The Fight for Lizzie Flowers (37 page)

The horse-drawn vehicle in front of them caused Danny to drive painfully slowly. Lizzie recognized it as one of the costermonger carts that always made their way to Covent Garden in the late and
early hours, serving the traders who would be preparing for the break of dawn.

She glanced at Danny, his face set, his eyes trained ahead. She hoped, for all their sakes, that this gamble tonight would bring them success. For if it did not, what would the outcome be?

Danny drew the van to a halt. Chancel Lane could have been any back street of the capital, had it not been for the rows of rooming houses and their stable yards, used in days
gone by for the liveries of the wealthy and accommodation for their lowly servants. Savage had chosen well, Danny thought as he narrowed his eyes along the gloomy lane. Unlit and likely to be
unpatrolled by the law, it felt menacing. In the middle of summer there was still a paleness in the sky to give the atmosphere a little light relief. But a multitude of shadows streamed out across
their path, distorted and strange-shaped. The air was mild for August and still. They sat quietly, listening to the squabble of cats and the chimes from a nearby clock tower.

‘Which belongs to Savage?’ Lizzie said and Danny leaned forward, his heart beginning to thud in apprehension. With Lizzie to protect, he had to be careful. He wasn’t afraid for
himself or even Cal. His friend had walked of his own choice into Savage’s lair. Cal must have known what awaited him. As for himself, he’d been in tight corners before. Push come to
shove, he would have felt much easier on his own, but he knew Lizzie would have come, with or without his nod. As for Bert, he was grateful that he would keep an eye on Lizzie. Frank would be
certain to watch out for number one. But perhaps Savage would be surprised by their number. Danny had given a great deal of thought to this moment. But there was no guarantee of success.

‘Look, up there, on the bend.’ Bert leaned forward and pointed to a dull light shining from a set of bow windows. ‘Someone’s at home.’

‘Must be the place then.’

Danny nodded. ‘Bert, stay here with your sister until you get my signal.’

‘We’ll all go together,’ Lizzie argued as Danny knew she would.

‘I’ll go first,’ Danny told her. ‘I need you to watch the lane.’ He indicated the length of the street. ‘If you see anything untoward, then squeeze the
horn.’

‘How long do we wait?’

‘Give me fifteen minutes. The deal should be done by then.’

Lizzie nodded doubtfully. ‘Bert and me are coming after you if you’re not out by then.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll have Frank with me.’

‘Me?’ Frank said from the rear of the van. ‘You’ve got to be kidding. I’ll only hold you up.’

‘Then I’ll go slowly, just for your benefit.’ Danny turned to look at Frank hidden in the darkness. A pale, frightened face stared back at him.

‘Why don’t you take Bert?’ Frank objected, clapping Bert on the shoulder. ‘He’s twice my size and fit as a fiddle.’

‘You’re a Flowers, Frank. I want Savage to clock you bringing up the rear, like Lizzie said, a united front. He won’t be expecting that.’ Danny went to the back of the
van and unlatched the double doors.

Frank climbed out, still protesting. ‘This ain’t a good idea, Danny.’

‘It’s the best one I’ve had tonight.’

Frank hesitated and reached for his stick.

Danny grabbed his arm. ‘You won’t need that.’ If there was trouble, Danny knew Frank would be about as much use as a pork pie at a Jewish wedding, as Bill always said. But that
was old news. His brother had been a liability for years and he wasn’t going to lay odds that Frank would change now. But it was time Frank earned himself some respect.

‘What about the gun?’ Frank looked pale and stooped as he stood up. He put his hand on the bulge of his suit pocket. ‘I don’t feel safe with the only shooter. What if
someone spots it?’

‘They won’t be asking for a character reference. So get your head up and if you don’t try any death-defying stunts, you’ll survive.’

Frank pulled his shoulders back an inch. He glanced warily behind him. ‘Don’t mind admitting that—’

‘Yeah, I know, your back hurts.’ Danny set off down the lane. He was wearing his best suit and tie for the occasion. He wanted Savage to know he was taking this deal seriously. He
had to make an impression; convince Savage to come to the wharf tomorrow. Indicate that his demand for six hundred pounds would bring a result.

‘Blimey, where’s the fire?’ Frank muttered as he tried to keep up.

‘When we get inside, don’t say a word,’ Danny threw over his shoulder. ‘Let me do the talking.’

‘You can say that again,’ Frank mumbled, puffing.

Danny came to an abrupt halt as he reached the lit window. He looked up at the old hostelry, its weathered boards and oak timbers in need of repair. There were figures inside, but the dirty,
sagging curtain drawn across the glass gave no clue as to how many.

‘There it is,’ said Frank nervously, pointing up at the sign.

Danny read aloud, ‘
Leonard Savage & Co. Security and Credit Brokers
.’ He saw with satisfaction that someone had thrown paint at the grubby black lettering, some of which
had trickled down to the window, running into a lake on the ledge. ‘A popular man by all accounts,’ sneered Danny, and pushed the door open.

Lizzie turned to Bert, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The van felt like an oven. It was only a short while since Danny and Frank had gone, but she was anxious to follow
them. ‘Can you see anyone suspicious?’ she said, narrowing her eyes at the deserted lane.

‘Yeah, over there.’ Bert clamped a hand on her shoulder. ‘There’s some old sort on the other side of the road.’

‘It’s only a woman.’

‘Looks like a dock dolly,’ Bert agreed. ‘She might have her minder in tow.’

‘We’ll wait till she goes by, then.’

But the figure lingered and was, as Bert suggested, joined by a man. ‘It’s a knocking shop,’ Bert said. ‘They could be busy all night—’

Lizzie didn’t wait for him to finish. She opened the van door. Bert jumped out from the back and joined her. They stood under the moonlight in the balmy summer air, looking back and forth
along the lane. ‘There’s another geezer coming up,’ Bert warned softly. ‘On his own, see?’

Lizzie nodded at the stumbling figure. The drunk seemed to pose no danger. ‘Let’s take a look in the window.’ She hurried towards the light. Her summer dress was damp and clung
to her. Even her hair, tied behind her head, felt sticky on her neck. She went a little faster.

Bert pulled her back. ‘Hang on there, gel.’ Lizzie knew her nerves were getting the better of her. She tried to quell the unsettled feeling in her stomach. Danny knew what he was
doing. What could go wrong? She tried to take a deep breath. But she was so anxious, she couldn’t. The moon and its light cast even more shadows; they seemed to move around the two people on
the other side of the road.

She stood still. The sweat was ice cold on her forehead. The door opened and a dull light flowed out. Before Bert could grab her, someone roughly pulled her in.

A sack was over her head; her hands were tied behind her back. It had all happened so quickly. She was being pushed along, stumbling her way forward. What had happened to
Bert?

Suddenly she was made to stop. The sack was pulled from her head; she blinked at the sudden light.

‘We meet again, Mrs Flowers.’ Leonard Savage was standing in front of her. Behind him were his men, positioned around the old inn in a dim light. Gone was the polished bar and
welcoming hearth with horse brasses, tongs and scuttle. Now the room looked neglected, abandoned, with cobwebs strung across the narrow wooden staircase leading to the upper floor.

‘Where’s my brother? Where’s Danny?’ she managed to croak.

‘All in good time.’ Savage was smiling, looking every inch the gangster surrounded by his mob. It was as if he had dressed especially for the occasion: a blue pinstripe suit, a white
tie folded into a huge knot beneath his chin, a dark-coloured Homburg on his head and a cigar poised between his fingers.

‘So what have you to say for yourself, my dear?’ Savage said, his smile false. ‘You come here with your friend, a greedy fool who should have accepted my money when first
offered . . .’ Savage shook his head and slowly walked towards her. ‘Did he really expect me to bargain? Did you?’ She flinched as, folding his hand into a fist, he drew his
knuckle down her cheek. ‘Now, let’s you and me be sensible, shall we? I’m certain we can come to an arrangement.’ His fingers went over her hair.

‘Wh-what sort of arrangement?’ she stammered.

‘I hear you’re thinking of expanding.’

She turned her head sharply. ‘How do you know that?’

‘I told you, I know everything.’

‘It’s no business of yours what I do.’ Lizzie tried to stop her voice from shaking. How did he know about Mr James’s shop? He must have followed her there.

‘How very short-sighted,’ he snapped, blowing thick grey smoke in her face. ‘Meet your new partner, Mrs Flowers. We’ll be working closely together. Very closely.’
He smiled as he looked into her eyes. ‘You’ll run the shops for me, and receive a small percentage. I’m certain we’ll get along – after a fashion. In fact, I’m
looking forward to our close acquaintanceship.’

How could I have been so blind? Lizzie thought as she stared at him. This man intends to take everything, including me.

‘As I say, such a pity this hasn’t ended in a more civilized way.’ Savage drew an envelope from his pocket. ‘You’ll watch and learn as you see Mr Flowers sign this.
After which, I’m sure you’ll be ready to meet my – er – terms.’

‘Danny will never sign his land over.’

‘Not without encouragement, I agree. I hope you have a strong stomach, my dear.’

Lizzie drew in a breath. Danny had underestimated this man. They all had.

Savage leaned forward and murmured, ‘You have beautiful skin, by the way.’

Lizzie closed her eyes as he touched her; he made her skin crawl.

‘Did you really think – the both of you – that I didn’t anticipate resistance? Why, I know every trick in the book and believe me, he
will
sign the
papers.’ Savage added slowly, ‘And you’ll encourage him, as neither of you would want those pretty children to be orphaned so early in their young lives, now, would
you?’

Lizzie stared at him in disbelief. It was as if someone had stuck a knife into her ribs. Her mouth dried and she couldn’t move. It was Polly and Tom he was threatening.

‘And of course there’s the mechanic,’ Savage continued easily. ‘A man who has caused me a great deal of inconvenience. He took out two of my men only yesterday. Now, I
wonder what his fate will be?’

Lizzie was very afraid. But she was also very angry. If Savage was going to kill them all, why hadn’t he done so already? It must be because he wanted those papers signed. And he was using
her to do it. But if she refused to help him, what about the children?

‘I miss Albert, you know,’ Savage told her. ‘He washed up with the tide at Gravesend a week ago . . .’ He raised his hairless eyebrows. ‘Albert had many good points
but he was always a tea leaf. I can only assume he was caught in the act by someone. I wonder who that someone could be.’

Lizzie looked into his eyes. ‘You’ll never know, will you?’

‘Sadly not.’

‘You knocked my brother-in-law off his bike,’ she said without shifting her gaze, ‘and drove away.’

‘Ah, the man with the bicycle!’ Savage dismissed with a wave of his hand. ‘He should have looked where he was going.’

‘You killed him,’ Lizzie accused, her green eyes glinting.

Savage began to laugh. He wiped the tears of amusement from his eyes, until suddenly he stopped. ‘Enough of this! I was prepared to be fair. Who wouldn’t consider my proposition as
reasonable? Only a fool would refuse.’

‘Did you really expect Danny to agree after what you’ve done to us?’ Lizzie said helplessly, her wrists painful behind her back. ‘One day, the law will catch up with
you.’

Savage came close to her, his breath on her face and his smile fading. ‘The law is in my pocket, where it should be, Mrs Flowers. The only effective law in the East End is mine. As you are
about to discover.’

Bert was slowly recovering from the clout to his head; he counted himself lucky he had a thick skull. But in the few moments he was out he’d been parted from Lizzie and
that was worrying him. Though as it was now very dark, he couldn’t see exactly where he was, but there was movement in the animal’s straw he could smell and feel around him. It must be
a stable and, from what he could gauge, listening carefully, there weren’t any horses. With his hands and feet bound together, he tried to roll over.

‘Is that you, Bert?’ It was Frank’s voice.

‘Yeah, what’s going on?’

‘Dunno. My hands and feet are tied.’

‘It’s as black as the ace of spades in here.’ Bert tried to wriggle his hands but they were clamped at his backside. ‘Someone’s trussed us up like turkeys.
We’ve got to get out.’

‘Easier said than done,’ Frank replied, ‘I can’t move without giving meself gyp.’

Bert sighed heavily, gazing into the dark. ‘What happened to you and Danny?’

‘It was a set-up. The moment we walked in, they nabbed us. Savage never intended to deal. They shoved me out here – in the stable – and I heard them knocking Danny about. Then
it went quiet and I’ve been lying here, till they brought you.’

‘Savage was waiting for us,’ Bert said, trying to see into the pitch black. ‘Must have been.’

‘Where’s Lizzie?’

‘Wish I knew.’

‘Danny should have kept her out of it.’

‘If she makes her mind up, nothing ain’t gonna stop her.’ Bert moved agitatedly, trying to kick his legs free from the ropes round his ankles. ‘Somehow we’ve got to
get free.’

‘Yeah, and what do we do then? These characters are tooled up to the eyeballs. I saw enough shooters to stock an army. Let’s face it, we’re well out of our league here. Danny
should have sold to Savage when the garage was burned down. Now we’re all going to pay a penalty.’