Top Dog

by Kerry Kaya

  Danny shook his head. “Nah, I don’t, mate. Maybe we need to cut him up a bit, to make sure he understands to keep that big trap of his shut.”

  Lee was almost crying. “I swear to you both, I’m not going to say anything to anyone. I swear I won’t, not even to Freddie.”

  Immediately, Danny raised his eyebrows toward Moray. “Why the fuck are you bringing Freddie’s name up in all of this?”

  “I don’t know. Just please, don’t hurt me,’” Lee babbled. He could barely string his sentences together, he was that terrified.

  “He’s told fucking Freddie,” Danny snapped. He knew it. He knew they should have killed this big mouthed bastard at the same time as they’d killed the Greek, all those years ago.

  Moray held up his hand. In a bid to calm Danny down, for all intent and purposes, it was looking that way. The problem was what did they do about the situation now.

  “It’s my boy. He was shot and killed, see, and Freddie’s been helping me out like. That’s the only reason I mentioned his name.”

  Danny was stunned. He hadn’t even known Lee had a kid. “So what’s Freddie got to do with your kid?”

  “He was there when my boy was shot. He cradled him while he died,” Lee answered, talking fast.

  The truth was, he had no feelings for the kid, whatsoever. He hadn’t even known him, but still he turned on the waterworks. Lewis had to come in handy for something, and if the sob story of his boy being shot and killed was going get him out of trouble with these two thugs, then he would raise his glass to the kid in a toast later on.

  Astounded, Danny took in Lee’s mop of blonde hair. Surely not! Surely the kid he’d shot wasn’t Lee’s son. And as for Freddie cradling the dying boy, well, that was complete and utter bollocks. Freddie had ran out of the restaurant, as fast as he himself had.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, mate, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t make any difference to the predicament we’re in now, does it?”

  Lee swiped at his crocodile tears. “Please, Danny. I’m not going to say anything. You know me, and you know I wouldn’t be that stupid. As if I’d ever tell anyone about what yous both did. I still have nightmares over it.”

  Moray raised his eyebrows, before shaking his head. “It’s up to you. What do you want to do with him?”

  “If we let you go, can we trust you not to say anything?” Danny asked.

  “I promise, I won’t say a word. If I could, I would get down on my hands and knees, and beg, just to prove it to you.”

  Danny looked across to Moray, before reluctantly climbing out of the car. “Don’t make us regret letting you go, because next time, we won’t be so friendly. Do you understand me?” he asked, opening the rear passenger door.

  Lee nodded his head. “Thank you, thank you,” he grovelled.

  “Well, go on, piss off.” Danny watched, as Lee ran back inside the snooker hall, then climbed into the front seat beside Moray. “Eighteen fucking years I spent feeling guilty, over that useless, poxy, sly, big-mouthed little cunt. We should have just killed him from the off, and left him hanging from a hook, next to that Greek bastard.”

  “Yeah, we should have done,” Moray agreed, as he started the ignition. He had a feeling they hadn’t heard the last from Lee, and unfortunately for them, he was right.

  Chapter 15

  Steve was shocked. He barely even knew Maxine. Twice they’d met up for a drink, and now here she was, telling him she was pregnant. He actually felt sick to his stomach. He should never have slept with her, but seeing as she was putting it on him, who was he to turn her down?

  “Are you sure? I mean, you’ve double checked and everything?”

  “Of course, I have.” Maxine bit down on her lip. She was the world’s worst liar. How Steve, just like Danny before him, believed her, she had no idea.

  “Well, are you keeping it? Because I won’t be an arsehole. I’ll come to the clinic with you, if you get rid of it.”

  “I’m keeping it,” Maxine interrupted, cutting off Steve’s words.

  Steve felt his heart sink. This was all he bloody well needed. He wasn’t ready to have a baby, especially not with Danny McKay’s ex missus. “I can’t do this. You’ll have to get rid of it.”

  “I can’t get rid of our baby.” Maxine was stunned at how callous he was behaving. This wasn’t exactly the reaction she’d expected. To be fair, she hadn’t been expecting him to do cartwheels at the prospect of becoming a father, but at the same time, she hadn’t expected him to demand she abort the baby. “Why don’t I give you a few days to get used to the idea.” After all, she herself had had almost seven weeks to get used to the idea of being pregnant. She had to expect him to feel a little bit shocked.

  “Are you sure it’s even mine?”

  She pretended to be hurt now. “Of course,” she answered, swallowing deeply. “There’s been no one else.”

  “Give me a few days then, okay? I’m sorry for reacting the way I did. It’s just a big shock, that’s all.” He gave Maxine a hug. He could tell this was a shock for her, too.

  “Everything, will work out okay,” Maxine said softly, as she cuddled into his chest. It had to. Steve was her only hope.

  * * *

  Danny had completely forgotten all about Mick Johnson paying him a visit. He hastily shook his hand, recalling the last time they’d seen each other. It was when the Greek lad had been killed, and he could still recall telling Mick, Big Tone and Freddie that he would kill them all for their parts in the murder.

  “I told Freddie straight, he was bang out of order, and I still stand by that.”

  “So, what can I do for you, Mick?” Danny interrupted. He was keen to get down to business, and didn’t have the time for small talk.

  “I was hoping you might have some work for me. Nothing too heavy. I’m getting on in years. So, I was hoping you might have a small venue, somewhere relatively quiet, that you feel like you’re wasting your manpower on.”

  Thinking it through, Danny’s thoughts went immediately to The Golden Lion, in Stratford. The boozer was a typical East End family run pub. The majority of the regulars were getting on in years themselves, and he’d always thought of the place as a waste of time, in using their heavies on. In all the years he’d known Freddie to run the doors, there had never been any trouble in there.

  At the same time, they were reluctant to sever the contract. You never knew what might happen in the future. It could have a new run of owners and become one of the hippest venues for youngsters to go to.

  “Let me speak to Moray. I’ve got a place in mind for you.”

  In fact, he was pretty certain Moray would agree to taking Mick on solely to work there. The majority of the lads always complained if they were sent to do a stint at the sleepy boozer. They’d even nicknamed it the graveyard shift.

  “Cheers, Danny. I’d really appreciate it.”

  “I’ll give you a bell when I know for sure, okay?”

  Mick shook Danny’s hand and thanked him once again. He was glad he’d come and cleared the air with Danny. It would be good to get back to work, and he whistled happily, as he walked across the dance floor. In his own way, Danny wasn’t so bad, and as Big Tone had pointed out, working for Danny McKay had to be a lot safer than working for Freddie. Yes, he’d definitely done the right thing in coming here. Little did he know, one day, he might just regret his decision.

  * * *

  Matty was eavesdropping. Freddie usually discussed all types of business in front of him, but today, he and Lee Hart had cosseted themselves away, out of ear shot.

  Standing with his ear against the lounge door, he tried to listen to what was being said. He didn’t like Lee. When he’d first been introduced to him, he’d been pleased to have Lewis’s dad around. He thought it would be good to have someone else to talk to about his best mate. He’d thought Lee would like that. But he was wrong. Lee had shown no interest in Lewis, whatsoever.

  Pushing his ear closer to the door
, he listened intently, as the two men talked. He could pick up strangled pieces of the conversation, just enough to put two and two together, to understand what was going on.

  “I’m telling you, Fred, they know I’ve told you. I could see it in their eyes.”

  “If they thought that, then you wouldn’t be alive to tell the tale.”

  “It was horrible seeing the bloke’s body swinging on that hook. Gutted him like a fish, they did. And now, they’re going to do the same to me.”

  Matty stood briefly back from the door. So if it wasn’t even Lee who’d committed the murder, then who had?

  “I think you’re panicking over nothing. McKay isn’t stupid. He’d have gutted you there and then, if he’d thought you’d told someone.”

  Astounded, he walked away from the door. So it was Danny McKay all along, who’d carried out the murder. He gave a little shudder. Lewis hadn’t been his first victim, after all. No wonder the man slept so easily at night. He was used to killing anyone who got in his way.

  He wondered briefly, if Danny would kill Freddie and Lee? He would like that to happen. He began to daydream about it, before pushing the thought from his mind. He had been doing a lot of daydreaming lately. He enjoyed thinking up new ways for the two men to disappear.

  So far, they’d been eaten by a pack of wild dogs, or Freddie’s car had blown up with the two of them in it. His absolute favourite, was for them and the rest of the men to be lined up against a wall, just before one of Freddie’s infamous parties got underway. And then for him to personally gun them down, with a machine gun, nonetheless, spraying bullets everywhere, laughing while he did it. He only wished he had the bottle to really follow it through.

  There wasn’t much he could do with his new-found information, other than secretly smile at Lee’s obvious distress. It briefly crossed his mind to let it slip to Danny, that Lee had told Freddie about the murder. It was something he would definitely do, if he thought he could get away with it. But he didn’t want to put himself into a precarious position, and he didn’t want to become the next person to swing on a hook, after being gutted like a fish.

  * * *

  “So, are you planning on taking that bird out again?”

  “What bird?” Preoccupied with a mountain of paperwork on his desk, Moray didn’t even look up.

  “The nurse. What’s her name?”

  “You mean Sophie, and yeah I am. I like her a lot.”

  “Love must be in the air, eh? Don’t forget to consider me, when it comes to the best man duties.”

  Moray looked up now. “You’re being a bit premature, mate, and what’s with all the questions?”

  I’m trying to take my mind off of that scumbag Lee Hart, before I get back in the motor, and drag him out of the snooker hall.”

  “For your information, we’ve only had a couple of dates, so it’s hardly love yet, is it? And as for getting married, nah, mate, I’ve been there, done it, and got the bloody T-shirt. I won’t be going down that road again.”

  “I dunno, these things can quickly escalate, just ask my wife.” As Moray gave him a cold stare, Danny held up his hands and laughed. “Sorry, I know I’m not meant to be thinking about her.”

  “So, stop bloody thinking then.” Turning back to his paperwork, Moray tried his hardest to ignore the sighs and fidgeting coming from his mate. Slamming his fist down on the desk, he’d had enough. “For fuck’s sake, Danny, I’m trying to concentrate here. When the lads end up with no wages, are you going to be the one who deals with them, eh? Haven’t you got something better you can go and do?”

  Hoping Moray would say that, Danny leapt to his feet. “Yeah, I do actually. I’ll be back later.”

  Watching as his mate walked out of the office, Moray stared after him. What the fuck was that all about? Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back to his paperwork. As he looked over the figures on the sheet of paper in front of him, Danny was already gone from his mind.

  * * *

  Tommy Carter had known Danny McKay for years. There was a fair amount of respect between them, and as long as they didn’t step on one another’s toes, then they were more than happy to maintain their friendship.

  “What can I say, Danny? Jonny has always been a bit head strong. You know what he’s like, and it’s all our fault. We fully take the blame for how he’s turned out. He’s the baby of the family, see, and clearly, we’ve given him too much of a free rein, and let him do as he pleases for far too long, and this,” he said throwing up his arms, “is the fucking outcome. But from the bottom of my heart, I apologise for all the grief he’s caused you of late.”

  Tommy was a good looking man. In fact, all of the Carter boys were good looking, each of them a clone of one another.

  Danny sipped at his brandy. “I get what you’re saying, Tommy, and I hate to have to come to you like this, but as you can imagine, I’m not happy, and I’ve given him plenty of swerves over the years, because of our friendship, but he’s taking the piss out of me now, and I can’t let that slide.”

  “We’ll sort him out, Danny, don’t you worry about that. Our Mitchel and Sonny have gone out searching for him, as we speak.”

  Turning to look across at James, or Jimmy, as he was more commonly known, the second eldest of the Carter brothers, Danny nodded his head in gratitude. “Thanks, mate. I’m sure, as you can appreciate, this isn’t something I can swallow. He’s making me look like a mug, and if I let him get away with it, then others will think they can follow suit. If you were in my position, you’d do the same.”

  “I would have fucking battered him long ago, if I were you, so I get where you’re coming from.”

  “He’s always been the same, Danny. The problem is, he thinks we’re gonna bail him out all the time,” Gary Carter, the third eldest Carter brother, stated. “Like me brother said, we’ve all given him too much of a free rein, and then fought his battles for him, once it’s gone tits up. He needs a fucking slap, mate. I’ve been saying that for years.”

  Tommy and Jimmy nodded their heads at their younger brother’s words. They’d been expecting this day to come, and had warned Jonny, on more than one occasion, to wind his neck in and start behaving. They had their own reputations to withhold, and their youngest brother was beginning to make them look like fools. “It’ll end today, Danny, I can guarantee you that.”

  “I ain’t done nothing wrong, so let me fucking go.”

  Tommy sighed. “Speak of the devil himself. Here he is.”

  Man-handled by his two brothers, who at that precise moment, were flanking him on either side, Jonny Carter took one look at Danny McKay, and tried to bolt out of the door.

  “Jonny, stop where you fucking are.” The authority in Tommy’s voice stopped Jonny dead in his tracks.

  “Why have you let him in here? You know he’s after me. You’ve fucking set me up. My own brothers! Why would yous do that?”

  “They’ve let me in, Jonny, because your brothers are sensible men. They don’t want your stupidity to cause a feud. Shits about to hit the fan, Jonny boy. You keep trying to fuck me over, and I’m not having it anymore. I’ve already warned you, time and time again, I want my money back,” Danny said. He stood up and drove his fist hard into Jonny’s stomach.

  Doubled over, Jonny groaned in pain. Winded by the blow, he tried to catch his breath. “You dirty bastards,” he croaked.

  “So, Danny, now that the pleasantries are over with,” Tommy said with a grin, “what’s this job you want us to do for you? Oh, and Jonny, get up. Even I can see he didn’t hit you that hard, at least not as hard as I would have done, in his shoes,” Tommy stated, dismissing his youngest brother’s obvious distress.

  Danny sat back down in his seat and kicked his legs out in front of him. “The job I’ve got in mind is going to take all of you to carry out, even soppy bollocks over there,” he said, nodding his head toward Jonny. “Once it’s done, you can consider the debt owed to me by Jonny boy, to be paid off.”

  To
mmy nodded his head. It was a fair request. “So, what do you want us to do?”

  “I want someone disposed of. Actually, that should be plural. I want persons disposed of.”

  Tommy raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected Danny’s request to result in them committing murders. They were bank robbers, not hitmen.

  “You still fucking owe me, Carter. You might have forgotten, but I haven’t.” Danny stabbed his finger in the air, a half smile was spread across his face to take the edge off of his words. “I haven’t forgotten how you tucked me up, all those years ago.”

  Tommy sighed. There was more than a hint of truth to what Danny had said. He looked across at his brothers, before reluctantly agreeing. “Okay, when do you want it done?” Tommy had been in the game a long time, and knew the score. They wouldn’t ask questions, and he knew Danny was counting on that.

  “Soon. I’ll get back to you with the specific details … the whys and the whens, and so forth.”

  “Good, good. Well, we’ll be here, ready and waiting, so just say the word. Another drink, Danny?” Tommy asked, raising his own glass toward the big man. He was relieved that the air had been cleared between them.

  “Go on, you’ve twisted my arm. I’ll have one more for the road,” Danny grinned.

  * * *

  Reluctantly, Hayley had booked a restaurant for Terry’s birthday meal. She’d chosen a lovely little place, in Brentwood, and had booked enough tables to guarantee the restaurant was exclusive to their party.

  Armed with Terry’s credit card in her hand, she’d decided to treat herself to a few new outfits. She had to maintain her image, and more than anything, she wanted to continue to impress Adam.

  She strolled into a boutique, on Brentwood High Street, with a confident air. She had money, and in her eyes, she had class. She treated the sales assistants abysmally. Her attitude stank, and they couldn’t wait to see the back of her.