“I’m pleased to see you,” he said hopefully. “Sorry you missed the wedding. Do you feel better?”
Still nothing from Albert. Just the sound of battling, quacking ducks.
Danny swallowed hard. “I wanted to talk to you about this Costa and Cohen thing,” he said. “Get some advice.”
“Don’t matter what I think,” said Albert. “It’s down to you.”
Danny realised this was it. It was time to let Albert know how he felt about him.
“Listen Albert,” he pleaded. “If they can help me turn pro, and me and the family can have some money, and I get the chance of a proper boxing career, shouldn’t I take it? I want you to be involved, I need you there by my side.”
Albert turned to face Danny for the first time.
“Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” he said as he joined Danny on the bench.
Danny frowned. “What d’ya mean? They seem all right.”
“They have a reputation, Danny. They’re dangerous men.”
“Maybe. But with you and Patsy with me I’d be fine, wouldn’t I?”
“You think you are ready to turn pro?” said Albert. “You really think that?”
This hurt Danny. He knew he’d been swept away with the head-turning compliments from Costa and Cohen, but in the past, both Patsy and Albert had praised him and called him a contender. So why was Albert’s faith now so fickle?
The ducks had deserted them and an awkward silence now hung in the air. Danny decided to change the subject.
“We went to Clacton last week,” he said. “It was all right.”
Albert waited.
Danny became more direct.
“I need to think of my future, Albert,” he said. “My new baby. Wendy thinks it’s a good idea. I’ll make sure that they don’t muscle in, honest. You and Patsy will still be part of the team. It could be good for all of us.”
“You think so?”
“Why don’t we all organise a meeting with them? See what they’ve got to say?” Danny suggested.
“If that’s what you want,” said Albert.
“I’ll phone them and arrange a meeting then,” said Danny.
“If that’s what you want,” Albert repeated.
Something in Albert’s eyes told Danny that the old man knew he was serious about this. That he truly believed that his future and that of his family lay with a liaison with Costa and Cohen. Danny pressed home his advantage.
“At least if you attend the meeting, you can have some input,” he said.
Albert somehow looked older. “Who am I to stand in your way?” he said.
Danny felt a flash of hope. “So it’s on?”
“If that’s what you want. Now, I’m off to work. Let me know when you’ve arranged the meeting and I’ll bring a tin hat.”
Danny jumped up as Albert got off the bench. “Thanks,” he said. “You won’t regret it.”
“We’ll see about that,” Albert replied as he walked off.
Danny sat back down on the bench, full of relief. He watched a mother on the other side of the pond, pushing her baby in a pram through the park, and smiled. He imagined Wendy and their own bundle of joy doing the same thing in the not-too-distant future. That future felt warmer now. Knowing that Albert would be at the meeting gave him confidence. If Costa and Cohen were as dangerous as Albert said, at least Albert would be there for guidance.
Going back to Wendy’s, Danny felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He would organise the meeting. He would keep his boxing family around him. Together they were strong.
The way now was forward, and he felt an exciting chapter was about to begin. In just over six months, he would be a father, with a career in the sport he loved and money on the horizon. A pot of gold just waiting at the end of a rainbow. He could leave the casual building work behind, perhaps buy a house for them to live in, with a garden for the little one, and a car. Not that he could drive, but that was a minor detail. A Jaguar would be fab. A house in the sticks would be nice too. Wendy wanted to move to Chigwell, where the big houses were and the air was fresher, where they had stars in the sky just like Clacton.
Wendy arrived home for her lunch break from the factory.
“I’ve had a chat with Albert, Wend,” Danny said as he gave Wendy a hug and a quick kiss. “He’s on board.”
“I never understood Albert’s feelings towards Mr Cohen and Mr Costa,” said Wendy. “They’ve been nothing but charm personified.”
“Well, Albert thinks different from us.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so worried about Albert’s feelings,” Wendy said. “I’m just happy there’s some progress on the cards. So you’re fixing the meeting then?”
“Yeah,” said Danny. “We’re gonna sort this whole thing out.”
After lunch, Danny found Costa and Cohen’s business card and phoned the number.
“Danny boy,” said Cohen, after Danny had been put through by a frosty secretary. “Good to hear from you. How was the honeymoon?”
“Great. Wendy says thank you very much for the flowers.”
“I hope they were as beautiful as she is.”
“Yeah, they were nice,” Danny replied, a little awkwardly. “Can we meet up to talk about the contract and that?”
“Of course. When do you want to come in?”
“I’ll talk to Albert and Patsy and see when they can make it,” said Danny. “Maybe tomorrow afternoon?”
There was a pause.
“Albert and Patsy?” said Cohen.
“Yeah,” said Danny. “I’d like them to be there.”
“I’m not sure they have your best interests at heart, Danny. Tommy and I believe in you and your future. I’m not convinced they do.”
This was not going to be as straightforward as Danny had hoped. If Cohen refused to have Albert and Patsy at the meeting, it would force Danny to make a difficult decision. If Cohen refused, it could be the end of his and Wendy’s dream. But with thoughts of loyalty to Albert and Patsy, he stood his ground.
“I would like them to be there,” he repeated nervously. “I think it’s important.”
“I see,” said Cohen. “Well, if that’s what you want, we can do three o’clock tomorrow. See you then.”
And before Danny could say “Thanks,” Cohen had hung up.
The phone call troubled Danny. In his mind Albert, Patsy and Lenny had to be a part of this. Cohen’s reaction seemed to send a signal that perhaps they would not.
“Did you speak to them?” said Wendy as Danny came slowly back into the kitchen. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” said Danny. “We are meeting tomorrow at three.”
He held back on the full story of the call. Cohen’s reluctance to have Albert and Patsy at the meeting would probably have prompted Wendy to react the same way. She would think that anything that compromised their brighter future with Costa and Cohen was indeed dispensable.
To avoid any more questions before Wendy headed back to work, Danny walked into the back garden. He needed some space and some time to think. He sat on the garden bench beneath a watery grey-blue sky and watched Mr Bristow’s Koi carp swimming gently in the pond for a while. He felt torn as he tried to navigate a way through the problem.
What course should he take if the involvement of Albert and Patsy meant saying goodbye to his prospects? If only his father had been there to turn to. In recent times Albert had been almost a father figure, so to turn his back on him was indeed a painful thought. But at the same time, to turn his back on what could be a brighter and more secure future for Wendy and the baby would hurt too.
As he walked along the garden path in the Bristows’ well- kept garden, deep in his dilemma, the back door opened.
“Hello Dan,” said Mr Bristow. “Congratulations, Wendy tells me you are signing the contract tomorrow to go pro.”
Danny swallowed. “Er, yes,” he said.
“Don’t forget your in-laws when you’re rich and famous!”
Danny smiled. Not because he felt like smiling, but in the hope that a smile would finish a conversation that he really did not want to have.