“You all right Danny?” asked Albert to break the silence. “You look like you’ve got the world on your shoulders.”
“Just thinking,” said Danny.
“Come on son, spit it out,” said Albert.
Danny looked straight ahead, deep in his own world. A streak of lightning lit the dark grey sky, followed by a distant roll of thunder as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
“It’s sometimes good to talk,” Albert said. “What do they say? ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’? Something like that.” He put his hand on Danny’s to stop him tapping. “Talk to me, Danny.”
There was a pause. Then the floodgates opened.
“I had good things, right Albert? A wife, a family, I’ve even got you now. But I get these black moods. The boxing’s a mess, I’m a loser, I’ve got no money. Sometimes, I don’t know what comes over me. Wendy won’t take me back. I’m all over the place.”
“People that taste success and money can change,” said Albert after a moment. “They don’t always find happiness the way they expect. Sometimes, I reckon, if you’ve got success and money, when you find out it’s not the answer to all your worries like you thought it would be, it can leave you feeling lost and empty. Maybe you feel a bit like that. You need to show Wendy that you’re still the Danny she loved and married.”
Danny rubbed his face. “I try, Albert, I really try,” he said. “But it’s my temper. Little things get to me. Ruby is growing up and I’m missing it.”
Albert watched him absently reach for the glove compartment, then pull his hand back.
“What’s in there, son?” said Albert, looking at the glove box.
“Nothing,” said Danny. “You getting out or what?”
“What you not telling me, Danny?”
Danny slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “Nothing, all right?”
It was all the proof Albert needed. He flipped open the glove box, stared at the bag of white pills inside.
He kept his voice gentle. “What are these?”
Danny’s eyes darted from side to side. “Vitamins, food supplements, I dunno. Costa’s been giving them to me in training. They’re supposed to enhance your performance.”
It was worse than Albert feared. “Believe me, son,” he said quietly. “These ain’t vitamins. How long you been taking them? What else you been taking?”
Danny swallowed. “Cocaine,” he said. “Costa has loads of it.”
“Jesus,” said Albert in shock.
Danny laid his head on the steering wheel and broke down in tears. He looked like Tommy, Albert thought. The way Tommy had looked when he had hurt himself as a little boy, with tears rolling down his face.
“Oh Danny,” he said, putting his arm round the boy. “You don’t wanna do any of this stuff. If you’re tested, you will lose everything you’ve worked for. You’ll lose your reputation.”
“Reputation?” said Danny. “I already blew it, Albert. I’m a laughing stock.”
Albert struggled to process the fact that Costa and Cohen had turned Danny into a cheat and an addict. He clenched his fists. This was the boy he had nurtured. The son of his son.
Danny looked pleadingly at Albert. “I want you back in the team,” he said. “Patsy is doing OK, but he’s Costa and Cohen’s man now. I don’t think I can get through this without you.”
Danny’s face held that same look Albert had seen years before, the look that even then had reminded him of Tommy. He needed time to digest Danny’s shattering confession. There was pride to swallow, and the shady Cohen and Costa to contend with. But Albert’s desire to protect Danny was overriding these obstacles.
He decided to give Danny an ultimatum.
“Danny,” he said. “If you want me involved, you’ll have to stop taking this stuff they’ve been giving you. You go back to clean living and hard training, right? I reckon that will help heal things with Wendy too.”
Danny nodded. “I will, I promise.”
“Also, if you want me to straighten out Costa and Cohen, you will have to listen to my advice. You don’t always have to take it, but at least listen, understand?”
“I understand,” said Danny.
As if to seal the deal, he went to give Albert a hug, but remembered the sore ribs just in time and shook Albert’s hand instead.
“Well, quite a night,” Albert remarked as they got out of the car. “Anything else on your mind?”
“Just a money thing,” Danny said.
Albert frowned. “You’ve been doing all right, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, at first. It’s all gone now though. I fought that last fight, right? I know the place was a sell-out and held about five times more punters than the first fight. But after waiting for the purse for months, Costa and Cohen paid me less than for the first fight.”
Rage swelled through Albert. Not only had they turned Danny into a cheat, they were cheating on him.
“That’s not right,” he said indignantly. “Did you ask ’em why?”
“They said it was the costs, the venue and advertising and that.”
Albert snorted. “Well, I think you know what I think about those two gentlemen. Right. We start tomorrow. I’ll see you at the gym eleven o’clock sharp, OK?”
Danny’s face lit up. “You bet! See you tomorrow.”
“Don’t let me down or yourself down,” warned Albert. “Get off that stuff and get your family back. But you gotta push through. You got an incentive now. You got your family to think of, and your boxing career. You’re gonna pull through this, OK? You hear me?”
Albert’s morning started with purpose. Something that had been missing in his life was back in place. Thoughts about this new beginning excited him, and he was determined to give it his best shot, despite the hindrance of his recent injuries. He managed his regular visit to the duck pond to issue rations, and then headed straight to the gym to meet Danny for training.
Danny was right on time.
“Morning Grandad,” he said, and greeted Albert with a mock punch which Albert returned.
“Let’s get cracking,” said Albert.
Within half an hour, Albert had spotted a couple of chinks in Danny’s armour. The boy had a tendency to lower his guard when backing off a fighter, and Albert thought his upper body movement could be better. The two began working, and working hard.
They were mid-session when Patsy came in.
“Hello boys,” he said, clearly surprised to see Albert. “What’s all this about?”
Danny took a break from punching the speed ball. “Albert’s back in the team,” he said happily. “I asked him and he said yes. Great, ain’t it?”
“I see,” said Patsy after a minute. “Yes, that’s great. Do Cohen and Costa know?”
“They will,” said Albert with menace. “Don’t worry about that. I wanna talk to you, Patsy, in private. We’ll be finishing soon. I’ll pop into your office for a chat, shall I?”
Danny and Albert worked on through their routine. More of the boys started drifting into the gym to keep Patsy busy. Every now and again, Patsy shot a worried glance at Albert.
“Finish up with your warm-down,” said Albert after another twenty minutes. “And we’ll call it a day, Danny. Good work.” He ruffled Danny’s hair, then clicked his fingers at Patsy.
They went into the office. Albert shut the door.
“What the bloody ’ell do you think you’re doing, Patsy?” Albert hissed, prodding Patsy in the chest. “Why d’ya let those scumbags give that stuff to Danny? You know it ain’t right. The boy could lose everything. He pretty much has lost everything!”
Patsy was visibly shaken by the onslaught. “They were lining him up for a title fight and they wanted him to be at prime strength and fitness,” he protested, raising his arms as if afraid Albert would hit him. “I’m sorry I went along with it, but they put me under a lot of pressure, Albert. They threatened to get rid of me!”