A Kind of Hush

by Richard A. Johnson

  'Hold it, Si,' I said. 'There's no problem, honest.'

  Mrs Simmonds opened her door.

  'Yes,' she said. 'Who is it?'

  'Hello, Maisy,' I said. 'It's me, Stu.'

  'Hello, boy,' she said grinning, 'I haven't seen you for ages, how are you?'

  'I'm fine thanks, Maisy, how are you?'

  'Ooh, mustn't grumble you know. How's Jenny and Alison? Your dad says that you're all living with your granny in Brighton now, nice Brighton is, I went there once you know, are you anywhere near the beach?'

  I swallowed hard, the bastard had covered everything.

  ' Yeah, not far from the beach, Maisy, you'll have to come down some time, I'm sure the girls would like to see you.'

  'Ah, that is nice of you, I'd like that. Anyway, what can I do for you, love?' she said.

  'I was supposed to pick up Cheri at five o'clock to take her home,' I said. 'But my motor broke down and now the old man's gone out and I can't get in.'

  'He didn't say anything to me, Stu,' she said. 'But then again he's not noted for his memory is he?'

  'No,' I said. 'He'd forget his head if it weren't screwed on.'

  She gave out with a cackle-type laugh.

  'Can you lend me your key for a second, Maisy, I'd like to get her back to her mum before it gets too late.'

  'Course you can, love.'

  'Cheers, Maisy,' I said. 'And if you can tell him when he gets back that I made it after all, I'd be grateful.'

  'Ooh, I don't think that I'll be seeing him tonight, love,' she said. 'You know what he gets like on a Friday night, I doubt he'd notice. Anyway, between you and me, if you don't mind me saying so, I'm glad that you're taking the kiddie home, she's not happy here, always crying.'

  'Thanks, sweetheart,' I said. 'I'll bung the key back through the letterbox when I've finished, bye now.'

  'No, you leave it on the hall table,' she said. 'With the baby gone, I don't need it any more. Take care and give my love to the girls. Bye bye, darling,' she said and went in and shut the door.

  I opened the door and me and Si walked in. It stank of stale tobacco and booze. I felt terrible. I was shaking like a leaf and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. I could feel that shitty bloke all over that shitty house.

  'Let's find her and get the fuck out of here,' I said.

  We started to check the rooms. She was in the bedroom, in a cot in the corner. We couldn't miss her, she needed changing and the smell was breath-stopping.

  'I'll see to her,' said Si. 'I change my uncle's kids all the time when I'm there. You start packing.'

  I was grateful to him for that. I didn't want to see what I thought I might, if you know what I mean. He said she was awake, but that she looked frightened. He finished changing her, then he wrapped her in a blanket and hugged her tightly.

  I looked around and pulled a big suitcase down from the top of the wardrobe. It was heavy, so I unlocked it and tipped the contents out on to the floor. It was full of magazines, hundreds of magazines and every one of them had pictures of kids being screwed. I felt sick.

  'Burn 'em,' said Si.

  'No time,' I said. 'Let's just get out of here.'

  I threw as many baby things as I could into the suitcase and forced it shut. We started to leave.

  'Hang on a minute,' I said and went back to the wardrobe.

  'What're you doing now?' asked Si.

  'Just watch,' I said as I moved the wardrobe out from the corner and pulled up the carpet. Underneath was a loose floorboard. I lifted it up and took out a biscuit tin. It felt heavy.

  'Let's go, Si,' I said as I stuffed the tin under my arm and grabbed the case.

  Pete and Den got out and walked down to the pub.

  'See you later, guys and don't be late,' they said as they left.

  Si got into the back with Cheri as I threw the case into the boot. I jumped into the car and drove off.

  Through Crouch End Broadway and up Hornsey Lane to Highgate Hill. I cut a left, down the hill a bit, then turned right into the hospital and stopped.

  'Hang on a sec,' I said to Si as I jumped out and ran to the reception desk.

  'I've got an urgent message for one of your patients,' I said to the security bloke. 'Could you please give it to the ward sister for her?'

  'Sure, son,' he said as he took the envelope from my outstretched hand.

  'Cheers, mate,' I said as I turned and zoomed back to the motor. The note said: 'No sweat Toots, Cheri's home and safe. Luv Stu.'

  I drove back up the hill and down the other side to the North Circular, followed it all the way round to Hanger Lane, turned right at the roundabout and up into Greenford.

  Jen was waiting at the window as we arrived and came rushing out.

  'Was it okay?' she asked.

  'Fine,' I replied.

  She took Cheri from Si and carried her inside, Si and me followed with the case and biscuit tin. Beryl was in the kitchen. She had just finished pouring some boiling water into the teapot.

  'I reckon that you can do with one of these darling,' she said.

  'Sit yourselves down and I'll get some cups/

  'Cheers, Beryl,' I said. 'You're a life saver.'

  I introduced her to Si and we sat down.

  'How's the kiddie?' she asked.

  'I don't know,' I said. 'I haven't had time to even look at her yet.' It was then that I realised that Cheri hadn't made a sound since we'd picked her up.

  'Jen?' I said, looking over at her. Cheri was sitting on her lap trying to hide her head in Jen's chest.

  'She seems okay,' said Jen. 'Just a bit frightened.'

  'Thank Christ,' I said. 'I thought for a minute there that he had . . . that she was . . . well, you know.'

  'Yeah, I know,' said Jen hugging Cheri tightly.

  'My sister's a district nurse,' said Beryl. 'She only lives up the road. I'll get her to pop in tomorrow and give the kiddie the onceover.' She looked at my face and added, 'Don't worry, darling, she can be trusted.' I smiled at her and nodded.

  I opened the suitcase and Beryl started going through the stuff that I had thrown inside.

  'We're going to have to get her some more things,' she said. 'Nappies, though I would have thought that she would have been well out of those by now. Clothes, talc, shampoo, you know, bits and bobs.'

  'No need to worry about paying for them,' I said, 'I've got enough here.'

  'Jesus, that's his tin,' said Jen.

  'Yep,' I said. I had opened the tin and it was crammed full of notes.

  'You count it,' I said. 'We've got to go.' Si and me said our goodbyes and left.

  Chapter Thirteen

  When we got back to the pub, the van was gone. I gunned the engine and we raced to Hackney.

  I drove around to the back of the old Shanks factory and saw Mick’s van parked by the loading-bay doors. I stopped and we got out. Next to the doors was a large broken window, blood was on the sill and running down the wall. We heard noises coming from inside, so we climbed through. There was a light coming from a door across the loading-bay area. We walked over quietly.

  Inside were the lads. Mick and Alan were talking.

  ‘But you could have killed him,’ said Mick.

  ‘Serves the shit right,’ said Alan. ‘It was a stupid thing to do.’

  Lying in the corner on a pile of cardboard was my old man. He was making kind of wailing noises and muttering, ‘You didn’t need to do that, I was going to do as you said, you didn’t need to do that.’ The left leg of his trousers was torn and bloodstained.

  ‘What happened?’ I asked.

  Mick turned to me. ‘Hello mate,’ he said, ‘how’d it go?’

  ‘Triffic,’ I said, ‘but what happened here?’

  'Stupid bastard tried to run, so Alan threw him through the window,' said Mick.

  Fucking brilliant it was,' said Pete. 'Just like Superman.'

  'Has he said anything yet?' I asked.

  'No,' said Mick. 'I thought w
e'd wait for you before we got started.'

  The old man had become aware of a new voice and fell silent. His glasses were smashed so he couldn't make out any faces, but I felt that he knew who I was. There was no going back now. I moved over to him.

  'You know me?' I asked.

  'Yeah,' he sneered. Pete and Den tightened their grip on his arms.

  'Fucking hell!' he shouted. 'That hurts.'

  'That's tough,' I said. 'Now just tell me what I want to know.'

  'Bollocks!' he growled.

  'Naughty, naughty,' said Wivva and he lightly tapped him on the nose with a club hammer that he'd brought with him.

  'Shit! Take it easy,' yelped the old man. 'You could hurt someone with that.'

  'Bloody hell,' said Wivva. 'I never knew that. Did you know that, Den?'

  'Live and learn, don't you,' said Den.

  'You do indeed,' said Wivva. 'You do indeed.'

  'Let's make him a bit more comfortable,' I said as I looped a length of rope around his right ankle and tied the other end to the bottom of a storage rack. Tony did the same with his left leg and Pete and Den with his arms to other parts of the rack.

  The old man was now completely helpless. He reminded me a bit of a rat that we had pinned out at school for dissection.

  'Are we gonna talk now, or are you just gonna fuck about?' I asked.

  'You shouldn't talk to your old dad like that, son,' he said. 'You remember what I used to do when you got stroppy.'

  'Oh, I remember all right,' I said. 'I've still got the scars and I see you've still got the belt.'

  He grinned.

  I undid his belt and pulled it from him.

  'You couldn't do it,' he said mockingly. I folded the belt in half and whipped it hard across his face.

  'All right! All right!' he yelped. 'What d'you want?'

  'Straight answers to straight questions,' I said.

  'Okay,' he said. 'But just keep that mad fucker away from me.'

  He looked over at Wivva. Wivva laughed.

  'First some information for you,' I said. 'Jenny's safe.'

  'I know all about her, the whore,' he spat. 'Gus is gonna have your balls for that.'

  I hit him again. I was stunned that he could still be so arrogant. He shut up.

  'Like I said. Jenny is safe and Ali is being looked after and when she leaves hospital both her and Jenny will be living with me; you'll never see them again.'

  'That's fine with me,' he said, 'the gutless cows never did appreciate all I did for them.'

  He was making us all very angry and the stupid bastard never even saw it.

  'About the baby,' I said.

  'I never touched her!' he shrieked. 'It wasn't me, I didn't do it!'

  I froze, my mouth stopped working, I sensed all of us tensing up.

  'Who did?' asked Mick, giving the impression that he knew what the old man was talking about.

  'It wasn't me!' he yelled again, then said, 'I let him take her out for the day and when he brought her back, she ... she . . .'

  I looked over at Si.

  'Sorry, Stu,' he said. 'There was some blood in her nappy when I changed her, I couldn't tell you. I did tell Beryl though, she's going to get her checked out.'

  'Bastard!' I hissed at the old man. 'Who?'

  'Gus,' he said. 'It was Gus.' He then started wheezing.

  'Where is he? How can I get him?' I asked.

  'No chance, he'll fucking crucify me,' he said.

  'Now that's a good idea,' said Wivva and produced from his pocket a handful of six-inch nails. 'Always come prepared, that's what I say,' said Wivva. 'No good 'aving an 'ammer wiv no nails is it?'

  The old man's eyes widened in terror.

  'Come on,' he said, his voice trembling. 'You're not serious are you, boys?'

  'Right hand first,' I said. 'That's the one he wanks with.'

  Pete and Den spread out his hand as Wivva moved over, placed a nail in the centre of it and raised the hammer. He slammed down hard and drove the nail through his hand deep into the floorboard underneath. The old man screamed.

  'Tell me,' I said. 'Where is he?'

  'Please,' he moaned. 'Please don't. . .'

  I took the hammer from Wiwa and moved to the other hand. Wiwa tossed me a nail. I placed it in his palm and swung the hammer down hard, the nail bent as it bit deep through his flesh and into the floor. He passed out. I felt nothing for him. No horror, no shock, nothing but intense hate. I wanted him to wake up so that I could start on him again.

  Take a break,' said Mick. Alan produced some cans, we all took one, those that smoked lit up. We sat quiet for about ten minutes. Tony flicked on his portable cassette, my music was on it this time. Chris Rea, 'Road To Hell'. It seemed just about right.

  'He's gotta tell us,' I said.

  'Let me try,' said Mick as he got up and went outside. He came back with a large red can and started to pour petrol over the old bastard's head and body. Coughing and spluttering he woke up.

  'Please,' he wailed. 'Please let me go. I won't tell anyone, I promise.'

  'What can you smell?' Mick asked him softly.

  'W - W - What,' he spluttered.

  'What can you smell?' Mick repeated.

  He sniffed and sniffed again. Recognition hit him like a thunderbolt.

  'No, no, please, you can't do that!' he screamed.

  'You've got something to tell us,' said Mick, raising his eyebrow.

  'Okay,' he said, 'okay. It's in a tin I've hidden. There's a diary. Everything you want's in there. Names, addresses, even how much they've paid me over the years. There's money there too. It's yours if you let me go, over ten grand there is, you can live good on ten grand you know. Let me go and I'll take^you there, you'll never find it without me.'

  Si and me looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  'What's so funny?' asked Mick.

  'I've got it,' I said still laughing. 'I remembered his little hidey-hole from when I was a kid and I cleaned it out when I picked up Cheri.'

  'Well, fuck my old boots,' said Mick. 'After all that. So what do we do now?' He turned to me.

  'You guys go outside,' I said. 'I'll finish off in here.'

  Mick looked at my eyes, nodded and said, 'Sure mate, come on fellas.'

  They checked to make sure that they had left nothing behind and left me with him.

  I sat cross-legged beside his head.

  'Before I go,' I said, 'there's a few things that I have to say to you. You've done your best to make mine and the girls' lives as miserable as you can and all just so you can get what you want. You don't give a shit about us, you don't give a shit about anyone but you, you don't deserve to live. This is for Alison and Jenny and me. But most of all, this is for little Cheri.' I pulled out Chef's lighter, lit him and left.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‘Fourteen fire appliances fought a blaze at an abandoned factory building in Hackney during the night. The fire, thought to have been started by vandals, gutted most of the three-storey building and spread to heathland adjoining the site. Local residents’ spokesman Mr John Poole said, “It came as no surprise. We have been expecting something like this to happen for a long time.” He called for the Council and the police to increase their security patrols on sites such as this.’

  Beryl turned down the telly and passed me the tin.

  ‘We haven’t even looked at it yet,’ she said. ‘We’ve been kept pretty busy what with Cheri and everything.’

  ‘How is she?’ I asked.

  ‘She’s going to be fine,’ said Beryl. ‘My sister gave her a full going over. She’s a bit undernourished and has a rather nasty anal fissure, that’s a tear in her bum, but she said that lots of kids get that who suffer from constipation and then strain themselves too much. She’s left us some medication for it and some vitamins and tonic. She’s also left me a diet sheet so that we can get her weight back up again.’

  ‘But she’s so quiet,’ I said.

  'Not surprising,
given the life the poor kid's had,' said Beryl.

  'Jen tells me that your father would give her a clump if she so much as opened her mouth. She's just learned, in the nastiest way possible, to stay quiet. Give her some time and hopefully she'll be a bouncing healthy child again.'

  'I hope so,' I said. 'I hope so.'

  I turned the tin over and emptied the contents on to the table. I picked out the cash and passed it to Jen for counting while I went through what was left. There was the diary. It was a large leather-bound book. I quickly flicked through it then put it aside for later. What was left was an Abbey National passbook which had two thousand, four hundred and thirty-two pounds in it. Stapled to the inside cover in a little envelope was his cashpoint card complete with pin number. That was handy, I thought. There was also a bunch of keys with a label tied to them, a Rolex watch, and it was genuine, a solid gold fob-watch that looked very old, a membership card for a club called Fotojoy UK, and finally, a fucking awful picture of him with Ali and Jen taken when they were obviously a lot younger. I slipped the picture into my pocket out of Jen's sight. I was going to destroy it later.

  Jen had finished counting the money and sat back stunned.

  'How much?' I asked.

  'I can't believe it,' she said. 'He was always so broke. There's thirteen thousand, nine hundred and sixty pounds here. Where did he get it?'

  'God knows,' I said. 'But it's yours now, yours, Ali's and Cheri's.'

  'I couldn't,' she said. 'What if he wants it back?'

  'He won't want it back Jen. He's gone away for good, and won't ever be back. The only decent thing that he ever did, before he left, was to tell me to give you all the money.'

  Beryl looked at me in that knowing way that she has, but she said nothing. Then she hugged Jen and said, 'We can do some real shopping tomorrow, sweetheart. You, me and Cheri.' Jen's face lit up, the way that a kid's face should when they get a surprise present. It was great to see her smiling.

  'Are you sure?' she asked me.

  'Would I lie?' I said, holding my palms up. She playfully tapped my head with a bundle of notes, and laughed.

  I said my goodbyes and left, taking with me everything from the tin but the money. I went back to Mick's. 1 tried the cashcard on the way. It worked. I arrived at Mick's with my arms full of takeaways and booze.