by Dani Oakley
Georgie shook his head. “Not since breakfast.”
That was another thing Trevor missed out on. Every morning, their father would cook Georgie breakfast and then sit down and talk about the day ahead. On a couple of occasions, Trevor tried to join them, getting up early so he could eat breakfast with them, but his father never had any kind words for him, so he’d taken to lying in bed and waiting until his father had gone to work before getting up. After his father and Georgie left the house in the mornings, Trevor sat with his mother at the kitchen table until he mustered up the energy to cook them both a bit of bacon, which his mother pushed around the plate without really eating anything.
“Did he say he was going anywhere special today?”
Georgie shook his head. “No, I thought he would be at the warehouse. Maybe he just popped out to see someone. He’ll probably be back there soon.”
Trevor nodded. “All right. I’ll see you later then.” Without saying goodbye to anyone else, Trevor turned and stalked out of the workshop.
It was almost as if his father knew Trevor wanted to ask for money. He wouldn’t put it past him to disappear for half the day just to make life difficult for Trevor.
Trevor sighed and kicked a little pebble with his foot as he walked out of the yard towards the road.
He couldn’t do anything without any money. He had two options. He could go and wait in the warehouse for his father to return, or he could try to talk his Uncle Gary into lending him a few quid.
When he’d last seen his Uncle, Trevor had moaned about the way Dave was making life difficult for him. His uncle had been sympathetic and said he’d noticed the way his brother was acting and didn’t think he was treating Trevor fairly.
Of course, Uncle Gary had consumed quite a lot of alcohol on that occasion. Nobody, apart from Trevor, would dare say anything bad about Dave Carter, but it did make Trevor think he could have an ally in his uncle. At the very least, he might be able to lend him a few quid.
Trevor stopped in the middle of the road, turned away from the warehouse and headed back into Poplar, making up his mind to go and see his uncle.
* * *
Gary Carter lived in a flat off the Burdett Road. He’d lived there for years. It was a council place, which rankled Gary. With all the money his brother was raking in, he could have at least bought the flat for poor old Gary.
But no, making him live in a council place was one of the many ways that Dave liked to punish his brother.
Dave never let him forget that he’d made a few mistakes in his life. Of course, none of it was really Gary’s fault. He liked the good things in life, and that included a bit of the white stuff now and again. He was sick and tired of being made to feel guilty for it.
The rent on the council place wasn’t too bad, and Gary earned a few quid doing jobs now and then for Dave, so his life wasn’t terrible, but he thought he deserved more.
He’d had a heavy night out last night and was still lounging around in his Y-fronts and dressing gown when there was a knock at his front door.
Gary paused in the middle of rolling his next cigarette and frowned.
Who the bleeding hell was that? He grumbled to himself as he got to his feet. Most of Gary’s acquaintances would know he was never up or ready for visitors before midday.
He fastened the belt on his dressing gown and walked towards the front door. He yanked it open and prepared to have a go at whoever was calling at this ungodly hour. When he saw his nephew standing on the doorstep, he swallowed his angry words and turned on the charm.
“Trevor, this is a nice surprise, come in. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company.” Gary smiled sheepishly as Trevor entered the flat. “Can I make you a cup of tea? I was just about to have one myself.”
Trevor smiled at his uncle. “Ta.”
Gary was desperately trying to process the situation so he could manipulate things to his advantage. He had a feeling Trevor’s visit could be an opportunity. It certainly didn’t happen very often. In fact, Gary could count on one hand the number of times Trevor had visited his flat in the last ten years. And there was the fact that Trevor had just smiled at him.
Dave’s eldest son had endured a traumatic childhood, and he didn’t smile often. The boy usually had a scowl on his face. It was a shame really because he was a good-looking kid when he smiled.
As Trevor followed him into the kitchen, Gary filled up the kettle and took another surreptitious glance at Trevor.
How old was the boy now? He had to be eighteen at least, but he hadn’t made much of a career for himself yet.
Gary swallowed uneasily as he wondered whether Trevor’s visit was something to do with how Gary had mouthed off about Dave the other evening. It had been an extremely stupid thing to do, but no one could ever accuse Gary of being quick-witted when he was under the influence of drink or drugs.
He was sick of playing second fiddle to Dave as the successful Carter brother and had complained to Trevor, thinking the boy might understand seeing as he was in a similar situation.
But Trevor didn’t trust people readily, and he had only given him a stony glare in response to his complaints, so Gary had soon shut his mouth.
He’d been scared that his mouthing off might get back to Dave, and then he’d be cut off again.
Dave had cut him off many times over the years, but he’d always let him back into the fold, eventually, but it was uncomfortable while it lasted, not least because of the lack of money.
Gary nodded at Trevor and asked him to pass the tea. Trevor opened the cupboard and reached for the tea caddy.
As he spooned the tea leaves into the pot, Gary considered what he should do next. Should he just keep quiet and let Trevor announce the reason for his visit, or should he encourage the boy to open up?
By the time he’d made the tea, and both men had gone into the front room to drink it, Gary made up his mind.
He and Trevor had some common ground. They were both being treated badly by Dave, so maybe they could help each other out.
Gary smiled as he nodded at Trevor and said, “Is everything all right, mate?”
Trevor paused for a moment and then nodded. “It’s fine. I was looking for Dad earlier, but he’s nowhere to be seen. I don’t suppose you know where he is, do you?”
Gary blew out a breath. “I’m afraid not. He never seems to tell me anything.”
Trevor nodded as if he’d expected that answer and took a sip of his tea.
“Was there any particular reason you needed to speak to him this morning?”
“I needed him to bung me a few quid. I’m a bit short.”
Gary nodded sympathetically. He licked his lips nervously and then decided to go for broke. “You know, it’s not really fair the way he makes you beg for money. You’re his eldest boy. He should make sure you’re all right for money. After all, it’s not as if he’s short of a few quid, is it?”
Trevor’s face flushed pink, and Gary thought he may have gone too far.
Then Trevor set his cup of tea down on the coffee table, rested his elbows on his knees and bowed his head. “I don’t understand. What have I done to make him treat me like that?”
Gary shifted awkwardly in his armchair so he could lean over and pat the boy’s shoulder. “It’s not you, Trevor,” Gary said. “It’s Dave’s problem if he can’t see how lucky he is to have a son like you.”
Trevor looked up, and Gary could see the hope in his eyes. “Really?”
“Of course,” Gary said, nodding. “Any man in their right mind would be proud to have a son like you. I’ll tell you what, I’ll lend you a couple of quid to tide you over until your father stops messing you about.”
Gary got up and walked towards the mantelpiece where he had left his wallet.
“I didn’t expect you to give me money,” Trevor said.
Gary looked over his shoulder at Trevor and smiled. He knew full well that his nephew had come over here expecting a handout. He knew that because he would
have expected the same. It appeared that he and Trevor were cut from the same cloth. Nothing wrong with that, in Gary’s opinion.
He grabbed his wallet and pulled out a couple of pound notes. Gary had never appreciated being treated as second best, and it appeared Dave’s son didn’t either.
Gary would be able to use this to his advantage. He smiled. It would be an absolute pleasure to turn Dave’s son against him.
By the looks of things, he wouldn’t have much work to do. Trevor was already halfway there on his own.
Chapter 4
Martin Morton sat in his mother’s sitting room with his head in his hands.
“Give it a rest, Mum,” Martin barked.
She’d been going at him hammer and tongs for the last half an hour. Didn’t she ever get bored?
Violet looked down her nose at her son and folded her arms across her chest. She was sitting in the chair opposite him in front of the fire. “I’d like to know what you are going to do about your wife. You can’t leave her to rot in prison! I heard you’ve been pulling strings to keep her inside.”
Martin raised his head. “Who told you that? Tony?”
Violet didn’t answer his question. She shook her head. “Sometimes your behaviour is beyond belief, Martin.”
Martin cringed. He hated the fact that his mother still had the ability to make him feel like a ten-year-old, naughty schoolboy.
He had most of the East End quaking in their boots at the sight of him and yet he was getting scolded by a bleeding pensioner.
He sighed and leant back in the armchair. He was tempted to walk out, but if he left the argument this time, Violet would only make sure it was twice as bad next time.
“She had better get out this time,” Violet said, wagging her finger at Martin. “I want no funny business on your side. That’s all I have to say on the matter.”
Martin let out a snort. That was all she had to say on the matter? And pigs might fly. He knew he still had at least another half-hour of earache to come.
“Look, Mum, it’s not my fault if the stroppy mare kicks off and has a fight in prison, is it? I can hardly be held responsible for that.”
Violet narrowed her eyes, which told Martin she didn’t believe him for a second. It was true, though, Babs was her own worst enemy inside the prison.
Sure, Martin had bunged a few quid here and there and made sure her brief did a terrible job, but that wouldn’t have been enough on its own. It was only because Babs had behaved so badly inside that she’d played straight into Martin’s hands.
“You never liked Babs anyway. And she hated you,” Martin pointed out.
Violet gave a little grunt and held herself straighter in her armchair. “That’s beside the point. It doesn’t matter whether or not I like Babs. You need to get her out of prison for appearances’ sake. It’s bad enough I had a son in the nick. Now I’ve had a daughter-in-law in there as well.”
Violet put her hand to her chest as if the very idea pained her.
She’d always been one to ham things up a bit, Martin thought with disgust.
“Anyway, I don’t want to talk about Babs anymore,” Martin said. “I wanted to talk to you about Ruby.”
That stopped Violet in her tracks. She had just been about to launch into another tirade, but now she was intrigued. She leant forward in her chair, her sharp eyes focused on her son. “Ruby? Why what’s wrong with the girl?”
“I’m worried about her.”
Violet shook her head impatiently, waiting for him to get to the point. “Why would you be worried about Ruby?”
In his mother’s eyes, Ruby was the perfect granddaughter, although Martin thought she should be more traditional. He wanted to get her married off and settled with some children, but Ruby seemed extremely focused on working at the club.
He’d given in and given her a job, and to be fair to the girl, she had done an excellent job, taking on more and more responsibility. But Martin thought he needed to nip it in the bud before she started to get ideas that weren’t fitting for a woman.
“She’s spending too much time at the club,” Martin said. “It’s no place for a woman.”
His mother scoffed. “Honestly, Martin. I can’t believe you’re so old-fashioned.”
Martin’s eyes widened. He never believed he would hear his grey-haired, old mother calling him old-fashioned.
“Don’t you think Ruby should be looking to settle down?”
Violet was silent for a moment, which worried Martin. His mother was never usually quiet. She always had an opinion and was ready to express it.
“You’re lucky to have a daughter like Ruby,” she said finally. “She has an interest in your business, which is more than can be said for Derek.”
Martin felt himself tense. Derek, his son, was a touchy subject. The boy appeared to want nothing to do with his family. He’d embraced his new posh lifestyle and turned his back on the East End.
If only Derek could show the same amount of interest in the business as Ruby, Martin would be far happier.
“I don’t think it’s right,” Martin said. “She should be thinking about settling down, getting married, planning her wedding dress and all that.”
Violet let out a hoot of laughter that made Martin jump. “You can’t be serious, Martin. After she’s seen the way your marriage to her mother has turned out? I shouldn’t think the girl would want to settle down anytime soon.
Martin clenched his fists. It wasn’t his fault his marriage had turned out so badly. He’d picked Babs as she’d been a looker, and she could hold her own against almost anyone. He’d figured she would be the perfect wife. Unfortunately, he’d been wrong. Babs had always had ideas above her station. Martin guessed the same could be said for Ruby. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
He didn’t care what his mother said. He was the man in this family, and he was going to put his foot down.
“Well, I’ve decided I’ll have a word with her. I’m going to tell her to spend less time in the club.”
Violet shook her head sadly. “She won’t thank you for it, Martin.”
“I’m not doing it for her thanks,” Martin snapped at his mother.
She shot him a dirty look, and so he continued in a softer voice and said, “I’m doing what’s best for her. She’ll thank me in the long run.”
Martin spent another five minutes with his mother chewing his ears off and then decided he’d done his duty for the day.
“As lovely as this has been, Mum. I need to get off to the club.”
He drained his tea and then stood up, hesitating for only a moment before he stepped round the coffee table and kissed his mother on the cheek.
“Trust me, Ruby will be happy when she is married with a couple of kids.”
“But you’ve spent the last five years making sure no eligible, young men get within a few feet of Ruby, who is going to be good enough to meet your high standards?” Violet said shakily getting to her feet.
Martin said nothing. He just smiled.
* * *
Martin took a deep breath and looked at the outside of his club, Morton’s. He felt a rare smile tug at his lips. He was proud of the club. It was the one thing that reminded him of the old days and how life used to be. Things hadn’t been the same since he’d got out of prison and Babs went in.
He had to be honest, it’d shocked him when he was unable to just pick up where he’d left off. He’d expected things to get back to normal quickly, but they hadn’t.
There was only one person to blame for that – Dave Carter. Every time Martin tried to launch a new enterprise, Dave found some way to squash it, and even more frustrating, he found a way for it not to come back to his door. It didn’t matter. Martin knew it was him.
He took comfort in the fact that Dave was only doing this because he considered him a threat.
Martin clenched his teeth. He was a threat all right, and Dave Carter would do well to watch his back.
It could take
a little time, but Martin would be back on top, and Dave Carter would be left with his tail between his legs.
He pushed open the door to Morton’s and stepped inside the club. It was all decked out in black and white modern furnishings. It was hard to believe that this place was once a blackened shell, thanks to that little bastard Jimmy Diamond.
His daughter, Ruby, was sitting at the bar going over the accounts and orders.
The club was a smashing little earner, with a regular clientele, it turned a healthy profit, which was a good thing because Martin needed money coming in from somewhere.
Even Martin had to admit that his daughter played a large role in the club’s success. She had fully immersed herself in the business, and most days, she could be found before the club opened poring over the books.
She hadn’t noticed him enter, so he watched her for a while. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and then wrote a careful note in the margin.
Martin was very fond of his daughter. Although he usually just tolerated family, including his mother and brother, he did feel a paternal instinct towards his children, but he was worried about Ruby. It wasn’t natural for a girl to be caught up in business like this.
She had a good head on her shoulders. There was no doubt about that. She saw to the suppliers and made sure the club turned a healthy profit every week.
Martin remembered the first day Ruby came to him with one of her plans. He was convinced she was talking nonsense, but he let her have her way, thinking it was a chance to teach her a lesson. She insisted she’d found a good supplier who would bring the drinks down from Sheffield. Martin told her she was off her trolley because they would have to figure in the cost of transport, and there was no way she would get a better deal than he’d managed as he’d relied on the threat of violence.
But Ruby had been like a dog with a bone, and eventually he’d given in, expecting her to fail miserably and have to explain to him how she had lost money on the deal, but it hadn’t worked out like that. She’d done well taking ten percent off their costs. After that, he gave her a little more freedom with the buying. He even gave her the responsibility of hiring new staff and managing the staff rota. But now he wondered if he’d done the right thing.
