hands. Once out of the car, the two men went straight to the boot, reappearing seconds later with baseball bats covered in duct tape.
“After you,” Benny said, waving one hand.
Abul chuckled again.
“No, after you.”
The two men then set about the PCs with the baseball bats, loudly cheered on by passing motorists.
Benny and Abul were doing bows to passing cars when DI Featherstone screeched to a halt next to them and told them in no uncertain terms to piss off out of it and stop showing off; he would take it from here. As one of their ‘friendly’ filth it was his job to act the ambassador and get the two injured men not to press charges.
“You’d better sit down, Tommy mate.”
Joss picked up the tremor in Maura’s voice and brought the whisky bottle over to the side table near them. He knew they would need it. The fact that Maura Ryan was here in Liverpool in person spoke volumes as far as he was concerned. He also had a good idea what she was here for as well, but he kept his own counsel.
Tommy looked amazed when Maura, sitting beside him, grasped his hand and squeezed it.
“I know exactly how you’ll be feeling in the next few minutes, I have been there. But remember, this isn’t personal, it’s just business. I didn’t want this but it has been taken out of my hands.
“Your boy, Tommy B, brought guns and trouble into my family’s homes. Their fucking homes, for Christ’s sake! And it was for nothing, Tommy. Nothing. He has been the perpetrator of the death of partners, and I mean as in wives not business associates…”
Tommy was shaking his head.
“No, you’re wrong, Maura. He’s a little fucker, I admit that, but he ain’t got the fucking nous to take you lot on…”
“Not the nous, no, but the heart. He certainly had that. I know how you are feeling, Tommy, but this has to be done. Even you must understand as much.”
She watched the play of emotions on Tommy’s face and her heart went out to him.
“I can’t let it go. He tried to make it look like we were out for a full-scale war and we couldn’t understand it. We routed everyone in an attempt to find out what the fuck was going on. Then Roy’s wife was shot twice on her own doorstep…”
Tommy’s dark eyes widened.
“You are fucking joking?”
“I wish I was. It’s been a waking nightmare. I will fill you in on all the details when you feel able to take them in. Now have another drink.”
“Is he dead yet?”
Tommy Rifkind’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Maura nodded.
“Good as. Garry and Lee snatched him from his flat. You realise they’ll have to make an example of him?”
Tommy Rifkind put his head into his hands and cried like a baby.
“Not Garry, Maura…”
She looked at him and felt a flicker of sympathy for a man brought so low that he was crying in front of her. She hardened her heart and her voice.
“He insisted, Tommy. We have to send out an important message to others, don’t we? Tommy B’s associates need to know who and what they are dealing with. We’ll get to them in due course.”
Joss poured them all another drink and Maura was glad of the burn as the alcohol hit the back of her throat.
“There was no negotiating then?”
Maura shook her head once more.
“Don’t be silly. Would you negotiate if it was you?”
“This will kill his mother.”
Maura shrugged once more.
“Shit happens. Eh, Joss?”
He nodded dumbly. Fortunately he was known to be a man of few words. If he’d opened his mouth now he’d have started bawling like Tommy.
Gina came into the room and, seeing her husband crying, went to him. She pulled him from the chair and led him out of the room, nodding in a friendly way to Maura as she passed her.
Maura looked at Joss and said, “I told her the score on the phone. I always got on with Gina. I knew Tommy would need someone once he heard the news.”
“Was the lad in with Vic Joliff then?”
Joss’s voice was heavy and harsh from disuse.
Maura
“After you,” Benny said, waving one hand.
Abul chuckled again.
“No, after you.”
The two men then set about the PCs with the baseball bats, loudly cheered on by passing motorists.
Benny and Abul were doing bows to passing cars when DI Featherstone screeched to a halt next to them and told them in no uncertain terms to piss off out of it and stop showing off; he would take it from here. As one of their ‘friendly’ filth it was his job to act the ambassador and get the two injured men not to press charges.
“You’d better sit down, Tommy mate.”
Joss picked up the tremor in Maura’s voice and brought the whisky bottle over to the side table near them. He knew they would need it. The fact that Maura Ryan was here in Liverpool in person spoke volumes as far as he was concerned. He also had a good idea what she was here for as well, but he kept his own counsel.
Tommy looked amazed when Maura, sitting beside him, grasped his hand and squeezed it.
“I know exactly how you’ll be feeling in the next few minutes, I have been there. But remember, this isn’t personal, it’s just business. I didn’t want this but it has been taken out of my hands.
“Your boy, Tommy B, brought guns and trouble into my family’s homes. Their fucking homes, for Christ’s sake! And it was for nothing, Tommy. Nothing. He has been the perpetrator of the death of partners, and I mean as in wives not business associates…”
Tommy was shaking his head.
“No, you’re wrong, Maura. He’s a little fucker, I admit that, but he ain’t got the fucking nous to take you lot on…”
“Not the nous, no, but the heart. He certainly had that. I know how you are feeling, Tommy, but this has to be done. Even you must understand as much.”
She watched the play of emotions on Tommy’s face and her heart went out to him.
“I can’t let it go. He tried to make it look like we were out for a full-scale war and we couldn’t understand it. We routed everyone in an attempt to find out what the fuck was going on. Then Roy’s wife was shot twice on her own doorstep…”
Tommy’s dark eyes widened.
“You are fucking joking?”
“I wish I was. It’s been a waking nightmare. I will fill you in on all the details when you feel able to take them in. Now have another drink.”
“Is he dead yet?”
Tommy Rifkind’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Maura nodded.
“Good as. Garry and Lee snatched him from his flat. You realise they’ll have to make an example of him?”
Tommy Rifkind put his head into his hands and cried like a baby.
“Not Garry, Maura…”
She looked at him and felt a flicker of sympathy for a man brought so low that he was crying in front of her. She hardened her heart and her voice.
“He insisted, Tommy. We have to send out an important message to others, don’t we? Tommy B’s associates need to know who and what they are dealing with. We’ll get to them in due course.”
Joss poured them all another drink and Maura was glad of the burn as the alcohol hit the back of her throat.
“There was no negotiating then?”
Maura shook her head once more.
“Don’t be silly. Would you negotiate if it was you?”
“This will kill his mother.”
Maura shrugged once more.
“Shit happens. Eh, Joss?”
He nodded dumbly. Fortunately he was known to be a man of few words. If he’d opened his mouth now he’d have started bawling like Tommy.
Gina came into the room and, seeing her husband crying, went to him. She pulled him from the chair and led him out of the room, nodding in a friendly way to Maura as she passed her.
Maura looked at Joss and said, “I told her the score on the phone. I always got on with Gina. I knew Tommy would need someone once he heard the news.”
“Was the lad in with Vic Joliff then?”
Joss’s voice was heavy and harsh from disuse.
Maura
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