Forgotten Child

by Kitty Neale

  Edward murmured his goodbyes, aware then that Robin was at his shoulder. He too looked disappointed that it wasn’t good news. They returned to the kitchen.

  ‘Who was it?’ Delia asked.

  ‘Bert Hammond, but he hasn’t heard from Tina.’

  ‘I’m glad you answered the telephone. I hate talking to him, his wife too. They sound so common.’

  ‘Delia, like us, they’re worried sick about their daughter.’

  ‘I didn’t approve of their friendship and, if you ask me, it was Tina who encouraged Jenny to leave home.’

  ‘Don’t push the blame onto Tina,’ Robin snapped.

  ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, but sometimes it’s easier to find a scapegoat than to look at ourselves. It was my fault, of course, and I know that now.’

  Robin looked surprised, but then approving as he smiled at his mother. Edward was relieved. Yes, Delia could be a snob, could say the wrong things, but at least she’d been quick to apologise in this instance.

  He wanted Delia’s relationship with their son to return to normal – at least that would help to assuage some of his guilt. Of course there were other things to torment himself with too, things that he would never be free of. Could he ever really forgive Delia for putting him through that?

  Somehow Edward doubted it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was now the summer of 1973 and small cracks had begun to form in Jenny and Tina’s friendship, the first of these appearing when they were both offered promotion. Tina had turned down Mr Cane’s offer, saying he was an old letch, and had left to find another job. Jenny, though, had stayed. To her, a man in his thirties wasn’t old. Mr Cane was vibrant, exciting, and the thought of leaving the restaurant, of never seeing him again, wasn’t one she liked.

  Jenny was waiting to take Table Four’s order. These days she was confident in her abilities as a waitress; in fact, having done the job for sixteen months now she was becoming rather fed up with it. If it hadn’t been for Marcos – yes, Marcos now, not Mr Cane – she’d have left ages ago.

  Their relationship had developed slowly at first. Marcos had been impressed with her new look, his eyes darkening with something that made Jenny thrill with delight, but it had been another seven months before he had asked her out, coinciding with her seventeenth birthday.

  It hurt Jenny that nowadays Tina seemed to prefer Sue’s company to hers, and the closeness they had once shared had become a thing of the past as the gulf between them widened. Tina didn’t approve of Marcos, but she was wrong of course – Marcos was the perfect gentleman. On their first date he had treated Jenny like a princess, taking her to the theatre to see a play called Voyage Around My Father, starring Alec Guinness, that she had loved. Afterwards Marcos had driven her home in his beautiful Jaguar and walked her to the door. He had only kissed her hand, but that had been enough to make her melt. If he had held out his arms she would have fallen into them, but it had been several more dates before that had happened.

  As they continued to go out together, Jenny’s feelings for Marcos grew but, despite the longing for something more that overwhelmed her when she was in his arms, he never took things any further.

  At last the customers on Table Four made up their minds and Jenny forced a smile, which turned to a genuine one as Marcos walked into the restaurant. Oh, he was gorgeous, his dark good looks never failing to strike her. As she passed on the order to the kitchen, he came to her side and whispered, ‘Are you free tonight?’

  ‘As you told the manger to put me on permanent day shifts, you know I am.’

  ‘I’ll pick you up at eight.’

  ‘Lovely,’ she breathed, but then Marcos was gone, leaving as swiftly as he’d entered. He was a busy man, the restaurant, he’d told her, just one of his many enterprises. Only two more hours to go and then her eight in the morning until four in the afternoon shift would be over.

  In contrast, Tina was in the shop that had once been called Paradise Garage, but which had now been taken over by a young woman called Vivienne Westwood and her partner Malcolm McLaren. At first they had renamed it, Let it Rock, stocking clothes and memorabilia that attracted long-standing teddy boys to the area. However, earlier this year it had metamorphosed again and was now called Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die.

  Tina was like a magpie, attracted to anything that glittered, and she wandered around looking at what was on offer. There were slogan-printed T-shirts, zoot suits, and styles she hadn’t seen before that sported zips in odd places along with chains. They weren’t for her. Tina’s style now was glam and she loved wearing platform shoes with wide, flared trousers. She’d been unable to find a target yesterday, however, so she was short of money until she got paid that night.

  Feet aching, Tina walked home and, instead of going upstairs, she tapped on Susan’s door. As it opened she sniffed the air knowingly. As usual, Sue was smoking cannabis, and Tina walked in eagerly.

  ‘I’ve had a look around loads of shops and saw a few things but, for now, I’m skint.’

  ‘If you keep on buying new clothes you always will be. Are you working tonight?’

  ‘Yeah, and tomorrow lunchtime.’

  ‘I still don’t know how you managed to get taken on in a pub.’

  ‘I blagged it, said I’m eighteen, and as I was wearing a low-cut top the landlord’s eyes were hanging out on stalks. It was a doddle. He pays me cash in hand and that suits both of us.’

  Susan took a drag on her joint and then held it out. ‘Here, as Jenny isn’t around you can have a few puffs.’

  ‘I don’t give a sod if she’s around or not. She ain’t my keeper.’

  ‘What’s going on with you two?’

  Tina shrugged. ‘We’ve grown apart since she started courting. How she can stand that old man touching her is beyond me.’

  ‘You’ve told me about Marcos and I’d hardly call a man in his thirties old.’

  ‘He ain’t right for Jenny.’

  ‘She obviously doesn’t agree, and from what I’ve seen of her, she looks happy.’

  ‘For now, but things will change. Blokes only want one thing and Jenny will soon find that out,’ Tina said, handing the joint back to Susan.

  Sue took a puff and then asked, ‘What happened to you, Tina?’

  ‘Nuffin’. I’m fine.’

  ‘I doubt that. You’re only seventeen but already you sound like a man-hater. Someone must have hurt you badly.’

  ‘Nah, it’s me that does the hurting,’ Tina insisted, not liking the way this conversation was going. She reluctantly stood up; Susan hadn’t finished the joint yet and she might have been offered a few more drags, but her past and her father were a closed book. ‘I’m off to get ready for work.’

  ‘It’s a bit early.’

  ‘Jenny usually sees Marcos on Friday nights and that means she’ll hog the bathroom when she finishes work. I need to get in first.’

  ‘I was thinking we could throw a bit of a party. It’ll give me a chance to meet Marcos.’

  ‘Thanks all the same, but if he’s gonna be there you can count me out.’

  Susan shook her head and looked ready to argue, but Tina didn’t give her the chance as she called goodbye and scooted upstairs. She didn’t care what Jenny said: however how much she waxed lyrical about Marcos, he would always make Tina cringe. It wasn’t just that he was at least twenty years older than Jenny. There was something else that worried Tina, something about him that was dodgy and shifty. But, without proof, she’d never be able to convince daft, besotted Jenny of that.

  Marcos was heading for home, recalling the first time he’d seen Jenny and heard her voice. She may have looked a mess, yet she’d sounded classy, which stood out in complete contrast to her mouthy friend. He’d had enough of Tina’s type – loud, pushy women whose voices grated on his nerves – but things were set to change. Soon the two women he hated would be out of his life and he’d be glad to see the back of them.

  He smiled, thin
king about Jenny again. When he’d first seen her new look it had bowled him over. Yet despite being drop-dead gorgeous, she still looked so innocent, untouched, and Marcos was determined to keep her that way – exclusively his.

  It had been an added bonus to discover that Jenny was estranged from the couple who’d adopted her and that meant there were no relatives to worry about. There’d be nobody to ask questions, nobody to probe into his life, or to stand in his way.

  Marcos smiled in anticipation. He was almost ready, having put the fronts in place and sorted the bank accounts. That left just one last thing to take care of before he could make his move. He pulled up outside his home in Battersea, a good-sized yet fairly modest house in Mysore Road, and only his closest associates knew why he chose to live there. It would be unnecessary soon but, for now, if Marcos didn’t want to spook anyone he’d have to play the game.

  Of course he wasn’t really worried. Just like every stunt he pulled, when the time came to make his move, Marcos knew he’d get away with it. He always did.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tina had seen an expensive pair of shoes she just had to have, but it was Jenny’s birthday in a couple of days and she’d need to buy her a present. It would have to be something nice, something to match the great handbag Jenny had given her last week for her own eighteenth birthday.

  What she needed, Tina decided, was a few extra bob on top of her wages again and her eyes scanned the punters for a soft touch. It would be easy, it always was, and with only forty minutes to go before last orders, her eyes searched for a customer who’d had too much to drink. It was Friday night and most of the customers would have just been paid. Even better, Eddy, the landlord, was upstairs feeling under the weather, and so she was alone in the bar.

  Old Bill Clement would be a doddle, but she’d done him over a few times now and he might just cotton on if she wasn’t careful. Thankfully she didn’t have to wait long for another mug to come along, another regular looking decidedly tipsy as he headed for the bar.

  Tina fixed a smile on her face and asked, ‘What can I get you, darlin’, another shot of whisky?’

  ‘Yesh, a double,’ he slurred.

  Tina went to the optic and returned, almost scowling when the bloke put coins onto the counter. What she had wanted was a large note. She took the coins to the till, thankful that at least he hadn’t tried to chat her up, something that was a common occurrence since she had started work behind the bar.

  She didn’t want to go out with blokes, hated the thought of their wandering hands, and it was even worse when old geezers tried to chat her up. She’d intended to pack in the job, but then, by sheer chance, she had discovered how stupid drunks could be. It was easy to short-change the bleary-eyed idiots and she often gave them a quid short, or more on those occasions when big money was flowing.

  Just then the door opened and a late customer walked in. Tina blinked as she found herself gazing into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. She judged the bloke to be in his mid to late twenties and he was a looker. His Afghan coat was open and she could see a large-collared shirt and a wide tie, though his short blond hair was out of fashion, unlike the rest of his appearance. What sickened Tina was that she found herself attracted to him.

  ‘When you’ve finished giving me the once over, I’ll have a pint of bitter.’

  Tina flushed, but was quick with a reply. ‘Don’t kid yourself, mate. I was looking through you, not at you.’

  He grinned. ‘If you say so, but to be honest I can’t take my eyes off you either. My name’s Paul. What’s yours? Cleopatra?’

  ‘Don’t be daft. It’s Tina,’ she said, face still pink as she served him.

  ‘Do you live locally?’

  ‘Yeah, I share a flat with a friend. Not that it’s any of your business.’

  ‘No chance of getting you alone then?’

  ‘You cheeky bugger,’ Tina snapped, angry at his innuendo and moving further away along the bar. He was just another bloke, another pig who wanted to maul her, yet even so her eyes kept returning to him. He smiled again, winked, and then raised his glass in a toast.

  Thankfully a regular now asked for another drink and, remembering Jenny’s birthday, Tina hoped this would be her chance. She was in luck, the man paying with a ten-pound note but, unsure how drunk he was, Tina knew it was going to be a bit risky. Still, she wanted those shoes too and, with so little time left, she flirted with the man to distract him while handing over his change.

  He shook his head. ‘This ain’t right, Tina. I gave you ten quid.’

  ‘No, Jack, it was a fiver. Look, I’ll show you,’ she said, quickly opening the till again to pull one out.

  ‘I’m telling you it was a tenner. I know that because it’s the wife’s housekeeping money and I hadn’t intended to break into it.’

  Tina felt her stomach flip, but knew she had to stand her ground. ‘And I’m telling you I didn’t make a mistake.’

  ‘I ain’t having this. Where’s Eddy? He’ll sort this out.’

  Tina didn’t want the landlord involved. ‘He’s sick and won’t take kindly to being disturbed.’

  ‘I don’t give a shit. I want that till checked.’

  ‘It’d be a waste of time, mate,’ said Paul, moving closer. ‘I was watching and you gave her a five-pound note.’

  Puzzled, but grateful, Tina hoped that would shut Jack up, but he would have none of it.

  ‘I did not! Now give me the rest of my change, Tina, or else!’

  ‘It sounds like you’re threatening this young lady,’ Paul said, pulling out his warrant card.

  Oh no! Tina thought. A soddin’ plod! But wait, he was on her side and now she’d be able to defuse the situation. Jack was always flying close to the wind, flogging dodgy gear, and he’d be quaking in his boots at the sight of a copper.

  ‘It’s all right, constable,’ she said, smiling sweetly. ‘I’m sure Jack didn’t mean it. He’s upset and in the circumstances it’s understandable. He was just mistaken, that’s all. Isn’t that right, Jack?’

  ‘Yeah, I suppose so,’ he said reluctantly.

  ‘Right then,’ said Paul. ‘I suggest you apologise to this young lady and leave.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Jack said abruptly before scuttling off, though not before throwing Tina a look of disgust. She chewed worriedly on her lower lip. Jack was a regular, knew the landlord well, and she doubted he’d let it go. If the landlord became suspicious he’d start watching her, and that meant her chances of making a few extra bob in future were gone. Paul spoke, startling Tina back to attention.

  ‘To be honest I didn’t see how much money changed hands, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt.’

  ‘Thanks for stepping in.’

  ‘Did he really give you a five-pound note?’

  ‘Of course,’ she said, feigning indignation. ‘If I had made a mistake I’d have owned up to it, but I didn’t. It was definitely a fiver.’

  ‘That’s good. Have I earned enough Brownie points to take you out one night?’

  ‘Don’t you mean Scouts? Brownie points are for girls.’

  ‘Scouts then…but seriously, can I take you out?’

  Tina shook her head. He was a copper and the last thing she needed in her life. His smile was appealing, his gorgeous blue eyes earnest, but it didn’t touch her.

  ‘Sorry, I’m already seeing someone,’ she lied, turning away to ring the bell. ‘Last orders, please.’

  As she served customers, Tina avoided looking at Paul again. He was a man and she knew that they were all the same – predators, with one thing on their minds. She hated them…hated them all.

  Paul Ryman was cursing his luck as he left the pub. He’d just found the girl of his dreams, but she was already taken. Of course with looks like that it was hardly surprising and his only hope was that the relationship she was in wasn’t serious.

  Sure that the attraction had been mutual, Paul wasn’t going to give up, and if Tina became available he wanted to
be around when it happened, the first to step in before anyone else got the chance. He hadn’t been in the Nag’s Head for a long time, but with Tina behind the bar, he now intended to become a regular.

  Of course, when working nights it would be impossible, which meant next week was out. That only gave him tomorrow night and Sunday…but he’d be there, watching and waiting. A flashy car turned the corner in front of him, and now Paul’s mind snapped to attention. He was sure it belonged to one of the crew the CID had been after for years, although this one seemed to have gone legit. Paul didn’t believe it, sure that this particular leopard would never change its spots. He’d surface again and, when he did, Paul wanted to be involved in nailing him.

  He wanted promotion, wanted out of uniform and to be involved in the action and with his application to CID already made he was hoping for good news. If he was successful and made it to CID, it was sure to impress Tina, he thought, and the extra money would be great, plenty to support a wife.

  Wife! What was the matter with him? Marriage had been the last thing on his mind. But then again, he mused, with someone like Tina it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

  Paul continued on his way, wondering what it would be like to come home to Tina after every shift, to have the feel of her next to him in bed. As his imagination took over, he had to fight an erection. Perfect, he decided, she’d be just perfect, and now all he wanted was the chance to take her out.

  Chapter Eighteen

  It was Jenny’s eighteenth birthday, and Marcos had hinted that he’d planned something special. The problem was that, without knowing where they were going, Jenny wasn’t sure what to wear. Marcos liked the theatre, or sometimes clubs, but it was a problem finding suitable clothes that weren’t enormously expensive. She did her best, buying things to mix and match, and was thankful that so far she had just about managed to appear presentable. Of course, Marcos always complimented her no matter what she wore, yet Jenny was all too aware that her clothes couldn’t measure up to the glamorous outfits she saw other women wearing at some of the venues.