The Life Read online

  The Life

  Martina Cole

  Headline Hb (2012)

  * * *

  Rating: ★★★☆☆

  The most authentic novel of gangster family life ever written, from the No. 1 bestselling author. The Bailey brothers are gangsters determined to make their mark in the world. Peter and Daniel are chalk and cheese in many ways - Peter's calm exterior belies his ruthless nature, while Daniel's penchant for spectacular violence is legendary - but together they are unstoppable. From the late seventies they rule London's East End and, when their sons join the business, it seems that no one can touch the powerful Baileys. Although it's never easy at the top; there is always someone waiting to take you down - sometimes even those closest to you...Lena Bailey is determined to shield her youngest child Tania from the Life. But when a terrible tragedy occurs, Tania's eyes are opened to their world in a way that forces her to make an irrevocable choice that will determine her future. Martina Cole's gritty and gripping new novel is an unflinching portrait of a family torn apart by violence and betrayal, but ultimately bound by loyalty, by blood, and by a burning desire for revenge...It is a story of the Life, told as only Martina Cole can.

  About the Author

  Martina Cole is the No. 1 bestselling author of eighteen hugely successful novels. Her hard-hitting, uncompromising and haunting writing makes for an incredible read, and sales of her books now stand at over ten million copies. She is the person who dares to tell it like it really is.

  Copyright © 2012 Martina Cole

  The right of Martina Cole to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

  First published as an Ebook by Headline Publishing Group in 2012

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  The lyrics acknowledgements constitute an extension of this copyright page.

  Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

  eISBN 978 0 7553 7560 8

  HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

  An Hachette UK Company

  338 Euston Road

  London NW1 3BH

  www.headline.co.uk

  www.hachette.co.uk

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Also By

  Foreword

  Prologue

  Book One

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Book Two

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Chapter Seventy-Nine

  Chapter Eighty

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Book Three

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Chapter Eighty-Seven

  Chapter Eighty-Eight

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  Chapter Ninety

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Chapter Ninety-Five

  Chapter Ninety-Six

  Chapter Ninety-Seven

  Chapter Ninety-Eight

  Chapter Ninety-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred

  Chapter One Hundred and One

  Chapter One Hundred and Two

  Chapter One Hundred and Three

  Chapter One Hundred and Four

  Chapter One Hundred and Five

  Chapter One Hundred and Six

  Chapter One Hundred and Seven

  Chapter One Hundred and Eight

  Chapter One Hundred and Nine

  Chapter One Hundred and Ten

  Chapter One Hundred and Eleven

  Chapter One Hundred and Twelve

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen

  Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

  Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen

  Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

  Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen

  Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen

  Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Seven

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight

  Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four

  Chapter One Hundred and Thir
ty-Five

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight

  Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-One

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Three

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Four

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Five

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Six

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight

  Epilogue

  Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred and Fifty

  Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-One

  Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Three

  Lyrics Acknowledgements

  Martina Cole is the No. 1 bestselling author of eighteen hugely successful novels. Her most recent novel, The Faithless, was a No. 1 bestseller. The Family went straight to No. 1 on the Sunday Times hardback bestseller list and was the bestselling hardback adult fiction title of 2010 as well as being a No. 1 bestseller in paperback. It is currently being adapted for television following the huge success of The Take and The Runaway on Sky One. Two Women and The Graft have been adapted for the stage; both were highly acclaimed when performed at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, which will also stage Dangerous Lady later this year – celebrating twenty years since Martina’s debut novel was published.

  Martina Cole is a phenomenon. Her hard-hitting, uncompromising and haunting writing makes for an incredible read, and sales of her books now stand at over ten million copies. She is the person who dares to tell it like it really is.

  By Martina Cole and available from Headline

  Dangerous Lady

  The Ladykiller

  Goodnight Lady

  The Jump

  The Runaway

  Two Women

  Broken

  Faceless

  Maura’s Game

  The Know

  The Graft

  The Take

  Close

  Faces

  The Business

  Hard Girls

  The Family

  The Faithless

  The Life

  Foreword

  After books, my big love is music. As I’m writing of a night time, I listen to the sounds of the eras I am writing about. It’s a perfect way to get into the characters’ minds and, as everyone knows, a certain record can transport you back to a particular moment in time. If I hear ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ by Slade, I can remember with stunning clarity one of my oldest friends, Graham Petherick, air-guitaring to it as a crowd of us watched his silhouette through his bathroom window! When I listen to ‘Woke Up This Morning’ by Alabama 3, I can see my daughter Freddie Mary and my grandson Lewis, both four years old at the time, singing along to it as we travelled down to my caravan in Eastbourne. Wonderful memories, captured in time by music. Music can do that to you, bring back a memory and make you smile even on your saddest of days. After I buried my mum, I played Bowie, and even in my grief I had to smile as I remembered her asking me to turn up ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide’ on my record player; she loved that song, she loved Bowie. She died in the early eighties, eight months after my father’s death, and I still miss them both very much.

  As I wrote The Life, I listened to a lot of Alabama 3 – one of my favourite bands of all time – and I have used their lyrics in this book. They are the band I listen to most these days. I have seen them live, and they are a really visual band, whose music seems to encompass the thoughts of many different generations. I look forward to seeing them again soon. I was very lucky to be asked to be a part of their latest album, Shoplifting For Jesus, and I am now pretending to be a recording artist! Thanks, guys, especially Ian Gough and Larry Love.

  I can’t believe it has been twenty years since the publication of my first book Dangerous Lady. To celebrate, Dangerous Lady is going to be performed as a play at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, in East London. This theatre is very close to my heart; if we lose the local theatres and the libraries, the whole heart of local communities will be gone. It’s a disgrace, and something that needs to be addressed because we will never get these things back. Without my local library when I was a child, I don’t know what I would have done, and our local theatre also played a big part in my quest for knowledge.

  Dangerous Lady was a big milestone in my life, and I’m very proud of it. I would never have been published had it not been for my agent, Darley Anderson, who is not only my agent but a wonderful friend to boot. I can’t thank him enough for everything, especially his friendship and support. Darley is that rare breed – a man who genuinely understands women! He is also my daughter’s godfather, and a close member of my family, loved by us all. His wisdom is unique, and his friendship means the world to me.

  Susan Fletcher, my first editor and a terrific person, who believed in me from her first glance at Dangerous Lady; a big thank you once more. Sadly, Sue is retiring from publishing this year, and she will be greatly missed by everyone.

  Tim Hely Hutchinson, always so good to me, and who, along with Sue Fletcher and Sian Thomas, built Headline up into the wonderful publishing house it is today. I have been with Headline for over twenty years now, and everyone I have ever dealt with has always been wonderful. Thank you, Tim, for everything.

  Clare Foss – my editor for many years – another person I can never thank enough for her support, and her kindness. Go, Clare!

  Jane Morpeth – who is now my editor – a really lovely lady, and someone I truly admire and respect. Thank you, Jane; I look forward to the next twenty years! You’ve been a great friend, and a fantastic editor. Thank you again.

  Martin Neild, the loveliest man on earth, thank you so much. You have been a great influence, and I appreciate your friendship very much. (Pink Floyd in a Bentley is a memory I will have for ever.) Good luck for the future.

  I’d also like to thank Amanda Ridout. She was very good to me when she was at Headline, and I will always be grateful for all that she did for me. Great girl; and I’ll never drink five bottles of Montrachet with anyone else – she knows what I am talking about! (PS, Amanda, we are still welcome at the OXO Tower!)

  I want to say a big thank you to Kerr MacRae; he was always so very nice to me when he was at Headline and, even though he has moved on to pastures new, we have stayed good friends. He is possibly one of the nicest people in publishing, and he played a big part in my success. Now I wish him every success for the future.

  Louise Page – what can I say? She is fantastic – not only a good person and a wonderful friend, but the best PR in the land! Thanks, Lou, you have been a star over the years. Me, you and Peter – otherwise known as The Waberthwaite Three – have travelled the length and breadth of this country, and had some good laughs along the way. Thank you, once more; you always find the best venues, and you can throw one hell of a party!

  Now on to Peter Bates. You have driven me for many years now, Pete, and we have both seen our share of ups and downs. One thing never changes though: your friendship and your humour. I love you, Pete, and I can’t thank you enough for being there beside me since time began! We have had some screams along the way, and without you those journeys would not have been half as much fun. I wish you everything that is good for the future. I still don’t know how Rita puts up with you; she is a lovely lady, and a saint!

  I would like to thank everyone at Headline, old and new. It’s been a second family to me, and I know how lucky I have been to be a part of it. It’s been a privilege, and it’s been a lot of fun – and hard work! So, thank you all again, especially a certain Irishman! Darragh – driving through Spain listening to good music is a memory I will never forget. Thank you.

  I’d also like to thank Peter Newsom, who was another good friend
to me. I remember meeting him at a Morrissey concert a few years ago and I don’t know who was more surprised! But thanks, Peter – I had some great times in Oz, New Zealand and South Africa. I wish you well for the future.

  A big thank you to Martin Booth, a really good man who was responsible for my first ever pay cheque for writing! He was at the BBC in the early nineties and he took up a script I had sent in. We became good friends and he gave me the confidence I needed to look towards writing as a career. So thank you, Martin, very much.

  Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Lavinia Warner. She made Dangerous Lady into a TV series many years ago. Since then we have become close friends and business partners, going on to make three more series together, along with other projects we have in the pipeline. Thanks, Vin, you have been a real star, and you’re a big part of my family, we all love you dearly. In New York earlier this year, we watched her cousin on Broadway in Venus in Fur. It was one of the highlights of my life; thank you for making me a part of it. I love you, girl.

  Now, to my readers – you know who you are! I’ve met so many of you over the years, especially at Pat Fletcher’s stall on Romford Market. Pat gave me my first book signing, and I will always be very grateful to her for that. We have become good friends, and even have houses near each other in Northern Cyprus! So thank you to Pat and Harry Fletcher, and I will see you soon, mate, at Kybele restaurant in Bellapais.

  So thank you, once more, to you all, my loyal readers, who have been there since Dangerous Lady, all those years ago. I hope you enjoy The Life. I have been living with the Bailey family for a year now, and I plan to finish Tania’s story off in a few years’ time! So I hope you enjoy her ups and downs – and, believe me, there are a lot of those! I hope to meet many of you at my signings, and I look forward to saying hello to you all.

  Take care and God bless,

  Martina

  x

  Prologue

  1997

  I’d grown up in the Life, but I’d never really been a part of it – my mum had made sure of that. It all changed the day she died.

  On the day we buried her, I looked around the church. My whole family was there, and we were a big family, the Baileys, and a well-known family to boot. My nana, Theresa Bailey, the matriarch, was sitting beside me, holding my hand. She was good to me, always. I could depend on her – she would never repeat my secrets. She knew more than any of them, and she kept it to herself. But then, if she had opened her mouth, there would have been another murder – we needed to keep the secret no matter what, and that is exactly what we did. I knew that I could never have coped without her, especially not that day.