Though she accepted it would have been safer for her to have walked away, Maddy was glad she had done the right thing.
Ellen thanked her yet again. “Even after the way he treated you, you still put yourself at risk for me.” She could only imagine how much raw courage that must have taken. “I want you to know,” she said, taking hold of Maddy’s hand and giving it a squeeze, “I’ll be forever grateful to you for that. And now, I want you to have a few minutes’ rest while I get the spare room ready.” She switched the radio on low, to keep Maddy company while she was gone. “I reckon I’ll put a hot water bottle in the bed, to warm you and the baby up, and you can chuck that dress away tomorrow. It’s ruined – what a pity. I’ll put a nightie and a clean towel by the bed. You can have a nice bath to soothe your aches and pains as the water stays hot till late because of my working hours.”
Grateful for the few minutes alone, Maddy watched her go. “I’ve found a new friend there,” she yawned. “And if I need anything at all just now, it’s someone to talk with.”
Laying the palm of her hand across her tummy, she felt the slight baby bulge. “We’ve a long way to go yet, you and me,” she sighed, looking down at it with a weary smile. “It’s not much of a start to your existence, what with your daddy arrested for murder, and us running for our lives. He wanted nothing to do with us, but d’you know what? We don’t need him. You and me, my darling, we’ll manage well enough. I’ll take care of you, and things will work out, you’ll see.”
Then she thought of Alice, and of how ill she was. Clasping her hands together, she bowed her head, closed her eyes and prayed like she had never prayed before. “Please, Lord, don’t let her die. Help her, if You can.”
Upstairs, Ellen went to the landing cupboard from where she took a pair of sheets and a pillow case. She found the duvet cover still in the wash bin. “Dammit!” Returning to the cupboard, she collected a bedspread, blue and yellow and festooned with flowers; it was one of those things bought in a rush and forever regretted. But it would do for now.
Going into the bedroom, she made the bed, turned back the covers and lit the bedside lamp. “There!” Pleased with herself, she ran down the stairs two at a time. “All ready!” she called as she went into the sitting room. “Oh, and you’ll find pajamas in the top drawer of the…” She came to a skidding halt. “Aw, Maddy, just look at you!”
Maddy had obviously not been able to keep herself awake. Squashed into the cushions, she was sleeping soundly, and lying on her side in an awkward fashion.
Trying not to wake her, Ellen made her comfortable, before returning upstairs to retrieve the bedspread, which she then carried back downstairs. Here, she tenderly wrapped it around Maddy’s slim figure, making certain the baby bulge was well covered and warm. “Night, God bless.” She gave Maddy a fleeting kiss.
Switching off the overhead light, and leaving only the dresser lamp burning, she tiptoed out of the room, making sure the door was left open, just in case Maddy called out in the night.
But it was Ellen who woke several times and crept quietly downstairs to check on Maddy.
Her heart went out to this lovely young woman who had done nothing wrong, except to fall for the wrong man. Now she was caught up in a nightmare, homeless and abandoned, with a child growing inside her, and her dearest and closest friend lying badly injured in a hospital somewhere.
For a long moment, Ellen looked on Maddy’s tear-stained face. “You don’t deserve any of this,” she whispered, “but you’re strong and determined. You’ll come through it. And just like Alice, I’ll always be here for you, Maddy. That’s my promise to you.”
Several times she glanced back as she made for the stairs, and even when lying in her bed, she strained her neck to listen for the slightest sound. But all remained quiet.
It was gone three o’clock in the morning when she was startled by the sound of Maddy’s frantic screams.
Running down the stairs she found Maddy on the floor, her arms flailing and her eyes wide open with terror, as though fighting off some unseen attacker…“It’s all right, Maddy!” Rushing to calm her, Ellen found it difficult to make her realize she was not in any danger. “Ssh. Be still, Maddy.”
There was no calming Maddy; terror-stricken she hit out, her fearful screams subsiding into deep heart-rending sobs.
In her deepest mind Maddy and the baby were in grave danger. The alley was dark and the bad ones had seen her. They wanted to kill her baby… and her.
“Ssh now.” Folding Maddy into her arms, Ellen soothed her, “It’s all right. You’re both safe, here with me.”
She held her until the sobs subsided.
When she sensed Maddy was looking up at her, Ellen gazed down, only to be transfixed with shock, as she regarded Maddy’s ashen face. There was such crippling pain in those dark, stricken eyes. So much anguish. And as she rocked her back and forth, never in her short life had Ellen been so deeply touched by another human being, “No one’s going to hurt you or the baby,” she murmured, her voice soothing as Maddy clung to her. “We’ll be away from here soon enough… somewhere they’ll never find us.”
Calmed by Ellen’s assurances, Maddy fought to shut out the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her.
Quieter now, the girl looked up, smiling through her tears. She felt the strength of Ellen’s arms about her, and she was safe.
For now.
Ellen made no attempt to go back to her own bed.
Instead, she got Maddy comfortable, drew the big armchair to the side of the sofa, and snuggling up in it, she watched her new friend sink into a restless sleep.
Each drawing strength from the other, the two young women spent their first night together.
That first night in Bethnal Green, the two young women dozed lightly, listening for any unusual sounds and intermittently watching for the dawn; each of them deeply troubled by recent events, and haunted by what the future might hold.
Ellen woke first. She was drawing back the curtains when Maddy opened her eyes, yawned and asked, “Is it morning already?” Sitting upright, she blinked at the inrush of light.
“How are you feeling?” Ellen wanted to know.
Maddy looked down. “I feel ashamed.”
“What do you mean?” Ellen crossed the room to her and sat on the sofa. “Why would you be ashamed?”
“Because of last night – all that crying on your shoulder. I’ve always been strong, you see, able to cope with anything life throws at me. From when I lost my parents, I’ve had to deal with everything myself. But last night…” She thrust away the images. “I’m sorry, Ellen. It won’t happen again.”
Ellen paused, regarding Maddy with respect. “Shall I tell you something?”
Curious, the other girl nodded.
“Out of the two of us, you are by far the bravest.”
“No.” Maddy smiled. “I don’t think so.”
“I mean it,” Ellen said. “I made a bad choice that could have had dire consequences. But you stepped forward and made me see what Steve was really like.” Her affection for Maddy shone in her eyes. “I’ve always missed never having a sister I could talk to, but it looks like I might have found one.”
“And me.” Maddy had no doubts. Almost from the first, she had seen Ellen as being much like herself, and the more they got to know each other, the closer they grew. Maddy believed that their friendship could only get stronger with the coming years. “We’ll look after each other, you and me,” she told Ellen. “We have so far, haven’t we?”
Chuckling, Ellen gave Maddy a playful shove. “Hey! We could be like the Beverley Sisters – you know that song they sing, about being sisters!”
Maddy laughed, and they sang along together, harmonizing really nicely. “We could band together and call ourselves The Songbirds,” she joked. “I think we sound a bit like Dusty Springfield and Debbie Harry rolled into one.”
“Not half!” Ellen quipped. “We’d be up in the Top Ten before you could say Bay City R
ollers!” Then she went on more seriously, “I know you need to find out how Alice is, and I’ve been thinking about that. I may have found a way that will keep you out of danger. First though, we should get some breakfast.”
She gave a kind of snort. “Mind you, having said that, I reckon all I can rustle up is toast and marmalade.”
“That sounds great.” Maddy’s hungry tummy was playing a tune. Looking wild and wanton with her hair massed about her face and her eyes raw and bleary, she asked, “Shall I get washed and tidied up first?”
Ellen nodded. “Good idea. Now don’t hog the bathroom,” she warned lightheartedly. “You’re not the only one who looks like something the cat brought in.”
“Oh, thanks,” Maddy bridled. She thought it wonderful, how she and Ellen had quickly formed such a warm and natural friendship.
In the tiny, well-kept bathroom on the first floor, Maddy squeezed the tiniest measure out of Ellen’s tube of Fresh-mint toothpaste and, wetting her finger under the tap, scrubbed away at her teeth until they felt clean.
She twice rinsed out her mouth, then washed her face with warm soap and water. “My God!” Staring into the mirror, she could hardly believe it was herself looking back. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes swollen and sore-looking. If only she had her comb and makeup with her.
When she emerged, wrapped in her towel and feeling much fresher, Ellen lent her a hairbrush and chucked a big bag of cosmetics at her, saying, “Here, help yourself. I’ve put some clothes on your bed – choose what you want.”
Then she went back downstairs. “The kettle’s on,” she called back. “And the bread’s already sliced for toasting. I’ll wait till you’re ready before putting it on.”
Later, over tea and toast, the two young women discussed the aftermath of the previous evening. “Do you think the police will be looking for us by now?” Maddy wondered. Dressed in a pair of Ellen’s jeans and a skinny-rib sweater, with her long hair combed back into a high ponytail and the makeup concealing her battered face, she looked about the same age as her newfound friend.
Ellen didn’t know the answer to that. “I hope they’re not,” she replied. “They will have already worked out that Steve and my boss Den Carter were arch rivals in the club business. Plus Steve owed him money and then had the front to trick me away from him. It was a mad thing to do. Den would never have let him get away with it. Anyway, the cops will have questioned every member of staff by now – for witnesses and all that. So I expect they already know about me and you.”
Maddy agreed, but, “As far as anyone knew, we weren’t even there in the alley when it happened. Besides, there were more than enough witnesses who saw everything – the guests who ran out to see what was going on, and the staff from our club and other businesses down the alley. They couldn’t see me, but I could see them. So, if there were all those witnesses, why would they need to bother about us?”
“They may not,” Ellen said, “but I wouldn’t count on it. Think about it, Maddy. Steve Drayton murdered two people and badly wounded another. It’s major stuff. It won’t matter that they already have him in custody. They’ll want to make the case absolutely watertight. They’ll question everybody. To be on the safe side, we’d best make tracks, and the sooner the better! The police will find this address in Den’s staff records. And if Drayton is hellbent on putting out a contract on you, that’s all the more reason for keeping our heads down.”
Maddy told her she was going nowhere, until she knew that Alice was safe.
Ellen conveyed her plan. “Look, I did a lot of thinking last night, and I may have come up with something. You see, I know someone who might be able to help. Her name is Connie; she’s been kind to me in the past, and she knows how to keep her mouth shut when needs be. She was a cleaner at Carter’s club when I first went there, but he sacked her after accusing her of being a thief. I stood up for her, and got a black eye for my pains, but I also bunged her a few quid to keep her going until she found a new job. We’ve kept in touch, Connie and me, and guess what? She’s only working as a ward cleaner at the hospital, so she might be able to find out what’s happening with Alice.”
“Do you think there will be police at the hospital?”
“You can bet on it! But it’s far easier for a cleaner to get places where we can’t. Besides, there’ll be all kinds of gossip going on amongst the nurses, and though I say it myself, Connie was always a bit of a Nosy Parker.”
Maddy thought it was a good plan and anyway, what alternative did they have? “Great! Alice’s surname is Mulligan, by the way. So, when can you get in touch with this Connie?”
“Right now.” Glancing up at the clock. Ellen saw that it was not yet eight-thirty. “Depends which shift she’s on, but I should be able to get hold of her.”
While she rummaged for the phone number she murmured, “Connie’s a good sort. We can trust her, and I’ll make sure she gets a drink out of this. Oh, here it is!”
She dialed and waited, for what seemed an age. “I hope we haven’t missed her,” she was saying, when suddenly she cried out, “Connie? It’s me, Ellen. Yes, fine thank you, and how are you?” There was a moment while Connie answered, then, “So, you’re still working at University College Hospital, are you?”
Another pause, then, “Connie, I wonder if you could do me a huge favor – it’s really important. What? No, I haven’t seen the news, but I already knew about the shooting. Yes, I know that Den is dead – can’t say I will shed any tears for him. But that’s a part of the reason I’m calling you now.”
There was a brief exchange, before Ellen fully explained that Alice Mulligan, the injured woman, was a friend of a friend, who needed to know what was happening with her.
Another short pause while she listened to what the other woman had to say, then: “Yes, I fully expected the police might be there, that’s why I’m asking this favor. No, Connie, I’m not involved – well, not in the way you might think. Let’s just say, I’ve got nothing to hide.”
She cut short the conversation. “Listen, Connie, there isn’t much time. I’m about to tell you something that I know you won’t ever repeat to a living soul.”
She quickly outlined how, though they were not directly involved, she and Maddy had been in the alley when the shootings took place, and now they were afraid the police might want to talk with them. Moreover, when Carter turned up looking for blood, Steve Drayton laid the blame firmly at Maddy’s door. Just before the police took him away, he had threatened Maddy’s life, vowing to find her wherever she might go.
“He means to have her done away with,” Ellen told Connie bluntly. “That’s why she can’t show her face at the hospital. But Alice is her closest friend and she’s desperately worried about her, won’t go anywhere until she knows what the score is. Please, Connie, we need you to find out anything you can. We thought, what with you being a cleaner and probably having access to the staffroom, you might be well-placed to hear things… nurses’ gossip, police talking to each other and all that.”
While she listened to Connie’s reply, Ellen glanced at Maddy, who was feverishly pacing the floor.
Another minute, and then a great sigh of relief. “Oh Connie, love, I knew I could count on you!” Swinging round, Ellen made a thumbs-up sign at Maddy. “Thank you so much. Listen, when can you call me back? Midday? Right, we’ll be waiting. Bye, now – and good luck.”
Replacing the handset, she crossed the room to where Maddy was now seated in the chair, looking pale and drawn. “It’s as we thought,” she told her. “There’s a police guard outside Alice’s door. But Connie is due to wash down that corridor this morning, so she’s hoping to pick up some news or actually get inside the room.”
“Has she seen Alice?”
“No, but she has overheard conversations. Apparently, when Alice was admitted, she’d already lost a lot of blood, and there was internal damage. They had no choice but to operate. She came out of that… had a blood transfusion, but although the doctors th
ought she was too badly hurt to survive, your Alice proved them wrong, and seems to be doing okay. Though she’s still under intensive care.”
Maddy wiped away a tear. “She’s a fighter. She’ll win through, I know she will.”
“We’ll know more by midday, when Connie rings,” Ellen said. “Meanwhile, I’ve another call to make. Because, once we’ve had news of Alice, we will need to get going on our own course of action.”
As she put the kettle on for another pot of tea, Maddy was too engrossed in thoughts of Alice to ask what call Ellen was about to make.
But she wasn’t too concerned; whatever it was, and whoever she was about to call, Maddy had no doubts about Ellen’s good intentions.
Because, against all her earlier instincts, she had come to trust the girl. With not only her own life, but also that of her unborn child.
Eight
A small, round woman of ample proportions, Connie had been surprised to hear from Ellen. “Time and again I told her never to get tangled up with Den Carter,” she muttered as she walked the hospital corridors. “I said he was a bad lot, and I was right. But would she listen? No, she would not!”
“Morning, Connie.” That was Molly, who helped to run the staff canteen. “Have you heard about the shootings?”
“I have, yes.”
“And that poor woman… they say she’s on her last legs.”
“Who says?”
“The porters and suchlike. They’re all talking about it.”
“Well, they’re talking out of their backsides, then, ’cos I’ve heard from the nurses that she’s pulling through all right.”
“Guarded night and day, isn’t she?” Molly sighed. “Fancy guarding somebody who’s been at death’s door. I mean, it’s not as if she’s gonna run off, is it, eh? And she’s a victim, not a culprit. Them Soho nightclubs… vice rings… it’ll all be in the News of the World, come Sunday.” She beamed excitedly.
Songbird Page 10
