by Dilly Court
‘And you had a girl in every port?’
He shook his head. ‘My parents were always introducing me to somebody’s cousin or sister when I had shore leave but I just wasn’t interested, and then I met you at Shirley’s wedding. I have to admit you knocked me for six, and I admired the way you handled Livvie and old man Mallory. But you’re right; you did warn me off and if I didn’t listen that’s my fault.’
‘I’m so sorry, Steven. I feel awful about it, and even worse now I know that you lost your job because you’ve been helping me.’
‘I wouldn’t have missed any of it, and there’s still a lot to do. I’m not going to rest until I know you girls have a future to look forward to.’
Ginnie eyed him thoughtfully. ‘Shirley’s a good person. If she’s got a fault it’s just that she’s too generous. When she’s fond of someone she gives her all, and this business with the Mallorys has really hurt her. She’s a wonderful mother, and if she meets the right man she’ll be a wonderful wife too.’
He smiled. ‘Are you match-making, Miss Travis?’
‘No. Just making a point.’
‘I don’t think Laurence would be too pleased if I made a play for his widow.’
‘Laurence loved Shirley and he was your best friend. He’d want both of you to be happy.’ She hurried to open the door for her sister, who was carrying a laden tea tray. ‘Thanks, Shirley. If you don’t mind I’ll take my tea to my room. I want to get an early night so that I can get to the shop well before opening time. I’m going to do some detective work of my own. I want to find an insider who’s willing to speak up against Mallory.’
The small office at the back of the premises in Collier Lane was crowded with people and the air thick with cigarette smoke. Fred Chinashop had taken the desk chair with Fred Woollies standing behind him, and the rest of the shopkeepers were squashed together, attempting to sip the tea supplied by Ida. Jimmy hovered outside the door, keeping an eye on the shop floor.
Ginnie perched on the edge of the desk sandwiched in between Myra and Doris from the tobacconist’s shop. Finding it increasingly difficult to breathe in the fug, Ginnie was beginning to regret inviting quite so many people to the meeting. She cleared her throat and the general buzz of conversation died away. ‘You all know why we’re here,’ she said, trying not to cough as Fred Woollies exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke to hang in a pall above their heads. ‘Does anyone here have a friend or a relation who works for the council or is on any of the committees?’
Fred Chinashop glanced round the room. ‘I can’t sell my lease because of the man who’s lodged these false allegations against Ginnie. I want to retire but not at any price. Mallory is determined to put this girl out of business, and she’s worked her socks off to build it back up after poor old Sid copped it. We all knew Ginnie’s dad and he must be turning in his grave if he can see what’s happening to his kid.’
A murmur of assent rippled round the room.
Fred Woollies held up his hand. ‘My niece Mary works in the typing pool. She might be able to help.’
‘No disrespect meant, Fred, but we could do with someone a bit higher up in the pecking order, if you know what I mean.’ Fred Chinashop patted him on the shoulder. ‘Nothing against Mary, of course. I’m sure she’s a splendid young lady.’
Doris took a wad of chewing gum from her mouth and dropped it into her empty cup. ‘My uncle Reg is on the council. He’s a miserable old git, but he can’t stand Mallory. He done him out of ten quid in 1935, so Uncle Reg says. Anyway, he’s never forgiven him. He might be persuaded to speak up for you, Ginnie.’
‘D’you really think he’d help?’
Doris shrugged her thin shoulders. ‘No harm in asking.’
‘Will you do that for me?’
‘I don’t see why not. Can I come and watch the fun?’
Ginnie eased herself to a standing position. ‘I doubt if the public will be allowed in, but if they are,’ she added hastily, noting Doris’s change of expression, ‘I’ve no objections to you being there.’
‘Ta, Ginnie. You’re a sport.’ Doris rescued the gum from the bottom of her teacup and popped it back in her mouth. ‘See you in court. That’s what they say in the movies. C’mon, Myra. We’d better get back to work.’
Ginnie waited anxiously outside the house in Monk Avenue. The Mallorys’ maid had opened the door and would have slammed it in Shirley’s face had she not put a foot over the threshold. Ginnie had heard the ensuing argument from the bottom of the garden path, and finally Shirley had been admitted after threatening in a loud voice that she would stand on the doorstep all day if necessary. She had marched into the house with Toni in her arms and Travis hanging on to her skirt. Ginnie had been left on the pavement, holding the pram. Genteel ladies had stopped to take a peek at the baby and had been mystified when they realised that the pram was empty. Ginnie had made up stories to satisfy their curiosity, but she had received some odd backward glances as they walked away.
She was beginning to grow anxious after ten minutes had passed with no sign of her sister and was about to march up the garden path and knock on the door when it opened and Shirley stepped outside. There were angry spots of colour on her cheeks when she joined Ginnie and Travis was sucking his thumb, a sure sign that he was unhappy.
‘What happened?’ Ginnie asked anxiously. ‘Did you see him and what did he say?’
Shirley tucked the sleeping baby into the pram. ‘I saw the old devil, and it worked. He’s furious, and if he doesn’t burst a blood vessel before he gets there he’s sure to be in a filthy mood when he arrives at the council offices. I’ve done my bit and now it’s your turn.’ She lifted Travis, gave him a brief kiss and a cuddle, and strapped him in the pram next to his sister. ‘I wish I could be there to see you get the better of the old bastard.’
Travis stared at his mother’s lips. ‘B . . .’
She shook her head. ‘No, darling. Naughty word. We don’t say that.’
‘At least not until you’re twenty-one,’ Ginnie added, grinning. ‘I’m off then, Shirley. Wish me luck.’ She blew a kiss to Travis and ran to the bus stop in time to catch the double-decker that was about to pull away.
Steven was waiting for her in the reception area at the council offices. He gave her a reassuring smile as he clasped her hand. ‘I’ve left a message asking Mallory to see us before the hearing starts.’
‘Shirley did her bit. She said he was mad as hell, so let’s hope it works.’
‘Ready?’ Steven squeezed her fingers.
‘Ready,’ she murmured. ‘Let’s do it.’
After making enquiries at the desk they were directed to an office at the end of a long corridor, where they were told to wait until called. Moments later the door opened and a young woman wearing a crisp white blouse and a grey pleated skirt slipped into the room, glancing nervously over her shoulder as if checking to see if she had been followed. She closed the door. ‘I’m Mary,’ she said in a stage whisper. ‘My uncle Fred sent me to help you.’
‘You shouldn’t be seen talking to us,’ Steven said gently. ‘But we do appreciate what you’re doing.’
Mary went to the interconnecting door and opened it to peer into the next office as if checking for eavesdroppers. It was all very theatrical and Ginnie had to suppress a nervous giggle, but their volunteer spy seemed to be taking it very seriously.
‘Councillor Giggs is on his way,’ Mary said, leaving the door ajar. ‘I passed him just now, but I had to speak to you because there’s something you should know about Councillor Mallory.’
Ginnie reached out to shake her hand. ‘I’m Ginnie Travis and this is my solicitor, Steven Carter. What is it you wanted to tell us?’
‘Councillor Mallory is trying to buy up the leases on all the shops in the parade on Collier Lane. I know that for certain because I’ve typed replies to his letters to the planning department. I’ll get the sack if anyone finds out that I’ve told you.’
‘We appreciate that,’
Steven said solemnly. ‘And we’ll do everything possible to keep your name out of it.’
‘Councillor Giggs and I have worked out what we’ll say to the tribunal.’ Mary clasped her shorthand notebook to her bosom. ‘He’ll say he wanted to dictate a private letter and we just happened to be in the adjoining office.’
Ginnie frowned. ‘Why would Mallory want to buy up the leases on all the shops in the parade?’
Mary glanced nervously over her shoulder as if expecting someone to leap out on her. ‘My sister Betty works as a filing clerk in Mr Mallory’s office and she told me that she’s seen copies of the letters he sent to a firm of building contractors. He wants to buy up the leases and knock down the existing buildings to put up a huge block of flats to house people bombed out in the war. There’s big money in it, so Betty says, but again no one must know that she had anything to do with this.’ She opened her notebook and took out a folded sheet of flimsy, which she handed to Steven. ‘It’s one of the copies. Betty’s had enough and she’s giving in her notice today. She said use this and be damned to him.’
Ginnie stifled a whoop of glee as she read it, peering over Steven’s shoulder. ‘We’ve got him, Steven. We’ve got him.’
The door opened and a tall, thin man with wispy grey hair combed over a bald pate entered the room. ‘I’m Reginald Giggs.’ He held his hand out to Ginnie. ‘You must be Miss Travis.’
‘Yes, I’m Ginnie Travis, and this is Steven Carter, my solicitor.’ She shook hands, but his grasp was limp and half-hearted and she experienced a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. Looking into his watery grey eyes, she wondered if this man would be able to stand up to Mallory’s dominant personality if asked to face him in front of the tribunal.
He nodded to Steven. ‘I’m well aware of Mallory’s underhand behaviour and it’s time he was stopped. I’m more than willing to act as your witness.’
Steven shook his hand. ‘Thank you, sir. We’re more than grateful.’
Mary was suddenly alert. ‘I can hear footsteps,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I think he’s coming.’ She hurried into the adjoining office, leaving Councillor Giggs to follow her.
He hesitated. ‘Mallory has got this coming,’ he said grimly. ‘This isn’t something I would do normally, but he’s corrupt and he’s got to be stopped.’ He strode into the office, leaving the door ajar.
Ginnie stood close to Steven, taking courage from his confident posture. He caught her eye and smiled but before he had a chance to speak Mallory burst into the office, red-faced and oozing aggression. He was patently ready for a fight, but Ginnie was quick to notice that his tie was crooked and that some of the buttons on his pinstriped waistcoat were unfastened to reveal a glimpse of black braces. He might look as though he was about to declare war on them, but she could see that Shirley had done her work well. Mallory had been taken off guard and he had allowed his personal feelings to overcome his professional detachment. Anything could happen.
Steven stepped forward. ‘We have something very important to say to you, councillor.’
Mallory’s out-thrust chin made him look like a belligerent bulldog. He squared up to Steven, curling his lip. ‘Make it quick, Carter. I’m going to enjoy seeing your client grovel in front of the tribunal.’
‘Let’s keep this on a professional level, shall we, councillor.’ Steven’s voice was ice-cold.
Mallory clenched his fists at his sides. ‘I’m going to make certain that she’s so discredited that she wouldn’t be able to open up a stall on Petticoat Lane. I’ve got enough evidence to prove that she let the premises go to rack and ruin. After all, who’d put a silly kid in charge of a business?’
Ginnie held her tongue with difficulty. Hot words bubbled to her lips but one glance from Steven silenced her. There was a time to speak and this was not it. She glared at Mallory, silently daring him to continue.
‘That little tart and her whoring sister have done their best to destroy my family,’ Mallory continued, raising his voice. ‘My son was foolish enough to marry the elder sister and give a name to her little bastards. She had the nerve to come to me today asking me for money to buy the boy a pair of shoes. I told the slut where to go and today I’m going to make certain that her sister is put out of business. By this evening there’ll be a new leaseholder in Collier Lane and very soon I’ll own the whole parade.’
‘And why would a successful solicitor like yourself want to become a shopkeeper?’ Steven’s voice cut through Mallory’s rant like a wire through cheese.
Mallory blinked and drew a deep breath. ‘Don’t talk rubbish. I’m not going into trade.’
‘So why do you want to buy up all the leases, Mr Mallory?’ Ginnie took a step towards him. ‘If you look down on people in trade, why do you want to join them?’
‘You silly little fool. Are you really that stupid?’ Mallory took a step towards her. ‘I have my reasons and I’m not about to share them with you. You’re ruined, Virginia Travis. I’ll teach you to meddle in my family’s affairs and I’ll take pleasure in seeing your sister touting for business in the gutter.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ginnie was ready to fly at him but Steven caught her before she had a chance to make a move. Mallory threw back his head and laughed, but his mirth was cut short by the sudden appearance of Councillor Giggs and Mary.
‘I think we’ve got enough evidence to hang him,’ Giggs said with a satisfied smile. ‘Miss Fielding holds a Pitman’s shorthand-typist certificate for one hundred and twenty words a minute and she’s taken down the conversation verbatim, which she is now going to transcribe. Off you go, Mary. Tell the typing pool supervisor that you are doing an urgent piece of work for me.’
‘Yes, Mr Giggs. I’ll do it straight away.’ Mary scuttled out of the room as if scared that Mallory might accost her and snatch the evidence from her hands.
Steven handed the carbon copy to Giggs. ‘You’d better take care of this, sir. It’s proof of Mr Mallory’s plans to put all the shopkeepers in Collier Lane out of business.’
Mallory paled visibly and he ran his finger round the inside of his Gladstone collar. ‘There’s no need to be hasty, Giggs. I can explain.’
‘I think you’ve said enough already, Mr Mallory. Anyway, it’s time to go into the hearing. I think the officials will be very interested to learn your plans for the misappropriation of council property.’
Mallory held up his hands. ‘Now, now, Giggs. We’re old friends. Surely we can come to some mutually satisfactory arrangement?’
‘We’ve never been friends and I doubt if there’s anyone on the council who doesn’t find you an offensive upstart who just happens to have a degree in law. You may have a successful practice, but I wonder how your dealings would stand up to investigation by the Law Society. If I were in your shoes I’d be extremely careful as to how I conducted myself at the tribunal. Anyway, it’s time to go in. Lead the way, Mallory. We’ll be right behind you, so don’t even think about making a bolt for it.’
‘No,’ Steven said firmly. ‘I’ve been known to do a very creditable rugby tackle and it would give me great pleasure to bring you down, Mallory.’
‘That I would like to see.’ Ginnie took Steven by the hand. ‘Let’s get it over, shall we?’
The hearing was brief. The evidence against Ginnie was read out but instantly repudiated by Steven, who handed the chairman a list of the shopkeepers who had signed a petition in support of Ginnie. Mallory blustered and tried to discredit her, but he was obviously in no state to be objective and he subsided completely when Steven called on Councillor Giggs to tell the tribunal what he had overheard. Miss Fielding, he said, was busy transcribing her shorthand, but Mallory’s unsolicited confession of his plans would be with them as soon as she had finished.
The chairman dismissed the case, but not before calling for Mallory’s resignation from the council and advising him that there would be a full investigation into his activities. Mallory left the courtroom, head bowed and shuff
ling like a man twice his age, but Ginnie could not find it in her heart to feel sorry for him. She suspected that his humility would dissipate like morning mist the moment he left the building and that when he recovered his temper his old self would miraculously come to the fore. She did not want to be there to see it. She was about to leave the court room when the chairman called her back.
‘I want to offer you an apology on behalf of the council, Miss Travis. It’s been proved beyond doubt that the real transgressor is Mr Mallory and he will be brought to book, but on behalf of the entire council I can assure you that your tenancy is secure. Permission to purchase the lease on the adjacent premises will be restored immediately, as will planning permission to expand into the shop next door. It will attract more customers, which can only be good for all the businesses in Collier Lane.’ He leaned across the desk, allowing his stern expression to melt into a smile. ‘I knew your father, Miss Travis. He was a good man and he’d be very proud of you. Congratulations.’
Ginnie left the building in a daze. As she stepped outside into the hot summer sunshine she saw Shirley waiting in the forecourt and she was not alone. Ginnie’s heart did a somersault. ‘Nick.’ She raced across the tarmac to fling her arms around him.
The kiss robbed her of her senses. Time ceased to exist and she knew that she had come home at last. She drew back just far enough to gaze into his eyes and she saw herself mirrored in his soul. All her doubts and fears were banished in a second of sheer joy. ‘I won,’ she whispered as she laid her cheek against his. ‘But it means so much to me that you’ve come today. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.’
He held her at arm’s length, a tender smile on his lips. ‘Shirley told me about the tribunal. I wanted to be near you and I’m delighted that you won your case, but whichever way it went wouldn’t have made any difference to my feelings for you. I love you, Ginnie. I always have.’
