Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Butler Collection

by Kimberley Chambers

  Unable to stop herself, Queenie broke down in tears once again. The thought of her precious granddaughter alone out there in this vicious world was tearing her heart to shreds. ‘I’ll ring your sister later. Can’t be dealing with her dramatics right now. She’ll be more of a hindrance than a help. How could Little Vinny have fallen asleep, eh? Poor Molly could be anywhere. Might even have been picked up by one of them child molesters. There’s loads living round here, you know. Big Stan said one flashed his dingle-dangle at his grandson in the public toilets last week.’

  Michael put an arm around his mother and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Look, I know you’re upset, we all are. But as a family, we need to stay positive. Molly’s only been missing a couple of hours. I’m going round Vin’s. You coming with me?’

  Queenie nodded. ‘You coming too, Viv?’

  Vivian clasped her sister’s hand. Whatever she thought of Vinny had to be put to one side for now. Queenie had been her rock ever since Lenny had died and now it was her turn to be there for her sister. ‘Of course I’m coming with ya.’

  Back at Vinny’s house, a hysterical Joanna flew at Little Vinny as he sauntered into the lounge. ‘How could you not look after Molly properly? How could you fall asleep and leave my baby all alone?’ she shrieked, slapping the lad around the head.

  Vinny leapt up and grabbed hold of Joanna. He knew she must have been drinking quite heavily earlier as he had smelt it on her breath, and she had since had a couple of large brandies. ‘Leave it, babe. I’ll deal with him later. Nancy, can you take Jo upstairs and calm her down, please? And do not pour her any more drinks. She obviously had enough when she was out with you.’

  Little Vinny put his hands over his face and crouched down. ‘I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to doze off, but I haven’t been sleeping well ’cause I kept thinking of Shazza.’

  Vinny looked at the officer who was stood in the hallway. ‘You don’t need to speak to him any more at the moment, do you?’ he asked, pointing at his distressed son.

  ‘No, Mr Butler.’

  Vinny took a twenty-pound note out of his pocket and handed it to his offspring. ‘Go and visit your mates, or Shazza, or whoever you want. Just make yourself scarce.’

  ‘But I need to know if my little sister’s OK. I feel terrible,’ Little Vinny wept.

  Vinny marched his son into the kitchen. ‘Look, I know you never meant to fall asleep, but the fact is you did, boy, and now Molly is missing because of that. Just take the money and get out of the house for a bit, please. I need to calm Jo down and that ain’t gonna happen while you’re here.’

  Snatching the money out of his father’s hand, a distraught-looking Little Vinny bolted out of the front door.

  Over in Ilford, Christopher Walker was just preparing to leave the station when his pager bleeped. The message read: WILL CALL YOU TOMORROW TO ARRANGE A MEET. IF YOU MESS ME AROUND AGAIN, YOU WILL REGRET IT.

  Pent up with frustration, Christopher slammed the pager against his desk. This shitty situation he found himself in was affecting his whole life, and the quicker he arrested Vinny Butler and got Ahmed off his case, the fucking better.

  Ahmed Zane walked into Vinny’s lounge and gave the man he had once trusted a brotherly hug. ‘I have only just heard. I am so sorry, my friend. Try to think positive, though. Molly is a survivor just like her dad.’

  Unable to stop himself, Vinny flew into a rage. ‘But she’s only fucking three! It petrifies me to think of her out there all alone. Say she wandered outside the club and some fucking paedo grabbed hold of her, eh? I swear to God, I would kill for that child. If I find out one finger has been laid on her, I will find the cunt responsible and rip their fucking heart out with my bare hands.’

  Seeing the Old Bill exchanging awkward glances, Ahmed led Vinny out into the kitchen. ‘Where is Jo?’ he asked.

  ‘Upstairs with Nancy. She’s in pieces, we all are. I blame myself, I really do. If only I hadn’t left Molly alone with Little Vinny, none of this would have happened.’

  Ahmed felt a sudden urge to laugh, but quickly composed himself. ‘You cannot blame yourself. Your son is not six, he is fourteen years old and should be more than capable of keeping an eye on his sister. I used to look after my younger siblings back in Turkey while my mamma went out to work, and I was much younger than him. Where is Little Vinny, by the way?’

  ‘I fucked him off out of it. I can’t even bear to look at him, truth be known. I will never be able to forgive him if any harm has come to Molly, I know I won’t.’

  When Vinny suddenly broke down in tears, Ahmed played the good friend and offered him a geezer-type hug. He had a smirk on his face as he did so though. This was after all the cunt who had left him for dead.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  As darkness beckoned and the rain became even more torrential, Vinny was informed that the CID had been called in to help solve Molly’s disappearance. The dog section had found no trace of the child in nearby properties, gardens, garages and sheds, so bringing in CID was the next step, the officer explained.

  Vinny sat on the step in the garden and lit up a cigarette. His daughter’s toys were scattered across the grass, and the thought of Molly never playing with them again made Vinny want to spew his guts up.

  Ahmed had just popped out to a phonebox to cancel tonight’s business deal. The ten kilos of cocaine they had been due to pick up off Richie Simpson was the least of Vinny’s worries now. Perhaps God was paying him back for dealing in poxy drugs? Vinny stared up at the darkening sky and made a bargain with the big man above. ‘Please help me find my daughter. I’m sorry I have done some bad things in my time, but please don’t take it out on that little girl. I’ll never do another wrong thing in all my living days, if you help me find Molly, I promise.’

  The unmistakable sound of his mother’s voice snapped Vinny out of his trance. He really needed his mum right now, and he had known deep in his heart that she would be there for him.

  Queenie had just put the kettle on to make the police officers a cup of tea when Vinny walked into the kitchen. Clocking the look of despair in her first-born’s eyes, Queenie did what any mother would do and hugged him to her chest. ‘We’ve just been talking to all the locals who’ve turned up at the club. Honest, Vin, you should see the crowd that’s congregated outside, there must be well over two hundred of them. And now it’s getting dark, they’re sorting out torches for everyone so they can join in the search for Molly. You must keep your chin up, because I am sure with so many people looking, she will soon be found, boy.’

  ‘I hope so, Mum, I really do. Thanks for coming round, and you, Auntie Viv.’

  When Vivian did not reply, Michael spoke instead. ‘Are Jo and Nancy not back yet?’ he asked his brother.

  ‘They’re both upstairs.’

  When Michael dashed up the stairs, Vivian followed him. As much as she adored Molly and prayed that the child would be found safe and sound, no way could she look at or offer comfort to Vinny. After what that heartless bastard had put her through, why the hell should she?

  Having an astute eye for a pretty young woman, Ahmed smiled at the blonde who was patiently waiting to use the phone. He had spent the past five minutes discussing recent events and having a good old laugh with his cousin, but now it was time to end the call: ‘Look, I have to go. Somebody is waiting to use the phone. I will try to call you again later, but if I can’t, it will be tomorrow. We don’t want to arouse suspicion, do we?’

  Burak chuckled. ‘Good luck playing the concerned friend.’

  Ahmed smirked. ‘I really should have been an actor, you know.’

  The blonde smiled as Ahmed told her he had another call to make, but would allow her to use the phone first. ‘Would you keep an eye on my pushchair for me, please? I’m taking my daughter in the phonebox with me. Some little girl has gone missing around here today and I’m not letting my Sophie out of my sight.’

  Birds loved a sob story, so Ahmed explained how it was his friend�
�s daughter who had gone missing and how upset he was.

  ‘Oh my God! That’s awful. My boyfriend comes out of prison next week, and I can’t wait. There’s so much crime around here lately, I don’t feel safe walking the streets with Sophie on my own any more. My John would never allow anything bad to happen to us.’

  Realizing the dumb tart was obviously loved up and he had no chance of shagging her, Ahmed urged her to hurry up and make her call.

  Five minutes later, he made his second phonecall. ‘It’s me. Things have not gone to plan, so we have to cancel this evening. My cousin will be with you in the next hour to pick the stuff up.’

  ‘What about my dosh? You are still paying me this weekend, aren’t you?’

  ‘No can do, unfortunately. You know the score. The balance of what you are owed will be paid in full once the job is finished,’ Ahmed replied.

  ‘But you said that I would be paid in full by Saturday at the latest. You promised. I’ve already booked my ticket to Spain next week.’

  ‘Well, I’m afraid I can’t pay you. Not my fault there has been a hitch,’ Ahmed explained.

  Carl Thompson aka Richie Simpson slammed down the phone in disgust. He was not a happy man. In fact, he was fucking livid.

  Back at Vinny’s house, Vivian and Nancy were doing their best to comfort Joanna. The poor girl could not stop shaking, was crying constantly, and rocking to and fro with a teddy bear that belonged to Molly clutched tightly to her chest.

  ‘Why did I leave her? If I hadn’t left Molly today, she’d be here with me now. It’s all my fault. I want her back. I want my baby,’ Joanna screamed.

  Nancy held her best friend and stroked her hair. ‘You can’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault, Jo.’

  ‘It is. It’s all my fault. If Molly doesn’t come home, I want to die.’

  ‘I think we should call the doctor. He can give Jo something to calm her down a bit,’ Vivian suggested. The pain Joanna was currently going through was bringing back memories of Lenny’s death, and although many parts of that dreadful time were still a blank, Vivian did remember the doctor turning up with some pills to help numb the pain.

  In the years since she had been part of the Butler family, Nancy had suffered many a bad situation, but nothing compared to this. ‘Jo, how about I call your mum and dad, eh? They will need to know Molly is missing and I am sure they would want to be here for you.’

  Joanna flung herself face down on her daughter’s bed. The bed was quite new, as Molly had been in a cot beforehand, but Joanna could clearly smell the scent of the child who she loved so much on the pillows. ‘Noooo. You can’t ring my mum and dad. Please don’t tell them. Please don’t,’ she pleaded. ‘Just not today.’

  Queenie opened the bedroom door. ‘Jo, you need to come downstairs, love. Some officers from the CID have just arrived, and they want to ask you some questions. They also need you to let them have some recent photos of Molly. They’re going to start doing house-to-house enquiries soon.’

  ‘I can’t talk to the police. I just want them to bring my baby back. Why haven’t they found her yet? Why?’ Joanna sobbed.

  Queenie ordered her sister and Nancy to leave the room. For the past couple of hours, every time a police radio had crackled into life they’d all stopped what they were doing and held their breath, praying it would be a report that Molly had been found or that there’d been a sighting or some new development. The only one who hadn’t fallen silent was Joanna, whose sobbing and crying had gone on non-stop as if she was too wrapped up in her own grief to think about anything else. Putting her arm around Jo, Queenie said gently, ‘Now, I want you to listen to me, darling. I know what has happened today is awful and you must be going through hell, just like we all are. But you really need to pull yourself together now. Molly is missing, not dead, and we have a houseful of Old Bill who are doing their utmost to find her. It’s almost dark outside and your daughter needs you to be strong. So you must stop wallowing in self-pity up here, get your arse downstairs and help the police find her. And you can start by sorting out some recent photos, OK?’

  Taking a deep breath, Joanna sat up. ‘OK. I’ll be down in a minute.’

  Little Vinny handed the crisp packet full of glue to Ben Bloggs. ‘I’m gonna go and see Shazza in a bit. She won’t talk to me on the phone. Every time I ring, her mum answers and says she’s out.’

  Ben Bloggs glanced at his pal but said nothing. For the past half hour all Little Vinny had done was describe the sex he’d had with Shazza, and he seemed far more bothered about his bird than what had happened to poor Molly.

  Little Vinny opened the third and last bottle of cider. ‘Drink that,’ he ordered Ben.

  ‘I don’t want no more. I don’t feel too well.’

  ‘You are coming to Dagenham with me, ain’t ya?’

  Ben shook his head. ‘I feel drunk and out my nut. I need to go home, Vin.’

  Hoping his pal wasn’t going cold on him, Little Vinny put an arm around Ben’s shoulders. ‘Friends forever, yeah?’

  Ben smiled. ‘Yeah, friends forever.’

  Vinny Butler squeezed Joanna’s hand as she sat down on the sofa next to him. He’d been so out of his mind with worry since Molly went missing, he hadn’t given the mother of his child a second thought.

  The lounge was becoming fuller by the second, which was why DS Townsend from the CID had asked everybody to leave the room. He wanted to speak to the parents in private. The DS turned to Joanna first. ‘Are you in contact with your father, Joanna?’

  ‘What has that got to do with Molly going missing?’

  ‘No, she isn’t. Are you, babe?’ Vinny said.

  Joanna did not reply. She could feel a hot sweat coming on. Should she lie to the police to protect her relationship with the man she loved? Or should she just tell them the truth?

  The DS cleared his throat. ‘Obviously, when a child goes missing, we have to pursue every avenue of enquiry. Finding Molly is our only aim right now, and a police officer has already been to your parents’ address, Joanna, and got no reply. We know that there is bad blood between your family and Vinny’s, which is why I need you to be truthful and tell me if you have been in contact with your dad at all?’

  ‘My dad has nothing to do with Molly’s disappearance. He can’t have,’ Joanna assured the police officer.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’ Vinny asked.

  Joanna knew her reply would probably spell the end of her relationship with Vinny, but for once she didn’t care. All that mattered was being reunited with the beautiful little girl she had given birth to.

  Snatching her hand away from Vinny’s, Joanna stared DS Townsend straight in the eyes. ‘My dad married my mum for the second time today, and they’re staying in some posh hotel tonight. No way could my dad be involved because I was at the wedding. Ask Nancy if you don’t believe me. We didn’t leave the reception until gone three, and my dad was still there.’

  Vinny would have liked to strangle his lying slut of a girlfriend there and then, but the presence of two CID officers made that impossible. So he stood up and put his foot straight through the glass coffee table instead.

  Bobby Jackson was standing at the corner of the bar in the Blind Beggar with a pal and a silly grin on his face. The scar from where Vinny had bottled him was still very visible and a constant reminder of his hatred for the man.

  The police had just been in, asking questions about Molly’s disappearance and Bobby had spun them a yarn. He told them he’d seen a child matching Molly’s description get into a blue car with a black man near the London Hospital earlier.

  Micky Dunn shook his head in disbelief. He was well aware of the bad blood between Bobby and Vinny Butler, but he had a daughter the same age as Molly and reckoned that sending the Old Bill on some wild-goose chase was well and truly out of order. ‘If you’re lying, Bob, you are gonna have to come clean to the pigs. They’ll nick you for wasting police time otherwise. Why don’t you contact them tomorrow and
admit you were pissed, eh? I know you hate Vinny, and you have every reason to, but you shouldn’t take your grudge out on a three-year-old nipper. It ain’t right, mate.’

  Bobby turned to his pal and snarled, ‘Yeah? And was it fucking right that that cunt Vinny made my father disappear off the face of the earth? You don’t know what it’s like to lose someone and never find out what happened to them. Broke my mum’s heart and sent her doolally. She still wakes up every morning thinking my dad is gonna walk through the door. Obviously, I know my old man’s dead, but no one knows where the body is. That’s the worst part, not knowing where his remains are. At least if we knew, we could have a funeral for him. I have so many nightmares about the way he died and I bet he was tortured. Vinny Butler is too evil to have just put a bullet through this head. So, don’t be lecturing me, Mick, on rights and wrongs. Vinny is now going through what me and my family has gone through for many years and I hope his cunting kid is never found. It’s called payback.’

  Micky Dunn shouted up another round. It was a well-known fact that Kenny Jackson had had his fair share of run-ins with Vinny Butler and had then mysteriously gone missing never to be seen again. Micky did feel for his pal, but part of him was beginning to wonder whether Bobby might have had something to do with that poor child’s disappearance.

  He knew Bobby had had a pop or two at Vinny in the past, like when Champ and Roy were buried and he sent a flower arrangement in the shape of a gun. He’d been on about getting his revenge ever since he came out of nick, but Micky had always thought it was just the drink talking. Until now. Feeling a sick lurch in his stomach, he wondered if that was why Bobby had blown out work this morning. He’d claimed he had some important business to attend to, but when Micky had knocked at his door to see if he wanted to come down the boozer, Bobby’s clothes had been covered in mud.

  ‘What’s up with you? Cat got your tongue?’ Bobby asked, downing his Jack Daniel’s in one greedy gulp.

  ‘It weren’t you, was it, Bob?’ stammered Micky, his face a deathly shade of white.