Schemer (31 page)

‘When shall we square up with you? Now, or next week?’ Danno asked.

‘The hotel’s my treat. Potter and Cooksie ain’t got no dosh, so I can’t expect them to pay, and young Lee who works for me is always boracic because of his addiction to prostitutes. He’ll have a field day in Soho, he will,’ Wayne said, chuckling.

‘Well, I’ll pay me own way,’ Barry insisted.

‘Me too,’ Danno added.

‘No, you won’t. I know I’m having a few financial problems at the moment, but one night out ain’t gonna make no difference to the mess I’ve got meself in. I’m only gonna get married once, so I’m determined to enjoy me stag. I’ll worry about all the other shit after the wedding.’

‘Are things still that bad?’ Danno asked, concerned.

‘Nah, mate, they’re even worse! My sports shop is closing down tomorrow. I owed a load of money to a geezer and he’s been on me case for it. I can’t mess him about no more, so I’ve had to sell the shop to pay him back. I ain’t told Steph yet, so for fuck’s sake don’t put your foot in it at the wedding. I’m gonna tell her afterwards, if I can manage to pluck up the courage.’

Remembering what Steph had told him about her wedding present, Barry couldn’t help but pipe up. ‘So, have you already bought Steph’s wedding present, Jacko? She said you were buying her a beauty salon instead of going on honeymoon.’

Wayne sighed. He’d had no idea that Stephanie had told Barry that piece of information, but knew he must answer the question. ‘There is no salon yet, but that is another reason I’ve sold the sports shop. I can’t let Steph down and I reckon I can sort something out for her within the month. I bet she’s expecting the salon keys on her wedding day, bless her heart, but you can’t get blood out of a stone, can you?’

‘Can I have a drink, Daddy? I’m thirsty,’ Dannielle asked, opening the lounge door in her nightdress.

‘Hello Princess,’ Barry said, smiling at her.

‘Uncle Barry,’ Dannielle screamed, running towards him excitedly.

Barry hugged her.

‘Come on then. Drink, then back to bed,’ Wayne said, grabbing his daughter’s hand.

Barry winked at her. ‘Sweet dreams, angel.’

Over in Waltham Abbey, Stephanie had got over her earlier reservations and was now thoroughly enjoying herself. She had wanted to keep her hen night low-key so apart from her family, Cath and Tammy, she had only invited two of her friends from Collier Row. Tina was her old next-door neighbour and Jenny was the mother of Dannielle’s best friend, Poppy.

‘So, how’s life in Chigwell, mate? I really miss you being next door to me. It’s so quiet now because there’s no kids living there. I used to love watching your Dannielle and Tyler playing in the garden,’ Tina told Steph.

‘Chigwell’s OK. We haven’t really got to know any of the neighbours there yet and I don’t think we will somehow. It doesn’t seem as friendly an area as Collier Row. I think people tend to keep themselves to themselves more in Chigwell.’

‘You ain’t talking about kids and bloody houses again, are you? Tonight’s your hen night, Steph, we’re meant to be having a laugh, so let’s all talk about sex,’ Lin shouted out.

‘Stop it, Lin. Behave yourself,’ Pam said, embarrassed.

Linda chuckled. Behaving herself wasn’t in her nature and she had no intention of changing a habit of a lifetime. ‘Me and Keith sometimes do it six times a day,’ she said, proudly.

Cathy burst out laughing. ‘Lucky you. My old man could barely manage it once a week and even then he did it with the local barmaid.’

As the unrefined conversation continued, Angela turned to Stephanie. ‘What about you and my ex-boyfriend, sis? How many times do you shag per week?’ she asked, sarcastically.

‘Who’s your ex-boyfriend?’ Tina asked Angela.

‘Wayne, of course! Oh sorry, has Steph forgotten to tell you that the man she’s getting married to next week took my virginity from me when I was thirteen years old. Didn’t you know he was a paedophile?’

Stephanie had never told any of her neighbours or friends about Angela’s fling with Wayne. Not only was it old news, but it was also extremely embarrassing. Apart from Tammy, she had never really discussed it with anybody. Wishing that the floor would miraculously open and swallow her up, Stephanie burst into tears.

‘You are one evil fucking bitch, Angie,’ Linda screamed at her niece.

‘And you’re one foul-mouthed, drunken little dwarf,’ Angela screamed back.

Furious with Angela, Pam stood up. Her face was red with rage as she pointed her finger at her youngest daughter. ‘How dare you spoil Stephanie’s hen night and insult your Auntie Lin. You are one nasty piece of work, even though I’ve spent years trying to convince myself otherwise. You’ll never change your ways. You’re a horrible sister to poor Steph and an even worse fucking mother to your own son. Now get out of my sight, and don’t even think of turning up at the wedding because you’re uninvited as a bridesmaid and a guest.’

Stunned by her mother’s cutting speech, Angela ran from the restaurant in tears.

Barry Franklin had never been so bored in his entire life. For the past two hours all Wayne had been rambling on about was his lack of funds and it was becoming extremely tedious. Did Wayne actually think that he was going to offer to bail him out after stealing his girlfriend from him? Because if he did, he had a hell of a long wait. Barry was no man’s fool, and he had only agreed to attend the wedding because he knew how awkward it would make Stephanie feel. He still wanted her to pay for what she had done to him, but it would be Wayne that copped the bulk of his revenge, because in Barry’s eyes it was he who deserved it the most. Faking a yawn, Barry stood up. ‘I’m gonna shoot off and leave you to it now, lads. I was up early this morning and I’m cream crackered.’

‘Don’t go yet. I’ve just opened another bottle of bubbly. I wanna hear all about Jake’s funeral and stuff. How did it go?’

Barry sat back down and allowed Wayne to top his glass up again. ‘It kicked off at the wake, as it always does when my mother’s involved, but other than that it was OK. I’ve got to attend the reading of the will next week. Same day as the stag, it is, but it’s in the morning.’

‘What was Jake worth, Bal? Do you reckon he’s left you anything?’ Danno asked, bluntly.

‘I dunno what he was worth, but he certainly weren’t short of a few bob. I got on pretty well with him, but not well enough for him to leave me his worldy goods. Having said that, he owns an old Jaguar classic car out in Spain. I always loved it, and he always told me that when he popped his clogs, it was mine. The rest of his estate, including the bar, is bound to be left to his beloved partner, who just happens to be my wonderful gold-digging fucking mother,’ Barry chuckled.

‘Perhaps a bit of inheritance dosh might just help her with her grief,’ Wayne said, laughing. He stood up. ‘I’m gonna have a piss and check on the kids, boys. Who’s hungry? We ain’t ordered sod all to eat yet.’

‘I could murder an Indian, could you?’ Danno asked Barry.

‘I ain’t that hungry, to be honest, and I’m gonna shoot off in a bit anyway.’

‘Is that yours?’ Danno asked, as the mobile phone that was perched on the edge of the sofa sprang into life.

‘No, it must be Jacko’s,’ Barry replied.

‘Was that my phone ringing? Who was it?’ Wayne asked, bursting back into the room.

‘Dunno, mate. I didn’t like to answer it,’ Barry said, handing the phone to his so-called friend.

Wayne stared at the phone then put it to his ear. ‘What’s up?’

When Wayne walked out of the lounge, Barry stood up and stretched. ‘Right, I’m off.’

Danno stood up and shook Barry’s hand. ‘You take care, mate.’

Wayne walked back into the room and slung his phone onto the sofa. ‘That was fucking Angela. It all went off in the restaurant, apparently. Steph’s in tears and all sorts. She’s on her way home, I think.’

‘That’s women for you,’ Danno joked.

When Wayne started to spout off about what a bitch Angela was, Barry couldn’t help but smirk. He had been seconds away from sodding off home, but now it had all kicked off and Steph was on her way home, he’d decided to stay instead.

‘I feel like one of them poor Ethopians that Bob Geldolf’s always banging on about, Jacko. Can we order something to eat now or what?’ Danno asked, bluntly.

‘Yeah, of course we can. Order a selection of stuff for the three of us,’ Wayne said, chucking Danno three menus out of a drawer.

‘I fancy an Indian and Barry’s shooting off,’ Danno replied.

Barry grinned at Wayne. ‘Do you know what? All of a sudden I feel ravenous, so think I’ll stay and eat with yous after all.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

On the morning of his stag do, Wayne was awake at the crack of dawn. He turned onto his side and stared at Stephanie, who was still asleep. She had calmed down over the past few days over the hen-night fiasco, but had vowed never to speak to Angela ever again. ‘For as long as I can remember, all I have ever done is given love and support to Angela, but received nothing in return. In my heart, I will always love her and I shall miss her not being part of my life, but by cutting her out completely, at least she can’t hurt me any more,’ Steph had tearfully decided.

‘You’re up early,’ Steph whispered, as she heard Wayne get out of bed. She always slept lightly in case the children were ill or needed her.

‘I’ve got shitloads to do today, babe, so I thought I’d make an early start.’

‘Come back to bed and give me a cuddle first. I’ve barely seen you this week. You’ve been running around like a blue-arsed fly, and seeing as you’ve got your stag do tonight, I probably won’t see you again until tomorrow evening.’

Wayne got back into bed and put his arms around Stephanie. Feeling himself becoming aroused, he immediately pulled away from her and lay on his back.

‘Somebody’s very excited this morning,’ Stephanie said, tenderly stroking Wayne’s penis.

Wayne sighed as Stephanie kissed his chest, then moved her mouth further down his body. As her lips locked around the tip of his manhood, he let out a huge groan of pleasure. ‘Kneel on all fours,’ he ordered, huskily.

Stephanie did as Wayne asked, then gasped as he entered her doggy style. Their sex life had been crap just recently, but as Wayne shafted her harder and faster than he had for many years, Stephanie allowed herself a wry smile. Finally, Wayne’s libido had returned. And it was back with a vengeance.

Jake’s solicitor was a Jewish chap called Hymee Michaels, and it was he whom Jake had appointed to be executor of his will. Marlene knew very little about the formalities of such a procedure, but she was quietly confident that she was travelling to Bermondsey as a poor woman, to be told that she would soon be very rich.

‘So, did you ring this Mr Michaels yesterday to ask him if we were going to be the only ones here today, like I told you to?’ Marlene asked her son.

‘I did ring him, Mum, but Michaels was out of the office all day yesterday. His secretary sounded like a proper dimwit, but the one thing that I did find out off her is that this is actually a formal will reading, which apparently Jake insisted on. It’s written in his own words, so she reckons.’

‘I thought everybody who had money had a formal will reading. I’ve seen ’em on telly loads of times,’ Marlene said.

Barry shook his head. ‘I dunno about America and places like that, but they’re pretty unusual over here. I’ve seen ’em on TV and in films, but that is usually just to dramatize the effect. Will readings spoken in the words of the deceased are fictional. They ain’t reality, Mum.’

‘So, why is Jake having one then?’ Marlene enquired, becoming more confused by the second.

‘Your guess is as good as mine, but you can bet your bottom dollar that me and you ain’t the only ones there. There is no way he would have demanded a proper reading where his actual words are spoken by his brief if it was just us two involved.’

‘Well, who else is gonna be there then? We were the only real family the old fucker had. You don’t reckon he’s left any dosh to any of his mates, do you?’

‘I don’t know, muvver, but do me a favour. If any of his other family are there, please don’t kick off and make a complete show of us, will you?’

Suddenly feeling anxious, Marlene fished around in her handbag for the small bottle of brandy she kept in there for emergencies. The thought of anybody else coining in on her hard-earned inheritance had left a bitter taste in her mouth, and the quicker Marlene gargled it away, the better she would feel.

The pawnbroker looked at Wayne in amazement as he emptied the contents of his bag onto the counter.

‘Christ, you certainly have some nice pieces of jewellery here, but I won’t be able to take that amount off you unless you’ve got some receipts or identification,’ he said, fingering an extremely heavy gold chain with glee.

Over the years, Wayne had sort of collected gold. He had taken it as payment if anybody had owed him money and, back in the Eighties, when gold was the height of fashion, he had often treated himself to a chunky ring or necklace whenever the mood had taken his fancy. ‘There’s my ID,’ Wayne said, showing the pawnbroker his driving licence, ‘and there’s two utility bills with me name and address on ’em as well. I’ll be honest with you, mate, I own a gym in Leytonstone which is struggling at the moment and I’m also getting married next week. Being the decent chap that I am, I have promised to buy my wife her own beauty salon as a wedding present, and seeing as I haven’t worn gold since the late Eighties, I thought I might as well shove it in here to get some readies to pay for my Steph’s little dream. I can come and collect it as soon as things have picked up for me again.’

The pawnbroker smiled. ‘Do you want to go and grab a coffee while I work out a price?’

Wayne shook his head. ‘I ain’t got time to arse about, mate. I’ve got a business meeting up town at one o’clock, then tonight I’ve got my stag do. You and I both know that what you’ve got there is worth at least five grand. Just give me half of that for the lot to save time, eh?’

‘I’ll have to check the hallmarks out first, and if I’m paying that sort of money, I’ll have to charge you a higher rate of interest. Is that OK?’