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CHAPTER THREE

Little Vinny sat up and put his head in his hands. He had an awful hangover and an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. His best pal Ben Bloggs should have been at his side today, but he’d not been coping as well as he had since Molly’s death, spending all his time holed up in his bedroom. Every time Little Vinny had tried to persuade Ben to go out somewhere he’d made excuses, saying he didn’t feel well, and he’d rather stay in that squalid pit he called home. But when Little Vinny called at the Bloggs’ place this morning so they could go to the funeral together, Ben’s junkie mother told him he’d gone out last night and hadn’t come back. Now Vinny was worried. He’d thought he could handle Ben, slip him a few quid, keep him in glue and cider, make sure he understood that if he went to the police and told them he’d looked on while Little Vinny strangled his baby sister to death, they would both be in big trouble. After all, Ben was the one who’d taken her from the club, even if he only did it because Little Vinny told him they were going to make her disappear for a few hours to teach his dad a lesson. Surely Ben wouldn’t have the guts to grass him up … would he?

‘Vin, we need to talk,’ Michael said, barging into the bedroom.

‘Whatsa matter?’ Little Vinny asked, alarmed. He could tell by his uncle’s face that something was terribly wrong, and his first thought was that Ben must have blabbed. If he had, then Little Vinny would have no option but to turn the tables and tell the Old Bill that Ben was the one who’d abducted and killed Molly. If need be, he’d tell them his pal had always shown an unhealthy interest in his little sister.

Little Vinny cleverly managed to hide the surge of relief he felt when his uncle explained the situation. ‘When will me dad be allowed home?’

‘I’m not sure. Your dad only got bail in the first place because Jackson was still alive. Now he’s dead, it might change things.’

Face etched with fury, Little Vinny leapt up and kicked the door. The whole point of getting rid of Jo and Molly had been so he could have his dad all to himself again, and now he’d been taken away. ‘If my dad gets banged up, who am I gonna live with? Can I live with you? I promise I’ll be good.’

Having just got things back on track with Nancy, Michael knew there was no way he could let Little Vinny move in with them. His wife had made it perfectly clear that she was no fan of the wayward teenager; she even blamed him for what had happened to Molly. ‘I’m not sure there’s room at mine for you with the boys, Vin. But, let’s not jump the gun, eh? Your dad has a good brief and might even get bail yet for all we know. Now I want you to do me a favour. Get yourself washed and dressed so we can go and tell your nan and Auntie Viv the news. Then, later, I want you to help me get the club ready to reopen. If your dad don’t get bail, I am really gonna need you to be my right-hand man. Do you think you can step up to the mark?’

‘Will I get paid more money?’

‘Yeah, but only if you work really hard.’

Little Vinny managed a grin. ‘You got yourself a deal, Uncle Michael.’

Having had an awful night’s sleep, Vivian got up before the larks and took a stroll down to the newsagent. It wasn’t even daylight yet, but Viv knew the papers would be left outside the Patels’ shop.

About to pass Fat Beryl’s house, Vivian froze as she heard the words, ‘Please don’t. I really don’t want to. I’m not that type of girl. You’re hurting me. Stop it.’

‘You’ve let me buy you drinks all night and you’ve been shoving them big titties of yours in my face. I know you want it,’ a male voice hissed, trying to force his rock-hard todger down the back of her throat. The more they knocked him back, the more it turned him on.

Whitechapel had changed over the years. Many residents were afraid to walk the streets at certain times, but not Vivian. Nobody messed with her family, which was why she marched fearlessly down the alleyway.

‘Get off her, you dirty bastard,’ she bellowed, smashing her handbag over the back of the man’s head.

The man leapt up. Had it been light, he would have recognized Vivian, but unfortunately for him it was dark. ‘Jealous are ya? Want some an’ all?’ he taunted, waving his hard-on in his hand.

Trying to whack his cock with her handbag, Vivian screamed, ‘I’ll have you shot, you dirty cunt.’ Realizing the woman was scary and old, the man expertly tucked his penis inside his trousers and bolted.

‘Heard of the Butlers, have ya? You disgusting nonce. I’m Vinny and Michael’s aunt. Watch your back. Your days are numbered,’ Vivian shouted, but to no avail. The man was already out of earshot.

The poor girl was trembling, so Vivian crouched next to her and switched on her emergency handbag torch. She hadn’t got a good look at the man’s face, but could guess what the dirty bastard had been doing. She was actually shaken up herself. That was the first dingle-dangle she’d had waved at her in donkey’s years.

‘I can’t go home. My dad will kill me,’ the girl sobbed.

‘You’re Billy Higgins’s granddaughter, aren’t you, pet?’ Vivian asked. She’d once courted Billy in her younger years and had often kicked herself for ending the relationship. Billy was still handsome, with a full head of hair. He was also a very wealthy, well-respected villain. A far better man than the arsehole she’d ended up marrying.

‘Yes, I’m Janey. You can’t tell my granddad though.’

‘Why don’t you come home with me, Janey? I’ll make you a nice sweet cup of tea and we’ll call the police. This man needs to be caught.’

‘No! My parents will kill me. I lied to them, you see. I told them I was going out with a friend. My dad says I’m too young to have boyfriends.’

‘OK. No police. But please come home with me. You can tell me what happened there, then we’ll work out what to do next. You can’t stay here, lovey. I know your granddad very well. A lovely man. I’d never forgive myself if I left you here all alone.’

‘OK.’

Nosy Hilda could barely contain her excitement as she knocked at Queenie’s front door.

‘What the hell do you want this early in the morning? Oh, don’t tell me, I think I can guess. Has Lil died?’ Queenie asked in the most sarcastic tone she could muster.

‘No. I saw her niece as she was going to work and it looks like Lil might pull through,’ said Hilda, oblivious to the sarcasm. ‘I just wanted to say how sorry I was about your Vinny. Must have been a terrible shock for you that Bobby died. I mean, who’d have thought he’d croak it, after all this time.’

‘Vinny! Bobby! What do you mean?’ Queenie asked, the colour draining from her face as the realization started to kick in.

‘Bobby Jackson. He died yesterday. They arrested your Vinny for murder last night and carted him off in a police wagon. Didn’t you know?’

‘No, I bastard well didn’t,’ Queenie hissed, slamming the door in Hilda’s face.

It was in Hilda’s nature to have the last word. ‘Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,’ she trilled through the letterbox. ‘I’ll be off now then.’

As soon as Janey said her attacker’s name was Pat and described what had actually happened, Vivian knew who the culprit was. One Eyed Harry had told her only last week that he’d been released.

Tall, dark and handsome, Pat Campbell was the local sex-pest, playing on his looks to entice young girls to go out with him. He had a foul reputation for not taking no for an answer. He’d been getting away with it for years before one of his victims finally went to the police, and even then all he got was a slap on the wrist, a measly eighteen-month stretch.

‘Thank you so much for your kindness, Vivian. I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise. And thanks for allowing me to use your phone to ring my friend and my mum.’

Urging the seventeen-year-old to sit next to her on the sofa, Vivian squeezed Janey’s hands. The girl had been adamant about not involving the police, and Vivian had reluctantly gone along with it, not wanting to see the poor kid forced to relive the whole thing in court and probably end up being branded a slag for having gone out on a date with the bugger in the first place.

‘Are you sure that he never actually did you-know-what to you?’ asked Viv when she’d finished helping the girl clean herself up.

‘I’m positive,’ said Janey, pulling on the fresh pair of tights Viv had given her. ‘I’ve told you everything, honest. It was disgusting when he tried to put his thingy in my mouth. You won’t call the police after I leave, will you? I’m afraid they’ll say I led him on, that I’ve only myself to blame.’

‘I’ve given you my word, sweetheart. Old Bill are useless anyway. They should have banged him up for a lot longer than eighteen months, filthy bastard. They call him Pervy Pat round ’ere – one young lady he attacked said he got so excited his dingle-dangle felt like a gun rubbing against her.’ Seeing Janey shudder at the image, she quickly changed tack: ‘What goes around comes around, luv. I can assure you that you did sod-all wrong and that dirty bastard will get his comeuppance. I’ll make sure of it – that’s another promise.’

Ahmed Zane popped the cork and grinned like a Cheshire cat as he did so. He’d been totally gobsmacked when he had rung the club earlier and spoken to Michael. His initial shock had soon turned to elation though. This was karma at its very best.

‘Do not keep me in suspense any longer, Ahmed. Tell me, what has happened?’ Burak demanded.

Ahmed handed his cousin a glass of champagne and held his own aloft. ‘To Vinny Butler, who has now been arrested on a murder charge.’

‘What!’ Burak exclaimed.

Laughing like a hyena, Ahmed chinked glasses with his cousin. ‘Bobby Jackson died yesterday. It couldn’t have happened at a better time either, what with Carl on the loose, eh?’

Burak agreed. Carl Thompson had been the guy Ahmed had hired to help set Vinny up, but that plan had gone pear-shaped. Carl knew too much and needed to be found and silenced.

Ahmed topped up his and Burak’s drinks. ‘Can you imagine how difficult it will be for Vinny to cope in prison? I think he will go insane, especially so soon after Molly’s death. I must ask for a visiting order so I can experience his misery in the flesh.’

Burak smirked. ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if Butler ended up in Broadmoor?’

Ahmed laughed. ‘Now that would be hilarious.’

Mary Walker knew her daughter well enough to know she had something on her mind. ‘Why did you go back to Tiptree after Molly’s funeral? Not been rowing with Michael again, have you?’ Mary pried.

Nancy sighed. She had promised Joanna that she would not tell a soul about her pregnancy, but she was so worried about her friend, she had to tell somebody. ‘Boys, go and play in the garden for five minutes,’ Nancy ordered.

Adam and Lee immediately stood up, but Daniel didn’t. He stared at his mother and in an insolent tone said, ‘No. I’m watching Rainbow.’

‘I beg your pardon! Do as your mum says now,’ Mary insisted.

Daniel glared defiantly at this grandma. ‘No. It’s cold outside.’

Fuming at the way her eight-year-old son had been behaving of late, Nancy yanked him up by the arm and dragged him into the hallway. ‘Now put your coat on and get in that garden.’

Knowing when she spoke through gritted teeth his mother was at her angriest, Daniel grinned, ‘Make me.’

With his jet-black hair and bright green eyes, Daniel had certainly inherited his looks from his father’s side of the family. So had Adam. In fact only Lee looked anything like Nancy, yet he was Michael’s son from another relationship.

‘I am sick and tired of your cheekiness and I will not put up with it any more,’ Nancy said, punctuating her words while slapping her son repeatedly across his backside and legs.

Realizing he had pushed his mother too far, Daniel mumbled ‘Mad bitch’ before scarpering into the back garden.

‘I told you that me and your dad had noticed a change in Daniel’s behaviour, didn’t I? Good job your father isn’t here. I’m not going to tell him or your brother this latest episode,’ Mary said.

Nancy was trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. At times like this her son reminded her so much of Little Vinny, it truly scared her. ‘I’ll kill him, Mum, if he carries on like that. You’d think the telling off I gave him after he beat up that boy at school would have taught him a lesson, but he’s becoming more of a handful every day. Adam’s fine and so is Lee, so why does Daniel feel the need to play me up? I am going to tell Michael to reprimand him when I get home. Perhaps being forced to go to bed early, or not being able to watch TV for a week might teach the little sod some manners.’

‘Was that what you wanted to speak to me about – Daniel?’

‘No. It’s Jo. Mum, if I tell you something, you must swear to me you will never repeat what I say to another living soul.’

‘Of course not! I’m your mother. If you can’t trust me, who can you trust?’

‘Jo’s pregnant again and she says she’s keeping the baby. Her parents have tried to talk her out of it and so have I, but she won’t listen. That bastard Vinny is bound to find out somewhere along the line, then it will all end in tears for poor Jo. I just know it will.’

Queenie Butler was thoroughly annoyed. Not only had Michael not had the decency to inform her the previous evening of Bobby Jackson’s death and Vinny’s arrest, he now had the cheek to tell her that, if the worst happened, it was her duty to look after Little Vinny!

‘My duty! Why is it my duty exactly, Michael?’

‘Because you’re his gran. Who else can he live with if Vinny don’t get bail? Nancy hates him, so he can’t stop with me. I guarantee he’ll behave himself. I’m gonna keep a proper close eye on him from now on, and he’ll be working with me full-time at the club. He’s a good—’

‘I’ll stop you right there, Michael, before you waste any more breath. I got lumbered with Little Vinny once before, remember? And look how that turned out. He ruined my bleedin’ conservatory, robbed the Patels’ shop and constantly ran rings around me. Never again, boy. I’ll be fifty-four next month and I really don’t need the stress, thank you very much.’

Shocked by his mother’s coldness, Michael tried one more time to make her change her mind. ‘Mum, this is Vinny’s son, your first-born grandkid we’re talking about, not some stranger. Where the hell will he live if Vinny gets banged up, eh? Do you want him living round the Bloggses’ house?’

‘I couldn’t give a shit where he lives, and even if he was Prince Charles’s son, I wouldn’t change my mind. No way is that little bastard ever living with me again, Michael, and that’s final!’

Little Vinny knocked on the Bloggses’ front door. ‘Any news yet?’ he asked Ben’s dishevelled-looking whore of a mother.

Alison Bloggs shook her head and then burst into tears. ‘I don’t reckon he’s coming back. He nicked my money and puff, and he’s never stolen off me before. I’m clucking. I’ve got no readies to score with, and I can’t go out to work of a night ’cause Ben’s not here to look after the little ’uns. I’m gonna go to the police to report him missing. Will you keep an eye on the kids for me for half an hour?’

Immediately alarmed at the mention of the police, Little Vinny took some money out of his pocket and handed it to Alison. ‘Don’t bother going to the Old Bill yet. They ain’t bothered about lads like Ben, and I’m gonna search for him again later. If anyone can find him, it’ll be me.’

‘What’s the money for?’

‘So you can score and straighten yourself out.’ Vinny handed Alison another tenner. ‘Get a couple of bottles of cider as well, eh? I’ll keep you company for a bit. Between us we can make a list of where Ben might be. The filth are mugs, they won’t find him.’

Staring at the money in her hand all Alison could think about was her next hit. She kissed Little Vinny on the cheek. ‘You’re a good boy, you are. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.’

Little Vinny breathed a sigh of relief. He had to find Ben before the police did, that was for sure. His pal was obviously not in a sound state of mind and the chances were if the Old Bill got to him first, Ben would be capable of blurting out anything.

No way was Little Vinny going down for Molly’s murder, and if that meant spending a couple of hours with Ben’s horrid mother to ensure she was too out of her nut to call in the Old Bill, then so be it.

Nancy Butler looked at her husband in annoyance. She had just spent the past ten minutes telling him how worried she was about Daniel’s behaviour, and although Michael had promised to have a chat with their son, he seemed far more concerned about his other family – as per usual.

‘I don’t want you to just have a chat with Daniel, Michael. I want you to punish him and set some boundaries for the future. He is going to go off the rails if you don’t sort him out, and I will not have him ending up like Little Vinny. Daniel reminded me so much of him when he was insolent earlier, it really did frighten me.’

Michael sighed. Like most women, Nancy could make a crisis out of the smallest of dramas. ‘Look, I’ve said I’ll talk to Daniel, OK? Give me a break, Nance, for Christ’s sake. I’ve just told you that Vinny’s been re-arrested and is up on a murder charge, and all you can do is moan about Dan wanting to watch Rainbow rather than play in the fucking garden. As if I haven’t got enough on my plate right now, what with trying to sort out somewhere for Little Vinny to live and getting the club reopened this weekend. Money is running low and we can’t live on shirt buttons.’

‘Little Vinny is not living here, so don’t even bother asking me that one. As for you reopening the club, if Vinny ends up in prison, does that mean you will be working all hours? I barely see you as it is and the boys need their father around more now they’re getting older.’

‘Nance, I have not even been in twenty minutes and you have done my swede in already. Nag, nag, nag. You should record yourself and listen to it sometime. You might teach yourself a thing or two.’

When Nancy started to cry, scream and shout, Michael stormed out of the house.

Back in Whitechapel, Queenie and Viv were discussing Pervy Pat. Both were in agreement that he needed to be dealt with.

‘There you go. Drink it in one,’ Queenie ordered, handing her ashen-faced sister a brandy. ‘I wish I knew where that dirty bastard lived now. I’d go straight round there with me meat knife and chop that diseased todger of his off. Bad enough he assaulted that poor girl, but fancy offering you a portion of helmet pie an’ all. He’ll rue the day he ever uttered those words, we’ll make sure of that. Vinny’ll sort it if he gets bail and if he don’t, Michael can do the honours. Did you actually see his, you know?’

‘It was dark down that alley, but I did sort of see it. Big and slippery like a fucking snake. I feel sick even thinking about it. I don’t wanna talk about it no more today. I need time to get over the shock. Tell me about Bren.’

Brenda had only just turned up to pick up her children and Queenie had given her daughter a right earful.

‘I can’t believe she reckons this geezer is the one, Viv. Got to be something mentally wrong with her. She only met him yesterday.’

‘She’s always been one to dive in head first, hasn’t she? I wonder if he’s a looker?’

Queenie shook her head in despair. ‘He’s in his forties if he’s a day, Viv. I saw him. Looked a proper pisshead, he did – reminded me of Albie. Why the silly cow would want to take up with someone like her useless father, I do not know. I’ll have to get Michael to find out who he is and have a quiet word in his ear. The silly little mare was even talking about moving in with him. Reckons he’s got a big house. Probably a poxy old bedsit somewhere by the looks of him. I swear, pound signs is all my Brenda sees these days.’

‘Did he look bedraggled?’

‘No. He was suited and booted, but I know a plastic gangster when I see one,’ Queenie replied, snatching at the phone on the very first ring. ‘OK, Michael. Yep, I’ll be there, don’t you worry. All right, pick me up at nine. What did the brief say about his chances of getting bail again?’

Vivian hated one-way conversations. ‘Well?’ she asked impatiently, the second her sister ended the call.

‘Vinny’s been charged with Bobby’s murder. He’ll be appearing at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court in the morning. His brief reckons his chances of getting bail again are practically non-existent.’

Margo and Anthony Warwick had two major passions in life. One was mountain climbing, the other rambling, and today they were thoroughly enjoying their first-ever trip to Hainault Forest.

Decked out in hiking boots and carrying a big stick, Anthony crouched down to examine something that had caught his eye. ‘Look, Margo, it’s a vole. Such tiny creatures, but so adorable, aren’t they? Look at its little heart, beating fast. It’s scared.’

Margo was about to bend down for a closer look when something in the trees caught her eye. Her heart started beating faster than the vole’s. Unable to stop herself, Margo let out a deafening scream.

It was then Anthony looked up to see the dead boy hanging from a tree.

Little Vinny was out of his nut. Alcohol, puff and glue were all he usually indulged in, but Ben’s mum had just encouraged him to have a go at what she called ‘Chasing the dragon’.

Because he was only smoking something brown on a bit of foil, Little Vinny had not expected it to knock him for six like it had, but he felt wonderful, as if he was floating on air.

‘Don’t bother searching for Ben now, Vin. It’s dark. Stay here with me for a bit. I’ve enjoyed your company today. You can search for Ben again in the morning,’ Alison said, putting a hand on Little Vinny’s thigh.

Little Vinny nodded. He usually despised Alison, but that stuff he had smoked had made him feel so happy, he now thought she was OK.

‘Can I ask you a personal question, Vin?’

Unable to speak properly, Little Vinny nodded.

‘You ever had a blow-job?’

Little Vinny shook his head, then grinned when Alison put her hand inside his tracksuit bottoms. When she bent her head and put his erect penis in her mouth, Little Vinny shut his eyes. The heroin, combined with having his cock sucked for the very first time, felt like he had literally died and gone to heaven.