisked her and had deliberately touched her breasts. Thinking about it now, he had the same black hair as Temi and the swarthy skin tone. It hadn’t occurred to her until now that he could be Maltese.
‘It was my man who informed me of your visit to see The Top. He works on the door.’
‘I think I know who he is.’
‘He can give you free passageway inside. Then it’s up to you. But it makes it easier for you to get to The Top, doesn’t it?’
She drew in a long breath. Yes, it certainly did. But could she trust Temi?
‘You’ve nothing to lose,’ he said, ‘you’re going to do it anyway, so you may as well do it with a helping hand from me.’
Georgina sipped the champagne, her mind turning. ‘All right,’ she finally said. ‘Give your man the nod. I’ll be going in after Christmas.’
‘Good decision,’ Temi said, offering his hand out to shake. ‘Now, about this artwork…’
Half an hour later, Georgina left with Johnny, having arranged for Lord Hamilton to visit Temi the next day. He had been keen to discover what paintings he could purchase and Georgina was happy that the sale would be more than enough to pay the balance due to Jacob Flowers. All in all, it had been a meeting of surprises. Temi had been more approachable than she’d expected and best of all, she could look forward to putting a bullet in The Top.
14
Johnny reluctantly opened his eyes and realised that someone knocking on his front door had woken him. He grabbed his wristwatch from his nightstand and switched on the bedside lamp. Squinting at the watch face, he groaned when he saw it was three thirty-five in the morning.
The tapping on the door continued. He threw his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled a robe over his naked body, shivering as his bare feet felt the coldness of the floor. Perplexed at who would be knocking him up at this time of the night, he grabbed his gun before going to the door.
‘Who is it?’ he called, being sure to take precautions against gunfire, standing sideways on to the door with his back against the wall.
‘It’s me, Mr Dymond, Elsie Flowers.’
Elsie Flowers, Johnny thought, his face screwed up in consternation. What on earth was the woman doing at his door? He pulled it open and looked behind her before stepping outside and glancing left and right. She was alone. And when his eyes set on her, he was shocked to see her arm in plaster and bruises on her face.
She stood, her body trembling and tears on her cheeks. ‘Please… can you h-help me?’ she asked meekly through her chattering teeth.
He held out his arm and ushered her indoors, though it wasn’t much warmer in his small lounge than outside. ‘Sit down, I’ll make you a hot drink,’ he offered and fetched two blankets from his bed, one which he draped across her shoulders and the other over her lap.
‘Thank you,’ she said in little more than a whisper.
When he came back into the room with a cup of sweet tea, he was pleased to see she had stopped crying and her body was now still. He handed her the cup. When she looked up gratefully at him with her big blue eyes, he felt his heart melt for her.
‘What are you doing here?’ he asked gently.
‘I didn’t know where else to go. You gave me your address which I memorised before putting it on the coals. You don’t mind, do you?’
‘No, no, of course not. Did your husband do this to you?’
Elsie bowed her head, slowly nodding. ‘He hit me and then to cover up what he’d done, he tried to make me throw myself down the stairs. I couldn’t, so he pushed me.’
A sob caught in her throat and Johnny’s chest constricted in anger. How could that vile man do this to his beautiful wife? He wanted to kill the evil bastard. ‘Don’t fret,’ Johnny reassured her. ‘You’re safe here and I’ll make sure he never hurts you again.’
‘He’ll come looking for me. He won’t let me leave him. He keeps me shackled to our bed at night. I only managed to run away because I was in the hospital.’
Johnny paced the room, walking through his anger. The thought of the poor woman shackled to her bed at night burned furiously inside him.
‘Like I said, don’t fret. He won’t find you here and if he does, I’ll see to him.’
‘Thank you, Mr Dymond. I’m so sorry.’
‘It’s Johnny, and you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.’
‘He’ll be furious when he realises I’m not in the hospital. If he finds me, he’ll slit my throat.’
‘He won’t find you, I promise.’
Elsie’s delicate fingers cupped her tea and she gently blew on the hot liquid before sipping it. He wondered again how she’d come to be with someone like Jacob Flowers. His name might be pretty but there was nothing flowery about the man.
‘You take my bed. I’ll stop out here on the sofa.’
‘No, I couldn’t pos—’
Johnny quickly interrupted before she’d finished her sentence, ‘I insist,’ he said firmly. ‘No arguments.’
Elsie nodded and looked at him again with those grateful eyes that resembled Daisy’s. He could see the fear in them. He’d seen that look in his mother’s eyes and his stomach lurched. He hadn’t been able to protect his mother but he’d do whatever it took to look after Elsie.
‘How bad are your injuries? I mean, do I need to get the doctor out to you?’
‘No. My arm is broken but it’ll mend. I was being discharged from the hospital tomorrow. That’s why I had to escape tonight. See, once Jacob had me back at home, I’d be his prisoner again. He doesn’t allow me to go anywhere alone, not even to the shops. I go to church on Sunday mornings but I couldn’t ask anyone there for help. It wouldn’t have taken long for Jacob to find me and then he would likely kill me and whoever had helped me. When you gave me your address, you saved my life.’
‘I dunno about that,’ Johnny answered, feeling embarrassed.
‘Oh, you have, Johnny, you really have. I could have been killed when he threw me down the stairs. Who knows what he would have done next!’
Tears began to well in her eyes again and Johnny dashed to find a handkerchief. ‘’Ere,’ he said, handing her a white one with his initials embroidered on the corner. A gift from Miss Garrett a few Christmases ago. Christ, he thought, Miss Garrett. He doubted she’d be pleased about him keeping Elsie Flowers safe from her husband. He decided it was probably best that he didn’t mention it to her for now. After all, Miss Garrett had enough on her plate at the moment.
‘You’re very kind,’ Elsie said, dabbing the handkerchief at her wet eyes.
‘Yeah, maybe, but I won’t be kind to your old man if he dares to show his face here. You get yourself off to bed, sweetheart. Try and get some rest, eh. And don’t you go worrying yourself about Mr Flowers. You’re never gonna have to worry about him again, not with me around.’
‘I don’t know what to say. Thank you and good night.’
Johnny tossed and turned on the sofa but not because he couldn’t get comfortable. Jacob Flowers was on his mind. He supposed he could just go round to the man’s house and put a bullet in between his beady eyes. But Jacob had connections with the Zammits and Lord knows who else. He’d already made a mistake by rushing into things and unwittingly turning over the Zammits. He couldn’t afford another cock-up. No, for the time being at least, he’d sit tight and wait. After all, Jacob Flowers had no idea where his wife had run to and the man had no reason to suspect she’d be with Johnny. She was safe. For now.
*
Charlotte returned from an early morning walk with Dog and Tim in Battersea Park, pink cheeked and windswept. The moment she unleashed Dog, he pounded towards Georgina, jumping at her lap and panting heavily in her ear as his tail wagged with pleasure at seeing her.
‘Yes, I love you too, you soppy mutt,’ Georgina said, stroking his fluffy coat.
‘Well, that was interesting,’ Charlotte said as she pulled her knitted gloves off. ‘Tim has said he’s going to resign from the police and enlist with the army.’
Georgina shot Charlotte a look. ‘When?’
‘Tomorrow, when he goes back to work. He’s gonna hand his notice in.’
‘No, he can’t. Not yet. You’ve got to talk him out of it. Just another week or two.’
‘I wish I could. The last thing I want is him off fighting the Jerries. But he’s adamant it’s what he wants to do. He said it’s for us, me and him. He can’t stay in the police force and be with me at the same time.’
Georgina gently eased Dog away and rubbed her finger as she thought hard. Maybe Tim resigning from the police wasn’t such a bad thing. She needed him to be a credible witness and he still could be. And without his uniform, he wouldn’t be obliged to turn her in. If he was willing to give up his career for Charlotte, he’d likely do anything for the girl, even if it was against the law.
‘What are you thinking?’ Charlotte asked.
‘I’m thinking that it’s time to act. I’m going to get the police off my back for good.’
‘How?’
‘You’ll see. It’s important that you do exactly what I tell you. Understand?’
‘Yeah, of course.’
‘Good. What are your plans today with Tim?’
‘I’m just about to go shopping then me and Tim are popping in to see his sister.’
‘Shopping? On a Sunday?’
‘Yeah, the Barker twins,’ Charlotte smiled. ‘I promised Tim a turkey.’
‘Oh, I see. Right, on your way back from Tim’s sister, I need you to pop into Mary’s to drop off a Christmas present. It’s imperative that Tim is with you.’
‘Eh?’
‘Don’t ask questions, just do it.’
‘Fine,’ Charlotte said grumpily and clicked her tongue.
‘You need to be at Mary’s for five o’clock. Don’t be any sooner or later. Mary’s package is wrapped in brown paper in the sideboard. Put it in your bag now so that you don’t forget it. On your way to see the Barkers, call in to Johnny and tell him I need him here immediately.’
