‘Don’t you dare be having a dig at Michael, either of you. Between the pair of yous, you created a monster called Vinny. Now you’re reaping the consequences of your greed.’
Queenie was dumbstruck by Albie’s sudden transformation. What had happened to the weak ferret of a man she once knew? Had he undergone some kind of personality transplant?
It was left to Vivian to give Albie what for. ‘Greed! What the hell you on about? What has greed got to do with Vinny killing my Lenny, and Michael covering the bastard’s lies, eh?’
Albie stood up like the proud man he had once been. He pointed a forefinger, firstly at Vivian, but then rested it on his ex-wife. ‘Yous pair are the most materialistic women I have ever had the misfortune of meeting in my life. Queenie, you all but forced our sons into a life of crime, such was your love for money and your desire to be better than any of the neighbours. When other mothers were teaching their sons nursery rhymes, you were teaching ours sayings like “Grasses are worse than sewer rats” and “Yous boys always stick by one another, no matter what.” Well, Michael obviously took your advice, which is why he has had to carry the burden of what Vinny did on his shoulders for the past four years. I hope you are proud of your wonderful parenting skills. Poor, poor Lenny and poor Roy. God rest their souls.’
Vivian slumped back into her armchair at this, but Queenie got to her feet. ‘Don’t you dare lecture me on parenting skills, you useless drunken old bastard. Where was you when we needed food on the table? Or when the kids needed new clothes or shoes? Spunking all your money on whores and in the local pub, that’s where. Of course I encouraged our kids to make a better life for themselves. What decent mother wouldn’t? Anything was better than them ending up like you.’
As she reached out to push his father in the chest, Michael leapt between them. ‘Stop arguing! My sons are in the bedroom, trying to sleep.’
‘Blame your father. He’s the one who started yelling out accusations. Was I a bad mother, Michael? Well, was I?’
‘Just calm down and sit down, Mum,’ Michael ordered.
Albie was determined to have the last word. ‘I warned you that Vinny was a time bomb waiting to explode. Bet you wish you’d listened to me now. How any of yous ever allowed Lenny to go out gallivanting with Vinny and Ahmed is beyond me. That boy deserved better.’
Joanna Preston stared at her beautiful child. Molly had such long eyelashes and with her pink nightdress on and her mop of blonde curls, she truly resembled an angel in her sleep.
Sighing worriedly, Joanna turned the lamp off and tiptoed out of the bedroom. There was no point in her trying to get any sleep herself. How could she, after what she had learned this evening?
About to put the kettle on, Joanna’s heart flipped when she heard a tap on the front door. What if it was the police? She would not have a clue what to say to them.
‘Oh, thank God it’s you,’ Joanna whispered as she ushered Nancy inside.
‘Isn’t it awful, Jo? They’re all arguing over there and I just had to get out. I hope the boys don’t wake up, but I told Michael to bring them over here to sleep if they do. Have you heard anything from Vinny?’
Joanna shook her head dismally. ‘Poor Vivian. I’m so shocked. I can’t quite believe it. Why would Vinny lie about such a thing?’
‘To save his own bloody skin, I should imagine. Look, Jo, I know you love Vinny, but for Molly’s sake you really need to get away from him.’
‘But where would I go? I haven’t got any money of my own. And I know he won’t allow me to take Molly away from him, Nance. Vinny adores her.’
‘But does he adore you, Jo? Last time we had a heart-to-heart you admitted he hadn’t been near you for months in the bedroom. That isn’t normal. An attractive girl such as yourself deserves so much better.’
‘Well, you’ve said the same about your Michael in the past, Nancy. I remember when he hadn’t been near you for ages in the bedroom either.’
Nancy squeezed Joanna’s hand. ‘Michael and I did go through a rough patch, but we’re back on track now and we’ve been making love regularly. Bloody hell, after trying to keep an awful secret like this all these years, I can understand why Michael had issues. Even though I know he regrets blurting it out like that, I can see the relief in his eyes that it’s all out in the open. Look, Jo, I’m only saying this because I think the world of you and Molly, but you need to get away from Vinny. Even his own father despises him – doesn’t that tell you something?’
As Nancy’s harsh words sank in, a sobbing Joanna clung to her pal for dear life. ‘I’ll never be rid of him though, Nance. Even if I leave him, he will snatch Molly. I just know he will.’
Vinny Butler walked out of the police station at ten a.m. the following morning facing nothing more than a charge of affray. The bouncer he had bottled had refused to press charges or even give a statement, and Vinny had guessed that Ron, the bouncer he had got quite friendly with, must have warned his colleague not to start a war.
When the cab turned into Kings Holiday Park, Vinny felt his pulse start to race. He’d had little sleep, felt dirty, hungry, and hungover, but he needed to speak to his mother and aunt before he even considered having breakfast or a bath. He was dreading explaining and reliving the night of Lenny’s death, but it had to be done and he was determined to be totally truthful from now on. He just hoped they could find it in their hearts to understand why he had done what he had done, then forgive him.
When Vinny unlocked the door of his bungalow, Molly threw herself at him screaming ‘Daddy.’ Joanna and Nancy were sitting side by side on the sofa and Vinny had already seen Daniel, Adam and Lee outside playing football. ‘Where’s Mum and Auntie Viv?’ he asked.
‘Gone back to London,’ Nancy replied in a nonchalant tone.
‘How? When?’
‘A couple of hours ago. They asked Michael to drive them home,’ Nancy informed her brother-in-law.
Aware that Joanna did not seem keen to look him in the eye, Vinny picked Molly up, walked over to the sofa and sat down next to his partner. He then put an arm around her and kissed her fondly on her forehead. ‘I’m so sorry, babe, but we will get through this. Michael knows the truth and once I explain everything to my mum and Auntie Viv all will be back to normal, I promise you that.’
When Joanna hugged both Vinny and her daughter, Nancy got to her feet, fighting the urge to vomit. She had tried to help Jo, had even urged her to ring her parents, but if the girl could not see past Vinny’s façade, then there was nothing anyone could do for her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Vinny drove back to London with just Joanna and Molly in the car. He had offered Nancy and the boys a lift home, but his stuck up sister-in-law had looked at him as though he was something distasteful on the bottom of her shoe. ‘No thanks. I am going to make your dad a nice lunch while I wait for Michael to come back,’ Nancy had replied with a sneer.
‘Are you going to pop straight round your mum’s house? I think you should,’ Joanna said, as Vinny opened their front door.
Vinny had a nose like a tracker dog and the distinct smell of stale smoke hit him immediately. ‘That little bastard has been back home,’ Vinny said, darting up the stairs.
Positive that the smell that hit him when he opened the bedroom door was in fact cannabis, Vinny began searching for evidence. The wastepaper bin was empty so Vinny started going through his son’s drawers. When he walked towards the bedside cabinet, he spotted the piece of paper immediately. The name Shaz was written on it and it had a phone number with a loveheart drawn underneath.
Vinny ran down the stairs and flicked through his address book. Most of the names and numbers were written in code as you could never be too careful. He found the number he was looking for and picked up the phone. ‘George, so sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but I really need your help to trace an address, mate.’
Queenie Butler handed her sister a glass of sherry, then sat down next to her on the sofa and sipped her own. V
iv had been ever so quiet all day and Queenie could do little but hope and pray that this latest bad news did not send her sister back into a depression and the loony bin.
‘Please eat a couple of them sandwiches, Viv. You’ve eaten sod all since yesterday and you’re worrying me now.’
‘Look, I ain’t fucking hungry and, as I told you earlier, I just want to be left alone, Queen. I’m fine, and don’t be worrying about me going back into the nuthouse because I have no intention of doing so. I’m more angry and tired, if you want to know the truth. Didn’t sleep a bloody wink last night.’
Queenie had never felt more useless in her whole life. Being the older sister, she had always felt it her duty to protect Viv, but how the hell was she meant to deal with this terrible situation? What Vinny had done beggared belief, and even if he did have some kind of a viable excuse, Queenie was not sure if she could ever forgive him herself.
When Queenie said she was going back to her own house for a while but would pop back later, Vivian waited until the front door shut before she trudged up the stairs.
Lenny’s bedroom was the shrine to the son that she had loved so very much, and thanks to Queenie rescuing all his belongings before the dustmen had taken them away, it still looked the same as when Lenny was alive. Even his clothes were back in the wardrobe. The only change to the room was the massive framed photo of her son that was hung above his bed.
Taking the sweater Lenny had worn the day before he died out of the drawer, Vivian laid on her son’s bed and hugged both the sweater and his favourite toy. It was only then the tears came, and when they did there was no controlling them.
Vinny Butler decided to walk round to his mother’s house rather than take the car. A bit of fresh air might help him to prepare for one of the worst conversations he would ever have to face.
Joanna had promised to stay indoors and wait for George to ring back. She had no idea who George was, but assumed he was a friend of Vinny’s.
Vinny felt physically sick as he approached his mother’s front door. He had his own key, but for once it didn’t seem appropriate to let himself in the way he always did, so he knocked instead.
Much to Vinny’s dismay, it was his sister who answered the door.
‘Is Mum in?’ he asked awkwardly.
Brenda glared at her elder brother. Scotty had been the first bloke she had fallen in love with since Dean and thanks to Vinny, she was now single again. Without saying a word, she stomped into the lounge and grabbed Tara and Tommy by the hand. ‘I’m sorry, Mum. I know I’ve only just got here, but no way am I being in his company. I’ll pop round tomorrow instead.’
Vinny waited until the front door slammed before he sat on the sofa next to his mother. ‘Go and sit over there, Vinny. I don’t want you close to me.’
Moving over to the armchair, Vinny knew he was in shit-street when he saw the look of hatred. His mum had never looked at him that way. ‘I’m so sorry, Mum. How is Auntie Viv?’
‘How do you fucking think she is? I am so disappointed in you. How could you cover up something as awful as that? And why would you? Where had you been? Was you pissed?’
Vinny stared at his hands. No way could he look at his mum. ‘Ahmed and I had been drinking at the club. Champ overheard us saying we were heading off to some strip joint and he begged to come too. If you want the complete truth, I had taken Champ there a few times before. Loved it, he did,’ Vinny explained, before pausing. He hated talking about the cousin he had loved so much. It upset him greatly.
Usually when she saw her son’s eyes fill up with tears, Queenie’s heart would melt, but today it did not. ‘Carry on then,’ she spat.
Vinny took a deep breath to compose himself. ‘Well, I felt a bit merry, so Ahmed offered to drive us to the strip joint. We had planned to leave his car there, get a cab home, but by the time we were ready to leave, I had sobered up and felt OK to drive. I would never have driven with Champ in the car had I not thought I was in complete control, you know that, Mum. Anyway, all of a sudden this van appears out of nowhere with its full beam on and I just lost control of the vehicle. I must have knocked myself out, not sure if it was for seconds or minutes, but when I came round, I looked in the back and Champ was dead,’ Vinny wept.
Queenie pursed her lips. ‘And then what did you do?’
‘I panicked, Mum. I opened the back door to see if there was anything I could do to save Champ, but I couldn’t. His injuries were far too bad. Ahmed was also in a mess. He had metal sticking out of his head and chest and when I felt for a pulse, I couldn’t find one.’
‘So, then you thought, if Ahmed is brown bread, you might as well drag his body into the driver’s seat and let him take the rap. Am I right?’
Vinny stared at his hands again and nodded dejectedly.
Queenie tutted repeatedly. ‘No wonder you nearly fainted when you found out Ahmed was still alive. I never thought the day would come when I saw you as a coward, Vinny, but it has, boy. What you did was disgraceful. How that Ahmed has stayed friends with you, I will never know. He must be a much more forgiving person than me, that’s for sure. Running away like some fucking wuss, that’s what you did. Why didn’t you just call an ambulance, eh? All you had to do was find a phonebox or knock on some bastard’s door. You might be a lot of things – liar being one of them – but a doctor you ain’t. If you thought Ahmed was dead and it turned out he weren’t, how do you know Lenny was gone? Maybe he could have been saved if you’d acted like the man I brought you up to be, eh?’
‘Champ’s head was hanging off, Mum. No way could he have been saved. As I said, I just panicked. I’m so sorry. If I could change what I did, I would.’
‘But why? You already said you was sober enough to drive. What were you so scared of, eh? There must have been something – and don’t bastard-well lie to me again, because I will find out the truth if it’s the last thing I do.’
Vinny rubbed his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. He knew his mum was going to be so disappointed with his reply, but he had to tell the truth in case Michael blurted it out at a later date. ‘Even though I felt sober, Mum, I would have still been well over the limit if the Old Bill had breathalysed me. I also had a bit of a drug problem back then. I swear I don’t touch drugs now, but I’d had some cocaine that night. I’d never touched the stuff until I became pals with Ahmed, but he was a user, so I’d sometimes take it with him. I wasn’t bothered about the Old Bill locking me up, just you and Auntie Viv finding out the truth. I love you both so much and I couldn’t have handled it if you both hated me.’
Queenie leapt off the sofa, darted towards her son and slapped him as hard around the face as she could. ‘Your crocodile tears don’t wash with me, boy. You were bang out of order even taking poor Lenny to strip clubs. No wonder your Auntie Viv caught him with his dingle-dangle in his hand mumbling obscenities. As for driving that beautiful boy about while out of your nut on drink and drugs, that is totally unforgivable. Now, get of my house before I do you some proper damage.’
With tears streaming down his face, Vinny stood up. ‘Please, Mum, don’t be like this. I loved Champ with all my heart, you know I did. And he wasn’t a boy, he was twenty years old. All you and Auntie Viv ever did was treat the poor little sod like an infant. He was a man, not a kid, and he had urges like every other bloke his age. Why do you think he loved to hang out with me all the time, eh? Because I treated him as normal, that’s why.’
‘And didn’t you do a good job of taking him under your wing, eh? You killed the poor little mite while off your fucking face. No wonder that son of yours has turned out to be such a bad apple. You’ve both got your father’s genes, not mine. Albie’s a coward who would always do anything to save his own bacon, and you’re no different. Now, leave me your key and get out my house. You’re officially disowned as my son.’
Joanna Preston opened the front door and was relieved to see Nancy and the boys. ‘Thank God it’s only you. I thought it might be Queenie
or Viv wanting round two. Where’s Michael, Nance?’
‘He dropped us off home, then shot straight out with his dad somewhere. We’ve got little food indoors, so I thought it might be nice for us all to go out for something to eat. The boys are bored being back home already, and it’s such a nice day.’
‘Oh, I better not, Nance. I’ve just written an important address down for Vinny, and he might ring anytime.’
‘So? He’s probably only local, surely he can pop home if he gets no answer. Just leave him a note, Jo, and write the address on it.’
‘I’m not sure. You know what Vinny’s like, especially when he’s angry. I can’t stand the thought of coming home to another scene. I’ve had enough the past couple of days to last me a lifetime.’
‘All the more reason why you should start being your own person. This is your home; it’s not a prison, Jo. Anyway, I was thinking, while we’re out you can ring your parents. I bet your dad is dying to hear from you, and you must call him. You only get one dad, babe.’
Having not heard the sound of her father’s voice for years, Joanna nodded. ‘Yeah, you’re right. Give us ten minutes to get ready.’
Nancy grinned. ‘That’s my girl.’
Albie followed Michael into the Blind Beggar and was horrified to see Vinny sitting at a table alone. ‘Your brother’s over there. We don’t want no more trouble, Michael. Let’s just go for a pint at the club, eh?’ Albie hissed in his youngest son’s ear. It had been Michael’s suggestion to stop off for a pint on the way to the club, and Albie had not wanted to go in the Blind Beggar in the first place.
‘I ain’t walking out, Dad. I’d look a right fucking mug if I did. And what about the regulars, eh? They’d know something was wrong, and you know what the rumour mill is like around here.’
‘Please, Michael, you know what an arsehole your brother can be. He’s certain to kick off. Besides, Big Stan is in here. He’s bound to be nasty to me after that lie I told him.’
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