by Carol Rivers
'Oh come on,' Micky half laughed. 'I always do me bit.' He was fed up with holding a candle to the devil lately. Lenny's moods were always on the downward spiral and he was getting sick of it. 'Who got out of bed the wrong side today?' he demanded, sending caution to the wind.
'I'd still be in bed if I had any sense.' Lenny stalked him to the door. 'Gina's giving me grief like there was no tomorrow. I'm never there when she wants me and when I am, I'm too flaming tired to perform.'
Micky clicked his two fingers as if this was a joke. 'That's the penalty you pay for bedding a doll like Gina. Someone wants to tell her how lucky she is - on to a good thing with you Lenny, old son. She can't have the proverbial cake and eat it, can she?'
At this Lenny's swarthy face turned white. Micky stepped back as the big man tore off his apron and thrust it into Micky's arms. 'So that's what you think is it, you selfish sod? Well, you try running this shit hole single-handed and see how your bits of skirt like it. See if you don't start crawling up the walls along with the ruddy bugs. I'm taking a holiday.'
Lenny disappeared along the dark and crumbling passage, his big frame knocking the brick dust to the floor as he went.
At a loss for words, Micky stared after him. Then realizing he was alone he yelled at the top of his voice, 'But I don't have a clue how it works!'
Lenny's voice echoed back. 'Then you'd better hurry up and find out, hadn't you? Look in the book and read the instructions, same as I did.'
Micky stood in panic and gazed around him. The place felt as if a bomb was about to go off. The bottles were hissing and groaning and liquid was trickling. Cautiously he moved towards the sticky, bottle laden table that acted as Lenny's desk. It was smothered in piles of forged labels. A book lay open that contained lines of strange hieroglyphics. He turned the grubby, greasy pages as though they were tainted with poison, which going on what had happened to the victims who'd fallen foul of some Lenny's contaminated hooch, it probably was.
The writing became a blur. Micky was seriously worried. His lucrative business was a non-starter if he didn't get Lenny back. There was no one else to cook this lot up. His brother Sean and his fancy man wouldn't have a clue. At a push he supposed he could try nailing the bubbly down himself, but it just wasn't in his nature. Not down here, in this pit, all by himself.
Micky sat down on the broken wooden stool and looked miserably around him at what was virtually a laboratory. An unsafe one at that. Danger bubbled in every corner. He'd seen an exploding tank of meths fire Lenny across twelve feet of ground like a ball from a cannon. But if he wanted the revenue from the bottle parties, he'd just have to make it himself. He comforted himself it wouldn't be for long. As soon as Lenny got his oats he'd come crawling back. Gina would want her wedge and there was only one place Lenny could earn it.
Picking up the book again, Micky opened it at the first page. He had to laugh. Written in Lenny's careful handwriting was a list of weird sounding ingredients amongst them methylated spirit.
Under the heading, "Emergency mix only".
Bella was flushed with excitement as they climbed into Percy's car parked in a side road off Leicester Square. They were all talking about the film they had just seen called Brighton Rock. It was a love story and tragedy combined and Bella had been enthralled by it.
'That Pinkie was horrible,' Dolly was saying to Percy as he started the car's engine and switched on its lights. 'I don't know how Rose, who was after all, the heroine, could have been so daft as to fall for him. I'd have seen through him straight away. He was an out-and-out villain and murderer.'
'Good job I've got a clean slate then,' Percy observed with chuckle. 'I've been a good boy all my life.'
'Yeah, I'll bet,' Ray shouted sarcastically from the back of the car.
'It's true,' Percy said indignantly. 'I've been saving myself for a good, honest girl, I'll have you know.'
'So where is she, then?'
'Ray Taylor!' Dolly turned round to swipe her brother with a glove. 'You've got the cheek of the devil, you have.'
'Well, I think Rose was naïve not daft,' Bella said quietly as she sat between Terry and Ray. Both men wore suits for the occasion though Terry's was the same one he always wore and looked as though it had been squashed in a mangle. Whilst Ray had put on a light grey suit and polka dot tie. 'Most of all she was in love.'
Ray snaked an arm around the back seat behind her. 'Yeah? So what's that supposed to mean? She had eyes and ears, didn't she? We was the audience and it was plain as a pikestaff he was a bad apple.'
'Yes, but we saw his bad side and Rose only saw the goodness in him,' Bella answered airily. 'Love is obviously an emotion that you're too immature to know about.'
Ray gave her one of his reproachful stares. 'I might.'
Bella was enjoying herself, having a laugh at Ray's expense. She'd actually forgotten all about Dixons and even Micky who hadn't come into her mind for at least three hours. Which was a record for her.
'Rose let him soft-soap her,' Ray continued in a whining voice. 'Would you marry me if you thought I'd murdered someone?'
'She wouldn't marry you anyway,' Dolly interrupted before Rose could answer and the two girls began giggling.
'Shut up, Dol!' Ray looked embarrassed. 'I was just supposing, that's all. Murdering someone ain't like on the films, all glamorous and exciting. That's not real life.'
'It's not meant to be, you chump,' Dolly replied haughtily as she pushed the little green hat on her head back an inch.
'Well, I felt sorry for her,' Percy intervened as he frowned ahead. 'The poor kid was besotted. After all she was only a waitress and he was flashing around all his dough. She was young and impressionable so it was natural she fancied him as he was rich in her eyes. Wouldn't any girl be swayed by money?'
'Money wouldn't impress me,' Bella replied earnestly. 'No, it was something else about Pinkie. He was a gangster and frightening, yet she really wanted him to turn out all right.'
Ray laughed loudly. 'It did, didn't it? Turn out all right, I mean. He fell off the end of a pier.'
'Terry likes the pier,' Terry said speaking for the first time since they left the cinema.
'Why's that, Terry mate?' Percy glanced over his shoulder.
'Got lots of lights, pretty things in the water.'
Bella smiled as she thought how Terry always took the best from everything. She studied his blunt profile, his blinking eyes and thin brown hair. Hidden somewhere in his head she was sure he kept the bad memories all parcelled up in a little box. She just hoped he never opened the lid. Even if it meant he stayed as he was for the rest of his life at least he'd be happy.
Suddenly she was aware of Ray's fingers cupping her shoulder tightly. His thigh pressed hard against her leg. His bent close to her and whispered, 'How about it then Bells, coming out with us again?'
'Who's us?' she demanded loud enough for everyone to hear.
At the explosion of laughter, Ray flushed. 'You know what I mean,' he hissed glancing nervously at the back of his sister's head.
'No, I don't.'
'He's still dopey over you Bella,' Dolly broadcast from the front seat. 'Put a collar and lead on him and take him home with you for goodness' sake!'
Ray dropped his hand to loosen his tie. 'This is the last time I'm coming out with you lot again.'
'Really?' Dolly lifted her chin. 'You couldn't wait to get in the car this evening!'
'Well, I'm buying a motor for myself soon. You'll be quick enough to cadge a lift then, I'll bet.'
'Oh, stop arguing.' Bella put up her hands. 'You'll have to ask me again, Ray. When everyone's not listening.'
This brought even more laughter from the front seats and Ray's face was a picture of shame.
After a while, Bella gave Ray a nudge in the ribs. He refused to look at her and she repeated the action. She felt sorry for him but he could be such a drip. However, he had paid for their meal at Lyons and the cinema tickets, whilst Percy had bought only the ice creams,
keeping his money well inside his breast pocket.
Ray was generous if nothing else. If he bought himself a car, she might be interested in going out with him. She wasn't doing anything interesting lately, anyway. Softly she lay her hand on his and squeezed it.
She smiled encouragingly. It wouldn't hurt to keep him sweet she told herself as Ray suddenly looked as though he'd won the pools.
Chapter 10
Miss Conway's face was a mask of horror. 'Would you repeat that, please?' The thick pile of papers in her hand suddenly trembled as though they had been struck by a force ten gale.
Bella made herself to look into her accusing eyes. 'These errors aren't mine. I don't know who did them but it wasn't me.'
'You're blaming someone else?'
'I don't know who, but yes.' Bella had decided to speak up for herself at last. Ray would be waiting outside to collect her as they had plans to go out for the evening. She wanted to leave on time. For once she wasn't prepared to be the scapegoat for some other person's pleasure.
'There is no mistake this time,' Miss Conway decided, holding the file aloft. 'The Harrington account was allotted to your care, Miss Doyle. First you lose it and now we have more crossings out and mistakes. If it wasn't you, then pray tell me who it was?'
'I don't know,' Bella replied. 'But I've been especially careful to check my work since Christmas, specifically the Harrington account. I was wrongly accused before and it looks as though that same person is doing it again.'
Kathleen Conway's mouth became a thin line of fury. 'How dare you speak of your colleagues in such a way? You are accusing one of them of a deliberate act of deception.'
Bella shrugged. 'I'm not prepared to take the blame any more.'
'Miss Doyle, I advise you to retract your accusations immediately.' Miss Conway said recovered fractionally from the shock of Bella's mutiny. 'It is up to you to remain here after hours and put right what is wrong. As for your outburst regarding other members of staff, on this occasion I'll overlook it, providing I have your immediate apology.'
Bella shook her head. 'I don't see there's anything to apologize for as it's me that's in the right.'
Miss Conway stared at her without blinking, then after a short pause, she spoke. 'Very well. I've given you a more than fair chance to cooperate but now I'm afraid the situation is out of my hands. Dixon's will not tolerate this kind of behaviour. Not in any shape or form.'
'Does that mean I'm sacked?' Bella asked without hesitation.
'The decision is up to my superiors. I shall give him all the information I have and – '
'And then I'll be sacked, I suppose,' Bella interrupted, her tone sarcastic. 'Well, I'll save you the trouble. If you aren't prepared to listen to my side of the story, then I wouldn't want to work in a place that doesn't value the truth. And there is someone here who will be clapping their hands at having got rid of me …' Bella turned slowly to stare at the other girls sitting at their desks, their faces all registering shocked fascination at the conversation going on before them. But it was Evelyn Donald who struggled out of her seat and hurried toward her boss in order to protest her innocence.
Bella put up her hand and smiled. 'Don't waste your breath on denials, Evelyn. You've got what you wanted at long last. The seat next to you will be vacant from now on.'
Bella kept the smile pasted to her face as she held her head high and walked over to collect her coat from the line of hooks on the far wall. Placing it over her arm and sliding the strap of her bag across her wrist she pulled open the door. Briefly she glanced back at the room in which she had worked for the past year. Each face reminded her of what a mistake it had been to try to better herself here. She had never fitted in from the word go and had hated every moment. Well, it was over now and she was glad.
She closed the door quietly behind her to a resounding silence. With her heart beating crazily inside her chest, she ran down the three flights of stairs exhaling a long sigh. Striding into the warm July evening she felt a wash of warm air roll over her. Even though her legs felt like jelly, she knew she had quit her job with dignity. She hadn't waited to be ousted by the powers that be, but gone on her own terms. And that was what counted. Evelyn Donald was welcome to her triumph. In Bella's book, it was an empty victory. They would die slowly of boredom up there and they were welcome to that.
The traffic was homeward bound from the city. The sky was a perfectly clear and radiant blue. Ray's car was parked on the other side of the road and Bella waved, standing on tiptoe to attract his attention.
He jumped out and after she had crossed the road, she threw herself into his arms. 'Oh Ray, I'm so glad to see you.'
Looking startled he gripped her tightly. 'What's all this about then?'
'I'll tell you later. Just lets go.'
He glanced at the deserted entrance of the building behind her. 'You've left before all the others and it's not half five yet.'
'So what,' she shrugged as she pulled open the car door and jumped in. She glanced back at Dixons as Ray started the car and they moved off. She didn't have any regrets, only a sense of relief that was growing by the minute.
Dixons was a part of her past. She looked at the puzzled driver and smiled. Tonight was going to be a very special night. Only Ray didn't know it yet!
'You did what?' Ray's puppy eyes bulged as his mouth fell open.
'I chucked my job in,' Bella said again, as she self-consciously pulled her blouse together, the same blouse that seconds ago Ray had opened with not so nimble fingers, searching for the naked skin of her breast. Tonight, after the film, when they had parked in the street by Island Gardens, she had allowed him to kiss her passionately and as a result, his hot hand had done what it had never managed to do before. But now he was staring at her as though she had just confessed she was an axe murderer.
'I thought you said that.'
'And I thought you'd be pleased but by the look on your face I'm not so sure you are.'
'I just can't believe it.'
'Why not?' Bella pushed herself up and looped the buttons of her blouse back into place. Ray's amorous dithering had been a clumsy encounter, but she had been prepared to suffer his inexperienced pawing tonight as he was always complaining she wouldn't let him touch her. Staring at him resentfully she shrugged. 'You know I wasn't happy there.'
'Yes, but not enough to pack your job in.'
'Shows how much you've listened to what I've told you.' Bella was upset at this unexpected reaction. All evening she had been longing to tell him of the argument and the way she had stood up for herself. Instead she'd had to suffer sitting in the back seat of the Troxy as he'd slid his hand under her skirt trying to find her suspenders.
'I have listened – mostly.'
'Then you'll know I've been the butt of their spiteful jokes,' Bella explained patiently, her irritation growing at his sullen expression. 'And today I just couldn't stomach anymore.' She looked at him reproachfully. 'Well, aren't you going to say something?'
'I don't know what to say.'
'Try congratulations or well done.'
'What for? You're out of work now.' He swallowed and she watched his Adam's apple go up and down like a ping-pong ball, a part of his anatomy that she really disliked. 'You haven't got any money.'
'Yes, I have. I collected my wages this morning.'
'I mean what are you going to live on?' he continued to press. 'Jobs aren't that easy to find nowadays. You can't just throw it all up and walk into another one. What about references for instance?'
'What about them? I'll never work in an office again,' Bella insisted. 'I'll get something else. In a factory even, but never in an office.'
'But you had a decent job at Dixons. Not as good as mine at the PLA perhaps, but you got a fair whack all the same.'
Bella stared at him and laughed. 'You're only a guard at the docks, Ray. A glorified sentry standing outside a box is what it amounts to.'
'Charming, I must say. I don't hear you complaining
when I spend all my hard-earned cash on you.'
'You mean a one-and-six ticket for a cinema seat?' Bella scoffed. 'I'll have you know it's like sitting next to an octopus trying to grab my knickers.'
He turned away. 'You can be really crude at times.'
'Well, it's true. And as I'm speaking my mind, would you care to enlighten me as to why you're being so grumpy about me packing in Dixons?'
He pulled a long face. 'You know why.'
'For crying out loud, Ray, I don't.'
'It's just that – ' He stopped, his eyes looking guilty.
'Go on, I'm listening.'
'Well, as I said, it was a good job, a very good job.'
'I know, it's engraved in capital letters on my forehead, Ray.'
'And we could've done things together, for the future, like.'
Bella frowned at him in the darkness of the car. 'For the future? What do you mean?'
'Bella, you're not making this easy.' He moved uncomfortably in the driver's seat. 'I'm nineteen this winter and I've been thinking a lot about next year. I've a got a steady job and we've been courting – '
'Courting?' Bella blinked her eyes in shock.
He nodded silently and she could see the whites of his eyes grow like saucers. 'Yes, more or less – '
'We've only been going out a few months,' she broke in scornfully. 'You're talking like it's been years!'
'We see each other regular every week,' he argued stubbornly. 'And if once or twice a week isn't courting, then I don't see what is.'
'We're just having fun,' Bella shrugged. 'Like people do when they're young.'
He said in a dry whisper, 'So you see a future for us, then?'
'I've never even thought about it.'
'But I have,' he answered her eagerly. 'I want to settle down. A man's got to make plans, know where he's going. And it'd probably take us a year or two to save up for a place of our own.'
'Please tell me you're joking, Ray.'
He shook his head slowly. 'Why should I joke about something so important as marriage? It's a big responsibility to take on a wife and have kids. I've discussed it with mum and dad and they said we could stay with them until we're on our feet. Course we'd have to be sensible about the wedding, not go too barking over it, but I didn't think you were the kind of girl to mind too much about a big do.'
