Jessie Keane - Black Widow

Annie looked along the silent line of watchers and her eye caught that of Jimmy Bond. He was standing there, and on his face was a faint look of satisfaction. The bastard. He should be rushing over here, telling Hilda what for, to watch her mouth and remember who she was talking to.

But no.

The fucker was pleased she was being slapped down.

She looked at the other boys. Ugly little Jackie Tulliver, lanky, evil-eyed Gary, and squat, powerful Steve. All spruced up in their Sunday best. They looked at Jimmy, then at her, then away, shuffling their feet awkwardly.

Annie got the message.

The boys looked to Jimmy for leadership, not her. Jimmy was doing nothing to defend her, so neither were they. It was loud and clear. She got the hankie out and wiped her face.

There was silence all around her. Avid faces, watching, waiting. This was Mrs Max Carter being disrespected, and no one was doing a fucking thing about it. It would be the talk of the manor within the hour.

‘Come on, we ought to go,’ said Dolly, looking uncomfortable as she tugged at Annie’s arm.

Then there was movement behind Annie. Suddenly Tony was there, pushing through the crowds. He stopped at the graveside and stared at Hilda Black as if she was shit on his shoe.

‘You want to watch your step,’ he told her roughly, and she shrank back. ‘This is Mrs Carter you’re talking to. You just remember that.’

The latest ‘uncle’ standing beside Hilda Black started puffing himself up and Tony gave him a look.

It was enough.

The man stepped back, looking at the ground.

Annie looked around at all the faces there. Jimmy Bond was gone. Everyone else seemed embarrassed by the scene being played out in front of them. The vicar had said his piece and was gone. Didn’t want to get involved.

Annie stepped back. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said to Hilda Black. ‘I’m truly sorry for your loss.’

Hilda Black looked at her with bitter loathing.

Then Annie turned, with Dolly on one side of her and Tony on the other, and walked away.

Jimmy Bond was waiting for them back at the car, leaning against it with arms folded, looking smug.

Annie stiffened when she saw him.

Her right-hand man. Yeah. Very funny.

‘Wait for me in the car, will you Doll? You too, Tony,’ she said. She looked straight at Jimmy.

‘I want a word with you,’ she said.

He pushed himself away from the car and followed as Annie walked off along the gravel pathway. It was starting to rain again, and the sky was gunmetal grey above the fresh lime-green budding on the trees around the graveyard.

‘Well,’ he said, falling into step beside her and pulling up his coat collar, ‘you bollocksed that up good and proper.’

Annie shot him a glance. ‘Yeah, and thanks for your support,’ she said, her voice dripping sarcasm. ‘There was I thinking you were on my side, too.’

Jimmy stopped walking and stared at her.

‘You really are bloody shot away, ain’t you?’ he remarked. ‘I told you what would happen if you started stirring things up by working Charlie over. I warned you that the shit would start to fly, but would you listen? No. And now I suppose you’re in deep shit with the Barolli clan and you want me to get you out of that pile of crap too.’

Annie stopped walking. She stepped in and stared hard at Jimmy.

‘It must be marvellous to be so fucking clever, Jimmy,’ she said coolly. ‘Only you see, it ain’t your kid who’s in the hands of villains, it’s mine. My daughter , my flesh and blood. She’s all I have left now Max is gone…are you hearing me, Jimmy?’

‘Oh, I’ve heard you. I’ve heard a lot these past weeks and I don’t like the sound of none of it. You’re a fucking loose cannon. You’re causing trouble with the Delaneys, you’re upsetting the boys, and closing the clubs, and fuck knows what will happen to them now. You’ve gone cap in hand to the sodding Mafia -Christ knows what sort of shit-storm that’s going to set off in our direction.’

‘Jimmy.’

‘What?’

‘Just shut the fuck up , will you? I’m getting tired of listening to you whining on. All it boils down to is the fact that you don’t like me being here at all. Fact is, Jimmy, I think you wish I’d got hit too when Max and Jonjo did, and that would have solved all your problems for you.’

Annie was breathing hard with fury and staring balefully at him. Jimmy was saying nothing.

‘Yeah, that’s it, isn’t it? You could have taken the manor straight over. Run the clubs into the ground and picked over the rest, grabbed all the money and lived like a lord.’ She thought with fury of the cosy set-up he already had with Jeanette, all paid for-she was sure-with the firm’s money, her money. ‘And then-oh dear- I show up. Ruined all your plans, didn’t I? It was all real sweet, then I come around and want things done my way, not yours. Well, it’s time you realized certain things, Jimmy. Time you got with it. The big news is this: I’m in charge-not you.’

Jimmy looked at her, his face tense with anger. ‘Finished?’ he asked.

‘Oh no.’ Annie gave a tight, furious smile. ‘Not by a long shot. Listen up. You’ve been having a fine old time of it. Having the whole manor at your beck and call. Having Kath waiting on you at home, looking after your kids, shit-scared of you, the poor mare, and Jeanette tucked up in your love nest for a little afternoon delight on tap whenever you wanted it. You thinking all the time that what Kath don’t know won’t hurt her…But what if she did know, Jimmy? What if things got said somehow or other, and Kath suddenly started to see the light? She’s not alone any more, Jimmy. I’m here. I’d help her walk away from you. I’d pack her sodding suitcase myself. And what about the rest of the boys?’

‘What the fuck are you talking about?’ asked Jimmy roughly, but she could see he was rattled. Kath was no loss to him but the kids were, she could see that.

‘What would they think of a man who beats up women, Jimmy?’ Annie paused, seemed to ponder. ‘I think I know. I think they’d say he was a yellow-bellied fucking coward , and I don’t think they’d take many orders from a man like that.’

Jimmy’s face had flushed brick red while she talked. ‘You threatening me?’ he spluttered.

‘Just stating facts,’ shrugged Annie. ‘See, I don’t think Jeanette’s the maternal type, do you? Can’t see her looking after your two kids part time when Kath kicks you out. Maybe she’d let you see the kids, but I sort of doubt it. It’s a shame; I think you really love those kids too. But then, I can’t really see Jeanette playing happy families at the weekends, wiping up baby sick and playing with Jimmy Junior while you’re off down the dog track looking for another little blonde with a twinkle in her eye…I dunno, Jimmy, your whole, well-ordered world could come crashing down if someone was to say a word in the wrong place to poor old Kath.’

‘You want to be careful,’ said Jimmy, looming over her with rage flashing in his eyes.

‘Careful? Me?’ Annie gave an ironic bark of laughter. Then her face grew stony. ‘Get real, Jimmy. I’m beyond being careful. I’m hanging out over a cliff with sharks trying to snap my arse in half, or ain’t you noticed? You really think that I’d quibble about blowing the whistle on you?’

Jimmy was breathing hard. ‘You vicious cow,’ he said flatly.

‘Yeah, you got that right. You remember that, Jimmy, and next time you see anyone disrespecting me, you fucking well shift yourself and do something about it.’