by Mary Wood
‘You’re rotten, Megan Armitage! Fucking rotten through and through. You’ll do no more to me, you cow!’
She kicked out and caught Bert’s shin, causing him to step back. Using everything she could muster, she scrambled away and managed to stand and face him. Her own broken spirit mocked her, reducing her to a whimpering, begging animal. ‘Please, no more. I – I’m sorry I left you. I’ll come back. I’ll do anything – anything as you want of me – but . . .’
‘Back? Back to what? I’ve got nowt. Nowt! Does you hear me? I’m on streets – me family gone. You fucking left! And I thought when I came home, me trip to Blackpool would be all sorted. You cruel bitch!’
He sprang forward. She had no escape. His arm was around her neck. She couldn’t breathe.
‘I’m going to kill you!’
Her body hit the floor. She was nothing . . . nothing . . .
Blood squirted into Megan’s eyes and mouth, mixing with her tears and her snot. Her agony drummed in her ears and filled her mind, blocking out all that was going on around her. No begging, no praying – nothing. She was the vilest of creatures . . .
Jack slammed on his brake. The barrel boomed down the cobbled road towards him. It had happened just a few yards in front of him. The car that had hit the dray had seemed to come from nowhere. The horses hadn’t stood a chance. The dray had overturned, spilling its load of barrelled beer.
Just as it seemed the barrel would hit him head-on, it veered and the passenger side of the car caved in. The noise deafened Jack. His shock held him suspended.
‘Are you all right, man? Can you get out?’
Jack looked at the policeman, unable to take in what he was saying.
‘Are you hurt, man?’
All he could do was shake his head at such a thing happening, but he’d not let it delay him. He couldn’t. He got out of the car.
‘Hey, where do you think as you’re off to?’
‘I’m all right. I’m not hurt. Look, Constable, I can’t stay. I’ve got to get to Coppery Street.’
‘You’re going nowhere, Mister. You’re the only witness. I need a statement from—’
‘No! I must go. I must – me lass is in great danger. Her life depends on me, please. I’ll come to the station to give evidence . . . please!’
‘What’re you talking of, man? Happen shock’s playing tricks with you. You can’t leave the scene of an accident. Now, what’s your name?’
‘Jack – Jack Fellam. I’ll be in touch.’
‘Hey! Come back here. Well, I . . .’
Jack’s body took on the challenge. His legs gained a speed he’d not thought possible. He was so near. So near . . .
As he turned the corner he could see the shop door. It was closed. He sent up a prayer: Please, God, let me be in time.
‘What the—? Jack Fellam! You bastard, you knew all along where she were! Well, I’ll do the two of you in one go. Come on then, big fella. Let’s see how big you are, with no ma to defend you.’
‘Jack? Jack?’ Megan could only mouth the words. Some comfort came to her.
Jack and Bert both leapt at once. Their bodies landed near her. Her bench crashed to the floor and a loud echoing boom filled her head. The paraffin stove was on its side. Flames flared, snaking round the workbench. Within seconds her rolls of material became flaming torches. Horror engulfed her. Her throat stretched to yell out, but no sound came.
Through the swirl of smoke she could see Bert on top of Jack, his fist raining blows down onto Jack’s face. He couldn’t defend himself. His arms were trapped – one under his own body, the other pinned down by Bert’s knee.
‘Please, God, help him!’
The unbearable heat and smoke was closing in on her and clouding her view of what was happening. She felt a desperate sense of fear for Billy, but then she saw that he wasn’t in the path the flames were taking. But what of Sally . . . oh God! The flames were all around her.
The swirling smoke choked Megan as she crawled towards Sally. Stinging tears streamed from her. But somehow she managed to reach Sally and drag her to the door, with every ounce of her being. Once Sally’s head was outside, Megan’s strength drained from her, but she had to find enough to go back for Billy.
Through the haze of her tears, Megan saw Billy standing behind his dad. He held what looked like a huge, menacing hammer. ‘No, lad . . . no!’ But the words didn’t come out. She had no voice to use. The smoke smarted and stung her nostrils. A blessed blackness took her into its peace.
‘You leaning forward isn’t going to get us there any quicker, Issy. Rest back, woman.’
‘Aye. I know, but I’m scared with every bone in me body.’
‘And with good reason to be.’ Dr Cragshaw shook his head. ‘I’ve not taken in all you’ve told me yet. It was bad enough Megan upping sticks and leaving. Talk was rife then, though it was tempered by the fact as folk were glad for her. But her and Jack! That’s not going to be accepted. Folk are going to be on Bert’s side, even those as despise him. If he murders the pair of them, it’ll be said as he was justified.’
‘I know, Philip lad, I know. But what can I do? I know what you’re saying. It isn’t right, but . . . well, they both deserve some happiness.’
‘I’m Dr Cragshaw now, Issy, not Philip. I know that sounds pompous, but it took me a long time to get the older generation to accept me as their doctor – me being a local lad. But that aside, Megan and Jack do deserve some happiness; and in other circumstances, yes, I can see them together and would be the first to wish them luck. But I can’t as things are, much as I’d like to. I’d be hounded out of my job. Medical Council would—’
‘Take it as understood, Doctor. And I’m sorry me use of your first name offended you, but try as I might, I can’t get the cheeky lad as you used to be out of me head, but that don’t mean as I don’t respect you. I respect you more than anyone I know – you getting your scholarship and doing so well. Anyroad, what you’ve done today in bringing me here will be seen as you going to help your patients. After all, that’s what they all are, and I’ve fetched you to them because they’re all in danger. Right?’
‘Well, put like that, yes. I’m only doing my duty. Now then, which way do I go from here? We’re in Bramley now.’
‘Turn here. Yes, I’m sure it’s—’
As they turned into Coppery Street, Dr Cragshaw slammed on his brakes. ‘Oh no! Is that Megan’s place?’ He didn’t wait for her to answer. ‘Stay here, Issy!’
Issy stared in horror at the flames and smoke belching out of every window of the building. Fear made her body surge forward. She was out of the car and by the doctor’s side in a flash. ‘I’m coming with you. Oh God!’ She looked around her. ‘There’s no car. Jack can’t have got here, he . . .’
The clanging bells drowned out her words. A fire engine screeched to a halt in front of them. Two ambulances followed behind.
‘Stand back now. Come on, everyone, out of the way.’
‘I’m a doctor – Dr Cragshaw. I’m from Breckton and I know the owner of the shop. Is everyone out of the building, do you know?’
‘I’ve had no time to check that, Doc, having only just arrived,’ the policeman answered. ‘I was seeing to another accident, and fella as witnessed it ran off. Said his lass was in danger in Coppery Street. I come as quick as I could and—’
‘Oh God, Doctor, there’s Jack coming out. He’s on fire. Oh, my God! Jack! Jack . . .’
One of the fire officers leapt from the engine and sprinted across the road, taking off his jacket as he did so. In seconds he had Jack on the floor and had smothered him with the jacket.
‘I couldn’t reach . . .’
‘It’s all right, man. It’s all in hand. Don’t worry yourself. Doctor, quick. Over here!’
The doctor was just behind the policeman, as was Issy. Jack’s body was trembling from head to toe. It was impossible to see how badly injured he was, as black soot covered all that was visible of him.
; ‘Oh, Jack. Jack love . . .’
‘All right, Issy, leave him to me.’
Issy stood as if in a trance. She looked from the blackened body of Jack to where an ambulance man was working on Megan, and it seemed as if her world was crashing down around her.
‘There’s another bloke still inside!’
The shout from the fire officer brought her back to reality. Her decision was made in seconds. She could trust Philip with Jack, but she needed to see that the ambulance men were taking proper care of Megan, then see to the young ’uns. She looked over at Billy and Sally. They were sat huddled together on the pavement. Sally, her face covered in blood, sat with her head resting on Billy’s, her arm around his shoulder. Billy was in a daze. His eyes stared out into nowhere and his body trembled all over.
It was two days later that Jack woke. At first he thought he’d had a nightmare, but his pain soon brought him back to reality. ‘Megan, Megan – where . . . ?’
‘It’s all right, Jack. Stay calm. You’re in hospital.’
‘Doctor, Megan’s hurt.’
‘I know. Now I’m here to examine you, Jack. I’ve just—’
‘Is Megan . . . ?’
Dr Cragshaw shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Jack, so sorry, but things look bad for Megan. I can’t honestly say she’ll survive. It’s suspected there may be internal injuries and there’s a very real risk that she’ll develop pneumonia. She’s very weak from loss of blood. Her injuries are – well, I’ve never seen the like. To think as a man could do such a thing to a woman. To anybody, come to that.’
Jack sank into himself. His eyes closed. He swallowed hard to try and stop the stinging tears, but they seeped through and ran freely down his face.
Dr Cragshaw took hold of his hand. ‘You’ve been through a lot, Jack.’ He hesitated and then took a deep breath. ‘I’m afraid there’s more, though. I’m here at the request of the police.’ He turned and for the first time Jack saw two men standing behind him. ‘These men here are detectives. I’m to check you over to see if you are well enough to answer some questions.’
‘Questions? Can’t they wait? I know I’ll have to sort things out. I left an accident just afore I got to Megan, but I had to. I were only just in time, as it was. Are Billy and Sally all right? And Ma? I saw Ma with you.’
‘Billy and Sally are going to be fine. Sally has a nasty gash on her head and they’re both in shock, especially Billy. He seems unable to speak at the moment, but that’s a natural reaction to the horror he witnessed. And Issy? Well, you know Issy. She has some friends supporting her. Hattie and Harry, I think she said their names were.’
‘Oh, thank God. Hattie’ll take care of them all.’
‘Yes, she’s an odd-looking character, but she has a kindness and a level head on her. Now, roll over, Jack, I need to check your dressings. You were lucky. Your burns are only superficial and you seem to have suffered very little from the smoke. Although how you managed that, I don’t know, seeing as you made several trips back into the building and managed to catch your clothes on fire!’
‘I only went back in once. Sally was already by the door. And Billy could hop along whilst holding onto me, and I carried Megan at the same time. When I went back for Bert, flames had blocked me return. I held me breath and tried to get through, but . . .’
‘That’s why you’re to be questioned. You see, Bert – well, he didn’t come through it, and it wasn’t fire or smoke as killed him.’
‘We’ll take over now, thank you, Doctor. Now then, Mr Fellam. It was a bad day’s work, what with fire and cruel beating as lass took. But more seriously than that, a man is dead, and he didn’t die from natural causes, neither. So what light can you throw on that matter, sir?
‘I – I don’t know. I mean . . . what killed him? I tried to get him out. I couldn’t reach him: the smoke, the fire . . . How did he die?’
‘Couldn’t reach him? Or didn’t want to, because you knew he was already dead, eh? Knew blows as you landed him had done for him? Isn’t that how it was? Nice and convenient if his body was burned up and no evidence to trace. Isn’t that what really happened, eh?’
‘No! No.’
The larger of the two men, who hadn’t spoken until now, moved forward and sat on the end of the bed.
‘It must have been a terrible scene – lass being beaten, young ’uns crying and scared, and the man causing it all half-crazed and capable of anything. No one would blame you. What did you use? And what happened to the weapon?’
Jack didn’t answer. Billy’s face, and the evil intention he’d seen in it, flashed into his mind. Oh God! Billy had killed his dad! Aye, and meant to an’ all . . . Oh God!
‘You and lass were having an affair, was you? Nice and convenient to have her husband out of the way, eh? And if body can burn an’ all – well, the perfect crime.’
‘No!’
‘What then? Young lass wasn’t one as you went to save, was she? Oh, we know you went there intentionally to save someone, as you told policeman at the accident scene. In a state, you were. Desperate.’
‘I . . . no, not Sally. Megan. She’d left Bert – he found out where she was. He was going to kill her. I had to stop him.’
‘It wasn’t enough just to restrain him, though, was it? Most would say as he was in his rights. His missus got what was coming to her – that is, except you, Fellam. You had other motives. Saw an opportunity, didn’t you? Kill him. Get him out of the road and set the fire to cover up your crime. And all under the guise of wanting to save this Megan, your mistress! Folk’d see you as a hero and the path would be clear.’
‘We – we fought. Paraffin heater got toppled. It were an accident.’
‘Oh no! Bloke wasn’t killed by accident or as a result of fighting, nor fire. It was blows you landed. Remember? Vicious blows to the back of his head. Blows that were meant to kill him.’
‘I didn’t mean to kill him – just stop him. He were raging. I didn’t mean . . .’
‘Jack Fellam, I am arresting you for the murder of Albert Armitage. You do not have to say anything . . .’
Jack didn’t register what the detective said to him, after the first statement. Fear and shock held him rigid, his terror intensified by the thought that he could be hanged for this. Megan . . . Megan, oh God! He looked over to where the doctor was, registering the look of horror on his face. ‘I didn’t mean to, Doctor, I—’
Dr Cragshaw shook his head. ‘Oh, Jack, no. No!’
PART SEVEN
The Coping
1930
45
Taking the Blame
The clanging of the prison gates grated on Jack’s nerves. Each set he went through underlined his dread. He was being taken to the visitors’ room, where Dr Cragshaw was waiting to see him. Please, God, don’t let him be coming with bad news.
But then why else would they allow him to visit? They’d not let him have any visitors since he’d been formally charged with Bert’s murder. They’d said it was on account of all the folk who could visit him being witnesses; or, in the case of Hattie, they refused her because she had the witnesses staying with her.
‘Jack. How are you, man?’
‘I don’t know, to tell the truth, Doctor. I’m in a kind of trance most of the time. I can’t feel anything or think on things.’
‘That’ll be the shock. It’s a funny thing, is shock. It can in some ways protect us from what we have to face.’
‘What do I have to face, Doctor? Have you come with news? Is Megan . . . ?’
‘Megan’s doing well. She’s out of hospital and is at her friend Hattie’s house, and as you can imagine, she is being looked after well by Issy and Hattie. There are two women living in a flat at the back who seem to know Megan and Issy well, and they are helping. And, of course, Megan is helping her own recovery. She’s a very strong and determined young woman and wants to get better, so that she can support you. In fact she’s shocked us all with how quickly she is getting better. Not to say
she hasn’t still a long way to go, but she will win through.’
‘Oh, thank God! Thank God.’ Jack sank into the chair and put his head into his hands. He’d not cried since he’d been in this awful place, but now it was as if he was a babby again. Sobs racked his body.
‘Let it all out, Jack. It’ll do you good. Help you to break free of the shock, and help you to make decisions about your future.’
‘How can I do that? Me future isn’t in me own hands.’
‘Yes, it is. Look, I haven’t got long – I am meant to assess you medically, but I came chiefly to give you news and, in my opinion, you knowing what is going on will help your health, especially your mental health.’
‘Thank you, Doctor. Tell me how everyone is.’
‘I’ll not go into detail.’ The doctor told him how everyone was coping as best they could, and that the young ’uns had been told he was away at work, so as not to worry them. ‘Billy is worrying us all. He hasn’t spoken a word since it happened. It’s the shock. As I said, it can affect us in different ways. But Sarah is paying him a lot of attention and looking after him like he was a babby. I’m just leaving him alone at the moment. His physical health is fine. These things often resolve themselves, with time.’
This news gave Jack mixed feelings. Part of him was glad the lad wasn’t having to face the truth of what he’d done. But what that means for me doesn’t bear thinking on.
‘I have other news,’ the doctor continued. ‘And I need you to give me your agreement to it. Mrs Harvey—’
‘I want nothing to do with her! She caused all this. She is the real murderer! Only it was Megan as she wanted to see dead.’
‘Listen, Jack. She is what she is. Aye, I know the whole story. And you’re right, this was her doing, though I’m going to speak straight. You know that’s my nature. You, Jack, must shoulder some of the responsibility. Lady Crompton tells me Laura fell in love with you, and you knew and didn’t take her feelings into account. In the eyes of her family, you dropped her without as much as a by-your-leave and went on to your next conquest.’