probably smell it coming off him in waves. That was what they said about bitches and she could be a bitch when the fancy took her, he was more than aware of that fact.
“Do you need anything to eat, Ken? A drink?”
He shook his head once more.
“What I want, Maura, is some kind of explanation. No more, no less.”
She poured herself a drink, sat opposite him and looked him straight in the eye before saying innocently, “That was exactly what I was hoping for from you.”
Kenny Smith was struck dumb and as Garry watched the changing expressions on his face he felt an urge to laugh.
“You murdered my old woman!”
It was Maura’s turn now to shake her head.
“I don’t think so, Kenny. We’ve kept our head down and our arses up for a good few years now. We have no argument with anyone that we are aware of. But it seems someone out there is trying to cause us untold aggravation by making it look as though we’re on the rampage.”
“I lost my fucking wife, the mother of my child!”
Maura kept silent for a moment as if digesting the information.
Finally she told him, “Kenny, I am sorry for your loss, but you forget that someone tried to nut me. Instead they killed my partner.”
Kenny’s tirade started up again.
“He was a filth, and he wasn’t even a friendly one. I’m sorry, Maura, but people didn’t trust you any more once he was part of the fixtures and fittings. Surely you must have guessed that much, love? Clever girl like you.”
Garry stood up. Towering over the man in the chair, he bellowed, “Who the fuck do you think you are talking to, eh? My fucking family has made you plenty of wedge over the years and we have never once fucked up a single solitary person. We own judges and filth and have helped out many a fucking old lag in our day so you keep your fucking opinions to yourself and stick only to what is relevant.”
Maura pulled him away forcibly and Kenny realised again how close he was to death.
“Let me and Benny have him, Maws. Give the cheery fucker to us,” Garry insisted.
The thought of Benny Ryan the Airfix King, as he was nicknamed, made Kenny feel even worse than he already did. A feat in itself. But he wasn’t beaten yet.
“Don’t you fucking dare threaten me, Garry Ryan. I was in this game when you was still polishing your brother’s fucking shoes for him. You don’t scare me. I’ve dealt with them all, mate, from the old masters to the young punks, and you fucking remember that.”
Kenny stood up, his anger so acute he could almost taste it.
“Fucking Super Glue and threats of violence! Do you lot think you’re the first hard nuts ever to walk a fucking pavement? Shall I tell you something I learned many years ago, Garry? There is always someone harder out there, and they want what you’ve got and will do anything to get it. What goes round comes round, remember that. But nobody ever touched wives or family before. That has always been taboo…”
“Until now, that is.”
Maura’s voice was still level.
“Just sit down, the pair of you, before I take me ball back and then you’ll have nothing to fight over. Listen to you, like a pair of fucking kids.”
Both men sat down shamefaced and she continued in the same level tone.
“Kenny, I swear on Michael’s grave I had nothing to do with Lana’s death and neither did anyone in this organisation, OK. Now I need to know why people suddenly think we’re out to cause hag. I want the name of your grass, whoever told you we were behind it, and I want them now, tonight, so we can go and have a friendly chat with them and get to the bottom of this once and for all.”
Kenny still didn’t answer her.
She motioned with her head for Garry to leave them and he did so reluctantly. Then, pouring two more brandies, she handed one to Kenny. As they sipped the drinks she felt the tension gradually leave the room.
“I am truly sorry, Kenny.” Maura’s voice was warmer now they were on their own.
He hung
“Do you need anything to eat, Ken? A drink?”
He shook his head once more.
“What I want, Maura, is some kind of explanation. No more, no less.”
She poured herself a drink, sat opposite him and looked him straight in the eye before saying innocently, “That was exactly what I was hoping for from you.”
Kenny Smith was struck dumb and as Garry watched the changing expressions on his face he felt an urge to laugh.
“You murdered my old woman!”
It was Maura’s turn now to shake her head.
“I don’t think so, Kenny. We’ve kept our head down and our arses up for a good few years now. We have no argument with anyone that we are aware of. But it seems someone out there is trying to cause us untold aggravation by making it look as though we’re on the rampage.”
“I lost my fucking wife, the mother of my child!”
Maura kept silent for a moment as if digesting the information.
Finally she told him, “Kenny, I am sorry for your loss, but you forget that someone tried to nut me. Instead they killed my partner.”
Kenny’s tirade started up again.
“He was a filth, and he wasn’t even a friendly one. I’m sorry, Maura, but people didn’t trust you any more once he was part of the fixtures and fittings. Surely you must have guessed that much, love? Clever girl like you.”
Garry stood up. Towering over the man in the chair, he bellowed, “Who the fuck do you think you are talking to, eh? My fucking family has made you plenty of wedge over the years and we have never once fucked up a single solitary person. We own judges and filth and have helped out many a fucking old lag in our day so you keep your fucking opinions to yourself and stick only to what is relevant.”
Maura pulled him away forcibly and Kenny realised again how close he was to death.
“Let me and Benny have him, Maws. Give the cheery fucker to us,” Garry insisted.
The thought of Benny Ryan the Airfix King, as he was nicknamed, made Kenny feel even worse than he already did. A feat in itself. But he wasn’t beaten yet.
“Don’t you fucking dare threaten me, Garry Ryan. I was in this game when you was still polishing your brother’s fucking shoes for him. You don’t scare me. I’ve dealt with them all, mate, from the old masters to the young punks, and you fucking remember that.”
Kenny stood up, his anger so acute he could almost taste it.
“Fucking Super Glue and threats of violence! Do you lot think you’re the first hard nuts ever to walk a fucking pavement? Shall I tell you something I learned many years ago, Garry? There is always someone harder out there, and they want what you’ve got and will do anything to get it. What goes round comes round, remember that. But nobody ever touched wives or family before. That has always been taboo…”
“Until now, that is.”
Maura’s voice was still level.
“Just sit down, the pair of you, before I take me ball back and then you’ll have nothing to fight over. Listen to you, like a pair of fucking kids.”
Both men sat down shamefaced and she continued in the same level tone.
“Kenny, I swear on Michael’s grave I had nothing to do with Lana’s death and neither did anyone in this organisation, OK. Now I need to know why people suddenly think we’re out to cause hag. I want the name of your grass, whoever told you we were behind it, and I want them now, tonight, so we can go and have a friendly chat with them and get to the bottom of this once and for all.”
Kenny still didn’t answer her.
She motioned with her head for Garry to leave them and he did so reluctantly. Then, pouring two more brandies, she handed one to Kenny. As they sipped the drinks she felt the tension gradually leave the room.
“I am truly sorry, Kenny.” Maura’s voice was warmer now they were on their own.
He hung
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