The Sting

by Kimberley Chambers

  Feeling emotional, Tommy pulled Linda close to him. ‘I’d be honoured to give you away. I bet Mum is looking down on us with a smile on her face right now.’

  ‘D’ya really believe that?’

  ‘Yes. I honestly believe she’ll be at your wedding. Unfortunately not in person, but in spirit.’

  Tears streamed down Linda’s face. ‘I do hope she is.’

  ‘What you doing home? I thought you were staying around Jenny’s,’ Kim said to Sam.

  ‘I was. But then her nan and granddad turned up unexpectedly. They don’t know she bats for the other side, so I pretended I was a plumber who’d come to fix a leak in her bathroom and swiftly left.’ She paused, looking uncomfortable about what she had to say next. ‘Listen, please don’t have a go at me, but I think I might have dropped you in it.’

  ‘You what! I haven’t done anything wrong.’

  ‘I went out for a few bevvies with the guv and some of the lads yesterday afternoon. The Griffiths murder was the main topic of conversation and I happened to let slip you knew Tommy. Looks like we might be going in undercover.’

  ‘Whatever made you blurt that out, Sam? Your guv is best mates with Hunter, you know that.’

  ‘I was on pints and I haven’t drunk ’em for a while. I was a bit pissed and regretted saying anything as soon as I’d said it. I am sorry, mate. I truly am.’

  ‘Not as sorry as I’m going to be when Hunter calls me into his office for a grilling. Thanks, Sam. Thanks a fucking bunch.’

  Singing along at the top of her voice to the Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’, Donna Darling drove happily towards home.

  Josh Palmer was thirty-five, nine years her senior. They’d met when she’d been searching for a new car. Josh was a second-hand car dealer with premises in Wanstead, and it truly had been a case of love at first sight. Josh was blond, handsome, charming and cheeky. He literally had it all, including lots of money.

  He lived in Loughton, Essex, where Donna had spent today. His house was massive, even had its own swimming pool in the back garden.

  Today, Donna had told Josh she was pregnant with his child. Josh had an eleven-year-old daughter from a previous relationship and Donna had been slightly worried how he might react. She needn’t have been. Josh was thrilled by the news and had asked her to move in with him.

  Now all she had to do was find a way to break the news to her father. She’d explained the situation to Josh and had decided to act normal and cover up her pregnancy for the time being. Her father adored Tommy, as did her mother and brothers.

  Thinking of her and Josh’s earlier love-making, Donna smiled. Unlike Tommy, who was a selfish flop in bed, Josh was the total opposite. He made her feel loved, and gave her multiple orgasms. Her marriage to Tommy was dead in the water, had been for years. She needed to make her family understand that before dropping her bombshell, even if it meant disclosing intimate details which she’d hidden from them until now. They couldn’t force her to stay in a loveless, sexless marriage forever more, but she knew what her father and brothers were capable of so had to tread carefully. If Josh ended up with a bullet in his head, she would literally die of a broken heart.

  Donna let herself indoors.

  ‘Hello, Mummy. Daddy and I had a great time. I met a girlfriend. Her name is Jessica.’

  Donna picked up her excited son. Josh was willing to allow Robbie to move in too, even though he had yet to meet him. Tommy wasn’t going to be happy, but no way was she leaving her son behind.

  Worst ways, if Tommy went ballistic, the truth would have to come out.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Kim loved her job, but totally loathed her boss. An insensitive, arrogant, bolshie bastard, if he wasn’t at his desk, DI Hunter could be found propping up a bar somewhere, usually at the Sutton Arms. She respected him as a police officer, as he was very good at his job. But on a personal level, she couldn’t stand the bloke.

  ‘Regan,’ a familiar voice boomed. ‘Get that cute little arse of yours in my office. Now!’

  ‘Somebody’s been a naughty girl,’ chuckled Banksy.

  Ignoring her work partner, Kim followed Hunter inside his office and forced a smile. Her palms were already sweaty. ‘Morning, Guv. How are you?’

  ‘Well, the polite thing to say would be all the better for seeing you, but we both know that’d be a lie, don’t we? So, let’s cut the small talk. A little birdy tells me you know Tommy Darling. That correct, is it?’ Hunter wasn’t a lover of female police officers; saw them as a waste of space. In his opinion, women belonged at home, cooking, cleaning and raising kids.

  Silently cursing Sam and her big mouth, Kim said the lines she’d rehearsed: ‘No, not really. I mean, I did know him as a kid, when his surname was Boyle. But I’ve had no contact with him since, none whatsoever.’

  ‘You either know him or you fucking don’t, Juliet Bravo. So, give me a simple yes or no. Do you know this man?’ Hunter spat, shoving a photo of Tommy across his desk towards her.

  ‘Yes, Guv. I know him.’

  ‘How well do you know him? And please don’t fucking lie to me, because I have a habit of digging up the truth.’

  ‘I did know him quite well. But I don’t want to go undercover on this case, Guv. Tommy was part of my childhood. It wouldn’t be right.’

  ‘I say what’s right, Regan, not you. When you did your training, it was drummed into you exactly what becoming a police officer meant.’ Hunter pushed a folder towards her. ‘My job is to put this nasty bunch of shitbags behind bars. Everything you need to know is there. I want you to spend the next hour or however long it takes reading up on ’em. When you’re done, come back into my office with a different attitude. Only, I won’t work with lightweight officers, Regan. You refuse to play ball, I’ll have your sorry arse kicked out of this station in the blink of an eye. Understand what I’m saying, treacle?’

  Kim picked up the folder. She felt near to tears. ‘Yes, Guv,’ she mumbled.

  Banksy burst into laughter as Kim returned to her desk. ‘You don’t look too happy. Spill the beans then, you strumpet.’

  Not in the mood for Banksy’s jokes, Kim hissed ‘Fuck off, prick!’ before opening the folder. It wasn’t Tommy she was trying to protect. It was herself and her own sordid past …

  *

  ‘Well, this is a nice surprise,’ Suzie Darling exclaimed. She saw lots of Robbie, often babysat. But Donna rarely popped in unexpectedly. Not unless she wanted something.

  ‘I was passing and the weather is so nice for the time of year, I thought I would treat you to a pub lunch, Mum. We can sit outside.’

  Suzie eyed her daughter with suspicion. Donna was after something, that was for sure. For some inexplicable reason, Suzie did not have the close relationship with her daughter that she had with her sons, and with Tommy, who was like a son to her. She loved Donna dearly. But they rarely did mother/daughter things together. As a rule, Donna only ever went out for lunch with her mate Kerry.

  ‘Well?’ Donna smiled.

  Wondering what the catch was, Suzie smiled back. ‘That would be lovely, but I must have a bath first. I’ve been spring-cleaning all morning.’

  Now she found herself under the scrutiny spotlight, Kim knew how the people she arrested must feel. As expected, Hunter was interested in what she’d already told him, but he now wanted to know the ins and outs of a duck’s arse. This was one of the reasons she’d been reluctant to involve herself in this case. Yes, if successful, it would do her career the power of good. But, on the other hand, she dreaded the can of worms it might open.

  She’d spent the past hour or so reading up on the Darlings. They were big fish. Not only were they under suspicion for the murder of Dean Griffiths, they were also believed to be behind the point-blank shooting of small-time crook Bobby Tobyn and the disappearance of six other men, including a publican and rival criminals Alfie and Glenn Archer. It was big time stuff and Tommy’s name was all over it.

  ‘So, let me get thi
s straight. What you’re telling me is you and Tommy went to the same school, were good pals and knocked about together with three other lads,’ Hunter smirked.

  ‘Yes. That’s correct. And as I have already explained, I could arrange that school reunion with a click of my finger.’ After a lot of soul searching Kim had decided to play ball. She knew the guvnor would be like a dog without a bone and she hoped if she did it on her terms, she could hide what she wanted to.

  ‘Yeah, I get that. But what I don’t get is how you think, by organizing this school reunion, Tommy Darling is going to spill his guts to you and inform you where six dead bodies are buried. Come on, do you think I was born yesterday? What’s the real story here, Regan?’

  Kim sighed. She so wished now she’d asked Keith’s advice and Jay’s. ‘Tommy had a best pal, Smiffy. He was one of our gang. Unfortunately, he got killed at a fairground. Tommy and I sort of witnessed that and afterwards began a teenage relationship. We were both mourning and in shock.’

  Hunter’s eyes lit up. He laughed. ‘You were fucking Tommy Darling?’

  Kim looked defiantly at her boss. He looked like a drinker, had a ruddy complexion and a red bulbous nose. There also seemed to be the remains of his lunch in his moustache. She could see breadcrumbs as well as snot. ‘Did you not fuck anyone in your teenage years that you now regret fucking, Guv?’

  ‘Yeah, many times,’ Hunter chuckled. ‘But most of ’em are probably dead by now. I had a thing for me pals’ mums once upon a time.’

  Kim stood up. ‘Look, let’s just forget this conversation happened. I can see you’re not taking me seriously and I have other work I can be getting on with. My in-tray and out-tray are full.’

  ‘You on the blob are ya, Regan?’ Hunter asked. Women were always touchy around their periods. His old woman was murder. He could never do or say a thing without setting her off.

  ‘No, Guv. I’m not.’ Kim’s tone was full of sarcasm.

  ‘Well, sit your arse back down then. And for your information, I am taking you seriously. Always have done. For a plonk, you aren’t a bad copper.’

  ‘Plonk’ was the derogatory term for female officers, but as Kim sat back down, she had a smile on her face. That was the biggest compliment Hunter had ever given her.

  Overall, opening Churchill’s had been a success. The clientele was select, only private members were allowed, and many a game of poker was played until the early hours of the morning. One of the coppers on Jack’s payroll was pretty high up at Southwark police station, so the Old Bill tended to turn a blind eye to any after-hours activities.

  On the downside, Ronnie was now a borderline alcoholic. And the booze only made his mood swings worse, his temper was off the Richter scale.

  Ronnie worried Tommy. He could go on the turn for no reason whatsoever. That blow to the brain had definitely changed him as a person and Tommy was concerned that one day they’d all end up in prison because of Ronnie’s stupidity. Tommy had developed a fear of confined spaces over the years and knew he would never get through a stretch. The very thought of being locked in a prison full of men filled him with dread. He and Danny spent more time clearing up the mayhem Ronnie caused, and dosh on keeping people quiet so Jack and Suzie didn’t know the half of it.

  Even though Churchill’s was usually busy, it didn’t take a fortune, so they still ran the protection racket and gaming machine business. Jack also employed bouncers to work the doors of various nightclubs.

  ‘You all right, Tom? You seem a bit quiet,’ Danny remarked.

  ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ Tommy sighed. He seemed to spend half his life at Churchill’s lately and it bored him rigid. ‘Any news on the baby?’

  ‘Nope. Any day now though,’ Danny grinned.

  Tommy envied his pal. Lucy, Danny’s wife, was twenty-eight, four years older than Danny, and was due to drop their second child any moment. Their son Archie had not long turned two. Danny was a great dad and he and Lucy were incredibly happy together. Tommy was chuffed for his best mate, but sometimes when Danny rambled on about his perfect life, it brought it home to Tommy how he and Donna were living this complete and utter lie. They never went on holidays, or did anything together as a family. Either Donna would take Robbie out for the day or Tommy would. They had dinner with family members occasionally, but that was about it. Tommy loved kids, would have adored more, but he’d now accepted that would never happen. He hadn’t been able to get it up for years, had no sexual urges whatsoever.

  When Eugene began banging on about his incredible night of passion with his new glamour model girlfriend, Tommy had to get out of the bar.

  ‘Where you going, mate?’ Danny shouted after him.

  ‘To get a newspaper. Want anything?’

  ‘Yeah. Get us a Marathon.’

  As Tommy trudged the short walk to the newsagents, not for the first time in his life, he felt like a freak of nature.

  ‘I need to speak to you about something, Mum. Something important,’ said Donna.

  Suzie Darling sipped her glass of red wine. Here we go, she thought to herself. ‘Go on.’

  ‘Tommy and I aren’t happy. We haven’t been for ages.’

  ‘All couples go through bad patches, love. How do you think I felt when your father got put away for all those years? It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure.’

  ‘That’s different. You and Dad still loved one another. Tommy and I don’t. We haven’t even slept in the same bedroom for years. I’m sick of feeling unloved and unwanted. Tommy has issues, Mum. He isn’t normal. I don’t want to be married to him any more. I’m only twenty-five and I deserve to be happy.’

  Suzie Darling wasn’t stupid. She’d noticed the change in Donna these past six months. ‘You’ve met someone else, haven’t you?’

  Donna took a deep breath. She had to be careful what she disclosed here. ‘Yes, and he’s lovely. He’s slightly older than me, rich, has his own business. He makes me happier than I can ever remember being.’

  ‘Is he English?’ Suzie snapped.

  ‘Yes. Of course he’s English,’ Donna snapped back.

  ‘Oh well, I suppose that’s something,’ Suzie said sarcastically. ‘And have you given a thought to Robbie while you’ve been out gallivanting with your bit on the side?’

  ‘I love Robbie. You know he’s my world,’ Donna said, waving at her son, who was chasing another little boy around the beer garden.

  ‘Your dad isn’t going to be happy, Donna. You knew the score when you married Tommy.’

  ‘I was no more than a child when I married Tommy, Mum. And we all know the reason I did.’

  ‘Don’t make excuses. You were old enough to get yourself in the family way. Does Tommy know you’re having an affair?’

  ‘No. It’s hardly something I’m going to discuss with him, is it? Tommy doesn’t want me, Mum. He never has, not really. Don’t you remember all those years ago when you and Dad came storming round to our house after Tommy and I had a fallout? Tommy said back then he didn’t find the marriage was working and he wanted out. But you and Dad being you and Dad, forced us to stay together. I can’t remember the last time we even kissed, let alone had sex. Tommy’s penis doesn’t fucking work, hasn’t done for years. So there you have it.’

  ‘Don’t you dare talk about your husband like that. Tommy is a good man,’ Suzie scolded. ‘Has Robbie met this bit on the side of yours?’

  Donna was finding it difficult to hold her tongue. ‘He is not my bit on the side. He is the love of my life. No, of course I haven’t introduced him to Robbie yet. But he is willing to take Robbie on. He has a beautiful four-bedroom house and lives in a lovely area. All I want is to be happy, Mum. Don’t you understand that?’

  ‘I do, Donna. But you can’t just uproot Robbie. Tommy has always been a wonderful father to him and that boy adores the ground Tommy walks on. Your dad and brothers will go apeshit, too. You know what they’re like.’

  ‘Which is why I thought you might talk to Dad for me, explain the situa
tion. If he accepts it, then Ronnie, Danny and Eugene will too.’

  Suzie Darling shook her head vehemently. ‘Don’t be involving me in this one. You want out of your marriage, you speak to your father and brothers. How do you know your new beau isn’t actually an undercover cop? He could even be a sodding paedophile!’

  It was Donna’s turn to shake her head in disbelief. ‘You know what? You’re a truly shit mother. You’ve always been ruled by Dad and the boys, and you always fucking will be!’

  ‘In my office, now!’ Hunter bellowed.

  Banksy chuckled. So much so, his cigarette flew out of his gob and into his mug of tea. ‘Someone’s in big trouble, Regan. Good luck.’

  Kim followed Hunter with a feeling of trepidation. Much as she hated her boss, she’d been secretly thrilled by his back-handed compliment earlier.

  ‘Sit,’ Hunter ordered, as though she were a dog.

  Kim felt dryness in her throat. That can of worms she’d feared might be opened, obviously had been.

  ‘Tell me again where you first met Tommy Darling, and think very carefully about your answer, Rosie Peacock.’

  Kim stared at her hands. ‘Maylands Children’s Home, Guv.’

  ‘Well, why didn’t you tell me that in the fucking first place?’

  Kim felt near to tears, but was determined not to show herself up. For the second time that day, she stared defiantly at Hunter. ‘Because I am ashamed of my shitty past. Who wants to be known as the child of an alcoholic, drug-riddled mother who was shoved from pillar to post through the fucking care system? That’s why I changed my name by deed poll before applying to become a WPC. I wanted a fresh start. I haven’t even told Sam or Jay. But I take it the whole world’ll know, now you do.’

  Hunter snorted. ‘What the hell do you take me for? And for your information, I didn’t exactly have the greatest childhood myself. My mother drank gin for breakfast and was flat on her back by lunchtime.’ Hunter took a bottle of whisky out of his drawer. He poured some into two mugs and pushed one towards Kim. ‘Drink it,’ he ordered.