Kimberley Chambers - Payback

‘Can somebody get me another sherry? I’m not walking up the bar myself,’ Vivian said.

When Joanna leapt up to get it for her, Queenie turned to Vivian. ‘Did you see the way Daniel, Adam and Lee greeted Albie at the church?’

‘No.’

‘All over him like a rash, they were. That is definitely not the first time they have met that old bastard. Michael must have taken them to visit him behind my back. I asked Michael outright, but he reckons the boys were just excited because he’d told them Albie was their granddad. I told him not to insult my intelligence. Do I look like I just got off the banana boat?’

‘Is Albie here?’

‘No. Went straight home after the funeral with that drippy brother of his. Wouldn’t have had the guts to come here after the terrible lie he told. I’m surprised the arsehole even had the front to turn up at the funeral.’

‘This is all we fucking need,’ Vivian mumbled, as Mr Arthur sat down in Joanna’s chair.

‘Sorry to bother you, ladies, but I just wanted to pay my respects to you in person and say how very sorry I am for your loss. I also wanted to tell you—’

Before Mr Arthur had a chance to finish the sentence, Queenie cut him dead. After excelling herself being polite to people who got on her nerves all day, she’d reached the point where she’d had enough. ‘If it’s about your war escapades, Viv and I really aren’t in the mood to listen to such cobblers today.’

Mr Arthur looked hurt. ‘I just wanted to tell you about Jeanie Thomas, Queenie. I know you chat to her on her stall sometimes.’

Jeanie Thomas was the mother of Trevor who had run off with Vinny’s first love, Yvonne. At the time, Queenie had been that annoyed she had vowed never to speak to the woman again. But Jeanie was such a nice lady, Queenie hadn’t been able to stay angry with her for long. What had happened was hardly her fault.

‘I’ve not been down the market lately. Not dead, is she?’

‘Jeanie’s in a terrible state, Queenie. Her son moved back to the area recently and he’s disappeared off the face of the earth. Been missing days now he has, and Jeanie thinks that something terrible has happened to him.’

Vivian, who had kept quiet until now, suddenly piped up: ‘Whatever has happened to Jeanie’s son cannot be any worse than what happened to mine and Queenie’s, can it? Now sod off and leave us alone.’

When Mr Arthur scuttled off like a naughty schoolboy, Queenie turned to Viv. ‘I bet Trevor’s disappearance has something to do with Vinny. Both he and Michael went on the missing list earlier this week and I had to look after Michael’s kids, didn’t I? I had no idea Trevor had moved back to the area. Jeanie never mentioned it.’

When Joanna reappeared with two glasses of sherry, Vivian knocked hers back and then stood up. ‘It’s breaking my heart looking at Lenny’s photos on that wall. I need to get out of here.’

‘Wait ten minutes and I’ll come with you,’ Queenie said.

‘No. I did what you asked and came back here, now I want you to do as I ask and leave me in peace for the night. I need to be alone to collect my thoughts. I’ll see you in the morning.’

Clutching Zippy the monkey in her hand, Vivian left the club. Once outside, she held the toy to her nose. She had always begged Lenny to let her wash it, even scolded him and told him he would catch diseases if he didn’t do as she asked, but she was glad now that Lenny had refused, throwing a tantrum every time she asked. The monkey had her son’s scent all over it. Closing her eyes, she whispered, ‘Not long now, boy, and Mummy will be there to take care of you. You just behave yourself until I arrive.’

Vinny Butler was having a chat with David Fraser when his mother rudely poked him in the arm. ‘Me and you need to have a little chat, now!’

Annoyed that she had shown him up yet again, Vinny gave his mother his coldest stare. ‘Mum, this is David Fraser. Mad Frankie’s son.’

Putting on a completely different tone to the one she had just used, Queenie smiled at the handsome dark-haired chap and held out her right hand. ‘Lovely to meet you, David. How is your father?’

‘He’s doing OK, thanks. Giving the screws the runaround as always. I’ll be visiting him again next week.’

‘Well, do give him our regards – not just from me but from all of my family.’

‘Will do. I have to make a move now, Vinny. I’ve got to be somewhere. Look after yourself, and tell your brother I said goodbye.’

Vinny shook David’s hand, then waited until he walked away before tearing into his mother. ‘Do you get off on embarrassing me or something? The Mitchells were stood by the graveside when you and Auntie Viv made a show of me earlier, now you’ve just spoken to me like I’m a ten-year-old child in front of David Fraser. Cheers for that, Mum. He must think I’m some right mug.’

‘I didn’t know it was Mad Frankie’s son, did I? I didn’t even know you knew the Frasers.’

‘There’s lots of things you don’t know about me, Mother. Just try not to make me look a fool in front of people in future, eh? And drop the silly posh voice, it really doesn’t suit you.’

Queenie was not one to be told off. ‘And would one of those things I don’t know about be Trevor Thomas, by any chance? Don’t you even think about lying to me, because I knew you and Michael were up to something earlier this week. Never going to be able to look poor Jeanie in the eye again, am I?’

‘I have no idea what you’re on about, Mum. I haven’t seen Trevor since he ran off with that slag, Yvonne.’

‘Swear on my life,’ Queenie demanded.

Before he could speak, Michael ended the conversation by grabbing Vinny’s arm. ‘Bobby Jackson’s only had the nerve to show up. Shall I throw the cheeky bastard out, or do you want to do the honours?’

Vinny’s lip curled into a snarl. He hated Bobby almost as much as he had despised his father. ‘Where is he?’

‘Stood at the corner of the bar. Christ knows how long he’s been here. I reckon some idiot left the main door open and he just wandered in.’

Usually, whenever the club was open Pete and Paul were on the door, but because they were lifelong friends of Roy and extremely fond of Lenny too, Vinny had given them the day off to enjoy a good drink at the wake like everybody else. ‘He’s overstepped the mark this time, bruv. We can’t let this go, we’ll be a laughing stock.’

Michael nodded. The whole of Whitechapel was aware of the bad blood between Vinny and Bobby, therefore he’d have to be taught a lesson for taking such a liberty.

‘What’s going on?’ Queenie demanded. She could barely hear herself think over Big Stan’s rendition of Johnnie Ray’s ‘Cry’. Talk about murdering a great song.

‘It’s nothing to worry about, Mum. Just an uninvited guest, that’s all. Go and sit back down with Joanna and keep her company for me. I’ll be over with some more drinks in a minute,’ Vinny ordered.

Bobby Jackson had been out on one of his little benders. He had celebrated his thirty-fifth birthday the previous day and ended up pulling some bird in the Ilford Palais, so he was still in yesterday’s clothes. He’d been on his way home when he had spotted the door of the club open, and unable to resist the lure of free alcohol, Bobby had decided to sneak in. The worst Vinny would do was chuck him out, surely?

A sucker for a pretty face, Bobby was busy chatting up one of the barmaids and did not see Vinny creep up behind him. ‘You’re not the first to say I look like Les McKeown. I get it all the time, I do,’ Bobby chuckled.

‘Well, you won’t be looking like Les by the time I finish with you – you’ll be looking more like a fucking corpse,’ Vinny hissed, grabbing Bobby by his long brown hair and dragging him backwards towards the exit.