Payback (30 page)

When Michael strutted off, Queenie and Vivian were both left dumbstruck. Michael had always been the cheeky, happy-go-lucky type compared to Vinny and Roy. Whatever had happened to him?

Carol Young was a very laid-back type of parent. She had brought her only daughter up singlehanded after her ex had left her when Sharon was a baby, and she liked the fact that her daughter’s friends deemed her cool. So when Little Vinny knocked at the door and asked her where Shazza was, Carol invited him in.

‘Shaz, you’ve got a visitor, love,’ Carol shouted out.

‘Send them up to my room, Mum.’

Little Vinny ran up the stairs. He could hear Althea and Donna singing ‘Uptown Top Ranking’; so followed the music. ‘All right, Shazza?’

Shazza was surprised to see Vinny. ‘What you doing here? You’re, like, nearly a week late.’

‘I know and I’m sorry. I had some problems at home and I couldn’t ring you, your phone number was written down wrong. Look for yourself if you don’t believe me,’ Little Vinny urged, handing Shazza the piece of paper.

‘What’s in your sports bag?’ Shazza asked.

‘Some clothes. I left home today. I bought you a present to say sorry as well.’

Shazza grinned when Little Vinny handed her a box of Milk Tray and a bottle of cider. She wasn’t used to lads buying her presents. ‘So why have you left home? Have you had a row with your mum?’

‘I haven’t got a mum. Mine died years ago. I left home because my dad is a bastard. Can you see that bruise on my face?’

Shazza nodded.

‘Well, that’s where my dad punched me for having my head shaved again.’

‘God, that’s terrible, Vinny. My mum doesn’t really like me being a skinhead, but she would never stop me from being who or what I wanted to be,’ Shazza replied, sparking up two cigarettes and handing one to Vinny.

‘Won’t we get in trouble for smoking? Say your mum smells it?’

Shazza chuckled. ‘It’s OK. My mum lets me smoke indoors, but says I must never tell my nan and granddad. She knows I sometimes drink cider too. My mum always says she would rather me be truthful with her and do what I want indoors than have me doing it behind her back.’

‘Your mum sounds well cool. Wish I could say the same about my old man. It’s his fault I wasn’t allowed to visit you before. He kept me prisoner.’

‘Well, never mind. You’re here now. Sit down and share this cider with me.’

Little Vinny grinned as he sat on the bed. Shazza’s room was perfect. She had a big Union Jack pinned up on one wall and the other wall was decorated with posters of the Selecter, Madness and the Specials. She also had a massive mobile stereo system and a record player.

‘So, where you gonna be living now, Vin?’

‘Dunno yet. I’ll probably stay at my mate Ben’s house.’

‘You can stay here for a bit, if you want? My mum won’t mind, and if we promise to behave ourselves she might even let you stay in my room.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. My ex-boyfriend used to stay here all the time.’

Little Vinny took a slurp from the bottle of cider, then awkwardly asked Shazza the question he had been gagging to ask her all week. ‘Shaz, will you go out with me? You know, like be my bird?’

When Shazza nodded, then leaned towards him and gave him his first ever passionate kiss, Little Vinny wondered if he had actually died and gone to heaven.

Donald Walker was a very inquisitive man, so he’d been none too pleased when his son was rather vague about the details of the meet with his informant.

Today was the first time since the meet that Donald had managed to drag his son out for a pint, so as soon as they sat down at a table, he started his own interrogation.

‘What are you keeping from me, Christopher? You’ve hardly said anything about this chap you met. Surely you trust me, don’t you?’ Donald asked, putting on his most wounded expression.

‘Don’t be daft, Dad. Of course I trust you. I’ve already told you that the meet went well and the informant seemed kosher. There really isn’t much more to say at the moment. He’s the only one who knows Vinny’s movements, so all I can do is play the waiting game until he contacts me again.’

‘Have you told anyone at work yet? And how exactly do you plan to arrest Vinny?’

As much as Christopher trusted his father, there was no way he was going to reveal every detail of his meeting with Ahmed. That would be totally inappropriate, and besides, there was far too much at stake, including his own head on the chopping block. ‘No, I haven’t informed anybody at work yet, Dad. As for your other question, I’ve told you all I can for now. As soon as I have more news, you’ll be the first to know, I promise. Now, can we just drop the subject, please? I want to forget about work on my day off and just have a few pints and relax.’

Donald smiled. He was so proud of Christopher. ‘Of course we can, son.’

After leaving Ben Bloggs’ house, Vinny Butler shot back to his own, picked up a few bits, made a couple of phone calls, then with a face like thunder, drove towards Eastbourne.

Today had not been a good day, and Vinny’s mind was in overdrive. His son was becoming a real thorn in his side, and that disappointed him immensely. When he was Little Vinny’s age, he might have been a fucker, but he’d never disobeyed or played up his mother. Did the boy have a screw loose? Because if so, it came from Karen’s genes, not his.

Being mugged off by a fourteen-year-old kid was not something Vinny was willing to put up with. Much as he was relieved that his boy was banging some bird instead of knocking about with the likes of Ben Bloggs, there’d be a rude awakening for the little shit when he got back from Kings.

Hooting at the car in front for driving slow in a fast lane, then treating the driver to a wrist sign as he put his foot on the accelerator and zoomed past, Vinny turned his thoughts to Joanna.

Once he’d got the word that Johnny Preston had been granted parole, he’d had a gut feeling the bastard would be out by this weekend, which was why he had planned a trip to Eastbourne. Vinny hated leaving the club unattended by himself or Michael of a weekend, especially since the fire, but he knew his doormen Pete and Paul were more than capable of running the gaff. It wasn’t even as if weekends were that busy these days.

Cranking up the volume of his car stereo, Vinny sang along. ‘Ashes to Ashes’ was David Bowie’s latest chart hit and the title gave him a great idea.

If Joanna ever disobeyed his orders by allowing Molly anywhere near that shitbag of a father of hers, she wouldn’t just end up dead behind a dustbin like Little Vinny’s mother had. He would personally cremate her, while she was still alive, just as he had with Trevor.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Queenie and Vivian shared a worried glance as Vinny paced up and down the bungalow, letting off steam. Joanna was still nowhere to be seen and Vinny had visions of her, her mother, father and Molly playing happy families somewhere nearby.

‘Sit down, love. You’re wearing the carpet out. I’m sure Jo has gone out with Nancy, ’cos we haven’t seen her and the boys all day either. Nancy’s sour-faced mother has been down here for the past week now. Bloody cheek, if you ask me. Didn’t have the guts to stay opposite us though. Booked her own chalet, apparently.’

Vinny was too bothered about his own problems to care whether Nancy’s mother was still in the vicinity or not. ‘Pour us a Scotch, Mum, and make it a large one,’ he ordered, collapsing into an armchair.

‘Where’s Little Vinny? You left him at home?’ Vivian enquired.

‘Don’t talk to me about that little shit. Gonna get the hiding of his life when I get home.’

‘Why? What’s he done now?’ Queenie asked.

When Vinny explained that Little Vinny had run away, then showed them his letter, both women tutted with disapproval. ‘Needs a bloody good fawpenny one, if you ask me,’ Vivian mumbled.

Queenie sighed. ‘You are seriously going to have to take a firmer hand with that boy, Vin. He’s spiralling out of control. You, Roy and Michael never gave me grief like that. Brenda was my biggest worry, and that was only because she’s a girl. Well, she was a cheeky little mare an’ all, but yous boys were angels compared to her and Little Vinny.’

‘I bet he’s staying with that Ben Bloggs. Disgusting family they are. Vermin of the very worst kind,’ Vivian said.

‘I went round the Bloggs’ place, he wasn’t there. Ben reckons Little Vinny has met some bird called Shazza who lives in Dagenham.’

‘Oh, my gawd! She sounds choice with a name like Shazza,’ Queenie remarked.

‘Next thing you know he’ll knock her up and you’ll be a granddad, Vinny,’ Vivian added.

‘Don’t bleedin’ say that. I’m not old enough to be a great-granny yet,’ Queenie spat.

‘I dunno what I’m gonna do with him. I thought working at the club would help make him grow up, but the boy’s got a mind of his own. He’s even had his head shaved again. Gave him a clump for that, but nothing I seem to do has the desired effect. He’ll know all about it when I get hold of him next week though. I’ll knock seven colours of shit out of him if I have to.’

‘And so you should!’ said Queenie emphatically. ‘Better that than he becomes a liability to you. I don’t want him spoiling the good name of this family.’

Vinny managed a smile for the first time that day. ‘We’re hardly that family out of
Little House on the Prairie
, Mum, but I do know where you’re coming from.’

‘Aw, my Lenny used to love that programme. Cried his eyes out sometimes while watching it he did. That and
Lassie
,’ Vivian reminisced.

‘I remember him crying over
Lassie
. I think you stopped him watching it in the end, didn’t you, Viv?’ Queenie asked.

Whenever he was in the same room as his mother and aunt and they started to discuss Lenny, Vinny always felt terribly awkward. Today was no different, so he quickly changed the subject. ‘Aw, bless Champ. Still miss him every day, I do. But going back to Little Vinny: he must take after Dad’s side of the family, Mum. He certainly don’t take after me and you.’

‘Speaking of which, your father is no more than thirty feet away as we speak. You need to have a stern word with that brother of yours, Vinny. Upset your mother terribly, Michael has, bringing him down here. And he was bloody rude to me and your mum earlier.’

Vinny’s face was etched with surprise. ‘What you going on about, Auntie Viv?’

‘Your father. Michael’s brought him down here on holiday, the old bastard.’

‘You’re kidding me! Dad stayed with Michael all last week, I knew that, but I thought Michael would drop him home before he came down here. What did he say to upset you both?’

‘Leave it, Viv,’ Queenie urged. She hated it when her sons argued.

‘No, I’m not leaving it, Queen. Bang out of order what Michael said to you, and Vinny should know the truth.’

Vinny was absolutely livid when he was informed that Michael had accused his beloved mother of leading his tosser of a father a dog’s life. ‘I ain’t fucking putting up with that. Where are they now? In Michael’s bungalow?’

When her son stormed out of the front door, Queenie grabbed his arm and begged him not to cause trouble. ‘Please, Vinny, I don’t want or need you or Michael arguing. What was said was said in the heat of the moment, and I order you to leave it be. Jesus wept, we nearly all got barred from here last bloody weekend and I don’t want anything like that ever happening again.’

About to argue his point, Vinny was stopped from doing so by his daughter running up to him. ‘Daddy, Daddy,’ Molly yelled, her face full of excitement at the sight of him.

Vinny picked Molly up and swung her around in the air. He could see Joanna, Nancy, Daniel, Adam and Lee out of the corner of his eye, but decided to blank them all by taking Molly inside. ‘Where you been today then, princess?’

‘We been to pier. Mummy won me this,’ Molly said, waving a small teddy bear in Vinny’s face.

‘Was anybody else with you other than Mummy, Auntie Nancy, Daniel, Adam and Lee?’

‘Yes, Daddy. Mary was with us too. Where is Molly Dolly, Nanny?’

‘In your bedroom, love. Put her down, Vin,’ Queenie ordered.

Aware that Joanna was now standing right outside the front door, Vinny leaned towards his mother and hissed in her right ear. ‘Who the fuck is Mary?’

‘Nancy’s mother. I told you she was here. Now will you calm yourself down, because you are making my bastard nerves bad.’

Little Vinny liked Shazza’s mum. She hadn’t let him stay in Shazza’s room the night before, but other than that she had made him ever so welcome and had even cooked him a nice big fry-up this morning. ‘So, what are yous two lovebirds up to this evening?’ Carol asked.

‘I was actually going to ask your permission, Mrs Young, to take Shazza to my friend’s birthday party in Whitechapel. We won’t stay late, I promise, and I will look after Shaz for you.’

‘No need to call me Mrs Young, Vinny. Carol will do just fine. Of course you can go to the party, but do make sure you look after Shaz. And can you bring her home by twelve, please?’

Little Vinny looked at Shazza and grinned. When she had kissed him passionately yesterday, he thought his luck had been in, but when he had grabbed her breasts, his girlfriend had stopped him from going any further. ‘My mum trusts me and I would never take liberties by doing anything with a boy while she is in the house. I wouldn’t feel right about it and she often walks into my bedroom without knocking. What about your house? Can’t we go there if your dad is away for the weekend?’

Today, Little Vinny had rung home. Then, on getting no answer, he had called the club. His father’s employee Pete had told him that his father had gone to Eastbourne for the weekend and was not due back until Monday morning.

When her mum left the room, Shazza squeezed her new boyfriend’s hand. ‘Can’t wait to get to yours, can you?’

Even though he was excited, Little Vinny was also quite nervous. He had no sexual experience whatsoever and he guessed, Shazza being older than him, that she probably had plenty. Shazza had no idea he was only fourteen. She had told him when they first met that she was nearly sixteen, so he had told her he was sixteen too. There was no reason for her to doubt him. He was tall for his age and he worked at his father’s club.