it meant that she had to take back her husband then all the better really. At least she would be in an environment she knew, with people who knew her and accepted her for what she was: June McNamara, slag extraordinaire. Battered wife, haphazard mother and Jimmy’s ex-bird.
As her husband made them both tea and toast and they chatted about the girls she felt herself relax. When Joey was like this she loved him. This was the man she had fallen for, this was the man she had wanted more than anything once.
Now she knew that if he took her back there would be a subtle shift of position. After all, she had crossed into the real world of villainy and her husband was aware of that.
She would let him think that she had left Jimmy. That she had gone off him. Joey would believe her, would want to believe her.
She began to talk to him, her voice soft, her eyes moist. As he responded with shy smiles and little gestures, lighting her cigarettes, pouring her more tea, she relaxed.
This was going to be easier than she’d thought. But she would miss her Jimmy, miss him very much. After all, he had shown her another way of life and for that alone June would always be grateful to him.
Jimmy walked out of his new amour’s house a happy, happy man. He was glad Junie had taken it all so well. He’d hated hurting her but what could a man do?
She was old news, like a newspaper read from cover to cover. Why keep it?
He would see her off with a couple of grand and promise he would keep an eye on her. And every now and then, when he felt the urge for a bit of strange, he would call on her.
Junie was like that.
He realised now she was as mercenary as him. You didn’t make respectable women out of the Junes of this world. You shagged them, used them, had a few laughs then tossed them aside when the next one ambled into the pub.
But he had loved her, at least for a while he had, until he had seen a different way of life, a better way of life. Realised that women could actually think as well as shag.
As the baseball bat hit him on the back of his knees Jimmy was nonplussed for a few seconds. He thought for a moment he had fallen over. As he hit the pavement and the gun was shoved into the back of his head he realised he had been set up.
And who better to do that than his new woman?
His last conscious thought was that, if he survived, he would take a baseball bat and crack it over Maureen’s head until it was smashed to pieces.
Maureen Carter watched the commotion from the bedroom of her house, grinning to herself. Jimmy really thought she would want him? It was laughable.
The phone rang. She picked it up, her heavily varnished nails glinting in the half-light.
‘Yeah, just now. It’s over.’
She replaced the receiver. Then, deliberately smudging her mascara, she walked sedately down the stairs and into the street. Her screaming and carrying on brought everyone to their doors. In a respectable area, the murder of a known villain was unheard of. Maureen was hysterical, the police left her alone, and afterwards her son made her a nice stiff drink. All in all not a bad day’s work.
Jimmy’s death had earned her thirty grand.
Maureen sipped her drink and planned a nice holiday with the money the Davidson brothers had promised her for setting up her new boyfriend. It looked like 1966 was going to be her year.
Chapter Four
June was in shock, complete and utter shock. Even though he had been leaving her, she still couldn’t believe her Jimmy was really dead.
Inside she felt glad, and that frightened her.
The police had knocked just after she’d arrived home from Joey’s, full of Scotch and camaraderie, fuelled with the knowledge that if push came to shove she was home and dry with her husband. She had let him cop a quick feel while pretending she was still staying faithful to Jimmy.
She had reminded him that walking out on a big-time villain was not something she could do lightly, and even Joey had had to concede that
As her husband made them both tea and toast and they chatted about the girls she felt herself relax. When Joey was like this she loved him. This was the man she had fallen for, this was the man she had wanted more than anything once.
Now she knew that if he took her back there would be a subtle shift of position. After all, she had crossed into the real world of villainy and her husband was aware of that.
She would let him think that she had left Jimmy. That she had gone off him. Joey would believe her, would want to believe her.
She began to talk to him, her voice soft, her eyes moist. As he responded with shy smiles and little gestures, lighting her cigarettes, pouring her more tea, she relaxed.
This was going to be easier than she’d thought. But she would miss her Jimmy, miss him very much. After all, he had shown her another way of life and for that alone June would always be grateful to him.
Jimmy walked out of his new amour’s house a happy, happy man. He was glad Junie had taken it all so well. He’d hated hurting her but what could a man do?
She was old news, like a newspaper read from cover to cover. Why keep it?
He would see her off with a couple of grand and promise he would keep an eye on her. And every now and then, when he felt the urge for a bit of strange, he would call on her.
Junie was like that.
He realised now she was as mercenary as him. You didn’t make respectable women out of the Junes of this world. You shagged them, used them, had a few laughs then tossed them aside when the next one ambled into the pub.
But he had loved her, at least for a while he had, until he had seen a different way of life, a better way of life. Realised that women could actually think as well as shag.
As the baseball bat hit him on the back of his knees Jimmy was nonplussed for a few seconds. He thought for a moment he had fallen over. As he hit the pavement and the gun was shoved into the back of his head he realised he had been set up.
And who better to do that than his new woman?
His last conscious thought was that, if he survived, he would take a baseball bat and crack it over Maureen’s head until it was smashed to pieces.
Maureen Carter watched the commotion from the bedroom of her house, grinning to herself. Jimmy really thought she would want him? It was laughable.
The phone rang. She picked it up, her heavily varnished nails glinting in the half-light.
‘Yeah, just now. It’s over.’
She replaced the receiver. Then, deliberately smudging her mascara, she walked sedately down the stairs and into the street. Her screaming and carrying on brought everyone to their doors. In a respectable area, the murder of a known villain was unheard of. Maureen was hysterical, the police left her alone, and afterwards her son made her a nice stiff drink. All in all not a bad day’s work.
Jimmy’s death had earned her thirty grand.
Maureen sipped her drink and planned a nice holiday with the money the Davidson brothers had promised her for setting up her new boyfriend. It looked like 1966 was going to be her year.
Chapter Four
June was in shock, complete and utter shock. Even though he had been leaving her, she still couldn’t believe her Jimmy was really dead.
Inside she felt glad, and that frightened her.
The police had knocked just after she’d arrived home from Joey’s, full of Scotch and camaraderie, fuelled with the knowledge that if push came to shove she was home and dry with her husband. She had let him cop a quick feel while pretending she was still staying faithful to Jimmy.
She had reminded him that walking out on a big-time villain was not something she could do lightly, and even Joey had had to concede that
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