Payback

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘You look fucking dreadful, Michael. Have a butcher’s in the mirror, go on. Snorting charlie isn’t the answer to your problems – I should know, I’ve been there, bruv.’

  Michael sat down and put his messed-up head in his hands. He had never got over losing Bella and had regretted his rash decision to end their short, but passionate affair every day since. He had tried to contact her a couple of months after ditching her, but her phone had been disconnected and, according to the new tenants in her apartment, she had sold up and moved to New York.

  Nancy was still in love with him, Michael knew that, but even though she had now overcome her depression, no matter how much he tried, he could not make himself fall back in love with her. He adored his sons though. They were his pride and joy.

  Vinny handed his brother a mug of black coffee. ‘You’ve got to sort yourself out for your boys’ sake. I know you see them during the day, but Lee and Daniel are now old enough to know that there must be something wrong if you’re staying out at night. Mum’s worried sick about you, ya know. She’s always grilling me and I can’t keep making excuses for you. Mum isn’t silly.’

  Michael glared at his brother. Anybody would think Vinny was a saint, the way he carried on. ‘OK, I’ll come clean to Mum then, shall I? I’ll explain to her that one of the reasons why I’m so unhappy in my life is carrying the burden on my shoulders of how Champ really died. Wonder what her reaction to that will be?’

  ‘You nasty bastard! It was after you split up with Bella you started snorting, so don’t be blaming me.’

  Michael stood up and glared at his brother. ‘It was a mixture of everything, Vin. Roy dying, Nancy’s illness, you burdening me with the truth about Champ’s death, the fire, and Bella. Because I’m not as vocal as you, you think I’m daft, bruv, but I’m not. I’ve known for ages that you are dealing in the shit you keep lecturing me about, so next time you fancy getting all sanctimonious on me, think again.’

  When Michael stormed out of the office, Vinny slammed his fist against the desk in frustration. Everything seemed to be falling apart lately, including his once-lucrative business partnership with Ahmed. These days it was paying peanuts compared to what it used to, and Vinny knew it was due to the poor quality of drugs they were buying. He hadn’t trusted Hakan and Bora on sight, so should have gone with his instincts. Ahmed had even admitted recently that the strength of the cocaine and heroin they were purchasing had deteriorated badly over the years.

  Picking up the photo of Molly that took pride of place on his desk, Vinny felt his anger lessen. Molly had turned three in May and had the face, smile and nature of an angel. The photo had been taken on her birthday and she was sitting on her favourite present, a rocking horse. Apart from having inherited his piercing green eyes, she looked nothing like Vinny. She had fair skin and a mop of curly blonde hair. She was such a pretty child that whenever he or Jo took her out, people would stop in their tracks just to comment on her beauty.

  Vinny put the photo back on his desk and debated what to say to Ahmed. He was sick of being ripped off by Hakan and Bora and he was even more sick of his ever-decreasing bank balance. Vinny was a man of style and taste, always had been. He liked to eat, drink and wear only the very best. He also loved to splash the cash and made sure his family never wanted for anything. From the age of eighteen, he had supported his mum and aunt pretty much single-handedly. It wasn’t Michael who had paid for their new kitchens and bathrooms, it was him. And he’d been the one that handed over the two hundred grand it took to get the club up and running again after the fire.

  Vinny picked up the phone. He was determined to buy his dream house in Essex before Molly started school, so the quicker circumstances changed, the better.

  ‘Ahmed, it’s me. Can you pop over to the club later? We need to talk, urgently.’

  Little Vinny was standing outside his old school. They had expelled him last year for punching a male teacher and he now attended a new school, which he despised.

  Walking up to a nearby car, he checked his reflection out in the wing mirror. He was a massive fan of Madness and the Specials and he liked to model his appearance on Suggs or Terry Hall.

  When his dad had set fire to all his beloved clothes and boots in the incinerator in the back garden, Little Vinny had been devastated. What his old man hadn’t realized though, was how easy it was to steal money out of his pockets and shoplift these days. Many a time, he and Ben had paid a visit to Mintz & Davis in Romford. They would wear baggy outfits, take a dozen items into the changing rooms, then walk out with a pair of Sta-Prest and a Ben Sherman shirt under their own clothing. They would then celebrate their cleverness by drinking cider and sniffing glue.

  Unlike himself, Ben Bloggs had had a tough upbringing. He had no idea who his dad was, his mum was a druggie and a prostitute, and his nan was forever in court for thieving. The eldest of seven children, Ben had never been bought nice clothes or given nice things like he had and Little Vinny felt sorry for his pal and partner in crime. Poor Ben hadn’t even been taught about cleanliness or allowed regular baths, which was why he was now being picked on at school. Without Little Vinny around to protect him, Ben was an easy target for the likes of Stephen Daniels and his cronies.

  Seeing Daniels emerge from the school, Little Vinny hid behind the car and then followed him. He knew the route Daniels walked home and he knew by the time he reached the end of the alleyway, he would have bumped into Ben.

  The plan worked like a dream, and Little Vinny waited until he saw Daniels grab Ben by the scruff of his neck before he ran towards him. He pulled the gun from the waistband of his trousers and prodded it in the side of Daniel’s head.

  When the two lads who were with Daniels tried to flee, Little Vinny screamed at them to stop by threatening to shoot them too.

  ‘I’m sorry. Please don’t shoot me,’ Stephen Daniels begged.

  Enjoying the fear in Daniel’s and his pals’ eyes, Little Vinny lined them up against the fence. ‘Go and check that end of the alley, make sure no one is coming,’ he ordered Ben. The other direction had a clear view.

  Ben did as he was told, then ran back. ‘Coast is clear.’

  ‘Good. Now get on your fucking knees,’ Little Vinny ordered his victims. He had seen his dad in action, so knew exactly how to frighten people.

  ‘Look, we’re sorry for having a dig at Ben. It won’t happen again. I promise, Vinny. Please don’t kill us. We was only messing,’ Daniel stammered. He was petrified that he was going to die and could tell his pals were too.

  ‘I want all three of yous cunts to beg forgiveness and apologize to Ben.’

  All three lads immediately did as they were told. Noticing a wet patch around Stephen Daniel’s crotch area, Little Vinny had great pleasure in poking the gun into the side of his head again. ‘I swear on my baby sister’s life, if you upset my mate Ben ever again, I will blow your fucking brains out.’

  Ahmed Zane chuckled as he counted up the week’s takings. Unbeknown to Vinny, he had never changed supplier. He still brought all his drugs from Emre, and was absolutely raking it in.

  When he had first moved to England, Ahmed had not had the financial clout to buy the amount of drugs he needed at the right price. That was why he had gone into partnership with Vinny in the first place. They had made a good team, so Ahmed had thought, until the Judas shitbag had left him for dead.

  He could have forgiven Vinny for panicking on the night in question and even doing a runner. What he could not forgive was Vinny moving his body into the driver’s seat. That was a cold, calculating, despicable deed.

  Vinny was paying the price now though. Ahmed had robbed him of hundreds of thousands of pounds over the past few years and had enjoyed every moment of it.

  Ahmed grinned as he put the takings in the safe, then picked up his car keys. He knew exactly what Vinny wanted to speak to him about, which is why he had planned ahead. Vinny Butler would have a very nasty surprise coming his way soon. A very nasty one ind
eed.

  Joanna Preston and Nancy Butler were sitting in Barking Park with a picnic which included a bottle of wine. They used to meet up in a local pub that was child friendly, until Vinny found out and blew a fuse. Apparently, by going to a pub, Jo was not only putting Molly’s life in danger, she was also acting like a single woman and a whore. According to Vinny, only old slappers sat in boozers without being accompanied by a man.

  Joanna’s relationship with Vinny was a strange one, to say the least. He was an amazing father to Molly and incredibly generous to both her and her daughter. But his possessiveness drove Joanna bonkers at times. He hated her close friendship with Nancy, and always questioned where they had gone and what they had spoken about, and if any man ever dared to look her way or speak to her while they were out together, Vinny would fly into a terrible rage. Joanna could have understood Vinny’s unusual behaviour if they were Whitechapel’s answer to Romeo and Juliet, but the truth was, their sex life was virtually non-existent. She could count on one hand the times they had made love over the past year.

  ‘So, how’s things your end?’ Jo asked Nancy.

  ‘Crap. Michael didn’t come home again last night. That’s three times in the past week he has supposedly stayed at the club. I want to confront him, say I know he’s having an affair, but I wish I had some proof. Can’t you pump Vinny in a roundabout way? I will never let on that you said anything, Jo.’

  Joanna sighed and comfortingly squeezed her pal’s hand. How she would have coped with the ups and downs of her relationship with Vinny over the past few years without having Nancy as a shoulder to cry on, she did not know. However, she was very reluctant to start asking awkward questions indoors, because if Michael was having an affair there was no way Vinny would tell her. He never spoke about business or discussed members of his family with her.

  ‘Nance, there’s no point me asking Vin. You know what he’s like: he tells me sod all, and if he thought I was sniffing around for information, you can bet your life on it that he would warn Michael you was on to him. Anyway, I don’t reckon he is having an affair. My Vinny has been acting weird too. He went mad when Brenda asked him for some money last week and that is so not like him. He would give every penny he had to his family, so my guess would be perhaps our men have some financial difficulties. I know the club isn’t anywhere near as busy as it once was, because I overheard Queenie and Vivian talking about it last weekend at Kings.’

  ‘Well, I hope you’re right, Jo. Obviously, I don’t want the boys’ business to be in trouble, but Michael is as cold as ice to me lately and I would rather it was down to money troubles than another woman. I wonder what’s wrong with me sometimes. I know I’m probably half a stone or so heavier since I first met Michael, but I do try to keep myself looking nice. March was the last time he came anywhere near me and now we’re in July. He makes me feel so ugly,’ Nancy admitted, close to tears.

  Joanna knew what it was like to feel sexually unwanted. She still fancied Vinny like mad, and many a night had cried herself to sleep when he had turned his back on her in bed yet again. She often wondered if her cousin Mark burning down his club was the cause of Vinny’s lack of intimacy towards her, but she had a feeling it wasn’t. Vinny didn’t even like kissing, and apart from the odd peck on the lips, had not kissed her properly in years.

  The awkward conversation was brought to an end by Molly running over to her mum and aunt. ‘Can I have an ice lolly please, Mummy?’

  Joanna picked her daughter up and swung her in the air. For all Vinny’s faults and possessiveness, he had given her the most beautiful child in the world and for that Joanna would always be grateful. Molly was such a happy child. She loved dancing and singing and was obsessed with Sesame Street and Tom and Jerry. ‘You, my little cherub, can have anything you want, and do you know why?’

  Molly giggled and shook her head.

  ‘Because you are good and you are beautiful and your mummy loves you so very much.’

  Albie Butler could barely contain his excitement as he showed his brother the ring. ‘Michael helped me out with it, so I could get a real diamond. Isn’t it pretty? Do you think Dorothy will like it and say yes?’

  Bert grinned. Albie was a changed man since Dorothy had arrived on the scene. Tomorrow was her birthday, and he and Albie were taking her out to lunch to celebrate. Albie planned to propose at the restaurant and Bert was as excited as if it were him about to get wed. ‘She won’t just like it, she’ll love it, Albie. As for her saying yes, you have no worries there. That woman adores the bones of you.’

  ‘I know, but I can’t help feeling nervous. Never thought I would want to marry again after bloody Queenie. Thought that old witch had put me off getting hitched for life.’

  Bert wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulder. When Albie had first moved to Ipswich he was skin and bone and his clothes had hung on his tall frame. Now, he looked the picture of health and even had the cheeky twinkle back in his eye. ‘Dorothy is a lovely lady, Albie, nothing like Queenie. If you want to get your own place once wed, I will understand you know.’

  ‘Don’t be daft! Dorothy loves living here and so do I. Why would we want to move? We’re one big happy family.’

  Johnny Preston sat down opposite his soon-to-be wife. He had some fantastic news that he’d been itching to tell her and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.

  ‘Come on then. Spill the beans,’ Deborah urged. Johnny had said he had something important to tell her when they had spoken on the phone last night.

  ‘My brief paid me a visit. He’s asked for parole and reckons I’ll get it. I might even be home in time for my birthday, so best you start planning the wedding. Don’t book an actual date yet though, as I don’t want to jinx it, but you can start looking for a dress and somewhere for us to live. I don’t want to move back to Tiptree, babe. I want to be nearer to Jo and Molly.’

  Even though Deborah was absolutely ecstatic that Johnny might be home soon, she thought moving near Joanna and Molly was a terrible idea. According to Jo, Vinny had been furious when Mark had burned his club down and even though Johnny swore that he’d had no idea what Mark was planning, Deborah guessed that Vinny would think differently. ‘I really don’t think we should move to London, Johnny. There’s too many bad memories there, and I would miss Sandy dreadfully if we upped sticks.’

  ‘And there’s plenty of bad memories in Tiptree too, Deb. I hated working in that fucking slaughterhouse, and we split up there. My fault, I know, but I would never have given that tart a second glance had I not felt so useless and unhappy in myself. I can’t live there again. Nice area if you like strawberry-picking, but it isn’t for me.’

  ‘But how are we going to afford to move? I’ve been managing week to week, Johnny, but we’ve no savings.’

  Johnny leaned forward and cupped Deborah’s face in his hands. ‘Billy One Ear has a job waiting for me on the outside, babe. And before you start shouting and screaming, I swear it’s all above board. He’s a second-hand car dealer and wants me to run one of the garages. The dosh is far more than I will ever earn in Tiptree, so I have to take it, Deb. It will be a new start for us and seeing as both of our kids now live in London, it will give us the opportunity to become a proper family again.’

  Deborah looked in Johnny’s handsome face. Even though he was forty-two now and had lines and wrinkles, his hair was still strawberry blond and he was as handsome as ever. ‘Are you sure the job is legal, Johnny?’

  ‘Positive! Being on parole means I’ll be banged up as soon as I put a foot wrong, Deb. No way would I ever chance that. I just want to move on with my life, work hard and build a relationship with my children again. But most of all, I want to marry you.’

  Deborah smiled. Johnny could have had his pick of women, and even though they had had their ups and downs over the years, Deborah still felt like the luckiest woman on earth to have snared him. ‘OK. Let’s move back to London then.’

  When Ahmed left his office, Vinn
y Butler breathed a sigh of relief. He thought his insistence to end their business deal with Hakan and Bora would prove far more difficult, but Ahmed had not only agreed his concerns were valid, he had also admitted business was that bad, he wanted out too.

  Vinny felt as though he’d been treading on eggshells with Ahmed ever since the accident. They remained close, but their relationship had never been quite the same. Nevertheless, business was business and Ahmed had told him he had already sounded out a promising new contact. Nothing could be worse than the shit they were buying off Hakan and Bora, so Vinny had told Ahmed to arrange a meet as soon as possible.

  He was reaching for the bottle to pour himself a drink when the phone rang. He immediately heard the panic in Joanna’s voice. ‘Slow down. I can’t understand what you’re saying, Jo.’

  ‘I said the police just knocked at the door. Little Vinny has been arrested for threatening some lad with a gun. You need to come home, quickly.’

  An hour later, Ahmed Zane was sitting in a pub in Wembley. Carl Thompson sat opposite him and they had just shaken hands on a deal. ‘So, your name is Richie Simpson. You come from Barking and you are a pal of my cousin’s, OK? Just remember everything I have told you to say and whatever you do, do not slip up – he’s a clever cunt. If you think you might have made a mistake, you need to talk your way straight out of it. I really do not want this to go wrong.’

  Carl grinned. ‘It won’t. For the fifty grand you’re paying me, I’ll learn and recite the whole fuckin’ bible if you want me to.’

  Ahmed chuckled. ‘That’s the spirit.’

  Vinny Butler sat down opposite his son’s headmaster. The police were thankfully not pressing charges. Under questioning, Little Vinny had claimed that the gun was a realistic-looking toy one. After he had led them to the spot where he had hidden it, they had accepted his story and let him off with a caution.

  When the headmaster explained he had no option but to expel his son, Vinny begged him to reconsider. ‘Look, I know what my boy did was wrong, and so does he. He’s sitting outside this office as we speak, full of remorse. He has promised me nothing like this will ever happen again and I believe him. All he was doing was sticking up for a pal who was being bullied. I really don’t see why you have to expel him, seeing as the incident didn’t even happen at your school.’