by Sam Michaels
‘Fucking right we are,’ Nobby answered, his mouth set in a grim line.
Johnny led the way and they marched into the smoky pub. They must have looked a sight – Johnny with his swagger, Ned snarling with his fists clenched and the twins, both big blokes, following behind. The landlord looked worried and backed away from behind the bar. Several men left their drinks on tables and hurried out of the door. The Naylors, though, smirked as Johnny approached.
‘’Ere, look, Bert, it’s Georgina Garrett’s Nancy boys,’ Len Naylor said loudly to his brother.
Four other men sat in close proximity to the brothers rose to their feet when they saw Johnny and stared at him menacingly. But the Naylors’ heavies didn’t intimidate him. He had something in his pocket that would shit the life out of the lot of them.
Bert Naylor, a tall and broad man with mousy brown greased-back hair, took a swig of his drink, placed the glass on the table and scowled at Johnny as he spoke. ‘What the fuck do you want? It had better be good, coming in here and disturbing my pint.’
‘Yeah,’ Len added, rubbing his square chin. ‘A bunch of fucking poofters who worked for a woman.’
Johnny didn’t answer. He couldn’t be bothered to waste his breath. Instead, he looked sideways at Ned and smiled. Ned’s eyes widened; he knew Johnny well enough to anticipate what was coming next. Johnny slowly nodded his head at Ned, at the same time reaching inside his coat pocket. He felt the comforting touch of his gun and yanked it out to point it directly at Bert’s head.
A shocked gasp went round the pub and three of the Naylors’ blokes dived for cover under tables. Len Naylor reached across to touch his brother’s arm while saying shakily, ‘Hold up, Johnny, there’s no need for this.’
‘There’s every fucking need,’ Johnny answered and squeezed his finger on the trigger. ‘And it’s Mr Dymond to you, you fucking arse wipe.’
‘Come on, Joh… I mean, Mr Dymond. Let’s talk about it, eh?’ he said, all signs of bravado gone.
‘There’s nothing to talk about. Just get this through your thick fucking skulls or I’ll blow your tiny brains up the fucking wall… Stay away from Charlotte Mipple. If I hear you’ve even so much as looked at her, I’ll hunt the pair of you down and you’ll be eating the barrel of me gun. Understand?’
‘Yes, Mr Dymond. Loud and clear,’ Len answered, the fear in his voice evident.
But Bert just glared defiantly at Johnny and didn’t seem as frightened as his brother. So Johnny thought he’d show them he meant business and pulled the trigger but deliberately aimed the gun just past Bert’s head.
The blast from the gunshot resounded in Johnny’s ears. A puff of smoke wafted from the end of the barrel, and for a moment it felt as if the world stood still. Then, as the ringing in his ears subsided, he saw the bullet had wedged in the wall between the brothers, and Bert, now sheet-white, turned to look at it.
‘Do you get my message now?’ Johnny asked.
Bert was visibly shaken and gulped. ‘Yeah,’ he said with urgency, ‘I get it.’
‘I ain’t messing about. And if I find out that you’ve been near any of Miss Garrett’s friends and family, I’ll be back for you.’
‘Sorry, Mr Dymond. You won’t get no trouble from us,’ Len gushed.
Johnny turned on his heel and swaggered out with Ned and the Barker twins behind him. It felt good to be back in power, like the old days when he’d commanded respect. A time when Georgina Garrett’s name had carried a lot of clout and he’d been proud to be a part of her gang.
‘Ha, did you see the look on Bert’s face,’ Nobby laughed.
‘I think he might have shit himself,’ Ned said. ‘They soon backed down, cowards, the pair of them, only fit to pick on women.’
‘All right, back in the car,’ Johnny told them. ‘Let’s keep this professional, eh.’
‘’Ark at him,’ Ned said. ‘That lead out of his gun has gawn to his head. Professional, my arse!’
Johnny turned the engine and set off to the Anderson shelter where they’d stashed the borrowed Home Guard arms. It was in the back yard of a cousin of the Barker twins. ‘Ned, mate. We are professional and don’t you forget it,’ he said. ‘We worked for Miss Garrett, the best in the game. And we’re together again. It’s about time Battersea took note and wankers like the Naylors were put back in their place.’
*
Charlotte paced the room and chewed on her thumbnail, worried about what Johnny was going to do to the Naylor brothers. She knew he had a gun and hoped he wasn’t about to land himself in trouble with the law. It had been awful when he’d been away serving time, she’d missed him terribly. She didn’t want to go through that again.
A tap on her door caused Dog to bark and snapped her out of her thoughts. She held Dog by the collar as she opened the door, expecting to find Lord Hamilton on her doorstep. She was surprised to see PC Batten stood there in his full uniform and with a sheepish look on his face. The grand sight of him momentarily took her breath away.
‘Sorry to disturb you, but you haven’t moved my bicycle, have you?’
‘No,’ she answered. ‘Isn’t it outside the front door?’
‘No, it’s gone. I was hoping that maybe you’d brought it inside.’
‘I haven’t touched it. Do you think it’s been stolen?’ she asked, trying to keep a straight face. Oh, the irony of it!
‘Looks like it. Oh well, I suppose it’ll be Shanks’ pony for me.’
‘Aren’t you on night duty anymore?’
‘No, back on days but my shift doesn’t start until two.’
‘Blimey, you’re keen. It’s only twelve.’
‘Yes, but I was hoping to get a cup of tea in the canteen before I start. I’m all out of tea leaves. I gave my ration coupons to my sister.’
‘You silly bugger, you should have said. Come in, I’ll make you a cuppa.’
‘No, really, thank you. It’s very kind of you but I wouldn’t want to impose.’
‘Oh, shut up. You ain’t imposing. Come in, I’ll make you a spam sandwich an’ all.’
Charlotte pulled the door open wider and when PC Batten walked in thought she could see he looked uncomfortable.
‘Sit yourself down, there’s tea in the pot. Don’t worry about Dog. He’s a friendly boy but watch you don’t get your smart uniform smothered in fur.’
Charlotte went through to the kitchen and poured the tea and hastily made a sandwich. Her mind raced. Was there anything in the front room that she wouldn’t want PC Batten to see? She was sure that there wasn’t but why on earth had she invited the Old Bill into her home? She’d felt sorry for him and it had been impulsive, but now she could have kicked herself. Christ, if Johnny turned up, he’d have a fit!
The sandwich prepared, Charlotte peeked over her shoulder before lifting a slice of the bread and spitting on it. She thought it was the right thing to do, though she felt a twinge of guilt, after all, PC Batten seemed like a nice bloke. But she reminded herself that thanks to his colleagues, Georgina was banged up in Holloway Prison for years to come.
‘There you go,’ she said, handing him a plate and placing the cup and saucer on a side table next to the sofa.
‘Thanks for this,’ he said, ‘I must admit, I’m hungry. With this shift work, I haven’t had a chance to get to the grocer’s shop.’
As he tucked into the sandwich, she offered him a half-hearted smile, and inwardly cringed when he bit into the part she’d spat in. God, she wished he’d soon eat up and get going. Though strangely, there was a part of her that liked being with him. Dog sat in front of him at his legs, pleading with his eyes. Charlotte thought if the mutt could talk, he’d be asking to share the food.
‘Is it all right if I give him a little nibble?’
‘Yeah, I suppose so. He’s an expert beggar. He’ll never starve to death, that’s for sure.’
PC Batten pulled off a small piece of the sandwich, which Dog gently accepted.
‘He’s a good boy. I lik
e dogs,’ he said, patting the pooch on the head which made Dog’s tail wag.
‘Seems he likes you an’ all.’ She’d always thought Dog a good judge of character. He’d proved that with Nancy Austin. Dog had never taken to the woman and had once growled at her. But again, Charlotte had to remind herself that PC Batten was the enemy and she wasn’t to be sucked in by his seemingly kind nature and good looks, no matter how much Dog liked him.
‘That’s set me up for the day,’ he said as he placed his helmet back on his head and went to leave. Looking awkwardly down at his feet, he added, ‘Thanks for your hospitality, Charlotte. Perhaps you’ll allow me to repay you by, erm, taking you out to dinner one evening?’
‘Oh,’ she answered, stunned. She hadn’t been expecting him to ask her out and though she found herself unwantedly attracted to him, she wasn’t interested in men, especially not a policeman. ‘There’s no need to repay me but thank you very much,’ she answered politely.
PC Batten’s cheeks burned red and he bumbled out of the door, clearly embarrassed at her rebuff.
‘Good grief,’ she sighed after closing it behind him. His proposal of dinner had come out of nowhere and had caught her off-guard. She thought about his smile, kind and genuine. There was no doubt about it, copper or not, he was a nice man but very naïve. If he had any idea of the things she’d been involved in, she knew he’d be horrified. Still, it was flattering to receive some attention for a change but the thought of a man touching her body made her skin crawl. The abuse she’d endured when she’d lived on the streets had been enough to put her off men for life.
Someone knocked on the front door, which made Dog bark. Charlotte peeped through the net curtains to see who was there. She wasn’t expecting anyone and Dina, Lord Hamilton and Miss Gray never received visitors. She saw a man standing on the doorstep but couldn’t see his face and guessed it was someone looking for work. It wasn’t unusual to have callers asking for any odd jobs.
When she went to see what the man wanted, Dog charged out and ran to the front door, incessantly barking.
‘All right, calm down, there’s a good boy,’ she said, reaching for his collar and pulling him back as she opened the door.
‘Can I help you?’ she asked.
Dog wriggled and managed to slip free from her grip. He leapt at the man, his tail furiously wagging as he jumped up and down, trying desperately to lick his face.
Charlotte had never seen Dog behave like this and tried to grab his collar again.
‘Sorry about him,’ she said. ‘He won’t bite.’
‘I know,’ the man replied.
Charlotte stared at him, confused. Something about his voice didn’t sound right. The man looked back at her and when Charlotte saw those violet eyes, she knew. ‘Georgina!’ she gasped, unable to make sense of what was happening.
‘Shush. Let me in.’
She was quick to usher Georgina inside, still trying to pull Dog from her. Once in the flat, Georgina crouched down and made a fuss of Dog as he lavished her with affection. He hadn’t forgotten his owner and was excited to see her.
‘What? How? When? Christ!’ Charlotte’s words tumbled out.
‘I had to get away.’
‘Bloody hell, Georgina, have you escaped?’
‘Well, they didn’t give me permission to leave.’
‘Jesus Christ, they’ll have every copper in Battersea looking for you!’ she said, thinking of PC Batten who had only just left. In fact, they must have passed each other on the street.
‘Yeah, but they’ll be looking for a woman, not a bloke in dungarees. I thought you’d be pleased to see me.’
‘I am… I’m just shocked. What are you gonna do?’
Now Dog had calmed down, Georgina rose back to her feet. ‘First things first, put the kettle on. I didn’t have any tea at home.’
They smiled at each other and Charlotte rushed forward to wrap her arms around Georgina. ‘I’m so glad you’re here,’ she said, fighting to hold back her emotions.
Georgina, never one for being overtly demonstrative, peeled Charlotte’s arms from around her. ‘It’s good to see you,’ she said, ‘but I must stink. I’ve had these clothes on for a couple of days.’
Charlotte stepped back, impressed at Georgina’s tall stature. She’d forgotten how imposing the woman was and though her baggy dungarees hid her frame, she could tell Georgina had lost weight. ‘It’s really good to see you too. I’ve missed you. Everyone’s missed you. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you well hidden from the Old Bill. You ain’t never going back to that shithole again. Blinkin’ ’eck, I still can’t believe you’re here! Wait ’til Johnny sees you. He’s gonna be over the bloody moon!’ Her words fell out as the shock wore off to be replaced with an overwhelming joy.
‘I can’t stay here, Charlotte. I need to get my children.’
‘Yeah, of course, but you’ll come back, won’t you?’
‘Slow down. One step at a time. I haven’t worked it all out yet.’
‘Yeah, yeah, sorry. I’ll put the kettle on and make you something to eat. But what do I do if the police knock on the door?’
‘Nothing. Just act like nothing is out of the ordinary. If they want to come in, then let them, and they’ll see me looking at a pipe under the sink. My name’s George Robinson. I’m a plumber. Benjamin is arranging identity papers for me which will be dropped off to you later. In the meantime, I’ll just have to blag it.’
‘What does blag mean?’
‘Pull the wool over their eyes. Hope to get away with it by lying. That sort of thing.’
‘Blimey, you’ve picked up some new words in prison. And how long have you been out?’
‘I got to Battersea yesterday and saw Benjamin. I stayed at my old house last night. Mary next door said the police had been there to look for me. I’m surprised they’ve not visited you yet. Perhaps they’re watching the place and using that copper across the landing as a mole.’
‘You know about him?’ Charlotte asked, shocked and suddenly feeling clammy. She would have expected Georgina to be angry about a copper living in the house.
‘Yes, Benjamin told me. You clever girl! It’s perfect. The Old Bill ain’t going to worry about searching the house for me if there’s already a copper living here. Well done, but why on earth have you rented it out to a policeman?’
‘It’s a long story. But I’m glad you’re not upset with me. Johnny told me to get rid of him so he’s moving out in a few days.’
‘Oh no he isn’t. Can you persuade him to change his mind?’
‘I don’t know. I could try.’
‘How well do you know him?’
‘Not very. He ain’t been here long. But he erm, he, he asked me out to dinner.’
‘Great. Get as close to him as you can. It’ll be good to have a local bobby on our side.’
‘But I’ve already turned him down.’
‘I’m sure you can easily tell him you’ve changed your mind. You’re not a daft girl, Charlotte. You must be able to see how this can work to our advantage?’
‘Yeah, of course I can. That’s why I got him here in the first place. See, I was getting a bit of jip from the Naylor brothers and I thought they’d leave me alone once they knew the Old Bill was living here.’
‘What do you mean?’ Georgina asked, her eyes narrowing.
‘Let me put the kettle on and I’ll tell you all about it.’
Georgina followed Charlotte through to the kitchen and fiddled about under the sink. ‘Fill the kettle up. The sink is going to be out of action for a while.’
Charlotte topped it up, her mind turning with the idea of going out with Timothy. The thought of it thrilled her, though she wished it didn’t!
Georgina stood up, saying, ‘There, that should do it.’
When Charlotte turned to look, she saw a pool of water beginning to form on the floor from a drip in the pipework. She was about to grab a cloth to wipe it up but heard someone rapping urgently on her door.
‘Are you expecting someone?’ Georgina asked.
‘No, and that’s not the way Lord Hamilton from upstairs knocks on me door. Christ, Georgina, I think it might be the police!’
‘All right, take a deep breath. There’s nothing here to worry about. I’m just the plumber, remember, here to fix your leaking pipe. Go and answer the door.’
Charlotte’s lips pursed. ‘Cor, you don’t ’alf take risks. I’d forgotten how bloody mad it is when you’re around.’ She nervously tucked her long brown hair behind her ears and sucked in a long breath before blowing it out slowly. ‘I can do this,’ she said tensely and watched as Georgina unlocked the kitchen window before scrambling back under the sink.
‘Good girl. Of course you can. Now go,’ Georgina urged.
Charlotte hurried to the door and fixed a smile on her face as she pulled it open to find PC Batten standing there looking ashen.
‘Where’s the fire?’ she asked breezily.
‘I’m glad you’re still at home. You’ll never guess what’s happened.’
‘Probably not… Have the Germans surrendered?’
‘No, nothing like that. But I was on my way to the station and saw a commotion on Battersea Park Road. A motorbike spooked a horse, which reared up causing the cart to lose a wheel, which then shed its load of potatoes all over the road. It was mayhem but luckily there’s a police box nearby so I phoned it in.’
‘Well, it sounds like you’ve had an exciting morning before you’ve even got to work,’ Charlotte said, wondering why he’d come back to tell her about it.
‘Yes, but when I phoned the station, you won’t believe what they told me.’
‘You’re a policeman so I probably would,’ Charlotte lied, knowing that there were some who were bent.
‘Ha, yes. Well, they said Georgina Garrett is on the run from Holloway Prison. She’s escaped!’
Charlotte gasped and threw a hand to her mouth. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, that’s what my sergeant said!’
‘Blimey, you’re right, I can’t believe it! Have they sent you back here to look for her?’
