Black Widow. Jessie Keane
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phone box.’
The next day, Billy Black arrived on the doorstep. Annie ushered him into the kitchen and closed the door behind them so that Ross, the hard-eyed young Delaney man on the door, couldn’t hear what was said. Ellie and Darren were upstairs with clients; Dolly was sorting the takings in the front room. When they had come face to face in the hall, Ross had given Annie a look that should have turned her to stone, but she ignored it. Una was out—no one knew where and no one dared ask, either, if Annie was any judge.
‘Your cousin Kath don’t like you,’ Dolly had said when she got back from making her calls yesterday.
‘So what else is new?’ sniffed Annie. Who gave a fuck? The kidnappers hadn’t called yet. That was Annie’s only concern.
‘I told her you wanted to speak with Jimmy, but she put the phone down on me. Twice. Said Annie Carter was nothing to her.’
Good old Kath, thought Annie. Stupid and obstinate, as always. All right, Annie held her hands up. She’d done wrong, taking Max off her sister Ruthie. But all that was long gone and forgotten. Ruthie had forgiven her. So why not Kath?
Because Kath likes family aggro, thought Annie. Always did, always will.
She thought of Kath’s face—Kath had never been pretty, but she had these bright eyes that were endlessly curious, gleefully absorbing gossip, gathering grudges like a squirrel hoarding nuts. Kath loved a family ruck—or any ruck at all, come to that.
‘Did you tell her it was urgent?’
‘She didn’t give me the chance.’
‘Okay, Doll’
But at least Billy was here.
Billy hadn’t changed a bit. Same old raincoat hanging off his thin frame, same old hat on his head, same briefcase clutched against him like it was the bloody Crown Jewels. Same pale face with that vacant look. Same stammer.
The word was that the cord had got wrapped around his neck when he was born, cutting off blood supply to his brain and rendering him…well, not simple exactly. But not the brightest nail in the toolbox, for sure. But Billy was devoted to Max. Max had trusted him to do certain undemanding jobs around the manor, and Billy had always had a soft spot for Annie.
‘How you been, Billy?’ asked Annie, setting a mug of tea in front of him as they sat down at the table.
‘F-fine,’ he said.
‘Still working for the firm?’
‘No.’ Billy hesitated, forming words. It took a while. ‘Not since Jonjo took over.’
Annie nodded. ‘But you’re still Max’s boy, yes?’
‘I’ve always been one of Mr Carter’s boys,’ said Billy proudly.
Annie knew this was going to be a shock to Billy, but she knew she could trust him to keep his trap shut. She took a breath.
‘Max is dead, Billy. And so is Jonjo.’
Billy stared at her.
‘Dead?’ he repeated blankly.
Annie nodded. She waited for a beat to let that sink in a little. Then she said: ‘This is just between you and me for now, Billy. You and me, okay? It mustn’t go any further.’
Billy nodded slowly. ‘I…see.’
‘So I’m in charge now. You got that? And there’s something I need sorting out, Billy. Urgently.’
‘Okay.’ He looked bewildered.
‘I need my friends around me now.’
‘I’ve always been your friend,’ he said, blushing.
‘I know you have, Billy. And I appreciate it.’
Annie patted his hand. Poor sod. She’d hated telling him. He’d idolized Max. She reached up around her neck and undid the gold chain. She left the gold heart on it and took off Max’s chunky gold ring with the slab of brilliant blue lapis lazuli.
‘Do you recognize this, Billy?’
Billy nodded vigorously. ‘That’s Mr Carter’s ring.’
‘I want you to get it to Jimmy Bond today—as soon as you leave here, Billy, you understand? Take this ring to him and tell him I need to see him, right now. You got that?’
Billy took the ring and held it reverently in his palm. ‘I’ve got it,’ he said, and slipped the ring into his pocket.
‘And remember what I said. The thing about Max and Jonjo. That’s our secret for now. You got that?’
He nodded.
‘Good. Now drink your tea. Time’s short.’
Billy must have moved like wildfire. Within two hours of his departure, Jimmy Bond was at the door. Ross was ready for him. He knew the Carter boys. He was a Delaney man, of course he knew them.
In particular he knew Jimmy Bond.
Jimmy Bond was a hard-looking bastard. Crew-cut pale brown hair. Chippy blue eyes. A chiselled, stern face and a cruel mouth. Immaculately turned out in black coat and sharp suit. All the Carter crowd were snappy dressers. But Ross knew not to be deceived by that. Beneath all the flash, the Carter mob were dangerous. None more so than this one.
‘What the fuck do you want?’ Ross bulked himself up like a threatened toad so that he filled the front doorway.
Jimmy gave the younger man a look.
‘Civility,’ he said.
‘What?’
‘Mrs Carter in?’
Dolly came hurrying down the hall looking flustered. She clocked Jimmy Bond standing on the doorstep in the rain.
‘Mr Bond,’ she acknowledged him politely. The Carter boys had got them all out of the crap that time when Mad Pat Delaney kicked off, and she hadn’t forgotten it. She owed them a lot.
She turned to her stony-faced bouncer. ‘Ross, Mr Bond’s come to see Annie. Let the man in, for God’s sake.’
Ross looked unhappy but he stood back. Jimmy stepped into the hall.
‘She’s in the kitchen—straight through there,’ said Dolly.
Jimmy nodded, stepped around a scowling Ross and went into the kitchen.
He closed the door from the hall into the kitchen behind him and leaned against it. Sitting at the table looking up at him was Annie Carter. There was a moment’s thick silence while they stared at one another. Then Jimmy took the ring from his pocket and tossed it to her. Annie caught it deftly, then busied herself putting it back on to the chain around her neck.
‘Why don’t you take a seat, Jimmy?’ she said as she fiddled with the clasp.
Jimmy chose a chair and sat down.
Placing himself with his back to a wall, noted Annie. No doors behind him, and no windows.
‘Nice tan,’ said Jimmy.
Annie nodded cautiously. ‘Majorca’s still warm, even in February,’ she said. ‘How’s Kath?’
‘Kath’s fine.’
‘I tried to get a message to you through her,’ said Annie. ‘She put the phone down. Twice.’
‘Kath