Tainted Love: The gritty new thriller from the #1 bestseller

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘If we’re not grounded any more, does that mean Katy will be coming back to look after us?’ Lee asked.

  ‘No. Katy won’t be coming round any more.’

  Daniel pushed his plate away and leapt up. ‘Why? What’s she done wrong? We like Katy looking after us, don’t we, Lee?’

  ‘Yeah. We like Katy a lot,’ Lee added.

  ‘Tough shit. Anyway, you’ve only got yourselves to blame. I wouldn’t have got rid of Katy if yous two had behaved. That was the whole point of her being here.’

  Eyes blazing, Daniel punched the table then locked eyes with his father. ‘Don’t fucking lie! You’ve been shagging her, I bet.’

  Grabbing hold of his brazen son by the throat, Michael pushed him up against the wall. ‘Katy’s nearer your age than mine. What do you take me for, eh? You ever spout such crap or speak to me like that again, you’ll know all about it, for sure.’

  Upset because he was probably never going to see the bird he’d had wet dreams over again, Daniel Butler burst into tears.

  ‘Get off! I mean it! Leave me alone, you filthy little ratpig,’ Vivian squealed, as Fred clung on to her leg and rubbed his little dingle-dangle against her brand-new nylons.

  Queenie tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help herself as she picked up Fred and put him in the back garden.

  ‘Disgusting bastard creature. Look, it’s laddered me bleedin’ tights. New on today, these were,’ Vivian complained.

  ‘Go and change ’em, but hurry up. We’re running late,’ Queenie said. For years it had been a ritual that Saturdays were spent visiting their loved ones’ graves, before getting glammed up to spend the rest of the day at the Roman. Roman Road market was the place to be seen on a Saturday these days and most of the women who came from far and wide to shop there got done up to the nines.

  Spotting a bit of dust on the television, Queenie took the duster out the drawer. Both she and Vivian were the envy of their neighbours with their pristine homes and posh furniture. China and family photos were Queenie’s pride and joy and her lounge was brimming with both.

  Vinny had turned up early this morning to pick Ava up. He’d apologized for being short-tempered the other evening, explaining that he had something on his mind and he’d tell her what once he’d sorted it. ‘Don’t worry, Mum. It’s nothing to worry about. Quite the opposite, in fact,’ he’d assured her with a wink.

  ‘Ready, Queen?’ Vivian bellowed.

  Queenie stared at herself in the mirror, flicked her dyed-blonde hair and sprayed on some more lacquer. Looking perfect down the Roman was a must, especially on a Saturday. ‘Yep. Let’s knock ’em dead, Viv.’

  Katy Spencer was anxious, excited, scared yet buzzing, all at the same time. She hadn’t seen Michael all week. Daniel and Lee were being punished for misbehaving, which was why Michael had given her a fully paid week off work. He’d also insisted she wasn’t to visit him at the club, saying he’d had some business to attend to up north. Katy hadn’t quite believed his story, so she’d driven past his house and club a few times and there’d been no sign of his car. She’d even got her mate to ring the club three times and the staff had said he wasn’t there.

  Pulling up outside Michael’s house, Katy had the biggest butterflies ever as she turned off the ignition.

  Peeping through the curtains and wishing this moment was already over, Michael Butler opened the front door before Katy had even got to it. He’d been a proper Lothario back in the day, had more birds than hot dinners, but even then he’d been as kind as he could when dumping them. The stalkers he’d acquired along the way were few and far between. However, he had this awful feeling that Katy might turn out to be his biggest one yet. If Bella found out about his stupid fling, she’d probably chop his cock off. And the thought of losing her over something so meaningless did not bear thinking about.

  ‘I’ve missed you so much,’ Katy beamed, slinging her arms around Michael’s neck as soon as the front door was shut.

  When she tried to stick her tongue in his mouth, Michael swerved his head to the side, then gently prised her wrists away from his neck. ‘We need to talk, babe,’ he said, kissing her politely on the cheek.

  Following Michael into the kitchen, Katy felt a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She sensed from his coolness that he was going to dump her.

  Having already prepared a story, Michael pulled a chair out for Katy, sat opposite her then squeezed both her hands in his. ‘You know how much I think of you, don’t you?’ Michael began.

  Tears in her eyes, Katy nodded. ‘You’re going to finish with me, aren’t you?’

  Wanting to tell the girl there was fuck-all to finish, Michael instead smiled politely. Treading on eggshells was a necessity at times, especially when it involved his beloved Bella, the love of his life. ‘We’ve got a bit of a problem, Katy. The boys clocked there was something going on between us and were pretty upset about it. You know what teenagers are like. I actually think they have a bit of a schoolboy crush on you themselves. Anyway, as much as it pains me, I’m gonna have to let you go. You’ve been absolutely brilliant all round and I can’t thank you enough, but I do feel it’s best you don’t turn up at the club any more either. A clean break would be best for both of us.’

  ‘What do you mean, let me go?’

  ‘I mean you can’t work for me any more and neither can we see one another. It’s too soon after Nancy’s death for me to be dating again. I have to put the boys first, that’s my duty as a father. You’re young, Katy, and I’m far too old for you anyway. You’re a beautiful girl who deserves far more in life than being stuck with some old git who has two unruly teenagers in tow. You can do so much better.’

  Sobbing, Katy jumped up, darted around the other side of the table and flung her arms around Michael. She might be young, but she knew in her heart that she would love this man for the rest of her life. ‘I think the world of Daniel and Lee. They’re great kids. And I don’t care about the age gap. I love you so much, Michael. Please don’t finish with me. We can see one another in secret, if you want?’

  Not knowing what else to do, Michael stood up and hugged the girl. He stroked her hair. ‘I’m so sorry, Katy, but it’s not just the boys. I’m not ready to move on from Nancy yet either,’ he lied.

  ‘But wouldn’t you like to settle down again one day and have more children?’ Katy wept.

  ‘Not yet, babe. Not for a long while. It was only the back end of last year Adam died. It’s far too raw for me to even think about having more kids. Perhaps one day? And who knows, one day when you’re older our paths might cross again. You never know what the future might hold.’ Michael wasn’t trying to give Katy false hope. He only wanted to soften the blow.

  Katy stopped crying and smiled. ‘Can we still keep in touch via the phone?’

  Michael shook his head. This was proving every bit as difficult as he’d expected, but it was his own fault for poking someone so young. ‘Look Katy, I really like you and that is why I don’t want you to contact me. If I didn’t think a lot of you, I wouldn’t care if you came to the club or rang me. I need some time on my own to sort my head out. It’s been all over the place since Adam died and Nancy committed suicide. You do understand, don’t you?’

  Secretly thrilled that Michael was that obsessed with her he couldn’t bear the thought of hearing her voice or seeing her, Katy nodded. ‘I won’t come to the club or phone you, I promise. I’ll wait for you to contact me. Can I ask you a question?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Do you love me, Michael?’

  Hating giving her false hope, but knowing there was sod-all else he could do to get rid of her, Michael winked. ‘You know I do. Now you’d better get going because the boys will be back soon.’

  ‘How did they find out about us? What did they say?’ Katy questioned.

  ‘They’re not stupid, probably clocked the way we were with one another. Daniel was more upset about it than Lee. Anyway, as I said, they’ll be back soon,
so best you make tracks. Look after yourself, sweetheart, and I wish you all the luck in the world for the future. This is for you,’ Michael said, handing Katy an envelope.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘A grand. Call it a month’s wages. I thought you could treat yourself to a holiday. It’ll do you good to get away, babe. Clear your head, and you might even meet the man of your dreams.’

  Throwing her arms around Michael’s neck, Katy savoured his touch and the smell of his aftershave. She knew what scent he wore and would buy a bottle tomorrow out of the money he’d given her. ‘I love you, Michael. I will wait for you, I promise.’

  The Enemy was munching on a sandwich outside Percy Ingle’s when he spotted his prey. He’d heard the two old witches shopped at the Roman every Saturday, which was why he was donning his nerd disguise once again.

  Watching the two women laughing and joking with a stallholder, he fought the urge to stab both there and then. He wasn’t stupid though. He would only be able to get away with stabbing one of the women, and if he did so, it would have to be in the middle of the market where it was jam-packed. Queenie was the one he wanted to suffer the most, so perhaps he could knife Vivian in the back, then duck behind one of the stalls before anybody realized what had happened.

  When Queenie and Vivian began to walk away from the stall, the Enemy pulled the woolly hat over his head and adjusted the glasses on his nose. He’d spotted a few old faces he recognized earlier, but no way would anybody recognize him. Firstly, they wouldn’t have seen him since he was a child. And secondly, he was far too clever.

  ‘Daddy, I don’t like it here. It smells,’ Ava sulked. Her father had brought her to some stupid farmyard in Essex to see the animals and Ava was extremely bored.

  Vinny picked his daughter up. ‘Look at those little piggies. They’re playing,’ he pointed out.

  Ava turned her head in the opposite direction. ‘No. Don’t like ’em.’

  ‘Shall we go to that boozer I told you about, Dad? They have a good play area for kids. Me and Sammi often take Ollie there. He loves it,’ Little Vinny suggested.

  Vinny nodded. Ava was a difficult child to please at times. Happy as a sandboy at home playing with Fred, but enjoyed very little outdoor activity. His mother had even tried her with Sunday school and that had ended in disaster. When the teacher had asked who Jesus was, Ava had replied ‘A cunt.’

  Half an hour later, Vinny was sitting next to his son in the boozer, relieved that Ava seemed to be enjoying herself in the play area. ‘Look after Ollie,’ he shouted.

  ‘Yes, Daddy,’ Ava beamed, holding her nephew’s hand.

  As proud as Vinny was at the way his son had turned out, he did currently have one issue with him. ‘We need to have a chat.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘The wedding suits. You might be happy to prance around looking like a pansy all day, but no way am I wearing that creation. I’ll be the laughing stock of the East End.’

  Little Vinny was slightly taken aback. ‘The suits are smart and modern. What’s wrong with ’em?’

  ‘What’s right with ’em would be an easier question to answer. For a start, they’re bastard-well white! You ever seen me walking round looking like Whitechapel’s answer to Larry Grayson?’

  ‘Who’s Larry Grayson? And the suits aren’t white, they’re cream.’

  ‘It don’t matter. I’m not wearing it.’

  ‘For once this isn’t about you, Dad. It’s mine and Sammi- Lou’s big day and we want it to be special. The bridesmaids are all wearing crimson and the males cream suits. You told me to choose what I wanted, so I did. Please don’t ruin this for me. The photos will look ridiculous if you’re the only one of us wearing a different suit.’

  ‘It’s got a fucking turtle neck an’ all,’ Vinny winced.

  ‘If you hate the suit that much, you can change it before the reception. Please wear it, Dad, for the actual wedding. Michael said he liked his.’

  ‘Michael’s secretly gay,’ Vinny replied sarcastically.

  Oliver Butler toddling over stopped the discussion getting any more heated. Vinny scooped the child up and sat him on his lap. Unlike the rest of the Butler males, Oliver was blond, but he’d inherited the trademark piercing green eyes. Vinny adored him, but still couldn’t get his head around being called Granddad. He felt far too young to be addressed as such, so had taught Oliver to call him Vinny.

  ‘Inny, Inny. Wha dat?’ Oliver giggled, pressing his chubby finger against his grandfather’s nose.

  Little Vinny smirked. ‘That’s the nose of a man who won’t do one small thing to please his son on his wedding day. Never mind, boy. When you’re older and you get married, I’ll do anything to make you happy. That’s what being a dad is all about.’

  ‘Bye, bye, Michael. I’m so excited now. See you tomorrow,’ Antonio said, before handing the phone back to his mother and jumping up and down on the sofa with joy. He’d never had a daddy like his friends did, but whenever he was with Michael, he felt like he did. People always said they looked alike and Antonio loved that. It gave him a sense of belonging.

  ‘Go and play in your bedroom if you’re going to jump about, Antonio. Mummy is trying to talk to Michael.’

  When her son skipped out of the room, Bella smiled. ‘He is absolutely over the moon we are all going out tomorrow, Michael. He cried earlier, bless him, when I said you couldn’t make today. He truly adores you as much as I do.’

  ‘And I adore him too, babe. So sorry about today. I feel guilty now, but there was sod-all I could do about it. It’s family shit that has to be sorted,’ Michael explained. Vinny had sent Carl down to the Cross Keys yesterday evening, but unfortunately Brenda’s loser of a bloke was nowhere to be seen. Michael could have defied Vinny by refusing to cancel his date with Bella in favour of waiting for a phone call, but to be honest, it wasn’t worth the grief. Vinny seemed to have a real hang-up over his relationship with Bella and to put her in front of family business would only cause World War Three.

  ‘How are your mum and aunt?’ Bella asked.

  ‘As mad as ever. I haven’t had a chance to tell ’em you’re back from Italy yet, but they’re bound to want to see you when I do. Ava’s living with my mum, so I thought perhaps Sunday week, I’ll pick you and Antonio up and take you over my mum’s for dinner? If I remember rightly, Ava and Antonio were inseparable at Vinny’s fortieth, and Antonio adored the mutt. Fred lives there too,’ Michael chuckled.

  Bella’s stomach churned. Ava was Antonio’s half-sister and that thought alone made her feel physically sick. ‘Let’s not rush things, Michael. Don’t tell your mum and aunt I’m back yet. Let me get settled again and then we’ll surprise them together. I can’t wait to see them again though. I thought they were lovely and so funny.’

  ‘OK, babe. Whatever you want. I’ve gotta go now. There’s a geezer here to see me. I’ll bell you later.’

  Bella said goodbye, replaced the receiver, rested the back of her head against the sofa and stared at the ceiling. Living a life littered with lies and deceit was awful, but what choice did she have? She’d tried to live without Michael and couldn’t. She had to keep telling herself that she was the only one that knew the true identity of Antonio’s father and there was no reason for anybody else to believe it wasn’t Clint. Only Vinny, perhaps? And no way was Bella ever going to allow her son to be in his company. She was afraid if she did, Vinny would take one look at her beloved boy and, because of Antonio’s age, black hair and piercing green eyes, put two and two together.

  A sunny day always brought droves of shoppers to Roman Road market and the Enemy was pleased that the crowd started to thicken as he walked past Cardigan Road. He’d kept a good twenty feet or so behind Queenie and Vivian since he’d spotted them at Percy Ingle’s and had stopped to browse at stalls whenever they had stopped. Queenie was wearing a floral dress accompanied by a bright-red jacket. Vivian’s dress was bright green, and the silly old cow had some kind of fur draped around h
er neck. The Enemy liked animals – he’d recently bought a kitten – and in his eyes the fact some poor creature had been skinned alive so that old witch could drape it proudly over her shoulders was a good enough reason to kill her.

  Spotting a gorgeous blonde, the Enemy began to smile at her before realizing there was no point as he was in this ridiculous disguise. Had he not been, he reckoned he could have been in with a chance. He’d always had all the girls at school after him and he hadn’t done too bad while locked up. He’d lost his virginity to a twenty-five-year-old brunette called Dawn who was meant to be teaching him art. He’d been a hero amongst the other inmates when their affair had come to light. Dawn hadn’t though. She was fired on the spot.

  When Queenie and Viv did a detour into the arcade, the Enemy decided to wait outside and order himself a jacket potato. He wasn’t hungry, but the less conspicuous he made himself look, the better. He was determined to carry out his plan today. Fucking hard-faced old slappers. They deserved everything coming their way.

  Shirley Preston feared nobody. When her grandson Jamie had been falsely accused and then subsequently banged up for murdering Molly Butler, Shirley had dealt with the barrage of abuse and bricks aimed through her windows by chucking abuse back, along with the bloody bricks.

  The police had strongly advised Shirley to take up their offer of a safe house far away from Poplar, but Shirley was having none of it. Unlike her parents, she’d survived the war and Hitler’s bombs, so could bloody survive anything. To run away would have been a sign of guilt and even though, at first, the evidence had been stacked against her grandson, Shirley had always known in her heart Jamie was innocent. A silly boy at the time for leading the police up the garden path, but no child killer.

  Roman Road wasn’t Shirley’s usual stomping ground. She much preferred to shop at Chrisp Street market, but today was her friend Madge’s sixtieth birthday, hence her visit to Bow. ‘I like that top, Shirl. The glittery silver one,’ Madge pointed out.