by Joan Jonker
‘I thought there were three or four on yer list of suitable boyfriends?’ Molly sat down and smiled across the table at her youngest child. ‘Haven’t yer made yer mind up yet which one yer prefer?’
Jack raised his brows. ‘Who are these boys? Have I met them?’
It was Molly who answered, for she wanted to spare her daughter’s blushes. ‘Of course yer’ve met them. There’s Gordon Corkhill, Jeff Mowbray, Johnny Stewart, and I’m not sure whether Peter Corkhill is in the running.’
‘Peter’s too young!’ Ruthie’s face was flushed. ‘He’s childish.’
‘He’s exactly the same age as you and Bella. Do yer think you’re childish?’
‘Not as childish as him.’
‘If I am allowed to get involved,’ Jack said, ‘then for what it’s worth, I think he’s the nicest-looking of the lot.’
‘No he’s not!’ Ruthie shook her head quite vigorously. ‘Gordon and Johnny are nicer-looking than him.’
Molly lifted her hand. ‘That’s quite enough now. A girl of fourteen shouldn’t be seriously thinking of boyfriends.’
‘I’m fourteen and eight and a half months, Mam, so I’m nearly fifteen.’
‘Even so, sunshine, yer’ve got plenty of time to find the one who’s right for you. And if ye’re putting them down in the order of how handsome they are, I think yer should hedge yer bets until yer’ve seen Ken Thompson. And that’s the end of the subject for now, so start taking the dirty dishes to the sink. By the time we get out it’ll be time to come home.’
Jack made a move. ‘Is Nellie coming to see the babies?’
Molly shook her head. ‘No, she’s seeing them tomorrow night. We decided we’d had enough of each other for one day.’
‘Who decided that, love, you or Nellie?’
‘It was a mutual decision, Jack. After all, yer can get too much of a good thing.’
Molly opened the door the next morning and gave a huge smile. ‘Oh, that dress looks a treat on yer, sunshine! Yer couldn’t have got a better fit anywhere.’
Nellie passed her with a supercilious expression on her face. Mind you, she didn’t know she had a supercilious expression on her face because she didn’t know there was such a word. Even if she did know, she wouldn’t have been able to get her tongue round it. ‘Thank you, girl, that’s kind of yer. And I have to say I feel very comfortable in it. I saw myself in the mirror, and couldn’t help but notice the resemblance between me and Jean Harlow.’
‘Nellie, Jean Harlow is a blonde.’
‘I know that, girl, but it’s the only difference.’
‘Which mirror where yer looking in, sunshine?’
‘The one over the mantelpiece. It’s the only one we’ve got.’
‘And how much of yerself can yer see in the mirror?’
Nellie put a hand under her chin. ‘From there upwards, girl.’
Molly kept her face straight until she looked into her friend’s eyes and saw the devilment there. Then they collapsed, laughing, into each other’s arms. ‘What are you like, Nellie McDonough?’
‘I’m like Jean Harlow, girl, I told yer. And if the only difference between me and her is that she’s blond, well, I’ll soon remedy that. I’ve got a bottle of bleach under the sink, what I use for the lavvy. That’ll do the trick.’
‘Don’t even think about it, sunshine, for two reasons. First, yer wouldn’t suit being a blonde. And second, it really wouldn’t matter whether it suited yer or not, really, ’cos yer hair would have fallen out before yer had any choice.’
‘Oh, if that’s the case, girl, I’ll take yer word for it and stay as I am. I like people telling me I look like Joan Bennett, anyway.’
Molly chucked her under the chin. ‘Yer’ll do me just as yer are, sunshine; I wouldn’t want yer any different. And now we’ve settled on your appearance, we’ll have a quick cup of tea and then start our job for the day. Which is trying to find out a bit more about the very mysterious Mr Collins.’
Nellie sat down and watched her friend walk through to the kitchen, then her chubby face creased into a mischievous grin. ‘Ay, girl, we’re going to get hungry if we’re out a long time, so d’yer think we’d better have a few custard creams? Just to stop our tummies from rumbling, like. We could be on his trail, hoping he doesn’t spot us, and suddenly my tummy lets out a noise like thunder. He’d have caught us out, girl; our cover would have been blown. And all for the sake of two custard creams.’
Molly popped her head round the door. ‘Sorry, sunshine, but I haven’t got one in the house. Would two arrowroot do instead?’
‘Any port in a storm, girl, any port in a storm.’
The friends decided not to stand watch outside the laundry, but to go straight to the street where Graham Collins lived, and wait on the corner for him. Molly reckoned he was sure to come home: he’d have his laundry and wouldn’t want to carry it around with him. So as they didn’t have as far to walk, they took their time, enjoying the blue sky and the warmth of the sun.
‘This is the life, eh, girl?’ Nellie had never known the joy of walking in a summer dress and feeling the warmth of the sun on her arms and legs. And her pleasure could be seen in her wide smile. ‘I didn’t have to lie on me back on the couch and wrestle with a pair of stockings.’
‘No garters to cut into yer legs, either, sunshine, that’s a blessing. And summer is only just starting. We’ve got four months of good weather to look forward to.’
‘I know something that you never noticed,’ Nellie said. ‘And that’s not like you; yer never miss a trick as a rule.’
‘It couldn’t have been important,’ Molly answered, ‘or I wouldn’t have missed it.’
‘Oh, I think it was important, girl, and it’s something ye’re always on about.’
Molly pulled them to a halt. ‘Nellie, ye’re not going to ask me to guess what it is, are yer? I mean, it could be one of a million things. Like the gas meter eating money, or tomatoes not tasting like they used to before the war. I could go on for ever and not guess right.’
Nellie shook her head, and her chins. ‘Yer don’t half take off, girl. The least thing and ye’re on yer high horse. And all over a fiddling cream slice.’
‘A cream slice? What flipping cream slice?’
‘The one I didn’t have yesterday.’
‘If yer didn’t have one, how would I know about the flipping thing?’
‘Because ye’re always on about how I shouldn’t eat them. And when I don’t eat one, yer don’t even notice. So, if that’s all the thanks I get, I won’t forget to have one in future.’
The light dawned, and Molly put a hand on each of her mate’s shoulders. ‘Oh, sunshine, fancy me not noticing! That’s wonderful news. Why didn’t yer tell me?’
‘Because I didn’t notice meself until I was in bed last night. And I’ll tell yer what, girl, my George didn’t half have a cob on when I woke him up to tell him.’
Molly dropped her hands. ‘You woke George up just to tell him yer hadn’t had a cream slice? I’m not surprised he had a cob on.’
‘I had to tell someone, girl, and he was the only one in bed with me. Yer see, I couldn’t stop thinking about the cream slice, and me mouth was watering. It was like a craving, and I used to have them when I was expecting each of me children.’
‘Nellie, every woman gets cravings when they’re expecting, but they don’t wake their husbands up in the middle of the night. And seeing as yer haven’t got the excuse of being pregnant, it’s only natural George thought yer had a ruddy cheek.’
‘He didn’t speak to me over breakfast, just sat with a face as long as a fiddle. And he walked off to work without giving me a wave or a kiss. But I’ll get me own back, girl, you just wait and see.’
‘I’ve got no time to wait and see, Nellie, we’ve got a job in hand. Your ups and downs with George will have to take second place. So come on, let’s get moving or we’ll miss our target.’
Graham Collins didn’t realise he was being fol
lowed as he strode along the road, a small case swinging from his fingers. And when he stopped at the corner of a street, opened the case and took out some papers, he didn’t notice the two women who stopped just yards from him.
‘I wonder what those sheets of paper were?’ Nellie said, when their quarry had turned in to the street. ‘Perhaps he’s got clients to visit.’
‘To me they looked like leaflets that come through the door now and again. You know, sunshine, like from the Salvation Army, or someone advertising soap or whatever. But I can’t see him putting leaflets through letter boxes – he seems too posh.’
‘My old ma used to say yer shouldn’t take anything at face value, ’cos things are not always what they seem.’
‘There’s only one way to find out what he’s up to, and that’s to get after him and see for ourselves. I’ll stay behind him, you cross to the other side, Nellie, and we’ll take things as they come.’
There was a wide entry running behind the block of shops, and the entrance was in the street, next to the first of the terraced houses. Molly slipped into the entry at the same time as Graham Collins walked up the short path of the first house. He was blissfully unaware that he was being watched as he raised the knocker and gave three sharp raps.
‘Good morning, madam.’ There was a huge smile on his face as he raised his hat. ‘And what a beautiful morning it is.’
‘What d’yer want?’ The woman eyed his case with suspicion and kept her hand on the inside door knob, ready to close it quickly if need be. ‘If ye’re selling anything, then ye’re wasting yer time ’cos I haven’t got any money.’
‘Ah, but I’m not selling anything, just the opposite.’ His voice was sickly sweet, and Molly, standing only yards away behind a wall, wrinkled her nose. ‘In fact,’ Graham went on, ‘I may be in a position to put some money your way.’ He handed her one of the leaflets. ‘I run a very respectable business, with a shop in the city centre. I buy and sell old pictures, ornaments, and other items. If you have anything of that nature that you have no further use for, or is just cluttering up your house, then perhaps you would consider selling it and we could do a deal. Providing you have something worth selling, I would gladly buy it from you. And I would give you what it was worth. I’m sure a little extra money could come in very useful.’
‘Would it be cash in hand?’ the woman asked, thinking of the pictures on the wall that had belonged to her parents. After all, they were only harbouring dust. She didn’t really know whether they were worth anything, but there was no harm in trying. It was all very well being sentimental, but it didn’t put food on the table. ‘I might have one or two things, but I can’t ask yer in now ’cos it’s not convenient.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to! I am calling at a few houses in the street today, and will be back next Tuesday to those who are interested. Shall I put you down for a visit? I can assure you it would be worth your while. And I can also assure you that I run a legitimate business and am a well respected name in the city.’
The woman nodded, but still kept her hand on the inside knob of the door. ‘This time next week will suit me fine. It’ll give me time to sort out anything that might be suitable. But I’d need the money in me hand before I parted with anything.’
‘You are very wise,’ Graham agreed. ‘One has to be very careful these days. There are some unsavoury characters about.’ He raised his hat and put on what he thought was a friendly smile. ‘I’ll be here this time next week, and I’m sure we will be able to do business together. Until then, I wish you well.’
Molly turned her back to the street in case he happened to glance her way. Then after giving him time to move away from the house, she hurried across the cobbles to where Nellie stood on the opposite pavement. ‘Are yer fed up waiting, sunshine?’
‘I’m fed up pacing up and down, girl, trying to make meself invisible. I hope yer heard a bit of what he was saying so I won’t feel the time has been wasted.’
‘If anyone was watching, they’d think we were just two friends who happened to meet each other. And no one will suspect anything if we stand talking for a while. I’ve got me back to that side of the street, so you can watch what the queer feller gets up to.’
‘At the present time, girl, he’s knocking on the house next door. He must intend to knock on every door giving those leaflets out.’ Nellie took her eyes off the man and rested them on her mate. ‘I’m hoping you’ve got something to tell me, girl, ’cos I felt a right nit walking up and down. I imagined I was being watched.’
‘I’ll tell yer what I heard while you keep an eye on him. Tell me whether he gets an answer, and if whoever opens the door takes a leaflet off him and engages in conversation. Or will they send him packing?’
‘The door has opened, girl, and an elderly woman is talking to him. I think she’s just asking him what he wants, and she doesn’t seem happy for him to be there.’ Nellie felt like a real private detective now. This was the sort of undercover work they did. ‘He’s giving her one of the leaflets, but she’s pointing to her eyes, which I think means she can’t read without glasses. Oh, now he’s bending down to talk to her, and he’s not half ruddy smarmy. If my old ma, God rest her soul, was here now, she’d say he was too sweet to be wholesome.’
‘That’s just what I think, sunshine. He’s up to something, and I’ll lay odds it’s to try and get money off these people. A genuine antique dealer wouldn’t be going round knocking on doors in a poor area. He’d have a proper shop in the best part of the city.’
‘Hang on, girl, I can’t watch and listen to you at the same time. He’s saying something to her now, and the old lady is nodding her head.’
‘He’s telling her he’ll call again at this time next week, and he’ll buy any pictures or ornaments she has. And he’ll say he’ll pay good money for them and that he runs a very respectable business in the city centre.’
Nellie’s jaw dropped. ‘I didn’t know yer could lip-read, girl! That’s bleeding marvellous, that is.’
‘I can’t lip-read, Nellie, I’m not that clever.’
‘Well how d’yer know what he said?’
‘Because that’s what he said to the woman in the first house. And I bet everyone who opens the door to him will get the same story, word for word. I was in a good position in that entry. I could hear every word he said.’
‘And yer think he’ll diddle them?’
‘I wouldn’t stake me life on it, sunshine, but I’d be willing to bet a tanner. He’s a rotter, a scoundrel, and I hope these people can see through him.’
Nellie glared at the man who was now knocking on another door. ‘Why don’t we tell them they can’t trust him?’
Molly shook her head. ‘We can’t do that without proof, sunshine, or he could see a solicitor and we’d be in trouble. Claire wouldn’t have anything more to do with us, and my Jack would go mad. So would your George.’
‘What shall we do then, girl?’
‘I’m going to tell yer everything I heard him say, sunshine, and yer can tell me whether yer think the same as me. And if yer do, then what we’ll do now is make a note of every house he calls at today.’ Molly turned her head to see the man they were discussing replacing his hat before walking to the next house. ‘I wouldn’t trust that man as far as I could throw him.’
‘Tell me what yer heard, girl, and don’t miss a word out or I’ll have yer guts for garters.’
Molly screwed her eyes up briefly. ‘Nellie, how would yer know if I missed a word out?’
Nellie was flummoxed. How would she know? ‘Well, er, well I wouldn’t know, would I? But because ye’re me best mate, I’ll trust yer not to do it.’
So Molly repeated what she’d heard as accurately as she could. And when she’d finished, Nellie’s chin was jutting out and her eyes had narrowed. ‘He’s a bleeding crook, that feller is. And he’s not soft, either. He knows these people haven’t got no money, and he’ll give them buttons for pictures what have been in the family fo
r years. Ooh, I’d like to get my hands on him. I’d ruddy throttle him.’
‘Perhaps we can put a halt to his gallop, sunshine, if we put our mind to it. But it means us getting our facts right and being very careful. Right now we’ll take the number of every house he knocks at where the person takes a leaflet, listens to him and nods their head. That means they’ve agreed he can call next week and they’ll have something to sell him. But before next Tuesday comes, you and me, sunshine, have got to think of a way to stop him robbing people. Because that’s what he intends doing. Otherwise, why would he say he runs a very respectable business, with a shop in the centre of the city?’
‘How are we going to stop him, girl?’
‘I can’t tell yer off the top of me head, sunshine, but I’m determined we’ll find a way. So if yer come at ten in the morning, instead of half past, we’ll hatch our plan over a cup of tea and, if Ruthie hasn’t been too greedy, two custard creams each.’
Nellie’s face was like the rising sun. ‘Sounds good, girl, it sounds good.’
Chapter Twenty-One
‘What are yer standing like that for?’ Molly asked, looking down on her neighbour from the top step. ‘Why have yer got yer hands behind yer back?’
‘It’s a free country, isn’t it, girl? If I want to stand with me hands behind me back there’s no law what says I can’t.’
Molly managed to keep a smile back, for her friend looked quite a sight. She seemed to be all bosom and tummy. ‘Ye’re right, Nellie, there’s no law what says yer can’t. But if yer intend standing there like an armless woman for any length of time, then I’ll have to close the door on yer. I’ve put a few things on the clothes line, and I’ve left the back door open. So give us a knock when yer decide yer’ve had enough.’
‘Don’t close the door, girl, ’cos I’m coming in now.’
‘How do yer expect to get up the steps with yer hands behind yer back? Yer need them to pull yerself up.’
‘This is a nice welcome, I must say. I’ve got a nice surprise for yer behind me back, that’s why I’m standing like this. But I don’t think I’ll give it to yer now, ’cos yer don’t deserve it. Yer can be a miserable cow when the mood hits yer.’