The Fight for Lizzie Flowers

by Carol Rivers

  ‘I’ve never seen a dead person before,’ Ethel whispered, staring into space. ‘I feel ashamed of meself for being so weak. But he . . . the dead man . . . all that blood—’

  ‘Then we got Frank back upstairs,’ Cal interrupted, glancing anxiously at Ethel. ‘He was in a bit of a state. So we gave him one of his knock-out pills.’

  ‘And you’ve never seen this bloke before?’ Danny stood up and began to pace the room.

  ‘Well, yes, I have mate.’

  Danny frowned. ‘But you said —’

  ‘It didn’t dawn on me who he was, until I got him in the storeroom,’ Cal explained. ‘He was one of the heavies Savage brought with him to the workshop. But he was wearing a hat then.’

  Danny rubbed his chin. ‘So the chances are Savage sent him to the shop, knowing Lizzie was closed for the day.’

  ‘How would he know that?’ Lizzie asked doubtfully.

  ‘You’ve had a notice on the door saying you were closed on July the 1st.’

  ‘Savage is moving in on us again,’ Cal said darkly.

  ‘He finds out the shop will be closed,’ Danny suggested, ‘sees his opportunity and sends his man to do damage. Break the place up. Just as a reminder to Lizzie that he’s in the picture. He knows word will get back to me and so he kills two birds with one stone.’

  ‘What do we do now?’ Cal said in a tight voice.

  ‘Get rid of the evidence,’ Danny said without hesitation.

  ‘What, get rid of a dead body?’ Ethel gasped. ‘But shouldn’t we tell the police or something?’

  They all stared back at her. Lizzie took her hand again. ‘We can’t do that, Ethel.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘The law won’t believe your story.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t they?’ There was panic in Ethel’s voice. ‘It’s the truth.’

  ‘It might be,’ Danny said quietly. ‘But you have to ask yourself one question. What’s in it for Lily Law? Now, I’ve no time for me brother, but the coppers will fit him up – and perhaps you and Cal – for whatever is best for them.’

  ‘But Frank was only defending us.’

  ‘Or, their argument might be, Savage’s man was shot deliberately in cold blood.’

  ‘But it wasn’t like that.’

  ‘I know,’ Lizzie agreed patiently. ‘But an investigation is the last thing any of us want. How are you going to explain being here with Cal? Think of the consequences. Do you want an investigation into your private affairs? Richard and your mum will have to know. And the kids.’

  Ethel looked desperately at Cal. ‘I don’t want that.’

  ‘Neither do any of us,’ Danny said heavily.

  Ethel stared around at her friends. ‘But how do we . . . do we . . . get rid of a dead body?’

  ‘You don’t need to know, Ethel,’ Danny replied. ‘All you have to do is go back to your mum’s and say nothing about coming here today.’

  Ethel put her hands to her cheeks. ‘But I can’t face Mum like this.’

  ‘You’ll have to. It’s the only way.’

  ‘But what will I tell her?’

  ‘Think up a story. Like you was out walking and you didn’t feel too good. So you sat down somewhere, until me and Lizzie found you on the park bench.’

  ‘I did have a headache.’

  Lizzie squeezed her friend’s hand. ‘She’ll believe me if I tell her that you was in a right state over your row with Richard.’

  Danny nodded. ‘Take the car and drive Ethel back. I’ll show you the gears.’

  ‘But Flo and Syd will be expecting you to drive them up West.’

  ‘Tell them I’ve gone to get something at the garage first. That will give me time to clean up here. Send Bert back here with the van. I’ll need it tonight.’

  ‘What for?’ Lizzie asked, feeling her stomach drop.

  ‘It’s best that you and the kids stay at Lil’s for the night.’

  Ethel stood up. ‘I only hope I can keep me nerve.’

  ‘You will.’ Danny smiled. ‘Let Lizzie do the talking.’

  Ethel nodded. But Lizzie knew it wouldn’t be easy looking Lil in the eye and telling her a concocted story. She always seemed to get the truth out of Ethel. But this time, Ethel was going to have to act convincingly.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  ‘Gawd, girl, where have you been all day?’ Lil demanded as Lizzie and Ethel walked in the back door. The kitchen was smothered in dirty crocks. ‘I’m up to me armpits in washing-up.’

  ‘Sorry, Mum.’

  ‘I should think so. I was relying on you to help me. Them Millers have eaten more grub than a plague of locusts.’

  ‘Lil, we’ll help you now.’ Lizzie took off her jacket. ‘Better late than never.’

  ‘And to make matters worse,’ Lil persisted, glaring at Ethel, ‘some tone-deaf ape’s been hammering the life out of the piano. Sounds as if he used his feet, not his fingers. If only you’d been here, you could have played us a decent tune. After all, what was the point of me and your dad forking out on all them expensive piano lessons if you never make use of them?’

  Ethel gave a smothered groan. ‘I said I was sorry, Mum.’

  ‘It wasn’t Ethel’s fault. She didn’t feel well, Lil,’ Lizzie broke in, repeating the story that Danny had suggested. But as she was talking Ethel reached out to hold on to a chair, her face draining of colour.

  ‘Christ, you do look rough, my girl,’ Lil said, her tone changing as she dropped the mop and hurried to her daughter’s side.

  Ethel took one look at her mother and burst into tears.

  ‘What’s the matter, love? What is it?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Ethel said through her sobs.

  ‘Do you feel sick?’

  ‘A bit.’

  ‘You have been a moody cow lately.’

  Ethel put her hands over her face.

  ‘You ain’t pregnant, are you?’

  ‘I think she could do with a rest,’ Lizzie said before Ethel could answer. ‘Can she go up to the boys’ room?’

  ‘Course. Here, love, lean on me. We’ll have to push our way through the mob. They’re as drunk as lords, most of ’em.’

  Lizzie took one of Ethel’s arms and Lil the other. Lizzie felt Ethel’s weight growing heavier. What if she was to faint again? Or ramble on about what happened at the shop?

  But somehow they managed to steer her through the party-goers, who, as Lil remarked, had sunk enough booze to sink a battleship. Upstairs, Lil opened the door to Ethel’s old room. Lizzie saw the big double bed that had been Ethel’s for donkey’s years.

  ‘You poor cow,’ Lil said as she helped Ethel undress down to her slip.

  ‘I just need forty winks. Me headache might go then.’

  ‘Do you want an aspirin?’

  ‘I’ll see what I feel like later.’

  ‘Your dad’s over at Flo’s, clearing up the fish-and-chips papers,’ Lil told Ethel as she drew the curtains. ‘He’ll pop his head round the door later and bring you a cuppa.’

  Ethel buried her face in the pillow. ‘Thanks.’

  Lizzie squeezed Ethel’s arm. ‘See you a bit later.’

  The din was even louder when Lil and Lizzie went downstairs. Lil had to shout above the noise as she stood at the sink. ‘What’s up with my girl?’ she yelled at Lizzie. ‘You know, don’t you?’

  ‘She had a tiff with Richard,’ Lizzie explained over the singing and yelling. ‘As you know, the upset gave her a headache.’ Lizzie began to dry the wet china. ‘She just wanted a bit of peace and quiet to sort out her thoughts.’

  ‘She’d tell you if she was pregnant.’

  ‘Well, she hasn’t.’

  ‘Is that why she and her drip of a husband had a row?’ Lil continued as if she hadn’t heard. ‘Don’t he want another kid?’

  Lizzie just shrugged as she put away the plates.

  ‘Another baby after fifteen years!’ Lil said almost to herself. ‘Christ, no wonder they was at each other’s
throats. Richard won’t want the expense of another kid. He’s a mean sod, I’m sorry to say, even if he is my son-in-law.’

  Lizzie realized Lil had talked herself into the fact that her daughter was expecting. She had even forgotten to ask about Danny and when he’d be back for Flo and Syd. Well, who was she to contradict Lil at this moment ? The suspicion that Ethel was having a baby was engaging all Lil’s attention. And for the moment, her wrong assumption would serve a useful purpose.

  As Lil swished the water around the sink, a line of drunken dancers came falling into the kitchen. The men and women were trying to hold on to each other’s waists and kick their legs in the right direction. But the conga was more like a free-for-all, and the chairs, table and crockery on top of it almost went over.

  ‘Clear out, the lot of you!’ Lil shrieked. ‘Look at what you’ve done.’

  But no one took any notice. They were all laughing and singing too loudly to pay any attention to Lil.

  Just then a cheer went up and a man wearing someone’s knickers on his head stumbled into the kitchen. He shouted above the others, ‘Got a cloth ’andy? Cyril’s brought up his dinner on the carpet.’

  Lil’s eyes flashed wide in horror. ‘You Millers are dirty bastards, the lot of you. Out you go in the street and take your mess with you.’

  But again no one took any notice. The laughter and jeers followed Lil as she grabbed a rag and elbowed them all out of her way.

  Danny looked down at his brother who had woken with a start as he walked into the room. He felt a moment’s pity for the slumbering figure, then pulled himself together. Frank had got them into a whole lot of bother, no surprises there. But Danny had to admit that the day could have ended tragically, but for Frank’s intervention.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Frank mumbled as he tried to sit up. ‘Who’s there?’

  ‘It’s me.’ Danny pulled a chair up to the bed. He looked hard at the man who lay slumped against the pillows. Frank was a mess. Unshaven and bleary-eyed, he could have been suffering a hangover from hell.

  ‘Give me them, will you?’ He didn’t acknowledge Danny, but pointed a shaking finger to the bottles on the bedside cabinet.

  ‘What are they?’ Danny took a bottle and opened it. He tapped a brown tablet into the palm of his hand.

  ‘They’re for the pain. Me back’s killing me.’ Frank tipped back his head and without water, swallowed the pill.

  ‘Talking of killing, thanks to you, we’ve got one of Savage’s men enjoying a permanent rest in the storeroom.’

  Frank’s head fell against the pillow. ‘It was a lucky shot, that’s all.’

  ‘Right through the heart. A bull’s-eye.’

  ‘Yeah, but look at me hands. I can’t keep ’em still.’ He held them out and Danny saw they were shaking. Was he putting it on?

  The suspicion was there in Danny’s mind, as it always was with Frank. ‘Where’s Dad’s gun?’ he asked, looking around.

  Frank turned his head. ‘In the drawer.’

  ‘Why did Dad give it to you?’

  ‘Just in case, that’s all.’

  ‘Just in case you wanted to kill someone?’

  Frank groaned loudly. ‘Course not. But you don’t know what it feels like to be a sitting duck. How can I protect meself?’

  ‘From your many enemies, you mean,’ Danny said scornfully.

  ‘Someone did this to me.’

  Danny frowned. ‘So you knew Dad’s piece would fire?’

  ‘No. Well, yes,’ Frank hesitated, ‘but Dad said it hadn’t been used since he come home. It was just to scare someone off.’

  ‘But you pulled the trigger anyway.’

  ‘Christ, Danny. The bloke downstairs was aiming for Ethel and your mate.’ Frank turned his head. ‘Give us another one of them pills, will you?’

  Danny picked up the bottle. Frank swallowed a pill noisily. Then letting himself sink back he said in a hoarse whisper, ‘What’re we going to do?’

  ‘We?’ Danny repeated, lifting his eyebrows. ‘As usual, it will be me sorting things out.’

  ‘Thanks, Danny.’

  ‘I ain’t doing it for you, as you well know.’

  Frank was silent as he lay there.

  ‘I’m going to clear up the shop. Then you’ll be on your tod for a while.’

  ‘You’re gonna leave me?’ Frank looked alarmed and tried to sit up. He fell back, fear in his eyes.

  ‘Just stay where you are and keep out of trouble.’ Danny stood up and opened the drawer. ‘So this is it.’ He stared down at the ancient hand gun. It was a wonder it fired at all. The mechanism looked rusty and the handle was broken. ‘I’ll take this and dump it.’

  ‘No!’ Frank objected as the sweat poured from his face. ‘It’s all I’ve got to defend myself with.’

  ‘What if the cops find it? Your name’s on the collar when the body turns up and they dig the bullet out of his head.’

  ‘But what if someone tries to get to me? Like the bastards who did this.’

  Danny shrugged. ‘You’ll have to throw your pills at them.’

  ‘Strewth, Danny, have a heart.’

  ‘Yeah, like you did on that day you and Vinnie paid me a visit?’ Danny hurled at his brother. ‘You did to me what someone’d done to you. What were you after, Frank? To get rid of me once and for all?’

  Frank’s head slumped back on the pillow. ‘I was off me rocker.’

  Danny pushed the gun into the waistband of his trousers. Many questions flew through his mind. Not the least of them, why was he helping a man who had tried to kill him? Yes, Frank had prevented Ethel and Cal from being wounded, if not killed. But in Danny’s opinion, this wasn’t heroism. Rather a case of self-preservation. Frank feared his enemies. And he had reason to, after the years of working as Ferreter’s bookie.

  Yet this was his brother. No longer the hard man but sick and sorry for himself. The pitiful sight, Danny reflected, should have given him satisfaction. Instead, all he felt was empty.

  As the old saying went, Danny was beginning to believe – against the grain – that blood was thicker than water. Even in Frank’s case.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  It was well after midnight and the clearing up was finally done. Lizzie was exhausted. Lil had insisted they go into Flo’s and sweep the decks clean. Any amount of breakages had yet to be calculated; Lil had threatened to send a list to the Missus and demand replacements.

  ‘I reckon the tea leaves among them have nicked me best cutlery,’ Lil was complaining to Doug, as she took a long drag of her cigarette. ‘I’ve six spoons here me mum gave us when we got married. Where are the matching four?’

  ‘We’ll find them in the morning, love.’ Doug was flaked out in the armchair. ‘I need me beauty sleep.’

  ‘Have you looked in on Rosie and Timothy next door?’

  ‘Yes, they’re happy to have a bit of space to themselves.’

  ‘I suppose their gran ain’t good enough for them now they’re getting older. Did you see Timothy with that Miller girl today?’

  Doug waved his hand. ‘They’re growing up fast, love. We’ll have to get used to that.’

  ‘All right, all right,’ Lil said airily.

  ‘Well, we all think of them as kids.’ Doug raised his shoulders on a shrug. ‘And anyway, Polly and Tom were happy enough to sleep in the boys’ room. I reckon we’re all well sorted.’

  ‘God knows how Ethel got a wink with the racket,’ Lil persisted; as usual, having the last word.

  Doug yawned loudly. ‘I’ll be asleep before my head hits the pillow.’ He gave Lizzie a weary grin. ‘You sure you’ll be all right sharing with Ethel?’

  ‘Like you, Doug, I’m all in. I could sleep on bare boards if it came to it.’

  ‘You’ll never have to do that in this house,’ Lil interrupted sharply. ‘Now off you go, Doug. I want a word with Lizzie.’

  Lizzie’s heart sank.

  Doug nodded. ‘Night, everyone, then. Don’t stay up to
o late.’

  When Doug had gone, Lizzie quickly took off her apron, but it was clear Lil wasn’t about to let her go. ‘Might pour meself a nightcap. Me guts were going over today and need settling. Do you fancy a sherry?’

  ‘No thanks. Is there anything else needs doing?’

  Lil took the sherry bottle from the sideboard. ‘No. But there is one thing you can do for me.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Ask Ethel about the baby. She’ll tell you. I know she will.’ Lil sighed tiredly. ‘I ain’t being nosy, but drawing any information out of Ethel lately is like pulling a tooth. If she’s having a kid, I’d like to know about it.’ She paused, wrinkling her brow under the turban she’d tied round her head to perform the cleaning. ‘You see, if she’s worried, I’d like her to talk it over with me, if you see what I mean? I wouldn’t like her to do anything silly.’

  ‘What do you mean . . . silly?’ Lizzie asked in alarm.

  ‘Well, you know. Get rid of it.’

  ‘Ethel wouldn’t do that.’

  ‘But she rowed with Richard, didn’t she?’ Lil pointed out. ‘She might have sprung the news of the baby on him and he didn’t want it. You know what Richard is like about money. He would have taken into account there’d be another mouth to feed.’

  ‘Lil, that’s jumping to a big conclusion.’

  Lil tapped the side of her nose. ‘Call it a mum’s intuition. Now, off you go, ducks. And thank you for all your help today. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.’

  Lizzie felt very guilty. She had let Lil believe that Ethel was pregnant and all sorts was going through Lil’s mind.

  Lil laughed and coughed at the same time as she poured herself a generous measure of sherry. Lizzie wanted to reassure Lil that her worries about Ethel were unfounded. But she was too tired to make the effort.

  ‘Night, Lil,’ she said and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. ‘Thanks for putting us up.’

  ‘It’s nice to have your company, love.’

  Lizzie left to the sound of a match striking and Lil’s indrawn breath as she savoured a cigarette.

  Lizzie made her way quietly upstairs. Inside the boys’ room it was hot and stuffy. There was a faint whiff of mothball as Lizzie tiptoed over to the single beds. Tom and Polly didn’t stir.