Scorned

by Kerry Kaya

  Mad Dog looked around him at the chaos Gary had created. “Unless I’m very much mistaken, it looks as though you’re looking for something, lad.”

  “That’s right.” Gary gave him a maddening smile. “So here’s a little tip for you, why don’t you fuck off until I’ve found what I’m looking for? Go on, piss off back to that old whore out on reception.”

  “Now you just hold on a minute.” Mad Dog walked into the room. The throwaway remark about Lillian caused him to curl his fists into tight balls. “You can’t just barge your way in here and turn the place upside down. You’ve no right to be here.”

  “I’ve got as much right to be here as Jimmy does. I’m a Carter and it’s my brother’s name above that door, unless it happened to slip your notice. And as a result, I can do whatever the fuck I want.” He strode toward Mad Dog and shoved him roughly in the chest, sending the older man flying backwards. “So I will say this one last time, before I do you some serious fucking damage. Fuck off, old man.” He pushed Mad Dog out of the office and proceeded to slam the door in his face.

  * * *

  Returning to the reception desk, Lillian took one look at her man’s face and rushed from around the counter. She threw her arms up in the air. “What did he say to you?”

  Mad Dog shook his head. “Don’t even ask.” He rubbed his hand across his chest, concerned. Should he give Jimmy a call and let him deal with his brother? “He’s looking for something,” he said, turning to look at Lillian. “And if he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, then I don’t know what he’ll do. I don’t know what he is capable of.”

  Lillian bit down on her lip. She didn’t like the sound of this one little bit, and to see her man so worried, only heightened her own fear.

  Chapter 13

  “Where are they?” A vein pulsated at the side of Gary’s neck. His face was red with rage and his bloodshot eyes were practically bulging out of his head. “I know you fucking know.” Having backed the older man up against the wall, he stood just inches away from him.

  Mad Dog could feel Gary’s hot breath across his face. Against his better judgement, he’d decided not to give Jimmy a call. He knew the lad would have enough on his plate without having to deal with his crazy brother as well. “Why would I know where the deeds are, lad? You’ve said it yourself, I’m just an employee.”

  Gary rubbed at his temples. After systematically tearing apart the office, he’d found nothing. He’d been so convinced that the deeds would be here. “Because, my cunt of a brother, the big fucking I am, Tommy, trusts you.”

  “Aye, he may trust me to run this place, but I’m not family, am I?”

  With his fists clenched into tight balls, Gary inched closer. “I need the deeds, and I need them now.” The last thing he wanted to do was turn up at Bethany’s home for a second time empty handed.

  “Gary …,” Mad Dog spoke slowly, so as not to anger the man any further than was necessary. “… they’re not here, lad. You’d be better off asking Jimmy where they are.”

  “He ain’t gonna tell me, is he?” Gary spat. He began to pace the floor of the reception, pondering over Mad Dog’s words. He looked up. “But he would tell you.”

  “Me!?” Mad Dog exclaimed. “Why on earth would he tell me something like that?”

  “Because he trusts you. I’ve seen the two of you having your cosy little chats.” He stabbed his finger forward. “Find out where they are, otherwise …” He glanced in Lillian’s direction, leaving the veiled threat to hang heavy in the air.

  Mad Dog nodded his head for no other reason than to placate the man. He had no intention of passing on any information. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “You’d better do more than see.” He turned his head toward Lillian for a second time. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Aye, lad.” He watched Gary walk from the club and his shoulders sagged with relief. With a bit of luck, it would be the last they saw of him.

  Lillian rushed forward, her eyes wide and her skin ashen. “You need to speak to Jimmy,” she urged.

  Mad Dog was thoughtful. “I will do,” he finally answered.

  * * *

  Holding onto her son’s arm, Janet made her way onto the Intensive Care Unit. She gave her second eldest son and daughter-in-law a weak smile. “How is he this morning?” she asked.

  “There’s no change.” Jimmy glanced out of the window and cleared his throat. “We need to arrange a meeting with the doctors.” Even he could see that there was no improvement in his brother’s condition, and not likely to be, either. He held up his hand to quash Stacey’s protests. “Stace, we can’t go on like this,” he said gently.

  “You’re giving up on him?” The words caught in Stacey’s throat, her red rimmed eyes were wide and filled with tears. “You promised me that you wouldn’t do that.”

  Jimmy shook his head. What was there to give up on? His brother was already gone. Only the machines kept him alive. “He wouldn’t want this, Stace. Look at him. This isn’t the Tommy we know and love.”

  “He just needs to rest.”

  “No, Stace.” Jimmy’s voice was loud and authoritative in the small confines of the room. “He’s gone, and the quicker we all accept that fact, the better.”

  “Jimmy’s right, he wouldn’t want this, Stace.”

  All eyes turned to Gary. It wasn’t often he was the voice of reason, and Jimmy gave him a small appreciative smile.

  “Mum,” Jimmy urged. “You know what I’m saying is true. Look at him. Look at your son. Is this what you want for him? You know as well as I do that Tommy wouldn’t want to carry on living like this. It’s not a life … it’s barely even an existence.”

  Despite the heartache inside of her, Janet nodded her head. To be left lying in a comatose state wasn’t what her eldest son would want, and Jimmy was right, it wasn’t the life she wanted, or had ever dreamed of, for him.

  She grasped hold of Gary’s hand tightly and gave it a squeeze. Her heart was breaking as she spoke. “Arrange the meeting, Jimmy.” She moved forward and placed her arms around Stacey’s shuddering shoulders. “It’s time to let him go, darling,” she whispered into her daughter-in-law’s ear.

  Stepping outside the room, Jimmy took a deep breath. Quickly, he composed himself and before he could change his mind, he walked across to the nurses’ station. “We’re ready to meet with the doctors.”

  * * *

  Frank Carter was sat in his favourite armchair, staring into space.

  “Dad.” Having rushed to his parents’ house from the hospital, Jimmy shrugged off his jacket. In his hand, he held his car keys.

  Turning his head to look at his son, Frank remained silent.

  “You need to come to the hospital with me. It’s time to say goodbye. They’re going to switch off the life support machines.”

  Frank shook his head.

  “Dad!”

  “I said, no.” He rose from his chair and walked through to the kitchen. Absentmindedly, he flicked down the switch for the kettle to boil.

  “What do you mean, no?” Jimmy stared at his father intently. “Your son is dying and you’re making a cup of fucking tea?”

  Slamming off the kettle switch, Frank placed his hands down on the kitchen sink and leaned his weight upon them.

  “Dad!” Jimmy repeated.

  “I said, no.” He turned his face to look at his son. “Tommy has been dead to me for a very long time.” He poked himself in the chest. “In here, he is already dead.”

  “What?” Taken aback, Jimmy could only stare at his father, open-mouthed.

  “You heard what I said. My son died a very long time ago.” He pushed his way past Jimmy and returned to the lounge.

  “But …” Lost for words, Jimmy rubbed at his temples. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand what the fuck was going on inside his father’s mind. “He’s going to die, Dad.” He followed Frank into the lounge and stood in front of him. “This is it. If you don’t
come with me now, then there will be no second chances. This is your one and only time to say goodbye.”

  Frank shrugged his shoulders. He sat back down in his chair and spread a boxing magazine across his lap.

  “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” Jimmy nodded down at the magazine. Disgust was clearly evident across his face. “All because Tommy quit the ring?” He looked around him at the room that had been decorated to the highest of standards. A room that Tommy had paid for. “You never forgave him,” he spat.

  “He could have made it as a professional,” Frank roared.

  “He didn’t want to, Dad. Why the fuck couldn’t you accept that and move on?”

  Frank pursed his lips. Still, to this day, he felt nothing but anger inside of him for what his eldest son had done. He’d had such high hopes for the boy. Only, instead of a career as a boxer, his son had been hell-bent on living a life of crime. “You live by the sword; you die by the sword. That was your brother’s choice, and now he’s had he’s comeuppance.”

  Jimmy’s mouth fell open for the second time in less than five minutes. “Do what?” He slowly shook his head as he tried to take in Frank’s words. “I see,” he snarled. “In that case then, Dad, you can consider yourself as having two sons who are dead to you. I don’t ever want to see your face again.” He turned to walk out of the room, and stopping abruptly, he turned to face his father. “Do you wanna know something, Dad?” he asked, stabbing his finger forward. “Tommy never had a bad word to say against you, even though he knew what a no good, sanctimonious old cunt you really are. He still never allowed a bad word to be said.” With those parting words, he slammed out of the house, leaving his father to continue staring into space.

  * * *

  “Dad’s not coming.” Jimmy pulled on Gary’s elbow and spoke privately in his ear.

  “What did you expect?” Gary raised his eyebrows. It was no secret that there was no love lost between father and son.

  “I dunno, some compassion, I suppose?” He looked around him at his family. They were all there, other than his niece. “Where’s Karen?”

  “She’s still not answering her phone.” It was Jonny who answered.

  “She needs to be here.” Jimmy was thoughtful. He glanced down at his wristwatch. They had just under an hour before the doctors switched off the life-support machines. Quickly, he estimated whether he had enough time to reach his brother’s house in Epping and then get back again. He had to try, he decided. “I’m going to go and look for her.”

  “She was at home,” Jake piped up. He knew he’d promised his sister to not tell anyone she was there, but now, if any was the time to break that promise.

  “Why haven’t you said anything before now?” Jimmy turned to look at his nephew.

  “No one asked me where she is.” Jake’s voice was small as he answered.

  “Right, well, I’d better go and find her. She needs to be here to say goodbye.” He walked from the room with a heavy heart. He owed it to his brother to make sure that all of his children were at his bedside.

  Out in the corridor, Mad Dog and Lillian were walking toward him. He could see the same devastation he himself felt written across their faces. He pulled the older man into a hug. “We have an hour to say our goodbyes before they …” He could barely say the words out loud. “… Before they, you know?”

  “Aye, lad.” Mad Dog wiped a tear from his eye and his voice was choked up as he spoke. “Is it okay for us to be there when it happens?”

  “Of course.” Jimmy nodded his head. “You and Lil are like family to Tommy and me.”

  They smiled their gratitude and watched as Jimmy walked down the corridor in the direction of the exit. Lillian placed her hand on her partner’s arm. “Let’s wait a few days before mentioning anything about Gary. The poor little sod’s got enough on his plate without us adding to it.”

  Mad Dog nodded his head in agreement, and grasping hold of her hand, they walked onto the unit to say their goodbyes.

  * * *

  Pulling up outside his brother’s home, Jimmy looked up at the double fronted house. He wearily switched off the engine and stepped out of the car. Walking across the gravelled driveway, he came to a halt and thumped his fist on the polished front door.

  After a few moments, he stood back slightly and looked up at the windows. To all intent and purposes, it looked as though the house was empty.

  He looked around him. Where the fuck was she?

  He walked back to his car and climbed inside. With one last glance at the house, he started the engine and sped away.

  Unbeknownst to him, just two hours earlier, Karen Carter had packed a rucksack with a few of her belongings. She had then promptly driven to the first car dealership she could think of, and thirty minutes later, had walked back out with five hundred pounds in cash. She knew her car had been worth a lot more than that, but she was desperate for the money, and so had hastily agreed to the sale.

  She then caught a train to Victoria station, London, and from there, she caught a second train heading toward the North of England. She had no intentions of ever returning. How could she, when she had convinced herself that her uncles were planning to kill her, too.

  If only Jimmy had used his brother’s keys and entered the house, he would have seen propped up on the kitchen table, a farewell note.

  * * *

  News of Tommy Carter’s death spread like wildfire. Sat in the Victoria Tavern, Plaistow, with brandies in front of them, Danny McKay and Moray Garner were deep in thought.

  Finally, Danny cleared his throat. “If I ever get my hands on the culprit, I’ll bury him,” he growled.

  Moray nodded his head in agreement. None of it made sense to him, that was half the problem. “Well, someone wanted him taken out, that we do know for certain.”

  “Yeah, but who?” Danny answered. “That’s the question I keep asking myself.” He took a sip of his brandy and quickly swallowed it down. “Why would someone want to kill him? He was hardly a big player, was he? He was an armed robber with too much cash to splash around. Someone must have caught wind of it and tried to rob him.”

  “I dunno.” Moray shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s face it, armed robber or not, he wasn’t afraid to step on anyone’s toes though, was he?” Immediately, he thought back to a time when Tommy and his brothers had robbed a considerable amount of cash and gold from Freddie Smith and Mark Hopper, another armed robber with the mentality of a complete and utter lunatic.

  “Yeah, you’re right.” He looked into the distance and shook his head. “Nah, this was personal. It has to be. I can feel it in my fucking bones, mate.”

  “Well, your guess is as good as mine.”

  Silently, they continued to sup their drinks, all the while, Tommy Carter and his untimely demise was at the forefronts of their minds.

  * * *

  Streaks of black mascara ran down the length of Sadie’s cheeks. He’d refused any form of legal representation, and despite being told that a duty solicitor would be available, should he need one, he was determined to go it alone. Sat at a table in interview room number seven, at Fulham Police Station, for the past three hours, he had answered what felt like a hundred and one questions.

  “So, why don’t we start again from the beginning this time, and you tell me exactly what happened?”

  Delicately, Sadie blew his nose, then balled the used tissue in his fist. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic. With each passing second, the white-washed walls were starting to feel as though they were closing in. “I’ve already told you twice.” He sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

  Detective Constable Myles Lambert gave a wide smile, showing even white teeth. Having recently moved to the murder squad from vice, he was determined to prove that he was up for the job. Already, his boss, Detective Chief Superintendent Gibbs, was cracking the whip. “It’s an open and shut case,” he’d told him briskly just that afternoon.

  “You
don’t believe me, do you? You think that I’m making all of this up?”

  “Mr. Meadows,” Myles began. “Or do you prefer to be called Simon?”

  “It’s Sadie, call me Sadie.” He shook his long, curly hair away from his face and looked across at Myles with heavily mascaraed eyes. “I mean, look at me,” he said, spreading out his arms to reveal a womanly figure. “I hardly look like I mister, do I?”

  “Sadie.” Myles nodded his head toward the tape recorder at the far end of the table. “I need to remind you that everything you say is being recorded.”

  Sadie shrugged his shoulders.

  “So, let’s start again from the beginning, shall we? You went to Mr. Browning’s apartment and then you forced your way across the threshold?”

  “No.” Sadie vigorously shook his head, sending red curls to cascade across his shoulders. “He let me in.” He began to shred the tissue in his hands. Nerves were beginning to get the better of him and he struggled to keep his voice from cracking. “He wanted me to come in. I swear he did, honest.”

  Myles referred back to his notes. “And that’s when you attacked him?”

  “No, not straight away. That came afterwards.”

  “Afterwards?” Myles raised his eyebrows.

  Swallowing deeply, Sadie nodded his head. “I went there to talk about what happened in the past.” He paused slightly and lowered his voice. “You know, the attack.”

  “Ah, the attack.” Myles referred to his notes for a second time. “The attack you allege Mr. Browning carried out on you?”

  “I don’t just allege it!” Sadie’s voice became a high-pitched wail, and he banged his fist down on the table. “It happened! He did it; he did this to me.”