The Pawnbroker's Niece

by June Francis

She went outside via the basement steps and across the square to the garden but could see no sign of Josh. Worried, she went inside and told Sam and Billy about her half-brother being missing.

  ‘He’ll turn up,’ said Billy.

  ‘He’s never gone off like this before,’ said Rita, gnawing her lip.

  Billy squeezed her shoulder. ‘OK! If he hasn’t turned up by the time we’ve eaten lunch, then I’ll go and look for him. I bet he’ll come in, though. Kids always know when it’s time for food. Isn’t that right, Sam?’

  Sam agreed absently.

  That was of some comfort to Rita but Josh had still not turned up by the time they had finished their meal. Really worried now, she said, ‘I’m going to have to search for him.’

  ‘Does he know his way around the city at all?’ said Billy.

  ‘I’ve taken him to the Pierhead a couple of times. He’s convinced his dad will come sailing up in a big ship for him.’

  ‘There you are, then!’ said Billy, his gaze meeting hers. ‘Sam and I’ll go down there and see if we can spot him.’

  She felt a flood of relief. ‘Thanks! I’ll have a look round here.’

  She split up from the two men outside and searched the length of the garden which ended in front of St Catherine’s church, checked a few more streets and then made her way down towards the river.

  *

  Billy was thinking about Rita and how he would much rather be back at the house, sitting in that lovely room, watching the sunlight play over her gleaming hair and the bones of her peach of a face, instead of with Sam. But he had wanted to take advantage of Sam thinking him some kind of saint for not showing disgust or calling him a nancy boy or a pervert when he had sobbed his heart out in the bedroom and told Billy why he should have let him die. Having met several of his kind at sea, Billy had just listened, remembering another bloke saying no one who had the choice would choose to be the way he was because it was no bloody joke.

  ‘Do you think we’ll find him?’ said Sam.

  ‘I hope so.’ Billy paused on the corner of Paradise Street in sight of the Sailors’ Home.

  ‘I love Rita, yer know. She’s got a heart of gold. That’s why she deserves someone better than me.’ Sam’s expression was sad. ‘I won’t be able to stick it out at the yard or go through with the wedding.’ He fixed Billy with a stare. ‘I know you care for her, so could you keep your eye on her for me?’

  ‘Sure I will!’ Billy was glad he wouldn’t have to bring pressure to bear on Sam. ‘But you’re going to have to tell her,’ he said firmly. ‘You can’t just go off. You know how it affected her when her mother did that.’

  Sam nodded. ‘I’m going to have to pick the right moment.’

  ‘It would be an idea,’ said Billy, smiling, as he headed down the side of the Sailors’ Home. ‘You’ll have to choose your words carefully. Not that I believe the truth would occur to her in a thousand years.’ He slapped Sam on the back, thinking he was going to have to curb his impatience and pick his right moment, too. ‘Now let’s get on with finding Josh.’

  *

  Boats and ships of all different sizes were massed in the river. The sight never failed to stir Rita’s senses. She was breathless with running and had taken several shortcuts to get here fast. Now she slowed down, thinking, what lad used to the Cardiff docks wouldn’t wander off down here to mingle among the crowd and listen to the call of a ship’s hooter and the cry of the gulls and breathe in that intoxicating smell of the sea? No wonder so many Liverpool lads and some lasses succumbed to its lure despite the danger and low wages. She thought of Billy and wished he didn’t have to go back to sea but knew it was for the best if she was to stick by Sam.

  Suddenly she spotted Josh talking to one of the men tying up a ferryboat and pounced on him. He struggled. ‘I want to find me dad!’

  ‘Well, you’re in the wrong place for the ships from Cardiff.’ She put an arm round him and steered him in the direction of Canning Dock, remembering her search for her mother and her meeting Billy for the first time.

  As if her thoughts had conjured him up, she heard her name being called and there he was with Sam. Billy gave her such a smile, her heart turned over and she devoured him with her eyes. He looked so good to her despite the fact that he wore grubby trousers, his corduroy jacket had seen better days and his shirt was collarless. He wore his seaman’s cap pushed to the back of his head and a lock of dark hair curled on his forehead. She felt goose pimply all over and gave into impulse and kissed Sam so she could kiss Billy, too. Her excuse being that she was so glad to see them both. Billy laughed and then swung Josh up on his shoulders. Sam offered Rita his arm and they asked at the dock gate about ships from Cardiff and were told there was one due in three days’ time. Then they headed for Abercromby Square. Several times Sam started to say something but when she looked at him his voice trailed off. She asked him what it was but he said that he would tell her another time and that he had to get up to the yard.

  Finding Margaret still not at home and Josh having dozed off, Rita decided she would walk up to the yard with the two men. She told them to hang on while she put Josh to bed, certain she would find her aunt at the yard.

  As they turned into the street where the yard was situated, Sam sniffed. ‘I can smell something burning!’

  The next moment a man came tearing down the street whom Billy recognised and he seized his arm. ‘Where’s the fire, mate?’

  ‘Your dad’s place,’ gasped the man. ‘But the gates are locked and he isn’t answering. ‘I’m off to ring the fire brigade. If something isn’t done quickly the whole place could go up and there’s some horses going mad in there.’

  The three of them began to run but Rita could not keep up with the men and let them go ahead. Smoke and sparks filled the air and a few passers-by were gathering outside. Billy climbed the gate. Within minutes he had both open. She and Sam were with him in seconds, followed by those who had lingered outside. All stopped abruptly at the sight of the flames because not only was part of the stable block on fire, but so was the house.

  Billy paled and so did Rita, but he told Sam to direct people to the horse trough and pump and to get buckets while he checked the house. Rita would have followed him but he told her to stay back and to help someone get the horses out. There were two who were lame.

  Rita grabbed a likely looking youth and told him to come with her. The horses were frantic, attempting to drag themselves loose of the iron rings on the wall to which they were tied by handling reins. She went for the smaller grey and with unsteady fingers began to unfasten the rein, careful to avoid the horse’s rump that threatened to squash her against the wall of the stall.

  She was unprepared for the strength of the animal when, with the rein looped about her hand, she freed it. She was pulled off her feet as it bolted, spun round by one arm and dragged through a mess of straw and dung into the cobbled yard. She screamed and carried on screaming. Her arm felt as if it was being pulled from its socket. People scattered as the horse headed for the open gateway.

  Billy came tearing out of the smoke followed by Margaret and William. ‘Let go!’ he yelled.

  Afterwards Rita could not remember how she managed to drag her hand free but she did. As the other horse thundered towards her she curled herself into a ball with a moan, protecting her head with her arms. It swerved and followed the grey through the gateway.

  Billy and Margaret, Sam and Will gathered about her. ‘Are you OK, luv?’ rasped Billy, his anxious face sweaty and streaked with dirt.

  ‘I don’t think I’ll ever move again,’ she groaned.

  He smiled and slid his arms beneath her and lifted her up. ‘Take her home, Billy,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll help here.’

  ‘It should be you taking her,’ said Margaret to Sam, caressing Rita’s cheek with the back of her hand.

  ‘No! Let Billy,’ said Sam hastily, and he turned away and hurried over to the line of people emptying the water trough. William looked at Billy, who s
hrugged, then William turned and followed Sam. Margaret stared at Billy and then Rita and wondered. But she made no comment, and went after William.

  Aware of the clang of the fire engine, Rita determined to make the most of being held in Billy’s arms. Although halfway along Hardman Street she remembered that he had broken his leg and had only recently returned from his adventures in China, so she suggested he put her down. He told her she was no weight at all and continued past the Philharmonic Hall and the eye hospital, gymnasium and eventually into Abercromby Square.

  Outside the house they found Josh and Mrs Richards holding the baby, surrounded by an excited chattering group of students. Billy placed Rita on her feet while keeping his arm round her. ‘What’s going on?’

  Mrs Richards, her eyes as round as gobstoppers, said, ‘You two look as if you’ve been having trouble just like us. Someone tried to set fire to the place.’

  ‘There’s a fire up at the yard,’ said Billy, frowning at the blistered and blackened paint on the front door. The smell of paraffin hung in the air.

  Mrs Richards’ eyes widened and she shook her head. ‘There must be an arsonist about. He not only tried to burn the door down but put a lighted newspaper through the letter box and singed the coconut mat. If it wasn’t for these students, the whole place could have gone up and us with it. Why should anyone do this?’

  Rita and Billy were as puzzled as she was, but remembering her manners, Rita thanked the students and told them to call round later with their collection boxes. They drifted away. She suggested to Mrs Richards that a gallon of tea wouldn’t come amiss and they all went inside.

  ‘I’m desperate for a bath,’ said Rita, sniffing her clothes and pulling a face.

  ‘I don’t exactly smell of attar of roses myself.’ Billy took hold of her hands where the skin had been scraped off and the grazes bled sluggishly and kissed her fingers. ‘You were very brave.’

  The tenderness of that gesture touched her deeply. ‘I’m going to run a bath,’ she said unsteadily. ‘I suppose you’ll be going back up to the yard? Who do you think caused the fires?’

  ‘I think now the fire brigade’s there they’ll manage without me…as for who started them? Maybe it was Jimmy.’

  She had started up the stairs but stopped. ‘I wouldn’t put it past him.’

  ‘Me neither. But I hope I’m wrong.’ He caught up with her on the stairs. ‘I think Dad can cope with his stealing money, although he’s deeply disappointed in him, but to try and destroy the stables and set fire to this beautiful house…that’s really nasty.’

  ‘He is nasty. So how do we find out if it was Jimmy?’ She entered the bathroom.

  Billy followed her and, as she struggled to turn the knob on the water geyser above the bath, he removed her hand and did it for her. ‘I think it’s going to be a job for the police. But let’s forget about him for now.’ As the water gushed into the bath, he took her hand and said, ‘You do know I love you, Rita? I know we haven’t spent loads of time together but I’m sure of my feelings. You’re kind, you’re brave — as I said before — you’ve got a head on your shoulders and you’re beautiful. Any man would be proud to have you as their wife.’

  Her cheeks burned and her heart beat a tattoo. ‘You’re forgetting Sam,’ she whispered but her eyes shone like stars.

  ‘No, I’m not. You might find he’s been having second thoughts about marrying you.’ Billy took Rita’s face between his hands and kissed her long and deep, enough to make her toes curl. Then he left her alone.

  Rita was trembling and her hands shook as she turned on the cold tap, automatically reaching for the jar of bath salts and flinging a handful of pink crystals into the water, thinking hard and wondering if Billy and Sam had talked about her while looking for Josh. She could easily imagine Sam thinking he had let her down because of his suicide attempt but she had to be certain that wasn’t his only reason for telling Billy he no longer wanted to marry her. She felt dizzy, and whether it was due to shock or happiness or both, it didn’t matter. So many things happening at once were enough to put anyone in a tizzy. She could still feel the pressure of Billy’s lips on hers and she hugged herself. If only she could be sure Sam could cope without her, then she could be happy. If he couldn’t…she knew only too well what it felt like to be rejected.

  Rita turned off the taps and swished the water round with her hand, poured in a little more cold while she undressed and then climbed in.

  Pure bliss! She and Sam were going to have to have a heart to heart to get to the bottom of his suicide attempt; only then would she allow herself to dream of being married to Billy.

  She left her filthy clothes in the bath water and, wrapped in a towel, she went into her bedroom. She presumed Billy was downstairs talking to Mrs Richards about the arson attacks. It seemed too much of a coincidence to believe they could be anything else. She took clothes from the wardrobe and placed them on the bed, slipped into her dressing gown and sat on the stool in front of the dressing table, beginning to rub her hair dry. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Billy and marriage.

  She began to brush her hair. A face loomed in the mirror, bearded and one-eyed and for a moment she froze with shock and terror. Then she whirled round, clutching the hairbrush and opened her mouth to scream but Mr McGinty silenced her with a hand over her mouth and jerked her to her feet.

  ‘You thought you’d bleeding got away with it, didn’t yer?’ he sneered, his foul-smelling breath making her recoil. She caught him a blow on the side of his neck with the hairbrush. He swore and slipped his hand down the front of her dressing gown and dug his fingernails into her breast. It hurt! She wanted to scream and tried to bite the hand over her mouth as she struggled. He began to drag her towards the bed and she hit out again with the hairbrush.

  ‘Will you stop that!’ He squeezed her breast that hard she felt faint with the pain. ‘If it wasn’t for you and yer bitch of an aunt I wouldn’t have been locked up and had to work me bleeding guts off smashing bleeding stones.’ He wrenched the hairbrush out of her hand and threw it.

  She heard it hit the door and despaired. If only she could get his hand from her mouth for a moment she could scream and bring Billy running. The edge of the bed dug behind her knees and she was forced down. He laughed and removed his hand from her mouth and pulled apart her dressing gown. She screamed. He slapped her across the face and fumbled with his flies. Her head was ringing and now his body was on top of hers. This was some terrible nightmare. He was going to rape her and this time Billy would not arrive in time to rescue her. Oh God!

  The rap of knuckles on the door caused the man to freeze and Mrs Richards’ voice told her that the tea tray was in the sitting room and that Mr Billy Brodie was borrowing some of Mr Sam’s clothes. Rita tried to yell for help but Mr McGinty’s hand silenced her. Then she heard the sound of footsteps retreating.

  Mr McGinty laughed weakly and wiped his sweating brow. ‘That was a close thing.’ Then the laughter died in his eye and all she could see was evil. ‘Now’s the time to pay your dues, girl.’

  From somewhere deep inside her Rita dredged up the strength to claw at that dark eye. He went berserk, arms flailing. She tried to cover her face as he hit her over and over again, yelling at her, telling her how he had done for his missus.

  The door burst open and Billy appeared, carrying a poker. Behind him came Margaret holding a high-heeled shoe.

  Mr McGinty dragged Rita to her feet, an arm about her throat. ‘One step nearer and I’ll choke the life out of her. I’ve got nothing to lose.’

  Neither Billy nor Margaret spoke but the expression in their eyes was uncompromising as they continued to advance. Rita felt the pain in her body as a distant thing as she struggled and managed to get her hands between Mr McGinty’s arm and her throat. She could feel him trembling and his breathing was noisy in her ear. Then unexpectedly he cracked and flung her at them and turned towards the open window. Billy went after him, but he was already outside on the ledge and as Bi
lly made a grab for him, he jumped.

  *

  Rita lay on the sofa in her dressing gown, having refused to be treated like a child and ordered to bed. Witch hazel and iodine had been dabbed on most of her body and she had a black eye. She had downed a large brandy and had a good cry.

  Mr McGinty’s body had been taken away and the police had been and gone. At the moment Ellen held the floor because there had also been an attempt to set fire to the shop. ‘It was lucky I was still in bed and heard the letter box go. I thought it was the late post so went to have a butchers. That’s when I found the mat on fire and the door smouldering.’

  Sam’s expression was grim. ‘I ought to have known me father wouldn’t let me get away with telling him to get lost. I never thought he’d do anything as stupid as hiding Mr McGinty and joining forces with him to get revenge.’

  ‘I think he must have been the man I saw outside the house reading the newspaper,’ said Margaret. ‘I wondered what he was doing hanging about.’

  ‘I remember you telling me they were drinking mates, Sam,’ said Rita, her vision blurred in her black eye as she stared at him. ‘I must admit that I still find it difficult to take in that both Mr and Mrs McGinty are dead.’

  ‘She didn’t deserve what happened to her but it’s all over now and your father’s going to spend a good few years behind bars, Sam,’ said Billy.

  Sam nodded. ‘At least something good came out of all the mess. What’s going to happen about the yard?’ He turned to William, who was standing behind Margaret’s chair with Jonathan in his arms.

  Before he could answer she said, ‘No need for you to worry, Sam. I had the place insured. We can rebuild.’

  ‘We’ll be getting married in a few days by special license,’ said William, smiling despite his obvious weariness. ‘We don’t want a big fuss. We don’t want to take the gloss off your wedding.’

  Sam glanced at Rita and then Billy but did not speak.

  William, Billy and Sam left an hour later to help Mr Dixon and the men to carry on bringing some semblance of order to the yard.