The Game, page 15
He placed a set of keys on the table between them, pushed them towards his granddaughter. Cathy looked down at them.
‘Take ’em, please, Cathy,’ Lloyd said softly. ‘I promise yer mum won’t know where ya are. She won’t come to ya. She’ll leave ya in peace. Do we ’ave a deal?’
Cathy nodded.
‘Listen, darlin’, what yer mum did was wrong, I’m not excusin’ her for it. Killin’ is killin’ whichever way ya look at it, but believe me, she did it for love of her brother. I know it’s hard to understand, but what George did to ya, well, he was dead meat; a dead man walkin’. This is the way of things in our world, and yer mum knew that, which is why she had to act first or they’d ’ave ripped him to bits.’
Cathy was silent as she listened. She looked away at the trees that surrounded them, seeing nothing. She blinked away tears, wiping her face with the back of her hand in a childlike gesture.
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ she said stonily.
‘But ya must, Cathy, or it’ll destroy ya. I know our world has come as a shock to ya—’
‘Your world,’ she interrupted. ‘All this – the people, the respect, the money, the cars – all of it is your world, not mine. I don’t want anything to do with any of it. I hate that world. It’s based on lies and violence. It’s Mum’s world,’ she said bitterly.
‘You’re right, Cathy, it is Ruby’s world, and it does ’ave different rules, and sometimes killin’ is justified. That’s the truth of it. I might as well tell ya straight. George had to go. Ruby was the one who was brave enough to do it. We do things differently and I’m sorry it’s so distressin’ to ya, I really am. Ruby always said you were made of better stuff than us, like an angel come to earth, and she was right. I’m not sayin’ ya ’ave to agree with our methods, I just want ya to understand them. This stuff can eat ya up from inside. It’ll take any happiness ya might ’ave, so don’t let it. You ’ave to grow up now, Cathy. You say ya want nuthin’ to do with us; that’s your choice, we won’t stop ya. But ya ’ave to know what that means. It means you’ll ’ave to take on the world without our help, without our love. Is that what ya really want?’
Cathy stood abruptly.
‘That’s exactly what I want,’ she said fiercely. ‘It should’ve been me who decided George’s fate, not you, and definitely not my mum. I would’ve forgiven him; I would’ve said we should let things lie. How dare you all lie to me for so long. I can’t trust any of you again,’ she finished bleakly.
Lloyd joined her in standing up. He reached an arm out to her, but Cathy stepped back.
‘Your mother was protectin’ ya, and believe it or not, she was protectin’ George.’ Lloyd’s voice was harsh now. ‘Your dad would’ve ripped him to bits if she hadn’t ’ave shot him. It was a mercy killin’.’
There was silence now between them.
Cathy shook her head; a single tear slid down her face which she wiped away roughly.
‘I have no mum now. I don’t want anything to do with a world where people are killed no matter what they’ve done. I would’ve forgiven him and you didn’t give me that choice.’ She lay a protective arm across her belly.
Lloyd could see that he had lost her, that she was about to walk away.
‘Just take these. It’s ready for ya. I’ve texted ya the address. I’ve spoken to the concierge and they’re expectin’ ya. Do this, take the flat, and we’ll never trouble ya again.’
It was Lloyd who turned away first, who walked to his car and with a beep of his key fob, got inside and drove away. Cathy stood, tears now streaming down her face, her hands closed around the set of keys. She realised people were looking her way, could see her distress, and so she gathered up her bag and, with an apologetic smile, walked hurriedly to her car. She fumbled with the gears, crunching into reverse and then driving away at speed.
Later that day, the buzzer in her new apartment sounded. Cathy had gone to the flats and been shown to her apartment on the first floor. The flat was painted in neutral colours and was furnished with expensive-looking items, a brand-new kitchen and views out onto the countryside. She’d walked around it, marvelling at her new-found independence. The fridge and freezer were stocked up with food and there were two bedrooms, just enough for the three of them. After the emotional turmoil of the past twenty-four hours, Cathy was relieved and amazed to find herself in a sunny, warm space, her baby growing inside her and her lover coming to see her. He couldn’t refuse to live with her now – they’d be away from the traveller site in their own little world, happy together.
Cathy was cooking a stir fry when the buzzer went, announcing Levi’s arrival. She let him in, beaming as she opened the door. He took off his cap and gathered her in his arms to kiss her, biting her ear as he whispered, ‘So, where’s the bedroom, darlin’?’ Cathy giggled.
‘I’ll show you, but first we need to talk. Baby, I’ve left my family.’
‘What d’ye mean by dat, eh?’ Levi said, still kissing her neck.
‘I found out something, something that was so awful I told them I don’t want to see any of them ever again. It’s just you and me now, Levi – and our child.’
Levi pulled back.
‘What?’
Cathy turned and walked into the kitchen. Levi followed, his eyes darting around the space.
‘Nice place ye got yerself here. How did this come about, eh?’
‘My granddad Lloyd got it for me. It’s his place but he says it’s now mine, ours,’ Cathy said. ‘Last night, I got back from the bar and I heard my aunt and uncle fighting. Belle was screaming at Bobby.’ Here, Cathy took a deep breath.
‘Go on,’ said Levi, leaning towards her. He’d plucked a grape from the fruit bowl and was chewing on it.
‘She said that Mum killed her husband Vladimir, but more than that, Mum had been the one to kill my Uncle George, the one who attacked me. She shot him in the head and then lied to me, saying he was sent away to America. So, I went to Mum’s and confronted her. It was all true. So I left, and I’ll never go back.’
Levi whistled a long, low sound, his face alight with an emotion Cathy couldn’t name.
‘So, she killed them both. That means . . .’
‘That means what?’ Cathy said. She didn’t like his sudden interest.
‘Oh nuthin’, nuthin’ at all. So, baby, do ye want me to make ye feel better?’ A sly grin appeared on Levi’s face.
‘I want you to move in with me here so we can be together at last,’ Cathy said.
Levi moved round to her, turned off the hob, took hold of her hand and led her into the main bedroom.
‘Oh, I want dat too,’ he reassured her, pulling off her cardie and top. ‘Yes, I want dat, darlin’,’ he said as he kissed her.
Cathy felt powerless to resist, yet she managed to say, ‘So, is that a yes? Are you moving in here with me?’
Levi had broken off from her to undo his jeans.
‘Darlin’, I want the best for ye and I want to do this properly, but like I told ye before, I need to set up the company first and make sure I can support ye both, but there’s been a hitch, like . . .’
‘A hitch?’ Cathy asked as Levi pulled her back on the bed.
He gave her a long, lingering kiss, but Cathy insisted.
‘Tell me, Levi.’
Her boyfriend looked away then said: ‘Look, darlin’, we need capital. We need an investor to put money up front, but like I said, it’s nuthin’ to worry ye.’
Cathy pushed him off her, interrupting their lovemaking.
‘How much do you need?’
Levi coughed.
‘Two hundred thousand pounds, baby. Now where on earth can I get that kind of money?’
CHAPTER 19
Sarah looked gaunt and bruised, sitting across the table from Ruby. She fiddled with the cuff of her hoodie as she grinned at her friend. Ruby looked around the visiting room of Holloway Prison. It was a surprisingly light and airy space with a few pot plants here and there, and books for young children.
‘How on earth did ya end up ’ere again?’ Ruby sighed. She was exasperated with Sarah for getting herself into trouble, though she also saw a woman who’d had a hard life. Though they were the same age, the pair couldn’t have looked more different. Ruby looked ten years younger than her age, the very epitome of a wealthy woman, with sleek hair, manicured nails, a designer outfit and Louboutin heels. Her teeth were white, her skin flawless, and she wore just a smattering of make-up: a slick of lip gloss and mascara.
Between Sarah’s smiles, her expression fell into disappointment. Her skin looked grey, due to lack of sunlight, and she had lines around her eyes and mouth, signs of a hard life. Her blonde hair was scraped back in a ponytail, but she wore a good-quality tracksuit, one that Ruby had mailed to the prison for her.
‘You look gorgeous, Rube,’ Sarah said enviously, looking her friend up and down.
Ruby smiled back at her, wondering if she should take any of the blame for Sarah’s inability to make a life for herself. Though they’d grown up living beside each other, their worlds were galaxies apart. Should she have done more to help her friend? Could she have done more? Ruby waited for Sarah to speak. The woman sighed, rubbed her sleeve cuff against her chin.
‘Got into a fight with one of the girls in ’ere,’ she said, explaining the livid purple bruise above one eye. ‘She tried to nick my ciggies. Well, I gave her a pastin’ she won’t forget, though I’ve got to go in front of the board for my punishment.’
Ruby nodded. She knew this probably meant that Sarah would have to serve longer behind bars as a result. Somehow her friend never seemed to get a break.
‘Why are ya in ’ere? It ain’t the nicest place to end up,’ Ruby went on.
Sarah fidgeted again.
‘Drugs, weren’t it. I always said I’d never do heroin, but along came Terry and before I knew it, we was doin’ it together. Then he wanted me to sell it, not big-time dealin’ but just to a few mates, and I got caught.’
That would explain the amount of weight Sarah had lost. She was hardly more than skin and bones.
‘So, where’s this Terry now? Is he standin’ by ya?’ Ruby said, but regretted it instantly as she saw the shadow pass over Sarah’s face. Of course he wasn’t. Men like him rarely did. He’d be off somewhere, if he wasn’t banged up, picking another vulnerable woman, someone who would do anything he asked for whatever it was he offered that passed for love. Ruby felt a sudden lump in her throat. She saw how different she was to her friend, how she would never have let a man take her power in return for, what? A few hollow words and a bit of comfort?
Well, Sarah was paying for her naivety.
‘’Course he ain’t,’ the prisoner said. ‘There ain’t no happy endin’ for my story, unlike you, Ruby Murphy.’
Ruby smiled at the use of her maiden name. It had been a long time since she’d been called that.
‘Happy endin’s. They’re in short supply at the moment, Sar,’ Ruby replied. It was her turn to look sad.
‘You look tired though, Rube. Not sleepin’?’
Sarah emphasised ‘you’ as if Ruby was a woman who skirted all bad luck, who attracted only good fortune: gold coins and rainbows.
‘Oh, it’s nuthin’. Had a bit of trouble with Cathy, but nuthin’ I can’t sort . . .’ Ruby’s voice trailed off. She felt an immediate desire to open her heart to her friend, pour out her woes and tell her everything. It was only her hard-won conditioning that kept her emotions in check. Despite this, Sarah was looking at her now as if for the first time. Her head was cocked to one side.
‘Rube, I know ya think I’m the stupid one, but I ain’t so thick as ya think.’
‘It’s fine. I can sort it,’ Ruby replied defensively.
Sarah looked at her oldest friend.
‘Are you sure about that?’ she said.
Disconcerted by the feeling of exposure, Ruby was glad when the visit ended. She hated seeing her friend in prison but, sadly, it had been as inevitable as rain. Sarah never learned when it came to men. Ruby had waved goodbye to Sarah, but hadn’t looked back. As she stood at the visiting room door, there came a sudden swooping in her stomach and she felt momentarily dizzy. This place feels bad, I don’t like it, she thought to herself. Shivering, she looked around. The walls seemed to close in. It was a warning, perhaps, a portent, like her grandmother used to get. For a second, Ruby thought she was going to faint, then, just as a cloud moves to reveal the sun, she suddenly felt brighter. The feeling disappeared, though it left behind a strange trace.
As Ruby drove back to Chigwell, her phone rang. She looked at the screen in her car and saw it was Cathy’s number. Heart beating furiously, she pressed the hands-free.
‘Oh, darlin’, I knew it’d all be OK and you’d be back in touch. Are ya safe? How’s the baby? I miss ya so much.’
There was a pause, then she heard Cathy’s voice, which was cold and distant.
Instantly, Ruby realised this wasn’t the reconciliation she had been praying for each night.
‘I need money,’ is all Cathy said. Ruby nodded to herself, biting back her feelings.
‘Ya need money, darlin’? Of course ya do. Ok, well we ’ave plenty of that. How much d’ya need?’ Ruby tried to keep her voice calm, tried to think of this as being like a business deal, but her usual restraint had vanished. She was desperate to know where her daughter was. Lloyd had told her she was safe in one of his apartment blocks in Woodford but he hadn’t told her which one. When Ruby had demanded he spill the beans as she had a right to know where Cathy and her grandchild were living, Lloyd had held both her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
‘I promised her I wouldn’t tell ya. Leave it for now, Rube. Nuthin’ good can come of ya turnin’ up. She might run again, and we can’t risk losin’ her. This way we know she’s surrounded by our men, and she won’t come to any harm.’
Ruby had been devastated.
‘How dare ya, Lloyd? I want to know where my daughter is. You ’ave to tell me!’
Lloyd had smiled sadly. ‘I can’t Rube. Leave it, now. It’s for the best.’
Ruby had to be content with that, though it pained her to know that Cathy hated her so much she’d made her granddad promise not to give her the address.
‘I need two hundred thousand pounds.’
The huge sum of money made Ruby jolt back to the present. She swerved the car to the side of the road, pulling over from the traffic. Her head rang. She was disconcerted after seeing Sarah, and now this. What on earth did Cathy want that kind of money for? The answer came to Ruby straight away: Levi.
‘Darlin’, that’s a lot of money. Can I at least ask what this money is for?’ she said, trying to stay reasonable, trying not to say the words, to beg Cathy to come home.
There was a pause on the other end.
Ruby thought she heard whispering, but it could’ve been the connection.
‘It’s for Levi’s business. He needs two hundred thousand and then he can set up the tarmac company. Once he’s got it all up and running, we’ll be a proper family with no secrets and no lies.’
Ruby winced at this. Cathy’s voice was filled with resentment.
Somehow, Ruby managed to keep her voice light, though she was desperately hurt by her daughter’s coldness, and the anger that still lay beneath it.
‘That’s a lot of money, darlin’. Does he really need that much to set up?’
Cathy’s fury exploded out now. ‘Yes, he does, Mum, though I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You don’t have to help us. We can find someone else or do it ourselves!’
‘Cathy, darlin’, I’m only askin’,’ Ruby said, her voice pleading. She hated hearing herself this way, but her daughter meant everything to her, and the loss of Cathy was destroying her, even though she’d faced so much already and kept her head held high.
‘That’s a lot of money, but of course you can ’ave it. Let me come over. I’ll bring it with me and we can talk?’
Ruby heard the whispers again.
‘No, Mum. You’re not coming anywhere near me or my baby. If you want to help us you’ll have to get the money to Levi. Do we have a deal?’
For a moment, Ruby heard the echo of her own voice, with Cathy knowing what she wanted and how to get it. She stared out of the window as the cars moved past her.
‘All right, darlin’, all right. I’ll arrange a drop to Levi. One of my men will be in touch so text me Levi’s number and I’ll get onto it,’ Ruby gave in, her voice flat. She put the phone down and sat for a while, her brain whirring. Had Cathy told Levi their secrets? Had she wept in his arms and told him about George and Vladimir, how Ruby had killed them both? Is that why Levi felt confident in getting Cathy to ask for a large sum of money? Somehow, Ruby already knew the truth. Immediately, she rang Lloyd’s number.
Eyes narrowed, she said, ‘Check out Levi for me, will ya? ’Ave him tailed. See if ya can dig out whatever there is to know about him. He’s just asked for two hundred grand.’
Lloyd whistled.
‘He’s probably just a gold digger who’s seen his chance with Cathy to make a few quid,’ she said, ‘but I want to know for sure. Can ya do that for me?’
‘’Course, Rube. I’ll get some of my guys onto it today. I’ll make sure he’s followed day and night,’ answered Lloyd.
‘I think he knows why Cathy left. I think he knows our secrets.’ Her voice was low as she spoke. The thud of intuition in her gut was unmistakeable.
‘Ah, that would make sense. Oh, Cathy. Why trust a guy like Levi, all charm and not a lot else? Don’t worry, Rube. He’s just a small-time crook, nuthin’ for us to worry about, I’m sure of it,’ Lloyd tried to reassure her.
‘Even so, I want information.’
Two days later, Levi let himself into Cathy’s apartment at 6 a.m. carrying a large black holdall. Without a word, he marched into her bedroom, waking her up.
