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

by Kimberley Chambers

  Realizing Albie was struggling, Little Vinny grabbed hold of the microphone. ‘Let me properly introduce my best man to you. An unusual choice for most lads, I know, but he’s my granddad and I owe him big time. He helped me become the man I am today,’ he announced, unaware of the glares being levelled at him by his father and grandmother.

  Queenie leapt out of her seat. ‘What about me? Have you forgotten you also lived with me all those years?’

  ‘Oh, and can you raise your glasses to my lovely nan, Queenie. When my mum died I went to live with my nan,’ said a red-faced Little Vinny.

  ‘I should bleedin’ well think so too,’ Queenie hissed, as Vinny grabbed her arm so she’d sit back down. ‘Cheeky little bastard,’ she added.

  ‘I’ll sort it in my speech. Be quiet now,’ Vinny whispered in his mother’s ear.

  Wishing the ground would open up and swallow him, Albie was handed the microphone again. ‘Erm, I’m not much of a public speaker and nobody wants to listen to an old fogey like me for long, so I won’t bore you all. I’ll get straight to the point.’

  ‘Truest thing he’s said in years,’ Queenie hissed.

  Avoiding eye contact with the table where Queenie was sitting, Albie spoke from the heart. ‘Not only am I honoured to be my grandson’s best man today, I am also so very proud of the way he’s turned out. He wasn’t always perfect, but then again, how many of us here today can proclaim that we were?’

  ‘You can say that again,’ Queenie muttered.

  ‘Shush, Mum,’ Michael ordered.

  ‘Meeting Sammi-Lou has been the making of my grandson. Sammi’s a wonderful girl and Oliver is extremely lucky to have two such loving parents. I wish my grandson and his wife all the luck and happiness in the world for their future together – not that they’ll need it. They truly are soul-mates.’

  ‘That was a lovely speech and if you think you’re an old fogey, then what does that make me?’ the Master of Ceremonies joked, before urging everybody to join him in a toast to Albie.

  Vinny Butler winked at his mother. ‘Chin up, sweetheart. My speech is next.’

  ‘There you are! Whatcha been doing out ’ere?’ Michael Butler bellowed.

  ‘Talking to Frankie and Joey Mitchell.’

  ‘Where are they then? I can’t bloody see ’em. Invisible are they?’ Michael grilled his sons.

  ‘Their dad came out and got ’em,’ Lee explained.

  Michael turned to Daniel. ‘What’s up with you? Cat got your tongue?’

  ‘No. It’s the speeches. They’re boring, so we came out here,’ Daniel mumbled.

  ‘You can get your arses back inside now. And if I find out you’ve been drinking alcohol, I’ll sell your pool table and the gaming machines. Comprende?’

  ‘Fucking wanker,’ Daniel hissed in his brother’s ear.

  ‘Shush. He’ll hear you.’

  ‘Can I have your attention, please? Our page boy has decided he’s not shy after all, and now wants to say a few words,’ the Master of Ceremonies announced, crouching to hold the mike towards Oliver.

  Little Vinny lifted his son off the seat. ‘Talk,’ he whispered.

  Aware that all eyes were on him, Oliver put his finger in his mouth and glanced at the floor. ‘My name is Oliver and I’m a page boy.’

  As laughter and murmurs of ‘Awww’ and ‘Bless him’ filled the marquee, Oliver suddenly felt brave and grinned. ‘I love my mummy, daddy, nanny, granddad, Millie and Pebbles the cat,’ he shouted at the top of his voice.

  Once again, Queenie was livid. ‘Fucking cheek. Like father, like son. Even he never mentioned us,’ she said, knocking back her drink.

  ‘He’s only a kid, Queen. And he did say “granddad”,’ Vivian added.

  ‘Exactly! Granddad! Not granddads! Has he only got one then? And what about us? Don’t he love us as well? Last time I buy him any toys,’ Queenie retorted.

  ‘And last but certainly not least, the groom’s father wants to say a few words. I wondered why our groom was referred to as Little Vinny when he towers over me, but now I’ve met his dad I understand. Up you come Big Vinny. Wouldn’t fancy my chances in a scuffle with you,’ the Master of Ceremonies joked, making boxing punches with his hands while laughing at his own wit.

  Vinny Butler sauntered towards the top table as though he owned the gaff, stood next to his son and snatched the mike. He also found the Master of Ceremonies an irritating old bastard. His jokes were on par humour-wise with finding out you’d caught a dose of the clap.

  ‘Afternoon, everybody. Been a lovely day so far, hasn’t it? Perfect weather an’ all.’

  As most of the guests began nodding and murmuring words such as ‘Beautiful’, ‘Lovely day’ and ‘Brilliant’, Vinny Butler smirked. Apart from Jay Boy, Pete, Paul, Carl and their nearest and dearest who were seated right at the back.Plus the Mitchells, who were also seated near the rear, Vinny didn’t know a soul bar his own family at this poxy jumped-up wedding.

  Aware that he now had everybody’s full attention, Vinny continued, ‘Right, let’s get this done and dusted so we can all go and party the night away in marquee number two. Meg and Gary,’ Vinny said turning towards the couple. ‘What a wedding! Totally unforgettable. I’ve never seen one like it in the past, and I’m sure many of yous lovely people will agree?’ Vinny added, turning back to the guests who were now eating out of the palm of his hand.

  ‘What you laughing at?’ Jessica Mitchell asked her husband, as they toasted Meg and Gary.

  Eddie Mitchell knew Vinny was being sarcastic. They’d had a chat before the ceremony and both agreed how over the top and showy it all was. ‘I’m not laughing, I’m smiling. It’s a wedding, people are meant to be happy,’ Eddie informed Jessica.

  Vinny turned to his daughter-in-law. ‘Firstly, I must say how incredibly stunning you look today, darling. A truly beautiful bride, with a soul to match. I can’t thank you enough for putting up with my son and taking him off my hands. I never thought anybody else bar his own family would ever suffer him.’

  When everybody laughed, Little Vinny included, Vinny added, ‘I’m only messing, well sort of. Nah seriously, Sammi-Lou has been the making of my boy, and I can’t thank you enough for that, sweetheart. I also can’t thank the pair of you enough for making me a granddad at such a young age. Ollie is a blinding kid, and I’m sure you’ll go on to have many more. Such brilliant parents. I wish you every happiness for your future together, which is why I want to give you this.’ Vinny took an envelope out of the inside of his jacket and handed it to his daughter-in-law.

  Sammi-Lou stared at the cheque, then put her hand over her mouth. ‘Oh my God! Twenty thousand pounds! We can’t accept that, Vinny. You’ve already bought us a lovely present.’

  ‘Of course you can accept it. It’s a gift, for you to put a deposit on a gaff of your own. My son has got to man up now you’re married, Sammi. You can’t be living in one of your dad’s properties for ever. Be an investment for Oliver and any future kids you might have.’

  ‘And what exactly the fuck is wrong with ’em living in one of my properties?’ a furious Gary Allen whispered to his wife. He charged them no rent, wanted them to enjoy their lives while young, and spoil his grandson rotten.

  Meg glared at her husband. ‘Smile and shut up. We’ll talk later,’ she hissed through gritted teeth.

  Little Vinny stood up and shook his father’s hand. ‘Thanks, Dad.’

  Sammi-Lou hugged Vinny. ‘Thanks ever so much. That’s so kind of you.’

  Vinny held the mike close to his mouth. ‘The pleasure is all mine. Welcome to the family. You’re a Butler now.’

  ‘Only by fucking name,’ Gary mumbled. Meg kicking him under the table stopped him from saying any more.

  The Master of Ceremonies held up a glass. ‘May we all have one last toast to Big Vinny, Little Vinny and Sammi-Lou,’ he bellowed.

  ‘Hold your horses. I haven’t finished yet,’ Vinny told the prick. He turned to his son. ‘Very proud of the w
ay you’ve turned out, boy, but I wasn’t very impressed with that speech you gave earlier. I think you should give another and this time give each of your family a proper mention.’

  Little Vinny looked at the confusion on the guests’ faces, then in horror as his father said, ‘And don’t forget to mention family that are no longer with us. Your cousin Adam, Uncle Roy, Champ, and your amazing little sister Molly. She would’ve been a bridesmaid today, God rest her soul, and deserves to be properly remembered,’ Vinny glared.

  ‘Fucking cheek, mentioning my Lenny. It was him that killed him,’ Vivian spat.

  When his father tried to hand him the mike, Little Vinny leapt out of his seat. ‘I can’t do it. I’m sorry, OK?’ he screamed, before running past the open-mouthed guests and out of the marquee.

  The entertainment consisted of a band and a DJ who would take it in turns to entertain the guests. Another two hundred plus guests had been invited to the evening reception, which was why the Allens had hired a security firm to keep a close eye on proceedings.

  When the band kicked off their set with The Drifters’ ‘There Goes My First Love’, Gary Allen mumbled, ‘And there goes our perfect-fucking-day.’ He was still fuming. Not only had Vinny deliberately tried to upstage him by handing his daughter a twenty-grand cheque, he’d also ruined the whole bash by picking on his own son and upsetting him with his speech.

  Meg was doing her best to appease her husband. ‘The day hasn’t been ruined at all, Gary, and we still have a large chunk of it to get through. Little Vinny seems fine now. He’s outside chatting to Sammi and playing with Oliver.’

  ‘No wonder he barely gave his own mob a mention. Neither would I if they were my family. That nan and aunt are a pair of old witches. All they did was spout their mouths off during the speeches. I dread to think what all our friends must think.’

  ‘Old school East Enders like Queenie and Viv don’t think before they speak, Gary. My Auntie Lil was the same, wasn’t she?’

  ‘She weren’t as bad as those two old trouts. I still can’t believe Vinny tried to mug me off by giving out the cheque during his speech. Why didn’t he just hand it to ’em on the quiet?’

  ‘You’ve got to look at the bigger picture. Sammi-Lou and Little Vinny will now have twenty grand in their bank account. Even if they did look for their own place, they wouldn’t need nowhere near that amount for a deposit, so there will be lots left over for them to enjoy themselves with and spend on Oliver. I know you’re a proud man, Gary, but you’ve not been overshadowed. This is the wedding of all weddings, and our friends know you paid for the bloody lot. You should feel grateful that Sammi-Lou now has two wealthy families behind her. I am.’

  About to reply, Gary was tapped on the shoulder by one of the security men. ‘That bloke you told us not to let in is here with his family. I told him to wait at the gate.’

  ‘What bloke?’ Meg asked.

  Gary kissed his wife on the forehead. ‘It’s something and nothing, dear. You mingle with our guests and I’ll be back before you know it. And I promise I won’t kick off later, OK? You’re right. Our Sammi is twenty K better off, so let’s celebrate.’

  Meg smiled and hugged the love of her life.

  ‘Even if it is dirty money,’ Gary muttered as he walked away.

  The Garnets were waiting none too patiently at the gate. ‘I don’t get what the problem is. As you can clearly see, we have our invitation,’ Michelle Garnet said loudly, thrusting the invite towards the huge black security guy for the third time.

  ‘I don’t wanna see the invite. Your name is down as ain’t coming in. Let the main man himself sort it. Big Al’s gone to get him.’

  ‘Why aren’t we allowed in, Dad?’ Leisha Garnet asked, tears in her eyes. She was an only child and spoiled rotten.

  ‘There isn’t a problem, Mich. Must be a mistake. I saw Gal today on his way to the wedding on that horse-and-trap creation. I even spoke to him. Look, ’ere he is now.’

  After the day he’d had, Gary Allen had fire in his eyes as he marched towards Tony Garnet. ‘Let’s speak in private. Follow me,’ he ordered.

  ‘What’s up, mate?’ Tony asked, as they walked round the side of the massive property.

  Once the wife and child were out of view, Gary punched Tony hard in the stomach. Tony was sturdy, but lacked in height and Gary had often joked in the past to Meg that he had ‘short man syndrome’.

  ‘Jesus, Gal. What was that for?’ Tony asked.

  Grabbing the man by the thick of his neck, Gary hissed, ‘You ever mouth off about my family again, I will make sure no bastard ever does business with you in the whole of Essex.’

  Tony was mortified. ‘But what am I meant to have said?’

  ‘Ask your daughter. She’s the one been trapping off to my Millie and upsetting her at school. And that’s another thing, you tell Leisha to steer well clear of my baby in future. I swear, if you don’t, not only will you not have a business left; I will repeat everything I hear to Big Vinny. Me and the Butlers are family now, aren’t we?’

  The expression of Tony Garnet’s petrified face was priceless, and as Gary walked away, he couldn’t help but chuckle. Perhaps Sammi-Lou marrying a Butler wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

  Outside the marquee, Vinny Butler and his son were having a heart to heart.

  ‘Perhaps I was a bit tough on you, boy, but you know family means the world to me, and I was upset you only bigged up the Allens. How do you think your nan felt when you gave your granddad a glowing accolade, but not her, eh? That’s why she stood up. I know you ain’t great with speeches, so if you ever have to do any more, make notes first so you don’t leave anybody out. You didn’t even give Ava a proper mention, let alone poor Molly. You can’t forget your sisters, dead or alive, especially on occasions such as this.’

  When he’d run from the marquee earlier, Little Vinny had barely been able to breathe. He’d locked himself in the toilet and drunk a bottle of champagne just to calm his nerves.

  Since becoming a father himself, Little Vinny truly regretted his past, which was why he never allowed himself to think about it. He still had the odd nightmare when he’d wake up in a sweat having seen Molly’s terrified eyes bulging as he strangled her, but other than that, he had banished the event from his mind. He’d had to for the sake of his sanity, Sammi-Lou and his son. No way could he have given a speech today mentioning her. It beggared belief now how he’d stood up at Molly’s funeral and read out a poem he’d written about her. He must have been a callous bastard back then, but in his eyes, he wasn’t now. He was a caring, loving husband and father.

  Having prepared an excuse carefully whilst sitting in the toilet, Little Vinny turned to his father with genuine tears of remorse in his eyes. ‘I was gonna mention everybody, even Brenda, but I didn’t want to cause trouble or upset Auntie Viv. She still blames you for killing Champ and I couldn’t leave him out. That’s why I chose to mention nobody. I also wanted my wedding to be a happy occasion. I still blame myself for Molly’s death and always will. If I hadn’t have fallen asleep that day, Jamie Preston would never have abducted Molly and she would still be alive. That’s why I try not to think or talk about my sister any more. I find it too upsetting and it makes me hate myself.’

  Tears in his own eyes, Vinny embraced his son. ‘Never blame yourself, boy. You didn’t put your hands around Molly’s throat and throttle her. Jamie Preston did, and one day that piece of scum will pay for his wrongdoings. Karma has a funny way of rearing its ugly head.’

  ‘Vin, you got a minute?’ Jay Boy interrupted.

  ‘Yeah, one tick,’ Vinny replied. He turned to his son again. ‘Get your arse back inside that marquee and enjoy your wedding night, boy. I’ll be in there partying with you in a bit.’

  Relieved that he wouldn’t have to speak about Molly any more, Little Vinny grinned. ‘Thanks, Dad. For everything. I know I don’t say it much, but I do love you.’

  ‘And I love you too.’

  When
Little Vinny wandered off, Jay Boy sat down. ‘I wanted to catch you while you were alone. Gnasher reckons Nadia’s boyfriend has been arrested.’

  ‘You didn’t mention her fucking name, did ya?’

  ‘Of course not. What do you take me for? Gnasher rung and while we were chatting said “They’ve nicked that geezer.” Apparently a few witnesses had come forward to say they’d seen him and her having a barney in a boozer up town on the day she went missing. I joked he was proper on the ball and would’ve made a good bizzie. Then I asked what the bird’s name was so I could look out for the case in the papers. He said it was “Nadia Konchesky”, and that was it – I changed the subject after that. I think we should tell Carl though. He’s bound to see it on the news or somewhere and I’m sure he’ll be relieved, seeing as we were all involved.’

  ‘They can’t’ve identified her body. It was virtually a pile of fucking ashes by the time we drove off. Yeah, we’ll tell Carl, but not here. Let’s tell him tomorrow. Right now I think we should celebrate. Looks like we’ve got away with murder,’ Vinny grinned, slapping his pal on the back.

  About to remind Vinny that it wasn’t he or Carl who had actually murdered Nadia, Jay Boy instead bit his tongue.

  ‘Oh my gawd! Look at the trollop now. She’s gone for a burton. Look! Flat on her face showing her crotch,’ Queenie shrieked, nudging Viv.

  Watching Meg Allen trying to lift her horrendous sister up was like something out of a Carry On film. Vivian couldn’t stop laughing. She had been furious earlier when Vinny’d had the cheek to mention her Lenny in his speech, but as Albie had once said, ‘Bitterness will get you nowhere.’ So Viv was now knocking back the sherry and making the most of a rare night out.

  ‘Oh, how funny. The DJ’s put on that silly rowing song ’cause they can’t move her. She’s comatose. They’re holding her up like a fucking rag doll,’ Queenie roared.