The Betrayer

by Kimberley Chambers

  As ill as she felt, Maureen threw herself against him like a rugby player. ‘Thank you so much, Freddie, I knew I could rely on you. I haven’t been able to sleep at night for worrying about him. Do you think he’ll ever come back?’

  Freddie shook his head. ‘No, he knows what will happen if he does. He’ll start a new life somewhere and, knowing Tommy, he’ll be having a whale of a time as we speak.’

  Rubbing his arm, Maureen thanked him again. ‘You’ve always been like a son to me, Freddie, and I’m forever grateful to you. Can I ask yer for another favour?’

  Choked up, Freddie tried his best to make a joke of things. ‘As long as it ain’t like the last one, Maur.’

  Maureen smiled. She felt so much happier now; the relief was a tonic.

  ‘I want you to take care of James for me. When I die, I need you to keep an eye on him. I’ve gotta tell him something that’s probably gonna break his heart. I need yer to make sure he forgives me, Freddie.’

  Freddie nodded. Whatever she had to tell James was obviously family business and he wasn’t about to pry. ‘Don’t worry, Maureen, I’ll take good care of him for yer, I promise.’

  Miles away in Turkey, Tommy was thoroughly enjoying himself. After the initial shock of Freddie knocking on his door and telling him that uncle Bobby was about to turn him into mincemeat, life had taken a turn for the better. Mustapha had sorted him out with his new life.

  ‘Get away fast. Go and stay with my cousin, Kazim, in Gumbet,’ he insisted, giving him the address.

  Gumbet was a lively little holiday resort, not too far from Bodrum. Kazim ran a bar and had given Tommy a job on the door. Sunbathing by day, then pissing it up and shagging birds by night wasn’t such a bad life, after all.

  Apart from Mustapha and Alfie, no one else knew where he was. His son had wanted to come with him, but Tommy had said no.

  ‘If we both disappear, it’ll look well dodgy. I need you to stay at home, act all upset. You’re the only person who can cover for me.’

  Alfie agreed. He loved his dad and would do anything for him.

  Tommy took a sip of his beer and smiled. He’d had two bits of good news this week and he was well excited about both of them. Firstly, Mustapha should very soon walk free. The court case was next month and Emre, the guy he’d been caught with, had held his hands up to everything and insisted that Mustapha was innocent. The second bit of good news was that his son had booked a holiday to come and see him. According to everyone at home, Alfie was going away with his mates, but really he was coming to Turkey to see Tommy. He was flying to Greece first to cover his tracks, just to be on the safe side.

  ‘All right mate? This is the life, ain’t it?’ said a silly, sunburnt English holidaymaker.

  Tommy smiled. ‘It sure is, me old china.’

  In not so sunny Stepney, Maureen had had a sleepless night. For months, due to her illness, she’d slept like a baby, but last night was a no-go.

  As she peered into her wardrobe, she chose her outfit with care. Just because she looked and felt ill didn’t mean that she couldn’t still make an effort. Today was the most important day of her life and she needed to look the part. She applied her make-up, then nervously looked at her watch. The phonecalls had been made last night and Kenny was due to arrive first.

  Unable to fancy any breakfast, she made herself a cup of tea and added some brandy. Her nerves were shot to pieces. As she heard Kenny’s car pull up, she felt a flutter in her stomach and scolded herself for being so stupid.

  ‘How can you have teenager’s butterflies at a time like this?’ she mumbled.

  Kenny was shocked as he walked into the house. He hadn’t seen Maureen since he’d popped in for Sunday dinner, and to say she looked ill was an understatement. Ethel had told him on the phone that she’d been under the weather, but he hadn’t expected her to look so bad.

  He hugged her awkwardly. ‘Are you OK, Maur? You’ve done some weight, girl, ain’t yer?’

  Maureen did not reply, but led him into the kitchen.

  ‘Sit down, Kenny, and I’ll pour us both a brandy.’

  ‘It’s too early for me, Maur,’ Kenny said.

  Maureen ignored him and poured the drinks anyway. Unbeknown to him, she was about to drop the biggest bombshell of his life.

  She sat down and looked at the floor. She couldn’t beat around the bush; she just had to spit it out.

  ‘Kenny, I’m dying. The doctors say I’ve got a matter of weeks.’

  Kenny gasped. ‘Please, no.’

  Maureen carried on. ‘There’s something I must tell you, Kenny, and I know you’re never gonna forgive me for not telling you earlier.’

  Kenny couldn’t stop the tears. He hated men who cried – even took the piss out of them. ‘What?’ he asked, his voice shaking.

  ‘Kenny, James is your son.’

  Kenny looked at her in total disbelief. They’d only slept together once and, according to the quacks, he had a sperm count of zilch.

  ‘He can’t be, Maureen.’

  She nodded. ‘He is. I never slept with anyone else when he was conceived and that includes your brother.’

  Kenny stood up and poured himself another drink. He couldn’t look at her, there must be some mistake. He struggled to find his voice. ‘If what you’re saying is true, Tommy must have known that James wasn’t his.’

  Suddenly, he was annoyed. ‘Well did he?’ he shouted.

  Maureen crumbled. Kenny had never yelled at her in her life. ‘Oh Kenny, I’m so sorry. Tommy didn’t have a clue; he was always so drunk, he didn’t know what day it was. When I found out I was pregnant, I lied and told him we’d slept together. He didn’t question it, he just believed me. Please don’t hate me, Kenny, I’ve wanted to tell yer for years, but I really didn’t know how to.’

  Unable to stop his legs from giving way, Kenny flopped onto the chair. If he’d seen a ghost, he’d have been less shocked.

  ‘Does James know?’ he asked. Even his voice didn’t sound like his own.

  Maureen shook her head. ‘I haven’t told him yet. He’s coming round later and I’ll tell him then.’

  Kenny sat in stunned silence. What else was there to say? One drunken fling all them years ago, when he’d fallen out with Wendy and Maureen had been rowing with Tommy, had led to him having a son that he’d never known about. And what a lad he was. A smart, funny, clever lad, a lad he’d always felt an inexplicable connection with. His son, his very own son.

  He stood up. ‘Maur, I’m glad you told me, but I need to get me head around this. Ring me later when you’ve spoken to James and I’ll pop back then. In the meantime, I’ll tell Wendy. It’ll be the end of me and her. She’ll never forgive me for this, I know she won’t.’

  As Maureen watched him walk away, she broke down. She hadn’t expected him to leave so quickly. Worse still, she hadn’t expected him to run straight home and tell Wendy. Now she felt like an old stray, a home-wrecker. Kenny hated her now, she sensed it, and it hurt like hell.

  Obviously, she still loved him, always had and always would. He’d forever been the one spark of excitement in her otherwise dull and mundane life. She remembered their little fling as though it was yesterday; how could she forget it?

  Kenny had turned up unexpectedly at a Saturday-night party at hers. He’d had a row with Wendy and everyone else had gone to bed. They’d had a real heart to heart, both their marriages were shit. Neither of them had meant for it to happen, it just had. In Maureen’s eyes, it was wonderful and she’d relived that night for many years. Things had been awkward between them for ages afterwards, but they’d got through it. There was too much feeling between them for them not to.

  Maureen stood up; she desperately needed another brandy. At this rate, she’d die of liver disease before the cancer came and took her. She picked up the phone. The quicker James got here and heard the truth, the better.

  Across the road, Ethel was totally uncomfortable. She liked her own house, her own bed and, more than
anything, her own toilet.

  ‘I’m not stayin’ ’ere one minute longer. I need a shit and I can’t shit in somebody else’s house. Take me home right now.’

  ‘You’ve got to stay here, Maureen’s gone into hospital,’ Sandra lied.

  Ethel got up and balanced on her frame. ‘So fuckin’ what? I’ve got me own key and I’m quite capable of looking after meself.’

  There was nothing Sandra could do, bar warn Maureen that Ethel was on her way.

  ‘She’s comin’ across the road now, Maur. I tried to stop her, but you know what she’s like.’

  Maureen was furious. James was due in an hour and she needed to speak to him alone.

  As the door opened, she helped Ethel inside.

  ‘What’s goin’ on, Maur? I’m not stupid, I know you’re not well.’

  Maureen sat her on the sofa. She’d wanted the rest of the family to be present when she told Ethel, because of her age. She couldn’t tell her about Kenny being James’s dad; the thought of that made her feel cheap and tarty.

  She sat opposite Ethel. ‘Mum, I’m dying. Me cancer’s come back and there’s nothin’ more they can do.’

  Ethel’s lips began to quiver. Maureen had been the daughter she’d never had, and life without her didn’t bear thinking of. She started to cry.

  ‘I don’t wanna be here if you’re not. What am I gonna do without you, Maur? I ain’t goin’ in one of them homes.’

  Maureen held her frail hands; it was typical of Ethel to be more worried about herself. ‘Now, don’t cry, we’ll sort something out. I’ll make sure you don’t go in a home if it’s the last thing I do. I need you to do me a favour. James is coming around in a minute and I have to speak to him alone, so will yer stay at Sandra’s just for today?’

  ‘Please let me stay ’ere; I won’t get in the way or butt in,’ Ethel pleaded.

  Maureen shook her head. ‘No, Mum, I have something to tell him that’s very important and I need to do it alone.’

  Ethel looked deep into her eyes. ‘If I ask you a question, Maur, will you promise to tell me the truth?’

  ‘I promise,’ Maureen said.

  ‘Swear on James’s and young Johnny’s lives,’ Ethel insisted.

  Desperate to get her out of the house as quickly as possible, Maureen did as she asked. She wasn’t in the mood for silly games, especially not today.

  Ethel cleared her throat. ‘Is Kenny James’s dad?’

  To say Maureen was shocked was putting it mildly. Unable to look Ethel in the eye, she fidgeted with her hands and stared at the floor.

  ‘How did you know?’

  Ethel shrugged. ‘Intuition, I suppose, and the atmosphere between you and Kenny. James was always so different from Tommy and Susan, there had to be an explanation for it. I’ve always said, what’s bred in the bone comes out in the flesh.’

  Maureen began to plead her innocence, ‘Please don’t think I’m some hussy. It was one night, Mum, a silly drunken fling, and it was the only time I was ever unfaithful to Tommy. I made a mistake, it’s as simple as that.’

  Ethel held her hand. ‘I could never think badly of you, Maureen, and please don’t call it a mistake. You have the most wonderful son and both you and Kenny should be very proud of that.’

  Maureen smiled. ‘I only told Kenny this morning. He was shocked, to say the least.’

  Ethel hugged her. ‘He’ll be fine, you mark my words. I wonder if he tells Lady Penelope.’

  Maureen nodded. ‘He went straight home to tell her.’

  Ethel had to laugh. ‘Christ, that’ll put the cat amongst the pigeons,’ she chuckled. She stood up and balanced on her frame. ‘I’ll have a shit on me commode, and then I’ll go back over to Sandra’s. Good luck with James.’

  Maureen smiled. She’d thought Ethel would throw a wobbly, but the clever old cow already knew.

  ‘Bye, Mum,’ she said. ‘Kenny’s coming back later. As soon as he’s gone, I’ll ring Sandra and you can come home.’

  Ethel smiled as she walked away. Unbeknown to Maureen, she had caught her and Kenny at it that fateful night. Unable to sleep, she’d spotted that the light was still on opposite and had trotted across the road for a nightcap. But before she’d knocked, she’d seen movement through the curtains and had peeked in.

  Kenny and Maureen writhing about on the floor was a sight that she’d never forgotten. At first she’d been annoyed, as they were both married, but over the years, she’d learned to see the funny side. Watching them together afterwards had been hilarious; beetroot red, they’d turn, the pair of ’em. Tommy and Wendy turned out to be the husband and wife from hell, and in Ethel’s eyes deserved to be cheated on.

  Just about to knock on Sandra’s door, she saw a car pull up.

  ‘Nan,’ James shouted.

  She waved.

  ‘You comin’ in to see me?’ he asked.

  ‘In a bit,’ she shouted.

  As Sandra opened the door, Ethel hobbled inside as fast as her old legs would take her. Poor James was in for a major shock and the further away she was, the better.

  Back in Turkey, the weather was scorching. Drenched in sun oil, Tommy was lying flat on his back on the busy beach, reading a copy of the Sun newspaper. As his phone rang, he checked the number. Alfie – that was OK. He never answered numbers that he didn’t recognise; in his situation, you could never be too careful.

  ‘All right, son? What’s occurring?’

  As Tommy listened to what Alfie had to say, he sat bolt upright.

  ‘Good lad, now I need you to do me a favour. Pay Nan a visit or ring her and find out exactly when it’s due.’

  Tommy’s heart was beating at a rapid pace as he ended the call. Alfie was his eyes and ears back home, his little spy.

  Maria preggers and ready to drop soon, what a twist of fate! Counting the months on his fingers, he tried to work out the dates.

  He stood up and smiled. He was no mathematician, but chances were the kid was his. With a spring in his step, he headed up to the beach bar.

  ‘You got a bottle of champagne, mate?’

  The barman smiled. ‘Yes I have. Very early though. What you celebrate?’

  Tommy’s grin lit up the beach. ‘A baby. I’ve just found out that I’m gonna be a daddy again.’

  The barman handed him the champagne. ‘Congratulations.’

  Tommy felt a million dollars as he sipped his drink. James was an ugly fucker, hence his two plain daughters. Not him though, he was the looker out of the two of them, and with Maria looking like Cheryl Cole, their kid was destined for greatness. Between them, they would create a special one.

  Back in Stepney, Maureen poured two large brandies and handed one to her son.

  ‘I really don’t want one, Mum,’ James said for the third time.

  ‘Please just drink it, James. You’re gonna need it, believe me.’

  James sipped the foul-tasting drink and tapped his feet nervously. He knew his mum looked really ill and Maria had been banging on for months about visiting her more often.

  ‘What’s goin’ on, Mum? Are you ill or something?’ he asked her. It was a question he had to ask, but didn’t really want the answer to.

  Maureen held his hands. Telling him was harder than telling anyone else.

  ‘My cancer’s come back, James, and the doctor says that it’s at an advanced stage.’

  James was horrified. ‘You’re not gonna die, are yer?’

  Maureen nodded. ‘Probably, love. There’s nothing more they can do for me.’

  Tears streaming down his face, James took her in his arms. ‘I love you so much, Mum. What am I gonna do without you, eh?’

  Maureen held him as though he was a child again. ‘Listen, James, there’s something else that I have to tell you, something very important.’

  He pulled away from her. ‘Go on,’ he whispered.

  Unable to face him, Maureen turned her back and leaned against the worktop.

  ‘My life was never easy, when yous
kids were young. Your dad was never around and even when he was, you know what he was like.’

  James was worried now. What was she trying to tell him? ‘Go on, Mum,’ he urged.

  Maureen shook with nerves. ‘I had an affair, James, a fling, and you were the result of that.’

  Stunned, James stood up. ‘What? Is this some joke? Who the fuck is my dad, then?’

  Maureen turned back to face him. She was crying now, she couldn’t help it; his poor confused face was enough to break her heart.

  ‘Please don’t be angry with me, but your real dad is your uncle Kenny.’

  James suddenly felt claustrophobic. The walls seemed to be closing in on him and he couldn’t breathe.

  ‘James, please, come back!’ Maureen yelled as he ran from the house.

  Unable to think straight, James jumped in his car and sped away as though his life depended on it.

  In Ingatestone, Maria was at home teaching the girls how to make a trifle, when she got the phonecall.

  ‘Whatever’s the matter, Maureen?’

  Maureen was in a terrible state. ‘Please come over, Maria. I need to see yer now, I have to talk to you.’

  Knowing that James had gone to visit her, Maria immediately feared the worst.

  ‘You haven’t told him about you know what, have you?’

  ‘Of course not,’ Maureen sobbed. ‘Just hurry, Maria, please.’

  Leaving the unfinished trifle on the table, Maria ordered the girls to get their coats.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Tara asked.

  ‘What’s “you know what”?’ Lily pried.

  ‘Just shut up and get in the car!’ Maria yelled. The quicker she got to Maureen, the better.

  Back in Gumbet, Tommy was on his second bottle of champers when Alfie called back.

  ‘Well?’ he asked impatiently.

  ‘Nanny didn’t answer the phone, so I rang Mum. The baby’s due in a few weeks’ time,’ Alfie said.

  Tommy thanked him and ended the call. The baby’s due date was perfect, a revenge gift from God. Fuck Bobby Adams: if that kid was his, he was going back home. Mustapha should be out soon, he’d know what to do, and with the Turks behind him, he’d at least have some serious back-up. If the baby was his, he wanted to be part of its life and no one, including Bobby fucking Adams, could stop him from being a father. He and Maria were about to be parents and he could scarcely believe his own luck.