‘Have you fallen in love with Jo?’
‘Don’t be daft! I can’t even be arsed giving her one any more. But she’s the mother of my kid and I need someone to look after Molly and Little Vinny. As long as she does as she’s told and don’t get in my face, then we’ll get along just fine. This was all your fucking idea, me moving her in in the first place,’ Vinny reminded his pal.
‘So, when are we going to the whorehouse again? It’s been months,’ Ahmed asked. He wanted to act as normal as possible in case Vinny smelt a rat.
‘Soon, pal, soon. How’s business? Did the last drop-off go OK?’
‘Yes, it went fine, but we do have a slight problem now.’
‘What?’ Vinny asked, alarmed. He had always been happy to be the silent partner and let Ahmed be the active one. His mother and Auntie Viv would disown him if they knew what he was up to, so he’d kept his involvement in the drug trade under wraps, though he was sure Michael had a hunch.
Secretly enjoying the look of panic on his so-called friend’s face, Ahmed took a couple of sips of his drink before explaining. ‘You know Emre, my main man? Well, he has a court case coming up in Turkey for tax evasion charges. His brief reckons he is looking at a two-year sentence, and his trial starts the end of June.’
‘So what we going to do? Surely Emre will leave somebody in charge while he’s away?’
All their heroin and cocaine came from Emre, and they bought in such bulk now that they only needed to place an order every few months.
Ahmed shook his head. ‘Emre will not trust anybody to run his empire. He would rather take a break.’
‘Well, you must know somebody else we can buy from.’
‘Not that I can trust like Emre. Look, how long have we been buying off him? Never had any problems with him or the Old Bill, have we? Why change something that works, eh? What I suggest we do is stock up before he goes inside. Buy enough to last us for the two years.’
Vinny immediately shook his head. ‘Fuck off, Ahmed. You pay Emre up front and I’ve never met the bloke. How do we know his court case story is true? He might rip us off for a fortune.’
‘Of course he won’t! Emre is my friend. I have known him since I was three years old. He hasn’t suggested we buy two years’ supply up front. He doesn’t even know about it yet and for all I know he might not even be able to supply us that amount. I’ve spoken to you about it first. We know the gear off Emre is good. If we buy it elsewhere it will probably be cut to fuck and if we take a break while he is in prison, then you know full well that somebody will step in our shoes. We have the money to buy it, Vinny, the perfect place to hide it, so why not take the plunge? In the years we have been dealing with Emre, at least fifty times we must have given him money up front and he has never conned us out of a penny. The man is like my brother, I swear,’ Ahmed said, holding his hand on his heart.
Vinny knocked his drink back and put his hands on top of his head. He and Ahmed usually parted with three hundred grand between them every three months. The gear was the proper uncut stuff, so it could be turned into millions in street value once it was mixed with other substances. It did involve a big outlay though. Vinny and Ahmed never got their own hands dirty, which meant a long line of people on the payroll, from the boys who cut the stuff right down to the two-bob merchants who punted it out in wraps on the street.
‘I’m gonna need to think about this one. Is there no way you can bypass Emre and go straight to his suppliers while he’s inside?’
‘Are you fucking kidding me, Vinny? I know for a fact the drugs come from Nicaragua. Do you fancy a trip out there? Because I sure don’t.’
Vinny shook his head, then put it in his hands. ‘I’ve had a hectic week, mate, and I’m not thinking straight at the moment. No way I can give you a decision right now. This is something I need to sleep on.’
Little Vinny was sitting with Ben Bloggs in their den. It was a remote spot they had found about a year ago and it was what they referred to as their special place. Little Vinny had only had his going-out ban lifted the day before and even though he had promised his dad he would be good from now on, today he and Ben had stolen two bottles of cider from the off-licence along with six packets of crisps.
‘I don’t like the taste of this. I wish we’d nicked lemonade instead,’ Ben said, screwing up his face and passing the bottle to Vinny.
Vinny didn’t like the taste either. Neither he nor Ben were used to alcohol, but seeing as they had taken the trouble to steal it, he was determined it wouldn’t be wasted. ‘I don’t want to go home. Let’s kip here tonight, Ben. It will be exciting and we’ll have a laugh.’
Ben shook his head. His mother wouldn’t care if he didn’t come home for a week, but he knew Vinny’s dad would go mad. ‘You got to go home, Vin, else your old man will kick off and blame me. Then, he won’t let you out again.’
‘My dad don’t care about me no more. All he cares about now is Molly. You should see how he is around her. He don’t leave her alone. I never remember him being like that with me. He loves her more, I know he does.’
Seeing his best pal near to tears, Ben Bloggs put a comforting arm around his shoulder. ‘It’s only ’cause Molly’s a baby, Vin. You ain’t used to having brothers and sisters, but I am. I’ve got six of the buggers, and you get used to it. My mum barely notices me; neither does my nan, but I just go out to play to get away from them all.’
Little Vinny took another mouthful of cider. ‘I wish my mum was still alive. Her name was Karen and she was lovely.’
‘How did your mum die?’
‘My dad said she was a drug addict, and killed herself.’
‘My mum takes drugs too, Vin. I’ve seen her, she smokes them, injects them – it’s horrible. I don’t really like her much. I wish I had a dad like yours. At least he buys you nice things and cares about what you do.’
Little Vinny glared at his pal, then pushed him in the chest. ‘No, he don’t. Since he met that slag Jo, he’s changed. All he cares about is her and Molly now. I fucking hate him and I hope Jo and Molly die in a car crash like Lenny did.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
On the day of Vivian’s homecoming, Queenie Butler was all of a fluster. A few months ago, Vinny had treated her to a posh new kitchen. It had gold Formica counters, an electric double oven, harvest gold vinyl flooring and dark wooden-looking Spanish-style cabinets. It even had something called a dishwasher, but Queenie couldn’t get on with that. No machine could clean her plates and cutlery as well as she could.
It was Vinny’s idea that Vivian would like a similar kitchen, but now Queenie wished she had said no. Vinny had said it would be good for Viv if she came home to a nice surprise, but Queenie knew what an old stick-in-the-mud her sister could be at times and she was dreading her arriving home and hating it.
Going over Viv’s house once more with the duster and polish, Queenie put the vase of fresh flowers in the centre of the coffee table. She had popped in every day to check on things while Vivian was in hospital and had put air fresheners in all the rooms and opened the windows regularly to keep it smelling sweet.
Remembering she had not yet dusted Viv’s old grandfather clock that sat in the corner of the hallway, Queenie smiled. Another couple of hours and her wonderful sister would be out of that nuthouse and back where she belonged.
Another person in a fluster was Joanna Preston. Her mother had rung her out of the blue and said she wanted to visit. She was travelling to London today with her friend Sandy and even though Joanna was looking forward to her mum meeting Molly, she was also very nervous. Little Vinny had been treating her like shit lately whenever Vinny wasn’t about, and Joanna knew if he did it in front of her mother, Deborah would say something back and that might cause an argument with Vinny. Her mum’s sudden change of heart was bothering her a bit too. Only last week Deborah had flatly refused to come and see Molly, and Joanna couldn’t help wondering what had happened to change her mind.
‘You OK, bab
e? Don’t be worrying about your mum’s visit. It’ll be fine, I promise,’ Vinny said, cupping his hands around Joanna’s cheeks and kissing her on the forehead.
When Joanna tried to put her arms around his neck and kiss him properly, Vinny grabbed her wrists and chuckled. ‘I’ve got to go out, Jo, so don’t start getting me all excited.’
It was a lame excuse. They hadn’t made love or even had a proper kiss in months. ‘You do still fancy me don’t you, Vinny? I will lose this bit of baby weight soon, I promise.’
Feeling guilty, Vinny took Jo in his arms and squeezed her tightly to his chest. When they had first hooked up he had enjoyed the sex immensely, but that was only because he was getting one over on her father. Vinny had always hated kissing, he found it too intimate, and the only sex he ever enjoyed was the really rough kind. ‘I’ll tell you what, how about we get the Jubilee out the way then shoot down to Kings at the weekend? My mum and Auntie Viv will come, so they can look after Molly and we can have some us time. What do you say?’
Desperate to feel loved and wanted again, Joanna grinned. ‘That sounds like a great idea.’
Nancy Butler looked at Michael in total disbelief. Not only had he tried to make love to her again this morning and failed miserably, he had just had the cheek to inform her that Daniel and Adam would not be going to her parents’ street party, they would instead be going to Queenie’s.
‘But I’ve already told my mum and dad that I’m bringing the boys to theirs.’
‘Well, best you untell them. You don’t think I’m gonna leave Lee to spend the day with just us adults, do you? The Silver Jubilee is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and, seeing as they’re so close, the boys should spend it together. I don’t mind you going to your mum’s party, but only if you take Lee as well.’
‘And why would I want to do that? He isn’t even my bloody kid, Michael. It’s bad enough I have to suffer him day in, day out, without forcing my parents to suffer him too,’ Nancy screamed, unaware that her sons and Lee were all ear-wigging outside.
Furious that his mother’s nasty comments had made Lee cry, Daniel opened the back door. ‘Me and Adam don’t want to come to your party, Mum. We want to go to Nanny Queenie’s party with Daddy and Lee.’
Aware that Lee had tears streaming down his face, a guilty Nancy bent down to comfort the child.
‘Get away from him. You’ve already said enough for one day,’ Michael spat, before ordering all three of his boys to play in the bedroom upstairs. Michael then turned back to his wife. ‘You are one selfish cunt, Nancy. No wonder I can’t get a fucking hard-on when I try to make love to you. How do you think that little boy feels, now he’s heard you slate him, eh?’
Nancy burst into tears. She’d had no idea the boys were listening to her and Michael’s conversation and she now felt dreadful. ‘I’m sorry, Michael, I really am. I’ll speak to Lee and apologize to him. It was said in the heat of the moment, I didn’t mean it. Where are you going?’
Snatching his arm away from his wife’s grasp, Michael stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.
Vinny was quiet on the journey to Goodmayes. Shelling out a hundred and fifty grand up front to a complete stranger was one thing, but shelling out over a million was a gamble he was not sure he could take. He knew he owed it to Ahmed to trust him on this, especially after the accident, but if a million pound plus went astray it really could mean financial ruin. The club earned him and Michael a decent living, but the takings were nowhere near what they’d been raking in at their old club down the Commercial Road. It had taken Vinny a long time to become as wealthy as he was, and there was no way he was gambling his daughter’s future away.
‘What’s up with you? And don’t say nothing, because I know you like the back of my hand,’ Queenie said.
Vinny smiled. ‘I’ve had a business proposition put to me. I don’t want to go into detail, but I think it’s too much of a gamble.’
Queenie had never been one to pry too much. She knew Vinny had business interests other than the club and it would only worry the life out of her if she knew what they were. ‘Go with your head and not your heart, Vinny. You inherited that brain of yours off me – it certainly never came from your father’s genes – so use it wisely.’
Vinny pulled up in the hospital car park, switched the engine off and gave his mum a hug. ‘I know I don’t say it as often as I should, but I really do love you, Mum.’
‘And I love you too, boy, much more than you’ll ever know. Right, let’s go and get your Auntie Viv and pray to God she likes that fucking kitchen.’
Hoping to break the ice quickly, Joanna opened the door to her mum and Sandy with the baby in her arms. It was a bank holiday, Little Vinny had gone out to play and Joanna was praying the little sod wouldn’t come back while her mum was here.
‘Aw, Jo, isn’t she beautiful!’ Sandy gushed.
Deborah stared at the child. She had expected it to be dark-haired and olive-skinned like Vinny and had been prepared to dislike it on sight, but Molly was nothing like her father. She was blonde, chubby and the bonniest baby that Deborah had ever laid eyes on. ‘Can I hold her?’ she asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
‘Of course you can, Mum.’
The next hour or so passed pleasantly. Both Sandy and Deborah complimented Joanna on her house, Vinny wasn’t mentioned at all unless Jo said his name, and baby Molly had them all eating out of the palm of her chubby hand.
When the front door opened, Joanna’s heart lurched. Vinny had gone to pick up his Auntie Viv and said he was going to make himself scarce for the rest of the day, so Jo knew it had to be Little Vinny. It was, and he was accompanied by Ben Bloggs.
‘Where’s me dad?’ Little Vinny asked.
‘He’s gone to pick your Auntie Viv up from hospital. Mum, Sandy, this is Vinny’s son, Vinny, and his friend Ben.’
‘Pleased to meet you both,’ Little Vinny replied politely.
‘Pleased to meet you too,’ Ben Bloggs added.
‘Jo, did Dad leave me any money? Only me and Ben are bored and we want to go to the pictures.’
‘No, he didn’t, but let me get my purse and I can give you some.’ Jo was so relieved the child hadn’t showed her up in front of her mother that she would happily have given him the contents, but instead she handed him a five-pound note.
‘Cheers, Jo. Bye, ladies and Molly,’ Little Vinny shouted, as he and Ben marched out of the door.
As they ran off down the road, Little Vinny waved the five-pound note in Ben’s face. ‘Told you I would get money off the silly slag, didn’t I? Now who can we ask to get us some fags?’
Vivian stood open-mouthed as she stared at her kitchen.
‘I knew it, she don’t like it,’ Queenie mumbled, punching her son in the arm.
‘It’s even got a dishwasher, Auntie Viv, look,’ Vinny said, pointing out the appliance.
All of a sudden, Vivian clapped her hands together in glee. ‘It’s the bollocks! I love it!’
‘Thank goodness for that,’ Queenie muttered.
‘And we’ve got another surprise for you, haven’t we, Mum?’
Queenie nodded. She had been worried how Viv would react on walking into the house, having to face how empty it was without Lenny, but so far she had been fine. However, Viv hadn’t seen her second surprise yet and even though Queenie thought she would be thrilled, she was nervous in case it had the opposite effect and send her sister back into a depression.
Vivian followed Vinny and Queenie up the stairs and gasped as they opened Lenny’s bedroom door. All his toys, clothes and other belongings that she had thrown out for the dustmen were now back in the room, including Zippy the monkey, who was perched in his usual place on the bed.
Vivian burst into tears, but they weren’t sad tears, they were ones of happiness. Out of all the things she had done when she was ill, chucking her beloved son’s belongings out was the thing she had regretted the most. ‘Oh dear God. This is wonderful! Ho
w did you get the stuff back from the dustmen?’
Crying happy tears too, Queenie hugged her sister. ‘The dustmen never took it – I did. I knew how much you would regret throwing Lenny’s belongings away once you felt better, Viv, so I rang Vinny and he collected it from mine and stored it at the club.’
‘I am so relieved. This has to be the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. I feel like a part of Lenny is back here with me now. Thank you both so much.’
Vinny took his aunt in his arms, rocked her side to side and kissed her on top of her head. ‘No need to thank us. We’re your family. Welcome home, Auntie Viv.’
Nancy Butler poured herself a glass of wine and dejectedly flopped onto the armchair. She had just been upstairs to apologize to Lee and entice the boys downstairs. Lee had been understanding, but Daniel had looked at her with hatred and refused to come out of his bedroom until his father came home, which had upset Nancy immensely. As for Adam, he was far too young to understand what was going on.
Desperate to speak to somebody, Nancy debated who to phone. Her friend Rhonda had gone to stay with family and Nancy knew her mother wouldn’t be very sympathetic, as she always sided with Michael when it came to Lee.
Picking up her handbag, Nancy opened her purse and stared at the phone number that Freda had given her the day before. She’d had no intention of contacting Dean, didn’t think it was right now she was back with Michael, but she was desperate for a friendly ear to tell her troubles to. Freda had told her under no circumstances should she ever call Dean from her home phone, so Nancy folded the number up and put it back in her purse. She then ran up the stairs. ‘Come on, boys, get your coats on. I’m taking you out for a burger.’
Vinny walked into the club and was surprised to see Michael sitting alone with a bottle of Scotch. ‘What’s up with you? You had another row with Nancy?’
When Michael explained what had happened earlier, Vinny tutted and shook his head in disgust. ‘You need to get rid of her, bruv, she’s a wrong ’un. What about that other bird? Have you got back in touch with her yet?’
Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Butler Collection Page 56
