quid. He was not only as strong as an ox, but he was also shrewder than people realised. He was able to do a good deal while letting the other party think they had got the best of the bargain. In his game that was an important part of the job.
Danny had even started to ferret out and salvage a lot of the stuff for himself. Louie paid him a finder’s fee, of course, and he saw the thrill that Danny got from making a few quid on the side. It was a necessity in their world, that need to make a good deal, make a few quid over the odds, even when you were rolling in it. The cars were a separate business altogether, but Danny was like most young fellows and loved anything with four wheels, he was even able to distinguish which make of car a part was from. Passing trade was often young men looking for an exhaust pipe or new gearbox for their car and, before Danny, Louie would have had to stand there and watch them while they searched, to make sure they didn’t half inch anything else while they were there. Now though, Danny would accompany them, chat to them about their needs and wants and, nine times out of ten, lay his large hands on the item in question within minutes.
All in all, it was a much easier life for Louie, and the company was also welcome. He liked the boy, admired his work ethic, and the fact that he was keeping his family fed and housed without making a song and dance about it. In fact he never mentioned it, just got on with the job in hand, took his wedge, and turned up the next morning. He was all that any man could wish for in a son, and yet his father had left him without a word, even though he had to have heard what had gone down with the Murrays. After all, it had become the talk of the Smoke, even the Faces from north London had mentioned it to him.
Still, he had done his bit for the lad, made his case with anyone and everyone he dealt with, and he was sure that the Murray boys wouldn’t want a repeat of their last outing with actual grown men. They were renowned for their scamming of people and, as long as they stuck to conning the likes of Big Dan Cadogan, they were safe enough. In the real world, however, the serious criminal world, they would be hard-pushed to get past Go, let alone collect two hundred or, in this case, six hundred. It was all relative anyway. Five quid was a lot of money if you didn’t have it.
The fucking pair of shitters had asked for it and, for once, someone had given it to them. The fact that it was a young lad and his mother must gall them, but then such is life. A low profile and a rethink of their business practices would have been sufficient for most people after a debacle of that magnitude.
Danny was the one people were siding with, because he was an innocent, just defending his family, and he hadn’t run away, he was still waiting for a meet of some sort to try and resolve the situation once and for all. The boy was a fucking dream, any man other than Big Dan would have been tempted out of hiding by the intimidation of his family. Danny’s old man was still AWOL though, and that was something no one would ever forgive, or forget. Especially not the young man sitting beside him.
Svetlana Murray was as worried as her Irish counterpart. She knew that if everything went pear-shaped again, she could easily find herself on the receiving end of a similar attack. It was like the law; once a precedent had been set and accepted into common usage, it could easily become the norm. Women and children were off-limits where violence or debt collection was concerned, and her sons had transgressed that particular unwritten law and made to pay the consequences of their actions. They were being cold-shouldered, and they knew they were. Even so-called friends were suddenly blanking them. It seemed that the boys had gone too far this time and public opinion was that they had crossed the line. Well, they had paid a terrible price for that, they were scarred for life. Her younger son
Danny had even started to ferret out and salvage a lot of the stuff for himself. Louie paid him a finder’s fee, of course, and he saw the thrill that Danny got from making a few quid on the side. It was a necessity in their world, that need to make a good deal, make a few quid over the odds, even when you were rolling in it. The cars were a separate business altogether, but Danny was like most young fellows and loved anything with four wheels, he was even able to distinguish which make of car a part was from. Passing trade was often young men looking for an exhaust pipe or new gearbox for their car and, before Danny, Louie would have had to stand there and watch them while they searched, to make sure they didn’t half inch anything else while they were there. Now though, Danny would accompany them, chat to them about their needs and wants and, nine times out of ten, lay his large hands on the item in question within minutes.
All in all, it was a much easier life for Louie, and the company was also welcome. He liked the boy, admired his work ethic, and the fact that he was keeping his family fed and housed without making a song and dance about it. In fact he never mentioned it, just got on with the job in hand, took his wedge, and turned up the next morning. He was all that any man could wish for in a son, and yet his father had left him without a word, even though he had to have heard what had gone down with the Murrays. After all, it had become the talk of the Smoke, even the Faces from north London had mentioned it to him.
Still, he had done his bit for the lad, made his case with anyone and everyone he dealt with, and he was sure that the Murray boys wouldn’t want a repeat of their last outing with actual grown men. They were renowned for their scamming of people and, as long as they stuck to conning the likes of Big Dan Cadogan, they were safe enough. In the real world, however, the serious criminal world, they would be hard-pushed to get past Go, let alone collect two hundred or, in this case, six hundred. It was all relative anyway. Five quid was a lot of money if you didn’t have it.
The fucking pair of shitters had asked for it and, for once, someone had given it to them. The fact that it was a young lad and his mother must gall them, but then such is life. A low profile and a rethink of their business practices would have been sufficient for most people after a debacle of that magnitude.
Danny was the one people were siding with, because he was an innocent, just defending his family, and he hadn’t run away, he was still waiting for a meet of some sort to try and resolve the situation once and for all. The boy was a fucking dream, any man other than Big Dan would have been tempted out of hiding by the intimidation of his family. Danny’s old man was still AWOL though, and that was something no one would ever forgive, or forget. Especially not the young man sitting beside him.
Svetlana Murray was as worried as her Irish counterpart. She knew that if everything went pear-shaped again, she could easily find herself on the receiving end of a similar attack. It was like the law; once a precedent had been set and accepted into common usage, it could easily become the norm. Women and children were off-limits where violence or debt collection was concerned, and her sons had transgressed that particular unwritten law and made to pay the consequences of their actions. They were being cold-shouldered, and they knew they were. Even so-called friends were suddenly blanking them. It seemed that the boys had gone too far this time and public opinion was that they had crossed the line. Well, they had paid a terrible price for that, they were scarred for life. Her younger son
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