Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Butler Collection

by Kimberley Chambers

  Little Vinny stared at Ben’s youngest sister. She was about Molly’s age, but instead of being dressed immaculately and having her hair in bunches like his spoilt little sister, poor Kylie was filthy dirty, running about naked, with bruises all over her body.

  When the last of her children left the room, Alison slammed the lounge door shut, opened the bottle of cider, then sat down next to Little Vinny on the sofa. ‘Ben said you’re working at the club now. Is your old man paying you well?’

  ‘Me dad ain’t paid me sod all yet,’ Little Vinny lied. He knew what a ponce Alison was and if he admitted he had over thirty quid left in his pocket, she would probably barricade him in a cupboard until he agreed to hand it over.

  Alison sparked up a joint, then gave it to Little Vinny. ‘Got yourself a bird yet, have ya?’

  ‘Er, no. Not yet.’

  ‘Nice-looking boy like you should have the girls queuing up,’ Alison replied, putting her grubby hand on Little Vinny’s leg.

  Frozen through fear, Little Vinny could not move as Alison’s hand travelled towards his penis. As much as she repulsed him, he could feel himself becoming erect. When the front door slammed, Little Vinny felt relief wash over him as he leapt off the sofa.

  ‘Hello, Vin,’ Ben shrieked, chucking the prescription at his mother before giving his pal a boy-hug.

  ‘I bought us some cider. Let’s go to your room, Ben. I want to put my clobber on, then we’ll go out,’ Little Vinny gabbled. There was no way he would tell his friend what had just happened. Ben would be mortified.

  Alison Bloggs chuckled as Little Vinny darted out of the lounge. If he was old enough to work at the club, then he was old enough to pay her for her services. Next time he visited and Ben wasn’t present, she would suck him off in exchange for a tenner.

  Having recovered from her earlier state of shock, Queenie Butler was now on her soapbox. ‘Fuming I am, Viv. This government has got it all wrong, you know. The justice system in this country is a fucking joke. An eye for an eye like it was in the old days, that’s how it should be. Makes my blood boil to think that bastard Preston will soon be free to enjoy his life, and it’s only because of him my Roy is pushing up daisies.’

  ‘I know what you mean, Queen. I feel the same about that Turkish piece of shit. Killed my Lenny, yet he’s still walking about without a care in the world. I’ve got to be honest with you, I am very surprised and disappointed with Vinny. I really thought he would have sought revenge for Lenny’s death, but he ain’t done sod all about it.’

  ‘Well, don’t you be worrying, Vivvy, because I shall be having strong words with Vinny when I see him next. I will demand he sorts out Ahmed and Johnny Preston. Nobody messes with our family without getting their comeuppance, and I mean nobody.’

  It had been Little Vinny’s idea that he and Ben spend their Friday evening travelling up and down the District Line on a train. When his dad had given him forty quid earlier, his parting words had been ‘Enjoy yourself, son, but I’m telling you now, if I find out you are hanging about with that div Ben Bloggs again, I will break your fucking neck.’

  Now he was dressed in a blue Fred Perry short-sleeved shirt, beige three-quarter-length Sta-Prest trousers and his beloved Doc Martens, Little Vinny felt the personality his father had tried so hard to suppress rise to the surface once again. The only thing that pissed him off was that his hair was too long, which was why he had invested in a pork-pie hat.

  ‘Can I have another snout, Vin?’

  Little Vinny chucked the packet of Benson and Hedges at his pal. Ben had no money, which is why he had already spent twenty-five quid of his hard-earned wages on booze, fags, puff and glue.

  Seeing the woman in the grey jacket glare at him, Little Vinny stood on the seat and wrote ‘SKINS 4 EVER’ on the ceiling of the carriage with his permanent marker pen.

  Ben giggled when the train stopped at Dagenham East and the appalled woman tutted before stomping onto the platform.

  When the train didn’t move for five minutes, Little Vinny put some Evo Stik in an empty crisp bag, sniffed it, then handed it to his pal. Apart from two old boys sat at the end, the carriage was empty.

  ‘Too much too young,’ Ben yelled, when he recognized the sound of Terry Hall’s vocals.

  Little Vinny poked his head out the door and saw two skinheads strolling down the platform with a stereo system. ‘Oi, in here, lads,’ he yelled.

  By the time the train had reached Elm Park, not only had Little Vinny and Ben made new friends and learned that Madness wasn’t the first band to record ‘One Step Beyond’ it was actually Prince Buster, they’d also been invited to a party the following evening.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Vinny Butler was not a man with your average sexual appetite. He liked it rough, bordering on violent, which is why rather than be intimate with Jo, he preferred to satisfy his cravings elsewhere.

  Last night, Vinny had experienced the most explosive sex he’d had in ages. He and Ahmed had met two birds in a nightclub, then ended up in some West End hotel. Vinny had got it on with the stunning dark-haired one and the sex had blown him away. He would have liked to have seen her again, but when he had woken up this morning, the bird had already gone.

  Letting himself indoors, Vinny was pleased to see his son at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cornflakes. ‘You all right, boy? Sorry that you’ve been on your own all night. I had a few bevvies so stayed at the club,’ Vinny lied.

  ‘That’s OK, Dad. I came home before eleven like you told me to. Can I go out again tonight? I took your advice and met some new friends.’

  ‘Not skinheads, are they?’

  ‘No. They’re Mods,’ Little Vinny lied.

  ‘Yeah, you can go out again tonight. So, they local lads? What’s their names?’

  ‘Danno and Tim, and they live in Dagenham. I met them near the train station. They were visiting someone round here and asked me for directions. They’ve invited me to a party tonight in Dagenham, so I wondered would it be all right if I stayed out a bit later? I’m gonna look a right dickhead if I have to be home by eleven.’

  Vinny sighed. His son was tall for his age, but he’d only turned fourteen this summer, and Vinny couldn’t help but worry about him. ‘I tell you what, I’ll give you a score to get a cab, but I want you home by midnight. I shall be ringing here at twelve on the dot and if you ain’t back, there’ll be big trouble. Understand?’

  ‘Yes, Dad. I understand.’

  Mary Walker was in her element as she sipped her Guinness and watched Daniel, Adam and Lee splash about in the swimming pool. She could not swim herself, was petrified of deep water, but her grandsons were fabulous and swam like little fishes.

  ‘Shame about Dad, isn’t it, Mum? Do you reckon he’s really ill or do you think he had a change of heart?’ Nancy asked.

  ‘Oh, he is ill. We had to stop at least four times on the journey here this morning because he had the trots. You know what an old stick-in-the-mud he is though. I bet you a pound to a pinch of salt that he don’t bother driving down when he feels better. He’d rather work in that café than enjoy a holiday.’

  ‘Never mind. We’ll still have a good time, Mum. They have so many activities on for the kids here, and the adults.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Well, the boys’ favourites are the donkey derby, It’s a Knockout and the trip to Treasure Island. And you are just going to love going to the club of a night. They have bingo on before the entertainment kicks off, then they have a resident band. There’s different competitions on every night: ballroom dancing, Knobbly Knees, Mr and Mrs – and you must enter the glamorous granny competition. The boys would love that.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t fancy standing on stage, Nance. Shame your father isn’t here, he’d have won the Knobbly Knees contest hands down.’

  Nancy chuckled. ‘The American horse racing night is great fun. They put a big screen up on the stage and I let the boys have a little bet. They get so excited. It’s h
ilarious watching them.’

  ‘Good job your father isn’t here. I’m sure he’d have something to say about the boys gambling. So, do Queenie and Vivian go to the club every evening?’

  ‘They always come over for the bingo, but they don’t usually stay that late. They will be in the upstairs club tonight. Freddie Starr is appearing and they both love him.’

  ‘Oh well, if I bump into them at all, I will just ignore them,’ Mary said.

  ‘Mum, please don’t make things awkward for me. Queenie and Vivian have always treated me and the boys well.’

  ‘Yes, I know, and I’m grateful for that, even if I don’t like the women. Last time I saw them, they were scrapping like two fishmongers’ wives in our old café. Hitting your father and all sorts they were. Rough old malts, the pair of them.’

  Nancy suddenly felt anxious. It had been her suggestion in the first place that her mum visited Kings and she only hoped her idea wasn’t about to backfire on her.

  As the afternoon wore on, Vinny Butler became more and more annoyed with himself. The bird from last night had been a real stunner. Dark-skinned and dark-haired like himself, she’d had long legs, an ample-sized arse, big firm tits, luscious full lips and a voice as sexy as any he could recall.

  Her name was Izzy, but other than that, Vinny knew sod all about her other than she enjoyed being raped.

  Vinny tilted back his reclining chair, put his hand behind his head, shut his eyes and visualized the scene once again. When Izzy had asked him to pretend to be a rapist and take her by force, Vinny thought he had died and gone to heaven. He had immediately granted Izzy’s wish by grabbing her from behind, overpowering her then pinning her to the bed.

  Izzy had fought back hard. She had bitten, kicked and even punched him, which had turned Vinny on to a point of no return. He had then tied Izzy’s arms and legs to the bedposts, shoved his big throbbing cock in her mouth, then fucked her senseless.

  Tempted to return to the club where he had met Izzy to see if he could spot her or find out more about her, Vinny sat up, stared at the photo of Molly on his desk and immediately felt guilty. Shagging the odd prostitute to satisfy his warped sexual appetite was one thing, but to start up a full-blown affair was another.

  Vinny knew just by the way he was feeling that Izzy had the potential to mess his head up. So perhaps it was for the best that she had sneaked out of the hotel room before he’d had the chance to exchange details with her? His brother had never been the same man since that Bella had ripped his heart to shreds, and no way was Vinny going to allow the same to happen to him.

  The thought of Michael made him reach for the phone. ‘All right, bruv? You OK taking charge of the club for a couple of nights? Only I’m missing Molly and Mum and I fancy a couple of nights down at Kings.’

  When Michael agreed to the idea, Vinny ended the call, then grabbed his car keys. He had been a proper bastard towards Joanna ever since she had mentioned her father was up for parole, and for the sake of their daughter if nothing else, he should try and make things right between them.

  The Kings Holiday Park shop was extremely handy between visits to the nearest supermarket. It sold everything from eggs and bacon to postcards and lilos.

  ‘Right, I’ve got the cheese, ham, bread and butter. What else do we need?’ Vivian asked her sister.

  Feeling a bit lost for words, Queenie pointed down the aisle. ‘What are they doing back here?’

  Vivian was just as shocked as her sister to see Brenda and her new boyfriend strolling towards them with a basket full of groceries. ‘Well, I hope they don’t think they are staying with us again,’ Vivian hissed.

  Quickly regaining her composure, Queenie smiled. ‘Hello, love. What you doing here? Where’s Tara and Tommy?’

  Brenda pursed her lips. ‘Got nothing to do with you where the kids are. Last time you saw them you chucked them out of your bungalow, along with me and Scotty. Hardly grandmother of the year, are you? Oh, wait a minute – you are when it comes to Vinny and Michael’s kids. It’s just mine you can’t be arsed playing the doting nanny with.’

  ‘What you on about? Not been drinking again, have you, Bren? I only asked you to leave because Jo and Molly were on their way down here. It is Vinny’s bungalow, not mine, and there wasn’t enough room for us all. I love Tara and Tommy just as much as I love all my grandchildren, so there’s no call for you to go on the turn.’

  ‘I’m just stating facts, Mum. Anyway, Scotty has paid for our own chalet for the week, so you can stick Vinny’s bungalow up your arse.’

  Queenie was immediately alarmed that Scott had paid for a chalet. There was something fishy about him that she had sensed from the very start. Was he undercover Old Bill, only hooking up with Bren because he knew who her brothers were? With his blond hair, tall frame, twinkling eyes and good looks he could do a damn sight better than her sullen, drunken, drama queen of a daughter. And Scott had no kids himself, so he said. So why on earth would he want to saddle himself with Brenda’s two?

  ‘Are you OK, Mrs B? Brenda didn’t mean what she said, did you, Bren? You only get one mum, darling.’

  Queenie’s lips curled into a snarl. ‘It’s got fuck all to do with you, and if you call me Mrs B again I shall kick you right in the goolies. I’ve got your card marked, Sonny Jim. My daughter might be as thick as two short planks, but I bloody well ain’t. Come on, Viv. We’re leaving.’

  Screaming abuse at her mother, Brenda went to chase after her, but Scott held her back. ‘Leave it, babe. We’re on holiday, so let’s just enjoy ourselves.’

  ‘She is so bloody rude, my mother. I hate her! No wonder Dean walked out on me. What was she on about? What did she mean, she’s got your card marked?’

  Scott Mason had always been an opportunist. After meeting Brenda in a boozer he’d initially planned on having a one-night stand and then dumping her. However, as soon as he found out who her brothers were he had decided it would be worth his while to form a relationship with Brenda. What better way to see off all the people who were chasing him for the money he’d swindled them out of with his timeshare scam? They’d soon back down once they found out he was part of the Butler family. With a bit of luck he could smarm his way in with Vinny and Michael and land himself a job at their club. Brenda had told him they’d employed her ex, so why shouldn’t they do the same for him? Scott still had his fingers in a few pies, but none of them were paying too well at the moment and he was sick of looking over his shoulder for enemies and creditors. If he worked at the club with Vinny and Michael, then all his worries would be over. A regular income and serious back-up was exactly what he needed right now.

  ‘I have no idea what your mum was on about, Bren. Perhaps she was just in a bad mood, eh?’

  ‘But she had no right to talk to you like shit. I tell you, Scott, I’m fuming, I really am.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it – I’m not. Perhaps your mum is worried because of who your brothers are? She might think I’m undercover Old Bill or something? I think we should arrange a meet with your brothers, Bren, to put everyone’s minds at rest. What do you reckon?’

  ‘Can’t do any harm, I suppose.’

  Christopher Walker was sitting at his desk filling in some forms when his phone rang. A chill ran down his spine as his colleague explained there was a man on the phone who insisted on being put through to him, yet refused to give his name. ‘He says he’s an old friend of yours, Chris.’

  ‘DS Walker. How can I help you?’ Christopher asked, desperately trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

  ‘I think it is me who will be helping you, Chris. Now, when we going to have this little meet?’

  Feeling his stomach churn, Christopher knew the sooner he got this meeting out of the way, the better he would feel. Not knowing who the mystery caller was was doing his head in. ‘Do you know Hainault Country Park?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘Well, as you drive in, there are two car parks. I’ll meet you at the one furthest a
way from the entrance at eleven a.m. tomorrow. I’ll be in an unmarked car, a brown Ford Cortina. What will you be driving? Just so I know who I’m looking for.’

  ‘Don’t be concerning yourself about looking for me, Chris. I shall find you, but a word of warning, if you tell anybody else about our little meet and I learn of your betrayal, I won’t be a happy man. Please remember, I’m holding all the cards.’

  When the mystery caller cut him off, Christopher put his head in his hands. He hated breaking the rules, but he could hardly risk confiding in a colleague. Lying to protect Vinny Butler had already cost him his childhood and there was no way he would allow it to cost him his career as well. No way, José.

  After spending an hour in the amusement arcade, Queenie and Vivian took a slow walk back to the bungalow. Lots of the bungalows, chalets and caravans were privately owned, but the site always had its fair share of holidaymakers too. There was even an area over the back for touring caravans, and Queenie and Viv loved to have a nose around. ‘State of them curtains in that one, Viv. Look, they’re black. Dirty bastards, people are. Wouldn’t take ten minutes to take them down and wash them, would it?’

  ‘People have low standards in this day and age, Queen. Got no pride like us old school. ’Ere, is that your Vinny’s motor?’

  Vinny had always been a fan of Jaguars and the previous year he’d bought himself a brand-new XJ6 in black. ‘Yep, that’s his number plate. Really glad he’s popped down. Still fuming about that Johnny Preston getting parole, I am. He needs to have a serious chat with Joanna. Over my dead body will Molly ever be in his company, let me tell you. All but killed my Roy, that bastard did. Took away his spirit, pride and personality. I’ll never rest until Preston gets his comeuppance, Viv. What goes around should come around.’

  Albie Butler sipped his brandy and had a good old look around. It had been years since he had paid a visit to his son’s club and with the fluorescent spotlights in the ceiling, expensive-looking carpet and furniture, and gold wallpaper with a red velvet pattern, it looked top notch. ‘What’s them big silver things, boy?’