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

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘I wonder how Albie is?’ Vivian mumbled.

  ‘Who cares about that old bastard?’ Queenie spat, hatred in her voice.

  ‘Whether you like him or loathe him, Albie’ll always be the father of your children, Queen. Imagine how poor Michael must be feeling right now? Just found out that Bella’s been hawking her mutton with Vinny and he’s Antonio’s dad, then his own father keels over in front of him. Have a bit of compassion for somebody other than Golden Boy, for Christ’s sake.’

  Ignoring the direct dig at Vinny, Queenie pursed her lips. ‘I wonder where Michael’s got to? D’ya reckon he’ll come back?’ Michael had travelled the tiny distance in the ambulance with his father before shooting off to get changed. His suit had been splashed in Vinny’s blood and Carl had warned him to clean himself up at the club in case the police came sniffing around.

  ‘Yeah. He’ll be back to see Albie,’ Vivian insisted.

  Queenie puffed her cheeks out and shook her head dismally. ‘This is all my fault. I should never have blurted things out the way I did, and I should’ve gone to Vinny’s flat and warned him. I wanted to, but you stopped me. As for mobile phones – what a waste of time they are. No bastard ever answers ’em.’

  ‘Don’t be blaming me or your bleedin’ self. Only one person to blame, yet again! And you know who that is as well as I do.’

  Queenie was about to give her sister a mouthful when Ava appeared with Stinky Susan and Destiny in tow.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Queen. But I couldn’t stop Ava coming here and didn’t want her to come alone. She was adamant about seeing her dad,’ Susan apologized.

  Ava was visibly distressed. ‘Where is he? Is Dad gonna be OK?’

  ‘Fingers crossed, darling. The nurses are giving your dad a scan. We’ll hopefully be able to see him soon, but you mustn’t be upset if his face is a bit of a mess, because it will get better.’

  Ava sat on her nan’s lap. ‘Why did Uncle Michael hit my dad? I don’t like him any more. I hate him.’

  ‘None of this is Michael’s fault, Ava. So don’t be blaming him,’ Vivian piped up.

  Ava treated Vivian to her finest sulky expression. ‘Yes, it is. And I’m not listening to you any more. You told me “Daddy would be OK because the devil looks after his own.” Didn’t look after my dad, did he?’

  Queenie looked at Vivian in horror. ‘Well, that’s a nice thing to say to a ten-year-old child, I must say!’

  Over in Tunbridge Wells, Katy Spencer was staring at her phone, willing it to ring.

  ‘Michael isn’t going to contact you today, mate. You’ve blown his whole family apart. Shall we watch a film or something?’ Lucy Tompkins suggested. As much as she loved her friend, Katy’s obsession with Michael was beginning to drive her insane, and she couldn’t wait to get back home tomorrow.

  ‘It was your idea to go round to Michael’s in the first place,’ Katy reminded her friend. ‘And I can’t concentrate on a film. I want to celebrate. I can’t wait for me and Nathan to meet Queenie and her sister, Viv. Michael used to chat about them often and I’m sure we’ll all get along like a house on fire. They sound like real characters.’

  When Katy cracked open a bottle of champagne and dreamily rambled on about Michael yet again, Lucy sighed. She’d felt so guilty earlier when Bella had been kind to them and the kids, she wished she had never suggested knocking on the poor woman’s door in the first place. Ripping a family to shreds was hardly cause for celebration.

  Twenty-two stitches to his head and face, plus a dose of concussion seemed to be the extent of Vinny’s injuries. The scan had revealed there seemed to be no bleeding to the brain, but there was a very slight swelling and Queenie had been informed that Vinny would need another scan, to be on the safe side.

  ‘Five minutes with him, OK? Your son’s very tired, and still has a lot of alcohol in his system,’ the nurse warned Queenie.

  ‘Dad, are you OK? You look ill,’ Ava cried.

  Vinny was that drained he could barely keep his eyes open. ‘I’m fine, darlin’. Be right as rain tomorrow.’

  ‘Get off the bed,’ Queenie ordered Ava, when Vinny picked up the grey sick tray and began vomiting into it.

  Having a phobia of sick, Ava ran outside the ward, petrified.

  Queenie wiped her son’s mouth with some tissue, then stroked the one side of his face that wasn’t bruised or cut. ‘I’m so sorry for telling Michael earlier, but you don’t know what happened. He turned up at mine in bits. You remember that young Katy Spencer who used to work for him?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Vinny mumbled.

  ‘Well it turns out what Daniel screamed out at Little Vinny’s wedding that time was bloody true. Katy turned up at Michael’s house this morning with his son Nathan in tow. Seeing Michael so upset at mine while singing that whore Bella’s praises made my blood boil. It seemed the perfect opportunity to tell him, but seeing the state of you now, I wish I’d kept me gob shut.’

  ‘Sly fox, is Michael. Not your fault. He would’ve taken a bat to me anyway, even if we’d told him together. I was too drunk to defend meself, but I’ll live. Couldn’t believe the nurses wanted to chop off some of my hair to put the stitches in. I told them where to go. I’d chop their hands off first.’

  Feeling relieved, Queenie managed a smile. If Vinny was joking already, she was pretty sure he was going to be OK. Her Roy had never joked again after his injuries, the poor sod.

  Seeing Vinny’s eyes shut, Queenie was about to leave when her grandson burst into the ward. ‘Carl rang me. Whatever’s happened? He told me you’d explain all. Is me dad all right?’

  ‘I’m OK, boy. Just need sleep. Come back and see me tomorrow,’ Vinny muttered.

  Queenie led her grandson into the corridor. ‘Your dad’s fine, just tired, and a bit battered and bruised. Let’s go back to mine and chat there. There are certain things you need to know about.’

  After leaving the hospital earlier, Michael Butler had driven straight to his father’s home in Barking. He kept an old suit there and his plan had been to get cleaned up, pick up some of his dad’s belongings, then drive back to the hospital to wait for news. But when push came to shove, Michael couldn’t face going back. His day had been far too traumatic for words and he was now sitting in the dark in a state of shock with a bottle of Scotch for company.

  Tears streaming down his cheeks, Michael took in the scent of his old man’s favourite armchair. It was as old as the hills, covered in cigarette burns and spilt drops of alcohol, but all he could smell was that wonderful man who was now lying in intensive care, fighting for his life. Life was hard to understand at times. Why couldn’t it have been Vinny in intensive care instead?

  Michael had rung the hospital a few minutes ago. He’d told the nurse to ring on his father’s landline in case of emergency. No way was he switching his mobile on. He never wanted to switch that bastard thing on ever again. A nurse had informed Michael his father’s condition was ‘serious, but stable’. She’d also told him, in more medical wording, that Vinny was out of the woods. Michael had only asked about his brother in the hope he was dead. The way he felt right now, a life sentence was preferable to ever facing Vinny or Bella again.

  The hammering on the front door made Michael jump. ‘Dad, Dad! You in there?’ Daniel shouted.

  Michael didn’t reply. He’d purposely moved his car well away from the house so he wouldn’t be disturbed. Humiliation was an awful thing and Michael knew he had a bucketload heading his way. Thanks to his treacherous cunt of a brother and lying whore of a bird, he’d be the talk of the East End for many years to come. He, the Michael Butler, was destined to be a fucking laughing stock. He’d have to move far away. It was the only answer.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  DS Terry was handed the brown padded envelope by a young colleague. ‘The note inside says it’s a murder confession, guv.’

  There were so many nutters and hoaxers roaming the streets, DS Terry glanced at the envelope and thought this was a defi
nite wind-up. It had been posted a while back, to the Murder Squad at Whitechapel Police Station, which didn’t actually exist, hence it ending up here in Bow.

  ‘Pass me the tape recorder, Hicks. Another fruitcake, I dare say.’

  DS Terry pressed the play button and within thirty seconds his hair stood up on end. He’d been a wet-behind-the-ears PC when Molly Butler had been murdered, but remembered the tragedy like it was yesterday. Molly had been the first dead child he’d ever seen and he’d spewed his guts up, to the displeasure of his boss back then.

  ‘D’ya think it’s kosher, boss?’ young Hicks asked.

  Totally stunned, Terry didn’t reply until the tape ended. ‘Go and get me some blank tapes, and track down the Chief. He needs to hear this ASAP. It’s better than kosher. It’s fucking gold dust.’

  Over in Emerson Park, Little Vinny was explaining to his wife the latest drama to occur in his dysfunctional family. He’d stayed at his nan’s last night.

  ‘Oh my God! Bella slept with your dad and Antonio’s his son! I truly can’t believe that, Vin. How could they do that to poor Michael? It’s too awful for words. I could never lie to you like that.’

  ‘Mum, I’m hungry. Make me something to eat,’ Calum ordered, kicking the leg of the kitchen table to get his parents’ attention.

  ‘Stop kicking that table, boy. I’m trying to talk to your mother. Three times I’ve told you to go and watch the film with your brothers, so do as you’re bloody well told for once.’

  Calum Butler glared at his father, kicked the table one last time, then left the room.

  Little Vinny put his arms around Sammi-Lou and took comfort in her touch. ‘What a bloody nightmare, eh? But it’s my granddad I’m most worried about. I belled the hospital this morning and he’s still in intensive care. They said he’d had a comfortable night. Is that good or bad news? It can’t be brilliant; else he would be out of intensive care. Imagine if he dies, Sam. Christmas will be awful.’

  Sammi-Lou rubbed the back of the husband she loved so very much. ‘Your granddad’s like you: a fighter and a truly lovely man. I’m sure he’ll pull through. God will be looking over him to make sure he does, and if he had a comfortable night that’s good news, not bad. As for your dad and Bella, I doubt God will ever favour them again.’

  ‘Between me and you, my dad’s always been a callous bastard. I used to take after him when I was younger, but not any more. I’ve tried ringing Michael, but his phone’s switched off. Uncle Michael’s always looked out for me. I’m not even bothered about my dad right now. If you ask me, he deserves to be lying in a hospital bed, battered and bruised.’

  ‘I couldn’t agree more.’

  Not realizing that the officers at Bow Police Station were currently listening to him confessing to killing Molly, Little Vinny sighed. ‘We reap what we sow in life, eh, babe?’

  Daniel Butler was in the temper of all tempers. He had no idea where his old man was, had acquired a half-brother overnight, his grandfather was in intensive care, and celebrating Christmas was a non-fucking-starter. ‘Liars, the lot of ’em, bruv. But Bella and Vinny have truly kicked the arse out of it this time. Italian slag! I’ll give her what for.’

  ‘I’m worried about Dad. You don’t think he’d do anything stupid, do ya?’

  ‘Yeah. He’s probably got his cock shoved up Katy, creating us another brother or sister as we speak. I knew it all along. As soon as we bumped into Katy that time and she told us she was up the duff, I instantly knew it was the old man’s. That’s why I said what I did at Little Vinny’s wedding. How could he lie to us all this time, eh?’

  ‘Probably because he didn’t want Bella finding out. I wonder what Nathan’s like?’

  ‘Bound to be a compulsive liar like the rest of the family. So we’ve been denied a little brother because Dad was worried about that fucking whore. I always liked her an’ all, that’s what makes it worse. The thought of her and Vinny at it makes my skin crawl, don’t it yours?’

  ‘Yeah. I still can’t get me head around Antonio being his kid. Now we know the truth I can see similarities though, can’t you? He even looks a bit like Vinny.’

  ‘Both Antonio and Vinny can rot in hell for all I care. Bella an’ all. Camila’s my only concern now. That bitch better not sod off back to Italy and take our little sister with her, I’m telling ya. ’Cause if she does, I’ll track her down and snatch Cami back off her.’

  ‘None of this is Antonio’s fault, Dan. We’ve treated him like a brother for years and it’s not fair to take it out on him,’ Lee insisted.

  ‘But he ain’t our brother, is he? We were always kind to him because he never had brothers, sisters, or a dad. Now he has all fucking three. I’ve always found him a bit odd, if you want the truth. Not so much when he was a nipper, but as he got older. That school the slag sent him to never did him no favours. Turned him into a posh little cunt. Let Little Vinny and Ava take over as his siblings now. We’ve done our duty.’

  Shirley Preston was tidying up in preparation of her friend arriving for Christmas when she heard a tap on the door. She peeped through the keyhole, and on seeing Dot and Glen standing on her step immediately knew it was bad news.

  Fear flooded through Shirley’s veins. ‘What is it? What’s happened? Is Jamie OK?’

  ‘You put the kettle on, Mum, while I explain the situation to Shirley,’ Glen ordered.

  ‘I don’t want a cuppa. Please tell me what’s happened to Jamie,’ Shirley shrieked.

  Dot took Shirley by the arm. ‘Let’s sit you down first, lovey.’

  ‘Is Jamie hurt? He ain’t dead, is he?’ Shirley panicked.

  Glen glanced at his mother. Shirley wasn’t going to take this well, that was for sure. ‘It ain’t good news, Shirl. Jamie got involved in an altercation with that geezer who was giving him agg. It all went a bit wonky, but I can promise ya Jamie’s gonna be OK. It was self-defence and I’m gonna hire him the best brief going for his trial.’

  ‘Trial! What bloody trial?’

  ‘The other geezer’s dead, Shirl. I’m so sorry, love.’

  ‘Dead! Dead!’ Shirley spat. Seconds later, she felt a horrific pain down the left-hand side of her body. The whole latter part of her life had been devoted to her grandson, and her one wish had been to see him free and his name cleared of murder before she died.

  As Shirley fell to the floor, struggling to breathe, she knew her wish was over. Seconds later, so was her life.

  Bella stroked her daughter’s long dark hair. She’d been ever so tearful and clingy this morning, even though Bella was trying her best to act as normal as possible. Rupert’s arrival had cheered Camila up a bit, but it was obvious the child sensed all was not well.

  ‘Mum, when is Daddy, Daniel and Lee coming home?’ Camila asked again.

  Having had no joy enticing her son out of his bedroom, Bella was shocked when Antonio marched into the kitchen to confront her with a look of pure evil on his face. ‘I hate you. How could you do this to me? I want to see my dad.’

  ‘Go in the lounge with Rupert, darling,’ Bella urged Camila.

  The child clung to her mother’s legs. ‘No. Want to stay with you.’

  ‘What’s my dad’s phone number? Where does he live?’ Antonio screamed.

  ‘Your dad isn’t a very nice person, Antonio, which is why I lied to you in the first place.’

  ‘I’ll be the one to decide that, and if he isn’t nice, why did you open your legs to him in the first place? No wonder Michael left you,’ Antonio spat.

  Furious at her usually polite son’s scathing comments, Bella lunged towards him and slapped him hard across the face. ‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that. I’ve been a good mother to you – show some respect.’

  When Antonio began kicking her mum, Camila screamed.

  ‘Stop it! Stop it now!’ Rupert insisted, trying to restrain Antonio. He had always been so mild-mannered in the past; Rupert was stunned by the overnight change in the child.

  Be
lla had tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘Get the door, Rupert, and unless it’s Michael I don’t want to see anyone.’

  Rupert did as asked and was horrified to see Bella’s parents standing there, suitcases by their side.

  Giovanni D’Angelo marched into the hallway. ‘Bella, Bella,’ he yelled.

  It had been Daniel Butler’s idea that he and Lee head to Barking and get on the lash early. A few of their old school pals were meeting later for a prearranged Christmas drink.

  ‘Slow down, bruv. You’ll be hammered before the boys arrive,’ Lee warned Daniel. They’d trailed around earlier, hunting for their father again. They’d also popped to the hospital to see their grandfather, but hadn’t been allowed to as he was still in intensive care and the doctor was with him.

  ‘Dunno if I’m in the mood for a night out now. Dad must be at Katy’s. I can’t think where else he’d be. D’ya reckon he’s still boning her? She was a nice-looking bird, weren’t she?’

  ‘Yeah. I could never have imagined Dad cheating on Bella, but after what we know now it wouldn’t surprise me. Dark horse, ain’t he? I wish he’d ring us, Dan, to let us know he’s OK. Surely he must be as worried about Granddad as we are? I wish someone knew where Katy lived. We could drive there.’

  Daniel didn’t reply. His eyes were fixed on a table in the corner. He nudged Lee. ‘Speaking of granddads, look who’s over there. He’s spotted us. I just caught his eye and he quickly looked away.’

  Lee recognized Donald immediately. He hadn’t changed at all. The last time he and Daniel had laid eyes on him was about five years ago when they’d kicked off in his and Mary’s café. ‘Why don’t we go over there and offer to buy him a drink? Perhaps it’s time to let bygones be bygones. He is your granddad, Dan, and even though I’m not blood related, he and Mary were kind to me when I was little an’ all.’

  ‘I dunno. He’s going up the bar. You get ’em in round this side and see if he makes eye contact with ya. Get me a chaser as well as a pint. A large one.’