The Traitor

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘Whereabouts in Hainault you moving to?’ Gary asked, surprised.

  ‘The gypsy site. It’s near Hogg Hill – you know the one I mean.’

  As Frankie ended the call, Jed glared at her. ‘Do you have to tell everyone where we’ve moved to? I don’t like people knowing my business, Frankie.’

  ‘It’s not everyone I’ve told, it’s my bloody brother. Surely I’m allowed to tell my family where we’re living, Jed? What’s the big secret? It’s your dad that’s in shit street, not you.’

  Jed quickly changed the subject. ‘What was that about being well chuffed? Has your old mush been sentenced?’

  ‘Yeah, he got seven years,’ Frankie replied.

  Jed slammed his foot on the brake and mounted a kerb in shock. ‘Seven fucking years! Didn’t he get a guilty for manslaughter or murder?’

  Frankie shook her head. ‘He only got a guilty for having the gun.’

  Jed shook his head in stunned disbelief. ‘Unfuckingbelieveable! He’ll be out in less than four years and then what will happen when he tries to kill me again, Frankie? This is all your fault and I hope you’re proud of yourself, you stupid fucking bitch.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Waving Jed goodbye, Frankie darted back inside the trailer. Today was the day she was visiting her dad and, seeing as Jed had left later than expected, she had very little time to get ready.

  Frankie rarely lied to Jed, but she couldn’t chance telling him that she was taking the baby to see her dad in Wandsworth Prison. Jed would have flipped, so Frankie had asked if it was OK for her to take Georgie out with her brothers for lunch. Jed had been reluctant at first but, knowing how unhappy Frankie was living on the site in Hainault, he’d reluctantly agreed.

  Since moving, Frankie had never felt so alone in her life. She still wasn’t talking to Joey, which was making her miserable, and all the other women who lived on the site were part of the travelling community. Suspicious of outsiders, the travelling girls refused to accept Frankie as one of their own and, apart from the odd insult thrown her way, none of them bothered to speak to her at all. It didn’t help that Shannon, Jed’s sister-in-law, lived on the same site.

  Frankie thought back to her first meeting with Shannon when foolishly she had looked at Shannon’s big stomach and asked when the baby was due. By the looks of it, Shannon had never forgiven her, and had now turned the whole of the Hainault site against her.

  Over the past couple of weeks Frankie had begged Jed to move them back to his parents’ place. Even Alice seemed passable compared with some of the women on this site. Jed had flatly refused, but had also been quite sympathetic for a change.

  ‘They ain’t used to gorjers, Frankie, but I promise you, they’ll soften in time. Leave it with me and I’ll have a word with me brother and the other lads. In the meantime, I’ve booked another batch of lessons for you. Once you pass your test, you can go and visit your nan and stuff.’

  Frankie smiled as she thought of her driving lessons. Jed had insisted that she have a female instructor and had found her a lovely lady called Donna. Desperate to have her independence as quickly as possible, Frankie had taken to driving like a duckling takes to water. She was having two lessons a week and she treasured the time she spent with Donna. She was wonderful company and also a very patient instructor.

  ‘You’re an absolute natural, Frankie. We’ll have you passing that test in no time,’ Donna had told her only yesterday.

  Hearing a toot outside, Frankie looked through the net curtains. ‘Shit,’ she mumbled. Gary and Ricky were quarter of an hour early.

  She opened the trailer door. ‘Do you wanna come in for a cup of tea? I ain’t ready yet.’

  Gary shook his head. ‘I’ve got a couple of phone calls to make. Just hurry up, sis, or we’ll be late,’ he shouted.

  Ricky looked at his brother. ‘What a fucking shit-hole this is,’ he said, as he noticed some weedy-looking old geezer glaring at them.

  Unable to stop himself, Gary opened his window. ‘Got a problem, have ya, mate?’

  The geezer in question shook his head and darted back inside his trailer.

  Ricky turned to Gary and laughed. ‘Pikey cunts – I hate ’em.’

  Eddie Mitchell paced nervously up and down his cell. He was desperate to spend some time with Frankie and meet his grandchild, but he was also edgy about what he was going to say to her.

  Stuart did his best to put his pal’s mind at rest. ‘If Frankie hated ya or didn’t want nothing to do with ya, then she wouldn’t have stuck up for you in court and she wouldn’t be schlepping up here today.’

  ‘What am I meant to say to her, Stu? Should I mention Jessica or not?’

  Stuart smiled. ‘Why don’t you just go with the flow? Now, will you sit down for fuck’s sake? You’re wearing the floor out.’

  Eddie sat down and thought about exactly what he should say. He could hardly start the conversation with, ‘Sorry for killing your mother,’ could he now?

  As the screw opened the cell, Stuart patted Eddie on the back. ‘Good luck, mate. It’ll be fine, I know it will.’

  Frankie was shocked when she realised that Gary and Ricky were not going inside the prison with her. ‘I can’t go in on my own. What am I meant to say to him?’ she asked.

  Ricky hugged her. ‘This visit is just about you and Dad. Talk to him, Frankie, tell him that you still love him. He’s so excited and he can’t wait to meet Georgie.’

  Gary showed her where to go and also hugged her. ‘Don’t be afraid, Frankie, he’s your dad and we’ll be right here waiting for ya when you come out.’

  Frankie queued up with the other visitors and waited in line to be searched and have her hand stamped. Georgie was also checked over and then they were allowed inside.

  Frankie spotted her dad immediately. She felt her heart rate quicken as she walked towards him.

  ‘Hello, Dad,’ she said, giving him a light peck on the cheek.

  Eddie felt like a complete idiot as his eyes welled up. Overcome by emotion, he stared at his first grandchild in awe. ‘Can I hold her?’ he croaked.

  Frankie placed Georgie in his arms.

  Eddie drank in her features and gently stroked the smiling child’s cheeks. ‘She’s gorgeous, Frankie. I can’t believe I’m a grandad, girl.’

  Frankie sat down. She didn’t know what to say, so said the first thing she thought of. ‘How are you doing in here, Dad? What are the other men like?’

  ‘I’ve got a great cellmate. His name’s Stuart. He’s only young, but he’s a top lad. The rest of the blokes are a mixture: some are OK, but there are some real arseholes in ’ere as well. I ain’t allowed out the cell as much, since I was convicted. They offered me a job in the kitchens, but I told ’em to poke it. They’ve got some real tossers working in there and if I lose me rag with ’em Frankie, I might get time added to me sentence.’

  ‘Gary was saying on the way here that you haven’t been moved off the remand wing yet. Why’s that then, Dad?’

  Eddie smirked. He was positive that the real reason he hadn’t been moved was because he was behaving himself at the moment. Apparently, the guvnor was under scrutiny by the authorities and, because of this, Ed was sure that the big boss man wouldn’t want him kicking off again. He’d already been involved in two very nasty incidents. There was Big Bald Baz, who was now brown bread and, more recently, Johnny Venger who, since Eddie’s attack on him, was currently rocking on a chair over in Broadmoor.

  ‘Dad, I asked you a question.’

  Eddie snapped out of his trance and smiled. ‘Sorry, babe. Er, the reason I ain’t been moved was because I begged the screws to let me stay on the remand wing with Stu. They were gonna move me straight after the trial and they still might at some point, but there’s a shortage of room on the other wings at the moment,’ he lied.

  Frankie nodded understandingly. Being in her dad’s company brought back so many fond memories and also made her realise just how much she had missed him
.

  When Georgie began to cry, Eddie handed her back and concentrated on his daughter. Frankie had always been a beauty, but her face now looked tired and bloated. ‘You look worn out, and where’s all your nice clothes and make-up?’ he asked her.

  ‘The baby had me up twice in the night, then Gary and Ricky turned up early, so I just chucked any old thing on.’

  Frankie felt embarrassed that her dad had noticed a change in her appearance. She didn’t want to tell him that Jed had barred her from wearing make-up. Her good clothes didn’t fit any more, due to her diet of takeaways, and living on a gypsy site was hardly an inspiration to wear your best togs.

  Eddie put on a false smile. ‘So, how’s life with Jed? Is he treating you well?’

  Pleased that her dad had asked, Frankie grinned. ‘We’ve just moved to a gypsy site in Hainault and Jed’s paying for me to have driving lessons. I don’t like the women on the site, but Jed’s saving up to buy us a plot of land, so we won’t be there for ever. I’m doing really well with my driving, Dad, I’ve got this woman called Donna teaching me and she said I’m a natural.’

  ‘The big bruise you had on your face in court, where did you get it from, Frankie? Gary said you fell over drunk, but I don’t believe that,’ Eddie asked bluntly.

  Frankie glared at him. How did he have the front to throw accusations at her when it should be the other way round? ‘You’ve got some neck, Dad. For your information, I did fall over drunk, but even if Jed had caused it, which he didn’t, it’s got nothing to do with you. After what you did to my mum, you’ve got no right to be talking about anything anybody else does.’

  Eddie bowed his head. ‘I’ll never forgive myself for what I did, Frankie. I loved your mum with all of my heart and most days I struggle to deal with my actions. I’m sorry, I really am.’

  Frankie had only ever seen her dad cry once before and that was at her grandad Harry’s funeral. ‘Please don’t get upset, Dad. I’m sorry, I know you didn’t mean to kill Mum.’

  Aware of a couple of lags looking his way, Eddie wiped his eyes on the cuff of his grey prison sweatshirt. ‘How’s your Nan and Grandad?’ he asked, desperate for a change of subject.

  ‘They’re both all right. Nan has made the garden look lovely. She wanted it to be a shrine to Mum.’

  Eddie smiled sadly. He was glad he’d given Joyce and Stanley his house. It was the least he could do, considering the circumstances.

  ‘Have you spoken to Joey, Dad?’

  Eddie shook his head. ‘Why do you ask? Yous two ain’t fallen out, have ya?’

  Frankie shrugged. ‘We didn’t have a row or nothing, but I ain’t spoken to him since that day I stood up in court and he stormed out. I’ve tried to ring him a few times since, but he never answered the phone and he didn’t get back to me. I was gonna ring him again last week, but Jed said it’s up to Joey to call me now.’

  Eddie wasn’t surprised that Jed didn’t want Frankie to have contact with her brother. He knew from past stories what controlling bastards travellers were with their women. In fact, he was surprised the wonderful Jed was even allowing Frankie to have driving lessons.

  ‘Dad, will you do something for me?’

  Eddie squeezed Frankie’s hand. ‘Of course, my little princess.’

  ‘Will you write to Joey and apologise for what you did to Dominic? It would mean such a lot to him if you could accept their relationship, and Dom’s such a nice bloke, Dad.’

  Eddie held his hands up with his palms facing Frankie. ‘Hold your horses a minute, girl.’

  Eddie glanced around to make sure nobody was listening to their conversation, then continued. ‘I’d do anything for you, Frankie, you know I would, but this ain’t about you, is it? If you want me to say it’s OK for your brother to go around fornicating with other men, then you’ve got another thing coming.’

  Frankie immediately flared up at him. Her dad could be so childish at times. ‘But that ain’t what he’s doing, is it, Dad? Joey’s in a stable relationship with someone who loves him very much. Dominic’s a terrific guy and if you got to know him, you’d see what I do. Mum accepted Joey for what he was and so did I. Why can’t you do the bloody same?’

  Noticing a bloke on the next table looking at them, Eddie glared at his daughter. ‘Keep your fucking voice down, will ya? Can you imagine the stick I’d get in here if they all knew what your brother was?’

  ‘Does it matter what other people think? I’ve stuck up for Joey since the day I first found out about his preferences. Why can’t you be grown-up about it like I was? He’s still your bloody son.’

  ‘Because I’m a man, Frankie. Anyway, why are you so bothered about all this when you and your brother aren’t even speaking?’

  Frankie’s eyes filled up with tears. ‘Because I miss him, I love him and I know how much your acceptance would mean to him.’

  Desperate not to see his daughter cry or fall out with her, Eddie squeezed her hand. ‘Let’s talk about something else, eh? Look, no promises, but I will sit down and think about what you’re asking me to do, OK?’

  Frankie nodded. ‘Do you wanna hold Georgie again?’

  Eddie eagerly agreed. He studied his granddaughter once more. She was dead cute, but also had a pikey sort of look about her. Frankie was dark like himself and Ed decided that it must be her piercing green eyes that made her look so Romany. As Georgie clung onto Eddie’s thumb, Frankie laughed.

  ‘She likes you, Dad. She keeps smiling at you.’

  Eddie liked the compliment. ‘She’s her grandad’s girl, ain’t ya, Georgie?’ he said, lifting her up above him.

  ‘So, does Jed know that you’ve come to see me?’ he asked.

  ‘He knows I’m out with Gary and Ricky, but I didn’t say where we were going. He’d be fine about me coming to see you, Dad, but he might not have wanted me to bring Georgie here.’

  Eddie gave a sarcastic chuckle. ‘Jed’s got you living in a trailer on some shit-hole site in Hainault, yet he don’t want his kid visiting her grandad in prison. Where you live is probably running alive with vermin and I bet their Sunday roast is baked hedgehog in clay. I’m sorry Frankie, but I can’t stand pikeys, you know I can’t. They’re a different fucking breed, sweetheart.’

  The rest of the visit flew by, and as time was called for it to come to an end, Frankie shuffled awkwardly in her seat. ‘Dad, there is something I need to know and I want you to tell me the truth.’

  ‘Go on,’ Eddie said.

  ‘That night in Tilbury when Mum died, did you mean to kill Jed?’

  ‘Time’s up. Say goodbye now, Mitchell,’ one of the screws said, as he hovered next to Eddie.

  Ignoring his daughter’s question, Eddie gave Frankie a big hug. ‘Thanks for what you did for me in court. When you coming to see me again?’

  Frankie let go of him and stared him straight in the eyes. ‘You haven’t answered my question, Dad. Did you or didn’t you?’

  Eddie shook his head. ‘Of course I didn’t. What kind of man do you think I am, Frankie? All I wanted to do was pay Jed some cash to stay out of your life and when he wasn’t there, I decided to scare him, OK?’

  Frankie smiled. He was telling the truth, she was sure of that. She held Georgie towards him so he could kiss her goodbye. ‘You’re a good man, Dad, and I want you to know that I forgive you for everything that has happened and I will always love you.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Aware that his daughter, Sally, was yet again in floods of tears, Terry Baldwin lifted his grandson out of her arms.

  Luke was now three months old and even though Sally had had a difficult birth and had since suffered with depression, Terry was beginning to lose patience with her.

  As Sally poured herself another glass of wine, Terry shook his head in disgust. ‘You’ve gotta pull yourself together, girl. The answer to your problems ain’t in the bottom of a glass, you know.’

  Sally dried her eyes and sipped her drink. She was gagging for Jed to see his s
on, but nobody knew where he had moved to.

  Desperate to have his old daughter back, the happy one, Terry sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. ‘Look, babe, I know you loved that pikey lad, but you’ve just gotta move on with your life. Get yourself dolled up and go out with your mates and find yourself a new bloke. Me and Anne will babysit for you.’

  Sally glared at her father. She still loved Jed, even though he had been a bastard to her, and she didn’t want any other bloke. Positive that once Jed laid eyes on his beautiful son, he would fall in love with her and they would live happily ever after, Sally decided to beg for her father’s help once again.

  ‘Please Dad, I really do need to see Jed, even if it’s only for closure. Please find him for me. Do it for Luke’s sake. As he gets older he has every right to know who his Daddy is, doesn’t he?’

  Terry turned away from Sally’s pleading expression. It broke his heart to see his daughter so unhappy day in, day out. He stood up. He’d had months of this same conversation and he needed to put an end to it somehow.

  ‘OK, I’ll pay someone to find him for you, but I’m warning you, Sally, if Jed treats you like shit or upsets you, then I shall personally break every bone in the little fucker’s body. Now, do we understand one another?’

  Sally smiled. Her dad had been a hard nut to crack on the subject of Jed, but finally she had got her own way.

  Considering he was suffering from a dose of man-flu, Eddie Mitchell was in an extremely upbeat mood. The reason why was obvious – it was because Gina was coming to visit him again today. Thinking of Gina, Eddie grinned. He’d been nervous when she had first visited him, but he needn’t have been, as there had been an instant spark between them.

  ‘You’ve definitely got the look of a man in love, Ed. Book me in to be your best man,’ Stuart joked.

  Eddie playfully punched Stuart. He and his cellmate often wound one another up. They enjoyed the banter and it also relieved the boredom.

  As Eddie was let out of the cell, he briefly thought of Jessica. It was the same every time Gina came to visit; there was always a twinge of guilt.