by Carol Rivers
When Benny climbed back in the cab, he’d aged ten years. There was a nasty graze across his cheek and his eyes were frightened. ‘Oh, Benny, what did they do to you?’
He started the engine. ‘It don’t matter about me. It’s the kids I’m worried about. We’re going home and fast,’ he muttered. ‘We’ve no choice.’
‘But what about Eddie?’
Benny stared at her, his expression resigned. ‘There’s nothing we can do. Payne told me if we’re not back inside a couple of hours, we’ll find the house empty.’
Rose had nearly fainted on the spot. She looked out of the window as Benny drove past the three men. Payne had a smirk on his lips, the other two were adjusting their coats. Benny had driven like a lunatic through the narrow lanes and cursed the traffic. But they arrived back in less than two hours; unfortunately, but predictably, to an empty house.
Payne’s men had arrived within minutes. If Rose didn’t cooperate, she would never see her family again. Now, as she sat beside Benny in the desolate building, she knew she was in the same place as before. She would never forget the musty, old brick and plaster smell that pervaded the air. Now she could see what her imagination had been forced to provide. Above, half the roof was missing, the blue sky visible through the rafters. A broken staircase hung precariously from one wall. Battered old filing cabinets lay on their sides and half a dozen old wooden office chairs held up the peeling walls. There was even an old typewriter upside down on a pile of bricks. The man with the bull neck was standing in front of a door. Were the children and Em through there?
‘We shouldn’t have believed him,’ Rose said miserably. She was freezing cold and her teeth were chattering. They’d removed her coat and shoes. Her thin white blouse and skirt were no protection from the cold.
‘We didn’t have no choice.’ Benny moved beside her. He was trying to wriggle his wrists from the ropes. Rose knew it was useless. The burns would only worsen. He still had his jacket and trousers on, but they’d taken his shoes and socks. ‘He’s scum of the earth,’ Benny whispered hoarsely.
‘Where are the kids and Em? Where can they be?’
‘I dunno, love.’
‘I can’t bear to think—’
‘Then don’t. Just try to keep calm. None of us will do much good if we’re out of our heads with worry.’
Rose knew he was right. But the fear and foreboding were welling up inside her. She remembered all too well what had happened here last time. She’d only been saved by those children’s voices. That wasn’t about to happen again.
‘Just my bloody luck Anita’s working late,’ Benny grumbled. ‘She was gonna buy some booze on the way home. Said we’d all need a drink tonight. Blimey, she was right there, an’ all.’
‘Oh, Benny, I’m sorry I got you into trouble.’
‘You didn’t. Bastards like Payne should be put down at birth.’
Footsteps echoed in the passage. Norman Payne and his two minders walked in. They dragged Eddie between them. His head hung down as they pushed him on to one of the wooden chairs.
Payne patted his shoulder. ‘He’s been having a bit of a kip in the car. Likes a little nod every now and then, don’t you, my boy?’
Rose saw Eddie slump forward. One of the men thrust him back viciously. His head rolled back and Rose and Benny gasped. His face was so swollen she couldn’t see his left eye. It was lost under a pouch of bluish purple skin. A trickle of blood ran down his neck from the corner of his mouth and stained the open collar of his shirt. His torn and filthy shirt hung over his trousers.
‘Oh God, Benny, what have they done to him?’
‘Oh, he’ll be right as rain,’ Payne assured her as he walked behind her chair. ‘Your old man gave me a bit of verbal I could well do without on a day like today. After all, we should be celebrating the start of his lucrative new career under my generous auspices.’
‘No,’ Rose said defiantly. ‘He’ll never work for you.’
Payne laughed softly. ‘Oh, never is a long time, especially when you’ve got mouths to feed. Now, where’s Syd?’ he demanded suddenly, and the man at the door jumped forward.
‘Out the back with the others, Mr Payne. Them kids keep hollering. And the silly cow took a swipe at him.’
‘I don’t pay him to nursemaid,’ Payne growled. ‘I want this bugger woken up.’
Benny threw Rose a curious glance. His face was impassive but she knew he was thinking the same. Was Payne referring to Syd – the man who had sold Eddie the stolen television? And was it Em and the kids who were out the back?
Payne laid his hands on Rose’s shoulders and lifted them into her hair. ‘Lovely hair, you have, dear. Pity I had to cut it all off last time. It’s grown again now, hasn’t it?’ He bent over her. She closed her eyes.
‘Be a good girl now. If you want to see your nearest and dearest all safe and sound, you’ll change your tune.’
Rose kept her eyes firmly closed as his clammy fingers trickled over the nape of her neck. His touch was repulsive, but she forced herself not to scream, instead she prayed that Eddie wouldn’t wake up just yet.
‘I think we should make you a little more comfortable, Mrs W. I’m sure your husband won’t want to see you all tied up like this.’ Slowly the pressure on her wrists was released and the rope fell away. Payne grabbed her arm and jerked her to her feet.
‘You bastard, let her go,’ Benny yelled out, shaking the chair he was on so that it almost toppled over. Payne swivelled round and hit him across the face with the back of his hand. Benny’s head bounced backwards.
Rose screamed. ‘Don’t! Don’t hurt him, please!’
Payne pulled her against him, a satisfied smile on his face as his fingers squeezed her arms painfully. His breath smelt of cigarettes and a sour sweetness that made Rose want to vomit. ‘And I haven’t even started yet, my dear.’
Rose turned her head away. She didn’t want him to see the fear in her eyes.
‘You cut a nice little figure, love. Very nice indeed. My boys will enjoy your company – that is, if we can’t sort out our spot of business.’
‘What do you want, boss?’ a voice asked from the door. Payne released his hold and looked up.
‘What do you think, you imbecile, get some water and wake him up!’
Rose turned her head slowly. Was this the man she had cycled all over the East End to find? Her heart pounded as she recalled Eddie’s description. Syd would be in his forties, about Eddie’s height, wearing a long camel overcoat and lots of jewellery. Rose stared at the man. He wasn’t wearing an overcoat, but a dark, rather flash suit that had seen better days. The brown trilby, though, was in place. He was middle-aged, just tending to spread, and he looked terrified of Payne. He left the room and was soon back again carrying a bucket.
Cheap rings covered his stubby fingers and a vulgar watch gleamed on his wrist. Rose knew it was Syd.
The water hit Eddie hard in the face. Syd stepped back like a frightened rabbit.
‘Well, what are you waiting for, Christmas?’ Payne demanded. ‘Bring in the little darlings.’ Payne dragged Rose into the middle of the floor. ‘Wake up, Eddie, look who’s here. We don’t want you nodding off again.’
Rose watched helplessly as Eddie slowly lifted his head. A patch of bright red spread over his skull and dripped down his jaw.
Payne held Rose’s arms tightly. He forced her to stand before her husband as he gained consciousness.
‘Ah, back to the land of the living, are we?’ Payne nodded in satisfaction. ‘Now then, let’s start from the beginning again shall we? Only this time, let’s get it right.’ Payne took hold of the top of Rose’s blouse and ripped it from her body.
Everything happened at once.
Rose watched in horror as Eddie staggered upwards and leapt on Payne. She hardly recognized her placid, phlegmatic husband whom she had rarely seen lose his temper in all the years of their marriage. His face, already disfigured, was a mask of hatred, his mouth twisted at an unn
atural angle and the cry that came from his bloody lips sounded more like a wounded animal than a human being.
Rose realized that Payne must have been surprised, too, at Eddie’s sudden recovery. Payne was taller than Eddie and well built under his camel coat, but he went down like a skittle as Eddie threw himself on to the man who had just terrified and humiliated his wife.
At the same time, the guard on the door sprang forward and the three bodies merged into one on the filthy floor. Eddie’s fists flew in every direction but mostly into Payne’s shocked face. Rose saw blood spurt from Payne’s mouth and what looked like a tooth. He wriggled to be free as his minder pulled Eddie’s head back and twisted a muscled arm around his neck. Eddie was choking to death. His face flushed from red to purple, but he refused to let go of Payne who was squirming on the floor.
Rose flung herself on Eddie’s attacker. She pounded her fists on any available inch of space, but with one blow of his huge hand she went reeling. Her head met the floor with a crack.
‘Untie me, Rose, untie me!’ Benny was wobbling his chair from side to side. ‘Quickly, gel, quickly!’
Rose tried to crawl across the floor. Little black spots appeared in front of her eyes, then bursts of light. She was shaking so much she hardly noticed the sharp little splinters from the floorboards digging into her skin. She pulled herself up on Benny’s chair.
‘Me wrists first, love, and I’ll do me feet.’
The rope was too tight. Her fingers trembled as Benny let out a groan of frustration. The last knot untangled and Benny burst out of his bonds. Rose saw that Payne had broken free of Eddie whose neck was bent at an unnatural angle by the man on top of him. But he seemed to gain strength, rearing up from the stranglehold.
Benny kicked away the ropes round his ankles. He rushed to Eddie’s aid. But two of Payne’s minders ran into the room. The thud of the wooden clubs they were holding was the last thing Rose heard as she began to pass out.
‘Mummy! Mummy! Wake up!’
Rose opened her eyes. They felt as if they had heavy lead weights attached to them. Her thick black lashes fluttered as she heard Donnie’s voice.
‘I thought you were dead, Mum.’
Rose touched her daughter’s cheek. The dark brown plaits that she had woven so carefully this morning before leaving for Hewis were undone. Donnie’s hair stuck out in tufts, one white ribbon trailed over her school mac. There was dust and dirt over the navy blue lapels. Rose hugged Donnie to her.
‘No, pet, I just got a bump on the head.’
‘Them men have got Auntie Em and Marlene and the boys too.’
Rose gazed across the room. Em came into focus. She was holding Matthew in her arms and Marlene and Will cowered beside her. They all had looks of terror on their faces.
Eddie lay on the floor. Benny was beside him. They’d both taken a beating and her heart went out to them.
Payne dusted himself down and smoothed back his silver hair. With vicious intent, he booted Eddie in his ribs.
Rose screamed and Donnie whimpered.
‘You haven’t seen anything yet.’ Payne lifted the club. ‘I’ve wasted a lot of time on you, Eddie old son. You and your fucking family. Now you either cough up what you owe me, or you’re officially on the payroll.’
‘You know we don’t have any money,’ Rose cried as Donnie clung to her, pressing her head into Rose’s white silk slip. The remains of her blouse lay on the floor, embedded in the dirt.
‘’Course I know that. But that’s not my problem, is it?’
‘We’ll pay back every penny,’ Rose pleaded. ‘Just give us time.’
‘I’m a businessman, Mrs Weaver, not the Sally Army. You’re up to your armpits in debt and if I can’t have what’s owed, I’ll take the man himself, his family, the clothes you stand up in and the air you breathe.’
He walked over and grabbed her hair. ‘So, what’s it to be?’ he demanded of Eddie. ‘Yes or no?’
‘You win.’ Eddie nodded. ‘I’ll do whatever you want.’
Payne smiled, a mean little smile that barely showed his teeth. ‘Let’s have it a little louder, shall we, so we can all hear the good news?’
‘I’ll do whatever you want, just let them go.’
Rose closed her eyes. Payne had finally won.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
‘Oh no, Eddie, no!’
‘Take your hands off her, you bastard,’ Eddie screamed. ‘You’ve got what you wanted. Now leave her alone.’
Payne laughed as he looked down at Donnie. ‘Lovely girl you got here.’ He stuck the end of the club under Donnie’s chin. Rose knew now that Payne was mad. She held Donnie tightly against her.
‘Stop frightening her. She’s just a kid.’
‘But not for long. Pretty little girls grow up fast. Your family is going to develop talents you never knew they had, Eddie old son. They’ll be raking it in as they grow older and Norman Payne’ll be there, the best bloody guardian angel they could ever have.’
‘I’ve told you I’ll do what you want,’ Eddie yelled again, trying to move before he got a boot in his stomach.
Rose closed her eyes. When she opened them, Payne was standing over him with the club raised. He brought it down on Eddie’s left knee. He writhed in agony. Payne raised the club once more.
‘Only a coward or a fool would hit a man when he’s down,’ a voice suddenly said.
Everyone looked into the shadows behind her, including Rose. ‘Who the hell are you?’ Payne demanded in total shock.
‘A friend of Eddie’s.’
Rose felt her heart miss a beat. She tried to think where she had seen this man before. Had she seen him before? As she clutched Donnie against her, the child’s soft sobbing was the loudest sound in the room.
Payne turned to his cronies. ‘How did he get in?’
They all shrugged. ‘Through the door behind me,’ the man said stepping into the light. Rose knew every eye in the room was on him in sheer disbelief. Despite being small he seemed to generate some kind of power. Dressed in a dark blue overcoat, he was entirely bald and protruding from his face was an enormous nose.
Payne snarled. ‘Who was supposed to be out there?’
No one answered.
‘Let him go. Let them all go,’ the stranger said quietly.
Payne grinned. ‘You’re not for real, are you?’
‘Oh yes, I’m real.’
‘You’re not the filth?’
‘No.’
Payne narrowed his eyes. ‘So who are you?’
‘I told you. A friend of this man. A friend who will settle the debt.’
Payne laughed out loud. ‘Now you’re going to tell me you’re his fairy godmother and you’ve got two grand stashed under that coat of yours?’
‘Two thousand pounds?’ The little man walked slowly towards Rose, drew out his wallet and opened it. He smiled down at her. ‘Quite a sum from the initial loan.’ He counted out the large crisp notes. To everyone’s astonishment he offered them to Payne.
The silver-haired man, forgetting himself, dropped the club and grabbed them. ‘Two grand,’ he nodded as he counted. He looked up suspiciously. ‘Is this a wind-up?’
‘No, a business transaction.’
Payne’s eyes narrowed. ‘So what is Uncle Norman going to do with the goose?’ he asked himself out loud. ‘After all the aggro I’ve had with this piece of shit—’ he glanced at Eddie, ‘I’ll accept this as a down payment for the protection of, let’s see, the future welfare of his family’s life and limb.’
‘Then greed will be your downfall.’
‘Come again?’ Rose watched Payne thinking hard. His forehead was creased in a frown, assessing just how much more he could capitalize on Eddie’s misfortune.
‘The account is settled.’
‘Bollocks. You’re not walking out of here the way you walked in. You’re on my turf now.’
The stranger walked arrogantly up to Payne. ‘Are you such a fool as to believe I did not
ensure my safety?’
Payne stiffened. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘If there is one piece of advice I would give you, it is this. Be afraid of me, Mr Payne, be very afraid.’
A nervous laugh jangled in Payne’s throat. ‘And why should I be afraid of you?’
The soft voice hardened. ‘I restrain myself from having you arrested only because it would not be in this family’s interest to drag them through hell once more. But should you ever again attempt to communicate with them, I will hand over to the authorities the evidence my investigators have gathered on your nefarious activities. I have left no stone unturned in my searches. My lawyers have accumulated sufficient material to put you and your . . . friends . . . away for a very long time.’
Payne was silent, his face totally shocked. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in his neck like a terrified Christmas turkey. Rose knew that everyone else in the room was equally shocked. They were all weighing up who this man was and whether or not he was telling the truth; whether the statement he’d just made was worth taking seriously.
‘Are you prepared to challenge me, Mr Payne?’
‘Who are you?’ Payne murmured hoarsely.
‘I am an extremely wealthy man with a personal army at my disposal. I come well prepared, I assure you. This building is watched, your departure is awaited. Delay any longer and you will soon understand the full meaning of my words.’
Payne looked round him at the frightened faces of his heavies and the sheer terror that was slowly registering in their eyes. The small man’s gaze bored into him with hatred. He shrivelled under his coat and stepped backwards towards the door.
‘I’m sick of the sight of you, anyway,’ he threw at Eddie viciously. ‘You’ll never make it straight, with or without this bastard’s help. Two years down the road and you’ll be flogging your own grandmother for a couple of quid.’
Rose saw Payne hesitate, still uncertain as to what he should do. But he had lost respect in front of his minions and was a beaten man. The back of his silver head was the last thing she saw as he and his men made a hasty exit. She closed her eyes as if rubbing out the sight forever.