by Carol Rivers
‘You bastard!’ Babs screamed. ‘You bloody bully, what have you done to him?’
‘What I should have done twelve years ago,’ Danny told her calmly, raising his fists again. Vinnie lunged crookedly at him. Danny moved to one side. The next blow was to Vinnie’s stomach and the air poured out from Vinnie’s mouth. He fell to the ground at Danny’s feet.
‘You’ll be sorry for this, Danny Flowers,’ Babs shrieked as she scrambled out and went down on her knees beside Vinnie. ‘I’ll tell Frank, just you wait.’
Danny nodded. ‘You do that. And tell him I’ll be waiting.’ He stepped over Vinnie and on to the pavement. He laid his large hand on Polly’s head. ‘You’re all right now, Pol. You’re going home.’ He put his arms round them both. ‘We’re all going home.’
‘Call yerself a wife?’ Babs screamed after them as they walked away. ‘Frank never loved you, never. Even before you were married we was together. He’s always loved me. And he don’t give a damn about that bloody shop anymore. We’re going away, we’re gonna leave this sodding island. So it’s good riddance to the lot of you, that’s all I’ve got to say.’
Lizzie turned to look at her sister and brother. She was filled with sadness. How had they come to this? Once they were a family.
Then she climbed into the van beside Danny and he drove them away.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Flo and Tom were waiting in the office. Lizzie held Polly’s hand tightly as the door opened. Last time she was here, it had been a dark, frightening little room. Now it was bright and furnished, the desk brimming with papers and books. Around the desk there were chairs, a set of files stood in the corner beside a gas ring with a kettle on it.
Flo jumped up from one of the chairs. She ran over and hugged Polly, tears falling down her cheeks. ‘Oh, I ain’t never been so pleased to see you, young Pol.’ She sniffed and put her hands on her hips, looking furiously at Lizzie. ‘But I’m bloody mad with you, you dopey cow!’
Lizzie grinned. ‘You look it.’
‘Fancy running off like that. You gave me the fright of me life.’
Lizzie raised her eyebrows. ‘Is there a cup of tea going?’
Danny turned on the gas ring. ‘Tom, you get the cups out from the cupboard and push those chairs round.’ He glanced at Lizzie with a smile. They had said very little as he drove them home in the big brown van.
‘We didn’t go to the park like Mummy said we would,’ Polly said as she sat beside Flo. ‘We just went to a house.’
‘What was it like?’
‘I didn’t like it much.’
‘Well,’ Flo said cheerfully, ‘there ain’t no place like home, gel.’
‘There was all these ladies. They had only just got up.’
‘How do you know that, love?’ Flo asked curiously.
‘Because they still had their dressing-gowns on. And I saw one lady in her knickers.’
‘Well, perhaps they all had a lay-in.’ Flo hid her smile.
Polly looked up. ‘I ain’t half hungry.’
‘You can have one of my sweets, if you like.’ Tom took out a brown paper bag.
Polly peered into it. ‘I like the yellow ones best.’
‘I like the liquorice.’
‘Your dad punched Uncle Vinnie on the nose,’ Polly told Tom, and Flo smothered her laughter again.
Tom looked up at his father. ‘Did you, Dad?’
‘I’m afraid your Uncle Vinnie and me don’t see eye to eye,’ Danny said simply.
‘I’m glad,’ Polly grinned, sucking her sweet. ‘I don’t like Uncle Vinnie or Uncle Frank.’
‘Did you see Uncle Frank?’ Flo and Lizzie asked together.
Polly nodded. ‘I was supposed to be asleep, but I wasn’t.’
‘Where did you sleep?’ Tom asked.
Polly shrugged, her blue eyes wide. ‘Dunno. It was on a chair.’
‘Well,’ said Lizzie anxiously, ‘no wonder you couldn’t sleep.’
‘Here’s a nice cup of tea.’ Danny passed out big enamel mugs filled with steaming brown liquid. ‘Drink up, Pol, this’ll put hairs on your chest.’
Polly giggled. ‘I don’t want hairs on me chest, Uncle Danny, I’m a girl.’
‘I’ll have to put some glasses on,’ chuckled Danny.
‘Why didn’t Mummy bring you home last night, Polly?’ Lizzie wanted to get the whole story out of Polly.
‘Because Uncle Vinnie said we had to sleep in the car after the coppers came.’
‘Coppers!’ Lizzie shrieked. ‘You mean policemen?’
Polly wrinkled her nose. ‘I think so.’
‘Did you see any coppers – I mean policemen?’ Flo asked breathlessly.
Polly shrugged. ‘I don’t know. There was a lot of noise, but I was sleepy and we had to get in the car.’
‘You ain’t half had an exciting time, our Pol!’ Flo winked at Lizzie. ‘You’ve been on a big adventure, gel, ain’t you?’
Polly gulped down her tea. ‘Yes, but I didn’t have nothing to eat all the time we was in the car. Uncle Vinnie was snoring in the front seat and Mummy was drinking some smelly stuff. I couldn’t wake her up and I cried.’
Tom pushed the bag of sweets under Polly’s nose. ‘There’s a yellow one at the bottom.’
Polly helped herself. Looking at Tom, she giggled. ‘Uncle Danny saved me and Auntie Lizzie like in cowboys and indians.’
Danny grinned. ‘The only thing missing was the horse.’
Everyone laughed. ‘What’s down them stairs?’ Polly jumped to her feet.
‘Dad’s workshop,’ Tom said. ‘Do you want to see?’
Polly looked at Lizzie. ‘Can I?’
‘If Uncle Danny says so.’
Danny nodded. ‘Don’t go outside, though.’
Lizzie looked at Danny when the children had gone. ‘How did you find me this morning?’
He nodded at Flo. ‘I was working on the brown van – had to finish it for Monday. Then Flo arrives on Syd’s bike.’
‘Yeah,’ Flo said crossly, ‘I was in a right to-do, I can tell you. It was just lucky Danny was here. I didn’t know which house he lived at in Napier Road. And I was so bloody furious at you going off. . .
‘I didn’t think you’d agree with me going,’ Lizzie said quietly.
‘Too bloody right I wouldn’t,’ cried Flo, outraged. ‘At least not on yer own.
‘When Flo told me what happened,’ Danny continued, ‘I got out the van and drove up to Poplar to find the house. Flo told me roughly where it was. But before I got there I saw Vinnie’s car and you and Pol in the back.’
Lizzie looked at Danny. ‘I don’t know how to thank you.’
He grinned. ‘I do.’
They all laughed.
‘Going by what Pol said,’ Danny commented, ‘the police raided the house.’
They sat in silence for a moment until Flo giggled. ‘I had to stop meself from laughing when Polly said about that woman in her knickers.’
‘It’s got its funny side,’ Lizzie admitted. Now that they were safe she could agree with Flo, but at the time she had been very frightened.
Flo jerked her head towards the door and the noise coming from downstairs. ‘Well, our Pol ain’t none the worse for wear. Just listen to them two, having the time of their lives.’
Lizzie looked at Danny. ‘What would I have done without you and Flo today?’ Above his eye the long, ugly scar reminded her of what he had been through since coming back to the island.
‘That reminds me,’ Flo said suddenly. ‘I got a bone to pick with my Syd, the crafty little sod.’
‘What’s he done now?’ Lizzie asked.
Flo snorted. ‘I only rode over here on a stolen vehicle, didn’t I? The bugger’s gone and nicked that bloody bike. From an old folks’ homes an’ all. No wonder it wouldn’t pedal fast, them poor old codgers hardly have the strength to climb on ’em.’
They all burst out laughing and were still laughing when the children ran up the stairs
to see what the joke was. Polly slid on to Lizzie’s lap, wrapping her arms round Lizzie’s neck. ‘I didn’t half miss you, Auntie Lizzie.’
‘Me too.’ Lizzie hugged her tightly. Polly would never know how much.
They were singing the chorus of ‘Rule Britannia’ as Danny turned the car into Ebondale Street. A large dark motor vehicle was parked close to the shop. Everyone stopped singing.
‘Do you recognize it?’ Flo leaned forward from the back seat where she sat with Polly and Tom. ‘Is it Vinnie’s car?’
‘No, the van dented his on one side,’ Lizzie said quickly.
Danny pulled on the handbrake. ‘It’s not your brother’s, but it might be Frank’s.’
‘Frank’s!’ Flo gasped. ‘You reckon it is?’
‘We’ll soon see.’ Danny parked at the kerb. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’
‘Where are you going?’ Lizzie grabbed his sleeve. ‘It might be a trap.’
Danny bent down and pulled a hammer from under his seat. ‘Well, I told Vinnie I wanted to see Frank and I do.’
‘But you ain’t going to use that?’ Lizzie stared at the hammer, her green eyes widening. She felt sick.
‘Only if I have to. Now do as I say. Stay where you are, all of you, until I come back.’
‘I want to come with you, Dad.’ Tom tried to open the door but Danny grabbed his shoulder.
‘Not this time, Tom.’ There were tears in Tom’s eyes, but Danny gave him a wink. ‘Good lad.’
Flo put her arm round the boy. ‘Yeah, we need you to look after us, mate.’
Danny climbed out, closing the door hard behind him.
They watched him walk towards the airey. Back in the warehouse, with Polly safe in her arms, Lizzie had thought it was all over, at least for today. Frank had receded to the back of her mind. They were all happy again, driving over here, singing and laughing, unaware of what was just round the corner. She closed her eyes. She saw Danny’s broken and bruised body and the blood on his face as he lay on the warehouse floor, Frank standing over him.
‘I think we should call the police,’ she said quickly.
‘Yeah, and how long they gonna take to get here?’ Flo pointed out. ‘And if Danny uses that hammer—’
‘Flo, don’t! Don’t say that.’
‘Well he ain’t gonna blow his nose with it, is he?’
‘Look.’ Lizzie nodded at Danny descending the airey steps. They all waited breathlessly. Lizzie had her hand on the door. She didn’t know what she expected to see, but she wasn’t just going to sit here if Danny didn’t come up again.
The minutes ticked past.
They all sighed in relief as Danny came into view again.
‘No one’s down there,’ gulped Flo.
Lizzie sat forward. Danny was moving slowly along the pavement. ‘He’s going round to the shop. But he won’t be able to get in. The front door is locked.’
A few minutes passed. ‘Where the flipping heck has he gone to?’ cried Flo.
‘I think we should—’ Lizzie’s voice was drowned by a loud, echoing bang. The car shuddered and everyone screamed.
‘Christ almighty!’ Flo screeched. ‘Look at the bloody window! There ain’t nothing left of it!’
‘Danny!’ cried Lizzie. Pushing open the car door, she leaped out. Flo and the children scrambled after her.
‘Get back in the car, you two!’ Lizzie tried to push them back but Tom broke free. Lizzie grabbed Polly’s hand and they all ran after Tom. At the shop, or the remains of it, they stared in. Black smoke was pouring out from the storeroom. Fruit and vegetables were scattered everywhere. An explosion of some sort had broken all the glass. In the middle of the devastation were two figures, struggling with each other.
Frank and Danny rolled on the floor, crunching the glass and squashing the fruit. Lizzie and Flo pulled Polly and Tom close as the two men tumbled towards them.
‘Dad! Dad!’ Tom cried. They watched helplessly, listening to the grunts, groans and oaths. Glass, newspaper, fruit and veg were strewn everywhere, arms and legs entangled.
The two men rose, grappled and fell towards the door. A few seconds later they were on the street. Lizzie pushed the children back. How could she stop the fight?
‘What we gonna do?’ screamed Flo. ‘They’ll kill each other!’
There was a thud and Frank went down. Danny’s fist was still clenched after delivering the blow. He’s not holding the hammer, Lizzie thought in relief as she saw blood streaming down Frank’s face. It was the punch that had landed him on the ground. He kneeled on the pavement, staring at the blood over his hands, his nose streaming. Lizzie watched as he seemed to sway, then topple over.
Danny moved forward.
‘Don’t, Danny, no!’ Lizzie screamed. She was terrified he would kill Frank.
Just then a car swept into the kerb, a large black shiny one. It was the biggest Lizzie had ever seen. All four doors opened at once. Slowly, but impressively, a short, thin man climbed out. He looked around at the mess. His hair hung down on the collar of his expensive looking camel overcoat. He was smoking a cigar. Other men followed, their faces shielded under the brims of their hats. Lizzie recognized him as the bookie, and this was his gang. He stared down at Frank, who was holding his face in his hands and groaning.
‘What do you want?’ Danny muttered, pulling the hammer from the waistband of his trousers.
‘You won’t need that,’ growled Ferreter. ‘Put it away.’
‘Why should I?’ Danny held the hammer in both hands. ‘The odds ain’t in my favour. They weren’t last time either.’
‘I heard,’ Mik Ferreter nodded. ‘Nasty business, that.’
‘You heard all right,’ Danny snarled nodding at his brother. ‘First hand.’
‘Now that’s where you’re wrong. I was a bit put out meself when I got a whisper of what happened.’
‘It’s your turf,’ Danny challenged. ‘Or so I’m led to believe.’
The bookie stared coldly into Danny’s angry gaze before replying. ‘Your not wrong there, son. And anyone disputing that has to answer to me. There ain’t a dog that pisses on this island without me knowing.’ He looked slowly down at Frank. ‘Is there, Frank, me lad?’
Frank moaned, trying to stem the blood that poured from his broken nose.
Ferreter laughed nastily. ‘Yer making a mess on the pavement, cocker. As a matter of fact, I’m having a little spring clean of me own. Don’t do any harm every now and then. Pick him, lads, before he shits in his pants as well.’ He nodded to his burly escorts; two men blocked Danny’s path as the others bent down, pulled Frank from the ground and dragged him into the car.
‘Your old man has pushed his luck once too often,’ the bookie told Lizzie as his eyes went curiously down to her hand. He raised his black eyebrows. ‘That’s a nice bit of jewellery you’ve got there, love.’
Lizzie looked down at her ring. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, yer gonna have the rozzers round here soon about yer window. Before they come I’d get rid of it if I were you. That is, if you value yer freedom.’
‘But it’s my wedding ring.’
Mik Ferreter laughed. ‘Yeah, course it is. And you know who give it to you.’
Lizzie stared in disbelief at Frank’s guilt-ridden face in the back of the car. Again, the years melted away and she recalled the day he had given it to her. She had told him it was a Dearest ring and he had replied, in surprise, that she knew more than he did. Why hadn’t she realized then that such a valuable item was not Frank’s to give?
She looked at Mik Ferreter, his dark eyes coolly studying her finger. ‘It was stolen,’ she breathed, not asking a question but telling herself. As she looked questioningly at Frank he turned away, unable to meet her gaze.
The ring was the only thing of value that Frank had ever given her; the symbol of their marriage and commitment to one another. The value had been in that, not in how much it was worth. She would never have betrayed Frank, even
though she had not loved him. As long as the ring was on her finger, she was his wife.
Lizzie slid the ring slowly over her knuckle. She stepped forward and held it out towards the bookie. Ferreter stared at her, a flicker of curiosity in his dark eyes. She looked at Frank, then opened her fingers.
The ring fell, catching the light as it tumbled. The little splash from the drain was all that she heard. Like her marriage to Frank, the ring was gone for ever.
Chapter Thirty-Four
‘What’s Bill going to do?’ Ethel asked as she swept the last shards of glass into the pan.
Lizzie secured the sack she was holding, tying a firm knot. ‘Dunno. I think he’ll retire now. Gertie wants him to go and live with her.’ She placed the sack beside the others, ready for disposal.
‘What? You mean, they’ll tie the knot after all these years?’
Lizzie nodded. ‘They just never got round to it with Bill working so hard.’ She smiled. ‘You wait till Pol knows. It’ll be all round the school that her grandma and grandpa are getting married.’
Sitting back on her heels, Ethel laughed. ‘Just shows it’s not too late even in your dotage.’
Lizzie sat down on a wooden crate with a sigh. ‘I don’t know how Bill’s going to take it if Danny identifies the body.’
Ethel laid the brush and pan down. Both women had turbans on and wore trousers, their shirtsleeves rolled up over their forearms. The empty shop was filled with dust and the door was open to let it out.
‘Do you really think it’s Frank?’
‘From the description, yes.’ Wisps of dark hair curled out from Lizzie’s turban. Distractedly, she pushed one of them back under the cloth, recalling the shock last night when a policeman had brought the news. A week after the explosion a body had been recovered from the river. A formal identification was necessary. It was Danny who had gone to Limehouse to fulfil the duty.
