The Jump by Martina Cole Read Free Book Online Page B

furnished the details to your cronies, as well as supplying them with cars and guns - guns which you told the men to us e at the first sign of trouble.’
    His voice rose then. ‘Guns which were used to murder one guard and leave another incapacitated for the rest of his life. These were men with families, leading full and useful lives, which through your viciousness were tragically cut short. As we have heard in fitte courtroom, you ruled your empire with terror, hiding behind the guis e of a respectable building contractor and dealer in prestige cars. A man with a high profile in the community, an affluent man, a cunning man. You have refused to name those responsible for the ro bbery, insisting throughout this debacle that you had no knowledge of it whatsoever, even though witnesses have sworn on oath that they are too terrified of you to give evidence against you. I can only hope that your conscience will trouble you in the future, when you think of Mr Thomas, who was a fine, upstanding and very brave man, and of his widow, who must now bring up two young children alone without the benefit of their father.’
    The judge removed his spectacles once more.
    ‘Georgio Anthony Brunos, I would be failing in my duty as a public servant if I did not impose the maximum penalty possible, under the present law. It is my solemn duty to remove you from society, which I feel most strongly has earned a respite from you. I sentence you to life imprisonment, with a recommendation that you serve at least eighteen years. I can only hope you use the time to reflect on your life and put right the many wrongs you have done. Have you anything to say for yourself?’
    Georgio stood up unsteadily, his face a mask of fear and shock. Pointing to Inspector Laughton, he said weakly: ‘This man has fitted me up and you fell for it, hook, line and sinker. You’re all fucking mad!’ Then leaning on the rail before him, he began to shout: ‘You’re all off your fucking heads! There’s nothing to put me away for, nothing!’
    As Georgio was dragged from the court, Donna could hear herself screaming his name. It was only as he disappeared down the stairs behind the holding box that she realised the voice was only inside her head. The tears escaped from her eyes; she felt a heavy hand drop on to her shoulder. Seeing the dark hairs on it, she recognised it as Pa Brunos’s. He pulled her up gently and all she could say was: ‘The

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    world’s gone mad. The whole world’s gone mad. He is innocent, Pa. Innocent!’

    Donna’s legs were trembling as the police officer opened the cell door.
    ‘You can have ten minutes, love.’
    She gave him a tired smile and walked into the cramped coolness of the cell. Georgio was sitting on the small bed, his head in his hands.
    ‘Georgio … Oh, Georgio!’ The crack in her voice seemed to make him spring from the bed. Then she was in his arms and he was whispering to her, his voice drenched with tears.
    ‘I didn’t do it, Don Don, I swear to you. That bastard Laughton fitted me up, Laughton and Wilson. I can’t believe this is happening. Eighteen years, Don Don. Eighteen bastard years!’
    Donna held him to her tightly, savouring the smell of him, the feel of him. He pushed his hands up under her skirt and caressed the flesh beneath. He was rough, urgent. All the time talking to her, at her. Needing to put into words what had happened as if that would make it real.
    ‘Oh, Don Don, what am I going to do, eh? They’ve fucked me up. I’ll see that Wilson dead! I’ll hear him screaming! That bastard lied through his teeth. He lied, Don Don. You believe me, don’t you? You believe me. If I didn’t have you, I’d die. I’d die inside, Don Don.’
    She held him, remembering back over the years to when they had first met. He had called her Don Don then. He hadn’t called her that for years. In the still of the night, they had lain in bed together and he would whisper it to her, to make her laugh. Now it