by Dani Oakley
“Did they take Gertie to solitary?” Babs asked, knowing that they must have done.
The young prison guard turned her eyes onto Babs, and for a moment, she felt judged. Rather than give the screw the tongue lashing she deserved, Babs bent her head meekly.
“Please, no one’s given us any information. We don’t know what’s going on.”
The prison guard waited for a beat and then sighed. “Yes, she is in solitary. She is telling anyone who’ll listen she tried to kill Maud.”
Babs’s eyes widened and she felt panic rising in her chest. She shook her head. “She didn’t. It was an accident. Maud fell over and hit her head against the oven, that’s all. Gertie and I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
The prison guard pursed her lips and looked at Babs sceptically. “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait for Maud to wake up to get the full story, won’t we?”
Babs blinked and then swallowed hard. “She hasn’t woken up yet?”
Babs didn’t know whether to feel relieved or scared. Of course, she was glad she hadn’t killed Maud outright, but when she did wake up and told everybody it had been Babs who had hit her…
Babs couldn’t help thinking maybe it would have been better if Maud had died. Babs wasn’t a killer at heart, not really. But inside, things had driven her to desperation, and Mean Maud was a nasty piece of work who deserved everything she had coming to her.
Babs nodded and tried to brave it out. “Yes, I’m sure as soon as Maud wakes up, she’ll put the record straight and tell everybody that she hit her head against the oven.”
The prison guard looked down her nose at Babs, who to her annoyance, realised she was trembling. She clutched her arms tighter around her body.
Jane called out, “When are you going to let Gertie out of solitary. She hasn’t done anything!”
“In your opinion, Jane Harris,” the prison guard said sharply. “But you weren’t there, were you?”
Jane shook her head. “No, but Babs was, and she saw everything. She knows Gertie didn’t do anything wrong. Isn’t that right, Babs? Tell her.”
Babs licked her lips, which were suddenly dry. “Yes, that’s right. I told you Gertie didn’t do anything.”
The prison guard snorted with derision and then turned her back on the three women.
“Hang on,” Babs said before Samuels, the prison guard, could walk off along the corridor. “Please, could you give Gertie a note for me?” she whispered urgently.
The prison guard looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone and weren’t being watched.
“You know I can’t do that. It’s against the rules.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
A smile played on the prison guard’s lips, and Babs knew she would do as she was told. Thanks to Tony, Babs had a little money to grease people’s palms, and although she didn’t keep it in prison, Tony would sort it outside. Although this prison guard wasn’t one she’d paid off before, she had given backhanders to plenty of others in the past, and it would be a simple enough matter for Tony to sort it for her.
As they came to a verbal agreement, Babs quickly scribbled down a note to Gertie. She did not write too much, but she wanted her friend to know that she was still insisting it was an accident and that she was thinking of her.
She thrust the piece of paper into the screw’s hand. As Samuels walked off, Babs watched her retreating figure, feeling more alone than ever.
* * *
Big Tim had been absolutely on top of the world all day. He cheerfully made everyone a cup of tea and had been whistling to himself all afternoon. Jimmy barely recognised him.
It was all down to his fledgling romance with Linda.
Brian Moore had seen Tim walking Linda to work that morning and had broadcast the news to the men in the workshop, who had all proceeded to tease Tim mercilessly. Even though Tim could have soon put a stop to the teasing by threatening to put any of the men through the wall, he had taken the teasing good-naturedly.
The only occasion he stopped smiling all day was when he took the time to speak to Jimmy about Linda.
Jimmy glanced over at Tim, who was now working on a Ford, and smiled remembering how Tim had come to him, clutching a rag covered in engine oil to tell Jimmy that he had a lot of respect for Linda and was very serious in his intentions.
Jimmy had been tempted to laugh, but he held back his sniggers because he could see how important it was for Tim.
Jimmy had always looked on Linda as a second mother, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit concerned when he first realised that Tim had started courting her. But Tim was a good man, and despite his nan’s reservations, Jimmy thought their relationship could be a good thing. Both Tim and Linda seemed happier than ever now they were together.
So, Jimmy had tried his best to keep a straight face as Tim looked down at him and reassured him that he would treat Linda well. It made sense because Jimmy was so close to Linda, but there was something that had worried Jimmy.
Although Jimmy had slapped him on the back and said he was glad the pair of them had found each other, there had been something odd in Tim’s demeanour. Jimmy had always been good at reading people, it was something he had picked up from a young age, and he knew that Tim sometimes acted oddly around him for one reason or another.
He’d grown up knowing that Tim was in his corner and because Jimmy had never had his own father to rely on, he was glad of the presence of Big Tim and Dave Carter in his life.
He could understand Tim might be a little nervous because he wanted Jimmy to accept his new relationship and knew that Linda respected Jimmy’s opinion. But even after Jimmy had reassured Tim he was completely happy for them, the nervousness in Tim’s expression didn’t go away.
It almost looked like guilt, but that didn’t make any sense.
Jimmy was so intently watching Tim, he hadn’t even realised that Dave had come into the workshop. Until he was standing next to him and slapping him on the back.
“All right, Jimmy. You looked like you were miles away then.”
Jimmy nodded. “Sorry, I guess I was. I was just thinking…”
His voice trailed off as his gaze travelled back to Tim, who still had his head buried beneath the hood of the Ford.
Dave Carter had been waiting for this day to come for a very long time. There was plenty of gossip around the East End, but Jimmy wasn’t the type of lad to listen to gossip. He’d honestly never known such a loyal and honest lad. He almost rivalled Georgie for his trust and inherent goodness. He only hoped what he had to tell Jimmy wouldn’t change the lad.
He’d taken to looking upon Jimmy as a third son. Since that day he’d stood up to those young thugs bullying Georgie, Dave had had a quiet respect for the boy, and over the years, that had turned into real affection.
He saw the clouded expression on Jimmy’s face as he stared at Big Tim, and he knew he couldn’t put the truth off any longer. Jimmy was a sharp kid and eventually he would put the pieces together for himself. Dave wanted to make the truth easier to swallow.
“I’ve been meaning to have a word with you,” Dave said. “Let’s go to the warehouse. We’ll have a little chat on the way.”
Chapter 19
When Trevor returned home after lunch, he was feeling much better. He always did after talking to his uncle. Sometimes he thought Uncle Gary was the only person who really understood him.
He felt a warm glow of happiness, helped by the little bit of whisky Gary had put into their tea. And his uncle hadn’t let him down on the money front either, giving him a bit of cash to tide him over.
When Trevor had protested that the amount of money he gave him was too much, Gary had waved his protests aside.
He had said he knew that once Trevor was allowed to find his feet, he would pay Gary back tenfold.
Trevor grinned as he remembered their conversation. It did him a world of good to know there was somebody who believed he could
be a success. He’d spent his whole life being put down by his father, so when somebody showed him a little bit of support, it went a long way.
The house was still quiet when he got back, and he knew his mother would have gone back to bed. Usually, Trevor would have sulked and ignored her, but today he was feeling happier and more sympathetic. He knew his mum had been through a very rough time over the past few years, so he’d decided to make more of an effort with her. He boiled the kettle to make them both a cup of tea, humming to himself as he did so.
He put an extra lump of sugar in his mother’s tea and carried it upstairs on the small rose-printed tray. He’d even put a couple of biscuits on the side of her saucer.
He knocked on the bedroom door but wasn’t surprised when there wasn’t an answer.
He sighed. If she was asleep, he was going to have to do his best to rouse her because his father would do his nut if he got home and found her still asleep at this time of day.
Sometimes Trevor understood his mother’s desire to stay asleep and forget about all the family problems. There were occasions when that idea seemed very appealing to Trevor.
The door was shut, so he held the tray in one hand, careful not to spill the tea, and then opened the door.
As expected, his mother was sound asleep in bed.
“I’ve brought you a cup of tea, Mum,” Trevor said loudly and put the tray on the nightstand.
She didn’t reply.
Trevor sighed heavily. He could really do without this.
He looked down at his mother’s pale face and wondered how everything had gone so wrong for them. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand, giving it a gentle shake. “Come on, Mum, you’ll have to wake up. Dad will be home in a little while.”
That wasn’t strictly true. They had at least an hour before Georgie and his father would get home, but Trevor knew from experience how long it took for the groggy effect of his mother’s tablets to wear off, and he didn’t want to endure another night of his father ranting about the tablets.
It wasn’t as though his parents argued. His father just berated his mother as she just sat there silently in another world.
She hardly ever responded, and if she did, it would only be to say sorry over and over again.
Trevor shook her arm again and then noticed how cold her hand felt.
A spark of panic ran through him, and he gripped his mother’s hand tightly.
“Mum!” he said loudly. “Wake up!”
But his mother didn’t even blink.
Trevor stood up and grasped his mother by the shoulders, shaking her. “Wake up. Wake up!”
Still nothing, and he could feel how cold she was even through her nightdress.
He put his hand to her mouth to see if she was breathing but couldn’t tell.
And then it hit him. What if she wasn’t asleep?
He turned around, crashing into the nightstand and sending the cup of tea and biscuits flying.
He charged out of the room and took the stairs two at a time in his rush to get out.
He barged out of the front door, leaving the door open, and flew down the street, heading towards the workshop.
It will be okay, Trevor told himself. He just had to get his father because he’d know what to do. He’d know how to wake her up.
Trevor didn’t have to travel as far as the workshop because he saw his father turning the corner of their road in the company of Jimmy Diamond.
The sight of them together hit Trevor hard in the gut. They looked like they were having a very serious conversation. Trevor felt sick with jealousy. But he didn’t have time to think about that now.
“Dad, it’s Mum. She won’t wake up!”
His father looked up sharply and looked at Trevor for only a second, but it was long enough for Trevor to see the anger in his face.
His father started to run towards the house, and Trevor followed him. He could hear Jimmy Diamond’s footsteps on the pavement behind him, and he hated the fact he was there and intruding on this, but he didn’t have time to turn around and tell him to go. He just needed to get home so his father could wake her up.
But as he got closer to the house, his speed slowed. He didn’t want to go back there. Deep down, he knew she hadn’t been sleeping, and this was something even his father wouldn’t be able to fix.
He turned angrily on Jimmy. “What are you doing? We don’t want you here,” Trevor spat. “Go away.”
Jimmy hesitated, but in the end, he moved quickly past Trevor and said, “I just want to see if I can be any help. Your dad might need something.”
As Jimmy ran past him, Trevor tried to keep up, but all of a sudden, all his limbs felt heavy, and when the house came into view, his footsteps slowed even more. Something deep down inside was telling him not to go back. That something bad would happen when he got home.
He couldn’t breathe properly or force himself to go inside, and so he hung around outside with Jimmy. His heart was hammering so fast in his chest he thought it might burst.
Minutes later, his father threw open the front door and stepped out onto the street, looking furious.
“She’s dead,” Dave said. “Taken too many of those bloody pills. Why weren’t you watching her?” He looked accusingly at Trevor. “It’s not as if you had anything better to do.”
Trevor opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He shook his head. “No, she can’t be. I’ll get a doctor. She just needs the doctor.”
“It’s too late for a doctor,” Dave said bitterly. “Where have you been all day?”
Trevor looked down at the ground as he felt his stomach turn over, the urge to vomit making his throat constrict.
“It’s not his fault. There’s no point blaming each other. There’s nothing anyone could have done,” Jimmy said.
Trevor was trembling as he turned round to face Jimmy. He didn’t need that bastard sticking up for him. Why was Jimmy Diamond there anyway? He wasn’t even family.
“Go away!” Trevor screamed. “It’s none of your business.”
He swung a punch wildly at Jimmy’s head, but his fist only caught Jimmy’s cheek slightly.
Jimmy easily ducked the power behind the blow and took a few steps back.
“I don’t want any trouble,” he said, and then he glanced towards Dave. “I’ll go and get Georgie from the workshop and bring him home.”
Trevor watched Jimmy walk away and knew for certain that he had never hated anyone more in his life.
Chapter 20
Babs had been living on the edge of her nerves all day. She hadn’t heard anything back from Gertie since she’d asked the screw to take a letter to her, and that worried Babs considerably. Had Gertie cracked under pressure? Had she told them that Babs had done the dirty deed? There had still been no word on Maud. Babs didn’t even know whether Maud had woken up yet.
Babs paced the tiny cell and put a hand to her forehead.
Liz and Jane had gone to the common area for recreation, and it was only through Babs promising to dole out some more of Tony’s money that she was allowed to remain in the cell alone. Usually, they were ordered in and out of the recreation area like cattle, and no stragglers were allowed.
Babs tried to get things straight in her head. She had to decide what she was going to do. She had to plan for every possible scenario. If Maud woke up and accused Babs of attempted murder, things could get nasty fast.
She had every confidence in Gertie and knew the old woman would not let her down. That was the one certainty she did have. Gertie would be loyal to the end.
Babs shook her head. If only there were some way she could get Gertie out of trouble as well. If Gertie had followed her lead and insisted it had all been an accident, they might both have been in the clear.
Babs sighed. Who was she kidding? The prison would want a scapegoat. They’d never believe that an able-bodied prison guard would just slip and fall over, hitting her head on the oven in the presence of two prisoners.
Gertie had only been trying to help Babs, and she had well and truly messed up her own life now.
She walked to the door of the cell and stuck her head out into the corridor. But there was still no sign of the prison guard, Samuels.
“Bloody waste of space,” Babs whispered under her breath. You couldn’t even bribe the staff these days. What was the world coming to?
If Babs didn’t get a reply from Gertie, she would make sure that Tony wouldn’t pay Samuels her money.
She really had thought she’d be able to put all this behind her soon. How could this have happened? She had been so careful to avoid getting in trouble and avoiding conflicts, but she really hadn’t been able to avoid this one. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t see how anyone could have stood back and just taken bullying like that. Okay, so she probably shouldn’t have lost her temper and hit Mean Maud with the pan. That had been a step too far. But there was no use crying over spilt milk. What was done, was done, and now Babs had to find a way out of this mess.
She was so worried it was hard to think straight.
She had just begun to pace the cell again when she heard footsteps and rushed out into the corridor.
It was Samuels walking towards her in a navy blue uniform. Babs’s eyes immediately went to Samuels’ empty hands. She wasn’t carrying a note, so had she put the note in her pocket?
“About time,” Babs snapped. “Where’s my note?”
Samuels hushed her. “Not so loud!” She looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone.
“It’s fine,” Babs said impatiently. “Everyone else is in the recreation area.” She held out her hand. “Now where is my note from Gertie?”
Samuels sneered at her. “There is no note.”
Babs ran a trembling hand through her hair as she stared at Samuels. What did the daft cow mean? There had to be a note. She needed a reply from Gertie.
