The Fight for Lizzie Flowers (12 page)

‘So you do know Frank?’ Lizzie felt the blood drain from her face.

‘I answer to no one but myself, dear lady,’ Savage repeated. ‘You are looking at the main man. I’m visiting your drum personally, so we can become acquainted. The money
you’ll be weighing out will be for legit reasons. Isn’t that right, Albert?’

The big man holding the gun nodded.

‘So, my dear, you’ll be relieved to know that after my initial inspection I accept your custom. It’s obvious these premises . . .’ he looked around slowly, ‘earn a
good wedge. There are bad people in the world today. Hungry bastards. And it could be seen as a weakness that a woman on her own is running the show. Yes, you have one man here, but does he earn
the respect of three, when he is equipped with only a
broom
?’ Leonard Savage turned round laughing. He indicated to his men that they should laugh too. They did so accordingly, until
the bald man put up his hand and they stopped. ‘My heart bleeds for you, madam. I am a perceptive man, having great respect for the fair sex. I see your problem. More, I can rectify it. As of
this moment, you are under the care and protection of Leonard Savage.’

‘I don’t want your so-called protection.’ Lizzie stared at the man who held the gun. ‘Do you intend to shoot me in front of all me customers?’ She nodded to the
road where Doug’s green Singer had just drawn up. Lil was climbing out.

‘The lady’s got a point,’ Savage said, waving his hand. ‘Put it away for now, Albert.’ He moved to join his men. ‘Business for today is concluded. Mrs Flowers
has sensibly agreed to the contract terms. If you value your nice glass shelves and new windows, then next time we meet, I’m sure our conversation will be more cordial. And we can settle the
terms in hard cash.’ He stared into Lizzie’s eyes. ‘Give my regards to the
other
Mr Flowers, won’t you?’

Lizzie’s heart jumped again. ‘I don’t know who you mean.’

‘Just pass on this message,’ Savage muttered. ‘Tell Danny Flowers a sensible man like him should seek my protection too. After all, he don’t want no more of his Crown
Jewels lifted, does he?’

‘What do you know about that?’ Bert burst out. His fists were clenched as he pushed past Lizzie.

‘Bert, no!’ Lizzie pulled him back.

There was a grin of triumph on Leonard Savage’s face. ‘Well, we must be on our way. Nice doing business with you, my dear.’ Savage politely raised his hat as Lil walked in the
shop.

‘Who was that?’ Lil asked as they watched the three men make their way past Doug and cross the road to their large green-and-black car.

‘A man called Leonard Savage.’ Lizzie felt her knees shake. She sat down on the stool.

‘Are you all right, love?’

‘I will be in a minute.’

‘They was slime-ball villains,’ Bert growled as he craned his neck to peer at the departing vehicle. ‘Protection, my arse.’ He stood at Lizzie’s side. ‘You
all right, gel?’

Lizzie nodded, but she wasn’t.

‘What did they want here?’ Lil demanded, frowning in concern at Lizzie’s anguished expression.

‘He’s after money, just like Ferreter was,’ Lizzie said bleakly.

‘And we thought we’d seen the last of the gangs,’ Doug said as he stood by Lil. ‘Didn’t they think twice when they saw Bert?’

‘They broke me broom and pulled a gun,’ Bert growled angrily.

‘A gun?’ Lil repeated, an incredulous look on her face.

Lizzie just nodded.

‘They had the drop on us,’ Bert complained, pacing the floor and glancing out of the window.

‘Christ, that’s worrying,’ Doug said, putting his hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. ‘No wonder you’re shaken up.’

‘What exactly did he say?’ Lil asked.

‘He said he was my guardian angel.’

‘More like Satan if you ask me,’ Lil burst out. ‘Ain’t it time to call in the coppers?’

‘Like Charlie Bray, you mean?’ Lizzie replied with scorn. ‘A bent copper, out to prove me and Danny are troublemakers.’

‘Danny has to know about this,’ Doug said firmly.

Lizzie agreed. ‘Savage threatened Danny too. And he knew about the robbery.’

‘How did he know about that?’ Lil looked puzzled.

‘He said he knows everything. And by the way he talked about Frank and Danny, I don’t doubt he’s done his homework.’

‘What are we going to do?’ Lil said, looking from one to the other.

Lizzie picked up the card. ‘This is what Savage left.’

Lil read aloud. ‘
Leonard Savage & Co. Security and Credit Brokers
.’ She frowned. ‘What does that mean?’

‘Posh words for extortion and money-lending,’ said Doug on a sigh.

‘
Chancel Lane, Aldgate
,’ Lil continued. ‘Never heard of it.’

‘So what else did he say?’ Doug asked.

‘He said Danny should get his advice if he didn’t want any more burglaries.’

‘What!’ Lil screamed. ‘So that means it was Savage who did the burglary.’

‘Looks like it,’ Lizzie agreed.

‘And we all thought it was Frank,’ Lil said, a shocked expression on her face.

‘I’ll drive over to the garage now.’ Bert fumbled in his pocket for the van keys. ‘Give Danny the nudge.’

‘No, Bert, you’d better stay here,’ Doug said thoughtfully. ‘Not that it’s likely, but Savage might turn up again.’ Doug looked at his wife.
‘Let’s unload the cakes. Then we’ll drive over to Danny’s and put him in the picture.’

‘Don’t like to leave Lizzie,’ Lil said with concern.

Lizzie stood up and smiled at her friend. ‘Doug’s right, Lil. Danny needs to know what’s happened. Leonard Savage won’t call while me customers are about.’

‘Yeah,’ said Bert. ‘I’ll have to buy another broom.’

Everyone managed to smile. But Lizzie knew that a broom wasn’t going to be of any use if Leonard Savage did show up again.

Danny listened to what Lil and Doug had to say, then, looking at Cal, who had joined them in the office, he said, ‘This sounds like a new crew moving in.’

Cal nodded. ‘But who is this Leonard Savage?’

‘Whoever he is,’ Lil said, glancing at Doug who sat beside her, ‘pulling a gun like that he put the wind up Lizzie and Bert.’

Doug nodded. ‘Only to be expected.’

‘You’ve got to give it to the girl,’ Lil added with a grin. ‘She told him what she thought of him and his so-called protection.’

‘But why the shop?’ Cal questioned, leaning against the wall and scratching his head. ‘And the garage?’

‘He has to start somewhere,’ Doug said quietly. ‘Maybe he’s taking over where Ferreter left off.’

Danny nodded. He’d been convinced the robbery was down to Frank. But now he wasn’t so sure.

‘He’s not local,’ Doug confirmed. ‘I’ve not seen him before.’

‘Sounds like he’s the geezer who nicked our tools, though,’ Cal said angrily.

Lil took out her cigarettes. ‘It gave Lizzie a real turn, seeing that gun.’

‘But he’s in no hurry to move in on the shop,’ Danny said, frowning. ‘Or else he’d have emptied the till there and then.’

‘Seeing as he seems to know so much, wouldn’t mind betting he’s been waiting to make a move,’ Cal said slowly.

Danny hit the side of his head with his hand. ‘Course, Cal. You’re right. He said he knew everything. So it’s likely he’s been sniffing around after us for some
time.’

‘Might be worth a look outside. See if anyone’s there.’ Cal was already on the landing. Danny heard him go lightly down the stairs and then the click of the front door.

‘You mean we’ve been followed?’ Lil said in a startled voice.

‘Dunno, Lil. But this geezer knows too much about us.’

‘He’s putting the squeeze on,’ said Doug, standing up, and like Danny walking around the office. ‘And seeing what happens.’

‘Jesus, you two. Sit down.’ Lil lit up and took a deep breath, picking a speck of tobacco from her bottom lip. ‘You’re giving me the creeps.’

‘Lil, this is serious. One of them had a gun,’ Doug impressed on his wife. ‘He could have killed Lizzie or Bert or even us.’

Lil put her cigarette nervously between her lips. ‘It might not have been loaded.’

‘It was,’ Danny said, which made Lil sit upright.

‘How do you know?’

‘Villains don’t walk around waving empty shooters. They ain’t toys, Lil.’

Cal came back up the stairs and walked slowly into the office. He glanced at Doug and Lil.

‘Well?’ demanded Lil, her ash spilling on the wooden floor.

‘A motor went off by the dock wall.’

‘A big one with white-walled tyres?’ Doug asked in alarm.

Cal nodded. ‘A Daimler. They was in no rush either. As if they wanted me to see them.’

Everyone was silent. Lil stared at her husband. ‘Now I really have got the wind up.’

Danny nodded. ‘It’s called intimidation. That’s what villains do.’

‘Intimidation, protection, whatever you call it,’ Doug said on a heavy breath, ‘it’s poison to all of us.’

‘That’s about it,’ agreed Danny. He pushed his dirty hands down the front of his overalls and walked out onto the landing. He looked down on the garage beneath. He had two of
the buses ready to move on and a smaller vehicle waiting for repair. They were managing with the tools he’d bought up Mile End, but life would have been a lot easier with his old kit. Still,
no time to think about that now. He’d find out sooner or later who took his stuff and they would live to regret it, he’d make sure of that. As for what they were to do now, there was
only one course of action. But no one was going to like it.

Taking a moment to compose himself, he breathed in the fumes of his workshop below and the oil and grease odours that hung like an invisible cloud from the rafters. Then pulling back his
shoulders he returned to the office and three expectant faces.

‘Doug, you’d better keep your eyes pinned over the next week,’ he said and received a nod from his friend. ‘Lil, there’s no reason to think they’ll bother you
at all. Today was just a bit of ruffling of feathers.’

‘I’ll give ’em ruffling me bleeding feathers!’ Lil tried to joke.

Danny smiled. ‘But I’d like you to tell Lizzie that Bert needs back-up.’

‘What?’

‘Savage is right. A broom is no match for guns.’

‘Christ, you’re not thinking of—’ Doug began, but Danny was shaking his head.

‘No shooters yet. Lizzie wouldn’t hear of it.’

Once again there was silence. If safety measures had been up to him, Danny would have kept a shotgun at least in the storeroom, even if it wasn’t loaded. But he knew Lizzie’s take on
that and he’d have to work round it.

‘What you going to do then, son?’ asked Doug calmly.

‘I’m going to sort out a crew.’

‘Crew?’ Lil and Doug said together.

‘Hired muscle. Enough for the shop anyway. Cal and me can take care of the garage. But Lizzie will need cover.’ Danny flexed his tight shoulders. He knew no one, least of all Lizzie,
would like the idea. But if he could find the right calibre of hired help, then Savage wasn’t going to move in on any of them. At least, not without a fight.

‘Do you know of anyone?’ asked Doug in surprise. ‘I mean, anyone suitable?’

‘It’ll take me a few days,’ Danny said evenly, ‘but I’ve a fair idea.’

Danny knew that it had to be done. He didn’t like it, and it went against the grain. He’d hoped that here on the island he could carve out a living on the right side of the law. But
that was easier said than done as he’d found out with Bray.

If he was going to jump in at the deep end, he’d have to be sure he was the strongest swimmer.

‘At least we’re on neutral turf,’ Danny remarked to Cal as they entered the public house. He looked around the smoke-filled bar and studied the faces. The
Quarry, back in the day, was a traders’ ale house, filled with budding entrepreneurs and market stallholders. They were a bright lot, and honest in their own way. But that was in his
dad’s time. Things had changed since then.

‘Clock anyone?’ Cal asked as they made their way to the bar. It was a warm Saturday night in May and still light outside. Danny thought how a tavern never seemed to be as welcoming
at this time of year. The hearth was missing the roaring fire. Despite the fine day, the atmosphere was gloomy. The beer smelled stale, the spittoons were full and the bare boards creaked under
their footsteps.

‘Not yet. I owe Michael O’Grady a favour for tonight.’ Danny smiled at the landlord who gave him a nod. There wasn’t a great friendship between them. But when Danny had
explained his need, O’Grady had understood.

Danny and Cal moved to a stall at the rear of the big, noisy room. Danny glanced round as they tried to make themselves comfortable on the hard wooden benches.

He saw the usual faces, clusters of twos and threes, hugging their tankards and glasses. None of them had looked round at their entrance. But Danny knew that each one of them had ears cocked.
The Quarry might not be a gentlemen’s club, but everyone here tonight knew each other’s business. And he wouldn’t be surprised if they knew his, too.

‘Did O’Grady give a time?’ Cal asked, his black eyes trawling the figures at the bar.

‘We were to be here after nine.’ Danny shrugged, his hand slipping to the claw-tooth hammer in his jacket pocket. He didn’t expect trouble. Not at this stage. But he was now in
uncharted waters.

‘Do we have a name?’

‘No,’ Danny replied. ‘They’re from across the water. That’s all O’Grady would say.’

‘Can we trust him?’

Danny sipped his ale. ‘No way. But we can trust our money and what it will buy. Sides, these characters were once shafted by Savage, so I’m told.’

Cal sat tensely nevertheless and Danny wondered what was going through his mind. This wasn’t really his call. He was just the hired help. Yet to Danny, Cal had become the closest of all
his friends. Not that he had many. But Cal had been with him from the bad days. Deep in those stinking Aussie pits, where Cal’s skin was invisible against the blackened walls. And he’d
had to fight for his life, just as Danny had. The black bushman and the Pom. Danny smiled at the memory.

A figure walked in the door. Danny came sharply back to the present. He narrowed his eyes, felt Cal tense beside him. But it was just a young lad, barely legal enough to stick his nose inside an
ale house.