Relief flooded through Vinny’s veins. As callous as he could be at times, no way on this earth could he have played happy families with his brother today, knowing the shit was about to hit the fan. His morals wouldn’t allow it.
Queenie and Vivian were watching the latest episode of Minder. Both thought Terry McCann was very handsome, and Arthur Daley always had them in hysterics.
‘That’s the one thing these TV shows never get right, Viv. Meant to be a pub full of top villains Terry’s walked in. Yet not one is wearing a suit. Ever seen my Vinny and Michael wearing anything but? Roy was the same. Always suited and booted. Clothes and shoes say everything about a man.’
‘Your Albie wears suits too, Queen,’ Vivian couldn’t help but remind her sister.
‘Well, apart from that tosser, of course. His suits are cheap old cloth anyway, not like my boys. Bleedin’ nuisance!’ Queenie huffed when the phone burst into life. ‘Pause it, Viv,’ she ordered. Video recorders were one of man’s finest creations. The number of times her bloody phone rang, she’d never get to watch a programme unless she pre-recorded it.
‘Who was it?’ Viv asked.
‘Vinny. Michael’s walked in the pub and he can’t stay there. Wants me to ring in a few minutes to say I’m not well enough to look after Ava. What did Michael say exactly when you told him I had flu and he and the Italian slapper couldn’t come for dinner tomorrow?’
Vivian shrugged. ‘Not much. Didn’t seem too bothered, to be honest.’
‘Nice. Stick Minder back on, please.’
‘You can’t sod off, Vin. I’ve come all the way from bloody Brentwood to have a beer with you. It’s been ages since we’ve had a good night out together,’ Michael said.
For the first time ever, Vinny could barely look his brother in the eyes. ‘Mum wouldn’t have phoned unless she felt proper ill, bruv. And Ava’s my responsibility at the end of the day. You enjoy yourself with the lads. I’ve gotta go.’
‘Where’s me old man gone?’ Little Vinny asked, aware that his father had bolted out of the boozer.
Michael walked back over to the table. ‘Home. Your nan’s got a flu bug and he’s had to pick Ava up.’
Little Vinny was perplexed. ‘But he never said Nan was ill earlier. And why didn’t he say goodbye to any of us?’
Michael shrugged. ‘You know what your father’s like. Makes up his own rules.’
Bella had felt edgy all day, but had done her utmost to keep herself busy. Michael had his phone with him and hadn’t called her, so surely that was a good sign?
‘You OK, Mum? Is Camila asleep?’ Antonio asked.
‘Yes, darling,’ Bella replied. ‘Shall we put the film back on now?’ She and Antonio had been watching Home Alone before she’d gone to check on her daughter.
‘In a minute. Can we talk about Christmas first?’ insisted Antonio.
‘Of course. Are you getting excited?’
‘A bit. But can I tell you the present I would like the most?’
Having bought Antonio lots of gifts, Bella hoped it was something she’d already purchased. ‘Go on.’
‘Thomas, who is in my class, didn’t know his real dad either. But his mum got married to her boyfriend Alex, and then Alex officially adopted Thomas, and Thomas now calls him “Daddy”.’
Bella stroked her son’s thick hair. ‘What are you trying to say, sweetheart?’
‘That I want you to marry Michael, so he can adopt me and I call him Dad. I love him very much, Mum. And you, of course.’
Unable to stop the tears, Bella planted kisses all over her son’s handsome face.
‘Why are you crying?’
‘Because you are so wonderful and that was such a sweet thing to say.’
‘Will you ask Michael, Mum?’
‘Yes, darling. One day, but not just yet.’
When Antonio pressed the play button and giggled at the film once more, Bella felt physically sick. If her poor, gentle son ever found out who his real father was, it would totally destroy him.
With their children safely tucked up in bed, Katy and Lucy were sharing their third bottle of wine while finalizing their plan.
‘Are you sure we’re doing the right thing, turning up at Michael’s house tomorrow? Part of me still thinks we should wait until after Christmas,’ Katy said anxiously.
Lucy held her friend’s hand. ‘Now you listen to me. I truly believe you and Nathan have been patient enough already. The truth needs to come out, Katy, and the sooner the better. Michael Butler has a lot to answer for, he really does.’
Katy lifted up her wine glass. ‘To the truth coming out.’
Lucy winked. ‘The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the bloody truth.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jamie Preston picked up a tray and stood in the breakfast queue. Richie Woods had a job in the kitchen and today was serving up the grub.
Sensing Richie’s eyes boring into him, Jamie chose not to make eye contact. Black Bob had come up trumps with the screwdriver, but Glen had visited him yesterday and begged him not to do anything stupid with it. Glen was desperate for him not to jeopardize his chance of parole. Said everything was in place on the outside for them to earn loads of dosh and lead the life of Riley.
Jamie had explained in a hushed tone just how bad things had got, and by the end of the visit even Glen agreed Jamie had to teach Richie Woods a lesson. Woods might be a lot of things, but he was no grass and a dig or two should be more than enough to make him wind his neck in.
It was a damn shame all Glen’s cronies had either been released or moved down the system. Two were now in Ford Open Prison, one in Coldingly, and three at home with their families. Jamie would’ve had plenty of back-up if they were still around, and wouldn’t have to rely on a poxy screwdriver for protection.
‘Look at me, Preston,’ Woods hissed, as Jamie reached the front of the queue.
As Jamie slowly raised his eyes, Woods spat a mouthful of phlegm on his food.
Instead of chucking the plate at Woods’s head like he wanted to, Jamie instead took a deep breath and smirked. Little Dave, a screw that hated him, was clocking him. No way was he playing into that tosser’s hands.
‘Not hungry?’ Woods taunted, as Jamie left his tray and walked away.
Mumbling, ‘You won’t be hungry after I’ve stuck a screwdriver through your fucking tongue,’ Jamie calmly headed back to his cell.
Camila leapt on top of her father. ‘Daddy, wake up!’ she demanded.
Michael groaned. ‘Jump up, darling. Daddy’s feeling a bit delicate this morning.’
‘Why you sleep on the sofa?’ Camila enquired.
‘Because Daddy came home late and would’ve kept Mummy awake with his snoring,’ Bella quipped. She’d lain awake until Michael had finally rolled home at three, and had been relieved when she’d greeted him and he’d been totally fine towards her. Bella hadn’t been able to get much sense out of him though. He’d been in a melancholy mood, rambling on about how much he missed Adam.
‘Get us a glass of water and some strong headache tablets, Bell. My bonce feels like it’s been trampled on by a horde of elephants.’
‘That’ll teach you to overdo it,’ Bella laughed, handing Michael his request. ‘So, where did you go? I did ask you last night, but you were rather incoherent.’
‘Went on an East End pub crawl. Ended up in the Prince Regent, I think. We were all shit-faced, well apart from Little Vinny and Finn. They were sensible, went on soft drinks. Wish I had now.’
‘Was Vinny drunk as well?’ Bella asked.
‘He didn’t come. As soon as I showed up, he left.’
Bella was alarmed. ‘Why?’
‘My mum’s got the flu, apparently. Vinny went round hers to look after Ava.’
‘I didn’t know your mum had the flu. Are we not visiting her today now?’
‘No, babe. Sorry, I forgot to tell ya. Aunt Viv belled me yesterday to tell me Mum weren’t well enough. I’ll pop round
to see her over the next couple of days, take her presents with me.’
‘Morning, Mum. Morning, Michael. I’m starving. Can I have some breakfast, please?’ Antonio asked, picking up his little sister and hugging her.
Bella walked into the kitchen deep in thought. Perhaps Queenie had a serious illness? Which would explain why Vinny wanted to meet her in person. He would want her to break the news to Michael as gently as possible, surely?
Katy Spencer straightened Nathan’s tie. He was wearing a dark suit, white shirt and looked like a miniature version of Michael with his hair parted on the left and a touch of Brylcreem added.
‘Where are we going, Mum?’
Katy crouched down. ‘We’re going to see Daddy, and I need you to do and say as Mummy tells you, OK? I’ll explain everything in the car.’
Nathan jumped up and down excitedly. He’d missed his father and could not wait to see him again.
After Glen Harper had been released from prison, Jamie Preston bagged himself a job as a cleaner. His new cellmate was an elderly man called Charlie who’d stabbed his wife for moaning too much, and he didn’t stop moaning himself. Usually about his old woman, Doris, and the amount of foreigners now living in the capital. He was also fond of rambling on about the good old days and the war.
The main bonus of being a cleaner was that Jamie was allowed out of his cell mornings and evenings. His job was to clean the association rooms before and after they’d been used.
‘All right, Preston. I think you’ve missed a bit of dust there,’ Richie Woods goaded.
Jamie’s body stiffened as he reached for the screwdriver in his sock and manoeuvred it inside the sleeve of his sweatshirt. He stood up and turned around. ‘I don’t want no grief; just fuck off back to your cell, Richie.’
Richie Woods had an agenda. His main concern was his wife and kids being happy, with no more money worries. But he also wanted to impress Vinny Butler. Richie knew that the more he upped his game, the more dosh his family would get, and he’d also have a good chance of Vinny employing him when he finally got out of this dump. ‘Scarper, you, and shut the door behind ya. You ain’t seen me, and if you snitch, you’ll get this sliced across your throat,’ Woods said, brandishing a knife.
Petrified, the young prisoner who’d been working alongside Jamie ran from the room.
Jamie edged backwards as Woods approached him. ‘Why the fuck are you doing this? I’ve never done anything to you.’
Vinny Butler had insisted his name be kept out of things. ‘Because you’re a fucking child killer,’ Richie spat, as he wildly aimed the knife at Jamie’s face.
When the knife made contact with his neck, Jamie Preston had no choice but to retaliate. ‘Have some of that, you mug,’ he hissed, aiming the screwdriver into Richie’s thigh.
When Richie then stuck the knife in his shoulder, Jamie saw red. Far more red than the blood seeping through his sweatshirt. ‘Cunt! You fucking stupid cunt,’ he yelled, as he repeatedly stabbed the screwdriver into Woods’s stomach.
Seconds later, Woods collapsed on the floor and a prison guard ran into the room. Unfortunately for Jamie, it was Little Dave.
Nathan Spencer was confused. His mother had always told him that his father worked away. She’d also told him he was an only child, but now she was telling him he had a sister called Camila and his dad lived with her mum, Bella.
‘How old is Camila, Mum?’
‘Younger than you, darling. Camila will be four on Boxing Day. Mummy wanted to wait until you were old enough to understand before she told you the truth, and you’re a big boy now, aren’t you?’
Nathan grinned. ‘Yes. I’m a big boy just like Daddy.’
Pleased with the way her son had reacted to the news, Katy decided to tell him the rest. ‘You have two big brothers as well, Daniel and Lee.’
Nathan’s eyes opened wide. ‘Have I?’ he asked. Lots of his friends at school had brothers and he’d always wanted one. Now he had two and could barely believe it.
Katy stroked her son’s cheek. ‘Yes. You might even meet them today.’
Nathan bounced up and down excitedly, clapping his hands with glee. ‘How long until we get to Daddy’s house? Does he know we’re coming?’
Behind the steering wheel, Lucy Tompkins sighed. She’d urged her friend not to tell Nathan the truth until they knew what the outcome of this visit would be, but Katy being Katy, she’d done the exact opposite. Michael was hardly going to invite them in for cake and tea, and poor little Nathan was bound to be left heartbroken.
Covered in his own blood and Richie’s, Jamie Preston was distraught. ‘I was only defending myself. He had a knife, what was I meant to do? Wake up Woodsy, you fucking wanker,’ he begged, as the four screws dragged him from the room. Little Dave had had no chance of prising Jamie off Richie Woods alone. It had taken three of his colleagues to do so.
‘Well, that’s your parole up the Swannee, son,’ Little Dave taunted Jamie. ‘Woods looks brown bread to me.’
‘I wouldn’t have another wine, Katy, if I were you. The last thing you want is to meet Bella reeking of alcohol. That’s if she’s even there, of course. For all we know, her and Michael might’ve gone out for the day,’ Lucy warned. When her son, Jonny, had announced he was hungry, Katy had demanded they stop at a child-friendly pub.
‘Last one, I promise. I need something to calm my nerves and the boys are still eating. I’ve only had two and the measures are so small. I’m hardly going to smell like a tramp, am I?’ Katy insisted.
Telling the boys she wouldn’t be a tick, Lucy followed Katy up to the bar. ‘Why did you tell Nathan everything? I thought we’d agreed that we should get today over with and you’d explain things gently to him afterwards. It’s bound to go badly, and that poor little mite will be devastated when he doesn’t get to spend time with his brothers and sister now you’ve told him about them.’
Katy shrugged. ‘Ever since Nathan was born, my life has been one big lie. I’m sick of it, and I’m also done with lying to my son. I love Michael Butler and want the whole world to know he’s the father of my child. One day, hopefully, we’ll be together. If not, I’ll always own a part of him. Michael loves Nathan and if it wasn’t for me that boy would never have been born.’
Unaware that unwanted visitors were heading their way, Bella and Michael were snuggled up on the sofa with Camila on their laps.
‘I haven’t wrapped my presents up yet. I think I should do that now,’ Antonio announced.
Having recovered from his hangover, Michael asked Bella if she fancied going out.
‘Let’s get a takeaway, shall we? Restaurants will be so busy today; we’re bound to struggle to book a table for four at such short notice.’
Michael winked. ‘Men like me don’t struggle to get tables, babe. Up to you?’
‘Do you want to go out, Antonio?’ Bella asked.
‘I’m not bothered. But if we order a takeaway, can I have crispy duck from that nice shop we ordered from last time, please?’
‘You can have whatever you want, boy. Now go and wrap those presents. You better have bought me something nice, or else you’ll be getting no more pocket money,’ Michael joked.
Antonio poked his tongue out. ‘Don’t care,’ he said, before he ran up the stairs laughing.
‘What are you doing, Cami? Come away from that tree,’ Bella ordered.
Michael had brought home the biggest real Christmas tree he could find and Camila was currently sitting underneath, sneakily trying to open the presents.
Camila pointed to a box in pink wrapping paper. ‘Can I open this one? Please?’
‘No! They’re not for you. Father Christmas brings your presents, but only if you’re a good girl,’ Bella replied.
Camila’s lip wobbled. ‘But I am good.’
Michael leapt up, picked his daughter up and took her into the kitchen. ‘Shall we open another door on your calendar? We won’t tell Mummy though, eh?’
Camila giggled, then fo
rgot all about the advent calendar when the doorbell rang. She loved visitors.
‘I’ll get it, Bell,’ Michael said. ‘I’ll kill them boys of mine if they keep leaving that gate open, I swear. How many times have I told ’em?’ Michael moaned, as he stomped into the hallway. He hadn’t spent a fortune on security gates for nothing.
Camila followed her father and clung on to his leg as he opened the door.
‘Hello, Michael. It seems you’ve forgotten about me and your son. Nathan meet Camila, she’s your little sister,’ Katy announced loudly. Lucy and Jonny she’d ordered to wait at the bottom of the drive in the car.
The colour drained from Michael’s face when Bella marched into the hallway. His time was up and he knew it. ‘It’s not what you think, babe. I can explain everything,’ he grovelled, as Nathan flung himself towards his father, like his mother had ordered him to.
Taking one look at Nathan’s features, Bella’s first instinct was to cry, but she was far too strong to do so until she was alone. ‘What’s your name?’ she asked his mother.
‘Katy Spencer. I was once Michael’s housekeeper. I’m so sorry to turn up here like this, but I had no choice,’ Katy said, bursting into tears. Even though Bella had little make-up on and was dressed casually, she was far more beautiful in the flesh than Katy could ever have imagined. No wonder Michael didn’t want her.
‘Yes, you did have a choice, Katy. You’re a nutter. You need medical help. I’ve never wanted you and you know that. You fucking trapped me when I weren’t even with Bella. You’re a stalker,’ Michael yelled, trying to dig himself out of the biggest hole ever.
When both Camila and Nathan burst into tears, Bella calmly ordered Michael to leave the house.
‘No way. She’s a loony, Bell. I ain’t leaving you ’ere with her. She’s like that bunny boiler in Fatal Attraction, babe.’
On top of the landing, Antonio put his hands over his ears, and rocked to and fro. He could not believe this was happening.
Tainted Love: The gritty new thriller from the #1 bestseller Page 23