Barking Boy Read online

  Numb, Tommy nodded his head. He was in no fit state to actually speak to anyone, let alone the Old Bill.

  Chapter Ten

  Three weeks after Davey’s murder, and still Tommy hadn’t been to see his former boss’s brief. If truth were told, Tommy just couldn’t stomach it. The funeral had passed by in a blur, and suited and booted, Tommy had helped carry Davey’s coffin into the church, all the while wishing and praying that it wasn’t true, and that Davey was somehow still alive.

  He owed everything to Davey Abbott. The man had believed in him, when many others wouldn’t have. He’d been just a kid, and the older man had taken him under his wing and taught him everything he knew about the world they lived in. Davey had even given up his life for him, and for that, Tommy would always be grateful. Thanks to his former boss, he would now be able to watch his daughter grow up.

  “Tommy, are you awake?” Jimmy tapped lightly on his and Stacey’s bedroom door. It had gone past twelve in the afternoon, and their mum had sent him to try and get his brother up.

  “It’s doing him no good lying in bed all day,” she’d stated, a worried expression etched across her face.

  Tommy rolled onto his side. He groaned in a reply, and Jimmy entered the room, closing the door shut firmly behind him.

  “How are you doing, bruv?”

  Tommy remained silent. He wasn’t doing well at all, that was the truth of it. It should have been him who’d died, not Davey. After all, it was him who Dean had been after that fateful day.

  “Mum wants to know if you’re getting up today. She’s worried about you?”

  Tommy shook his head. “I don’t think I can.”

  Jimmy swallowed before speaking. What he was about to say could go one of two ways. Tommy could either batter the living daylights out of him, or it could spur him into action. “It wasn’t you who died, Tommy. Davey wouldn’t want to see you like this. He gave up his life, for you to live yours.”

  Tears sprang to Tommy’s eyes, and he swiped them away. Didn’t they think he knew that? The very same thought had been going around and around, inside his head, ever since Davey had taken the bullet for him.

  “Get up, Tommy. We’ve got things to do.” With this, Jimmy left the room.

  Tommy lay contemplating his brother’s words. He reached over and pulled open the drawer to his bedside cabinet, and took out the scrap of paper where Davey had written down the address of his solicitor. He studied the writing before forcing himself out of bed. Jimmy was right. They had things to do.

  Much to Janet’s relief, Tommy had emerged from his bedroom. She sat him down at the kitchen table, and cooked him a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and a fried slice, before ordering him to take a bath and shave. “You’ll feel better for it, son,” she’d smiled gently.

  She watched as Tommy did as she asked, and squeezed Stacey’s shoulder reassuringly. They had turned a corner. Tommy would bounce back to his old self in no time at all.

  An hour later, Tommy and Jimmy had set off toward Davey’s solicitor’s. Still, Tommy had no idea what it was Davey could have for him. After parking the car, he walked across the road toward Bernard Cohen’s office with a feeling of trepidation.

  “Mr. Carter,” Bernard stated, as he walked through to the reception area. He shook Tommy’s hand and led the way toward his office at the back of the building. “I have to say, I’d been expecting you a lot quicker than this, after Mr. Abbott’s unfortunate demise.”

  Tommy didn’t answer. He was here, that was the main thing. He looked around the office and took note of a tall rubber plant sitting in a large terra cotta plant pot in the corner of the room, the dark green leaves shiny as though they had been polished. He tore his eyes away from the plant and sat down in the seat Bernard offered to him. He pulled out the chair beside him and with a nod of his head, he gestured for Jimmy to sit down.

  Bernard began to get the paperwork on his desk in order, when Tommy interrupted him.

  “So what is all of this about? Davey said you would have something for me when, you know, he died.”

  Looking up from his paperwork, Bernard was surprised. He’d thought Tommy would know why he was here. He cleared his throat. “Mr. Abbott has left all of his businesses and assets to you, Mr. Carter.”

  Astounded, Tommy flopped backwards in his seat. He turned to look across at Jimmy. He could see his brother was just as shocked. “Can you say that again, please?”

  “Mr. Abbott has left his businesses and assets to you, Mr. Carter. You are now a very wealthy man.”

  Tommy could barely take any of this in. Davey had given absolutely no indication of his intentions. To say Tommy was surprised was an understatement. “Are you sure?” he asked.

  Bernard nodded his head. “It’s all here in black and white, this,” he said, holding aloft several documents, “is Mr. Abbott’s final will and testament. And he has you down as his only beneficiary. I’m also to give you this. Apparently, it’s the key to a safe. Mr. Abbott stated that you would know what to do with the contents.”

  Tommy took the brass key from Bernard, and turned it over in his hand. He wondered briefly what the contents of the safe could be. Surely there were no more surprises in store for him.

  “If you could just sign here please, Mr. Carter.”

  Signing along the dotted line, Tommy spoke. “Is that it?”

  “For the time being, yes. There are a few legalities to be taken care of, and then you will have access to Mr. Abbott’s businesses.”

  Tommy nodded his head, then shook Bernard’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “Oh, before you go, let me give you my card. Mr. Abbott used me as his solicitor for a number of years. Should the need ever arise, and you want my services, give me a call. I will be in touch with you shortly regarding the businesses.”

  Tommy’s face was pale, as he walked back to the car. This meant the betting shop, The Soho Club, scrap yard, and the debts belonged to him. “Do you think our Gary’s got what it takes to work with us?” he asked.

  Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “Most probably. Why?”

  “And what about Sonny and Mitchel?” Tommy asked, referring to their younger twin brothers. “When do they leave school?”

  “This year, I think. Why, Tommy? What are you thinking?”

  Tommy paused before speaking. “Maybe other than Mad Dog, I only trust family, Jim, and I want all of us Carters working together.”

  “Dad will go ballistic! He’s still going on about the boxing.”

  “Sod Dad. When he sees how much money we’re raking in, he’ll soon change his tune. Leave him to me.”

  Jimmy raised his eyebrows, but remained schtum all the same. He wasn’t going to get involved, he decided. He’d leave it in Tommy’s capable hands to break the news.

  Janet’s eyes were wide. She couldn’t believe the news Tommy had just given them.

  “And everything belongs to you now?” Stacey gasped.

  “Yep, Stace. Everything.” Tommy smiled, throwing his arms around his wife and spinning her around.

  “I can’t believe it.” Janet turned toward her husband, noting his solemn expression. She turned back to Tommy. “This will set you up for life, son. Who’d have thought it, eh? Davey Abbott leaving you everything.”

  Hearing his boss’s name, Tommy stopped spinning Stacey around the room. He felt his heart sink once again. He still felt guilty.

  “Come on now, this is a time to celebrate.” Janet smiled gently, seeing Tommy’s shoulders drop.

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Tommy hugged Stacey to him once again, before whispering in her ear. “Didn’t I always say me and you would go places?”

  Stacey looked up at her husband adoringly. “You did,” she whispered back, throwing her arms around his neck.

  Tommy took one look at Gary and shook his head. “You’re not coming out with me dressed like that.”

  “What?” Gary looked down at his black and red shell suit. His outfit was the height of fashion. H
e’d driven his mum mad to buy him one, and all of his mates wore one, too. He happened to think he looked smart.

  “Jimmy, sort him out a pair of your jeans and a shirt,” Tommy ordered.

  “Yeah, but …”

  “No buts, Gary! You’re not wearing that.”

  As Gary walked away behind Jimmy with his head down, Stacey smiled. “I think you hurt his feelings.”

  “Sod his feelings,” Tommy answered, before laughing. Today was the day he took control of the businesses, and he didn’t want anything to go wrong.

  Ten minutes later, Gary and Jimmy made their way down the stairs. Casting his eyes over his younger brother, Tommy nodded his head. “That’s better. Now you look like a Carter.”

  Gary shrugged his shoulders, sulking. He could still see nothing wrong with his shell suit.

  Tommy took a deep breath before unlocking the door to the betting shop. This was the first time he’d been inside since the shooting. He looked down at the blood stain on the carpet before averting his eyes. It would need pulling up and refitting, before they could open up for business.

  As they walked around the shop, Tommy made mental notes of everything that needed doing. Other than the carpet, a lick of paint was in order to brighten the place up. He quickly calculated how much everything would cost him. He reckoned he was looking at just over one hundred pounds to get everything ship shape.

  “When d’ya think it will be ready to open?”

  “Hopefully in about a weeks’ time,” Tommy answered thoughtfully. He had a mate who was a decorator. He’d offer him the job first. “C’mon, let’s go to the clubs.”

  With one last look around the betting shop, Tommy locked up and slipped the keys into his pocket. Damn, he thought to himself. He’d forgotten to check the safe. Still, it could wait there couldn’t be anything too important in there, other than maybe a bit of petty cash.

  Mad Dog Harris had aged considerably since Davey’s death. He shook Tommy’s hand, as the Carter brothers entered the club. He looked as though he was carrying the world and its troubles on his shoulders. Tommy pulled the older man into a bear hug. He knew their boss’s death had hit the man hard. They’d worked together for years, so it was bound to be a great loss for him. The truth was, Mad Dog felt lost without Davey.

  “How are things here?” Tommy asked, as he glanced through the club doors.

  Lillian sniffed back her tears. Like Mad Dog, she’d known Davey for a great number of years. “Same old, same old, Tommy. Nothing changes in this place.”

  Satisfied, Tommy nodded his head. He felt relieved to see that Bethany no longer worked here. Without even asking, he knew she’d done a disappearing act. Dean would have pulled her out of the club immediately.

  He turned to Mad Dog. “Can I have a quick word in private?”

  Nodding his head, Mad Dog led the way through to the back offices.

  Tommy looked around him. The whole place needed sprucing up. The carpeted floor was dated and sticky underneath his feet. The huge crystal chandelier installed to add a bit of grandeur above their heads, did nothing to hide the chipped and peeling paintwork splashed across the tables and chairs. To put it mildly, the club was a shit hole. It would cost him a fair bit of dough to return the club to its former glory, and he weighed this up in his mind as he walked across the dance floor.

  Once they were inside the office, Tommy closed the door firmly shut behind them. He rubbed at his tired eyes, then spoke. “Will you stay on and work for me?” he asked.

  Mad Dog hesitated. He’d been expecting this question, and was in half a mind to get out of the game. What had happened to Davey had shaken him up. He was getting on in years, and fancied retiring, now that his boss was no longer around. “I don’t know, Tommy. This is a young man’s game.”

  “I could really do with your help and experience, please.”

  With no family and no ties, this was the perfect opportunity for Mad Dog to get up and walk away from the line of work he was in, yet seeing Tommy’s face and hearing his heartfelt request, he softened toward him. Davey had thought a lot of the boy, and for that reason alone, he knew he couldn’t leave him out to dry, so to speak. “Where would you want me working?”

  Tommy looked around him. “How about if you stay here working at the club. I could get one of my brothers to come in and help you out. In fact, I was thinking of having a complete overhaul in here, spruce it up a bit. We’d have a better clientele if the place looked more presentable.”

  Mad Dog nodded his head, before shoving his hand out toward Tommy. He could see the lad meant business. “Okay, deal. I’ll work here and take care of everything at this end. It’ll do me good to be able to put me feet up for a bit.”

  Happier, Tommy shook on the deal. Now that the club was sorted out, it left him to concentrate on the other businesses.

  That evening, Stacey cuddled into Tommy, as they lay in bed. Her husband’s behaviour had worried her over the past few weeks, ever since Davey’s death. But now, he seemed much more like his old self. She breathed in his familiar scent of aftershave and cigarettes, and smiled.

  “I’ve got something to tell you, Tommy.”

  With his hand behind his head, Tommy looked down at his wife, as she lay next to him.

  “I’m having another baby.”

  Without speaking Tommy smiled. “Really?” he finally asked.

  Stacey nodded her head, unsure of how he would take the news. She’d known about the pregnancy for weeks, but what with everything that had gone on, it hadn’t been the right time to tell him.

  Tommy turned onto his side and pulled Stacey closer toward him. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in ages.”

  Relieved, Stacey hugged Tommy to her, a wide grin spread across her face.

  “This time it will be a boy,” Tommy stated confidently.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jimmy had spent the last few hours searching for Tommy. As a last resort, he banged his fist on the door to the betting shop. The finishing touches were just being added to the painting. Then the new carpet would be laid in time for the grand opening in just two days’ time.

  Dressed in paint-splattered overalls and with a paintbrush clutched in his fist, Steven Marley pulled open the door. “Hello, Jimmy. Are you here to see your Tommy?” he asked, as he moved aside for his friend’s younger brother to walk through the door.

  “Is he here?”

  “He’s in the office, been in there for hours, he has.” Steven nodded his head toward the back of the shop.

  “Cheers mate.” Relieved to have finally located his brother, Jimmy walked through the shop and pushed open the door to the office without knocking.

  Tommy looked up from behind the desk. “Quick come in, and shut the door.” There was excitement in his voice.

  Jimmy frowned before taking a seat opposite his brother. He noted that the safe was open. So, Tommy had finally got around to having a look inside.

  Slamming a notebook down on the desk, Tommy nodded his head. “You’ll never guess what this is?”

  “The shop’s takings?”

  “Nope.” Sliding the book toward Jimmy, Tommy indicated for him to take a look through it.

  “Is this what I think it is?” Jimmy whistled through his teeth.

  There was a twinkle in his eyes as Tommy nodded his head. “Davey must have had this planned out, but didn’t get the chance to see it through.”

  In front of them, were the intricate preparations of a bank robbery. Every last detail had been carefully worked out and written down, by Davey himself.

  “Fucking hell, Tommy! This is mental.”

  “I know,” Tommy grinned, as he pulled the book back toward him.

  “You’re not actually thinking of following it through, are you?” There was trepidation in Jimmy’s voice.

  Tommy shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t actually know what to do with the findings of the planned robbery. The only thing he knew for certain, was that it seemed too good
an opportunity to miss.

  “Tommy,” Jimmy chastised. “Please tell me you’re not thinking about it?”

  “Come on, Jimmy. This is too good to miss. You know Davey. He would have put every little detail into the planning.” He slid the notebook back across the table toward his brother. “Obviously, we would have to do our own research to double check everything.”

  Jimmy chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked through the notebook for a second time. “I dunno Tom, if we get caught, we’ll go down for this.”

  “Would I ever let that happen?” Tommy grinned, before spreading out his arms.

  Stacey couldn’t wait for the opening of the betting shop. Tommy had bought both her and little Karen new dresses to wear, and he’d ordered in a crate of champagne to celebrate. Everyone in both of their families had been invited to attend, and he’d even joked that the mayor of Barking himself would be there to cut the ribbon. She still wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not on that matter.

  “Here, could you just take Karen for me, please, while I put my hair up?”

  Not needing an excuse to hold her granddaughter, Janet smiled as she made a fuss of little Karen. She was a beautiful child, and had Tommy’s piercing blue eyes, and Stacey’s light brown hair. She nodded down at Stacey’s bump. “You’re already showing. You haven’t got two in there, have you girl?”

  Stacey smiled. Twins ran in both sides of their families. It wouldn’t surprise her if there were indeed two growing inside of her. “It’s a bit too early to tell yet. We won’t know until we have the first scan.”

  “You’d best prepare yourself then, lad,” Janet nodded toward Tommy.

  “For what?” Tommy asked, walking into the room.

  Janet winked toward Stacey before answering. “Twins.”