Kimberley Chambers - The Victim

Frankie was instantly annoyed. She knew her dad was only concerned about her welfare, but he could be an irritating bastard at times. ‘Look, I know you’re worried about me, but give me a bit of credit, will ya? I know a wrong ’un when I meet one, living with Jed taught me that. I am currently in Holloway, Dad, so I’m hardly going to be sharing my cell with a nun or a good Samaritan, am I? Babs is truly lovely and I was gonna tell you a bit about what happened to her, but now you’re being a stroppy arsehole, I ain’t gonna bother.’

Eddie held his hands up in an ‘I surrender’ gesture. Frankie was a fiery little cow, she took after him and he hadn’t come here to argue with her. ‘I’m sorry, babe. I just worry about you, that’s all.’

‘Well, you’ve no need to worry. I am quite capable of choosing my own friends and I also know how to look after myself. You really do wind me up sometimes, Dad. When you were inside, you shared with Stuart, who was also a murderer, yet he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And what about our family? I mean, we’re hardly the fucking Waltons, are we?’

Eddie grinned. His daughter most definitely had the Mitchell sense of humour. ‘So, how’s your pregnancy going? Is everything OK?’ he asked, cleverly changing the subject.

The mention of her unborn baby was enough to make Frankie calm down. ‘Everything’s fine. Me and Babs went to this antenatal lesson the other day. This posh woman took it and we had such a laugh. I feel a bit fat, but other than that I feel fit and healthy. I’ve had hardly no sickness with this one at all.’

Eddie nodded. He was dreading telling her that the kids had run away, but she was their mother and needed to know because of the civil court case that was being arranged. ‘I’ve got some news for ya, but I don’t want you to panic, ’cause it’s created some good as well.’

Frankie’s face turned deathly white when her father told the story of Georgie and Harry’s little escapade. ‘So they ran away to find me?’ Frankie asked, bursting into tears.

Eddie took his daughter’s hand in his. He was desperate to comfort her, but he didn’t really know how to. ‘Look, don’t cry. The kids are fine, honest, and I think they’re gonna be allowed to visit you up here now. That social worker Larry got involved is taking the case to court. She reckons it’s in their best interests to see you regularly.’

Frankie’s eyes shone with a mixture of tears and happiness. ‘Oh Dad, I’ve missed them so much. When do you think I can see them?’

‘We’ve gotta wait for a date for the court hearing first, but it should be soon. The social worker reckons they might be able to have some sort of contact with your nan, as well.’

‘Did Nan make a fuss of the kids? How are she and Grandad?’ Frankie asked.

‘The same as ever. Stanley weren’t there when I went round. Joycie and him have been rowing again, but she was over the moon to see Georgie and Harry.’

‘So how did Georgie and Harry look? Did they look clean and well fed? You know how fussy Georgie is with her food, do you think she’s been eating OK?’

The kids had turned up at Joycie’s door in an awful state, but Eddie wasn’t about to tell Frankie that, as a lot of it was down to the trek they’d endured. ‘They both looked well and they ain’t ’arf got big. Georgie’s really tall now and they’re definitely being fed OK, as Harry’s shot up and looks as sturdy as a bull.’

Frankie thought of her two beautiful children and smiled. She then bombarded her father with lots more questions about them. Not wanting Frankie to worry unnecessarily, Eddie answered her as honestly as he could. He didn’t tell her that the O’Haras hadn’t even reported the kids missing, as he knew that would play on her mind.

‘So, who else has been up to see you, apart from Joey?’ Ed asked, changing the subject again.

‘Kerry’s coming up next week. I haven’t seen her since that day I was last in court.’

Remembering that he’d promised himself what he would tell Frankie, Eddie began to fidget in his seat. Telling his daughter the news of his impending fatherhood was not something he relished, but it had to come from him. ‘There’s something else I need to tell you. It’s about me and I know you ain’t gonna like it.’

‘I’ll have a guess, shall I? You’re getting married,’ Frankie said sarcastically.

‘Well, yeah, but not yet. Gina’s pregnant,’ Ed said bluntly.

With images of her poor mother flashing through her mind, Frankie stood up, walked towards a screw and asked to be taken back to her cell.

‘Frankie, what you doin’? Don’t be like this, babe,’ she heard her dad shout.

Turning around, Frankie glared at him. ‘You make me fucking sick!’ she screamed.

Over in Orsett, Stanley and Pat the Pigeon had had a lovely day. Firstly, they’d had lunch in the Halfway House and then, on Pat’s insistence, they’d popped into the Orsett Cock pub, where the pigeon club congregated.

‘Don’t you worry about bumping into that bloody turncoat, Jock. He’s the one in the wrong, not you,’ Pat had maintained.

Although still fuming over Jock’s betrayal, Stanley wasn’t one for confrontation and had been relieved that Jock wasn’t in the pub when they’d arrived.

About to take a sip of his pint, Stanley nearly choked as Pat muttered the words he’d been dreading hearing. ‘Here he is, just walked in, the bloody Judas. I feel like giving him a piece of my mind, Stanley, I really do.’

Stanley looked up, locked eyes with his once best friend, scowled and looked away. ‘Don’t bother saying ought to him, Pat. He ain’t bleedin’ worth it, love.’

Under no illusion that Stanley was anything other than still mad at him, Jock walked over to the bar where Brian and Derek were standing.

‘What’s happened between you and Stanley? I asked him where you were earlier and he nearly bit my head off,’ Derek asked.

‘It’s a long story, but I’ve had Joycie on the phone, worried sick about him. Stanley’s left her and she was going to call the police and report him missing.’

Brian started to laugh. ‘He’s all right, is our Stanley. He’s moved in with Pat, she was telling me earlier. I bet they’ve been at it like rabbits.’

Jock glanced at Stanley and Pat in horror. How was he meant to tell Joyce this piece of news? She would blow a fuse.

Unlike Frankie, who was currently sailing through her latest pregnancy, Sally Baldwin was indoors, crippled up with stomach pains. The stress of splitting up with Jed was taking its toll and the constant threats he kept making weren’t helping matters either. He’d been ringing her all day and at first he’d been quite pleasant.

‘Please come back. I didn’t mean to talk to you like I did. I’m such a dinlo and I really miss you,’ he’d begged.

Sally’s father had then grabbed the phone and had given Jed a right mouthful. Terry Baldwin was sick of seeing his daughter upset and was at the end of his tether.

‘If you ever come near my Sally again, I swear I will fucking kill you,’ he’d warned Jed.

Jed, being Jed, hadn’t taken any notice of the warning and had since left tons of threatening messages on the landline answerphone, the last being, ‘If you ain’t fucking back ’ere in one hour, Sally, I’m gonna come round there and cut your shitcunt of a father to shreds.’

Sally winced as her father entered the room and put a cup of coffee down next to her. The pains were griping and she was desperate to go to the toilet.

‘How do you feel now?’ Terry asked, concerned. Sally was as white as a sheet and he wondered if he should call an ambulance.

‘I’m OK, but I must go a loo,’ Sally replied, as she half staggered from the room.