‘I’m not as dumb as you think, big bruv. I know you must’ve got rid of Karen and Joanna. Bit of a coincidence both mothers of your kids are brown bread, don’t ya think? And I’m warning you now, if you lay one hand on my Dave, I will go to the police and tell them everything. And that includes Old Jack’s lad, Terry Smart, Kenny Jackson and every other poor bastard in Whitechapel that disappeared off the face of this earth, thanks to you.’
When Vinny lunged at his sister, Queenie slapped him hard around the face to bring him to his senses. ‘She ain’t worth it, boy. Come on, we’re going.’
‘Bye bye. Thanks for the visit,’ Brenda laughed.
Pushing Vinny towards the exit, Queenie turned towards Brenda and wagged her forefinger. ‘If I had one wish, it would be I’d never given birth to you. You’re dead in my eyes, girl. Dead!’
Madam Lydia’s ability to see into the future was scarily accurate, and Bella D’Angelo felt her spirits soar when her spiritual guide predicted she would one day actually marry the love of her life. Bella totally believed in Madam Lydia. So many things she’d predicted over the years had come true. Including Vinny bloody Butler.
‘Are you sure?’ Bella mumbled.
‘As sure as I can be, my love. The image is in the distance though, which suggests the wedding is too. In the forefront is this bad man. He is tall, dark and evil. But I feel you have a hold over him in some way and deep down he is scared of you. If you confront him, he will back away.’
‘Are you sure?’ Bella repeated.
Making a strange humming sound, Madam Lydia shut her eyes, then ten seconds later opened them again. ‘Yes, he is disappearing into the distance. But you need to be the stronger person to make this happen. You need to frighten him off.’
Bella D’Angelo smiled. She had every faith in Madam Lydia, and for the first time in months knew exactly what to do. She would confront Vinny Butler, and call his bluff.
Over in Barking, Daniel Butler had the devil in him. ‘Hurry up, you tortoise.’
‘Where we going?’ Lee asked, confused. They’d been in the middle of a game of pool when his brother had dragged him out of the cabin at the end of their garden.
‘I thought we’d have a laugh. I heard Dad talking on the phone earlier. Apparently, he bumped into dear Granddad Donald yesterday and the old git didn’t even ask how we were. He crossed over the road and blanked Dad.’
‘So what you gonna do?’
‘We are gonna go in the café and wind the old bastard up. I fucking hate him now.’
‘But Mary will probably be there, Dan, and she was always nice to us. Let’s not start no agg. Dad might ground us if we do.’
Daniel grinned. ‘Don’t matter, does it? We spend all our spare time playing on the machines and pool table anyway. And if Dad grounds us, it means Katy Big Tits will visit more to keep an eye on us.’
Laughing, Lee playfully punched his brother on the arm. ‘Katy Big Tits! That’s well funny.’
‘And so will winding up Donald be. Come on, let’s run.’
Queenie Butler was well and truly on her soapbox.In Queenie’s eyes, grasses were the epitome of all that was wrong with the world today. Absolute scum, and to say she was disgusted she’d given birth to one was an understatement.
‘Calm down, for Christ’s sake, Mum. You’ll give yourself a bleedin’ heart attack if you carry on like this. Don’t get me wrong, Bren was bang out of order, but you know what she’s like. All mouth and no action. She only said what she did to stop me giving Dave a good hiding. No way would she ever go to the Old Bill. She’s trying to blackmail me, that’s all.’
‘Blackmail! I’ll give her fucking blackmail if she ever darkens my doorstep again. Repulsed with her beyond words, I am.’
‘What’s up?’ Little Vinny asked.
Ignoring his son, Vinny followed his mother into the kitchen. ‘Give Auntie Viv a knock. You need her and she needs you. Life’s too short to fall out over silly arguments.’
‘Nope. Don’t want no more to do with her neither. And it wasn’t a silly argument. Totally out of order, Viv was. Unless she apologizes and truly means it, that’s us finished.’
Vinny led his son into the front room. ‘I want you to sneak out and knock at Auntie Viv’s. Tell her Brenda’s been beaten up and your nan’s in a right old state,’ he whispered.
Little Vinny did as he was told and was back within a minute.
‘Well?’
Little Vinny shook his head.
‘What did she say?’
‘Nan’s problems have sod-all to do with her any more.’
‘Didn’t she even ask about Bren?’
‘No. She only said what I told you, then slammed the door in my face.’
Donald Walker’s face paled when he saw his unruly grandson walk in. He’d completely washed his hands of Daniel since the fiasco he’d caused at the service in honour of Nancy. ‘Hold the fort a minute, Tina. I need to speak to Mary.’
Mary Walker was in the kitchen, flipping eggs. ‘I know that look, Donald. What have you done wrong?’
‘Daniel’s just walked in with Lee. I have nothing to say to either of them. You go out front, love, and I’ll take over the cooking.’
Mary sighed. She’d also washed her hands of Daniel after learning the truth surrounding Adam’s death. It was Daniel who’d been taunting the ticket inspector and it had been his idea to run across those bloody rail tracks. An innocent, lovely boy Adam had been and had he not been so easily led by his older brother, he’d still be alive now.
‘Go on then,’ Donald urged.
Treating her husband to a withering look, Mary marched behind the counter.
‘Hello, Nanny. How’s you and that wonderful granddaddy of mine?’ Daniel sarcastically asked.
Determined not to rise to the bait, Mary smiled. ‘We’re fine, thank you. Now what can I get you?’
‘Can I have a cheeseburger and chips please?’ Lee asked politely. Mary and Donald weren’t his real grandparents as he’d had a different mum to Daniel and Adam. His own mum had been killed in a car crash when he was young, and he’d lived with his dad ever since.
Annoyed by his brother’s genuine politeness, Daniel gave Lee’s ankle a sharp kick, then slouched across the counter, placing his chin on his hands. ‘I’ll have the same as Lee. I take it this is on the house, seeing as we’re family?’
‘Of course. Take a seat and I’ll bring your food over,’ Mary replied.
‘Nah. We’ll wait ’ere, eh, Lee? We wanna say hello to our beloved granddad, don’t we?’
‘Your granddad’s out the back, cooking. Now move, Daniel, as I’ve got other customers to serve,’ Mary ordered.
‘Nah. I would rather chat to you. Any news on Mum’s body? I thought the Old Bill might’ve found bits of her washed up on the beach by now,’ Daniel said, nudging Lee with his right knee.
Mary looked at her smirking first-born grandchild in horror. Nancy’s car had been found by the coastguard at the top of Beachy Head. She’d left suicide notes for them all, shortly after Adam had died. ‘Get out and don’t you ever come back. Go on! I never want to see you again,’ Mary screamed.
Donald ran out from the kitchen. ‘Do as your nan says – scarper,’ he yelled.
Unable to stop herself, Mary burst into tears. As much as she disliked the way Daniel had turned out, part of her would always love him. How could she not when Nancy had given birth to him?
‘Make me leave, you silly old cunt,’ Daniel goaded, staring his grandfather in the eyes.
Lee didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t overly keen on Donald, but he’d always been fond of Mary. She was a very kind lady.
Aware of the dozen or so customers looking at him, a thoroughly embarrassed Donald lifted the hatch and grabbed hold of Daniel. ‘Out now!’ he yelled, dragging the lad along by his left elbow.
‘Come on, Lee. Time to go. We only asked about me muvver and it’s obvious the sharks ate her. Either that or she run off and she�
�s still alive,’ Daniel joked.
Hand over mouth, Mary Walker stood frozen to the spot.
Apologizing to his customers for the fracas, Donald led his wife into the kitchen. ‘That boy is pure evil. Any reservations we had about our Christopher helping Nancy should be well and truly forgotten now.’
Mary nodded in agreement. ‘Nancy did the right thing. That boy has a screw loose, and Michael would’ve driven her insane. She’s better off without them.’
About to reply, Donald heard a shattering of glass and a loud scream. He immediately guessed the cause. A brick had been thrown through the window.
It was late afternoon by the time Vinny Butler finally made it to his club, having had a lousy morning. The gaff he owned was referred to as a ‘Private Member’s Gentleman’s Club’. It was anything but. The premises were classy all right, but it was basically a lap-dancing joint with bunny girls as waitresses that catered for a clientele made up of just about every pervert who’d ever entered the legal profession. Judges, lawyers, magistrates and even the Old Bill visited the club regularly, along with a few politicians and yuppies. Thanks to these ‘gentlemen’ members, the club had made Vinny Butler a very rich man.
‘Afternoon, boss,’ said Paul the doorman. ‘Jay Boy’s popped out for a bit. He won’t be long.’
‘And Little Vinny hasn’t turned up yet,’ added his colleague, Pete. ‘But it don’t matter, as we’re not that busy.’
Vinny Butler slapped his employees on the back, and explained he’d given Little Vinny the day off. He trusted Pete and Paul like family and treated them accordingly. Not only had they helped him dispose of the Turks last year, they’d worked for him since he and Roy had opened the Whitechapel club as teenagers.
‘We heard a bit of news, Vin. Denny McCann kicked the bucket yesterday. Apparently it was a heart attack,’ Paul informed his boss.
Vinny Butler raised his eyebrows. Denny McCann had once opened up a rival club and nicked a load of his customers. The bloke was only in his early fifties. ‘Oh well, good riddance to bad rubbish,’ Vinny said nonchalantly. ‘Right, I’m off to the office. Got some phone calls to make.’
‘Oh, that reminds me. A bird rung up earlier. Said it was urgent you contacted her, so I left her number on your desk,’ Pete explained.
‘What’s her name?’
‘Izzy.’
Momentarily lost for words, Vinny felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. She might be Bella to Michael, but she’d always be Izzy to him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Michael Butler leaned over Katy and grabbed the phone. ‘Keep schtum,’ he ordered. It wasn’t even seven a.m. yet and whoever was ringing him at such an unearthly hour better have a damn good reason.
‘Michael, it’s Mary. You really need to keep those sons of yours on a tighter rein you know. Daniel is out of control and you’re lucky Donald and I never called the police.’
Feeling dazed and slightly hungover, Michael sat upright. ‘What you going on about, Mary?’
While Mary explained what had gone on at the café the previous day, Katy thought it would be a good idea to suck Michael’s penis.
Instantly erect, Michael lay back on the pillow and allowed Katy to cheer him up while his one-time mother-in-law continued ranting. For one so young, Katy certainly knew how to give good head. He would have to jog her on soon though. The constant turning up at the club without being invited was borderline stalking.
Vinny Butler put on his black Armani suit and studied himself in the mirror. He looked mighty fine for forty and he knew it. Training regularly had bulked him up and the extra muscle suited his six-foot-two frame.
Touching his hair up with a bit more Brylcreem, Vinny thought about the phone call. She’d given nothing away, had just asked to meet up. ‘We need to talk, in person,’ had been her exact words.
Vinny wasn’t stupid. He guessed this meet would be about Michael, yet that didn’t stop his groin twitching as he thought back to that night he’d spent with her. The sex had been out of this world. She was a right raver, had made him come like a stream train. And truth be told, that was where the problem lay.
Bella D’Angelo was a dedicated follower of fashion. She had a luxury walk-in wardrobe filled with designer clothes, but today she’d decided to dress down. The thought of Vinny staring at her cleavage or buttocks made Bella nauseous, which was why she’d opted to wear a long baggy jumper, leggings and boots.
She’d tried to kill time by wandering around the local market, but had given up, unable to concentrate with the prospect of a meet with Vinny hanging over her. So Bella arrived at the bar forty-five minutes early and ordered herself a glass of wine. She’d chosen Covent Garden as it was often packed with tourists and there was less chance of anybody recognizing her or Vinny.
‘Well, well, well. If it isn’t the lovely Izzy. Can I get you a drink?’
Continuing to coolly flick through her Vogue magazine, Bella took her time looking up and replying. She was determined to have the upper hand. ‘Get yourself a drink; I’ve already got one, thanks. And my name is Bella, so I would appreciate it if you’d address me as such.’
Slightly taken aback by Bella’s cool demeanour, Vinny ordered himself a large Scotch. He discreetly watched her from the bar. He’d put money on it she was only pretending to read that magazine. He also noted she’d purposely dressed down. Not that it mattered. She was that stunning; she’d look fuckable wearing a bin bag.
Vinny smirked as he sat opposite Bella. ‘This is cosy, isn’t it?’
‘No, Vinny. It isn’t. I do appreciate you agreeing to meet me though. We need to talk about Michael.’
‘Whaddya wanna know?’
‘How is he?’
‘Yeah, Michael’s good. Gets on with life, don’t he?’
‘What do you mean by that exactly?’ Bella asked.
‘That birds come and go, you included. Handsome man like Michael ain’t ever gonna be short of female admirers.’
Bella’s heart lurched. She hadn’t officially ended her relationship with Michael, had just told him she needed some space. No way would he be unfaithful to her, Bella was sure of that. ‘Don’t fucking play games with me, Vinny. You’re out your depth.’
Vinny chuckled. ‘You didn’t mind me playing games with you when we were holed up in that hotel. Begged me to tie you up, if I remember rightly. What’s changed, Izzy? Sorry, I mean, Bella.’
Hating Vinny more than ever, Bella fleetingly worried if she should come clean to her father and let him sort the situation out. She quickly decided against it though. She could never risk anybody finding out Antonio was Vinny’s child. That was her secret and hers alone.
‘Want another drink?’ Vinny asked cockily.
‘No. I want you to listen to me carefully. I love your brother very much and I will not allow you to spoil our happiness. What happened between us was a stupid drunken one-night stand. Nothing more, nothing less. I was hoping you would’ve realized that by now, but you obviously haven’t. So tomorrow, I am going to visit Michael and tell him everything. And believe me, Vinny, I will not leave one detail out. Michael needs to know the truth.’
Vivian Harris felt like a lost sheep. It was all right for Queenie when they had a row as she had all her kids and grandkids around her, but now that Lenny was dead, Viv had nobody.
‘Where’s your shadow?’ Terry on the fruit-and-veg stall shouted out.
‘We ain’t joined at the bleedin’ hip, you know,’ Viv yelled back. Neither her nor Queenie ever discussed family business with outsiders. The nosy neighbours would have a field day if they even got a sniff of an argument.
‘Hello, Viv. I thought you were gonna just walk past me then.’
‘Sorry, Albie. In a world of me own today.’
‘Where’s Queenie?’
‘Don’t ask. We’ve fallen out good and proper this time.’
‘Not over you telling Michael I was welcome to come for dinner, surely?’
Havi
ng had a rubbish day where she’d missed her poor dead son more than ever, Vivian couldn’t help her eyes welling up. ‘Take no notice of me, Albie. I’m going soft in me old age.’
‘How about you let me buy you a drink or two? We can have a proper chat in the pub.’
Starved of company, Vivian smiled. ‘Sod it. Why not?’
Vinny Butler was back-pedalling for all he was worth: ‘Look, I’m sorry for calling you Izzy and mentioning the past. I was only winding you up. If you wanna be with Michael, then be with him. But don’t be telling him anything about me and you. It’ll crucify him and he’ll hate the pair of us.’
Enjoying the sight of the colour draining from Vinny’s face, Bella shook her head. ‘I have to get everything out in the open; I’ve always been totally honest with Michael. If I don’t come clean with him about you and he finds out in the future, he will never forgive me. But if I tell him I recognized you at the party, which explains me fleeing to Italy and my behaviour since, we might have a chance to make it work. It isn’t as though I’ve cheated on him, is it? I was single when … you know.’
‘I know my own brother, Bella, and he ain’t gonna want you if he knows you slept with me. It will break his heart, trust me. Is that what you want? Michael ain’t no mug. Chances are he’ll kill the pair of us.’
‘Admitting the truth is better than spending the rest of my life looking over my shoulder waiting for you to make snide remarks or blackmail me.’
‘Blackmail you! What do you take me for?’
‘Well, you’re hardly a gentleman are you, Vinny? When I fled that party and Michael went to get the car, you tried to kiss and fucking grope me. I wonder how your brother will react when I tell him that?’
Vinny had an overwhelming urge to remind the sanctimonious bitch that he’d done far more than grope her on the night they’d spent shagging one another’s brains out, but somehow he managed to control his temper. Michael would never forgive him if he learned the truth. Their close brotherly bond would be ripped to shreds, for ever. ‘Listen, I was out of order that night and I apologize. It was a shock seeing you and I was pissed.’
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