Songbird

by Josephine Cox

  Alice nodded; she too had concerns as to how Maddy might react to the news of another singer taking her place. It was a cruel thing to do.

  But then Steve Drayton had always been a law unto himself.

  In the alley, the girl was proving difficult to appease.

  “Move yourself, Ellen.” Taking her by the arm, Steve Drayton drew her toward the back door. “They’ll be wondering where you’ve gone. Besides, I’m paying you good money to entertain the clients.”

  She giggled. “I’d rather entertain you.”

  He sighed, bored. “And you shall. But there’ll be time for all that later, when I get you home.”

  An idea struck him as being profitable. He had seen the way his clients had drooled over his new singer. She was pliable enough; she was also besotted with him, so if he played his hand right, there was money to be made. No doubt his rough and ready counterparts would give a handsome sum for a few hours’ playtime with her.

  The idea grew. I can’t see her refusing, the insatiable little slapper, he thought greedily, especially when she’s so keen to please me. Oh, yes! Putty in his hands, that’s what she was.

  Her voice startled him. “Tell me you love me, Stevie, and I’ll go back inside.”

  Irritated, he studied her for a minute, wanting to give her a slap and shut the bitch up, but controlling himself with an effort. He’d had as much woman trouble as he could take. “Of course I love you,” he lied. “Why do you think I brought you out here?”

  Her resolve melting, she looked up at him. “You’re not just making a fool of me… playing me along to get your own way?”

  “I would never do that!” He cupped her small features and kissed her soundly on the mouth. When he released her, the smile on her face told him she was his for the taking.

  “So, we’re a couple then?” She wanted so much to believe that.

  “Oh, absolutely.” He had her right where he wanted her. “But we have to be discreet.”

  “Why’s that?”

  While he fought to find an answer that would satisfy her without compromising himself, Maddy realized the girl was falling into his cleverly woven trap. She had seen how easily he had twisted her words. Morever, she could almost read his mind with his ideas of how he might eventually make money from this innocent.

  With that in mind, she knew that even if it meant getting another beating, she could not keep quiet.

  Taking a few deep breaths, she gathered her strength and began walking toward them, slowly at first, but then with purpose.

  When Drayton glanced up and saw her, his face opened in astonishment. Pushing the girl aside, he turned, legs astride in that antagonistic stance she had come to know so well. “What the devil are you playing at? I thought I told you to sod off.” His mean eyes boring into hers, he took a step forward. “Get the hell out of here before I lose my temper!”

  “That’s her, isn’t it – Songbird – the singer whose job I took?” The girl’s cry pierced the tension. Curiosity turned to anger. “You said she’d left for foreign parts! You told me she would never come back – that she didn’t want the work. So, what’s going on? Look at the state of her – she needs an ambulance! Jesus, Steve, what have I got myself into here?”

  “Shut your trap!” Turning on her, he issued a warning. “Do what you’re paid to do – get back inside and entertain the clients. I’ll deal with this.”

  Unsettled, the girl looked from Steve to Maddy and back again. “So, you and me, Steve – are we a couple, or not?”

  The sight of Maddy had been a shock. Why was she here, and why was her dress torn like that? She looked like a tramp off the streets. Was she ill, or drunk maybe?

  Either way, there was something going on here that made her deeply uneasy.

  Maddy turned her gaze on the girl and for a moment their eyes met. Recognizing herself when she was younger and more foolish, Maddy offered her a warning. “Don’t trust him,” she urged quietly. “He’s a liar and a thug. He’ll hurt you, just like he hurt me.” She patted her stomach. “I’m carrying his child, but that didn’t stop him from beating me. Listen to what I’m saying – I’ve no reason to lie. He’ll promise you the world, but he’ll use you in every way imaginable. If you have any self-worth at all, you must get away from him – now. While you still can.”

  Suddenly, he was on her. With the back of his hand he lashed out, knocking Maddy hard against the wall.

  What he didn’t expect was the girl’s reaction. “LEAVE HER BE!” she shouted, and clawed at his face. Steve was like a wild animal. Spinning round, he took Ellen by the shoulders and threw her toward Maddy.

  With murder in his heart, he hissed, “You’re welcome to each other,” and took a step toward them; but then was made to stop when a man’s voice called out to him.

  “You can deal with your women later, Drayton. For now, you and I have more important business to attend to.”

  Swinging round, Drayton found himself confronted by four thugs. The big one, Den Carter, addressed himself to Ellen. “Get away from here, slag. And keep your trap shut if you know what’s good for you!”

  Recognizing her former boss, the girl didn’t need another warning. With Maddy leaning on her, she led her away. “I worked for him before,” she whispered as they stumbled down the alley. “He’s a bad lot. He’ll make that scum Steve pay for enticing me away.”

  At the top of the alley, they paused, long enough to see two of the minders pounce on Drayton and twist his arms up behind his back. Then as the big man approached, Drayton began blustering and threatening all manner of retribution. Suddenly, he broke free.

  There was a lot of shouting and scuffling, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunshot; the big man stumbled backward while the others fought with Drayton to secure the gun.

  Seconds later, the club doors were thrown open and the alley was alive with people; some keeping a sensible distance and others too curious to stand off. “He’s got a gun!” Trying to herd them away, Raymond yelled a warning. “Keep back, all of you!” But it was like trying to hold back a burst dam, as with morbid curiosity and a lot of drink inside some of them, the people surged forward to get a better look at the drama that was taking place.

  Jack was up at the front, with Alice not far behind, though he urged her to keep her distance. “I don’t want you getting hurt,” he said. Concerned for her safety and increasingly worried that Maddy might somehow be caught up in this too, Jack was taking no chances.

  The whole terrible event seemed to happen in slow motion, and yet it was over in seconds. Mortally wounded, the big man was lying groaning on the ground, with Steve Drayton locked in fierce combat with his henchmen. When Alice and Jack came running forward, Drayton was like a madman as he struggled to free himself. In the mayhem, two more shots rang out. Jack was the first to go down. Then Alice.

  With no thought for his own life, Raymond ran to Jack, who appeared lifeless. Desolate, he turned his attention on Alice, taking her in his arms and comforting her as best he could until the older barman, Ted, tried to drag him away. “You can’t help her now, mate,” he said kindly, and glanced down at Alice; bathed in her own blood and lying so still, she seemed beyond earthly help.

  At first Raymond resisted Ted’s attempts to take him from her. But then, in tears and deeply saddened, he let himself be led away.

  From the first day he had spoken with Alice, something had taken hold of his lonely heart. He had loved her from afar, waiting for his chance, hoping that one day she might see him in the same light. And now, because of a man who did not deserve to wipe her shoes, his dream of taking care of Alice, and hoping she might come to love him, were ended.

  At that moment, all hell was let loose as the shrill scream of sirens heralded the arrival of speeding police cars. People were running all over the place – it was chaos. And Steve still had the gun.

  From a doorway at the top of the alley, the two women had seen it all. “My God!” Shocked to the core, Maddy could thin
k only of Jack and Alice. “They’ve been shot! I’ve got to go to them!”

  Holding onto her, the girl kept her safe. “There’s nothing you can do now. Come away, there’s bad stuff going down. The police are everywhere. We’ll be interrogated. They won’t give us a minute’s peace.” Desperate to put a distance between themselves and the authorities, she kept a tight hold on her new friend. “We need to get away before they see us. If we go now, they’ll never know we were here!”

  But Maddy wasn’t listening to reason. All she could think of was her injured friends. “Let me go!” Frantic, she tore herself away. “I need to go to them.” And no matter how hard she tried, the girl could no longer restrain her.

  As Maddy rushed down the alley, total confusion was unfolding all about her. Police were everywhere; some grappling with the thugs, others handcuffing Drayton, and people were being ordered to get inside, where they should remain for questioning.

  The first ambulance drove in and attendants tumbled out, armed with all manner of equipment. Maddy saw how one of them went straight to the big man, now lying silent in a pool of blood, looking up and shaking her head to indicate there was nothing to be done for him. And then they moved on to Jack, who was crumpled against the far wall.

  Maddy got to Alice first. “Alice… it’s me, Maddy.” Tenderly holding her hand, she looked down on that dear, still face and her heart broke. “You’ll be all right,” she promised brokenly. “They’re here to help you.”

  Turning, she shouted over the chaos, “OVER HERE – please hurry!” But her cries fell away in the wake of all the confusion. Through the hordes of people being herded back to the club, she could see ambulancemen tending to Jack, and others bringing out more equipment and stretchers.

  Terrified that assistance might come too late, Maddy sobbed, “Alice, please don’t leave me,” devastated when it seemed that the injured woman was beyond hearing her. “We need you,” she pleaded. “Me and the baby.” Giving the limp hand a little shake, she said, “Alice, wake up. Please! You can’t leave us now. What will we do without you?”

  When Alice grabbed her hand in reply, Maddy thought her heart would stop. For a moment she couldn’t speak. Then she quietly thanked the Almighty for sparing her friend, and carried on gently patting her hand, like a mother soothes her child; and now she was telling her softly, “You’ll be all right… you’ll see. Help is on its way… you’ll be all right my darling.” Turning her head she gave another frantic shout, “OVER HERE… SHE’S HURT… HURRY… PLEASE HURRY!!”

  “Go from here.” Alice’s voice was almost inaudible, gasping. “No more contact with him…” Slipping fast away, she could hardly make herself heard. “Promise me.” When she now took a breath, it was a rasping, frightening thing for Maddy to hear.

  “Be still,” the younger woman pleaded. “Be still, be still.”

  But Alice would not be still. With a huge surge of strength, she had slightly raised her head and was looking the girl straight in the eye.

  “Promise,” she said, then fell back again.

  Desperate, Maddy shouted again, this time her voice charged with anger. “Hurry! For God’s sake, hurry!”

  In that moment, one of the ambulancemen looked up from treating Jack and spoke to his colleague before making his way over to them.

  With Alice’s flickering gaze trained on her, Maddy gave her her word. “I promise,” she whispered, holding her close. “I’ll never come back… I swear it. Just hold on, please, Alice. Help is on its way. Don’t die, please don’t leave me all on my own. I can’t bear it.”

  As the medics took over, Maddy clambered up on shaky legs, and looked straight into the face of the devil himself.

  Two policemen had arrested Drayton. Handcuffed, he was being marched toward the waiting squad car. Before they managed to get him inside, however, he turned and spat a message at Maddy, the words of which would haunt her for the rest of her days. “Your card is marked, you bitch. Keep looking over your shoulder. Day and night, wherever you try to hide, I’ll find you.”

  When the officer yanked him forward to stuff him into the vehicle, the dark and sinister smile he gave Maddy was a testament to his evil – and it flooded her bruised and battered heart with fear.

  While Alice was being tended to, Maddy stated to walk over to the place where Jack was being cared for.

  Her heart sank when the medic there prevented her approaching, and informed her that his patient was beyond help.

  Maddy began to sob again, but then Ellen appeared out of nowhere, swooped on her and stole her away. “There’s nothing you or anyone can do for him now,” she said. “As for your other friend, she’s in good hands. They said they are taking her to UCH,” she told Maddy.

  University College Hospital, where she had been only last night. Maddy was stunned – she could barely take it all in.

  Eager to get herself and Maddy as far away as possible, Ellen took charge, sneaking them through the kitchens of the Chinese restaurant next door. “Luckily, the police are all so busy dealing with everyone else, they haven’t had time to catch up with us,” she said.”

  And so, the two of them made their escape from this nightmare scene, their ears ringing with the sounds of gunshots, screams, sirens and loudhailers, their minds grappling with the dreadful sights they had witnessed.

  Seven

  Ellen hustled Maddy along the pavement. “Let’s get a cab and go back to my place.”

  “What did you say your name was?” Maddy had taken a liking to this young woman. She seemed strong and sensible.

  “Ellen Drew.”

  “All right then, Ellen – where are you taking me?” Maddy limped along beside her, cold, bedraggled and bleeding.

  “I live in Bethnal Green – in the East End. It’s not too far.” The younger girl flagged down a taxi. “Once we get home, we’ll have a cup of tea, fix you up, and sort out what to do.” As the cab drew to a halt, she helped Maddy in before climbing in beside her. “Bethnal Green please, mate,” she instructed the cabbie. “Drop us off at the corner of Wilmot Street.”

  Safely installed in the cab, Maddy took a sideways glance at her companion. She had been wrong about her, she thought. When she overheard her and Drayton talking in the alley, Maddy had believed the girl to be naïve and innocent. Now, having seen how she took charge of the situation, she realized that there was more to the girl than she had previously thought.

  A few minutes later, on arriving at their destination, the cabbie stopped exactly where Ellen had instructed. “That’ll be three pounds, if you please.”

  “I’ll have to give you an IOU,” Ellen admitted. “Neither of us have got a penny to our names. You see, we had to leave in a hurry and all our stuff is back in Soho.”

  Realizing the awkward situation they were in, Maddy slipped off her watch, and handed it to the driver. “This will more than cover the fare,” she said.

  “Look, lady, the fare is three pounds – hard cash and no messing.” From the tone of his voice, the man was ready for trouble. “I don’t work for trinkets.”

  Leaning forward so as to see his face, Ellen put on her sweetest smile. “Like I said, we got caught up in a brawl, and left our purses behind. It happens, as I’m sure you understand.”

  Straining his neck, he looked from her to Maddy. “Working girls, are you?” He winked.

  “If you like,” Ellen enticed him.

  Maddy was shocked. “NO!” Tugging at Ellen to come away, she told the cabbie, “We’re not prostitutes! It’s just like she said – we got caught up in a fight, and now we just want to get home.”

  He glared at them through the mirror. “You must think I was born yesterday,” he said, and gave a snort. “You’ve only got to look at the state of you to know you’re lying.” Gesturing at Maddy’s torn dress, and Ellen’s tousled hair, he sneered, “Picked up a dodgy punter, did you, girls?”

  Maddy touched him on the shoulder. “Please, just look at the watch. It’s worth a lot more than t
hree pounds.”

  Something in the timbre of her voice made him examine the watch under the light. He was pleasantly surprised. With a gold and silver plaited strap, it boasted the prettiest diamond in the center of the dial. “Stolen, is it?” He knew enough to realize that the watch was good.

  “No way! It’s my own watch.” In a softer voice, Maddy entreated him to look on the back.

  He scanned the engraving. To Maddy. Happy sixteenth birthday from Daddy.

  The driver chuckled nastily. “Sugar daddy, was it?”

  “If you don’t want it,” Maddy said angrily, “just give it back!”

  “Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy.” He began to believe her story. “What’s your name?

  “Maddy… Maddy for short.”

  “So what’s the inscription on the back?”

  Realizing he was testing her, Maddy correctly repeated it.

  “Mmm. I still can’t be sure if it’s stolen. I mean, you could have just memorized it.”

  “Like I said, it’s my watch, given to me by my father on my sixteenth birthday.” Choked with memories, she could say no more.

  “Okay. But if your father gave it to you, why would you want to let it go?”

  “Because I pay my debts, that’s why.”

  Maddy recalled the very day her father gave her that watch. Less than a year later, he was taken ill and died soon after; the shock of which killed her mother. Being an only child, Maddy had been left to fend for herself.

  Unable to afford the rent on their two-bedroomed flat in Kilburn, North London, she had sold the bits of furniture for knockdown prices to a local secondhand shop, and started a series of live-in jobs at West End pubs, clubs and hotels. Her musical career had started very slowly in just these places. She’d be washing up one minute, and performing the next. It had been a long and often lonely journey through life, until she met Alice and fell in love with the monster she had now left behind.

  “Get out, the pair of you!” the driver said resignedly.