He had terrible trouble finding a phonebox that was working, but finally he found one.
‘All right, bruv? Do us a favour will yer? Meet us at The Bancroft so I can come home with yer. Mother’s got the knives out for me, ain’t she?’
James agreed. ‘She’s definitely got a cob on with yer over something, but she ain’t said what. I’ll lock up now and meet you in about half an hour. I can only stay for a couple, though, I’ve got a date tonight. It’s all been happening Tom, I’ve got loads to tell yer.’
Tommy smirked as he replaced the receiver. His little bruv must be loved up with Ellie, the bird with the big knockers.
James locked up the shop and ran for the bus. Thanking the driver for waiting, he sat down and smiled. The last few days had been pure heaven and he’d never felt so happy. He’d taken Maria out for a meal on Sunday and they’d properly discussed their future. He didn’t want any secrets between them, so he’d had to come clean about Ellie Phillips.
‘I never went home with her the night of the party, Maria, but I did go round there once. I honestly don’t think I slept with her, but I was too bladdered to remember. Apart from the two girls that you already know about, there’s been no one else that I’ve had sex with. I only got hold of Ellie to get back at you – I swear that’s the truth.’
Maria smiled. She was hardly in a position to have a go at him. ‘Forget Ellie, it doesn’t matter now that we’re together.’
‘What about you?’ James asked. The pair of them needed to start on a clean slate and he’d rather know now if she’d slept around.
‘There’s been no one,’ Maria told him. ‘Obviously I’ve done stuff with boys, but I’ve never gone the full way.’
James breathed a sigh of relief. He’d have accepted the situation if she had slept around, but he was so glad that she hadn’t. He would be her first and hopefully her last.
James had no intention of rushing the sexual side of things between them, but he came up with a suggestion. ‘I’d like to take you away for a weekend, Maria. It will be so nice, just the two of us and you can choose where we go.’
Maria was ever so excited. She told him that she liked the seaside, but he was to choose the destination. He didn’t have a clue about seaside resorts and had asked Harold’s advice. His boss had suggested Brighton and had shown him how to book it. He couldn’t wait to tell Maria that it was all booked and they were going Friday week.
On hearing that Parksy had dropped the money round to his mum, Tommy bought him a pint. He didn’t particularly like the geezer, but he wasn’t one to hold grudges.
‘I need to speak to me bruvver now, Mickey, I’ll see you around,’ he said, excusing himself.
As he walked over to James, he smiled. ‘Fuck me, you look happy. Been giving Ellie some welly have yer, Jimmy boy?’
James laughed. Ordering his pint, he explained his good news. ‘Me and Maria are going out properly, Tom. It’s real serious and we’ve sorted out all the shit we went through. I love her so much and I can’t tell yer how happy I am.’
Tommy couldn’t help laughing. This was a wind-up, it had to be. ‘Don’t muck about, Jim. Go on, tell us about Ellie.’
James shook his head. ‘Nothing happened with Ellie, I swear I’m not mucking about. Me and Maria are a couple, we’re well loved up. We’re even going away to a hotel for the weekend.’
Realising that his brother wasn’t joking, Tommy excused himself. ‘I’m just going to the khazi. I’ll be back in a minute and you can tell us all about it.’
Tommy entered the toilets and fiercely punched the wall. He was absolutely fucking fuming. What the hell was Maria playing at? She was taking the piss, that’s what she was doing. He would have given it a go with her, but no, she’d chucked him and come on to his little brother instead. He had to pull her to one side, have a quiet word. She wasn’t going away with Jimmy boy, he wouldn’t allow it. Dousing his face in cold water, he plastered on a smile and headed back to his sibling.
As his brother rambled on, Tommy tried his hardest to sound pleased for him, but unable to stand his obvious euphoria, he urged James to down his drink.
‘Sorry, Jim. I am really happy for yer, but I might not seem it, ’cause I’m dreading facing mother.’
As they walked towards home, James asked him the one question he’d been too frightened to ask Maria.
‘You know the other night, Tom, at Susan’s party? What happened when I left, yer know, with Maria?’
Tommy put an arm around him. ‘Nothing, you dick. All she was doing was trying to wind you up. She ain’t got no interest in me or Freddie and, in any case, she’s miles too young for us. We wouldn’t be looking for birds that age, especially ones that me bruvver likes.’
James grinned. ‘Thanks, Tommy, I thought you’d say that.’
Maureen checked the dumplings. They had stew for dinner tonight. Ethel had been on the thieve again this morning and had turned up with a rabbit.
‘It’s Glad’s birthday today and it’s her favourite. Will yer cook it for us, Maur? Me old legs are playing me up again.’
Maureen smiled. She was such a lying old cow. Her legs never played up when she was out on the rob, but when she couldn’t be bothered doing ought, her arthritis suddenly appeared. Informing her mother-in-law that she wasn’t bloody stupid, she offered to cook the stew, and do a spotted dick for afters.
Maureen began dishing up. Hearing the door slam, she called out to her son.
‘That you, James? Your dinner’s ready, love.’
Tommy pushed his brother into the kitchen and walked in meekly behind him.
‘All right, Mum?’
Maureen had to stop herself from throwing the hot saucepan at him. She hadn’t said anything to Ethel about her trip to the building site; she wasn’t in the mood for her ‘I told you so’. She needed to get Tommy on his own, have his guts for garters, and she wasn’t about to do it in front of James.
‘I suppose you want some dinner?’ she snapped at him.
‘Please, Mum,’ he said angelically.
She got another bowl out of the cupboard. She’d give him ‘please, Mum’. She’d knock his fucking block off.
‘There’s plenty of stew left over. Why don’tcha knock next door, James, and ask Maria in for her tea?’
Maureen was over the moon that they’d finally got it together.
‘I’ll give her a knock,’ Tommy offered, as James ran upstairs to get changed.
Maria was in her dressing gown when the doorbell rang. Her mum, bless her, had made herself scarce for the evening. Thinking that James was early, she excitedly ran down the stairs.
‘You’re early,’ she giggled, as she opened the door.
Tommy barged in and slammed the door shut. Seeing her cover herself with her dressing gown, he smirked.
‘Don’t bother doing that, darling. I’ve seen it all before, remember?’
Feeling threatened, Maria tried to hold her nerve. ‘What do you want, Tommy?’
Tommy peered towards the kitchen. ‘Is your mother in?’
Maria nodded. She had to lie because she didn’t want him to know that she was in the house alone. ‘She’s upstairs in the bath.’
Tommy sneered at her. ‘Whaddya think you’re playing at, Maria? What’s all this about you and Jimmy boy?’
Maria looked away, ‘I love him, Tommy, and I want to be with him.’
Grabbing her, Tommy shoved her up against the wall. ‘You didn’t love him last week, did yer? I ain’t gonna let you fuck my bruvver about and break his heart. I want you to finish it with him.’
Maria looked at him in astonishment. He was jealous, she could see it in the bastard’s eyes.
‘I will do no such thing,’ she exclaimed.
Tommy moved his face an inch away from hers. ‘If you don’t finish with him, I’m gonna tell him all about me and you.’
The smell of fags and beer on his breath made Maria fell sick. He revolted her and she realised there and then
what a nasty piece of work he was. ‘Tell him then, Tommy. He’ll probably forgive me – we weren’t even together at the time – but I’ll tell you something, he’ll never forgive you. If you wanna lose your brother for good, then go ahead and tell him.’
Tommy was stopped from answering by the knock on the door. ‘All right,’ he said, as James walked in.
‘What yer doing, Tom? Your dinner’s gettin’ cold.’
Tommy smiled. ‘I was just trying to entice your girlfriend indoors for some of mum’s world-famous rabbit stew.’
‘I’ve already eaten, James,’ Maria said nervously.
Tommy smirked at her, ‘Can’t we tempt you with some spotted dick, Maria? That’s your favourite, isn’t it?’
Ignoring his sarcasm, Maria squeezed James’s hand. ‘Yous two go and have your dinner while I finish getting ready.’
Aware of an atmosphere between his brother and girlfriend, James shooed Tommy out.
‘Tell Mum I’ll be a couple of minutes,’ he said.
He shut the door and held Maria tightly. ‘Are you OK?’
Maria clung to him, ‘I’m fine, James, just embarrassed. I thought it was you at the door and I was mortified when I stood there in my dressing gown and it was Tommy.’
James smiled. She was so sweet, that explained things. ‘Why don’t you quickly get dressed and come in. I’ll wait for you.’
Maria refused. ‘I haven’t even done me make-up yet. Go and eat your dinner and hurry up back. Mum’s gone out for the evening and I’ve got us a bottle of wine and a video.’
James kissed her and left. Even in her dressing gown she looked stunning, and being her boyfriend made him feel like a million dollars.
Sat on the wall, Susan grinned as Kevin walked towards her. The fresh air had worked wonders, and the panic she had felt earlier had all but disappeared. ‘Well, how was your reading? What did she say? Are we havin’ a boy?’
Kevin snatched her hand and pulled her off the wall. ‘Come on, let’s get out of ’ere,’ he said.
Susan could see he looked as white as a ghost, and she was frightened to ask what was wrong. ‘Did she say we’re having a girl? Is that why you’re upset?’ she managed to say.
About a hundred yards from the house, Kevin stopped and took her in his arms. ‘You was right, Suze, we shouldn’t have gone. She went all weird on me. She really freaked me out, she did.’
Susan held his hands. ‘What did she say?’
Kevin shrugged. ‘Well, she said that we’re ’aving a boy, but then she started rambling on about tears and sorrow. It made me paranoid. She was talking as if the baby was gonna be born disabled or have an illness or something.’
Susan was really annoyed. ‘I told yer not to go, didn’t I? She’s off her head, the nutty old cunt. Take no notice. She’s nearly ninety, for fuck’s sake – what do you expect?’
Kevin still looked worried. ‘Everyone says that she’s always right though, Suze. Say our son’s got Down’s syndrome or something?’
Susan slapped him around the face. She didn’t hit him hard, but she had to make him see sense. ‘Look, Kev, if our baby had something wrong with it, the doctor would know. We can’t spoil what’s meant to be the happiest moment of our lives because we’re worried about what some senile old woman’s predicted.’
Kev nodded. ‘I know you’re right, but she kept goin’ on about tears and sorrow. She even started wailing herself, and then the cats joined in.’
Susan shook her head. ‘She’s talkin’ bollocks. She’s probably got our future mixed up with our past. I mean, we had loads of tears and sorrow then, didn’t we?’
Kev nodded. ‘I suppose she is old. Maybe she looked in her crystal ball and saw the way we used to be.’
Susan carried on. ‘She probably saw me glass Joanne, and you beat me up. There was plenty of tears and sorrow that night, wasn’t there?’
Kev forced a smile. ‘Let’s not think about it any more. As you said, she’s a nut-job. You were right though, we should never have gone to see her.’
Susan grinned. ‘Well, best you listen to me in future, eh, Kev?’
Tommy was too wound up to enjoy his rabbit stew. He’d thought the bitch would fold, but instead she’d called his fucking bluff. Deciding he needed to get Maria out of his head once and for all, he borrowed his mum’s phone and rang Lucy, the bird he’d met in The Bancroft. As he knew she would, she jumped at the chance of going out with him, so he took her address and arranged to pick her up at half eight.
Maureen kissed James goodbye and took the dirty bowls and plates into the kitchen. Shutting the lounge door so Ethel couldn’t hear her, she went upstairs to see Tommy.
‘How’s the job going?’ she asked, as she barged into his room.
Not knowing if she was on to him or not, Tommy was relieved to see her smiling. ‘Yeah, it’s going really well, thanks, Mum.’
‘Yer lying little fucker,’ Maureen screamed, as she laid into him.
Partially dressed, Tommy held his hands over his meat and two veg.
‘What yer doin’? You gone off your head, or what?’
Maureen pushed him onto the bed. Wagging her finger in his smarmy mush, she gave him what for. ‘I’ve been down to your building site and no one’s ever fuckin’ heard of yer there. Don’t take me for a fool, Tommy. I’ve heard all the rumours about what you’re really doing; now tell me the fuckin’ truth.’
Tommy sat there like a naughty little schoolboy. She obviously had him by the short and curlies and if he told her that he was on a different building site, she’d only trot down there as well.
‘I didn’t tell yer the truth, Mum, ’cause I didn’t wanna worry yer. I’ve been working with Freddie. It’s nothing heavy, just a bit of this and that.’
Maureen clipped him around the head. ‘What exactly is this and that, Tommy?’
‘You know, just bits and bobs. A bit of thieving, that kind of stuff.’
Pulling his case from the top of his wardrobe, Maureen slung it at him.
‘I want you to pack your stuff, son, and get out of my house. I will not have you disrupting your little brother. Through thick and thin I’ve stuck by you and this is how you repay me. I’m disowning you, Tommy Hutton. From today, me and you are finished.’
‘Don’t do this, Mum, please. Look, I’m sorry. I’ll get a job, I’ll make you proud, I promise. I’ll . . .’
Maureen shut him up mid-sentence. ‘I’ve given you enough chances, Tommy, but no more. You’re no good, son. You’re like yer fuckin’ father. Just pack yer stuff and go. I want yer gone before James gets home.’
Totally unaware of what was going on next door, James was snuggled up to Maria. ‘Can’t we turn this girlie shit off and watch a proper film instead?’ he asked, tickling her.
Maria forced a giggle. Tommy turning up earlier had completely ruined her evening. She hadn’t realised that he was so nasty and vicious, and she was worried about the lengths to which he’d go to spoil what she and James had. Sleeping with him was the biggest regret of her life. Part of her wanted to tell James the truth; maybe she should blame the drink and come clean. Twice tonight she’d tried, but the words just wouldn’t come out. The thought of losing him was too much of a risk for her even to contemplate.
James topped up her glass. ‘You’re ever so quiet, babe. You’re not bored with me already, are yer?’
Maria kissed him tenderly. ‘I will never be bored with you, James. I love you too much for that.’
Beaming with pride, James turned back to the girlie film. He’d watch any old shit, as long as it made her happy.
Tommy dragged his case down the stairs and made a couple of phonecalls. He literally had nowhere to stay. He rang Freddie, and was told that he was out. Not wanting to ask Freddie’s mum if he could doss there, he replaced the receiver. Apart from a hotel or a B & B, he was well and truly fucked. Remembering he was meant to be taking Lucy out, he rang her to explain and cancel.
‘I’ve got my own flat,
Tommy. You can stay here tonight, if you’ve nowhere else to go,’ she said immediately.
Tommy was shocked. She’d only looked young and he’d assumed that she lived with her parents. He immediately took her up on the offer. It was dark now and he didn’t fancy wandering about like a prick with his case.
‘I’ll ring a cab and see you in a bit,’ he told her.
Sitting on the stairs, he thought things through. He didn’t know sod all about this Lucy bird. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that shit, but for all he knew, she could be a psycho.
Deciding to have one more crack at his mum, he walked morosely into the kitchen.
‘Look, Mum, I’m really sorry. Please don’t chuck me out.’
Hearing the cab toot, Maureen remembered the envelope that the junkie-looking boy had brought round. Grabbing it from the drawer, she slung it at him.
‘Goodbye, Tommy. Take your dirty money and good fuckin’ riddance.’
TWENTY-FOUR
Maureen took the tea bag out of the mug and threw it in the bin. She put up her deck chair, made a quick sarnie and took the tray into the garden. It was such a nice day, sunny with a lovely breeze. Finishing her lunch, she tilted back her head and took in the warmth. As she shut her eyes, she thought about James, and as usual she couldn’t stop smiling.
It was less than a month ago that he’d come home with Harold in tow to tell her that he’d be taking over the tailor’s shop earlier than expected. Harold had done most of the explaining.
‘Gloib mir, your son to me is bracha. My health is none too good, Maureen, and I’m going to allow the boy to do his own thing. He’s as good as mishpachas to me, and he’s that good a salesman, my dear, all I do is sit on my tuchis all day. So, from next Monday young James is the proud owner of Cohen and Son. James, open the champagne,’ he urged.
Maureen joined in with the toast. ‘Mazel tov,’ she repeated after Harold.
The Betrayer Page 18
