Payback (14 page)

‘Where you been? Worried sick about you, I was. I never slept a wink last night.’

‘I’m sorry, Mum. I had a business meeting and didn’t get back until late, which is why I crashed here. I’d had a few bevvies, so didn’t want to wake Jo and the baby.’

‘Wake them! They were already bastard well awake, Vinny, which probably had something to do with the brick that flew through the window and nearly wiped out poor little Molly’s life.’

Vinny felt his blood run cold. ‘You what? Is Molly OK? What happened, Mum? If anyone has hurt her, I swear I will fucking kill ’em.’

‘Molly’s fine. Her and Jo stayed here the night. Best you get round yours and see if Little Vinny’s there. Poor sod’s been on his own all night, and I couldn’t go round there – not with Jo in a state and Vivvy just getting out of hospital. You want to take a good look at your life, son. You’re not a teenager any more, you’re a grown man with responsibilities. Those kids of yours should be top of your list of priorities, not your dodgy business dealings.’

‘I’m really sorry, Mum. Can I talk to Jo?’

‘No, she’s feeding Molly. Just get your arse home, then round here – and bring Jo and Molly a change of clothes and the pram. I just pray, with that window smashed, you haven’t been burgled as well.’

Vinny felt as guilty as sin when his mother ended the call. No way would he take cocaine again or visit whorehouses, ever! Molly deserved far better than that. Not knowing who had it in for him was driving him insane, but somebody obviously did, and when he found out who that individual was, he would personally chop their fucking head off.

Michael Butler groaned in ecstasy as Bella brought him to a shuddering orgasm. Nancy wasn’t a lover of blow-jobs and on the rare occasion she did give him one, it was with a very half-hearted attitude. Bella was the opposite. She couldn’t get enough of his cock and gave the best head that Michael had ever received in his life.

‘Babe, I’ve got to go now. My sons will be waiting for me to take them to my mum’s street party.’

‘Will we be seeing one another again? Only I’m not the type to sit at home staring at the phone hoping you might call, Michael.’

‘How about I take you out on Sunday? We’ll go up the West End if you like?’

Bella smiled. ‘I like that idea very much.’

Vinny Butler felt as guilty as hell when he walked into his mother’s lounge. He picked his baby up, held her close to his chest and turned to Joanna. ‘I’m so sorry you couldn’t get hold of me last night. You must have been terrified. Did you clock who did it?’

Joanna shook her head. ‘The brick only missed Molly by an inch or so. It could have killed her, Vinny. I looked out of the window, but whoever did it must have already run off. I was too scared to go outside. Where was you? I thought you were working at the club?’

‘I was, but I then had to go out on business. I didn’t get back until late.’

‘Well, you should let Michael run the club for the next few nights and stay at home with Jo and the baby, Vinny. It was probably kids, but you can never be too careful,’ Queenie warned her son.

Vinny sighed. Michael had mentioned he had seen two little herberts hanging around outside the club earlier this week, so perhaps they were the culprits? But why would two kids have it in for him? It just didn’t add up.

‘I need to shoot out tonight, so best Jo stays here until I get back. I shouldn’t be too late.’

‘Where’s Little Vinny? Did you find him?’ Vivian asked.

‘Yeah, he’s round at Ben Bloggs’. They’re both coming to the party later and somebody is fixing the window as we speak.’

When Joanna left the room to get changed, Queenie stared at her son. ‘Has somebody got it in for you, boy? Best you tell us the truth in case we’re all in bloody danger.’

Not wanting to worry his mum or aunt, Vinny chuckled. ‘Don’t be daft. As you said, it was probably just kids.’

Nancy Butler had tears streaming down her face as she drove towards Queenie’s house. Michael hadn’t come home last night, hadn’t even contacted her, and Nancy knew their relationship was in trouble. Dean hadn’t been much help. Their conversation had been cut short as the kids were playing up outside the phonebox, but he had urged her to leave Michael. ‘Just get away from that family before it’s too late, Nance. You’ll regret it if you don’t,’ were Dean’s exact words.

‘Why you crying, Mummy?’ Adam asked innocently.

‘Because she was nasty to Lee, now Daddy hates her,’ Daniel replied.

Feeling panicky as a lorry overtook her, Nancy bumped the car up a nearby kerb. She had only passed her driving test a couple of months ago and Michael had bought her a Mini, but she rarely drove alone as she wasn’t confident enough. Feeling dreadfully sorry for herself, Nancy took a tissue out of her bag and blew her nose. No wonder Michael hated her right now. She was a crap driver, mother and wife.

Having helped decorate the street and tables with Union Jacks and bunting, Queenie and Vivian set about getting themselves glammed up. Most of their neighbours were as scruffy as arseholes, but Queenie and Vivian enjoyed standing out from the crowd. It was what they were all about.

‘Does this look OK, Queen? I lost weight in that hospital. Don’t look too big, does it?’ Vivian asked. She was wearing a pale blue sleeveless dress, navy shoes and a big straw hat.

‘You look a million dollars, Viv. But don’t forget to put your gold on. I’m wearing my sovereign today, and you should wear yours. What about my outfit? Not too over the top, is it?’ Queenie replied. She’d chosen a white sleeveless dress which she’d matched with a big red hat and red shoes. Both women had thought they were the bees knees since they were teenagers.

‘You look fabulous. When’s Vinny setting the disco system up in the front garden, Queen?’

‘He’s sorting it now. Right, shall we start taking the food out? I wonder what Stinky Susan has made?’

Vivian chuckled. Stinky Susan had moved into the house next door while she was in hospital. An unkempt-looking woman with permanently greasy hair, she had knocked on Viv’s door this morning and Viv had been greeted with a distinct whiff of unadulterated piss. ‘Christ knows, but I’m not eating anything she or anybody else brings. None of their homes are that wholesome, so we’ll just stick with our own grub.’

Queenie agreed, then linked arms with Viv. Usually, they avoided the neighbours like the plague, but there had been rumours flying about that Viv had been carted off to the nuthouse, and Queenie was determined to restore family pride. ‘Come on, let’s go and knock the nosy bastards dead.’

Having never driven to the East End before, Nancy panicked when she found many of the roads, including Queenie’s, were blocked off for street parties. Instead she headed for Michael’s club and was fortunate to find a parking space nearby.

‘Look, there’s Daddy! Dad, wait for us,’ Daniel screamed, as he and Lee chased after their father.

Picking Adam up, Nancy walked towards Michael. He had obviously stayed at the club as he was wearing different clothes to the ones he’d left home in the previous day. Nancy was relieved about that, as when she had rung the club late last night and again this morning she had been informed that her husband was not there.

‘I’ll take the boys from here, so you can go to your mum’s party,’ Michael said, avoiding direct eye contact with his wife. He could tell she had been crying and he knew if he looked at her, he would feel guilty.

‘I’m not going to my mum’s party. I want us to spend the day together as a family. Michael, I’m so sorry Lee heard what I said. He is a good kid and I swear, from now on I shall treat him the same as my own. Please forgive me. I love you and we owe it to our sons to make our marriage work, don’t we? Can you imagine how upset they would be if we split up? It would break their little hearts. Daniel and Adam would miss Lee so much if he went to live with you, and I could never give our boys up, Michael.’

‘And neither could I,’ Michael spat.

When Nancy broke down in tears, Michael held her close to his chest. His heart felt torn in two. He still loved her, but was that just because she had given him two wonderful sons? Bella made his pulse race every time he thought about her. But was it lust that he felt for her or true love?

The one thing Michael did know was that he thought too much of both women and his kids to lead a double life. He would have to make a decision, and he would have to make it fast.

Queenie and Vivian’s food outclassed everybody else’s. Two cooked chickens, ham knuckles, ribs of beef, a pot of dripping, pork pies, pasties, sausage rolls, and a massive bowl of salad, pickles, crusty French sticks and a block of thick butter had the rest of the neighbours drooling, and they hadn’t even brought their cakes and desserts out yet. ‘If that obese fucker tries to take one more thing off this table, I’m gonna chop her big fat hand off with this knife,’ Vivian informed her sister.

Guessing that Viv was referring to Big Stan’s greedy wife, Queenie laughed.

‘Urgh, this is disgusting. Did you make this, Nan?’ Little Vinny asked, handing Queenie a half-eaten sandwich.

‘No, I bloody well didn’t! It’s fish paste. Put it down or you’ll get poisoned. Stinky Susan made it,’ Queenie whispered.

‘What did you bring to the party, Nancy? Didn’t see you turn up with bags of food,’ Brenda asked, smirking.

Queenie kicked her daughter under the table. Brenda had been knocking back the booze like it was going out of style. ‘Shut it, you. Michael and Vinny have gone to pick up the seafood, so that’s Nancy and Jo’s contribution sorted. Besides, you cooked sod all yourself, Bren. Me and Viv did extra for you.’

‘Well, perhaps that’s because I’m a single mother with two kids. Not my fault my husband turned out to be a wanker, is it? You heard from him, Nancy? He always lusted after you,’ Brenda said, glaring at her sister-in-law.

Wishing Michael would reappear, Nancy stared at her plate of food. ‘No, I haven’t heard a word,’ she lied. Dean had only mentioned Brenda once on the phone, said he didn’t miss her at all. He sounded tearful when he spoke about Tara though, and he had asked after Tommy.

‘You’re lying. That’s why you won’t look me in the eye,’ Brenda spat.

Seeing Nosy Hilda looking their way, Queenie grabbed her daughter by the arm and yanked her off the chair. ‘Time to put some Mrs Mills on. Come and help me choose a record, Bren,’ she said, pasting on a false smile.

Having hauled Brenda up the garden path, Queenie waited until they were inside the house before giving her what for. ‘Look in that mirror, Bren, go on, then tell me what you see.’

‘Well, me of course. What you going on about?’

‘Now, I’ll tell you what I see, shall I? I see a fat, drunken lush who looks like she needs a decent haircut and a good scrub in the bath.’

Brenda burst into tears. ‘How can you be so nasty, Mum? You know I’m not feeling good about myself since Dean left.’

Queenie pointed at the mirror. ‘And that’s the reason why he left, love, not because of Nancy. You’ve let yourself go so much so, I’m embarrassed to call you my daughter. You don’t see me and your Auntie Viv walking about like tramps, do you? Now, I know you think I’m being unkind, but you’ll thank me for it one day. If I can’t tell you, who can, eh? Come on, dry them eyes and we’ll put some records on and enjoy the rest of the party. Then tomorrow, I’ll take you out shopping and we’ll get that bastard hair cut and you’ll start a diet, OK?’

Not knowing how else to react to her mother’s stern words, Brenda merely nodded miserably.

Because of the Jubilee celebrations, the East End was buzzing. Everybody had massive smiles on their faces and the area was flooded with street traders selling their wares. Plastic Union Jacks and hats, tea towels, china mugs and plates, key rings and even plastic crowns were being sold by the dozen. Unfortunately for Vinny, he had too much on his mind to get into the festive spirit. As did Michael, which was why both brothers were now strolling along in silence. ‘You OK, bruv? You seem preoccupied,’ Vinny said.

‘I could say the same about you, Vin.’

In an effort to lift their spirits, Vinny gave Michael a light punch in the arm and grinned. ‘Do you know what I think of every time we go to Tubby’s stall?’

‘No. Enlighten me.’

‘You, as a kid. Whenever Mum used to take us to the eel stalls in Brick Lane or Roman Road, you used to cry your eyes out when they took the eels out of the tank and chopped them up. I remember you begging Mum to let you take them home and keep them as pets.’

Michael laughed. ‘And I remember you getting great pleasure out of watching the poor little fuckers being chopped up alive. Once a sadistic bastard, always a sadistic bastard – that’s you all over.’

Vinny grabbed his brother in a playful headlock. ‘Moooooo,’ he shouted in his ear.

Still laughing, Michael pushed Vinny away. His brother had kept to his promise and not mentioned Trevor’s death any more, but Vinny had never let him forget that the cows had scared the living daylights out of him that evening in East Hanningfield.

‘Shall we have a beer in the Beggar before we head back to Mum’s?’ Vinny suggested.

‘Yeah, why not.’

There was a real party atmosphere inside the pub. Men had left their women at home to prepare for the street parties and the pub was packed. Laughter filled the air and Vinny only wished he felt as happy as every other bastard.

As usual, whenever Vinny and Michael set foot inside a local pub they were treated like royalty. Men fell over themselves to chat to them and buy them drinks, but Vinny knew that it wasn’t because he and Michael were overly popular. It was because they were feared.

Vinny handed Big Stan a wad of notes. ‘The drinks are on me. Shout one up for yourself and whoever else wants one. Get me and Michael a pint of lager and a whisky chaser each. We’re gonna sit at that table in the corner ’cause we’ve got some business to discuss.’

‘What’s up?’ Michael asked as they sat down at the only free table in the pub.

Vinny was about to reply when a group of men at the next table broke into an out-of-tune rendition of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake! Tell ’em to shut the fuck up, Michael,’ Vinny ordered.