The Betrayer

‘Where’s your grandson living, then?’ one of the officers asked.

‘Norfolk. He’s retarded and they’ve put him in one of them homes – you know, a funny farm.’

The two officers had a quick chat among themselves. They’d retrieved the shopping trolley, the store had its goods back, so there was no harm done.

‘Poor old cow,’ the young copper said to the older one.

After hearing that she was being let off, Ethel waved at the two Old Bill from the back of the ambulance. As soon as the doors were shut, she cackled with laughter and did a wanker sign at them.

Arriving at the hospital, Ethel gave the doctors a false name. She refused to go into a cubicle, saying that her leg now felt better and she’d rather sit in the waiting room in a wheelchair.

‘I’m claustrophobic. I’ll wait ’ere for me x-ray,’ she lied.

As soon as the coast was clear, Ethel half ran and half hobbled out the door. She didn’t have a clue where she was or how to get home. Asking a passer-by, she learned that she was in Romford.

‘Romford. Fucking Romford,’ she muttered as she trudged towards a bus stop.

After a lot of wrong directions, Ethel finally got a 103 back to Dagenham East station. She knew her way home from there. The district line took her straight through to Stepney Green.

As she sat on the train, Ethel wondered how she was going to tell Maureen that she didn’t have the money for the train tickets. The poor cow had booked the visit and was going up there in less than forty-eight hours. With her shopping trolley confiscated, there was no way that Ethel could get the cash before then. Not only that, having a near escape and falling arse over tit had slightly unnerved her. She’d have to give it at least a week before she felt confident enough to go out on the rob again.

Maureen was sitting on the carpet, playing dominoes with James, when Ethel let herself in.

‘What a bleedin’ day I’ve had. Nearly got arrested, and I’ve been stuck at a fuckin’ hospital in the middle of nowhere.’

James listened to his nan’s antics with interest. He had never forgiven the police force for arresting Tommy.

‘You should have hit them, Nanny, and kicked them.’

‘Stay here and watch telly, James,’ Maureen ordered, as she shoved Ethel towards the kitchen. She’d had one son go off the rails and was now determined to keep the other wrapped in cotton wool.

Hearing her trip to Feltham was now in serious jeopardy, Maureen put her head in her hands.

‘What am I gonna tell the boys? I spoke to Tommy yesterday, he sounds so much brighter. As for James, his heart’s gonna be broken.’

Ethel stood up. ‘I’ll tell yer what we’re gonna do. Get yer coat, and we’ll go and find that no-good bastard son of mine. He never gives you a fuckin’ penny, yet he’s always got money to spend in the pub.’

Maureen hated her husband and despised asking him for anything. Tonight was different though. She was that desperate, she’d have gladly asked Jack the Ripper to fund her journey, if it meant she could get to see her son.

‘Put your parka on over your jamas, James. Quickly put your shoes on, we’re going to see Daddy.’

Usually, Maureen would rather go without food for a week than have herself or her family walking the streets looking like tramps, but this was an emergency. Anywhere else in the world they might have looked a funny sight traipsing down the road. Ethel’s back and ankle were playing up and she was walking like Quasimodo. Maureen had her curlers in and James looked like an orphan in his pyjamas, navy anorak and scuffed black shoes, but no one took a blind bit of notice of them as they headed towards the pub. The East End had a culture of its own.

Tommy senior was an easy chap to find. If he was skint, he was at his bedsit in Whitechapel. If he had money, he was either in the Horn of Plenty, or the nearest betting shop. Today, Tommy had had one of his better days. He’d won a score this morning on traps one and six. Now he had his arm around Shaking Sheila, and was in the process of worming his way back to hers for a quick leg-over.

Sheila had been a real beauty in her heyday. That was before the alcohol had ravaged her face and body. She now woke up like she had St Vitus’s dance every morning and it took her at least six drinks to stop the shakes, hence the nickname.

Tommy wasn’t in the habit of being fussy. She had big tits, and he wasn’t exactly Warren Beatty himself. Buying another round, he decided to go in for the kill. Grabbing her arse, he stuck his tongue straight down the back of her throat. Paralytic and virtually unable to stand, Sheila grabbed him and responded as if her life depended on it.

Ethel spotted her son immediately. ‘There he is with some dirty stinking whore,’ she said, as she dragged his family towards him.

Maureen didn’t give a shit that he was mauling some rough old bird. He repelled her and as long as he never laid another finger on her, he could maul whoever he wanted.

Seeing his mum approach, Tommy withdrew his tongue from Shaking Sheila’s throat.

‘Whassa matter?’ he slurred.

Ethel held open the palm of one hand and pointed at Maureen and James with the other. ‘Your wife and son need money to go and visit your Tommy in Feltham. I’ve tried to help ’em, but I can’t this time.’

Tommy shrugged his slouched shoulders. ‘Whaddya want me to do? I ain’t got no money.’

Squinting through one eye, Sheila suddenly realised that the cute little boy must be Tommy’s son.

‘Is that your daddy?’ she slurred.

Frightened of the woman with the big boobies, James nodded and quickly moved away from her.

When sober, Sheila hated children. They were a bloody nuisance. When drunk, she loved every hair on their little heads.

Ethel made Tommy empty the pockets of his dirty trousers. ‘One pound, ten pence. Is that all you’ve got? You might be my son, but you make me fucking sick, Tommy Hutton. Pissed up in ’ere, day in, day out, and not a penny towards your family’s upkeep.’

‘Issall gone,’ Tommy slurred.

Sick of the mad woman who kept pestering him, James moved to the other side of the pub and sat at a table. Sheila, who was desperate to get away from the family argument, decided to play chase with him.

‘Where you gone, little boy?’ she shouted, as she staggered his way.

Seeing her lunge towards him, James leaped off the chair and ran back towards his mum. Hearing a commotion, he looked behind him just in time to see Sheila fall into the table and land flat on her back.

‘Can we go now, Mummy?’ he said, tugging Maureen’s arm. His dad hadn’t even spoken to him and he didn’t want the mad woman to chase him again.

Having kept her trap shut until now, Maureen looked at the one pound ten pence in her hand and felt her blood boil. Slipping James the coin, she ripped the pound note up in shreds, dropped it in Tommy’s pint and then promptly poured the contents over his drunken head.

‘You fucking arsehole,’ she said viciously. ‘Come on, we’re going.’

Grabbing Ethel with one hand and dragging James by the other, she marched out of the pub, head held high.

An hour later, back home with a brandy in her hand, it was Ethel who started laughing first.

‘Did you see his face when you poured the beer over his head? I didn’t know if he was gonna cry or lick it up off the bar.’

Maureen knocked back the contents of her glass and forced a smile. She was still worried about the visit, but had an idea. It was the last resort, really. Maureen didn’t have a phone indoors, but Ethel had one and allowed her to use it if she needed to.

‘Mum, do you think Kenny would lend us the money for the train fare? I can pay him back within a month.’

‘Course he would,’ Ethel said immediately.

Unlike Tommy, her youngest boy was extremely wealthy and a credit to her. He and his wife Wendy had no children, but Kenny loved kids, and Ethel was positive he’d be only too pleased to help his family out. He wouldn’t see Tommy have no visitors, that was for sure.

‘I’m surprised I never thought of Kenny. Run over to mine and ring him,’ Ethel insisted.

‘No. I don’t like to,’ Maureen said sharply. ‘You do it, Mum. Ask him for me.’

‘You’re a funny girl, Maureen. He don’t bleedin’ bite, yer know,’ Ethel said, as she picked up her bag.

Five minutes later, Ethel was back with good news. ‘You ain’t even gotta get a train, Maur. He’s driving yer down there in his new car. He said he’ll probably bring Wendy for the ride. He also said that he’s gonna get you a phone installed, he said you should have one now so that Tommy can ring yer.’

Maureen was horrified. She always felt inadequate around Kenny and Wendy. Their lives were so different from hers and she felt extremely uncomfortable in their company.

‘I don’t wanna go in the car. I’d much rather go by train.’

Ethel poured them both another brandy. ‘Don’t be so bleedin’ stupid. You’ll enjoy going by car, and James’ll love it.’

Hearing his name mentioned, James wandered into the kitchen. Ethel grabbed him and sat him on her lap. ‘Uncle Kenny’s gonna take you to see your bruvver in his brand new car.’

James bounced up and down excitedly. He loved cars, they were his obsession. ‘What car has uncle Kenny got?’

Ethel lifted him off her knee. Her bloody ankle was playing up again. ‘He’s got a Jaguar.’

James’s eyes lit up. ‘Really? And he’s gonna take me to see Tommy in it?’

Maureen looked at her son’s happy face. He deserved a treat, her baby, and if it meant suffering Wendy and Kenny for the day, then so be it. At least they would get to see Tommy and the visit would still go ahead. Maureen downed her drink in one and topped her glass up again. She rarely drank in the week, but today had been stressful, to say the least.

She smiled at Ethel. ‘Come with us on Saturday to see Tommy. Even if we can’t get you in on the visit, just come for the ride.’

‘Whaddya want me there for?’

Maureen squeezed her hand. The drink had made her go all sentimental. ‘’Cause I bloody well love yer, and sometimes I don’t know what I’d do without yer.’

Normally Ethel was as tough as old boots, but Maureen’s words struck a nerve. Unusually for her, her eyes welled up. ‘Of course I’ll come, yer silly cow.’

Hearing Susan come in, Maureen shouted for her to come into the kitchen.

‘Tired. Going to bed,’ came the reply.

‘That is one horrible little fucker, needs a good fawpenny one, she does,’ Ethel said bluntly.

By ten o’clock, both Ethel and Maureen felt tipsy. After a long, tough day, James had provided them with some light entertainment and had been singing, dancing and telling jokes.

Feeling worn out, James plonked himself on his mum’s lap. ‘Mum, you know that mad lady in the pub? Did you see her fall over?’

‘I didn’t see anything. Who you talking about?’ Maureen asked him.

‘The mad lady who was with Daddy. When you weren’t looking she chased me and fell on the floor.’

Maureen looked at Ethel and they both burst out laughing. Holding her sides, Ethel had trouble getting her words out.

‘Did the mad woman get back up, James?’ she chortled.

James shook his head. ‘No, she was still lying on the floor when we came home.’

James stood up. He’d never seen his mum and nan laugh so much. Joining in the fun, he leaped up and down excitedly. Apart from Tommy, his mum and his nan were his world, and making them happy filled him with glee.

SEVEN

WENDY HUTTON SAT in the front of her husband’s car with a face like a slapped arse. She couldn’t stand her Kenny’s family, and was unable to think of a worse way to spend her weekend than being stuck in a confined space with them. In Wendy’s mind, the Huttons were the ultimate dregs of society. She hated sharing their surname and couldn’t believe that Kenny had come from such a repulsive family. At first, she’d flatly refused to go on the journey.

‘If you think I’m giving up my Saturday to visit a murderer and be stuck with your uncouth family, you can think again,’ she told Kenny.

Kenny had bargained with her. ‘Please come, Wendy. I know they’re common, but they are my flesh and blood. We’ll drop them off, then me and you will go for lunch. Go on, come with us, and then on Sunday I’ll take you out to look for that sports car you so badly want.’

Reluctantly, Wendy had agreed to accompany him. Kenny liked a quiet life. He adored his wife, loved his family, and wished that everyone would just get along for his sake. He knew his wife could be above herself at times. She’d come from a well-to-do family and was unable to help the way she was. He was sure that she loved him, though, because he hadn’t had money when she married him. He’d always be indebted to Wendy and her family, as it was her dad who had set him up in the scrap-metal game and lent him the money to start his first business.

Kenny knew the reason for Wendy’s bad moods. They’d had a lot of problems in the past, which had left his wife feeling bitter and blaming him. For ages they’d unsuccessfully tried for a baby. Finally, they’d gone for tests and were told the problem lay with him. The doctors said that they were unlikely to conceive naturally, because of his low sperm count, but not to give up trying.

Wendy had never seemed the same towards him since that day. Feeling a failure, Kenny had thrown himself into work. His business had thrived and he tried to compensate his wife in other ways. A big house, foreign holidays, cars, clothes and jewellery. Wendy wanted for nothing, but still she wasn’t happy. The one thing she really wanted was the one thing he couldn’t give her.

‘Pull over by them bushes, son. I’m bursting for a slash.’

Ethel annoyed Kenny. She knew that Wendy hated that kind of talk and he was sure his mother purposely tried to wind her up.

‘Can’t you wait a minute, Mum? I’ll find a garage or something. They’ll have a proper toilet there.’

Ethel nudged Maureen. She loved winding Wendy up. The stuck-up cow gave her son a dog’s life.

‘No, I can’t bleedin’ wait. You know I’ve got a weak bladder. Pull over quick, before I piss meself on the seat.’

Kenny quickly pulled over. Maybe it was a mistake to bring Wendy with him. He hadn’t realised his mum was coming. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have brought his wife.

James screamed with laughter. ‘Quick, look at Nanny. Look, quick!’

Wendy glanced out of the window and was disgusted at the sight of Ethel’s fat arse. Stony faced, she glared at her husband. ‘Never again. I mean it, Kenny.’

Maureen and James couldn’t stop laughing. ‘We saw your bum, Nanny,’ James informed Ethel as she returned to the car.

‘Ain’t you got no decorum, mother?’ Kenny said, awkwardly.

‘No, I ain’t. Now shut up and fuckin’ drive.’

Ethel winked at Maureen. She hadn’t even wanted a wee and she’d flashed her arse on purpose, just for Wendy’s benefit.

Freddie and Tommy were in high spirits as they waited for their visitors to arrive. Tommy couldn’t wait to see his little brother. Freddie was just as excited, because his mum was coming with his auntie Pauline. Tommy was positive that James hadn’t said anything about sneaking out in the night and hiding the black bag for him. If he had blabbed, his mother would have gone apeshit and disowned him for good. His mum idolised James, and she certainly wouldn’t be visiting him if she thought he’d involved his kid brother in a murder charge.

Kenny pulled the Jag into the car park. Jumping out, he opened the back door for his family.

‘Me and Wendy are gonna grab a bite to eat, so I’ll meet you back here in a couple of hours. You’ll probably be hungry yourselves by then. Shall I bring back some sandwiches?’

‘We’re fine, Kenny. Thanks ever so much for bringing us,’ Maureen said, gratefully.

‘You might be fine, I’m bleedin’ starving,’ Ethel said. ‘I’ll have summink and none of that fancy shit. James’ll be hungry as well, so get us both a bit of grub.’

Kenny nodded, sent his regards to Tommy and quickly got back in the car. Wendy had a face on her like a bulldog chewing a wasp and he knew he was in for an earful.

Maureen was surprised to see how happy and well her son looked. On her previous visit, he’d been tearful and had looked depressed and ill. Today, he looked like a different boy. James wouldn’t leave his brother alone. He clambered onto his lap, refused to budge, and wouldn’t let anyone else get a word in edgeways. Maureen had tried to explain on the journey down there that Tommy wouldn’t be coming home with them, but James was having none of it.

‘You must come home, Tommy. You can’t stay here, I won’t let you,’ he told his brother.

Tommy laughed and ruffled James’s hair. He didn’t have the heart to tell him that he wouldn’t be allowed home for Christ knows how long.

Ethel made Tommy roar with laughter at the story of her near arrest.

Maureen tutted. ‘Watch what you say in front of James, Mum.’

Ethel didn’t take a blind bit of notice. ‘The two Old Bill were soppy cunts, wet behind the ears,’ she continued.

Maureen stood up and grabbed her by the arm. ‘Come on, let’s go and get a cup of tea. It’ll give James some time on his own with Tommy. Explain that you’re not coming home to him,’ Maureen mouthed, as she dragged Ethel away.

Tommy lifted James off his lap and sat him on the seat next to him. ‘I take it you never said anything about that night when you hid the bag for me?’

James shook his head. ‘You said it was our secret, Tommy.’

Tommy lifted his brother’s chin towards him. ‘It is. You must never tell anyone about that, not ever, Jimmy boy.’

James nodded. He understood perfectly. ‘Are yer gonna come home with us, Tommy?’

Tommy shook his head. ‘I can’t, Jimmy, I’ve been a naughty boy. I had a fight with someone and now I’ve gotta be punished. That’s why I’ve gotta stay here.’

‘Can yer come home soon, though?’

Tommy sighed. He wished his mother had done the explaining. He wasn’t much good at this type of thing.

‘It won’t be soon, mate. I’d love to come home with yer today, but I’m not allowed.’

James sat silently for a minute or so. He wanted to ask something, but wasn’t sure how to. ‘Did yer kill someone, Tommy? Everyone at school said yer did.’

Tommy shrugged. ‘I did, but I didn’t mean to. I swear to yer, Jimmy boy, it was an accident.’

Seeing tears in his older brother’s eyes, James grabbed his hand. ‘Don’t be upset. I believe yer and I won’t tell anyone. I don’t think uncle Kenny knows, so it’ll be another one of our secrets.’

Tommy nodded. He was relieved that his mum and nan were walking towards him. He felt all soppy and emotional explaining things to his brother. Freddie was only two tables away and he didn’t want to make a prat of himself in front of him.

‘Thanks, Mum,’ he said, as she handed him the plastic cup and a Kit-Kat.

Maureen smiled when Tommy pointed out his best mate, Freddie, and spoke fondly about their antics. The day he’d been arrested and admitted to murder, she’d sworn that she was going to wash her hands of him for good, but her decision hadn’t lasted long, and two days later, she’d been begging to see him again. She knew he was a fucker, but he was her son and she loved him. She’d never be able to totally forgive him for what he’d done, but deep down, she knew he wasn’t a bad lad. If anyone, it was her Susan that was rotten to the core, not Tommy.

As the bell signalled the end of visiting time, James began to cry. He clung to his brother like a jellyfish and refused to let him go. ‘If Tommy can’t come home with us, can’t I stay ’ere with him?’ he sobbed as he was finally prised away.

Tommy tried his utmost to not get upset himself and somehow managed it.

‘Bye Mum, see yer, Nan. Love yer, Jimmy boy,’ he shouted as his family left the building.

Kenny was waiting in the car park as promised. Wendy had been a complete bitch to him over lunch. ‘Your family are absolutely disgusting. I look at them and sometimes I’m glad that all you could fire was blanks,’ she’d said, nastily.

Kenny had nibbled his ploughman’s and said nothing. It was his own fault – he should never have brought her in the first place. He tried so hard to make the family thing work, but it was never going to. Taking Wendy out with his mob was like taking the Queen Mother out with Alf Garnett for the day.

‘How did it go?’ he asked, handing out the sandwiches.

‘Good as gold. Doing his bird like a man,’ Ethel said proudly.

Overcome by tiredness, James cried himself to sleep within ten minutes of the journey home. Wendy sat silently while her husband and dysfunctional family discussed the visit.

‘He got a bit emotional when James got upset. Other than that, he was OK. He’s met a mate in there, Freddie. We saw the kid and he looked a nice lad. His mum and aunt were visiting him, they seemed decent people as well,’ Maureen said.

Wendy nearly burst out laughing at her sister-in-law’s description of the other boy’s family. How did she have the front to say that they seemed decent? Neither Maureen nor Ethel would be able to recognise the word decent if it fell out the sky and smacked them on the head. She could hardly believe her ears when Maureen said, ‘I know our Tommy’s been done for murder, but he ain’t a bad lad, yer know.’

Getting the family back to Stepney seemed to take for ever. As they drove off the shit-hole estate, Wendy poked her husband nastily in the ribs.

‘I know I’ve said it before, Kenny, but don’t you ever expect me to suffer your family again. Your mother is a disgusting old woman, your sister-in-law is pathetic and your nephew happens to be a cold-blooded killer.’

Kenny tried to smooth things over. ‘Look, I know all their faults. They’re hard work, I admit that, but they mean well. And what about James? He’s a fantastic kid. Who wouldn’t be proud of a son like him?’

Wendy shot him a look and pursed her lips. The youngest wasn’t a bad little boy, but stood no chance. Kenny might have broken the mould, but there was no hope for the rest of them, James included. ‘Believe me, Kenny. That child’s future is already mapped out. He’ll either live in poverty or choose a life of crime. He’ll end up like the rest of them, you mark my words.’

EIGHT

INSTEAD OF CHEERING James up, the trip to see Tommy seemed to have the opposite effect on him and he spent the next few days moping about the house. Maureen was worried and annoyed with herself. He wasn’t even eating properly and she wondered if taking him to the borstal had been a stupid thing to do. Maybe he was too young for such visits, and in future she should wait until he was old enough to fully understand what was going on.

‘I’m going out now, Mum,’ Susan said, nicking a biscuit out of the tin.

‘Don’t you want any dinner?’ Maureen asked.

‘Nah. I’m having some round Tracey’s house.’

Susan smiled as she left the house. She’d bullied some money out of the kids at school earlier and Tracey and her had gorged themselves on pie and chips. Susan skipped happily down the road. She was becoming an expert at lying and her dopey mother believed every whopper she told.

Tommy lay stretched out on his bunk. Hearing the four knocks on the wall, he gave two knocks back. Tuesday was games night, and he and Freddie couldn’t wait. Whether it was pool, table tennis, board or card games, they relished the challenge and were determined to be the best at everything.

Tonight they were more excited than usual. There was a new face on the block and they were desperate to meet him. Leroy Wright was notorious in the borstal system. A Jamaican from Brixton, the kid was a legend with a reputation to die for. He’d been locked up since he was twelve for mutilating an Indian shopkeeper. Since then he’d been shunted around the country and been slung out of five different borstals. Apparently, he had taken over each one, given the screws hell and run the places as though he owned them. Tommy and Freddie had heard he was due at Feltham over a week ago.