‘Emphysema,’ chimed in Betsy. ‘It’s them bloody fags, rolling his own all those years. Too much fucking Old Holborn, that’s what this is.’
‘And all this noise going on,’ complained Joe.
‘They got to make a noise,’ said Betsy. ‘They’re fitting a kitchen, for God’s sake.’
‘Yeah? Well go and make them some tea – lazy gits have only had ten cups so far today, may as well stand them another. Make us some too, while you’re at it.’
Betsy flounced off to the kitchen. After a couple of seconds they heard her tinkling laughter mingling with men’s voices and the crashing, crunching sounds of the kitchen being pulled inside out.
‘She always was a bloody flirt,’ said Joe. ‘Sauntering about the fuckin’ place with her arse hanging out and all those blokes in the sodding kitchen. Thinks I don’t know, I suppose. Or don’t give a shit if I do.’
‘How you feeling, Joe?’ asked Ruby.
‘Fuckin’ awful – how do I look?’ Joe let the oxygen mask drop to his blanketed lap and gave a hoarse laugh. ‘Does me good to see you though, Rubes. Keepin’ all right?’
‘Fine.’
‘Glad one of us is. Not too long now, there I’ll be – sitting on an effing cloud along with Charlie.’
‘Don’t say that.’
A fresh peal of laughter came floating through from the kitchen.
‘Why not? It’s the truth. And I’m not sorry. Had a goodish life, really. Only one real regret… and you know what that is?’
‘No,’ said Ruby. ‘Go on, tell me.’
Joe cocked his head toward the kitchen. ‘Aside from the fags? My one regret is that I wasted my time marrying that selfish cow.’
‘Joe…’ She didn’t want to hear this. Ruby had always known that Joe could have done better for himself but she had hoped, up until this moment, that he was at least moderately happy in his marriage. It hurt her to see that he was not.
‘Come on, Rubes, you know it’s true. I was always second-best for Betsy, wasn’t I? It was always Charlie for her. When he got sent down after the mail-van job, she settled for me.’
‘Joe, come on…’
‘What you mean, “come on”? I’m speaking the truth here. Drove me nuts for years, she did, saying why didn’t I go and get my cut of the robbery – money-grubbing bitch. Currency changed, see, times changed. This is how she has her revenge on me, spendin’ my fuckin’ money non-stop.’ Joe’s watery eyes grew distant. ‘Poor old Charlie, eh? He got done good and proper. It broke him you know, all that time in stir. He was never the same man after that. And then he steps out in the road drunk, and some fucker ploughs in, and that’s him finished. Well, now I’m finished too.’ Joe heaved a sigh. ‘Could have got myself a nice warm woman, could have had my pick, they were all after me. Lord of the streets, I was. Not now, though. Too late.’
‘How’re the kids?’ asked Ruby. It was an easier subject than Betsy and everything that had gone before. It was all old stuff, dead stuff, it didn’t matter. While Ruby had been minding the shop, Charlie and Joe had taken to a career as criminals; she’d always known that there wouldn’t be a happy ending to their saga.
‘Nadine’s getting the hump with everyone. Ten years old and already you can see she’s her mother’s daughter. Billy’s a real live wire. It’s bad for them, seeing me like this. Thank Christ they’re at boarding school, takes them out of the way most of the time.’
‘I’m sorry, Joe.’
‘Good to see you though, girl. You’re a tonic. Now where’s that cow with the bloody tea…?’
96
When Ruby got back to Marlow, there was a familiar car waiting on the drive. The Jag’s headlights swept over it, showing Thomas Knox standing by the bonnet. Ruby felt her heartbeat pick up in panic, felt a wave of revulsion engulf her. He wasn’t going to let this go.
‘You want me to have a word with him, Miss Darke?’ asked Reg, pulling up, switching off the engine.
Ruby thought that Thomas wouldn’t stop this unless she gave him an explanation. She felt weary to the bone, but she had to sort this out, right now.
‘No, that’s OK, Reg.’
Ruby got out of the Merc and Reg drove it round to the garage which was some distance from the main house. She walked over to where Thomas lounged against his car.
‘I want answers,’ he said flatly, as she came and stood within two feet of him.
‘I know. Come inside, it’s cold out here.’
He followed her into the house, into the small sitting room at the front. Ruby kept her coat on. So did Thomas. She didn’t offer him a seat. She stood several paces away from him and they confronted each other like strangers.
‘I want answers too,’ said Ruby.
‘Oh? To what?’
‘Did you do it?’
‘Do what?’
Ruby hitched in a breath. ‘Kill Michael. Was it you?’
‘What?’
‘You wanted to get to me. But you couldn’t, could you? You knew I was with him, that nothing was going to come between us.’ Suddenly her eyes were full of tears. ‘So did you do it?’
Thomas looked at the floor. Then he glanced sharply at Ruby. ‘You think I did?’
‘I want you to tell me. Did you? Because if you did, this is my fault. Michael would be alive today if not for me.’
‘You seriously think I’d do that?’
Ruby stared at him. Thought of all the things he’d said to her, how completely he’d seduced her.
‘Because if you think that,’ he snapped out, ‘then you’re right – we can’t go on with this. Oh, and incidentally? I won’t be looking out for your boy any more.’
Now Ruby felt fury building up in her. He’d duped her, deceived her, bedded her; and now she was thinking that Daisy was right about all this and he’d robbed her of Michael, who had truly loved her, then made her doubt that love by feeding her lies about another woman. There had been no one but her. She was sure of that. Thomas Knox had done his best to twist the truth, make her question everything she had ever believed in.
‘I don’t want a damned thing from you,’ she told him furiously. ‘And Kit will manage just fine without your help.’
‘I dunno about that. He’s treading a dangerous road, wouldn’t you say? Getting mixed up with that crazy Danieri sister. Do you have any idea what he’s up against? That family’s Camorra, out of Naples – you don’t mess with those people. Vittore’s spitting blood over this. He’s a proud man, he won’t take any shit. If Kit wanted to, he could still name Bianca to the Bill as the one who shot him, and Vittore won’t risk that happening. And the Danieris won’t back down just because Kit’s boys have got Bianca. They’ll retaliate – maybe snatch Kit’s sister,’ he went on relentlessly. ‘Before you know it, you could be getting her back in pieces, through the post – an ear, maybe, or a tongue – how about that for a thought? Maybe they’ll snatch Daisy’s kids and-’
‘They’re in a safe place,’ said Ruby as his words struck home.
‘Yeah? How safe?’
‘Stop it! Shut up! I don’t ever want to see you or speak to you again.’
Thomas’s eyes were hard on her face. ‘Sure about that?’
‘Completely sure.’
‘OK. But think about this: you got no proof I offed Mike. None at all. And everything I’ve just told you is true, so you’d better watch yourself. Oh, and what I told you before is true an’ alclass="underline" Michael was tied up with another woman.’
‘Liar!’ shouted Ruby.
‘Nope. Not so.’
‘Then give me a name. Give me something.’
‘I don’t have it. Besides, I thought you didn’t want anything from me?’
‘I don’t.’
‘Then, sweetheart – you’re on your own,’ he said, and left the room.