Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Butler Collection

by Kimberley Chambers

  After several rings, the phone was finally answered. ‘Hello, Mum. It’s me. How are you? And how’s Dad?’

  Deborah did not even reply to the question. ‘Johnny, quick – Jo’s on the phone,’ she screamed.

  ‘Hello, princess. Been sat indoors ever since I got out, waiting for you to ring me. How are you, sweetheart? And how’s little Molly?’

  Crying, but laughing at the same time, Joanna explained how Molly was not so little any more and was in fact quite a madam. ‘She even won the talent competition at the holiday camp on Saturday, Dad. She sang “You Are My Sunshine”.’

  ‘Jesus Christ, even I don’t know all the words to that. Who taught it to her?’ Johnny asked.

  ‘Queenie and Vivian. They’re really kind to Molly, Dad, and they’ve taught her loads of old songs. I started taking her to tap-dancing lessons recently and her teacher reckons she is destined for a career in show business. She said Molly is a natural.’

  Johnny Preston felt completely choked up, but did his best to hide it from his voice. He knew if he came across too heavy he would probably put Joanna off ringing again, so tried to keep the conversation as light as possible. ‘’Ere, you’ll never guess who’s here having dinner with me and your mum today.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Your brother. Travelled down from London and even cooked for us. You know me, Jo. I wasn’t impressed when he got that job as a chef. I thought he was gay when he came to visit me in nick and wore all that bleedin’ eyeliner, but I’m pleased to say he isn’t. Done well for himself has Johnny Junior. He’s brought his girlfriend to meet us as well. And I have to say, he’s a bloody good cook.’

  Joanna put some more money in the slot to stop the pips from going and giggled. ‘I thought he was gay at one point too, Dad. Perhaps it was just the obsession with David Bowie, eh?’

  ‘Yep, must have been, babe.’ Johnny took a deep breath. He had to ask the question at some point. ‘So, when am I going to see you? Look, before you answer, I know it’s awkward after everything that has happened, and I will understand if you can’t bring Molly with you in case she puts her foot in it. However, just to see you and lots of photos of Molly would be enough for me, darling. Me and your mum are getting married again at ten o’clock this coming Thursday morning in a local registry office. Your brother will be there and it would mean the absolute world to both me and your mum if you could come too.’

  Whether it was the two glasses of wine she’d had with her scampi and chips or just the fact she missed her family so much, Joanna did not know. But she found herself agreeing to the invitation. ‘You try to stop me coming to your wedding. Listen, I have to go now, but I’ll ring you again tomorrow or Tuesday to get the exact details. Love you, Dad.’

  Johnny Preston put his thumb up to Deborah and grinned. ‘Love you too, sweetheart.’

  Vinny Butler had been furious when he’d read Joanna’s note. Who the hell did she think she was, going out gallivanting with Nancy? She had not even asked his permission, and for all he knew she could be secretly meeting her scumbag of a father.

  Being very protective when it came to Molly, Vinny hated Joanna taking his daughter anywhere without him being present. He had old-fashioned values at heart, and in his book a woman’s place was at home, looking after her children, unless her man was by her side. Kings was the only place he was happy letting them out of his sight, because he knew Joanna rarely left the holiday park and his mum had always been there to keep a watchful eye on his beloved little girl and her mother.

  He bumped his car up a kerb and checked the map once again. Apart from when he had been to Karen’s tower block, then tracked down the pub where Yvonne Summers worked, he was no expert on the streets of Dagenham.

  Realizing he was only a couple of minutes away from the address that Geary had given to Jo, Vinny put his foot on the accelerator, then turned right into Western Avenue. With a name like Shazza, Vinny had expected the girl to live on a rough council estate, but as he scanned the door numbers, he could tell that this was a much better part of Dagenham compared to the area that Karen had once lived in.

  Knowing what a crafty shit his son could be, Vinny drove past the house. He didn’t want Little Vinny looking out of the window and spotting his car, because he’d be sure to do a runner out the back if he knew his dad was coming.

  When the front door opened, Vinny was stunned to see a rather attractive woman who looked younger than he did. ‘Hello, sorry to bother you, but have you got a sister called Shazza? The reason I’m asking, my son has gone missing and I’m desperately worried about him,’ Vinny said politely. He had learned from past experiences that wading in like a bull in a china shop was not the way forward. Unless you were dealing with scum like Ben Bloggs’ mother, of course.

  Carol Young chuckled. She had often been mistaken for Sharon’s sister and always enjoyed the compliment. She was also rather taken with how attractive and polite Little Vinny’s father was. In his smart suit, he looked more like a rich businessman than the father of the skinhead boy who was currently upstairs in her daughter’s bedroom. ‘Come in, love. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee? Your son is upstairs with my Shaz. I’m her mum, not her sister. Obsessed with that top forty chart, youngsters are these days, aren’t they?’

  Vinny smiled falsely. He had just clocked the photo of the skinhead girl on the wall and could immediately tell by her mass of earrings, green eyeshadow and plum lipstick that she was older than his son. Knowing his boy, the deceitful little bastard must have lied about his age. If that was the case, Vinny could not wait to teach the boy a valuable lesson.

  ‘Yes, but I think the music was far better when we were their age, don’t you? Is that your daughter in the photo? Pretty girl. How old is she, Carol?’

  Carol beamed. She liked this charming man immensely. ‘Yes, that’s my Shaz. She turns sixteen the week after next. I’ve arranged a party for her in the hall of the Cross Keys pub. Nothing special, just friends and family, but it would be great if you could come too. Shall I let your son know you’re here?’

  ‘No, I’d prefer to surprise him. But do put the kettle on. I’ll have a coffee,’ Vinny said, grinning broadly to show off his perfect teeth. He could tell Shazza’s mother fancied him and was quite enjoying playing on it.

  As Vinny ran up the stairs, he could clearly hear the radio presenter announcing that this week’s number six was the Piranhas’ ‘Tom Hark’. He actually quite liked that song, it was very catchy, but as he barged into the girl’s bedroom all he could think of was how much he blamed and despised his son for all that had happened this weekend. If Little Vinny hadn’t run away, he would have arrived at Kings in a far better frame of mind and would never have felt the need to wind Michael up the way he had, then his darkest secret would still be safe and his wonderful mother wouldn’t have disowned him.

  ‘Fuck off, Dad. Just leave me alone,’ Little Vinny yelled as his father smacked him around the head, then marched him down the stairs by his right ear.

  ‘Whatever’s going on?’ Carol asked, dashing out of the kitchen. She had been so taken with the gorgeous man in the smart suit, she had begun to make a plate of sandwiches.

  When Little Vinny kicked him in the ankle and called him a cunt, Vinny punched his son as hard as he could in the side of the head before turning to Carol. ‘Look, I’m very sorry about this disruption, but did you know that this little shit who I am embarrassed to call a son of mine only turned fourteen this summer?’

  Shazza was standing at the top of the stairs with her mouth wide open. No wonder the sex with Vinny had been so awful, and no wonder when she had told him today that she had to go back to school on Tuesday, so he’d have to find somewhere else to stay, he had responded by asking her to get engaged to him.

  Carol Young put her hand over her mouth. ‘Oh my God! I am so sorry. I would never have let your son stay here if I had known he was so young. He told you he was sixteen, didn’t he, Shaz?’

  ‘Yes, the lyi
ng little pervert. Get out of my life, and never come back,’ Shazza screamed.

  Vinny smirked as he marched his tearful son towards his Jaguar. What goes around comes around had always been his motto.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Joanna had just got Molly off to sleep when Vinny arrived home with his red-eyed son in tow. ‘Thank God you found him. Is he OK?’

  ‘No, I ain’t OK. I hate you and I hate him and I wish you would both die in a car crash,’ Little Vinny yelled as he pushed past Joanna and ran up the stairs to the solace of his bedroom.

  ‘Charming,’ Joanna mumbled.

  Having dealt with his son, Vinny was now ready to deal with his gallivanting girlfriend. ‘Me and you need to talk,’ he announced coldly.

  Joanna knew exactly what Vinny wanted to talk about, but decided to act dumb. ‘About what?’

  ‘About you behaving like a single fucking woman. Four times I rang home, trying to get hold of you earlier. You knew I was waiting on that phone number.’

  Joanna hated arguing with Vinny, which was why she usually bowed down to him. However, she was desperate to see her parents get married, and knew if she did not fight back, she would never be able to attend their big day. ‘And I wrote the phone number down for you. You never said you was going to ring home every five minutes, did you?’

  Vinny snarled. ‘So, where did you go then?’

  ‘Out for lunch with Nancy and the boys. I put that on the note I left you. We had no fresh food here and Molly and I were hungry.’

  ‘There’s food in the freezer and cupboards.’

  Remembering how Nancy kept urging her to stick up for herself, Joanna did just that. ‘I am not a prisoner, Vinny, and I certainly don’t have to tell you my every move. I rarely ever ask where you’re going – and if I did, you wouldn’t tell me. All you ever do is dictate to me what I can and cannot do, and I’ve had enough of it. You even made me get my bloody hair dyed and I despise it dark.’

  ‘Who’s been putting ideas in that pretty little head of yours, eh? Nosy fucking Nancy, I bet. Wants to concentrate on her own relationship, that one, else Michael might stray again.’

  ‘Stray again! What do you mean, stray again?’

  ‘Never you mind what I mean, but you listen to me carefully, Jo. I own this house and I pay the bills. What I say goes, understand?’

  Knowing she had to call Vinny’s bluff, Joanna gave a sarcastic chuckle. ‘You really think you’re the big man, don’t you? Our relationship is a farce, Vinny, I know that much. You don’t love me, probably never have. When was the last time we made love, eh? It was that long ago even I can’t fucking remember.’

  ‘I’ve barely seen you for weeks! While you was sunning yourself and partying down at Kings, I was here grafting. Somebody has to foot the bill for your luxurious lifestyle, don’t they?’

  ‘Well, you won’t have to foot the bill any more, Vinny, because first thing tomorrow, I am leaving you, for good.’

  Vinny’s eyes glinted dangerously. ‘Really? And where will you be running off to? Mummy’s and Daddy’s house? Just leave me a forwarding address, so my solicitor can contact you about visitation rights. I take it you will still be wanting to see your daughter occasionally?’

  Crying tears of pure anger, Joanna lunged at Vinny, fists flailing. ‘I will never let you take my daughter away from me, you bastard,’ she screamed hysterically.

  Feeling his penis stiffen, Vinny grabbed Joanna’s wrists to stop her from hitting him, then kissed her to shut her up. He then gave her what she had been craving for months. A damn good fucking.

  Over in Tottenham, Ahmed and Burak were in a local nightclub. Both high on cocaine and in the party spirit, they were sitting at a table with two English girls who spoke, dressed and acted like slags. Having plied the pair with drinks all evening, both men were certain that their luck would be in later.

  Ahmed slid his hand up the mini-skirt of the girl who was sitting next to him. ‘Go have a dance with your friend. I need to speak business with my cousin. Come back soon and I will buy champagne,’ he said in the heavy Turkish accent that he used for pulling.

  When the girls left the table, Ahmed turned to Burak. ‘I met Christopher again today. That’s why I was late meeting you. It’s all systems go for Thursday. He swears he has not mentioned anything to his superiors, and I have promised to remove one of the bulbs on Vinny’s brake lights, so he has a legit reason to pull us over.’

  ‘Do you think you can trust him?’ Burak asked. He hated the police with a passion, and was worried his cousin was a fool to trust a cop when there was a risk he might be implicated too.

  Ahmed chuckled. ‘The only time he searched me was the first time we met, so I took a chance today and recorded the whole thing. Gonna transfer the convo onto a second tape and leave that one in your safe. No way he can ever nail me now. I even mentioned how he lied about Vinny murdering Dave Phillips.’

  Burak chuckled. ‘You are one clever, nasty man, my cousin.’

  Ahmed grinned. ‘Aren’t I just?’

  ‘So, what is the plan? Where is he going to pull you over?’

  ‘Along the A13, I think. I need to speak to him again tomorrow, because we were interrupted. A message came through on his pager about a little girl being missing and a body being found, and he had to shoot off.’

  ‘Shame it wasn’t Vinny Butler’s daughter,’ Burak joked.

  High on drugs, Ahmed giggled. ‘Bye bye little Molly.’

  The following morning, Vinny woke up at the crack of dawn. Joanna was still asleep, so he propped himself up on his elbow and stared at her. The sex between them the previous evening had actually been quite good for once. Because they had been arguing, it had been rough and spontaneous. He had even put his hand around her throat at one point when he was pumping away at her and threatened to kill her if she ever tried to take Molly away from him. Jo had thought he was joking, but he wasn’t, which had made his orgasm even more enjoyable.

  When Vinny sidled out of bed, Joanna stirred, then sat up. She hugged a pillow to her chest and smiled. ‘Did you really mean all that you said last night?’

  Vinny sat on the edge of the bed, plastered a fake smile on his face and squeezed Joanna’s hand. He was going to contact a top solicitor later today to see where he stood with custodial rights, but he doubted he had a cat in hell’s chance of stopping Joanna walking away with his beloved daughter. That was the reason he had given Joanna all the spiel the previous evening. He had told her everything she wanted to hear, even though it had nearly choked him when he told her he really loved her. ‘Yeah, course I meant it, babe. I’ve been too over-protective with you and I shouldn’t be, because I know deep down I can trust you. I’ll leave some money today and you go to the hairdressers and get your hair done whatever colour you want. You can even have it dyed pink if it makes you happy.’

  ‘And do you still promise to look after Molly on Thursday while I go up the West End with Nancy?’

  ‘Yep. But as I said to you last night, you need to be back here by four at the latest, as I have some important business on that day.’

  ‘I’ll be back by four. We’re going shopping early and as soon as we’ve had lunch, I will come straight home,’ Joanna lied. Nancy had actually offered to drive and accompany her to her parents’ wedding just so she’d have a decent alibi.

  ‘Right, I’m gonna check on the kids. Once I’ve had a chat with Little Vinny, I’m gonna make my beautiful bird breakfast in bed.’

  Grinning broadly, Joanna threw her arms around Vinny’s neck and held him tightly. After their amazing love-making session last night, they had sat up and had a few drinks. That’s when Vinny had admitted that he had lost his sex drive due to the stress of Lenny dying in his arms and him lying about it. ‘I love you,’ Joanna said.

  Vinny kissed his girlfriend on the forehead. ‘Love you too, babe.’ He then stood up, turned his back and smirked. Women were so gullible at times, they really were.

  ‘You
OK, Mum? I rang the café. Dad said you was ill, then said something about how you deserved to be,’ Nancy asked.

  ‘Oh, take no notice of that miserable old sod. I’m in the doghouse, love. We had the Robinses over yesterday and me and Margaret had a bit too much to drink. Been sick as a dog all night, I have, and now I’ve got one of my migraines. Your father was not amused.’

  Nancy giggled. She had only ever seen her mum drunk once in her life. She had been about ten at the time and she remembered her father cursing while desperately trying to take her mother’s panty-girdle off, in case it stopped her blood supply while she slept. It had given herself and Christopher something to chuckle about for days afterwards. ‘Did they bring Roger with them?’

  ‘Yes, and Roger brought his fiancée. Me and your father have been invited to the wedding next June.’

  Roger Robins was the boring lad that her father had been trying to fix her up with before she got together with Michael. Her dad had even forced Roger to buy tickets for Top of the Pops once, but even though she’d missed her chance to see Marc Bolan sing live, Nancy didn’t regret turning him down. Roger had been far too embarrassing to be seen out in public with. ‘Is he still really ugly, Mum? What’s his girlfriend like?’

  ‘Roger’s that ugly he could haunt houses, Nance. As for the girlfriend – you know that programme On the Buses?’

  Knowing what her mum was going to say next, Nancy roared with laughter. ‘Don’t tell me she looks like Olive?’

  ‘Yes, dear. Now, what do you want? I’ve got to go back to sleep in a minute. I feel terrible.’

  ‘I want you to do me a favour, Mum. Can the boys stay round yours on Wednesday night and you take them to school the next morning? Joanna’s parents are getting married, and I’m her cover story for the day. I don’t want to involve Michael, so we’re pretending to go shopping up the West End. I’ll be back in time to pick the boys up from school.’