by Kitty Neale
They all grabbed chairs and, once seated, Dan said, ‘Maurice, did you bring the books?’
‘Yes, Dad.’
‘How are we doing?’
Maurice opened to the current page, pushing the book across to his father. ‘As you can see we've made the same amount this quarter as we did the last. Profits are still good, but I think we've reached saturation point and they're unlikely to increase.’
‘Oh yeah,’ Dan snapped, ‘very convenient. Have you spoken to Danny ahead of this meeting?’
‘No. What makes you ask that?’
‘It's a bit funny that just when we need to increase profits, your brother has come up with an idea.’
‘Well, he didn't discuss it with me,’ Maurice said, ‘but he's certainly timed it right. What have you got in mind, Danny?’
Danny rose to his feet. ‘If we want to make money, big money, we need to diversify. I've discussed this with Dad, but there's one aspect of it that he doesn't like and I expected to drop. However, I had a word with Bob and he's as keen on the idea as me.’
‘He's what?’ Dan exploded. ‘Is this true, Bob?’
‘Nah, no way,’ Bob protested. ‘Danny told me what he's got in mind, but I think he's off his head. I'm with you, Dad. I've got kids and the thought of it turns my stomach. What he's got in mind is disgusting, sick, and I can't believe he even suggested it.’
‘Why, you …’ Danny growled, advancing towards Bob, ‘… you two-faced bastard. I'll fucking kill you!’
‘That's enough!’
Their father's order was enough to halt Danny in his tracks, but his fists were clenched as he yelled, ‘He said he was for it!’
Bob was pale, his voice wheedling, ‘No, Danny. I'm sorry, but when you told me what you've got in mind I was a bit stunned. I can't remember what I said, but maybe you got hold of the wrong end of the stick.’
‘Leave it out. I didn't come over on a fucking banana boat so don't take me for a mug. I don't know what your game is, but you agreed all right.’
‘Look, what's this all about?’ Maurice asked, his eyes flicking between his brothers.
It was Danny who answered. ‘When I discussed my idea with Bob, he said we should have a vote on it.’
‘That's right, I did,’ said Bob, ‘but it doesn't mean I like the idea. I just said it's only fair that everyone gets a chance to hear it.’
‘Shut up, the pair of you,’ Dan yelled. ‘Bob, I'm glad to hear that, unlike Danny, you seem to have decent morals, but there'll be no vote on the shit that your brother has come up with.’
When Maurice saw Bob's smug smile, he was sure that his brother had somehow manoeuvred this to discredit Danny, enabling him to get into their father's good books. He also saw Danny step forward, about to round on Bob again, his face livid. To defuse the situation Maurice quickly asked, ‘Just what is this idea?’
It was their father who answered. ‘Danny wants us to go into hard porn, but I'll leave him to tell you about the bit that I can't stomach and will never allow.’
‘All right, Danny, let's hear it,’ Maurice said.
Chapter Five
In number five, George Draper was growing impatient. He'd overslept, not getting up until after ten that morning, and if Linda didn't pull herself together soon he'd have to leave without any grub. Bloody hell, this pregnancy was a nightmare. Linda threw up continuously and looked awful, her face the colour of dough. Morning sickness. Huh! Hers sometimes lasted all day, and if this was what it was like to have a pregnant wife, he'd make sure it was the last time.
He glanced at the clock and his expression turned grim when he saw it was after half-past ten. If he didn't get a move on he'd be late for the meeting and the old man would do his nut.
Linda staggered in through the back door, wiping her hand across her mouth. ‘I hate using that outside toilet. When are we going to get a bathroom?’
‘For Christ's sake, stop whinging,’ George snapped, fists clenched as he fought the urge to smack her in the mouth. Realising that he should have put more value on his freedom, he was already disillusioned with marriage. It had been the thought of having nooky on hand whenever he wanted it that had decided him to propose, and not only that, Linda had been a tasty piece, one he'd been proud to have on his arm.
Marriage had been great at first, sex on demand, but the novelty soon wore off, especially when the stupid mare told him she was pregnant. She was letting herself go too, her face always bare of makeup. Her long, ash-blonde hair still cascaded down her back, but these days it looked like rats' tails.
‘I'm gonna be late,’ he snapped. ‘For fuck's sake, pull yourself together and make me a bacon sandwich. I'll eat it on the way to the yard.’
‘Yes, all right, and I'm sorry, George. I won't complain again,’ Linda wheedled, but then she raised a hand to her mouth. ‘Oh God, I'm going to be sick again.’
George held his temper, just, and as she staggered outside again he yelled, ‘You useless cow. Forget my breakfast – I'm off.’
With that, George left the house. His stomach rumbled as he hurried down the alley, his expression dark with fury. When he turned into Aspen Street a bloke was coming out of his house, and though he looked quickly away, George was ready for a fight.
‘Who do you think you're looking at? Got a problem, have yer?’
‘Nah, mate,’ the man said, holding his hands up as though in surrender.
The bloke's obvious fear mollified George, and anyway, with his father waiting he didn't have time to hang about. With a last scowl at the bloke he hurried past, intent now on reaching the yard.
Linda leaned over the toilet, retching, but only bringing up bile now. Oh, she hated this morning sickness. She had hoped that her pregnancy would soften George, but so far all it had done was arouse his anger, making her more afraid of him than ever.
When they'd first met, his dark brown hair, gorgeous blue eyes and a smile to die for had bowled her over, and she had willingly gone out with him. Of course she had heard of George's family, their reputation, but in truth she'd been bored with life and excited at the hint of danger. Her previous boyfriends had been ordinary, staid and, compared to George, as dull as dishwater. She'd been blinded by him, fell madly in love, and at first there'd been no sign of the violence that lay beneath his charming persona.
Linda wiped a hand across her mouth, recalling how during their courtship the other side of George had come to light. He would get into numerous fights, usually a result of another bloke showing interest. God, what a fool she'd been. Instead of seeing what was under her nose, she'd been flattered by his jealousy – proud of his prowess – proud too to be part of a family that was both feared and respected in the area. When they had married, everything had been wonderful at first, but after only two months, George had changed. His violence turned on her, but it was her own fault, she knew that, finding out the hard way not to question him when he came home late without explanation.
Linda heaved again, her head swimming. She felt awful, and longed for her mother's arms. Tears threatened and she gulped, deciding that as soon as she felt better, she'd go to see her parents. George wouldn't like it. If he found out, she'd probably get another smack, but it had been weeks since she had last seen her mum and she missed her so much.
At last, feeling marginally better, Linda made her way inside. She still felt nauseous, unsure if she could make it to her mother's house, but maybe she could pop next door to have a word with Ivy. She'd had two children, so might know something that could settle this dreadful morning sickness.
Of course Sue and Norma had children too, but Linda knew that Ivy would be the most sympathetic. When she had first moved into Drapers Alley, it was Ivy who made her welcome, and nowadays they often had a gossip over a cup of tea. So far she hadn't told Ivy how violent George was becoming, but with only thin walls between them, she felt sure that the woman already knew. Maybe she should bring the subject up, confide in her. Ivy was vitriolic in her dislike of most of t
he brothers, with the exception of Chris, but so far they had never discussed George.
Linda went upstairs where she took off her night-clothes before stepping into a skirt. With nothing else clean, she pulled a creased blouse out of the ironing basket, but the garments had piled up, several spilling over the side and onto the floor. Her stomach flipped again, and ignoring the mess, she fled downstairs, one hand over her mouth as she headed again for the outside toilet.
When George reached the yard he was surprised to find it locked. All right, he was a bit late, but surely the old man could have waited. With a tut of impatience he pulled out his keys.
There was the sound of raised voices as George went inside, but as he stepped into the office, all went quiet for a moment before his father's voice rang out.
‘Where the bloody hell have you been?’
‘Sorry, Dad. Linda's got morning sickness and I couldn't leave her.’
‘Morning sickness? That's no excuse. Your mother had that and it's nothing to worry about.’
George wasn't going to admit that he'd overslept, so creasing his face into an expression of worry he said, ‘Linda was really rough, Dad.’
‘Yeah, well, there's no need to get upset. It'll soon pass and she'll be fine.’
George nodded. ‘Have I missed much?’
‘You've just missed your brother telling the others that he wants to peddle child porn.’
‘Oh, right. Is there a lot of money in it, Danny?’ ‘Yeah, a mint, but it's been vetoed.’ ‘Why's that?’
A chair went back, crashing onto the floor as Dan reared to his feet. ‘Why's that?’ he screeched, face red and eyes bulging. ‘For fuck's sake, ain't it obvious?’
Despite this display of temper, George scratched his head, unable to understand what was upsetting his father. His eyes swept over Bob, Maurice and Chris, noticing for the first time that they looked none too happy. ‘Can someone tell me what's going on?’
It was Chris who answered. ‘Danny wants us to go into hard porn. We're fine with that. Adult movies are acceptable, but not ones using kids.’
Out of the corner of his eye, George saw his father sit down again and finally cottoned on that he had better tread carefully. Danny might be for the idea, but it seemed the others were against. ‘Yeah, well, I suppose I can see why. It'll be bad enough if the Vice Squad catches us making hardcore films with adults, but if they find kids we could be in the shit – big time.’ George's eyes shot to his father, seeking approval, but instead saw him shaking his head with disgust.
‘You're as bad as Danny,’ he growled. ‘We've agreed to the other stuff, but now I ain't so sure.’
Confused, George looked to Danny, and it was he who spoke.
‘Dad, listen, as I said there's a mint to be made if we up the ante. Maurice has pointed out that we've reached saturation point with the soft stuff so an increase in profits is unlikely. Yes, we're doing all right, but if you want your early retirement we need to give the other stuff a try.’
‘Oh, so it's for my benefit, is it?’ asked Dan, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
‘We'll all benefit, Dad. We could make a fortune.’
Dan's eyes swept over the others before settling on Maurice. ‘Well, you're the brains of the family so what do you think?’
‘I've got a few more questions to ask before I make a decision.’
Dan nodded. ‘What about you, Bob?’
‘Well, as long as we keep away from child porn, I'm for it.’
There was a low growl from Danny, but then Chris said, ‘If everything we do is consensual, then I think we should give it a go.’
Dan's lips pursed. ‘And you're willing to risk treading on Garston's toes?’
Again there was silence as each brother pondered, but then Danny said, ‘If the worst comes to the worst we can always hire a bit more muscle. Do you want me to have a word with some of the boys at the gym, Dad?’
‘No, leave it for now. We won't need it until Garston gets wind of what we're up to, and that's likely to be when we start distribution.’
‘So it's on then?’
Dan exhaled loudly. ‘Maurice still has questions, but yeah, if he's happy with your answers, I suppose so.’ He then stood up. ‘I'll leave you to go over the finer points. I'm off to the races.’
He didn't say goodbye and, still confused, George looked to Danny, his brother hissing, ‘We'll talk later.’
George nodded, and as Danny sat in the chair vacated by their father, he too took a seat, listening to the questions that Maurice raised.
‘Have you spoken to the girls and their partners, Danny?’
‘No, not yet, but if they don't fancy upping the stakes, we can still use them for soft porn, finding others to take on the hard stuff.’
‘They won't be cheap.’
‘I've factored that in.’
‘And the filming? We use Eddy Woodman now, but he might not fancy the added risks.’
‘It's not a problem. I've learned all I need from Eddy, and I've decided to keep this strictly in the family by handling the filming myself. With this kind of operation, the fewer people who know about it and where we're based, the better. Bob has proved himself good at editing, so he can take that on. Chris is great with sales so we can continue getting orders and sorting out distribution. George can make up the sets and Maurice can handle the lighting.’
‘Will Ivy's old man still do the deliveries?’
‘Yeah, but I'll send George out with him just in case there's any trouble.’
‘Dad's right,’ Maurice mused. ‘Garston ain't gonna take this lightly, and he ain't the only one.’
‘Fuck them,’ Danny snapped. ‘There's a market out there, a good one, with room for another crew. All right, we might come across a bit of trouble, but with the money we'll make it's worth the risk. Anyway, as I told Dad, there's plenty of muscle for hire if we want it.’
‘That's gonna cost a pretty penny,’ Maurice complained.
‘Only until we sort Garston out. In fact, if it becomes necessary, I know someone who'll take the bastard out permanently.’
‘It may come to that. He's a nasty piece of work and has been known to use shooters.’
Danny shrugged. ‘So what? Garston doesn't frighten me and he shouldn't put the shits up you either. Bloody hell, Maurice, we're the Drapers. We're feared – maybe not as much as Garston, but we can soon put that right.’
‘Yeah, Danny,’ said George. ‘In fact, if Garston tries anything I'll take the fucker out myself.’
‘That's more like it,’ Danny said, smiling with approval. ‘There speaks a Draper.’
George was gratified by Danny's remark. He knew he wasn't the brightest of the bunch, but other than Danny, he was the toughest. Maurice was a weakling, and though Bob and Chris could handle themselves in a fight, they didn't have the killer instinct. He'd been around them during punch-ups, and it was usually left to him to put the final boot in, something he had no qualms about doing. His neck stretched, pride in his stance. If anyone wanted to mess with the Drapers they'd have to take the consequences, and that included Jack fucking Garston.
‘All right, Danny,’ Maurice said. ‘I'm in. Does that still go for the rest of you?’
George grinned as one by one his brothers nodded. It had been too quiet lately. The business had been chugging along nicely so it had been a while since he'd had a chance to use his fists. Now, though, things were looking up.
One by one they left, until just he and Danny remained in the office.
There was still something puzzling George. ‘I still don't get it, Danny. Why did they veto child porn? Was I right about the Vice Squad? Is that why they turned you down?’
‘No, you silly sod. They don't like the idea of using kids.’
‘But you said there's a lot of money in it.’
‘Yeah, there is. Never mind. I'll bide my time. Dad's going soft, getting past it, and the sooner he retires the better.’ Danny's smile was assured. ‘When he do
es, who do you think will be running the show?’
George scratched his head, but then the answer dawned on him. ‘You, Danny, you'll be the boss.’
‘Yeah, that's right – with you as my right-hand man.’
‘What about Bob? Surely he's next in line to you.’
‘No, I don't trust the two-faced bastard. When I run the show there'll be changes – big ones – and I'll need you to back me up.’
‘What sort of changes, Danny?’
‘For one, what I say goes. There'll be no more bloody votes, and if anyone doesn't like it, they'll be out.’
‘You won't be able to do that. The others won't stand for it.’
‘Can you really see Bob, Maurice or Chris going up against me?’
‘Well, I dunno. Chris might.’
‘Not if I've got you on my side, George. He wouldn't fucking dare – none of them would. Now are you with me or not?’
George floundered. There was too much to process and his brain couldn't take it in. Yeah, Dad was sure to retire soon with Danny next in line, but surely it would still be a family business? ‘I don't see how you'll be able to make these changes, Danny.’
‘I'll make them, you can be sure of that. Be warned, though. If you ain't for me, you're against me.’ His eyes narrowed menacingly. ‘Do you really fancy taking me on?’
‘No, Danny, I'm with you,’ George said. He might not be the brainbox of the family, but he knew better than to go up against Danny.
‘Good, now come on, let's get out of here. One more thing, George, keep this conversation to yourself. As I said, we've got to bide our time until Dad retires, but when he does …’ Danny tailed off.
‘Don't worry, I know when to keep my mouth shut,’ said George as he followed Danny outside. ‘I'm off to have a pint. What about you?’
‘No, I've got things to do.’
‘Oh, right, do you want me to come with you?’
‘Sorry, mate, but what I've got in mind only takes two.’
Confused, George said, ‘But if I come with you, there'd only be the pair of us.’
