Barking Boy Read online

  Barking Boy

  kerry Kaya

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Dedication

  For My Mum Lynda, and my Niece Kaya.

  With love to you both, always.

  Chapter One

  1989

  Nineteen-year-old Tommy Carter punched his fist in the air. Not only had he just done a deal, but he’d done the deal of the century. He’d practically skipped out of Davey Abbott’s office at the back of his betting shop in Barking, on the outskirts of East London. He was that pleased with himself.

  He shook a cigarette out of its packet, popped it into his mouth, and puffed on it happily, drawing the smoke deep into his lungs.

  “Well, how did it go?”

  Tommy turned to his younger brother James, or Jimmy as everyone called him. “It went pukka, bruv. You are now looking at an employee of Davey Abbott.”

  Jimmy’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Yep, I’m telling you Jim, this is the start of things for us. And I told Davey that I want you coming with me when I collect the debts. I told him I can only trust you.”

  “Thanks, Tommy.” Jimmy grinned from ear to ear, as his brother ruffled his dark hair. “Did you really say that to him?”

  “Course I did, you’re my brother. I trust you, and I know for a fact you wouldn’t try to get one over on me.”

  They began the short walk back toward Thames View Estate on the south side of Barking, chatting away as they did so. This was to be a big break for them, after Tommy had finally managed to get himself noticed by Davey Abbott.

  He was a big lad and tall for his age, not to mention strong. He could look after himself. His old man had seen to that. Frank Carter had taught all of his sons to box from an early age. It’d been his dream to have a boxing champion in the family, and with six sons, he was determined to make at least one of them a professional.

  “You wait and see Jim, this is only the beginning for us Carters.”

  Davey Abbott was a shrewd man. More than once, he’d heard the name Tommy Carter mentioned, and after watching the boy box at Golds Gym, he’d known the young lad would make a great asset to his team of debt collectors. In fact, the only stipulation he had, was that the young Tommy Carter wouldn’t be averse to breaking a bone or three if the need should arise—if the debts owed to himself weren’t paid up on time.

  He puffed on his cigar and almost laughed out loud, as he recalled the lad telling him he would only work with his brother, Jimmy.

  “I only trust me brother,” he’d told Davey, his face deadpan. “And I can only work with people I trust.”

  Davey shook his head as he smiled. He could see he would have his work cut out for him with this one.

  He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Yes, he could see Tommy Carter going places. He certainly had a lot of front, if nothing else. Not many people spoke to him the way the boy had, and lived to tell the tale.

  Stacey Williams was getting herself dolled up. She applied a coat of mascara, before standing back and inspecting her appearance in the mirror.

  Tommy was due to come and see her soon. They’d been courting six months, and she still had to pinch herself at times. She couldn’t believe he was actually her fella.

  With a mop of thick dark hair and piercing blue eyes, her Tommy was easily the best looking lad on the council estate, where they both lived. He had a smile to die for—the type of smile that made her swoon and go weak at the knees.

  She applied a slick of pale pink lipstick across her lips, before rubbing them together. Well, he wouldn’t be smiling tonight, she knew that much. She gave a little shudder. Not when she would tell him she was pregnant.

  As they reached Bastable Avenue, Tommy leaned against a wall. “I’m gonna go and meet my Stace,” he said, glancing down the street toward his girlfriend’s house. “Wait here for me, and if you see anyone, keep schtum about Davey Abbott. I don’t want our old man to find out I’m working for him yet. You know what he’s like. He’ll only try and put a stop to it.”

  Jimmy nodded his head. He didn’t need telling twice. He always did as Tommy asked of him. “I still don’t get why you’re knocking about with Stacey Williams,” he stated, wrinkling up his nose. “They’re trouble, that family. Always have been.”

  Tommy shrugged his shoulders. He knew the Williams family had a bad rep, but Stacey was different. She wasn’t like her brothers, and he’d fallen for her hook, line and sinker. “She’s all right, you just have to get to know her.”

  “I suppose so.” Jimmy didn’t mention that he thought the family was scum. In fact, that was what everyone thought of the Williams family, and they were given a wide berth by the locals. They couldn’t be trusted, that was their problem. They thieved from their own, and it was an unspoken rule, you never thieved on your own doorstop.

  Stacey ran down the stairs, her kitten heels clip-clopping down the bare wooden staircase. She flung open the front door, and jumped into Tommy’s arms, kissing him on the lips as she did so.

  “She’s been like a cat on a hot tin roof, waiting for you to arrive,” grinned Mary Williams, from the kitchen doorway.

  “Mum!” Stacey exclaimed, her cheeks blushing.

  “Are you stopping here for your tea, Tommy?”

  Tommy glanced at Stacey, before turning to look across at her mother. “No thanks, Mrs. Williams. I can’t stop. I’ve got a bit of business to do with me brother.”

  “What? I thought we were going out tonight?” Stacey’s smile froze across her face.

  “Sorry darling, I’ve made plans with our Jimmy.”

  “But I had something important to tell you.”

  “Can’t you just tell me now?”

  Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she grabbed hold of his hand and dragged him outside of the house.

  “Well go on then, what is it?” Leaning back against the pebble dashed outside wall, Tommy lit a cigarette and squinted down at her through the curling smoke.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  The colour drained from Tommy’s face. He pushed himself away from the wall, and brought his hands up toward his head. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him, not when he’d only just started to work for Davey Abbott. He was about to go places, and having a kid hanging around his neck wasn’t in his plans, at least not yet anyway.

  “Well, say something,” Stacey urged, as she searched his face.

  Tommy continued to puff on his cigarette, thinking. Finally, he flicked the cigarette butt to the floor and stamped on it with his heavy boot. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Stace. I don’t think I want a baby yet.”

  Two pink spots appeared on Stacey’s cheeks. She stood with her hands on her hips. Tommy had annoyed her with his carefree attitude. “Well, that’s tough isn’t it? Because it’s already growing inside of me. You don’t get the choice to put it back, Tommy Carter.”

  Shamefaced, Tommy looked down at the floor. He supposed she was right; the baby was already here. He looked toward Stacey’s house and nodded his head. “Have you told anyone?”


  “Do you really think you would still be standing here in one piece if I had?”

  Tommy raised his eyebrows at the veiled threat, and immediately he saw her shoulders drop.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, beginning to cry. “I didn’t mean that.”

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, Tommy looked into her eyes. “Don’t worry, we’ll sort this out.”

  “I’m not getting rid of it.” Stacey sniffed back her tears.

  Tommy nodded his head. He’d already known she would say that, and he swallowed deeply before speaking. “I suppose we’ll have to get wed then, won’t we?”

  Even as he said the words, he wasn’t so sure it was the right thing to do. They were still young, only just old enough to vote or get served alcohol in a boozer, and here they were talking about marriage and babies.

  Flinging her arms around him, Stacey kissed his cheek. Already, she was planning the perfect wedding. All they needed to do first, was break the news to both of their families. Instinctively, she knew it wouldn’t go down well.

  “My dad’s gonna go ape shit.” Stacey’s lips turned down at the corners.

  Tommy glanced toward the house for a second time. “Let me take care of that,” he said, his voice a lot more confident than he actually felt.

  “What’s with you? You’ve got a face like a smacked arse. Did you have a row with Stacey?”

  Tommy ignored his brother. They were on their way to the Heathway, in Dagenham, to collect the first debt for Davey Abbott.

  “Well?” Jimmy demanded.

  “Keep your fucking nose out of my business, Jimmy,” Tommy snapped. As close as he was to his brother, he wasn’t in the mood to answer what felt like a hundred questions from him.

  Jimmy raised his eyebrows, but kept schtum all the same. Obviously, something was troubling his elder brother.

  They climbed the stairs to a block of flats. Taking the steps two at a time, they carefully watched their tread, avoiding the puddles of urine.

  “They live like fucking animals,” Tommy stated, before thumping hard on a front door on the fourth floor.

  “We’re here to collect the money you owe to Mr. Abbott,” Tommy stated, once the door had been flung open.

  Craig Masters sniggered at the two young lads in front of him. Was this some kind of joke? “I don’t owe no money,” he began.

  Shoving his foot inside the door, in a bid to stop Craig from closing it in their faces, Tommy grabbed the man around the throat. “I’m gonna say this one last time before I break your arm. We’re here to collect the money you owe to Mr. Abbott.”

  “All right, bleeding hell.” Shaking from head to foot, Craig had clearly underestimated the boys in front of him. Handing over the cash, he breathed a sigh of relief once they’d left, and he’d closed the door firmly shut behind them.

  Tommy counted out the money he’d collected, before shoving the cash into his jacket pocket.

  “Well that was easy,” Jimmy grinned.

  Tommy nodded his head. He paused before speaking. “I’m getting married,” he stated, before running down the concrete steps.

  Shocked, Jimmy stared after his brother’s retreating back, before chasing after him. “Married?” he shouted out.

  “You stupid, stupid boy.” Janet Carter was livid. She knew exactly who the Williams family was, and she’d listened to the gossip spread about them on more than one occasion, when she’d gone out to do her weekly shopping at the local parade of shops. She’d even pitied Mary Williams when her eldest boy had been sent to Borstal, for the third time in as many years. And now, her own flesh and blood, her first-born, was planning to marry into the family. Well, over her dead body, would he.

  “Sorry Mum, it just happened.”

  “It just happened,” Janet roared, repeating her son’s words, as she gave him a clout around his ear. “Nothing just happens. I thought you knew better than to get caught out by the first girl who fluttered her eyelashes at you.”

  Tommy rolled his eyes at his mother’s words. “You’ll like her Mum, honest. In fact, you’re gonna love her.”

  “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Thomas Carter,” Janet yelled, using her son’s full name, as further proof of just how angry she was with him. “And I’ll decide who I do and who I don’t like, thank you.” She held onto the kitchen sink for support, as she tried to get her head around the news her son had given her. “And where will you live, eh? Have you thought about that?”

  Tommy shrugged his shoulders. “With Stacey’s family, I suppose.”

  Janet’s mouth fell open. “Over my dead body, you will. No son of mine will go and live with that family.”

  “Well, we’ll have to live here then, won’t we?”

  Nodding her head, Janet remained silent, as she tried to think through the sleeping arrangements. They were already cramped as it was, with the six boys, plus her and Frank. “And where will I put yous, eh?”

  “I don’t know, Mum, but we’ll sort something out.” Tommy hugged his mother to him. He’d known all along he’d be able to win her around in the end. He had always been her blue-eyed boy. And he also knew the moment she held her first grandchild in her arms, her heart would melt and all would be forgiven.

  Standing in the middle of Stacey’s parent’s front room, Tommy cleared his throat. He could feel the eyes of her parents and her brothers on them in the crowded room, and he gently squeezed his girlfriend’s hand in his.

  “Well, spit it out,” Jack Williams barked. He was a large man, with a shaven head, and tattooed arms the size of hams. Every inch of him screamed out: Thug.

  Tommy glanced nervously toward the Williams boys. He didn’t think it was going to go down well, when they learnt he’d knocked up their only sister.

  “Well, we ain’t got all night.”

  “I’m pregnant.” With that, Stacey darted from the room in tears, leaving Tommy alone to deal with the backlash.

  “Do what?”

  Standing his ground, Tommy held his head high. “That’s right. Stace is having a baby and we’re getting married.”

  Jack held up his hand, warning his sons to stay back. In his eyes, it took a lot of courage for the boy to stand in front of them, and tell them what he just had. He pushed out his hand toward Tommy. “You’ll do boy,” he grinned. “It’s about time the girl was wed, and she won’t go far wrong with you beside her.”

  Relieved, Tommy shook the proffered hand. He hadn’t expected this at all. Taking the can of lager, which had been shoved toward him, he snapped open the ring pull, then drank deeply. He guessed this meant he’d officially been welcomed into the Williams family.

  Chapter Two

  “C’mon, Stace, it’s my stag do.”

  Stacey was sulking. She knew exactly what went on at stag dos, and with both Tommy’s brothers and her brothers attending, it was bound to get messy. Besides, she herself hadn’t been able to have a hen party, not a proper one anyway. Hers had consisted of sitting in Tommy’s parent’s front room, with her mum and Tommy’s mum shooting daggers at each other. The highlight of the night, had been when the cheese sandwiches had been passed around.

  Tommy laughed as he came to stand behind her. He rubbed his hand over her ever growing bump. “What did you expect, eh? You’re cooking our baby in there. You could hardly go out partying could you?”

  “I know,” Stacey sighed. “It’s just … it would have been nice to have had a few of me mates over at least.”

  “There’ll be plenty of time for all of that at the wedding.”

  Stacey smiled. She couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Carter. Immediately, her thoughts went to her wedding dress. Beautiful, it was. She’d found the design in a wedding magazine and fallen in love with it. Her Tommy had paid for a dressmaker to make it for her. She’d felt like a princess when she’d stepped into the ivory Organza gown, with huge puff sleeves, and a lace bow at the back. She couldn’t wait for Tommy to see her when she walked down the aisle toward him.

>   Prising her arms from around his neck, Tommy kissed his wife-to-be on the lips. “C’mon then, Stace. Let me go now, otherwise they’ll end up killing each other down there.”

  With one last peck on his cheek, Stacey let Tommy walk from the room. He was right, their brothers were likely to kill each other, without him there to referee.

  Pint after pint, Tommy had downed, and he swayed unsteadily on his feet. “I’m getting married tomorrow,” he told all and sundry, with a wide lopsided grin spread across his face.

  They were in The Short Blue public house, on Thames View Estate, and Tommy pulled out a large wedge of cash from his trousers pocket, as he paid for a round of drinks. He then drank deeply from his glass, gulping the amber liquid down. He’d have a hangover in the morning, he knew that much, but luckily, the wedding wasn’t until midday, so he would have plenty of time to recover.

  “She’s a smasher ain’t she, my Stace?” he said, slinging his arm around Jimmy’s shoulder.

  “She is, Tommy,” Jimmy nodded his head, grinning.

  “Here, hold this. I need a piss.” Handing over his pint glass, Tommy walked unsteadily toward the men’s toilets.

  He’d barely made it through the door, when the blow to the back of his head sent him flying. Sinking to the floor, he was out cold, as his pockets were rifled through.

  “Give him a few kicks for good measure,” a voice said, before the assailants fled the scene.