Payback

With her lithe body, long flowing hair, infectious laugh and perfect white teeth, Vinny Butler had fallen in love with Yvonne Summers on sight as a lad. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, yet the slut had used him and then tortured his mind.

His mouth bone-dry, Vinny approached the pub window. He peered through and could barely believe his eyes. ‘No longer petite’ had been Paul’s assessment of her. Well, that was the understatement of the century. Yvonne Summers was that fat she resembled a whale that had been washed up on the beach.

In complete shock, Vinny stood rooted to the spot. He could not believe this was the same woman whose memory had taunted him for so long, but it was. The fat cow looked like she had fallen out the ugly tree and hit every fucking branch on the way down.

Hearing voices behind him, Vinny turned around. There were two teenage girls staring at him and giggling. ‘You looking for someone?’ one asked.

‘Yeah, my mate. I don’t think he is in there though,’ Vinny replied.

‘Well, we’ll keep you company, won’t we, Barb?’ the blonde one said, nudging her pal.

‘Not ’arf! We don’t often get talent like you in the Travellers, do we, Wendy?’ the ginger girl replied, smiling at Vinny.

Vinny grinned falsely, and handed the girls a tenner just to get rid of them. ‘Go in the pub and order yourselves a drink, ladies. Get me half of lager – any kind will do. I’ll be in in a couple of minutes.’

When the girls disappeared, Vinny looked through the window once again. Seeing Yvonne laughing and joking with a customer, Vinny felt the urge to stroll inside and wipe the smile off the whore’s face by smashing her big fat head against the bar, but he managed to resist. No way was that monster worth getting nicked over, not on your nelly.

CHAPTER SIX

Joanna Preston forgot all about the fright and pain she had endured when her baby was placed in her arms for the first time. ‘Hello, I’m your mummy,’ she said, crying tears of pure joy while grinning broadly.

Outside in the corridor, Vinny was experiencing a mixture of fury, guilt and panic. He was furious with Little Vinny for not keeping an eye on Joanna like he’d asked him to, and felt as guilty as hell because instead of heading straight home as promised he’d chosen to track down Yvonne Summers. And he was panicking because Joanna had been screaming blue murder and now it had all gone quiet. If something was wrong with his kid, he would never forgive himself, he knew that much.

When the door of the delivery room opened, he felt his heart race even more. ‘What’s going on? Everything’s OK, isn’t it?’

The old Jamaican midwife chuckled. ‘Listen for yourself. Got better lungs than me, that child. You can go in and say hello now.’

Vinny had never been a man to show much emotion but the moment he laid eyes on his daughter, the tears poured down his cheeks. With her mop of curly blonde hair, she looked nothing like him. And she wasn’t ugly, the way Little Vinny had been when he was born. She was absolutely perfect.

‘Do you want to hold her? She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?’ Joanna gushed. She had already forgiven Vinny for not being at home when she went into labour. At the time, she’d been petrified, but somehow she managed to crawl to the phone, ring the emergency services herself and open the front door for them. Vinny had arrived home amidst the mayhem, and she knew from his face he was genuinely sorry.

Vinny kissed Joanna on the forehead, then lifted the baby out of her arms and cradled her in his. ‘I am so sorry I wasn’t there when your mum needed me earlier, but I promise you this, baby girl, I will never let you down again, not ever.’

Queenie and Vivian had had a wonderful afternoon together. It had been just like old times. They had shed a few tears over their wonderful sons, but then they’d cried with laughter as they relived some of their antics.

‘Do you remember the time Lenny started undoing his trousers when he saw Mad Freda coming and she ran off screaming blue murder? She was threatening to tell the police he was a flasher, if I remember rightly.’

Queenie chuckled. ‘He was only a nipper at the time. I’m sure he only did it because he knew we couldn’t stand her. Proper little character that boy was.’

Seeing her sister close to tears again, Queenie hugged her. ‘Now let’s not get down in the dumps. We’ve had a great day and we’ve got the Jubilee to look forward to. We’ll show them neighbours of ours how to party, Viv. And don’t forget, this time next weekend we’ll be down at Kings. You don’t want to start getting upset now in case they keep you in this funny farm. Who will I play bingo with then, eh?’

‘I’m fine, Queen. I just have my moments and I dare say I always will.’

Pleased her sister was OK, Queenie glanced at her watch. ‘My Vinny was meant to pick me up over an hour ago. I hope everything’s all right. It’s not like him to be this late, Viv.’

‘Perhaps Jo’s gone into labour. Ring him at home, Queen.’

Before Queenie had a chance to move, a nurse approached her. ‘Your Vinny is on the phone, Queenie. He wants to speak to you.’

Queenie’s heart leapt in her chest as she followed the nurse. Since losing Roy and Lenny, she dreaded her own phone ringing in case it was more bad news, let alone being summoned to the one in Goodmayes Hospital. Breathlessly she took the receiver and asked, ‘What’s up, boy?’

When her son began to gabble excitedly about the baby and how beautiful she was, Queenie couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. After all the trauma and bad luck her family had suffered, life was looking decidedly rosy for them again.

Albie Butler rarely ventured out to restaurants. It seemed pointless, seeing as his Dorothy was such a good cook. But today he was sitting in a carvery in Ipswich town centre with Bert and Dorothy, celebrating Bert’s birthday.

‘Nice bit of lamb, eh, Dorothy? What’s the beef like?’ Bert asked his brother.

‘Very tender,’ Albie replied, before ramming another forkful in his mouth. A moment later he froze at the sound of a familiar voice coming from behind him, then spat his beef back onto his plate.

‘You OK? Did it go down the wrong hole?’ Bert asked, slapping Albie on the back to stop him from choking.

Trying desperately to stop his coughing fit as the last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself, Albie hissed at Bert to leave him alone and act normal. Hearing her distinctive squeaky voice again, Albie sank his pint. The last time he had seen Judy Preston was in 1965 when she had turned up to visit him in hospital at the same time as Queenie. All hell had broken loose when Queenie had realized that Judy was his pregnant bit on the side, and his indiscretion had ended his marriage and seen him kicked out of his own home.

Vinny and Roy had paid Judy a threatening visit and ordered her to abort his child, then shortly afterwards Judy had done a runner. Albie had been told by somebody a few years back that Judy now lived in Ipswich, but he hadn’t quite believed it until this moment.

‘What’s the matter, Albie? You look ever so pale,’ Dorothy remarked.

When he heard a child refer to Judy as Mum, Albie knew he had to get out of the restaurant. She might not recognize the back of him, but if she went to the toilet, she would be bound to spot him. The thought of coming face to face with her or a child he didn’t know had existed was making Albie feel nauseous. ‘I need some fresh air, Dorothy. Please don’t say my name out loud or make a scene as there is somebody on the table behind who I really don’t want to see. You and Bert finish your meals and I’ll wait for you in the car park.’

‘Whatever is the matter?’ Bert asked.

‘Shush,’ Albie hissed. He then darted out of the restaurant as fast as his trembling legs would carry him.

Michael and Kevin had planned to have a curry in Brick Lane after their drinking session, but those plans were scuppered when Michael returned from talking to the mystery dark-haired woman and informed Kev that he had invited her and her friend to join them.

Kevin was extremely happily married. His wife and son meant the world to him and no way was he sitting in some restaurant with two birds. ‘Sorry, mate, but you can count me out. My Jemima would chop my bollocks off if I was spotted somewhere with those two. I doubt your Nancy would be too happy either.’

‘Where’s the harm in going for a meal? And if someone clocks us, I’ll just say it’s two of the barmaids from the club, or an old family friend.’

Seeing Michael and the dark-haired girl share an intimate glance, Kevin gave his pal a talking to. ‘If you go for that meal with her, you’ll end up fucking her, mate – then how you gonna face Nancy in the cold light of day? Think of them sons of yours. Is it worth losing them because you fancy some fresh pussy?’

‘You and Jemima might still be love’s young dream, but Nancy and I haven’t been that for a while, Kev. You don’t know what I’ve had to put up with, what with her mood swings and depression. I can’t even remember the last time we had sex. Weeks ago it must have been. Every time I try it on with her she reckons she’s too tired or she’s worried about the boys getting wind that we’re at it. I’m only twenty-seven, not seventy, and I still have fucking needs.’

Not wanting to get into an argument, Kevin asked Michael what he had said to the girls.

‘I just asked the usual and offered them a drink. The dark one’s name is Bella, the blonde one’s Sam. They live in Chelsea and are both models, so they say. Bella’s twenty-one and from Italy. Sam is nineteen and from Liverpool. Please, just come for the meal, Kev? We’ll share a cab home afterwards, just me and you, I promise.’

Kev downed the rest of his lager and stood up. ‘I’m shooting off, mate. Enjoy your meal, and don’t do anything you might regret tomorrow. If I was you, I’d concentrate on getting your marriage back on track rather than shagging young birds. Ever heard of the frying pan and the fire?’

Following Vinny’s instructions, Queenie got a cab from Goodmayes, picked Little Vinny up on the way, then headed straight to the hospital. ‘My oh my, she’s an absolute angel. Isn’t she big! How much did she weigh?’ Queenie asked, as she peered inside the cot.

‘She was ten pound. No wonder I had a struggle getting her out,’ Joanna replied.

‘Well, you did a brilliant job, darling. Reminds me of Emily-Mae with those blonde curls. I can’t wait for Vivvy to see her. We’ll babysit whenever yous two fancy a day or night out,’ Queenie volunteered.

‘Don’t you want to see your little sister then?’ Vinny asked his sullen-faced son, who was loitering at the end of the bed. Vinny was absolutely mesmerized by his new addition, could not believe she already had the power to melt his heart like never before.

‘There ain’t no room, is there?’ Little Vinny snapped. His dad was sitting next to the cot, and his nan was standing in front of it, blocking his view.

Vinny locked eyes with his offspring. ‘Oh, and don’t forget to apologize to Jo for sodding off upstairs and leaving her in the lurch earlier. Bang out of order you was, boy.’

‘What happened?’ Queenie asked, unable to tear her eyes away from her beautiful granddaughter.

Joanna knew that Little Vinny didn’t like her and although she would never admit it to Vinny, the feeling was mutual. However, now Little Vinny had moved in with them, she had no option but to try to get along with him, so did her best to smooth over the situation. ‘It was nothing, Queenie, honest. Anyway, Little Vinny was only in his bedroom playing music. I was in that much pain, I couldn’t scream as loud as usual, so it’s not his fault,’ she lied. She had in fact screamed blue murder and was sure Little Vinny had turned his music up to blank out her cries for help on purpose.

Little Vinny smirked. ‘See? It weren’t my fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s you. You shouldn’t have gone out, Dad.’

As Vinny leapt up to clout his belligerent son, Queenie grabbed his arm. ‘Don’t hit him. He’s bound to be a bit green, after all he’s been the only child for years. You were the same when I had Roy.’

‘I’ll give him fucking green, he’ll be black and blue if he carries on,’ Vinny mumbled. He had no idea what was wrong with his son lately, but he was becoming a real pain in the arse. He wasn’t even eleven yet, but the little bastard already had the attitude and lip of a cocky eighteen-year-old.

‘Ooh, she’s waking up. What you gonna call her? Best you think of a name soon,’ Queenie remarked.

Vinny smiled at Joanna. They had been discussing names earlier and he was so pleased that she had finally given in to his wish. He knew how much this would mean to his beloved mother.

‘We’ve chosen Molly, Mum.’

Queenie’s eyes filled up with tears. Her wonderful mum had been called Molly. ‘Sod you, you’ve started me off now. What a lovely gesture. Wait till I tell Vivvy, she’ll be made up.’

Little Vinny giggled. ‘Molly is an old pensioner’s name.’

It was Queenie’s turn to glare at the child. Looks-wise, Little Vinny might be the spitting image of his dad at that age, but her boy had been a saint in comparison to this bolshy little so-and-so. ‘No, it’s not. It’s a lovely name and my mum was called Molly. Now shut that trap of yours and come and meet your little sister.’

When his nan lifted Molly out of the cot, Little Vinny decided to play along with the happy family theme. He was sick of being grounded and desperate to change that. ‘Hello, I’m your big bruvver,’ he said, grinning at the baby and allowing her to clasp one of his fingers in her chubby hand.

‘Aw, look, they’ve bonded already,’ Queenie remarked.

Vinny smiled at the touching scene. As her big brother, it would be Little Vinny’s duty to protect Molly through life and look out for her like he had with Brenda. ‘Sit on the chair and you can hold her properly.’

Little Vinny did as he was told, then inwardly squirmed as the baby was placed in his arms. Apart from wishing she had never been conceived, he felt nothing for his sister whatsoever.

Albie Butler had been honest about his past from day one with Dorothy, so she had known about his affair with Judy Preston and why he had felt the need to leave the restaurant. He had also told Bert all about Judy when he had first moved to Ipswich. ‘I’m so sorry I spoilt the day. I really am,’ Albie slurred yet again.

Dorothy hated seeing Albie drunk. He had a tendency to repeat himself constantly, but she could understand his need for a good drink today. He’d had a nasty shock. ‘I’m going to leave you boys to it. I want to finish my book. Don’t drink too much more tonight, Albie. You fell down the stairs last time you got very drunk and you know how I worry about you.’

‘I won’t, darling. Night night, love you.’

When Dorothy left the room, Bert turned to his brother. ‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Dorothy, but I guessed who it was and swapped seats after you left the restaurant so I could do a bit of detective work. I take it Judy was the one with the squeaky voice?’

Albie nodded.

‘Well, she had two kids with her. A boy about sixteen and a girl about seven. How old would your kid be now if she’d had it?’

Counting the years with his fingers, Albie felt relief wash over him. ‘Would have been about eleven now. I reckon the boy you saw was her son Mark. He was about three when I was with her, and the girl sounds far too young to be mine. You sure she weren’t older than seven?’

‘Eight tops, but she certainly weren’t bleedin’ eleven, Albie. I reckon you’re in the clear, mate. Perhaps she did a runner, aborted your kid and made a fresh start?’

Albie grinned and cracked open another can. It suited him to believe that Judy had aborted his child. It made his thoughts far less complicated. Most men in his position would have turned around and confronted Judy. Not Albie though. He’d had enough drama in the past to last him a lifetime, and was happy to just let sleeping dogs lie.

Michael Butler followed Bella into her Chelsea apartment and was immediately taken aback by its opulence. He had thought she was joking when she pointed at the brand-new Porsche in the car park and said it was hers. ‘Jesus, babe, this is some gaff. How long you lived here?’

‘Two years. What would you prefer – red or white wine?’

‘Whatever you’re having,’ Michael replied, looking around in awe. The kitchen and bathroom were both state-of-the-art and knocked spots off his own. The lounge was absolutely striking. It had a multi-coloured carpet, beige being the base colour, with red, blue and green circles all over. The sofas were bright red leather, and in two corners of the room stood life-size carved wooden figurines of a Romany-looking naked man and woman.

Michael opened the sliding glass door and walked out onto the balcony. The view of London was incredible this time of night. The lights of the greatest city on earth literally lit up the sky.

‘Do you want to drink your wine out there?’ Bella asked.

‘No, I’m coming in now,’ Michael replied, shutting the glass door. He sat down on the sofa. ‘So, how comes if you were brought up in Italy you speak such good English? Do your parents both speak English?’

‘Yes, but not in the home. My dad hired a private tutor to teach me from very young. He said it was important I learn the language. I can speak Spanish too. I must tell you something, Michael.’

‘What?’

‘Even though your eyes are green and your hair is darker, you really remind me of David Essex.’

Michael laughed. ‘But he’s got a bird’s hairstyle.’

‘You look like he did in That’ll Be the Day and Stardust, when his hair was shorter. I loved him in those films.’

Michael took a sip of his wine and stared at Bella. He wasn’t just mesmerized by her beauty; it was so much more than that. She was unlike any girl he had ever met in his life and he couldn’t help but be impressed by her and her obvious wealth and lifestyle. ‘So, what type of modelling do you do then?’

‘I get asked to do all sorts of shoots. I’ve done catwalk too. I might get into acting soon. I’ve just hired myself a new agent.’

‘Do you have to strip off and all that?’

Bella chuckled. ‘I do glamour shots, but never nude. My dad is well-respected back in Italy and he would kill me if I ever went overboard. I show plenty of cleavage, but won’t go topless. My dad is a proud man and I respect his wishes.’

‘Well, you must be doing something right to be renting a gaff like this,’ Michael replied.

‘I do not rent this apartment, Michael. I own it.’

Apart from when he had lost his virginity at a very young age, Michael couldn’t remember feeling so nervous around a female before. Bella was having a strange effect on him and he wanted to fuck her more than he had ever wanted to fuck Nancy or any other bird he’d known. He could tell she wanted him, but he had to be straight with her first. ‘Look, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m married, Bella.’

‘So? I wasn’t intending on proposing to you, Michael. I just want to make love with you. Let’s fuck, shall we?’

Feeling his body shake with pure lust, Michael stood up and grabbed Bella by the hand. ‘Where’s the bedroom?’

Ignoring the question, Bella sank to her knees and undid the zip on his trousers.

Michael thought he had died and gone to heaven when she began expertly sucking his penis. No bird had ever been this forward with him in the past and it was such a turn-on, he was sure his erection was bigger than usual and his cock about to burst.

Grabbing Bella’s head to stop himself from coming too soon, Michael stared at her as she let go of his manhood. Her eyes were a mesmerizingly pale blue. ‘Take your clothes off,’ he ordered, his voice husky with lust.

Bella stood up, pouted seductively and took her clothes off in a slow, tantalizing manner.

Transfixed by her naked beauty, Michael forgot all about his wife and kids as he ripped his own clothes off then rammed himself inside Bella as hard as he could. What followed was the most mind-blowing sexual experience of Michael Butler’s entire life.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Michael Butler poured himself a large Scotch and settled into one of the new sofas. The club had recently been refurbished. Gone was the old burgundy leather furniture that Vinny and Roy had originally bought in 1965. That had now been replaced with opulent green leather sofas and chairs. The walls were now covered in new orange-based patterned wallpaper, and Lenny’s old DJ console had made way for a performance area to accommodate the live bands and singers they hired these days. The DJ equipment had just been a constant reminder to both Michael and Vinny that Champ was no longer with them, so they had made a joint decision to get rid of it.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Michael leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Guilt was eating away at him and he could barely look Nancy in the eye any more. As for Bella, he could not stop thinking about her. He had resisted the urge to contact her again, but that did not stop him yearning for her.

‘Whatever is wrong with you? You look like a tramp and you’ve had a face like a slapped arse for days. You ain’t still fretting we’re gonna get banged up for Trevor’s murder, are you? Only that’s chip-wrapping now, that is,’ Vinny said. This was his first full day back at the club since Molly had been born and it had been a real wrench for him to leave her.

Michael sat up and put his unshaven face in his hands. Knowing his pal would disapprove, he had not felt able to confide in Kevin and he needed to tell somebody. ‘I’ve done something stupid, bruv.’

‘What?’

‘I stayed round some bird’s house last Sunday and I can’t get her out of my mind.’

Vinny grabbed a chair and sat on it the wrong way round so he could face his brother. He had always hated Nancy, so this was welcome news to him. ‘Well, well, well. Alfie strikes again! Don’t feel guilty, bruv, not after the shit you’ve had to put up with. Been a crap mother and wife, has Nancy, and I just don’t fall for all that depression bollocks. Auntie Viv’s been mentally ill, the real deal – Nancy’s only playing you. So, who is this bird then? Where did you meet her?’

Michael explained about his day out with Kev and where he’d met Bella. ‘She’s really beautiful, Vin, and stinking rich. I’ve never met a bird that could mesmerize me like she did. I stayed the night at hers and, even though I felt as guilty as hell in the morning, I had to have her again. The sex was incredible, it really was.’

‘Well, if I was you I’d get straight on that blower and call her. Birds like that don’t come along too often. I’ll always cover for you here if you want to get your nuts in.’

‘But what about Nancy?’

‘What about her?’ Vinny shrugged. ‘This is the same Nancy that can’t be bothered with or accept your eldest son, isn’t it? I rest my case.’

Johnny Preston was sitting in the visiting room opposite his ex-wife, who was now his fiancée again. She had just informed him that Joanna had given birth to a baby girl and instead of going ballistic, as he would have done in the past, Johnny was calm and deep in thought.

‘Well, say something then, Johnny. You’re making me feel uneasy,’ Deborah urged. She couldn’t shake off the memory of what had happened when he found out Joanna and Vinny were a couple. Such was his pain, Johnny had tried heroin for the very first time, taking an overdose which had very nearly resulted in Deborah losing the man she loved.

‘How did Joanna sound on the phone? Did you speak to her for long?’ Johnny asked.

‘We chatted for about five minutes. She seemed happy enough in herself and spoke constantly about the baby. She’s called her Molly and said she weighed ten pound. Obviously, Jo asked about you. She also said she’d love me to meet the baby. I refused, of course. My loyalties will always lie with you, Johnny, and I want nothing to do with that bastard Vinny whatsoever.’