The Wronged

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘I think you’re delusional to consider any form of access. You know what Vinny is capable of as well as I do, Jo. He won’t be happy with those terms, then you’ll be the one caught in the crossfire, not Ava. The man is a monster.’

  Nancy Butler was furious. Michael had just come down the stairs suited and booted, reeking of expensive aftershave and announced he had to go out on business.

  ‘No way are you going anywhere, Michael. I am petrified that the police might turn up again to question Daniel, and I’m sure the little sod is guilty because he couldn’t look me in the eyes when I questioned him earlier. I have even had to cancel going to my parents’ this afternoon. Can you imagine if the police were to turn up to arrest Daniel in front of my dad and Christopher? I told my mum I had a flu bug rather than face that potential humiliation.’

  ‘Why do you always have to be so overly dramatic about things, Nance? I’ve spoken to Daniel and he says he didn’t do it. Just go over to your mother’s as planned. Have a drink and chill out a bit, for Christ’s sake.’

  ‘How am I being overly dramatic? Any mother would be worried by the police turning up and accusing their son of stabbing another boy. I don’t want you going out today, Michael, and that’s final. I want you to talk to the boys again because I know Adam and Lee are hiding something too.’

  ‘I’ll speak to the boys again tomorrow, Nance. As I said, I have to go out because I have an important business meeting.’

  ‘With who and where? It must be something dodgy if you’ve arranged it on Boxing Day,’ Nancy screamed.

  Knowing his only exit route was a full-scale argument, Michael let rip at his wife. He called her a nutjob, a drama queen and psychopath before slamming the front door. He did feel guilty as he leapt in his Porsche though. He knew Daniel was guilty and there was a chance of the Old Bill popping back. Yet he was still putting Bella top of his priority list.

  Shell Baker thanked the police for their visit, shut the front door and breathed a sigh of relief. She walked into the lounge. ‘Well done, boys. You did brilliantly.’

  Brad, Shell’s youngest son, had tears in his eyes. ‘Say more witnesses come forward, Mum? Me and Kurt might end up in borstal and we ain’t done sod-all wrong.’

  Shell sat between her beloved boys and hugged them. ‘Lying to police is better than grassing up the Butlers, trust me. And I promise you faithfully we’ll be moving away soon. Then we can start afresh.’

  Under Colin’s strict instructions, Vinny Butler was left sitting twiddling his thumbs in the car. The ten-minute wait felt like ten hours and when Colin opened the driver’s door, Vinny’s first question was ‘Can I see Ava now?’

  Colin started the engine. Vinny Butler wasn’t his favourite client of all time, but he paid him top money. ‘Ava isn’t there, Vinny. Her grandparents have taken her out somewhere. However, I do have some positive news. I spoke to Joanna and her boyfriend Darren and they are willing to allow you to see Ava on a regular basis without involving the courts, providing they are present. Obviously, once you become more familiar with the child, we will ask for you to see Ava on your own and be allowed to spend the whole weekend with her and so on. I really do believe this is the best solution for the time being as you will stand much more chance of gaining equal access to Ava in a court if you have bonded with her beforehand, so to speak.’

  Wanting to smack Colin in the teeth, Vinny instead plastered on a false smile. ‘Sounds good to me.’

  Relieved that Vinny seemed happy, Colin put his foot on the accelerator. His wife was extremely annoyed that he’d had to work over the Christmas period, but Colin hadn’t had much choice in the matter. Vinny Butler was a rather forceful character, to say the least.

  Gritting his teeth, Vinny switched the car radio on. In the charts was a geezer called Jim Diamond with a song entitled ‘I Should Have Known Better’. How very apt for that to be playing, as that cheeky bitch Joanna should’ve known better than to throw the rule book at him. As for her new interfering cocktard of a boyfriend, he’d regret sticking his oar in as well. Vinny would make damn sure of it.

  Nosy Hilda heard a car engine and discreetly peeped through the net curtain. She’d been a bundle of nerves ever since the police had knocked at the Butlers’ last night, and she’d nearly had a cardiac when they’d come back today and knocked at the Bakers’.

  Cursing herself for opening her big trap, then accompanying Mouthy Maureen to the phone box, Hilda wondered if there was anybody she could go and stay with until the dust settled. She had a cousin who lived in Plaistow and a niece in East Ham.

  The bang on the door made Hilda nigh on jump out of her skin. ‘Cooey. It’s only me.’

  Hilda ushered Maureen into the lounge. ‘Did you see the police come back again earlier? Oh, Maur, I wish we hadn’t made that phone call now. It’s worrying the life out of me.’

  ‘Me too. We were a bit rash. I blame them bleedin’ snowballs we supped. Never mind, what’s done is done and at least I had the brains to put me hanky over the mouthpiece so my voice was muffled. I need you to promise me, Hild, that you’ll never breathe a word of what we did to anyone. It’ll be my head on the chopping block, seeing as it was me who made the call.’

  ‘You have my word, Maur. We’d both be dead meat if the Butlers ever found out. Vinny don’t mess about, you know. Rumour has it he’s done away with many from round ’ere over the years. Bobby Jackson is common knowledge, but the murderer of Old Jack’s boy was never caught and lots of people secretly pointed the finger at Vinny when he was found floating in the Thames. Then Terry Smart and Kenny Jackson both disappeared off the face of the earth after falling out with him. You can bet your bottom dollar they’re propping up a flyover somewhere, the poor bastards.’

  ‘Shut your cakehole for goodness’ sake, Hilda. Cheer me up, why don’t ya.’

  Michael Butler was the first to arrive at the restaurant. ‘My friend booked a table for two here. Bella, her name is.’

  ‘Ah, the lovely Miss D’Angelo. You are a very lucky man. Come, come,’ the waiter ordered, leading Michael to a cosy table in the corner.

  When Bella arrived ten minutes later, she was greeted warmly by the staff who spoke to her in their native language. Michael guessed he was the topic of conversation by the waiters gesticulating and glancing, but he stared out of the window, pretending not to notice.

  ‘Hello, Michael. Have you been waiting long?’

  Michael stood up, kissed Bella on both cheeks and pulled her chair out. ‘Not long at all. You look sensational, by the way. Red really suits you,’ he said, complimenting her on the figure-hugging dress she was wearing.

  ‘Thank you. You’re not looking too bad yourself,’ Bella replied cheekily.

  ‘I take it this is a regular haunt of yours?’

  ‘Yes. I used to eat here when I lived in England before. And now I often bring Antonio here of a Sunday lunchtime. The food is wonderful and the staff so welcoming.’

  ‘Well, at least I know your real surname now, Miss D’Angelo. I’m sure you fobbed me off with a duff one when we first met.’

  Bella’s pale blue eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘My Papa told me never to give out my real name to a man unless I could trust him completely.’

  Michael locked eyes with Bella. ‘And my Papa told me that one day I would meet this beautiful Italian bird, fall head over heels in love with her and we’d both live happily ever after.’

  Vinny Butler slammed his mother’s front door. He wasn’t in the best of moods.

  ‘Vin, come in ’ere. You’ve got a visitor,’ Queenie shouted.

  The last person Vinny expected to see perched on his mother’s sofa was his delinquent son. ‘Well, well, well, the Scarlet Pimpernel returns. How very kind of you to grace us with your presence.’

  ‘Vin, the boy’s got a lot on his plate. Tell your dad what you just told me,’ Queenie urged her grandson.

  ‘Sammi-Lou went into early labour, Dad. I’ve got a son, but I’m not allowed to
see him because I missed the birth. Will you come to the hospital with me? Sammi’s dad’s an arsehole. He hates me. My boy’s in some special care unit to help his lungs develop and I really need to see him. If he died and I never got to meet him, I’d never forgive myself,’ Little Vinny explained, his voice racked with emotion.

  Vinny stared at his son for a moment. He didn’t look capable of swatting a fly, let alone killing Alison Bloggs. ‘Get your coat on. We’ll go now. And don’t be worrying about Sammi’s old man. This baby is as much yours as it is hers, and I’ll deal with that cheeky prick if he starts.’

  Back in West London, Michael and Bella had not stopped laughing. They shared a similar sense of humour and Michael could never imagine Bella nagging him constantly like Nancy seemed to these days.

  ‘Come on then, I want to know what this old fortune-teller bird said about me. Did she say I was a handsome bastard who was good in bed?’

  Getting a fit of the giggles again, Bella put her hand over her mouth to ensure she didn’t spit her champagne out.

  Michael smirked. ‘Swallow it, babe. I like watching you swallow and it’s a waste to spit it out.’

  Bella slapped Michael playfully on his arm. ‘Stop being so rude. I really don’t know where you get some of your expressions from. I didn’t even know what a bit of a fluff meant until you used the term to describe me. I thought it was something old ladies got on their cardigans.’

  ‘Well, it does mean that an’ all, but you’re my favourite bit of fluff. What did this Madam Whatsit tart say about me then? You keep changing the subject.’

  ‘Why are you so interested? Not ten minutes ago you told me you didn’t believe in such nonsense.’

  ‘I don’t. Your mate’s got to be a con-woman. Nobody can see into the future. Madam whatever her name is would be a multi-millionaire by now if she genuinely could.’

  Bella chuckled. She knew Michael was dying to know what Madam Lydia had said about him, which was why she had no intention of telling him. ‘You men are all the same: scared of what the future might hold. My Papa used to go mad whenever Mamma had tea-leaf readings with a local gypsy lady.’

  ‘I ain’t scared, babe. I just think it’s a load of old bollocks, that’s all. I mean, why hasn’t Lydia won the football pools week in, week out if she’s that clued up?’

  ‘The only way I will believe you are not a scaredy-cat is if you go to her for a reading. Then we can compare notes, and I will tell you exactly what she said to me about you. It was very interesting, I have to say.’

  Michael smiled and squeezed Bella’s hands. ‘Are you used to getting your own way?’

  ‘Yes. I take after my father.’

  ‘Well, in that case you better book me an appointment to see your old shyster of a mate. I’ll prove to you I ain’t no wimp, Miss D’Angelo.’

  Wondering why her sons and Lee were so quiet, Nancy decided to investigate. ‘Where are your brothers?’ she asked Adam, who was alone in the bedroom.

  ‘I don’t know, Mum. I thought they were playing on the machines.’

  Nancy stared at her youngest son. Adam had such a beautiful face and long eyelashes, he truly was the picture of innocence. She sat on the bed next to him. ‘Please tell me what happened with those boys who live next door to your nan. I promise I won’t shout or get angry, but you really need to tell me the truth now the police are involved. I only want to protect you, Daniel and Lee.’

  Unable to look his mother in the eyes, Adam fiddled with his toy. He was still embarrassed that he’d wet himself, and was scared. ‘Nothing happened.’

  Unconvinced, Nancy hugged her son close to her chest. ‘I promise I won’t tell Daniel you told me, Adam. It’s you I’m more concerned about. You’re Mummy’s baby boy.’

  Furious at the baby boy insult, Adam leapt off the bed. Daniel was always calling him a mummy’s boy and a wimp and he hated it. Daniel also said grasses were like rats, and ended up chopped into little pieces once they’d snitched.

  ‘I’ve already told you, nothing happened, and I’m not a baby any more. Just go away and leave me alone.’

  When his mother did as he asked, Adam wept.

  Rush Green Hospital had its own maternity unit that specialized in nurturing premature babies. ‘It’s gonna be all right, boy, I promise. Your son is in the best hands possible,’ Vinny said, as he parked the car.

  ‘You find out the score, Dad. The thought of a stranger giving me bad news doesn’t bear thinking of. I’d much rather hear it from you.’

  The few minutes his father took to return to the car were the longest of Little Vinny’s life. ‘Well?’ he asked anxiously.

  Vinny grinned. ‘Baby Butler is as strong as an ox. Five pound, he was born, which is a decent weight. His lungs are responding well and within the next day or two the nurse said they’re gonna see how his breathing is without the ventilator. Us Butler boys are tough cookies, Vin. I bet he’s home within the week.’

  Little Vinny held his hands together and tilted his head upwards. ‘Thank you, God.’

  ‘I found out what ward Sammi’s in. I suggest we see her before the baby.’

  ‘What am I gonna say to her, Dad? I ain’t even bought her or our son a present. I feel ever so guilty that I crashed out and didn’t hear the phone. Sammi must hate me.’

  ‘Sammi don’t hate you, boy. She loves you, which is why she got herself up the duff in the first place. As soon as she realizes you’re serious about being a good dad, she’ll be putty in your hands. Don’t be too apologetic though. Birds see that as a weakness, then play on it. Just say you were pissed. It was Christmas Day and you weren’t to know she was going to give birth early, was ya?’

  Debating whether to confess he’d turned up inebriated and created a scene at the Allens’ on Christmas Day, Little Vinny quickly decided against it. His father would go apeshit if he found out Ahmed had accompanied him, and no way was Little Vinny going to dob his boss in it. Not only did he value his job now he had another mouth to feed, Ahmed knew far too much about him. ‘I’d rather face Sammi-Lou and her parents alone. You wait outside and I’ll call you if I need you. I need to man up now I’m a father meself.’

  For the first time in years, Vinny Butler felt rather proud of his son. Not only had he rid the earth of a loser like Alison Bloggs, he also had the potential to be a good dad. ‘OK. I’ll wait outside the ward. I dunno who that Gary Allen thinks he is, but he’ll fucking know who I am if he starts, that’s for sure.’

  Michael Butler held Bella’s hand as they crossed the road. He’d had a brilliant day. The food and company had been exquisite, and he didn’t want it to end. All he really wanted to do was whisk Bella off to a hotel room and fuck her brains out. His groin was pulsating just at the thought of seeing her naked once again.

  ‘I’m only having one drink in this pub, Michael, and then I shall jump in a taxi,’ Bella said, dashing Michael’s hopes.

  ‘I’ll drop you off if you like?’

  ‘No. My parents and Antonio might already be home and I don’t want my father interrogating me. I told him I was meeting a girl from work for lunch. If he thought I was out with a man, he would insist on meeting you first. I have a very old-fashioned papa,’ Bella chuckled.

  ‘What’s he do for a living, your old man?’

  ‘He owns many different businesses.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Sportswear, clothing. Far too many to mention individually,’ Bella replied vaguely. She could hardly tell Michael the truth.

  Sammi-Lou was in a small ward with just one other girl whose baby was also in the special care unit, and they both screamed as Little Vinny walked in and Gary Allen lunged at him.

  ‘Please stop it, Dad. Leave him alone,’ Sammi cried.

  Storming into the ward, Vinny Butler pushed his son out of the way and grabbed Gary Allen by the throat. ‘You wanna fucking fight, then you fight me.’

  Meg Allen grabbed her husband’s arm to stop him throwing a punch. ‘For goodne
ss’ sake! I’m sick of all this. There’s a little boy down that corridor struggling to breathe and he belongs to all of us. Can’t we sort this out like adults?’

  Little Vinny walked over to Sammi and squeezed her hand. He turned to Gary and Meg and said, ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t here for the birth. My mind’s been all over the place recently. If you want the truth, my little sister’s death affected me so bad I was dreading having a daughter in case she reminded me of Molly. I’ll step up to the mark now, I promise. I’ll be the best boyfriend that Sammi could wish for and a brilliant dad to our son. I want us to be a proper family.’

  Vinny Butler wasn’t a soft man, but his son’s emotional speech brought a tear to his eye. He knew exactly how Little Vinny felt. He’d been worried that Ava would remind him of Molly.

  ‘I take it you’re Vinny’s father? Would you please shake hands with my husband, seeing as we now have a grandchild in common,’ Meg pronounced boldly.

  Vinny and Gary stared at one another, steely-eyed, then very reluctantly shook hands.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Sammi-Lou grinned when her boyfriend arrived with yet more bags of goodies. ‘Whatever you bought now?’

  ‘A proper cool pair of jeans and trainers for our boy. Obviously they won’t fit him for ages, but I couldn’t resist ’em. And this bag is full of presents for you.’

  Meg Allen smiled. Little Vinny had been as good as gold these past couple of days. ‘Come on, Gary. Let’s pop out for lunch somewhere and leave the youngsters to it. Won’t be long, Sammi, and for goodness’ sake hurry up and name the poor little soul. He can’t remain nameless for ever.’