River of sin

25. She's dead to me

Two years, three weeks and a day. That's how long it had been since Jacob had seen the girl he loved. Two years, three weeks and a day since he'd woken up in the apartment they rented together with Betty to find her and all her possessions gone. He thought she'd slept on the couch or in with Betty after another argument over what had happened. He didn't even know it was going to be the last time he'd see her, hold her, kiss her, hear her voice or her laugh. He thought she'd wake up in a better mood, that they'd kiss and make up like before but this time was different. As he sat in his office, flipping a coin up and down, catching it, he thought back on that argument. How he'd yelled "you're never going to forgive me so what's the point! Just leave me already! Either forgive me and move past it or bloody end it, your choice, but bloody make one cos ain't doing this no more!" he'd regretted those words every day since, he'd pushed it too far, lost his cool, he hadn't meant it, by the time he realised what he'd said it was too late.

He reached in his pocket pulling out the letter she'd left him along with her engagement ring that he still had. He read over her words on the worn out paper, creased and wrinkled from being kept in his pocket and being read at least once a day if not more.

'Dear Jacob, I love you beyond anything I know and can understand. I am not sure if I can ever forgive your betrayal. I hope one day I can. That I can forget the pain and hurt I feel when the pictures of that day creep into my mind and dreams. That I can shake that niggling doubt it seeded in my heart. Perhaps I am still too young and we met again at the wrong time. Know that walking away is hurting me more than I can express, it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do but you are right, we can not co tongue like this. I love you Jacob, I will always love you and I will always be yours. I need time to....'

He looked up at the sound of the door opening, hurriedly folding his letter and putting it away embarrassed. His brother giving him a pathetic half smile, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
"Yes?" Jacob asked shortly, pouring himself a drink despite it being early and his slightly pounding from the amount he drank t he previous evening in an attempt to get some sleep.
"Richard Barnes was found dead yesterday morning"
"Where?"
"Jake....look me in the eyes and tell me you had nothing to do with this."
"I wish I had. Didn't matter that you boys came through and found her ma first, moved her somewhere safe for me, without me even asking, he found her anyway and burnt that place to the ground. With her ma and Aunt inside to send her a message. Or me. Was he found on our turf? Clarke making a move? Setting me up?"
Lenard dropped the morning paper on the desk, Jacob unfolding it. He looked up at his brother, clearing his throat as he read the details.

"Slit throat. Missing fingernails and eyeballs, it's a bold move. Not our style, coppers know that. Gemini symbol carved on his chest."
"Same as her brother Andrew that they fished out of the river of sin the other week. Gemini, the twin symbol, you think shes back or whoever it is sending her and her brother a message, a warning? Or calling them home?" Jacob asked "What if she's got herself in trouble again or her brother did."
"I was thinking the same. Maybe she came back when she heard of the fire and Clarke making moves to take over...."
"Should I ask for a parlay with the Barnes?" Jacob got up to pace. "See if they show their hand. They backed off when they realised I came back without her. Bought the story that she asked for help to get her away from Mathews. That he was secretly violent. That my so called sister fed false information to put him off the scent. That we hadn't been together that I was just a decoy. Him topping himself when he realised she'd left him for me played in our favour. He couldn't contest it."
"Still not sure he topped himself, Jake, I reckon Barnes put the gun his mouth, for loosing his daughter. He took his eye off the ball, thinking Mathews would be watching her. You ever thought he brought the story because maybe it was true, that that Mathews guys was a violent toerag, that Barnes knew he was handing her over to a life of beatings?"
"Of course I have! Evie said something was off she just didn't know what, she was too distracted with me, maybe if her mind was...."

"Oh Lenard you're here, I was hoping to speak to Jacob" Harrison bundled in without knocking "what's wrong?" He picked up the papers "I bumped into detective Brent. He said to tell you there's a new family on the scene, making moves. Big moves, bold moves. They use the Gemini as their calling card. He thinks it's them going after the Barnes. They've taken a lot of the Barnes properties and businesses already. They're not hanging about or being subtle. There's trouble brewing, big trouble he reckons."
"They made a move on any of ours?" Jacob asked confused
"Not a peep, no one else's either, just saw Joshua Finnegan, he said the same, few suspect characters obviously casing their joints, putting faces to names but no more than that, far few new faces, nobody knows who they are or where they've crawled out from." Harrison shook his head "business is good, Jacob. Getting a lot of business come our way that used to be Barnes buissness. We got a deal for protection at the Presley owned track, for twenty percent of takings and we can race our dogs for free. Used to be Barnes boys. Our lads said it was easy money, no trouble so far. Posh toffs making big bets to impress the women."

"Jacob!" Danny ran in the room out of breath "we've been contacted." Danny handed him a letter "they gave it to Betty! She was playing in the street with my two."
"Betty!" Jacob worriedly grabbed his jacket
"She's fine, just said a well dressed man approached and asked if she was Betty Evans. When she poked her tongue at him, he laughed and said make sure Jacob gets this. Tell him I have something he wants. The Mrs bought it straight round to the black swan. Betty said he didn't sound local but didn't sound like he was from over the river either. Or as she put it she didn't sound like Evie or uncle Marcus."

Jacob ripped open the letter reading it quickly "they want us to go to their new club opening. The gemini club. Well boys guess we go find out whose doing our dirty work for us."
"Should we bring the girls or walk in brothers only?" Lenard asked
"Bring your ladies. It's a club opening after all. Trudy's about to pop. Ask her to have Betty for me. No place for a heavily pregnant woman, not sure there's enough fabric in the dress shop to make her a cocktail dress eh boys, you sure it ain't twins, runs in the Family."
"Shut it. Or she'll slap you again" Danny laughed "any day now I reckon. I'll ask Ra...."
"No" Jacob snapped "she ain't watching Betty and no way is she coming along. It's family business."
"Exactly! Her names on the guest list. Look, says here." Danny pointed at the letter
"you tell her nothing, she ain't family. I told you before she stays the hell away from Betty and she don't know my business! She can't be trusted!" He pointed angrily "if it's too much for Trudy I'll ask aunt Judith or Edna."

"You're gonna have to speak to her at some point, Jacob. It's been over two years!"
"Two years, four months, three weeks and a day. That's how long it's been since she's been dead to me. Since she betrayed me. Since she screwed my girl over! You tell that bitch from me if I see her near the black swan again I'll take back the house that Evans family money paid for and she can go back to living in the slums. She ain't an Evans no more. Her ban stays in place!"
"Jacob, she's our sister! We could have refused!" Harrison argued
"You want to take her side? You live under my roof still!" Jacob yelled "go see if she'll take you in Harry. See if she'll put up with you! Feed you, clothe you. Turn a blind eye to your tarts coming and going! Go on! Sod off!"

"Come on Jake he's only..."
"Don't you dare, Danny! Don't you bloody dare defend her too! It's been over two years! Not one word from her, nothing, not one letter, phone call, nothing! It's like shes disappeared, like she never existed. She's not coming back, Danny! I've lost her! You expect me to forgive her knowing my girl might be dead or being whored out, tortured, god only knows what happened to her, not one word Danny! Not one! She's bloody dead isn't she? They found her!"
"You don't know that!" Danny tried to calm his irate brother down "what Rach did was wrong but she did it because she loves you and didn't want to loose you. She did it to protect the family."
"Yvonne was my family! My Evie! I came this close!" He held up two fingers close together "she's dead to me for what she did to my Evie, you hear me! Dead! She comes sniffing around again I'll put the bullet between her eyes my bloody self, stupid backstabbing bitch!"
"Where you going?" Lenard called after a raging Jacob as he stormed out, whiskey bottle in hand, swigging straight from the bottle. his drinking was becoming an issue and they all knew it.