Weekend in Weighton Final Amazon version 12-12-12 (16 page)

‘Well, don’t think I don’t appreciate it.’ I tried a smile. ‘There is something you can do?’

‘Come on, Ed, you know the score. I can’t be seen to do you any favours.’

‘My old man stood for something around here, so ease back. I wouldn’t ask.’

‘What then?’

I cocked my head and made sure no one was in earshot. ‘You took the tip-off earlier, right?’

‘So?’

‘What did the voice sound like?’

He wobbled his head. ‘Christ, Ed, I can’t remember.’

‘Some police officer you are.’ I applied my fingertip to his temple. ‘Think. Was it male or female?’

‘Male.’

‘Right. How old would you say?’

‘Difficult to tell. Mid-twenties at a guess.’

‘Good.’ I smiled. ‘We have a little progress. Now, was it a local accent?’

Bob bit his lip. ‘No, foreign. But pronounced.’

‘European or Asian or what?’

‘I don’t know, he only spoke one sentence.’

‘Okay, could it have been a black guy?’

‘It might have been. Why is it so important?’

I rubbed the sides of my face. ‘What’s so important? I’m facing a murder one here because some fink has set me up. I’m a bit curious who?’

‘Okay. Point taken.’

I stepped away from the recess. ‘I’m going now, but no lousing me up to Hobbs.’

He gave the slightest of nods. ‘By the way, your mum’s going frantic. She must have rung a dozen times.’

‘You didn’t tell her I was here, did you?’

‘Come on, Ed, I had to.’

‘Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks.’ I shook my head in frustration.

Bob looked down at his shiny black boots, then back at me. ‘You better get off home. I’ll let her know you’re on your way. And don’t worry. I’ll tell her you’re not in any trouble, just helping out.’

With an effort I laughed. ‘You couldn’t tell her I’m up for a Good Citizen’s badge? That’d save me some grief.’

‘I’ll do my best. Then you’re on your own.’

‘You’re a diamond, Bob, always said it.’ I started to walk backwards down the corridor. ‘See you soon, muchaho. Hopefully not here.’

Bob put both hands together as if in silent prayer. ‘If you won’t talk to me, leave it alone, eh?’

‘Don’t count on it.’ I turned away but called back to him. ‘Remember, Bob. Stay blessed. Stay outta trouble.’

~

Walking down the station steps in the early hours of a summer morning, goose bumps broke out all over my body. It wasn’t the chill in the air, more the parked Merc flashing its lights at me from across the street. At that moment I wished I hadn’t passed up Hobbs’ offer of a cell for the night. But there was no going back. Show-time beckoned again. Perfect.

I dragged myself over to the car. Its rear window wound down to reveal Tommy’s hideous blockhead with its irrepressible grin. ‘Get in. Boss wants to see you.’

Although the thought of doing a runner flashed through my mind, I knew I wouldn’t get far. There was neither flight nor fight left in me. Just looking at ol’ Crusher brought a throb to my face and an ache to my ribs. The Big Guy had me in his violent spell, and he seemed to know it. Suffering an acute state of Tommy-shock, I elected to get in.

Tommy didn’t speak as I settled in beside him. The driver pulled away, clearly knowing where we were bound, which was wherever the boss happened to be.

‘Where we going then, Tom?’

‘See the Boss,’ he grunted.

‘Yeah, I know, and it’s a real pleasure, believe me, but where exactly is he?’

‘What difference does it make?’

‘Well, I could keep an eye out for chippies on the way.’

‘Open that gob again and I’ll smash it.’

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

~

Tommy led me through the plush doors of Weighton’s only casino. Once inside he tossed over a tie he’d grabbed from a tight-clothed female host at the meet and greet station. I was hustled through the main lounge area, passing by the wheels and hands of fortune, and made to sit down with Jimmy’s entourage. The great man was at the top of a curved, leather-edged table, puffing on a huge cigar. Gorgeous blonde girls, barely twenty and barely dressed, sat either side of him. Truth to tell, I didn’t know which of the three to look at. To my near right sat Tommy and other assorted henchmen. The faces kept changing, but their fitness for purpose didn’t.

Jimmy let out a big puff of smoke which drifted in my direction. ‘Are you a gambling man, Eddie?’

‘Not since you and Tom played Russian roulette with me in the forest, no.’

A big guffaw from Cartwright chased after the whirls of smoke. ‘But you won that day.’

‘Exactly. Quit while you’re ahead. That’s my policy.’

The two blondes smiled at me, and I smiled back. If they’d been told to distract me I was happy to play the game.

There was an emphatic tut-tut from Jimmy. ‘I am genuinely surprised you should say that. Because you seem to like gambling. You seem to like it a lot. For big stakes, too. You can’t seem to give up, no matter how much I encourage the opposite.’ Jimmy made a grand sweep with his arm. ‘Look around you, Eddie. All these people gambling against the house, even though they know they ain’t gonna win. But they enjoy the challenge, you see. And although they go home having lost a few quid, they go to sleep remembering the thrill. Thus they resolve to come back. That’s why I brought you here. Am I making sense?’

‘That you are, Jimmy. I’d shout if you weren’t.’

‘Good. Because you see, I reckon you got the same affliction. The difference, though, is these good punters are only playing against me for money. You are playing with your life. Now I like that, it shows spirit. You’re obviously a high roller. And you always come back for more. Don’t you, Eddie?’

I turned up my palms. ‘I can’t seem to fight it.’

‘It must be that. I mean it can’t be a lack of respect, can it?’

‘No. We proved that last time.’ In the pause that followed I gave everyone around the table a polite nod.

‘If it was lack of respect,’ he went on, ‘you’d be gone by now. You do know that?’

‘Gettin’ it tattooed right here.’ I did a finger swirl across my chest.

The Kingpin strutted his jaw. ‘You see, despite my polite warnings you’ve been up to your tricks again–’

I went to cut in, but Jimmy held up his hand to stop me.

‘And don’t bother lying to me.’

‘I wouldn’t bother ordinarily, but I can explain.’

‘Save it, Eddie. I know you’ve been in to see the Babylons, and I know why. What does confuse me, is
you
. All I’m trying to do here is see where you’re coming from with this thing – why you seem to be meddling in spite of yourself. And in spite of my friendly requests that you desist. Like I said, the only thing I can liken it to is this gambling thing. The punters here merely have an unhealthy wish to lose money, whereas you seem to have a death wish. Would you say I was right?’

‘Shit, Jimmy, you gotta be warm.’

He smiled broadly. ‘Well, at least we’re making progress.’

Despite the club being packed, I noticed that no one was waltzing merrily past our table – obviously a Jimmy-decreed exclusion zone. If he intended violence about my person, he didn’t want to draw a full house.

Jimmy put his arm around the blonde sitting to his right, resting his bejewelled hand on her large right breast. He squeezed it. ‘I got a weakness for these, Eddie.’

I smiled at the voluptuous angel of sin at his side. ‘It’s understandable. She’s adorable.’

The exquisite floozy gave me a pouty look. Nice.

‘Not just hers. I mean in general,’ said Jimmy. ‘I love women’s breasts.’

I glanced around at the other guys and shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t say that’s exactly “out-there”, Jim.’

‘Maybe not, but nonetheless it’s still a weakness. Point is, I don’t have many – weaknesses, that is. In fact, apart from my dear old mum and these things,’ he squeezed the breast harder, ‘I only got one other.’ He pointed the end of his cigar at me. ‘You.’

I blinked twice and waited for a pay-off line, but it didn’t come. ‘It’s a real honour.’

He waved his other hand. ‘I’m serious. Since I met you, well, you’ve been like the son I never had.’

‘I’ll bear it in mind for Father’s Day.’

For a minute I thought he was going to lean across and pinch my cheek. Instead he took his arms from around the girls and held their hands.

‘Listen, girls, I need to talk business with this gentleman.’ He gave them a wink. ‘Give me a few minutes.’

They smiled and spoke as one. ‘Sure, Jimmeh.’

Their voices were indistinguishable, though more Bet Lynch than Marilyn Monroe. As they left they blew kisses at Jimmy. I tried to get in the line of a stray one, but they were too accurate. My mind was lost in wafting perfume and wiggling bums when Jimmy’s deep voice drew me back.

‘When I heard about your visit to see our law enforcement friends, I asked Tommy to bring you in for this chat. You see, I’m off duty at the moment, which is why I’m being so amiable. If I was on duty I’d have to deal with you.’

‘What time d’you go back on?’

Jimmy threw back his head and laughed. ‘That’s why I like you, Eddie. You always seem to find my funny bone. Normally I have to put up with these miserable bastards.’ He gestured at his men. ‘They wouldn’t know a gag if it punched ‘em.’

I looked at the heavyweights to my right and smiled. ‘They’re a great bunch all the same.’

‘Well, enough chit chat,’ said Jimmy, showing sudden impatience. He was probably missing the blonde babes and I was with him on that. He pointed at me again. ‘As I say, I like you. If we’d met under different circumstances, well, who knows.’ There was a brief
Brief Encounters
look in his eye before he shook his head. ‘Anyway, let me recount the story so far, see if I got this right. I tell you to leave this thing alone or I’ll kill you. You disobey me. But because I got a big heart I forgive you and you get another chance. Then you disobey me again. Now it don’t look good for me if I don’t kill you this time. How many chances do you want here?’

‘Three would be good.’ It was a pressure count, but I nailed it.

‘Nice try, but sorry, you’re all out. People will start thinking I’ve gone soft if I don’t kill you now. And there’s my men to think of. I have to lead by example, don’t I?’

‘You, me and Sun Tzu.’

His eye twitched. ‘Good. We’re on the same wavelength with this thing.’ He looked right into my eyes. ‘But I say it again: I do like you. And I admire spirit. Which is why it gives me a problem. Lucky for you I came up with the solution.’

‘It’s a blessing.’

‘That remains to be seen.’ He stared at me sternly, his shoulders rocking from side to side. The repetitive movement went on for a few seconds like he had zoochosis or something.

‘You were saying? About a solution?’