cheap Tesco whisky into Donna’s cup. ‘You get that down your neck, girl. It’s going to be a hard few months. Before I forget, Davey Jackson rang. He’ll be round on Sunday morning.’
Donna sipped the warm tea, the bite of the scotch burning her tongue.
‘What am I going to do, Dolly?’ she asked hopelessly. ‘I feel as if my life is on hold without him. I hadn’t thought of him being sent to prison, I only thought of him coming home. How could they believe Wilson? Everyone knows what he is. Yet in a suit, with his hair all washed and cut, he looked so respectable. The things he was saying about Georgio! That Georgio had told them to shoot to kill, and threatened them all that if they botched up the job he would kill them. It was all kill, kill kill. I know Georgio, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Christ Almighty, he cried when we had old Sam put down. He loved that dog.’ Her voice broke again, and she swallowed back her tears.
‘Wilson was saving his own arse, love. I expect Laughton did a deal with him for a reduced sentence. He’ll get his comeuppance in the nick. No one likes a grass.’
Donna smiled through her tears. ‘You sound so knowledgeable, Dolly, like an old jailbird yourself!’
‘After years with my old man, I know all the jargon, my love. Now
38
if he had got eighteen years, I’d be celebrating me drawers off. How about I run you a nice bath, put in some Radox, and while you’re soaking, I’ll cook you a light meal? An omelette, say. You’ve got to eat, to keep your strength up. The appeal will take up all your time, and the businesses. Come on, I’ll run the bath while you get stripped off.’
As they stood up Donna grabbed at the older woman’s hand. “I’m so glad I’ve got you, Dolly. This house is so empty without him.’
‘I know my little love. Believe me, I know.’
Davey Jackson turned up at eight-thirty on Sunday morning. Donna was in her conservatory, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette, when she heard Carol Jackson’s strident voice. She closed her eyes wearily. Davey Jackson was all right, she could cope with him, but Carol Jackson was a different kettle of fish. Donna loathed her and she loathed Donna.
‘How you feeling, Donna? Gutted, I bet. Bags of shit, the lot of them, bags of stinking shit!’
Donna was surprised to see genuine concern in Carol’s face.
‘Sit down, Davey, you make me nervous looming over us like that. I tell you something, Donna, me and you have never seen eye to eye, but if ever you need a shoulder, girl, well, mine’s always there for the taking.’
Donna was inordinately grateful. Over the last nine months she had been gradually dropped by most of her friends. Bunty and Harry Robertson had looked right through her only a week previously when she had met them in the village. She had said hello and they had ignored her, leaving her deep red with embarrassment and hurt. Over the years they had both courted Georgio’s friendship. Now they wanted nothing to do with him or anyone connected to him. Even Donna’s neighbours had stopped waving if they drove past and she was on her driveway.
Thanks, Carol, I appreciate it.’ The truth of the statement came over in her voice and Carol smiled.
‘You find out who your mates are at times like this, girl. I remember when me brother got a big one. Twelve years. Mind you, he had done the robbery - got caught red-handed with the guns and the money. But all that aside, his wife really took some stick. Mind you, for saying that, she was batting away from home within six months. Takes some of the wives like that. Lonely, see. You keep your mind occupied and your legs crossed, girl. The filth will come out of the woodwork now, A few of Georgio’s mates would have liked a crack at you. Now he’s banged up they’ll think the field is clear. So
39
them be careful when men start offering you a bit of help: When is the appeal? I take it he is appealing?’
‘Oh, yes. As soon as we get a
Donna sipped the warm tea, the bite of the scotch burning her tongue.
‘What am I going to do, Dolly?’ she asked hopelessly. ‘I feel as if my life is on hold without him. I hadn’t thought of him being sent to prison, I only thought of him coming home. How could they believe Wilson? Everyone knows what he is. Yet in a suit, with his hair all washed and cut, he looked so respectable. The things he was saying about Georgio! That Georgio had told them to shoot to kill, and threatened them all that if they botched up the job he would kill them. It was all kill, kill kill. I know Georgio, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Christ Almighty, he cried when we had old Sam put down. He loved that dog.’ Her voice broke again, and she swallowed back her tears.
‘Wilson was saving his own arse, love. I expect Laughton did a deal with him for a reduced sentence. He’ll get his comeuppance in the nick. No one likes a grass.’
Donna smiled through her tears. ‘You sound so knowledgeable, Dolly, like an old jailbird yourself!’
‘After years with my old man, I know all the jargon, my love. Now
38
if he had got eighteen years, I’d be celebrating me drawers off. How about I run you a nice bath, put in some Radox, and while you’re soaking, I’ll cook you a light meal? An omelette, say. You’ve got to eat, to keep your strength up. The appeal will take up all your time, and the businesses. Come on, I’ll run the bath while you get stripped off.’
As they stood up Donna grabbed at the older woman’s hand. “I’m so glad I’ve got you, Dolly. This house is so empty without him.’
‘I know my little love. Believe me, I know.’
Davey Jackson turned up at eight-thirty on Sunday morning. Donna was in her conservatory, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette, when she heard Carol Jackson’s strident voice. She closed her eyes wearily. Davey Jackson was all right, she could cope with him, but Carol Jackson was a different kettle of fish. Donna loathed her and she loathed Donna.
‘How you feeling, Donna? Gutted, I bet. Bags of shit, the lot of them, bags of stinking shit!’
Donna was surprised to see genuine concern in Carol’s face.
‘Sit down, Davey, you make me nervous looming over us like that. I tell you something, Donna, me and you have never seen eye to eye, but if ever you need a shoulder, girl, well, mine’s always there for the taking.’
Donna was inordinately grateful. Over the last nine months she had been gradually dropped by most of her friends. Bunty and Harry Robertson had looked right through her only a week previously when she had met them in the village. She had said hello and they had ignored her, leaving her deep red with embarrassment and hurt. Over the years they had both courted Georgio’s friendship. Now they wanted nothing to do with him or anyone connected to him. Even Donna’s neighbours had stopped waving if they drove past and she was on her driveway.
Thanks, Carol, I appreciate it.’ The truth of the statement came over in her voice and Carol smiled.
‘You find out who your mates are at times like this, girl. I remember when me brother got a big one. Twelve years. Mind you, he had done the robbery - got caught red-handed with the guns and the money. But all that aside, his wife really took some stick. Mind you, for saying that, she was batting away from home within six months. Takes some of the wives like that. Lonely, see. You keep your mind occupied and your legs crossed, girl. The filth will come out of the woodwork now, A few of Georgio’s mates would have liked a crack at you. Now he’s banged up they’ll think the field is clear. So
39
them be careful when men start offering you a bit of help: When is the appeal? I take it he is appealing?’
‘Oh, yes. As soon as we get a
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