The Life Read online

‘You’re not going to believe this, Peter. I can’t fucking believe it.’

  Peter frowned. Assuming it had all gone wrong, he said quickly, ‘Is Daniel OK? Has he been nicked or something?’

  Delroy shook his head slowly. ‘If only. The fucker did the deed all right, but he didn’t only take Clarke out – he took his little boy out as well. The mad cunt killed them both. Shot the fuck out of them.’

  Peter Bailey was silent. He knew his son-in-law was telling him the truth; Delroy wouldn’t lie, and certainly not about something as serious as this. What on earth went on in Daniel’s head? What the fuck was wrong with him? This would cause fucking murders – literally. How could Daniel even think that what he had done would be remotely acceptable to the people in their world? He had to know that he had crossed a line, had to understand that this would be seen as an outrageous affront to everyone who knew them.

  ‘I’ll fucking kill him. I will fucking kill him myself.’

  Delroy grabbed his father-in-law’s arms and, as he tried to stop the man from jumping into his car and making a bad situation worse, he was reminded of just how strong he was. It was taking all his strength to stop Peter getting away from him.

  ‘Listen to me, Peter! You can’t go near him – not like this. We have to think this through, we have to box clever.’

  Peter knew Delroy was making sense, and he willed himself to calm down, but his heart was pounding in his chest. He could not for the life of him understand what his brother had done.

  ‘Daniel didn’t only take Alfie and his little boy out, Peter. He also made it his business to take out both of the Menendez brothers, the dealers who were skimming us. He took them out in a pub on Brixton High Street in full view of the regular clientele. He made sure that everyone saw him. From what I’ve heard he was alone, though – none of his lads were with him, so that’s something, I suppose. But fucking hell, Peter! He is one mad bastard.’

  Peter was nodding his head, but he knew that they had to do some serious damage limitation, and do it fast. The Menendez brothers were nothing to worry about – they were both fucking accidents waiting to happen. They were going to get murdered eventually, it was just a case of when, where and by whom.

  And Alfie Clarke wasn’t exactly popular – no one he knew would be willing to right any wrongs for him, dead or alive. But his little lad was a different kettle of fish. It was a fucking nightmare. Even the Filth would feel honour-bound to solve this one. Once it hit the news, it would cause untold aggravation for everyone.

  A shooting was newsworthy enough in itself, but a child being shot? Being part of what was, to all intents and purposes, a hit? That would be national news. It would be the first story before the bongs on News at Ten, make the front page of all the papers. And so it should – it was shocking. This would bring the Filth out in droves, there was no getting away from that. It would cost a small fortune to keep them out of it.

  ‘This is fucking going to cause ructions, Delroy.’

  Delroy shrugged. ‘That, my man, is the understatement of the fucking year.’

  Chapter Thirty

  Daniel Bailey knew exactly what he had caused, and he was glad. He’d felt that he had to make a fucking splash, and he had done just that. The Menendez brothers were gone, and no one would say a word about that so he was as safe as houses there. It was a genuine grievance that would be understood by everyone in their world; they were a pair of fucking wasters, who had believed that they could scam the very people who had been good enough to give them a fucking good earn in the first place. He shook his head at the utter front of some people.

  As for Alfie Clarke, that fucker had only got what was coming to him and Daniel had been thrilled to be the one to finally give him his comeuppance. And he had no real care for Alfie Clarke’s son, he was collateral damage, that’s all. True, he could have waited for Alfie to put the child down, but he didn’t have the patience to fart-arse about all day. He had known when he had pulled up beside the Merc that he was going to take the child out too. It was his way of letting everyone know that he was capable of literally anything.

  He looked around his front room; it was too quiet without little Tania careering all over the place. He looked fondly at her toys, packed neatly into a wicker basket. Lena had always been good like that, she had never let the kids take over the living room. She always said that once they were in bed, the toys were to be put away, and it was the grown-ups’ time.

  He hoped they were OK and that their flight had been on time. She was a nervous flier, his Lena. She was always convinced they were going to crash! He smiled at her foolishness; she was a real worrier, but that was part of her charm as far as he was concerned.

  He went into the kitchen, and poured himself a large Scotch. The back door opened and he turned quickly, expecting his brother, but it was his mother.

  ‘You filthy bastard.’

  Daniel could feel the animosity emanating from his mother; she was looking at him as if he was a piece of dog shit she had just found on the bottom of her shoe.

  ‘You are a wicked fecking man, Daniel. A murdering bastard. I wish I had never set eyes on you.’

  Daniel let her have her say, knew from years of experience that it was pointless to interrupt her – the best way to deal with her was to let her vent her spleen.

  ‘A fecking little child! An infant. Jaysus, Daniel, how could you? An innocent little child. Imagine if it was little Tania? And as for the poor child’s mother! She must be off her fecking head with the grief.’

  She was crying now, and Daniel made a suitably contrite face. ‘Listen, Mum, I hold my hand up to taking Clarke out, but he was the one who used the kid as a shield. I couldn’t believe it . . .’

  Theresa Bailey stared at her youngest child, her Daniel, and she knew he was lying to her. He could lie to your face, this one – even as a child he’d told bold-faced lies always. She had laughed at him then, never dreaming that she was rearing a man who would one day be capable of a crime such as this.

  She accepted a long time ago that both her sons had chosen to make their mark on the world through villainy, and she had known from the start that nothing she could have said or done would have made any difference to them. She had stood by them through it all, but this was something she could not let go; it was a step too far. She knew that Peter would not have been involved in it – this was wholly Daniel’s doing. Turning from him, she left him without another word.

  Daniel sipped his drink, and he felt sad. He hated that his mum was so upset, but she would get over it.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  ‘Are you winding me up, Delroy?’ The disbelief in Daniel’s voice was evident.

  Delroy shook his head so hard that his dreadlocks seemed to take on a life of their own. Daniel should be well aware of how his actions would be viewed by the majority – how could he honestly believe that what he was guilty of could be overlooked? These weren’t his usual bully-boy tactics, this had gone much further and he had stepped over the imaginary line. The Krays, the Richardsons, they understood how far you could go with the general populace. Wives and children were a no-no, in anyone’s books.

  ‘No, I’m not winding you up, Daniel. Peter has told me to tell you that he wants nothing more to do with you. In future, you are to get your share, and that’s it. Over with, done. He is absolutely finished with you on any kind of personal level.’

  Daniel was genuinely flabbergasted, and it showed; he honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had always been the lairy one, the exhibitionist – it was his role. Peter had then been seen as the voice of reason, the calmer of the two – that was their strength as far as he was concerned. For fuck’s sake, if it was left to his brother everything would be done so quietly no fucker would know their strengths, know what they were really capable of! Rumour was all well and good, but it proved nothing. For all his bravado, Daniel had always believed that his brother accepted his actions because they were the reason people were so fucking
wary of them.

  ‘That’s bollocks! I did him a fucking favour, mate. I am not going to stand here and listen to this shite. Where is he?’

  ‘Daniel, he is now as far away from you as he could possibly get. You have to accept, mate, you crossed a line. Not just with your brother, but with a lot of other people as well. You killed a little kid and, no matter how you try to put a spin on it, the fact is you fucking shot a man with his kid beside him in his motor.’ Delroy was incredulous that he was having to spell this out.

  Daniel was reeling from the shock. He looked at Delroy intently, as if waiting for him to deliver the punch line to a joke that he didn’t understand.

  Delroy shook his head once more. ‘It was wrong, Daniel. As always, you fucking had to go too far.’

  Daniel nodded then, unable to speak for a moment, his brain whirling, and his anger rising. ‘So where’s he gone then? Where’s he fucked off to?’

  Daniel was suddenly struck by fear. He had genuinely believed that, no matter what he did, his brother would stand by his side, as he always had done. Even after the Lenny Jones incident, Peter had come around soon enough.

  ‘Listen, Daniel, it’s all over with him. He’s fucking livid, he had to get away – otherwise, I think you would have had real trouble on your hands.’

  ‘So he’s fucked off, has he? Left me on me tod. The treacherous cunt. Well, Delroy, I got to admit, I never saw this coming.’

  Delroy looked at Daniel and he could almost feel pity for him. The realisation that his brother had really turned his back on him finally appeared to be sinking in. He had gone too far; his actions were not going to be tolerated this time. He was snorting coke like it was going out of fashion and, for a man who was seriously paranoid anyway, that was never going to end well. He had wanted to make his brother see that he was prepared to do anything he felt necessary to make them be seen as invincible, show him that he was without conscience where retribution was concerned. Only he had really fucked up this time.

  Delroy shook his head. How could Daniel have believed that anyone in their world would agree with his actions; it was as if he lived on another planet to the rest of the criminal underworld. As Peter Bailey had cut his ties with this man, it could have been as good as a death sentence, but Peter had put out the word that his brother was not to be challenged. Delroy believed, personally, that that edict had more to do with their mother than brotherly love.

  Delroy sighed in annoyance. ‘He’s on his way to Spain, Daniel. He can’t be around you now, surely even you can see that? You wiped out a man’s child. All your bollocks about him using the child as a shield! That’s shite. You should never have been anywhere near that kid with a fucking firearm. What fucking planet are you on? You shot a baby, Daniel – he couldn’t even talk. It wasn’t like he was going to pick you out of a lineup, was it?’

  Daniel suddenly saw with stunning clarity that this was one outrage too many. He would never admit it, but a tiny thread of shame was there, at the back of his mind. After he had pulled the trigger a part of him had known that he was in the wrong, but it was far too late. Perhaps he was just continually six seconds behind everyone else – it seemed he never saw the big picture till it was too late. Now his brother’s reaction would be the yardstick for every other fucker in his orbit. And if his own brother was going on the trot, where did that leave him?

  Delroy could see utter dismay cross Daniel’s face as he realised the enormity of what he had caused. It was as if a light bulb went on.

  ‘So you’re his fucking errand boy now, are you? He sent you to fucking give me a message, did he? He ain’t got the fucking guts to come himself, see me face to face.’

  Daniel’s temper clearly wasn’t abating and Delroy couldn’t help but feel wary, knowing what he was capable of. At least he had good back-up with him – he had made fucking sure of that much.

  ‘He didn’t come, Daniel, because I don’t think he could trust himself not to fucking take you out once and for all. You being his brother is all that has kept him from fucking removing you permanently. Honestly, Daniel, if you weren’t blood, you would be dead now. And it’s not just Peter – there are plenty who see what you did as a fucking diabolical liberty.’

  Daniel smiled coldly, keeping a lid on his emotions. ‘Spain, you say?’

  Delroy nodded. ‘Yeah, and he told me to tell you that he won’t say a word to Lena, not because of you, but because he respects her. But she will find out, Daniel, you know that. You might get a swerve because Peter hasn’t taken it on himself to fucking reprimand you over your fucking stupidity, but everyone knows that’s because you’re brothers, and he loves you. But if you fuck up in future, he will not raise a hand to defend you. You can look after yourself from now on, mate. He thinks you’re a fucking liability, a fucking scumbag. You are not to approach him or ring him – you are not to ever share the same space as him. You’re out, Daniel, you’re on your own.’

  Daniel Bailey’s arrogance came racing to the fore, his sorrow at his actions long gone. This was personal now, this was a piss-take. Who the fuck did Peter think he was? Laughing, he said mockingly, in an upper-class accent, ‘Well, I’m shocked and appalled, old chap!’ Pushing his finger into Delroy’s face, he said viciously, ‘I took that cunt out because he needed to be fucking taught a lesson. I showed everyone that we were serious, that we would not be made fucking cunts of. If you lot can’t see that then you’re fools. You’re fucking weak. You don’t get where we got by being fucking nice to people. All we’ve done over the years, and you’re vilifying me over a fucking shooting?’

  Delroy was bored now. Daniel Bailey was a lunatic, a fucking nutcase. Any dialogue with him was utterly pointless.

  ‘It wasn’t the shooting, Daniel, it was who you fucking shot. You murdered a kid. Now every Old Bill in the Smoke is gunning for you. Even those on the take won’t fucking lift a finger. You stepped over a line and you single-handedly fucked it up for everyone.’

  Daniel didn’t say anything for long moments, then, shrugging, he said gaily, as if he didn’t have a care in the world, ‘Well, do you know what? Fuck him, and fuck you. I don’t need Peter. I don’t need anyone, mate. And you can tell him that from me.’

  Delroy laughed sarcastically. ‘Oh, don’t worry, Daniel, I will. And before I go, word of advice from someone who once thought a lot of you as a man and as family. Get off the fucking coke, Daniel, you ain’t got the temperament for it. You’re enough of a fucking headcase without it. Everyone knows you’re a cokehead, and that little child’s death happened because you think snorting gives you the edge. Coke is a mug’s game; you use it to sober up on a night out, no more and no less. So think on that.’

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  ‘I wonder why Peter’s coming out and not Daniel. Did he say why, Ria?’

  Ria was heart-sorry for her friend; Lena had no idea just how serious the situation had become, and she was not going to be the one to tell her. She knew that Lena had guessed that something grim and serious had occurred between her husband and his brother but, being Lena, she wouldn’t dig for an answer. Ria wondered what she saw in Daniel Bailey to inspire such unstinting loyalty; he must have something going for him, because Lena was still as besotted with him now as she was when they first met. But then Daniel was the same – he worshipped her.

  ‘I expect Daniel’s working as usual.’ Lena smiled tightly.

  Ria shrugged lightly. ‘I don’t know, Peter never said much to be honest.’

  Tania was lying on a sunbed in the shade of a large lemon tree. Watching her mummy and her auntie closely, she picked up on the underlying tension between the two women. She felt a tiny shiver of anxiety. She got up, went to her mother and, climbing on to her lap, she snuggled into the warmth and safety of her body. She was suddenly frightened again, but what of, she didn’t know. She felt her mother’s arms tighten around her, but instead of that making her feel better, it worried her. She understood somehow, that her mother was trying to gain com
fort from her, not the other way round.

  It was a hot day. The sky was a bright blue, without a cloud in sight, and the only noise was the high-pitched whirring from the cicadas. Even so, Lena felt a chill inside her. Something was very wrong, but she was determined to stay out of it. Experience had taught her that ignorance was bliss. And with the Christening coming up, surely everything would be back to rights? ‘I’ll be glad to get this baptism over, Ria! It’s taken long enough to find a date. I’m so pleased that you and Peter will be Tania’s godparents, like you are to the boys. I hope it all goes well.’

  Ria smiled tightly. She knew that her husband would have to be worked on; he had to go no matter what had happened – she owed Lena that much.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  ‘It’s my Daniel, he wants to talk to you, Peter.’

  Ria watched warily as Lena passed the phone to Peter, and sighed heavily as she saw the distress on his face. Ria knew her husband didn’t want to speak to him, but Daniel had used Lena, his wife, as the go-between, knowing that Peter would never have told Lena the truth of the situation. She hated that Daniel could be so sneaky, even though she had always known he was a fucking Judas deep down.

  ‘Come on, Lena, I can see a business call coming on. Let’s go outside and have a drink on the patio.’

  Peter waited until the women were gone before he put the phone to his ear. ‘You know my thoughts, Delroy has relayed them to you. I have nothing else to say to you. You’re dead to me, Daniel.’

  Replacing the receiver gently, Peter felt as though the great burden of Daniel Bailey had been lifted from his shoulders.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Lena felt sick with apprehension. She had waited so long for Tania’s Christening Day to arrive, and now she was wondering if it was even going to happen. She’d wanted it to be the family occasion it deserved to be, but now, in all honesty, she just wanted it over with.