Payback

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘’Course not. I like you, Vinny. Now let’s get under them covers, shall we? It’s turned cold tonight.’

  When Shazza began to take her clothes off, Little Vinny awkwardly did the same. The only real live naked woman he had ever seen was Joanna, after he accidentally walked into the bathroom as she was stepping out of the shower. Apart from that it was just the ones in the magazines that he and Ben sometimes stole from the local newsagent.

  Shazza was rather taken aback when, as soon as she laid down, Little Vinny leapt straight on top of her and, without any foreplay at all, immediately rammed his penis inside her. She was even more taken aback when he came within seconds, rolled off her, then declared his undying love.

  Queenie and Vivian arrived back from the amusement arcade just in time to see Molly called onto the stage. ‘What’s she singing, Jo?’ Queenie asked, as Vinny proudly held his daughter’s hand and led her towards the stage.

  ‘That song you taught her. I think she’s going to do a bit of tap dancing too, but I doubt that will be very good seeing as she’s only been to three lessons,’ Joanna chuckled. She had felt awkward earlier on when Vinny had been ignoring her, but when his mum and aunt had left the table, he had been quite pleasant towards her, which had cheered Jo up no end.

  ‘Hello, Molly. How old are you?’ the compere asked.

  ‘I’m three, and I’m singing a song for my nan,’ Molly replied, remembering what her dad had told her to say.

  ‘And is your nan here tonight?’

  Molly pointed towards the table where Queenie was sitting. ‘Yeah, my nan is here with Auntie Viv, my mum, Dad, and Molly Dolly.’

  Aware of the laughs and claps the cute little girl was getting from the audience, the compere asked who Molly Dolly was.

  ‘Dad, show Charlie Molly Dolly,’ Molly shouted over the microphone, much to the amusement of the audience.

  It was Vivian who grabbed the doll off the chair and waved it in the air.

  ‘My dad named her after me,’ Molly explained proudly.

  Chuckling, the compere asked Molly what song she would be singing.

  Without even answering, a confident Molly grabbed the microphone off Charlie Case and sang the golden oldie ‘You Are My Sunshine’. When she did a little shuffle hop and a twirl in the middle of the song, the audience roared with laughter, while clapping frantically at the same time.

  As he sat watching the adulation his niece was receiving, Michael Butler was fuming. He had been so chuffed when Adam had got up and sung a song for his granddad. It had been the first time Michael had seen his dad smile properly since Dorothy’s death, and he was sure his son would have won the competition had Vinny not pissed on his parade, as usual.

  When Molly finished her song and received a standing ovation, Michael saw both Vinny and his mother smirking in his and his father’s direction. Absolutely livid, he knocked back his drink in one, then stomped off to the bar to get another.

  Christopher Walker had never been a man to frequent pubs, especially of an evening when all the riff-raff were about. His nickname at work had once been ‘Boring Chris’, such was his dislike for socializing, but tonight he found himself sitting in a boozer alone.

  Going out with Olivia and her parents had been a no-go after his meeting with Ahmed. For one thing, he couldn’t think straight. And secondly, both Olivia and her father would have known something was very wrong.

  To say Christopher’s mind was mashed up was putting it mildly. He thought back to his training at Hendon Police College. He had worked so hard there, and had carried on in the same vein ever since to get to where he was today. Now, he was facing the biggest decision of his career. Should he go it alone and try to arrest Vinny Butler himself? Or should he let a superior or Olivia’s father in on the plan – and risk Ahmed blowing his dirty secret from the past wide open?

  Christopher put his tired head in his hands. He would sleep on it and make his difficult choice in the morning.

  Since Molly had been announced the winner of the talent competition, Michael had been knocking back the booze like there was no tomorrow. Sensing he was in a foul mood, Nancy pleaded, ‘Let’s go back to the bungalow, eh Michael? The boys are tired.’

  Whereas in London he would have had no choice but to escort his family home, Kings was an extremely safe place for women and children to walk about alone at night, so Michael told her to go on without him. ‘I want to speak to that cock of a brother of mine, and I’d rather you and the boys not be here when I do so.’

  Overhearing the conversation, Albie grabbed his son’s arm. ‘Leave it, Michael. I know Adam was upset he didn’t win, but he’ll be fine tomorrow. Don’t rise to the bait, your brother isn’t worth it.’

  Still livid that his brother had also grassed him up to his father for taking cocaine, Michael told his dad to keep out of it, then turned back to his wife. ‘Just do as I say, Nance. Take the boys home, now,’ he demanded.

  Knowing that something was about to kick off, Nancy quickly rounded the boys up and led them out of the club.

  Over on the other side of the club, Vinny Butler was bouncing Molly up and down on his knee as yet another couple came across to fawn over his beautiful, talented daughter.

  ‘However did she learn all the words to such an old song at a young age?’ the grey-haired lady asked.

  Also beaming with pride were Joanna, Queenie and Vivian. ‘Me and my sister taught her to sing it, didn’t we, Viv?’ Queenie said proudly.

  ‘Yep. We’ve taught her loads of songs. She knows all the words to “Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner”, too – don’t you, Molly?’ said Vivian.

  ‘Shall I sing it now, Auntie Viv?’ Molly asked, thoroughly enjoying being in the limelight.

  ‘No, darling. You can enter the competition another time and sing that,’ Joanna said, stroking her daughter’s curly blonde hair.

  For the first time in ages, an inebriated Vinny squeezed Joanna’s hand and looked at her with genuine affection in his eyes. It might have been a game to him, snaring Jo just to piss off her father, but even so, they had produced the most beautiful child between them. ‘Created a future superstar, we have, babe,’ Vinny stated proudly.

  Thrilled by Vinny’s rare display of affection, Joanna was stopped from replying by Michael marching towards them with a face like thunder. ‘Happy now, are ya, Vin? Sobbing his little heart out, my boy was. You are one sick cunt at times, do you know that?’

  Seeing the elderly couple who had been fawning over Molly flee, Joanna dashed to the toilets with her daughter in her arms before the child could witness yet another scene.

  Vinny smirked. ‘Dunno what you’re talking about. I never picked the winner. Not my fault if the audience found my daughter more entertaining than your son, is it? You pissed, Michael? Or you been on the white stuff again?’

  ‘You fucking arsehole,’ Michael yelled, lunging towards his brother.

  ‘Stop it! Everybody’s looking. You’ll get us barred,’ Queenie shrieked.

  As frail as he now was compared to his strapping son, Albie somehow managed to hold Michael back. ‘Let’s go, boy. Come on. He’s not worth it.’

  Queenie glared at Albie. ‘That’s rich, coming from you. You’re the most worthless excuse for a man God ever put breath in. As for you, Michael, you’re drunk – and no wonder, being around him all evening. And what’s all this about white stuff, eh? What bloody white stuff?’

  ‘Cocaine, Muvver. Had a problem with it for a while after Roy and Champ died, but I’ve knocked it on the head now.’

  Unable to control her displeasure, Queenie forgot that all the people on nearby tables had stopped watching the resident band and were now watching the chaos her family were causing. ‘You stupid little bastard! How dare you blacken this family’s name by taking drugs? As for blaming it on Roy and Champ’s deaths, that’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. Bloody ashamed to call you my son, I am. And I bet Vinny is ashamed to call you his brother.’

 
; ‘Come on, boy. Leave it. You don’t need all this,’ Albie said, tugging his son’s arm to try to lead him out of the club.

  Vivian was the next to jump out of her seat. She had always been overprotective of her sister, especially when Albie was involved. ‘Like father, like bleedin’ son, Queen. You was always going to get one who had that tosser’s genes.’

  Vinny suddenly sobered up very quickly and realized the error of his ways. He’d had no idea when he had said the words ‘white stuff’ that Michael would actually blurt out the truth. ‘Look, I’m sorry. This is my fault. Let’s just all calm down, eh?’

  Michael had a dangerous glint in his eye. ‘Why? Worried your own sordid secrets are going to come out now, are you, Vin? If only Mum and Auntie Viv knew what a lying piece of shit you really are.’

  Queenie pushed Michael in the chest. ‘Don’t you dare talk to your brother like that. You’re the bloody junkie, not him. Vinny is no liar.’

  Michael chuckled. A nasty evil chuckle it was too. ‘Really, Mum. Well, why don’t you ask golden boy who was really driving the car on that night Champ died, eh? Because it wasn’t Ahmed, that’s for sure.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Holidaymakers screamed and fled in terror as the fight broke out. ‘You no good cuntbag. I trusted you,’ Vinny yelled. Then he punched Michael so hard, he landed backwards on a nearby table, smashing every glass in the process.

  With a deranged expression on his face, Michael charged at Vinny and knocked him flying across the dancefloor.

  ‘Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!’ Queenie shouted as she leapt out of her chair and began hitting both of her sons over the head with her handbag.

  The bouncers, who had been keeping a watchful eye on the Butler family for the past ten minutes, quickly waded in. But they hadn’t bargained on Vinny’s strength.

  The resident band were playing George Baker’s ‘Una Paloma Blanca’ and quickly stopped mid-tune when they saw Vinny smash a bottle over the head of one of the bouncers.

  Anxious to protect Kings’ reputation as a fun-loving family holiday park, Charlie Case leapt on stage to assure all guests that this unfortunate situation would soon be under control.

  It was too. As soon as more bouncers intervened, Vinny and Michael were put into headlocks and marched from the premises.

  Queenie looked around. She spotted Joanna in tears, hugging Molly, and Albie standing beside her. She ran towards them. ‘Where’s Vivvy?’

  Albie looked at the woman he had once married. His voice thick with hatred, he asked, ‘Where do you think she is after finding out news like that, eh? Did you know it was Vinny who was driving that car?’

  ‘Don’t be daft! I don’t believe it. Michael was drunk, talking bollocks – and it was you who got him in that state.’

  Albie shook his head. ‘Michael told me, Queen. Just before he marched over to your table. He said that Vinny turned up at his house covered in blood on the night in question, asking him for an alibi. You really need to take your head out from up your arse and see our eldest son for what he really is.’

  Queenie’s face was ashen. The fight had broken out so quickly that she’d had no time to think about the possibility that Michael was telling the truth, or the consequences for the rest of the family.

  ‘What’s Vinny meant to have done?’ Joanna asked, both tearful and bemused.

  Before anybody had a chance to answer Joanna’s question, two bouncers walked over, ordered the family to leave the club and told them they would not be welcome back.

  Outside the club entrance, Vivian was in pieces. When she saw Vinny being led to a waiting police car by the bouncers, she flew at him like a mad woman. ‘You lying, no good fucker. You killed my Lenny. It was you who murdered my baby,’ she screamed, pummelling her nephew with both of her tiny fists.

  Vinny knew the game was up. There was no point trying to worm his way out of this one. ‘I’m so sorry, Auntie Viv, but it’s not what you think. I’ll explain everything in full, I promise,’ he said in a choked-up voice, as a copper shoved his head into the back of a patrol car.

  When the car door slammed, Vivian spat at the window next to where her nephew was sitting. ‘Don’t you come anywhere near me or try to speak to me ever again. You’re dead to me, Vinny. Dead!’

  Nancy had just put the boys to bed when her bloodied husband arrived back at the bungalow with Albie in tow. ‘Oh my God! Whatever happened? Did Vinny do this to you?’

  ‘Pour me and Dad a brandy, love,’ Michael ordered as he took his jacket off and flopped onto the sofa. His head was banging, his face badly bruised, his suit and shirt were ruined, and he was sure he had shards of glass stuck in his back.

  ‘I’m still in shock, son. I always knew Vinny was rotten to the core, but this is still hard to take in. Poor Lenny. Much as I dislike your Auntie Viv, my heart actually went out to her back there.’

  Nancy handed Michael and Albie their drinks. ‘Can somebody please explain to me what the hell has happened?’

  Michael put his battered face in his hands. ‘I should never have blurted it out like that. What the hell have I done?’ he mumbled.

  ‘Don’t you dare blame yourself. The only thing you did wrong was backing that bastard’s lies in the first place. But I know how manipulative Vinny can be, so don’t you be beating yourself up about it,’ Albie told his son.

  Becoming more exasperated by the second, Nancy repeated her previous question.

  Michael had tears rolling down his cheeks when he lifted his head and looked at his wife. ‘It wasn’t Ahmed driving the car that killed Champ. It was Vinny.’

  Nancy put her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t been this shocked since her idol Marc Bolan died.

  Vivian felt as though she was in a complete trance as she walked back towards the bungalow. It was like reliving Lenny’s death all over again and she felt sick to the stomach.

  Joanna and Queenie looked worriedly at one another when Vivian started to mumble expletives.

  ‘What does cunt mean, Mummy?’ Molly asked.

  ‘“Hunt”, Auntie Viv said. She was talking about the cat that just passed us hunting for food,’ Joanna replied.

  ‘Where’s Daddy, Mummy?’

  ‘Daddy’s had to pop out somewhere, but he’ll be back soon, darling.’

  ‘They should lock the bastard up and throw away the key,’ Vivian spat.

  Joanna still did not have a clue what was going on, but it didn’t take a genius to work out that whatever Vinny had supposedly done was very bad. She wanted to ask, but was nervous of Molly picking up on things. In truth, she was even more afraid of hearing the answer to her question.

  ‘Where you going?’ Queenie asked, when her sister started to walk in the opposite direction.

  ‘Well, I ain’t sleeping in there ever again, that’s for sure. Murdering, lying cunt, that son of yours is, and if I set eyes on him again tonight, I swear I will stick a knife straight through him.’

  Seeing the horrified realization dawn on Joanna’s face, Queenie urged her to take Molly inside, then turned back to her sister. ‘Look, Viv, we don’t even know if it’s true yet. Michael was pissed and Albie is a born liar, you know that as well as I do.’

  ‘Vinny admitted it to me before they put him in the police car. You was still inside the club, Queen, but his face said it all. There was guilt written all over ’im.’

  Queenie was a woman who rarely cried. But her family meant the world to her. Always had and always would, so she couldn’t stop the tears now rolling down her cheeks. ‘I’m so sorry, Viv, I really am. But I know my Vinny – there must be a reason why he lied. He loved Lenny, you know he did.’

  Vivian let out a loud sarcastic chuckle. ‘Oh, of course there’s a reason, Queen. Probably the same reason he dragged his best pal’s dying body into the driver’s seat. To save his own fucking skin.’

  Vinny Butler laid down on the uncomfortable blue mattress and stared at the ceiling. For all his wrongdoings in the past, it was a
rare occurrence for him to spend the night in a police cell and he was discovering that it certainly gave one time to reflect on matters.

  The Old Bill had told him he would be interviewed in the morning, but Vinny couldn’t have cared less whether the bouncer he had bottled was hurt or not. The only thoughts pulsating through his mind concerned the repercussions of his awful secret being exposed, and what effect that would have on his relationship with those he truly loved.

  Real men did not cry, so when Vinny felt the tears forming in his eyes, he sat up and punched the graffitied wall. Now he’d had time to sober up and collect his thoughts, he knew that his brother was not entirely to blame for the unfortunate events of last night. Michael had stuck by him through thick and thin in the past, and Vinny knew if he hadn’t goaded him by forcing Molly onto the stage and hinting to their mum about his brother’s drug problem, Michael would never have blurted out what he did.

  However, Vinny was never one to admit that he was in the wrong. Michael had started it by insulting their beloved mother at a time when he was already riled up because of Johnny Preston’s release and Little Vinny running away from home.

  Remembering the look of hatred on his aunt’s face and the words she had yelled as he sat in the back of the police car, the tears finally rolled down Vinny’s cheeks. His mum and Auntie Viv meant the world to him and ever since he was a young lad he’d done his utmost to make them happy. His generosity had given them a life of luxury that most of their neighbours in Whitechapel could only dream of. Surely, once he explained things properly, his mum and aunt would understand why he had lied. Wouldn’t they?

  Back at Kings Holiday Park, Michael sat with his head in his hands as his mother and aunt fired questions at him.

  Nancy was in the bedroom with the boys, so it was Albie who put an arm around his son’s shoulders and stuck up for him. For years, Albie had allowed his wife and her witch of a sister to rule the roost, but Dorothy had taught him his worth and he was not about to bow down to that pair ever again.