Two Women by Martina Cole Read Free Book Online Page B

one. Finally she had hinted that Jimmy was playing around on her and that maybe she had made a big mistake . . . With a parting shot about how she missed the children, she had left.
    Though she knew and Joey knew that the part about the girls was pure fabrication, while they were still getting on friendly terms he wasn’t about to pull her up on it. All in all June felt it was a good night’s work.
    Now Jimmy was dead, murdered in the street. And she could hold her head up, tell everyone he’d been giving Maureen the elbow and was still her beau. After the police had left, June set about the serious business of the night.
    Looking for his money.
    Jimmy always kept large amounts around the house and June knew where most of them were. She had arranged to identify his body in the morning, saying she was too distressed at this time. She was hoping she could pick up his effects at the same time then she would have the key to the safe and that was what she really wanted. In there he’d kept his address books, everything. They would be worth a pretty penny to the right person.
    Smiling, June poured herself a large Scotch, for her shattered nerves, and then after a long hot bath set about tearing the house apart.
    By Christmas morning she had found over two thousand pounds in notes bundled up and stuffed in wardrobes, drawers, even the electric cupboard. She placed it all on the bed and looked at it for a long time.
    It was a small fortune.
    Stretching like a long-limbed cat, June looked at herself in the mirror. She could do with a make over really but that would have to wait.
    Going to the safe, she was amazed and euphoric to see that the key she had found in the bedroom drawer fitted perfectly.
    The shock caused her to start trembling all over.
    Inside was more money, a few pieces of jewellery she knew she couldn’t pawn in the usual way and his address books, account books and a gun.
    Settling herself on the bed, lying on over three thousand pounds, June began to read his books and his simple system was so easy to understand she realised even she could have run it if she’d wanted to.
    Jimmy had lent money out then dragged it back with violent threats and intimidation. He’d kept a book with all the debtors’ addresses, phone numbers, and details of family members.
    As she lay on the money she began dreaming about what she would do with it. And Joey was in the equation now, only not as he would like to be. That was something she would sort out as time went by.
    What she really needed now was Joey’s reputation for violence. After all, no man but Jimmy would have dared to take her on under normal circumstances.
    It was all about front and June knew this.
    If Joey had had even a bit of nous he could have been a Jimmy himself. God knew he had the other attributes. But Joey’s biggest failing was his complete lack of any ambition or brainpower. He was a thug, simple as that. People paid him to do their dirty work.
    As an armed robber he’d been a disaster. He had actually gone into a local bookie’s in the sweltering summer heat to rob them. He had put on a balaclava but forgotten to hide his tattoos, so everyone knew it was him.
    Wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and a string vest he had displayed tattoos saying ‘Junie and Joey’ in a large red heart, and ‘ACAB’, meaning All Coppers Are Bastards, on his hands. On top of this he had a large dragon on his belly which he liked to make dance by moving his stomach as a party piece.
    Everyone had sussed him immediately, especially the bookie who had given him five hundred pounds and told him to go away.
    Joey had taken the money but that night had had a visit from the Davidsons who were paid to protect those particular premises and had had to swallow his knob and go round and apologise.
    Even Davey Davidson had laughed.
    For weeks afterwards every time Joey went in there to put on a bet everyone fell to the ground as if he was robbing them and laughed their heads