Katy Spencer was in a foul mood. She knew Michael was going through a difficult time, but since calling to tell her about his aunt being attacked, the only contact she’d had from him was the odd text. Was he turning to Nancy for comfort? Or Bella? Because something untoward was occurring and Katy knew it. Even at the wedding, she and their two children she shared with Michael had been packed off back to the hotel room as though they were mere guests, not family.
As though reading her mother’s thoughts, Ellie asked, ‘Why doesn’t Daddy come home any more? Has he left us?’
Screaming at her cleaner to mop the kitchen floor again, Katy marched her daughter upstairs. ‘We never talk about Daddy in front of strangers, Ellie. And you must never say he hasn’t been home recently to your friends, their parents, or anybody else, for that matter. People have a lot of respect for us in this area and that’s because your father is an extremely important man. I was so very proud of you and Nathan for keeping that whole wedding fiasco quiet. You don’t think the Harrisons would’ve invited you to go to Lapland with Sara-Jayne this week had you blurted that out, do you? People have lots of respect for us because of Daddy, darling, and that’s the way it shall stay. I promise you faithfully, as soon as Auntie Viv is buried, your father will be coming home again on his regular days. Mummy will make damn sure of it.’
Dressed from head to toe in black, Queenie Butler stared dismally out of the window. When the doctor had explained yesterday that even if Vivian did wake up – which was doubtful – it would be highly unlikely she would ever be the same person again, it had been Queenie’s decision to today turn off the equipment that was the only thing keeping her once-vibrant sister alive. Seeing Vivian in a coma, tubes stuck in her arms and mouth, was heartbreaking. Having cried enough tears to fill a river, Queenie could cry no more. Her grief had now been replaced with bitterness and anger at what her beloved Whitechapel and London in general had become.
Memories of her Roy had been in the forefront of Queenie’s thoughts all week. Her son had been a completely different person when he had come out of his coma, and Queenie knew for a fact that Vivvy would not want to live out the rest of her days being unable to walk, communicate properly and sipping through bastard straws. They had discussed the subject many a time and had always promised to do the right thing for one another if such a dreadful situation were to occur. Done up to the nines, strutting up and down Roman Road market on a Saturday afternoon was how they wished to be remembered. Not gawped at with people feeling sorry for them because they no longer had all their marbles intact.
Watching the horrid kids opposite jumping up and down on the filthy mattress that was now a permanent fixture in their disgusting shithole of a front garden, Queenie decided to busy herself until her sons arrived by packing up some more personal belongings. Vinny had taken her to view a bungalow in Hornchurch yesterday, not far from where Little Vinny lived, and Queenie could not wait to move there next week. Everything about Whitechapel reminded her of Vivian, and no way could Queenie live there any more. What had happened to the good old days when you could leave your front door open without fear of being attacked? Or burgled, for that matter. And even more scarily, what had happened to the respect her family’s name had once commanded in this neck of the woods? Nobody would’ve dared say a bad word, let alone lay a finger on herself or Vivian once upon a time; such was the fear of her sons’ reprisals. She hadn’t just been referred to as ‘Queen’ by the locals; she had been fucking treated like one too. Well, her reign was over now and for all she cared Whitechapel could rot in hell.
Tears pouring down his cheeks, Albie Butler squeezed Vivian’s lifeless hand. Michael was the only one who knew she was on her way home from the hospital when she had been attacked. An unopened packet of cigarettes had been found amongst the scattered contents of her handbag and Michael had told him to keep schtum about her whereabouts: ‘It will only make Mum and Vinny hate you more, Dad, and it changes nothing. Best to let them think she popped out for fags.’
‘Do you want to say your goodbyes to Auntie Viv on your own, Granddad? I’ve already said mine,’ Ava said.
‘Yes please, lovey.’
Ava gave her aunt one final kiss and then hugged her grandfather. ‘Do you think Lee was all right earlier? I thought he was acting oddly, so did Little Vinny.’
‘Probably just missing his brother, love. Been a tough week for all of us, hasn’t it?’
‘I suppose so. I’m going to meet Destiny now. Will you wait with Auntie Viv until the others arrive? It doesn’t seem right, leaving her all alone.’
Queenie had insisted that only she, Michael and Vinny would remain in the room with Vivian when the ventilator aiding her breathing was switched off, which hadn’t surprised Albie in the slightest. That’s the way the witch had always wanted it: just her and her precious boys around her. Saying a private goodbye suited Albie better anyway. He had personal things he wanted to say to the woman he had grown so fond of. And he wanted to sing her favourite song to her one last time. ‘You get off, love. I won’t leave Vivvy’s side,’ Albie promised.
When Ava left the room, Albie stroked Vivian’s deathly white cheek. His tears dripped on to her face as he joked, ‘I’m sorry I’m not dressed a bit better, my darlin’. Would’ve worn your favourite suit if I could.’ Albie was still in the same hospital himself. Such was the shock of learning what had happened to Viv, he’d had a minor heart attack, which was why he was kitted out in pyjamas and a dressing gown.
‘Dunno what I’m gonna do without you, Viv. If I could swap places with you, I would, my angel. Why didn’t I marry you instead, eh? We could’ve been so happy together, and we’d have had lovely sons. They’d have been like your Lenny, not my Vinny. We wasted our lives, me and you.’
Receiving no response, Albie clasped Vivian’s hand, shut his eyes and broke into the opening chords of ‘Spanish Eyes’. She loved him singing that, did Vivvy. Said he sang it just like Al Martino did.
Seconds later, the machine started bleeping strangely. ‘Nurse, nurse! Come quickly.’
Michael Butler handed his brother a Scotch. ‘Did you have a word with Mum this morning about Auntie Viv?’
Vinny sighed. Both he and Michael wanted to give their aunt more time to heal, but since hearing the news from the doctor, his mother was having none of it. ‘She’s adamant we let her go peacefully in her sleep, bruv. Says no way would Viv want to spend the rest of her life sitting in her own piss and shit, and if anything similar ever happens to her we’re to make the same decision. Threatened to come back and haunt us if we don’t.’
‘Oh well, that’s that then. I’m dreading watching her take her final breath. I know the quack said she’d never be the same if she woke up, but we don’t know that for sure, do we?’
‘Roy was never the same though, was he? I should imagine that’s one of the reasons why Mum is insistent we end things this way. She reckons Champ’ll be waiting with open arms and will take care of his mum.’ Champ was Vinny and Michael’s nickname for their deceased cousin Lenny.
‘I’m worried about Lee an’ all now. Been acting proper strange, by all accounts. Had his old woman on the phone this morning in bits. She’s worried he might be planning on killing himself,’ Michael informed his brother.
‘Nah. Lee’s too strong mentally to do that. He’s obviously missing Dan. Been a fucked-up week for all of us, eh?’
‘You can say that again. I’ve spent the last five nights in Bella’s bed,’ Michael announced, clocking his brother’s reaction closely.
‘About bloody time. That woman loves you so much, Michael, it’s untrue. I don’t like going over old ground, but me and her meant nothing. Two strangers who did not know one another from Adam, and it’s so long ago now it feels like a different lifetime. You’ve got to forget about it and move on. You and Bella are still young enough to spend many happy years together. Life’s too short for regrets.’
‘It’s not that easy though. Your son despises me, fo
r a start.’
‘It’s about time Antonio was made to stand on his own two fucking feet. He ain’t a kid any more, needs to grow a pair of balls and be a man. Don’t let him get in the way of your happiness. I’ll set him up in a flat if need be. I want you and Bella to make a go of it, bruv, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Seeing Auntie Viv lying there with all those tubes coming out of her brings it all home to ya. None of us know how long we’re on this earth for, do we?’
‘We sure don’t. Speaking of which, let’s go and pick Mum up, get this over with. Poor Auntie Viv. Who would ever have thought it would end this way for her?’
Flanked by her handsome sons, also dressed in black suits, Queenie Butler marched into the hospital with a look of twisted hatred on her face. She could not believe this was happening, it all seemed so surreal, and she just hoped the evil little fuckers responsible for her anguish would die in the slowest and most painful way possible. Vinny had promised her one day they would, but nothing could make Queenie feel better right now. The second that machine was switched off, half of Queenie would die with her sister. In fact, the way she felt right now, she could never imagine laughing or even smiling again.
As they turned into the corridor where Vivian was, Queenie was horrified when a nurse informed her, ‘I’m so sorry, my love, but your Vivvy’s already slipped away.’
‘But I wanted to be with her, say a proper goodbye. Oh dear Lord, the thought of her dying all alone.’
The nurse squeezed Queenie’s hand. ‘Viv wasn’t alone. Your Albie was with her.’
Daniel Butler leaned against the barrier at the Arrivals gate at Palma airport. When he had run away from that registry office he hadn’t a clue where he was going, but instinct had told him to pop home, grab his passport and get as far away as possible.
Jonjo Hopkins was a bloke Daniel had palled up with in nick. His old man owned a bar out in Magaluf, and when Daniel had phoned and said he needed to get away from England ASAP, Jonjo had suggested he get on the next flight. Not only would he put him up, there was a job waiting for him if he wanted it.
Having spent the past week on the lash and shagging birds to try and forget what he couldn’t even bring himself to tell Jonjo, Daniel grinned as his true soul-mate strutted through Arrivals, sports bag in hand. ‘You came! I was worried you’d bottle out. Didn’t tell anyone where you was going, did ya?’
Lee Butler gave his brother the biggest hug ever. They’d only been apart a week, but it had felt like a whole bloody year. For as long as Lee could remember, he had looked up to Daniel and without him he was nothing. ‘Course not. Did as you said and popped the letters in the post before I left London. Got a message from Granddad before I binned the phone. Auntie Viv died today. So sad, ain’t it? Can’t believe we will never see her again.’
‘It is, but Auntie Viv wouldn’t want to live like Roy did. Neither would she want us to be miserable. She’d want us to go out and celebrate her life tonight, and that’s what we shall do. You wait until you see it out ’ere. It’s a wicked life: birds, booze and cocaine on tap. You ready to have the party of a lifetime?’
Lee Butler grinned. When he had married Beth he had truly loved her, but her banging on about the baby stuff and the pressures that came with trying to pay a mortgage every month was not for him. It had got even worse when the test results had come back. Beth had been told it was unlikely she would ever be a mother; the problems conceiving lay totally with her. Her whinging and crying had done Lee’s head in since. That was why he had decided to end his marriage by letter and move on with Daniel by his side. ‘I’m ready, all right. Let’s party.’
Many miles away in Essex, Alex and Roxanne were sitting in a private abortion clinic. Roxanne had been in a terrible state since her doomed wedding and Alex had been staying with her and comforting her ever since.
‘I can’t do it. I’m not doing it!’ Roxanne announced, standing up.
Alex sighed. Her boyfriend Stevie was getting sick of the Roxanne drama. He was extremely concerned because she was only fifteen – and a Butler. And also worried because they were currently staying in the empty flat above his sister’s shop in Colchester. Stevie’s text yesterday had read:
Once she gets rid of that kid tomorrow, Alex, she’s no longer your problem. I don’t need nor fucking want no agg with the Butlers and she’s Michael’s daughter. Get the baby out of her belly and your arse back here. I’m missing ya x
When Roxanne ran out of the building, Alex chased after her. ‘Roxy, don’t be silly now. You’re fifteen years old and you cannot be giving birth to your brother’s child. I know it’s difficult, pet, but in years to come you will move on and meet a lovely lad and have lots of babies with him.’
True Butler fire in her eyes, Roxanne turned around and glared at her friend. ‘I never knew Daniel as a brother, did I? Therefore he isn’t my bloody brother. We never grew up together and I still don’t believe all that rubbish that was said at the wedding. My mam’s a liar and would say anything to split us up. To me, Daniel is my soul-mate. I love him so much; I cannot get rid of our child. If I do, I lose part of him. And if I don’t, part of him will always belong to me.’
Mouth wide open, Alex wondered for the first time if her friend was actually mad. ‘You’re not thinking straight, Roxy. I know you loved Daniel but you can’t keep his baby, pet. It isn’t right. It’s sick. This isn’t love, it’s tainted love.’
The phrase ‘Tainted Love’ brought a smile to Roxanne’s face. Daniel had loved that song, had taught her all the words. She hugged her friend. ‘Thanks for everything, Alex, but this is my baby, my decision and my life.’
‘Roxy, Roxy, come back!’ Alex screamed.
Ignoring her friend’s desperate cries, Roxanne carried on running.
EPILOGUE
Queenie Butler stared sadly at her beloved birds pecking away happily at their seed. Who would feed them after today? Shame she couldn’t catch them and take them with her, but there was bound to be plenty of other birds who would need feeding in Hornchurch.
‘That’s all your clobber in the lorry, Mum. You sure there’s nothing else you wanna take out of Auntie Viv’s?’
‘No. Anything valuable or sentimental I packed in those boxes. The rest of Viv’s stuff can be binned, or given to charity. A dog one preferably, or bird.’
It was six days now since Vivian had died, and not only was Queenie guilt-ridden that she hadn’t been at her sister’s side, she was also extremely fucking bitter Albie had been there. One of the nurses had let slip Albie was singing to Viv when she’d croaked it, and in Queenie’s eyes, after having that old bastard crooning in your ear, death must have been a relief.
‘You OK, Mum?’ Michael asked worriedly. He knew how much of a wrench it must be for her to leave the house she had treasured and the area she had lived in all her life.
‘I’m all right, love.’
‘You ready to go? Or shall I wait outside with Vin, and give you five minutes alone?’
‘Nah. I’m ready.’ Taking one last look around, Queenie picked up her bag and shut her front door for the very last time.
A handful of people had gathered outside.
‘I know we’ve had our moments, Queen, but I am truly gonna miss ya,’ Mouthy Maureen said.
‘Bye, Queen. We’re gonna miss ya too, love,’ Big Stan added.
‘Good luck in your new home, Queen. I hope you’ll be very happy,’ Stinky Susan shouted out.
Ordering Pete and Paul to head off in the lorry, Vinny put an arm around his mother’s shoulders. ‘Wanna say a proper goodbye to anyone? Or pop in the club one last time? I think Michael’s still got a spare key,’ Vinny suggested. The club was soon to be knocked down and turned into flats. A beady-eyed property developer had snapped it up within days of it going on the market.
Queenie glanced at the women walking past dressed from head to toe in black burkas, the gang of hoodies over the road looking menacing, the filthy disgusting pavements that wer
e once kept tidy but were now littered with rubbish, and the vulgar family opposite who were sitting on that stinking mattress in their front garden scoffing chips like animals. ‘No stop-offs needed. Take me straight to Hornchurch, boy.’
When Vinny pulled away from the kerb, Queenie shut her eyes. She thought back to the street parties they had once held to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and Charles and Diana’s wedding. What a wonderful street it had been to live in then. Everybody watched one another’s backs and respect was in the air wherever you walked. That’s how she wanted to remember it, not see it as the shithole it was today.
Queenie opened her eyes just in time to see the BUTLERS sign above the club for the very last time. She could remember the opening night there like it were yesterday. Her and Vivvy sipping their sherry, done up to the nines in their furs, diamante necklaces and earrings. Vinny and Roy as fresh-faced teenagers looking mint in their smart suits. Albie pissed as per usual. The proudest mother on earth she had been that evening, watching her strapping lads greet their guests.
‘End of an era, eh, Mum?’ Vinny said wistfully.
‘Sure is, boy. The Butlers’ reign over Whitechapel is officially over. But it will never be the end of the Butlers.’
You’ve just read Tainted Love by Kimberley Chambers, the FOURTH book in the Butler series, but have you read the rest? Read the whole series in order:
The Trap: find out where it all began…
Meet the Butlers: Kings of the East End
Vinny and Roy Butler are the apple of their mum’s eye and although Queenie knows they can play dirty, when it comes to family they look after business and make her proud. Nothing and no one can bring the Butler’s down.
Tainted Love: The gritty new thriller from the #1 bestseller Page 42