Broken Dreams (29 page)

‘And you’d already put Donna through one abortion.’

‘I’m not proud of that, but what could I do? I had my business to think about, and so did Donna. She wanted to be a singer and I was managing her band. They weren’t up to much, but in those days my dick ruled my head. I wanted to have some fun with her, and she was willing. I had the money and influence to throw around and she liked it that way. It was convenient for both of us.’

‘Like with Julie?’

‘That was different.’

‘How?’

‘I would have left my wife for her.’

I laughed.

Salford leant forward, pointing at me.

‘Show me some respect, or I’ll start to get fucking annoyed. I’m letting you sit in my office and talk to me like this, so watch your mouth.’

I held his stare, saying nothing, waiting for him to continue. ‘Julie was everything my wife wasn’t. In many ways, we were perfect together. But at the end of the day, I stayed with my wife for the kids and because it’s easier.’

I thought back to Richardson’s small flat and the situation she found herself in. ‘But you had to cut her face to shreds?’ She wanted revenge.

‘Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like. I work in a difficult industry, as I’m sure you appreciate. If I let people take advantage of me, I’m finished. And when she grassed on me, I had no choice. I couldn’t have it.’

‘Couldn’t you have told her to disappear?’

Salford laughed and shook his head. ‘She had to pay for what she’d done. It was expected.’

‘How did you find her if she was in a safe house?’ I asked, remembering what Branning hold told me.

‘You pay the right people. Nothing more difficult than that.’

The case had haunted Branning. He’d wasted his life chasing a ghost. People like Salford are always one step ahead of the police. ‘Don’t you feel any remorse?’

 ‘For Julie?’

‘Or Donna.’

He poured himself another drink and thought about the question.

‘However I reckon it up, Julie got what was coming to her. She was a big girl and happy enough to take the money and all the trimmings when it suited her.  If you do that, you have responsibilities. Number one on the list is to keep your mouth shut.’

I felt ill sat in his office. The air seemed to be warmer, the room smaller. I had to press on. ‘What about Donna? She hadn’t done anything wrong.’

He slugged back his whiskey. ‘You’re probably about right. I paid for her abortion and I thought she’d learn the lesson. She couldn’t have the baby. I didn’t want it, and knowing her family, I bet they didn’t, either. After a bit, things got back to normal and I thought that was it. Before she disappeared, she started to make noises to others that she might be pregnant, but I never got chance to talk to her. She left.’

‘Did you pay her off?’

‘Didn’t get the chance. She just went. Everybody assumed she’d gone to London, like she’d always threatened to.’

‘And you didn’t care?’

‘Not at the time, no. I didn’t want a baby and it saved me a headache. Besides, I didn’t know for certain she was pregnant.’

‘You knew.’ I could see how it would have unfolded. Salford was used to rampaging around the city, doing as he pleased. A pregnant teenager causing trouble for him with his wife didn’t appeal very much. Having forced Donna into one abortion, he’d have no problems with her having another, however much persuading she needed. The room was silent other than for the clock on his desk. ‘What’s the situation with Chelsea?’

 ‘What?’ I couldn’t believe he was even asking the question.

‘Do you think I could see her?’

‘Shouldn’t think so.’

Salford sighed. ‘I’d just like to see her, see what she looks like.’

I thought about Debbie to remind myself what I was doing here. Salford opened a drawer and put a cheque book on the table.

‘I want you to speak to Donna for me. I’ll pay you. I need to know something about my daughter, however small or insignificant it seems to you. I just want to know something.’

I shook my head. ‘I can’t do that.’

‘Why not? I’m paying you.’

‘Find somebody else. I’m not interested in helping you.’

He wrote out a cheque and handed it over. Payable to cash. ‘Can you make sure Donna gets this? Call it back pay for Chelsea’s maintenance.’

The cheque was for £25,000. ‘I’ll see what I can do’ putting it in my pocket. I doubted Donna would take it, but it wasn’t my decision to make. If she decided to cash the cheque, Salford would know about it.

Salford stood up and took a cigarette out of his pocket. ‘Smoke?’

I shook my head.

‘Probably wise of you. I’m going to go outside and have this. You’re going to stay here and wait for me and then we’ll talk about what you really came here for.’

Salford poured us both another whiskey. I left mine sitting in front of me. I was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol and I wanted to keep a clear head. I needed to keep asking questions.

‘I’m dying’ Salford said to me.

I looked at him properly. His skin was pale, his eyes had little colour in them. I put his weariness down to the kind of life he led, but now he’d said it, it made sense.

‘The doctor’s say there’s nothing they can do for me, and believe me, I’ve had second and third opinions on it. I’ll be dead within the year.’

He was in his mid-fifties,
which was no age to die, but I didn’t feel particularly sorry for the man. How could I?

‘This is the time for me to get my affairs in order. I’m not going to bullshit you – I’ve not been a good person. I’ve done some pretty bad things, but the one thing I can do is make sure my daughter is sorted.’ He pointed to me. ‘And you can do that for me.’

My mind was racing, playing with theories and ideas and the things we’d said. ‘Murdoch was wrong, wasn’t he? You didn’t kill his wife.’

Salford shook his head. ‘I didn’t kill her.’

I slugged the whiskey back in one and stood up, ready to leave. I knew Salford wasn’t responsible for my wife’s death, either.

I
strode through the reception, ignoring the woman shouting at me to stop. I walked straight up the stairs and opened the first door I came to. Not finding what I wanted, I repeated the same thing with the next two doors. Entering the fourth door, I found what I wanted. Johnson was in bed with one of the workers. The room was disgusting; everything looked like it needed a good wash, especially the sheets. The wallpaper was peeling in the corners and the lighting was dim. If it had been designed to hurry up the punters, I’m sure it worked. Nobody would want to spend any more time in this room than necessary.

‘We tried to stop him’ Margaret said, as she entered the room behind me. ‘I wasn’t on reception when he came in.’

She looked flustered, knowing she was in trouble. The woman appalled me. I turned to her and told her to fuck off. Johnson got out of bed and stood naked in front of me, unsure what his next move should be. He turned to the young girl trying to hide under the bedding and told her to disappear.

He laughed. ‘What can I do for you today? Have you being having a think about our meeting the other day? If so, I’m pleased, but it’s really not the time for business.’

‘I wanted to speak to you before the police pick you up.’

He laughed again. ‘Why would they be doing that?’

‘Murdoch expects to be arrested today.’

‘He best have his story straight, then.’

Johnson got dressed as spoke to me.

‘I think he has.’

‘Good.’

‘How did you force him to work for you?’

‘I didn’t need to force him.’

‘His choice?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Not once you’d allowed his wife to run up large debts in the casino. You made it sound like his only way out of the situation was to do as he was told.’

‘He could have repaid the money and we’d have been cool. He wanted to get involved.’

‘How much pressure did you put on Jennifer? You obviously like to sample the goods?’

‘She was a very attractive woman.’

I waited for him to finish buttoning his shirt. I wanted his full attention. ‘Did you kill her?’

Johnson laughed. ‘Don’t be stupid. I don’t go around killing people.’

I let it hang in the air.

‘She wouldn’t touch you, would she?’ I said. ‘She took one look at you, and she didn’t want to know. You repulsed her.’

He took a step towards me. ‘You watch your mouth, cunt. You’re in my place and nobody knows you’re here. You’ll be lucky if I let you walk out again. This time I might well bury you alive.’

It was my turn to laugh. ‘You went to her house, determined to have your own way with her, and she told you to leave.’

‘Is that right?’

‘And when she laughed in your face, you lost it, because that’s what you do. You killed her there and then and tried to cover your tracks. All because she said no to you.’

‘You know nothing.’

Johnson was where I wanted him. He’d turned away to find his shoes, no doubt convinced I was throwing around groundless accusations, no threat to him. I waited for him to turn back towards me. ‘You didn’t kill Jennifer Murdoch, but you did kill my wife’ I said.

Johnson stared at me, momentarily lost for words. ‘Says who?’

‘Says me. I’ve been talking to Salford.’

Johnson sneered. ‘What would he know?’

‘More than you think. He’s done, isn’t he? He’ll be dead soon, but he’s not stupid.’

He walked away from the window and sat down on the bed. ‘If you think you know, what are you doing here?’

There was a hint of defeat in his voice, the realisation he hadn’t always been one step ahead of the game.

‘I want to hear it from you’ I said.

‘You won’t make anything stick.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’ I walked over to the window, but there was nothing to see. I thought about Salford telling me about wider business interests. ‘Salford saw you coming and let you draw Jennifer Murdoch in at the casino. He gave you enough rope to hang yourself with.’ I turned back towards him. ‘Why did you go behind his back?’

  ‘Why not?’

‘The money? You thought Murdoch was a soft touch?’

 ‘He is a soft touch. In fact, he’s surprised me with his weakness. I thought he’d do a little better because it wasn’t that hard for him. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut and follow instructions.’

‘But Salford was able to see it. He knew Murdoch wasn’t going to deliver.’

‘Judgement call, that’s all.’

‘But his call was right.’ I waited for him to look at me. ‘Again.’  Johnson looked like a beaten man. ‘You knew he was dying?’ I asked.

He sprung back to life, defiance on his face. ‘What do you think? I’m sick of being the fucking joke in that place. I’m always his number two, always following orders. Fuck that – I want a piece of the action. I want to be the one calling the shots and making the decisions for a change. Besides, who the fuck are you? You’re some failed rugby player who thinks he can call the shots over me. Are you taking the piss?’

I ignored him and continued. ‘And you thought this was your chance to step up to the plate?’

‘If you don’t make your move, somebody else will do it for you.’

‘Salford saw the stupidity of working with Murdoch and he didn’t want to know.’

Johnson stood up, pacing the room. ‘He’s gone soft. Has been for years. He wants to be legitimate, but fuck that.’ His eyes were ablaze, putting me on my guard. ‘It’s wrong. It’s not how we made our reputations in this city. People expect better of you than opening a fucking casino.’ He sat back down and rested his head in his hands. ‘Fuck that.’

‘My wife was the collateral damage for you’ I said, turning away from him. He said nothing. Johnson was nothing. Salford was a career criminal but Johnson had only ever been his sidekick, the required muscle to get the dirty work done. It went all the way back to their days as young football hooligans. Julie Richardson had told me that. What Johnson was starting to realise was that things would never change. He thought he’d found some easy pickings when Murdoch and his wife walked into the casino. He had no understanding of the complexity and the details of the regeneration plan. If he thought he could mastermind such an operation, he was stupid. If he thought he could do it on the back of Salford’s reputation and without his knowledge, he was deluded.

I stood up and walked towards the door before turning back to take one last look at Johnson, the man who’d caused my wife’s death. He’d go to prison for a long time, but his real punishment would be the knowledge he’d failed.  He’d never be Frank Salford. That would be what haunted him. My grieving would come, but seeing him crushed would be some small compensation. ‘You’re done’ I said, as I walked out of the room. 

Sarah and I were back where we started; sat with Maria Platt and Derek Jones. This time Gary Platt had joined us. I sipped my coffee, letting the news I’d given them sink in.

‘Do you think Donna will change her mind?’ Derek asked us.

Sarah leant forward. ‘We know she misses Hull. Maybe one day.’

‘Soon?’ Maria asked.

I sighed. ‘I’m sorry, but I really don’t think so.’ I understood why Sarah was trying to give them some hope, but it wasn’t fair.

‘Donna made it very clear to us she wasn’t happy in Hull’ I explained. Sarah had turned away, retreating back into her seat. ‘She’s built a new life for herself.’

‘Where is she?’ Gary asked.

  It was a reasonable request, and he was her brother, but I shook my head. ‘I can’t tell you that.’

‘We need to know.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why did she leave, then?’ Gary asked.

I knew Sarah was staring at me. I swallowed and thought about how far I wanted to go. ‘Her music.’ It wasn’t a lie, but it barely scratched the surface. They didn’t need to know about Salford. I’d argued with Sarah over whether we should tell them about Chelsea. I didn’t think we should tell them, as Donna clearly didn’t want any contact. I knew it was harsh, but there wasn’t an easy answer.

‘Was it because of dad?’ he asked.