The Club (43 page)

‘Don’t be stupid!’ Melody protested, wincing when he raised his fist. ‘Sorry! I didn’t mean that. I just meant don’t say stupid things. Of course I’m not messing around. Would I risk doing something like that when I know what I’ll get? I swear on my mother’s life I thought he was gay. If he’s not, I didn’t know, hon, I honestly didn’t. I’ll never speak to him again.’

Sidling past them, Austin ran down the stairs. He didn’t think he should interfere, but Kalli was concerned that Mr Allen might start beating his girlfriend up and so she’d sent him to get one of the security guards just in case. Legging it down to the foyer now, he pulled the door open and told Bobby what was happening.

Back upstairs, Tony had decided to give Melody the benefit of the doubt – for now. Shoving her away roughly, he said, ‘All right, I’ll take your word. But if I find out you’re lying, you know what’s gonna happen.’ Giving her a last warning glare, he turned on his heel and marched back down the stairs.

Shoving past Austin who was on his way back in with Bobby, Tony made his way out and walked quickly back round to The Diamond, deep in thought.

Still hiding in the pay-booth, Fabian was shaking. He shouldn’t have sent Austin round there, and now that Tony was gunning for him he’d have to stay out of his way until he forgot about it. Which would be kind of difficult, seeing as they both worked here, but would still be better than having his legs broken.

‘You been in there the whole time?’ Bobby asked when Fabian came out with the money bag in his hands.

‘No, I’ve been out back,’ Fabian lied. ‘Why?’

‘Good job,’ Bobby chuckled. ‘Mr Allen’s in a right strop with you. Apparently he’s just had a go at his bird, ’cos she told him you was gay and he’s just found out you ain’t. Accused her of fucking around with you.’ Laughing now, he shook his head. ‘You’re a right one, you.’

‘Aren’t you supposed to be outside?’ Fabian snapped, fronting it out even though his knees had turned to water.

Waiting until Bobby had gone out, Fabian walked through the club and out through the kitchen door. He didn’t know what had just happened with Tony and Melody but he wasn’t sticking around to find out. Jenna could lock up. And she could open up tomorrow as well, because there was no way he was coming back until he knew it was safe. Melody wouldn’t dare admit it, so hopefully she would convince Tony that it was all in his head. But until Fabian knew for sure that he was out of the firing line, he was on indefinite sick leave.

And there was no way he was risking telling Jenna about the man with the boxing-glove earring. Not yet, anyway. Much as she probably needed to know, that would be all the excuse that Tony would need to kill him.

Austin was already changed and on his way out of the door when Kalli caught up with him at the end of the night. Pulling him to one side, she said, ‘Wait for me.’

‘I can’t,’ he told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. ‘I’m meeting someone, and we’re going to a club.’

‘We need to talk,’ she persisted, trying to hold him there. ‘I’m worried about you.’

‘Well, don’t be,’ Austin said irritably. ‘It’s getting on my nerves. I don’t tell
you
who to go out with, so stop trying to tell
me
.’

‘I don’t want you to get hurt,’ Kalli said, looking him straight in the eyes as she added, ‘or anyone else.’

‘No one’s going to get hurt,’ he assured her. ‘It’s nobody’s business but mine and his.’

‘And what about his wife?’ Kalli asked quietly. Shaking her head when she saw the flicker of surprise in his eyes, she said, ‘So I’m right. It
is
Mr Drake.’

‘Sshhh!’ Austin hissed, glancing quickly around.

‘Why?’ Kalli asked, pain and anger in her eyes. ‘If it’s all as nice as you were trying to make out earlier, why wouldn’t you want the world to know?’

‘Don’t be stupid,’ Austin snapped. ‘It
is
nice, and I really like him. But you know exactly why I can’t tell anyone, so keep your nose out.’

‘You’re making a mistake,’ Kalli said softly. ‘And I’m your friend, so I’m not going to ignore it.’

‘Well, you’ll have to, if you want to carry on being my friend,’ Austin told her bluntly. ‘Don’t try and make me choose, ’cos you won’t like the outcome.’

‘You’d really do that?’ Kalli gazed defiantly up into his eyes. ‘For money?’

‘It’s not just the money.’ Austin sighed heavily. ‘I really like him, Kal. But if you can’t understand that, there’s nothing I can say.’

‘You don’t even
know
him.’

‘Yes, I do. Don’t think last night was the first time we’ve ever talked. You lot have been treating him like shit since he first started coming here, but I’ve always talked to him, and he’s a really nice man.’

‘He’s an old
married
man,’ Kalli reminded him. ‘And he’s not your type at all. You like dark and handsome. He’s blond and fat.’

‘You don’t have to tell me what he looks like,’ Austin retorted. ‘I’ve seen more of him than you have.’

‘Don’t be disgusting.’

‘If you don’t like it, mind your own business.’ Shrugging, Austin gave her a take-it-or-leave-it look. ‘I like him, and I’m not going to stop seeing him. Not for you, or anyone.’

‘Well, I hope it’s worth it,’ Kalli said sadly. ‘When his wife finds out, and you’re left with nothing but your fancy trainers to remind you of the job you used to have and the
friends
you lost for him.’

‘Whatever,’ Austin said glibly. ‘See you later.’

Using all her self-control to keep herself from crying, Kalli got changed and made her lonely way home, knowing that things would never be the same between her and Austin again. She’d tried her best, but there was nothing more she could do. When this fell apart, as it undoubtedly would, she just hoped that Austin would learn something from it.

‘Anybody seen Fabian?’ Jenna asked the security guys as they made their way out.

‘Yeah, about an hour ago,’ Bobby said, sharing a conspiratorial smirk with Flex. ‘He wasn’t looking too well. Maybe he’s in the loos?’

‘His car’s not out back,’ one of the other doormen said, coming through from the kitchen just then. ‘I’ve just been out there checking that the gate got shut behind the staff, and it’s deffo gone.’

Tutting softly, Jenna went back up to her office to get her keys. She’d be having words with Fabian in the morning. He might have let her know if he was leaving early. She could have been waiting all night to lock up.

18

Vibes couldn’t settle. Sitting in the bar around the corner from the courthouse, he repeatedly checked his mobile to make sure that he hadn’t missed the call telling him that the jury were in.

Sipping his beer, he stared at the screen of the TV above the spirit bottles on the other side of the bar. It was on a news channel, but the volume was down. Vibes was trying to lip-read the female newsreader but was finding it impossible because, like most of the women he’d come across since he got home, she talked way too fast. He’d forgotten that about American women. They got so animated about the stupidest things. Aliya had been no better. Much as he’d loved her, the girl could run her mouth off with the best of them when she got to bitching.

Smiling at the memory, Vibes took a sip of his beer – and almost choked when a still photograph came up on the screen. It looked to have been taken in some kind of nightclub, and showed several men sitting around a table, all grinning at something that was resting on the table between them. The image had been blurred, but it didn’t take a lot of imagination to guess what it was, nonetheless.

‘Yo! Turn the volume up,’ Vibes yelled at the bartender. ‘The volume, man! Come on!’

‘. . . 
Trial of Mafia boss Stelios Zagorakis a.k.a. “Zorba
”,’ the newsreader was saying, ‘
who is charged with a variety of offences from kidnap to extortion to murder
.

‘
Well, those are today’s headlines
,’ the woman said now, smiling widely. ‘
We’ll keep you updated on these, and all the other stories as they come in throughout the day. But now we go to Frank Highfield for the weather . . .’

Vibes stared at the screen long after the picture had been replaced by a grinning weatherman who was promising a long-awaited break to the heat-wave being suffered across the country. He wasn’t certain by any means, because the photo had been a grainy black and white shot, and was obviously a good few years old, but two of the men around that table had looked just like Tony Allen and Eddie. And could it be a coincidence that two of the names given had been Anthony and Edward?

His mobile rang just then, snapping him back to the present.

‘They’re in,’ Molly, the DA’s assistant, told him when he answered. ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ Vibes assured her, gathering his things together. ‘I’ll be two minutes.’

Judge Mackay looked at the written verdict, his expression giving nothing away to Vibes who was staring intently at him. Nodding, he asked for the jury spokesperson to stand.

Vibes could barely breathe as the spokesman began to give the verdicts, and he could hardly hear above the sound of roaring wind in his ears as his heart raced and pounded. But, somehow, above the storm he caught the word
guilty
.

He sat in stunned silence as the judge picked up the gavel and passed sentence: life without parole for each of the five gang members.

Despite Molly’s kind assurances, the forensic evidence and the witness statements, from the very start of this trial Vibes had thought that the jury, with its majority of young white males, would swing in the accused’s favour, given that two of the gang were also white. But race hadn’t reared its ugly head at all, and Vibes was truly humbled by that.
And
truly grateful.

‘Man, it’s over!’ Tyler exclaimed jubilantly, throwing his arms around Vibes. ‘It’s
over
!’

Shaking his head in disbelief, Vibes stood up. It really was over. Justice had been done, and he was free to start his life again.

‘We’re all going to the bar around the corner for a celebratory drink,’ Molly told him quietly. ‘Are you up to it?’

Looking down into her kind eyes, Vibes shook his head. ‘I can’t face people just now. I’ve got to . . .’ Trailing off, he bit his lip and raised his chin. ‘Sorry, I just need to go.’

‘I understand,’ she said, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. ‘Congratulations – if that’s the right thing to say?’

‘Thanks,’ he murmured, managing to hold it together as he added, ‘for everything. I wouldn’t have got through it without you.’

‘My pleasure,’ Molly said, blushing prettily. Dipping her gaze then, she reached into her pocket and took out a card. ‘I, er, don’t mean to be presumptuous,’ she said, handing it to him. ‘But if you ever – you know – want to meet up for a drink, or something . . . ?’

Taking it only because he didn’t want to offend her, Vibes slipped it into his pocket and thanked her again. Going to Tyler then, who was busy shaking hands with everybody on the prosecution team, he said, ‘I got to get out of here, man.’

‘No problem,’ Tyler said, seeing from his face that he was close to the edge.

Back at Tyler’s house a short while later, where Tyler’s mom Delores and sister Talisha had laid on a fantastic spread of soul food, Vibes sat quietly in a corner, accepting all the handshakes and kisses and good wishes from his old friends and neighbours. This was home, and these were his people, but he’d never felt so alone in his entire life.

Coming over to sit with him after a while, Talisha said, ‘So it’s over, huh?’

‘I guess.’Vibes nodded, sipping his beer straight from the bottle.

‘What you gonna do now?’ she asked, stretching her long legs out. ‘Planning to stay around – I hope?’

Smiling, Vibes reached for her hand. She’d been a pretty, slightly gawky sixteen-year-old kid when he’d left, with a serious crush on him. Nineteen now, she was a beautiful woman, with a low mellow voice, and dreamy nut-brown eyes. Any man would be proud to call her his own, but Vibes’s love for her was the brotherly kind – even though it was plain to see that her crush had developed into something more fiery and adult.

‘I wasn’t sure until this afternoon,’ he said, gazing around the room at the people he had known all his life. ‘Part of me wanted to stay and put all the bad stuff behind me, but another part wanted to get up and run and never look back.’

‘And which part won?’ Talisha asked, her fingers entwined in his as though they belonged there.

Looking at her, Vibes smiled fondly. ‘You’re a beautiful girl. Why haven’t you got yourself a decent boy yet?’

Biting her lip, she smiled shyly. ‘’Cos I been waiting on you, Victor. You know that.’

‘Don’t,’ he said softly. ‘It’s a waste of life to wait around on a dream. You got to get yourself out there and live while you got the chance. You know I love you, right?’

Biting her lip now, her eyes moist with tears, she nodded. ‘Uh huh.’