Vivian nudged her sister. ‘Look at the bleedin’ state of that! Talk about mutton done up as lamb.’
Queenie craned her neck to see who her sister was referring to. ‘Gordon Bennett! She’s got to be in her fifties. That ain’t a skirt, it’s more like a wide belt. If you look close enough, you can see what the old trollop had for breakfast this morning. Fancy walking about showing your muff at her age! Got no class these women, have they?’
About to reply, Vivian unfortunately caught her heel in a hole in the pavement and fell flat on her face.
Queenie crouched down. ‘You all right, Vivvy?’
Within seconds, Vivian was surrounded by concerned shoppers and stallholders. Steve, who sold fruit and veg, gathered up Viv’s shopping bags. ‘You OK? Let me help you up, darling.’
Being the aunt of such notorious nephews often had its advantages, but right now Viv wished she was anybody but herself. The story of her stacking it would be all round Whitechapel by this evening and her nosy neighbours would probably dine out on it for months. ‘Poxy bastard shoes. Me heel snapped off. Show’s over, people,’ Vivian spat, as she scrambled to her feet.
‘Have you hurt yourself?’ Queenie asked, her face full of concern.
Hobbling towards her sister with one shoe on and one off, Vivian grabbed Queenie’s arm and hissed, ‘I’m fine. Let’s go to the pub.’
Michael Butler grinned as he finished counting the previous evening’s takings. His brilliant business brain had proved all the doubters wrong. He was literally raking it in.
When Vinny had first got banged up, Michael had gone along with his wishes and kept their club as it was by sticking with the singers, comedians, live bands, etc. But when the takings had dipped even more, he’d had no choice but to move with the times. His mother and Vinny had been appalled. But Michael had stuck by his guns, and his disco idea had taken off almost immediately.
The club now opened four nights a week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were aimed at the youngsters, and on Monday evenings Michael had come up with an over-thirties’ night. He and his staff privately referred to it as ‘grab-a-granny night’, but it had proved a massive success. The only thing from the past that Michael hadn’t got rid of was the strippers on Sunday lunchtimes. They attracted perverts from all over and perverts spent good money.
His two old stalwarts Pete and Paul remained as invaluable as ever, but it had been Little Vinny who had proved to be the biggest asset to Michael at the club. His nephew was now eighteen and unrecognizable as the scruffy skinhead delinquent he’d once been. The lad worked like a Trojan, had a great business brain, and as a result Michael had added a commission-based bonus on top of his wage.
To say Michael had been surprised by the change in Little Vinny was an understatement. He’d been convinced his nephew was a liability, especially after the night when he’d returned to the club after chopping Patrick Campbell’s cock off to find out the stupid kid had killed Alison Bloggs and left his keys in her house.
Doing what any decent uncle would have, Michael had broken into the property in the middle of the night to rectify Little Vinny’s mistake. Thankfully, he’d found the keys within seconds and made a speedy exit, leaving Alison’s body where it was.
Both he and Little Vinny had got away with their crimes. The police had concluded Alison’s death was an open-and-shut case of suicide. As for Pervy Pat, he’d survived his ‘operation’ and after a spell when his story was on the front page of all the national papers as well as the London press – it wasn’t every day a geezer had his manhood chopped off on the A13 – he’d slunk off, disappearing without trace.
Michael had just finished locking the takings in the safe when the phone rang. The minute he heard his drama queen of a wife ranting at him hysterically down the line, his good mood evaporated. His sons were a handful, especially Daniel. But boys would be boys and, as per usual, Nancy was making a mountain out of a molehill. So what if they’d had a ruck with some lads from the opposing team while playing football? That’s what lads did, and Michael was glad his boys had inherited his genes and stuck up for one another and themselves. ‘Nance, I really can’t be dealing with this right now. I’ll have a word with the boys tomorrow, OK?’
‘No, Michael. It’s not OK. I told all three of them to go to their room and stay there, but the only one who made a move to obey me was Lee. Daniel just laughed in my face, then dragged Lee and Adam out the door with him. I have no idea where they are now, so you really need to take a break from that bloody club of yours, and put your family first for once.’
‘It’s three in the afternoon, not the morning, Nance. Lee’s twelve, Dan’s eleven and Adam is nine. They’re hardly toddlers, are they?’
‘No, more’s the pity. Definitely got your family’s genes though. I despair for their futures, Michael.’
Feeling his hackles rise, Michael took a deep breath. No way would he still be with Nancy if it weren’t for the fact the boys needed a mother. ‘You need to take a reality check, Nance. The only one of my sons who has never brought the police to our door is Lee – and Denise gave birth to him, not you. If you’re searching for bad genes, why don’t you take a butcher’s at your own side of the family, eh? Your mum’s top drawer, bless her. But your father and brother are two of the biggest arseholes God ever put breath in.’
Little Vinny parked up in Cardigan Road, closed the roof of his white Ford Cabriolet, and sauntered towards the market. His life was pretty decent these days, apart from the odd flashback that disturbed his sleep now and then.
The July sun was scorching, so Little Vinny took off his T-shirt and slung it casually over his right shoulder. Checking out his reflection to ensure he had not messed up his carefully gelled hair, he was aware of a few admiring glances from younger and older females as he continued his journey.
Sammi-Lou Allen grinned as she spotted her boyfriend from afar. He was so handsome and at six foot tall he stood out even in a market full of people. With his jet-black hair, piercing green eyes and cute turned-up button nose, it really had been a case of love at first sight for Sammi-Lou. The fact he ran a nightclub and was Vinny Butler’s son was just an added bonus.
Putting his arms around his girlfriend’s waist, Little Vinny treated her to a short but passionate kiss. Sammi-Lou was the seventeen-year-old daughter of multi-millionaire Gary Allen, who owned Allen’s Construction. Five foot five, with beautiful blonde hair, a voluptuous figure and big chocolate-coloured eyes, it had been a case of love at first sight for Little Vinny too. Before Sammi he had played the field. The club turning into a disco and him being classed as management had enabled him to take full advantage of the young birds who flocked there in their scantily dressed droves – and take advantage he most certainly had.
‘What do you want to do first? Shop or eat?’ Sammi asked excitedly. Unlike her ex-boyfriend, Little Vinny was as passionate about shopping and fashion as she was.
‘Let’s grab a bite to eat. Not sure I’ll have time to shop today. My nan rung me as I left home. My aunt took a tumble earlier and she’s twisted her ankle. They’re in a boozer along the road here and I said I’d pick ’em up at four.’
‘Aww. I hope your aunt is OK. Her and your nan make me laugh so much. My dad’s organizing a big party at our house for my mum’s fortieth. All your family are invited. My mum can’t wait to meet Viv and Queenie. I’ve told her so much about them.’
Little Vinny felt a shiver run down his spine. He had been with Sammi just over six months now and had met her parents twice. Both times Sammi’s little sister had been present, and it had really freaked him out. The child was seven, had blonde curly hair and reminded him of how Molly might look now. Worse still, her name was Millie. ‘I won’t be able to get time off work, babe, if the party is at a weekend. I have a club to run, you know that.’
‘But it’s only one night, Vin, and I want you there with me. Surely you can take one Saturday off?’
Desperate to change the subjec
t, Little Vinny clasped his girlfriend’s hand and smiled. ‘I’ll do my best. Speaking of parties, you looking forward to Charlene’s tonight?’
Sammi grinned. ‘Yep, but I’m only staying a couple of hours. I’ll be at the club with you by eleven.’
Little Vinny grimaced. As much as he thought the world of Sammi-Lou, ever since she had passed her driving test and her dad had bought her a brand-new Mini, she had taken to showing up at the club every single Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. ‘Sam, it’s your best mate’s eighteenth. You can’t sod off after a couple of hours. It’s not right.’
‘But I like spending Saturday evenings with you, and waking up with you on a Sunday morning.’
‘Yeah, I know you do, and I like it too. But because I thought you weren’t coming to the club tonight, I invited some old school pals of mine down. We’re gonna have a game of cards with Uncle Michael and a couple of his mates once we lock up. I can’t cancel now, it’s too late,’ Little Vinny lied. He didn’t even have any old school friends. The only pal he’d ever had in those days was Ben.
‘OK. If you don’t want me there, I won’t come,’ Sammi said, her eyes brimming with tears.
Suddenly feeling as suffocated as a Doberman locked in a two-foot cage, Little Vinny took his girlfriend’s hand and steered her into Beau Baggage. He knew it was one of her favourite shops. ‘Let’s not argue. Pick out whatever you want and I’ll buy it for ya.’
Vinny Butler finished his hundred press-ups and decided to have a rest before starting his sit-ups. At least six times a day he exercised vigorously. In prison you needed something to focus the mind on.
Thanks to his smart-arse brief and brilliant Queen’s Counsel, Vinny had literally gotten away with murder. The prosecution had tried to portray him as some kind of monster, but the jury had clearly been touched by Molly’s untimely death, and all he’d ended up with was an eight-year stretch for manslaughter. Bobby Jackson’s family and friends had gone apeshit when the murder verdict was read out as ‘not guilty’. Jackson’s lunatic of a mother had even lunged at Queenie and then been dragged from the court kicking and screaming.
Having already spent over a year on remand before his trial, Vinny should have been up for parole soon. It was usual to serve only half your sentence if your behaviour was good. Unfortunately for Vinny, he’d had a few altercations with other lags over the years, and as a result the authorities had argued he should not be released yet. His brief, however, was on the ball and had told Vinny that, providing he stayed out of trouble, he was sure he could get him parole in the next year.
Lying on his bunk, Vinny stared at the ceiling. He was by far the most respected inmate in the Ville now, and so he bloody-well should be – after all, he was the Vinny Butler. It hadn’t been easy, getting his head back together after Molly’s death, but once he’d made his vow not to think or speak about his daughter, he’d started to get back to his old self. It had been tough, and even now he couldn’t stop Molly appearing in his dreams, but he refused to shed a tear. Only weak men cried, and if prison had taught Vinny anything, it was how to be mentally strong.
He checked the time; his brother would be here soon. It was a prospect that gave him no pleasure. Relations between himself and Michael had become somewhat strained ever since he’d been banged up. Right at the start they’d had a bust-up over Little Vinny’s living arrangements that kept them from speaking to each other for nine months. Vinny had expected his son to move in with Michael, and had gone ballistic when his brother had instead rented a house opposite his own and allowed Little Vinny to live in it with their arsehole of a father. In Vinny’s eyes, Molly would still be alive if his old man hadn’t fathered an illegitimate child with that slag Judy Preston.
When Michael disobeyed his wishes and turned the club into a disco, it had led to even more friction. It grated on Vinny that his brother had been right and he’d been wrong. Even though it was earning him big bucks, he’d rather the disco had failed. Anything would have been better than having to eat humble pie.
In Vinny’s opinion, the success of the venture had gone to Michael’s head. According to Ahmed, he was now swanning around Whitechapel in a brand-new red Porsche convertible like he owned the fucking area. He’d gotten far too big for his boots, and Vinny would have liked nothing better than to bring him down a peg or two.
Resisting the urge to punch the wall, Vinny took a deep breath and did his sit-ups instead. He had no idea why Michael had insisted on visiting him today, but he’d be glad when the visit was over.
Standing in the queue to be searched, Michael Butler smiled politely at a blonde who seemed unable to take her eyes off him. He was used to lots of female attention. His boyish good looks and charm attracted all types.
The blonde walked over to him. ‘Hi, I’m Wendy – I’ve seen you in the Blind Beggar. I’d just like to thank you for getting rid of you-know-who. He attacked me many moons ago and I’m so glad I never have to bump into him any more.’
Rumour had spread around the East End that Michael was responsible for Pervy Pat’s little accident and subsequent disappearance. Billy Higgins had recovered from his heart attack, then died of another six months later, and Janey had since moved away from the area. Far too wise to ever admit his involvement, Michael nevertheless enjoyed the notoriety. Even law-abiding members of the community looked upon nonces as vermin, and he was now seen as some kind of local hero.
After politely telling the blonde she must have mistaken him for somebody else, Michael allowed the screw to search him, then sauntered into the visiting area.
Vinny faked a smile as his brother approached. ‘What the fuck’s that?’ he asked, pointing at Michael’s new ring.
‘What’s it look like, Vin?’
‘Something you nicked out of a bender’s jewellery box.’
Knowing Vinny was being his usual facetious self, Michael decided two could play at that game. ‘Treated meself up at Hatton Garden, bruv. Look at the quality of that diamond. It’s flawless. Bought this Gucci watch an’ all. Thank God I had the foresight to turn our business around, eh? Would never have been able to afford such luxuries otherwise. If we’d stuck with those live singers like you wanted us to, I’d have been wearing a Swatch by now,’ Michael chuckled.
‘You have what is referred to in medical terms as short-term memory loss, Michael. Have you forgotten how you cried and threw all your toys out the pram when I marched in that shitty garage and told your old boss you couldn’t be his tea boy no more? You’d still be working there if it wasn’t for me taking the initiative.’
Smirking, Michael laughed out loud. ‘I doubt that very much. Got more of a business brain than you’ll ever have, that’s for sure. What I’ve done to the club speaks for itself. The proof is in the pudding, brother dearest.’
Vinny was not amused. ‘If you’ve come ’ere just to give it the big ’un, bruv, you might as well fuck off now. I really ain’t in the mood after the morning I’ve had.’
Sarcastic tone immediately changing to one of concern, Michael asked what had happened.
‘Jay Boy’s brother’s been killed, and I heard some Jock cunt laughing about it earlier. He’s so gonna get it. It’s the same mouthy prick who gave me stick when I first arrived. He’s only been back in ’ere a week. I’m gonna shut him up for good this time,’ Vinny hissed, before glancing around to check nobody was earwigging.
‘Sorry to hear that. I know how close you are to Jay Boy. Be careful though. You don’t wanna get more time added on your sentence.’
‘I’m gonna have a word with Jay later. He’ll be out before me and he needs something to look forward to. I’m gonna offer him a job at the club.’
‘Erm, aren’t you forgetting something? We’re partners, remember?’
‘Don’t start larging it again, Michael. The mood I’m in, I’ll smash you right across this room in a minute.’
Michael stood up. Vinny would never change. He was a regular Jekyll and Hyde. ‘I’m gonna tell
Mum we had a pleasant visit and you’re sending me another VO real soon. Best you say the same if you don’t wanna upset her. Oh, and I’m happy to trust your faith in Jay Boy and employ him. Perhaps in future though you should ask me rather than tell me. It’s much more polite and professional.’
‘See you, you flash cunt. I’ve got people keeping an eye on you. So watch your back, big man,’ Vinny bellowed.
Michael held his hands out and pretended they were shaking. ‘I’m terrified, bruv. Honest I am.’
Losing it completely, Vinny leapt up to punch Michael’s lights out and was quickly restrained by the screws.
Having spent the afternoon drinking brandies in the Rose of Denmark, Vivian could now see the funny side of her little tumble. ‘Trust me, Queen, never gonna live down the shame, am I?’
Queenie chuckled. The sight of Vivian cursing, while hobbling down the Roman with one shoe on and the other in her hand had been comical and attracted some weird looks from passers-by. ‘I felt sorry for that nice lady who works in Ashby’s. She only asked if you were OK and you told her to mind her own fucking business. How we meant to queue up in there for our meat and salt-beef sandwiches in future, eh?’
Vivian roared with laughter. ‘I’ll go in and apologize to her next week. Silly question to ask though. If I was OK, I would hardly be limping along the road like a lame dog with one shoe in me sodding hand, would I?’
‘Oh, Viv, you are a case. How’s your ankle now? It’s definitely swollen. We’ll get a bag of frozen peas on that when we get home.’
‘Can’t feel no pain – the alcohol must have numbed it. It’s more painful looking at these poxy slip-ons you bought me. That’s the last time I’m sending you shoe-shopping. I look like silly-girl-got-none. Hope we don’t see anyone we know as we walk to the car.’ She checked her watch. ‘What time did you say Little Vinny was picking us up? Ring him and ask if he can bring a balaclava with him so I can’t be recognized in me new shoes.’
Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Butler Collection Page 97
