The Fight for Lizzie Flowers

by Carol Rivers

  ‘Erm . . .’ Richard faltered, trying not to make eye contact through his spectacles. He hadn’t thought he’d be recognized, at least not by this individual. Stepping back, he positioned his bicycle between him and the towering figure. ‘I’m looking for my wife. Is she here?’

  ‘Ethel?’ The idiot stared at him as if he’d spoken in a foreign language.

  ‘Yes, Ethel Ryde, my wife,’ Richard repeated officiously. ‘I called at the Sharpes’ in Langley Street and no one is at home. That’s why I’ve come here,’ he added as if talking to someone hard of hearing.

  ‘Yer, Ethel called this morning,’ Bert Allen replied. ‘But she ain’t here now.’

  ‘Where is she then?’ Richard’s annoyance grew.

  ‘With Lizzie. Took the van and gorn to the market.’

  ‘Market?’ Richard repeated. ‘Where’s that?’

  The man grinned foolishly. ‘Cox Street, up the road. We get our goods cheap for the weekend, see. Caulis, Brussels, beans, spuds, all knock-down prices for Saturday. Bit ripe some of ’em, but with a tidy trim, they do nicely out front.’

  Richard didn’t doubt that. He’d seen with his own eyes the other man wielding his knife. ‘And Ethel went with her?’ Richard asked again, making doubly sure.

  ‘Yeah, but that was a good couple of hours back. Lizzie usually ain’t gone that long. They must be gassing somewhere.’

  ‘Gassing?’ Richard frowned.

  ‘Gorn off for a chat, like women do.’

  ‘But where would they go?’ Richard felt like yelling at this numbskull.

  ‘Couldn’t tell you, mate.’

  ‘Mr Allen, I really must find my wife. I’ve tried her family. I’ve tried here. And I’ll try the market. Is there anywhere else on the island they would go?’ Richard asked impatiently. ‘What about this garage that I’ve heard Ethel speak of? Would they have driven there?’

  Bert Allen frowned vaguely, and scratched his head.

  ‘Never mind,’ Richard dismissed. ‘I’ll find it myself.’

  ‘They wouldn’t go there.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘It’s all motors, ain’t it? Nothing that appeals to females. Listen, best way is to come inside and wait. Park yer bike down the side and I’ll make you a nice cup of Rosie.’

  Appalled at the suggestion, Richard shook his head firmly. ‘No thank you. I’ll be off now.’ He mounted his bike and began to pedal off, feeling extremely put out. There was no way he was going to idle away his valuable time, trying to make conversation with a man who was clearly unhinged. Casting a swift look behind him, he saw Bert Allen still standing gormlessly in the road. With a shudder Richard continued on his way. In his haste to pedal faster he narrowly missed a child not more than two or three years of age who appeared to be urinating in the gutter.

  Richard shook his head, puzzled and dismayed. He was relieved to be away from what he could only term a slum. He was simply at a loss to understand Ethel. What on earth could she find to attract her in associating with these people?

  He drew in a long breath as he reached Westferry Road. He was still in enemy territory. But the market wasn’t far. And if he couldn’t find Ethel there, he’d make his own enquiries as to where this garage might be.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Lizzie stopped the van on the gravel forecourt and peered out of the window at the garage. For a Friday she thought the place looked very quiet, until she saw the bulbous frame of a lorry emerge from the open doors. Danny sat in the driver’s seat. When he saw them he gave a toot of the horn.

  ‘Can you see Cal?’ Ethel asked, craning her neck.

  ‘No. He’s probably inside.’ Lizzie sat back in her seat. ‘Ethel, are you sure you want to do this?’

  ‘Yes, but I need your help.’

  ‘What can I do? It’s a private matter.’

  ‘Stay with me,’ Ethel pleaded, her pale skin going ashen. ‘Tell Danny why I’m here.’

  Lizzie was afraid Ethel would regret this decision. She would be lonely again without Cal in her life. But she nodded all the same and got out of the van. Danny climbed down from the cab of the lorry as she walked towards him. ‘Is everything all right?’ he asked, glancing back at the van. ‘Has Savage shown up?’

  ‘It’s Ethel. She wants to see Cal.’

  Danny frowned, slowly nodding. ‘So it’s finally come to that.’

  ‘She’s very upset. But she says she wants to make a go of her marriage.’

  ‘What brought that on?’ Danny asked as he wiped his hands on a cloth.

  ‘She hasn’t been right since Albert was killed.’

  ‘Cal wasn’t responsible for that.’

  ‘I know.’

  Danny sighed. ‘We’d better make ourselves scarce, then.’

  ‘I think she wants us to stay around. She’s worried that Cal won’t take no for an answer.’

  Danny shrugged. ‘There’s nothing we can do about that. Cal’s my mate. I can’t help Ethel with her personal life.’

  ‘I know. But I had to bring her. I didn’t know what else to do.’

  Danny’s blue eyes softened. ‘Tell her to come in, then. They can talk in the office. Cal’s in the workshop fixing an engine for a motor that the council is using for the new landing stage at Tilbury.’ He went to walk away then stopped. ‘He thinks a lot of her, you know.’

  ‘Yes, which makes it even harder.’ Lizzie went back to the van. Ethel was waiting, her hands held tightly in her lap. ‘Is Cal there?’

  ‘Yes, Danny’s calling him up from the workshop,’ Lizzie replied through the open window. ‘You can use the office.’

  Ethel pushed back her long wavy fair hair and got out. She stood, straightening her floral cotton dress and looking uncertain. Tears filled her eyes. ‘I don’t want to do this, but I must find the strength.’

  When they arrived at the garage, Lizzie stopped. ‘I’ll wait here.’

  ‘Can’t you come with me?’

  ‘No, that wouldn’t be fair on any of us.’

  Ethel nodded and slowly made her way up the stairs.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Unforeseen circumstances were forcing Leonard Savage to rethink his strategy. The sayings of his deprived childhood were going through his mind. ‘When in doubt, do nowt.’ Or – and this was more likely in the case of his whore of a mother – ‘Strike while the iron’s hot.’

  Savage shifted restlessly on the lack-lustre back seat of the stolen vehicle. Its battered seats niffed. The engine was rattling like a leper’s chest. But there was no sense in using the Daimler. Not for this job anyway. There was a remote chance some nosy river copper might be on the prowl and recognize his motor. Morley’s Wharf was a desolate spot, yet not five minutes after his driver had parked by the dock wall a beat-up old van had arrived.

  ‘Do you know who it is, Mr S?’ his driver enquired as a female had climbed out and a few minutes later was joined by another.

  ‘One of them is the Flowers woman,’ Savage replied irritably.

  ‘Do we go in anyway?’

  Savage glared at the back of the man’s head. ‘No, we sit tight. Give the thumbs-down to the boys.’ He watched as the driver lowered the window and stuck out his hand, giving the signal to the car behind where six of his best men were waiting to follow their lead.

  Savage sat back and sighed. He had planned with meticulous care; two men were to go to the rear of the garage, the other four to the front. The takeover of the garage, if performed with the element of surprise as the men worked inside, would be flawless. But now he’d have to wait until the women were gone.

  He drummed his fingers impatiently on his knee. Smoothing the material of his trousers beneath his camel-hair coat, he counted the minutes as they ticked by slowly. Then, to his utter dismay, a group of four or five men appeared, ambling along the wharf. They looked like the squatters from the derelict site close by; unshaven, their hair matted as they shifted around aimlessly in their grubby ankle-length greatcoats. If it wa
s one thing he detested, it was the sight of vagrants. They had the gall to occupy premises illegally and pay no rent! Often the law was too lazy to move them on. But not Leonard Savage. No! Later today, after he’d dispatched Flowers, he’d make a return call to these undesirables.

  ‘You want me to move on them drunks?’ the new recruit asked over his shoulder.

  ‘No,’ Savage replied. ‘Not yet.’

  ‘It’d only take a good slap.’

  ‘Don’t be so bloody stupid – you’d alert Flowers,’ Savage retorted, thinking wistfully of Albert who he’d not seen for some days. ‘Come back, Albert,’ he murmured softly. ‘All is forgiven. After I’ve given you a good hiding for the bender you’ve been on, I’ll get rid of this idiot and reinstate you.’

  ‘I just thought—’

  ‘You’re not paid to think. I’ve told you a dozen times, we stick to the plan.’

  ‘Yeah, but—’

  ‘Did you hear me?’ Savage demanded, cursing the desperation that had caused him to hire such a fool. ‘Just watch out for the law. That’s your priority.’

  ‘What do I do if I see ’em?’

  ‘What do you think, birdbrain? You don’t get out and shake their hands. You drive us out of here, slowly, as if we’ve taken a wrong turn. That’s why I told you to keep the motor running.’

  With a groan of frustration, Savage returned his attention to the garage. As soon as the women left, he would give the signal to his men and they’d go in. He’d take possession in under five minutes. Flowers and his pal wouldn’t know what hit them with a semi-automatic pointed in their faces.

  Savage watched one of the drunks sit down on a pile of rubble. He was soon joined by his friends, smoking and drinking and generally making themselves at home.

  Savage groaned again. Should he have them removed? But no doubt they’d put up loud, if useless, resistance. Besides, it wasn’t the homeless he was concerned with.

  The minutes continued to pass slowly. His frustration mounted. If Flowers had been a sensible man, he’d have taken his offer for the garage. Saved them all a lot of trouble. But no, he had to stick his heels in and make life complicated!

  Ethel stood by the open door of the office. Shock and disbelief were written in Cal’s dark eyes. ‘Don’t make this hard for me, Cal,’ she pleaded. ‘It’s all over.’

  ‘But why? Why are you doing this?’ he asked in a bewildered voice. ‘Is it what happened at Lizzie’s?’

  Ethel shook her head. Though the truth was, reality had struck home that day in the shop. She had seen herself and her life as it really was. Having an affair with Cal wasn’t a game any more. She had shut herself off from the truth, because for the first time in years she had found true happiness. But happiness that was stolen at the cost of her family couldn’t last.

  ‘We’ve been lucky so far,’ she continued. ‘But Rosie and Timothy need me. And Richard does in his own way.’

  ‘I need you too.’

  ‘No you don’t, Cal. Not like them.’

  ‘We’ve got a good thing going, too good to chuck in.’ He pushed his fingers despairingly through his black hair. ‘We make each other happy. Ain’t that enough?’

  ‘Deceiving Richard is doing my head in. I can’t go on telling lies.’

  ‘Then leave him, not me.’ He moved towards her but she put up her hand. ‘Please don’t touch me, Cal. This is over,’ she repeated.

  ‘Not for me it isn’t. I want to make you happy. I know I could make you happy.’

  If she didn’t leave now, she knew she would weaken. ‘I’ll go mad if I go on this way,’ she tried to explain.

  But he only smiled, as if that was nothing. ‘There ain’t no such thing as sanity, Ethel. Everyone’s a little bit mad.’

  ‘Don’t make fun of me.’

  ‘I’m not.’ He suddenly took her in his arms. ‘Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll knock off work and we’ll go somewhere and talk it over.’

  Ethel stared up into his face, framed by his black hair and ebony eyes. He was such a good-looking man and she loved him. But he was out of reach and had been since the first moment they’d met.

  He kissed her lips softly and Ethel shuddered. Just one more kiss, a little voice in her head whispered, a few understanding words, his arms around you to ease the pain and everything will be all right.

  ‘Listen to me . . .’ he whispered, lifting a strand of hair from her eyes with his gentle fingers. ‘We’ll work this out. You ain’t on your own.’

  She felt herself giving way. ‘Don’t . . .’ she replied weakly.

  ‘We’re good together, we—’

  ‘Ethel! Ethel!’ A voice called from downstairs.

  Cal held her tightly. ‘Leave it.’

  Ethel heard her name again. Pulling herself free, she stumbled to the landing.

  ‘Come quickly,’ Lizzie yelled up from the garage door. ‘Richard’s here!’

  Ethel’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Suddenly it hit her. ‘Richard?’ she breathed, and without looking back she flew down the staircase.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Lizzie pointed to the tall, thin man wearing a suit and standing by the dock wall. He was holding the handlebars of his bicycle. ‘It is Richard, isn’t it?’ she asked Ethel who stood with her and Danny.

  ‘Oh my God, it is,’ Ethel gasped, her eyes fixed ahead. ‘But why is he here?’

  ‘For you, I suppose,’ said Danny, his voice cool.

  Lizzie watched Richard Ryde shield his eyes against the strong July sunshine and peer towards the garage.

  ‘He should be at work,’ Ethel said bewilderedly. ‘He would have told me if he was going to come home early so I could have dinner ready.’

  ‘Could your mum have sent him over?’ Lizzie thought he may have gone to Langley Street first but Ethel shook her head.

  ‘No, she wouldn’t do that.’

  ‘But Lil knows about you and Cal, doesn’t she?’ Danny said gruffly.

  ‘I’ve never said anything, but she might have guessed,’ Ethel said hesitantly. ‘But even if she has she wouldn’t send Richard here.’

  ‘Then you’d better go and speak to him,’ Danny replied. ‘He don’t look like he was coming over here.’

  ‘I’ll go with you,’ said Cal, appearing at Ethel’s side. ‘We should have told Richard a long time ago.’

  But Ethel pulled away, her face shocked. ‘No, no!’ She stepped back, trying to distance herself. ‘Stay away, Cal. Please don’t follow me.’

  Danny caught his friend’s arm, saying softly, ‘She’s right, leave it alone, mate.’

  But Cal only shook his head and hurried after Ethel.

  ‘Can’t we do something?’ Lizzie said anxiously.

  ‘Like what? We’ve already got ourselves a headache trying to keep Ethel and Cal’s names out of what happened at the shop. They could have been caught any amount of times the way they’ve carried on.’

  ‘But they’re our friends,’ Lizzie protested half-heartedly.

  ‘Yeah, and it’s their business, not ours.’

  Lizzie knew Danny was right but even so her heart ached for Ethel who was trying to escape Cal as he caught up with her, pulled her round and dragged her into his arms.

  And all this in full view of Richard.

  ‘Christ! What now!’ Leonard Savage exclaimed as he watched the activity.

  ‘A bloke on a bike’s turned up,’ his man replied.

  ‘I can see that. But what are they doing?’ Savage was on the edge of his seat, his heart pumping. It was bedlam here. The mechanic was having a go at the woman and the prune with the bike was just standing there.

  His patience exhausted, Savage grabbed the back of the driver’s seat. ‘Inch forward slowly!’ he shouted.

  ‘But you said to stick to the plan.’

  ‘That was before a load of comedians turned up.’

  The driver did as he was told. Savage felt the blood pumping at his temples. He was ready for action and wasn’t going
to wait any longer.

  ‘Nose up close,’ Savage demanded as the car’s tyres crunched over the gravel.

  ‘We’ve got an audience, Mr S. There’s a geezer and a woman by the garage.’

  ‘We’ll see to them after.’ His fury was mounting. ‘Keep going, keep going!’ He sat rigidly, his eyes fixed ahead as he waved his hands. ‘Put your foot down, you fool. We’ll show Flowers what happens when he turns down a deal with Leonard Savage.’

  The big car trembled and picked up speed. Savage smiled in satisfaction as the man and woman, who seemed to be arguing, came into their sights. ‘Faster!’ he yelled, his small eyes bright with excitement.

  ‘At this speed I’ll be sure to hit them,’ the driver said nervously.

  ‘They’ll move, don’t worry.’

  But neither Savage nor the man driving the car saw a shape approach. It was only when the windscreen shattered that the vehicle came to a stop.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Lizzie saw the car appear out of nowhere. It picked up speed as it headed towards Cal and Ethel, though neither Ethel nor Cal seemed to have seen it. Then suddenly Richard was riding towards Cal and Ethel too, his head bent over the handlebars, his feet flying round on the pedals.

  Danny stepped forward waving his arms. ‘Stop!’ he yelled at the top of his voice. ‘Stop!’

  But he was too late. Lizzie’s knees turned to water as Richard collided with the car. Richard and his bicycle went flying high into the air. She watched in disbelief as Richard seemed to turn a somersault with the bicycle still attached to his legs. Seconds later they were falling, coming down with a heavy clump and a tearing of metal.

  Lizzie saw Danny run. He was still waving at the car, but instead of stopping, it reversed, its tyres spinning on the gravel. With a roar, it turned in the opposite direction and was hidden from sight in a cloud of dust.

  Lizzie ran after Danny to where Ethel and Cal were standing by Richard’s still form.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Ethel shrieked as Cal held her. ‘Why is Richard lying there like that?’ Her eyes were wide and dazed as she stared at her husband’s distorted body. ‘Why doesn’t he get up?’