Nobody’s Girl (8 page)

On Sunday evening, Pearl looked up at her ceiling, puzzled. Mr Bardington seemed to be pacing back and forth, and had been doing so for over an hour. At first she tried to ignore it, but now it was driving her mad. Thump, thump, thump, his heavy footsteps unrelenting.

She couldn’t sketch, it was impossible, and throwing her pad aside she decided to have a bath. She rarely used the room, preferring a strip wash to the brown, stained, roll-top bath, but maybe soaking in nice deep water might relax her.

Pearl had a lot on her mind. There was the anxiety that Alice Freeman might be taking her tips, but worse, the veiled threat Kevin Dolby had issued. It had forced her hand, making her decide to take things further with Derek. Though she didn’t like his looks, she felt safe with him and knew she would have no need to fear Kevin Dolby, or anyone else, whilst he was around.

She crept upstairs, clutching her towel and wash things. The bathroom didn’t look inviting, the distempered walls grey and flaking, but she locked the door behind her and turned on the taps.

With her eyes closed, shutting out the ugly room, it was nice to lie back in the water, letting it trickle over her shoulders. At last she couldn’t hear Mr Bardington pacing. There was a faint sound of music now, something classical, and Pearl luxuriated in the peaceful solitude.

The water was tepid, refreshing, but finally Pearl climbed out, towelling herself vigorously. She was perching on the edge of the bath, drying her feet, when the door handle turned. She froze as it rattled again, but finding her voice she called, ‘Who’s there?’

‘It’s Trevor Bardington. Sorry, I didn’t realise someone was in there.’

‘I’ve nearly finished and it’ll be free in a few minutes.’

‘Right, thanks,’ and as she heard his footsteps retreating, Pearl dressed quickly.

She scooted out, but as her eyes flicked along the landing there was no sign of the man. Soon she was back in her room and, throwing on pyjamas, scrambled into bed. Yet why was she frightened? Mr Bardington had only tried the door – he hadn’t forced his way in. Pearl turned, clutching her pillow. It was Kevin’s threat that was making her jumpy and more than ever she felt alone, vulnerable, in these almost empty premises.

It was after midnight when Kevin, Nobby and Dick walked quietly to a nearby street, pleased to see the van parked in the usual spot.

‘There’s nobody about,’ Nobby said.

Dick scratched his chin. ‘It won’t take long to open that door.’

‘Come on then, let’s get on with it,’ Kevin said impatiently. He didn’t like standing around and was nervous of being seen. The sooner they got into the van and drove off, the better.

Dick, skilled at the task, soon had the door open, and in another few minutes Kevin had hot-wired the van, the engine coming to life.

‘Jump in the back, Dick,’ he hissed as Nobby climbed hurriedly into the passenger seat.

Kevin took as many backstreets as possible, finding his mouth dry as they drew up outside the warehouse. The premises were in darkness and Kevin twisted round in his seat to speak to Dick.

‘Are you sure about the alarm?’

‘As sure as I can be.’

Nobby climbed out. ‘Come on, Dick. We’ll cut the padlock and open the gates. When that’s done, Kevin, you can drive in.’

Kevin waited, finding his hands sweating as he gripped the steering wheel. The two men made light of the lock, and soon the metal gates were swinging open. With a look in his rear-view mirror, Kevin drove into the grounds, pulling up in front of the loading bay.

Dick walked up the ramp, inspecting the alarm box high on the wall. ‘I hope that bleedin’ ladder’s long enough,’ he mumbled before bending down to his bag of tools.

Nobby struggled to get the ladder off the van. ‘Give me a hand, Kevin.’

As soon as they’d placed it up against the wall, Kevin returned to the van, ready for a quick getaway if anything went wrong.

Dick climbed the ladder and then Kevin watched as he placed a small torch between his teeth, leaving his hands free to work on the alarm box.

Kevin’s tension eased. Dick seemed to know what he was doing. He removed the cover, carefully handing it down to Nobby before reaching inside the box. Then suddenly a deafening, clanging racket pierced the silence.

Kevin froze momentarily, but then in panic he gunned the engine to life, eyes on stalks as he screamed, ‘Come on, let’s get out of here!’

Dick slid down the ladder, grabbed his tools, and then both men scrambled for the van.

Nobby just about managed to leap into the passenger seat as Kevin screeched off. ‘Shit!’ he yelled, holding on to the dashboard for dear life.

Dick had almost shot into the back of the van and, with tyres screaming, Kevin was out of the gate, driving with his foot hard on the accelerator.

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Dick yelled, ‘give me a chance to shut the back doors!’

Kevin slowed almost imperceptibly before turning a corner, his ears peeled for the sound of police sirens. Dick managed to pull the doors closed, and soon they were streets away.

‘Slow down, you stupid bastard! You’re drawing attention to us,’ Nobby shouted.

‘Watch your mouth,’ Kevin spat, his eyes now flicking to the back of the van and to Dick Smedley. ‘So much for the alarm being a fucking doddle! Christ, it serves me right for getting mixed up with amateurs.’

Nobby’s voice was dangerously low: ‘We ain’t amateurs. It was just bad luck. Now find somewhere to dump this van, and soon.’

Kevin turned left towards the industrial arches under Clapham Junction station. In the pitch-darkness his headlights pierced the gloom and, parking in front of the first unit, he scrambled out of the van.

‘Come on, this’ll do. We can make our way home through the backstreets.’

The three men walked quickly, constantly looking behind them and relieved when they reached Battersea High Street.

‘That was a bloody fiasco,’ Kevin said, breaking the silence.

‘I’ll admit it was a cock-up, but we got clean away.’

‘Yeah, but empty-handed.’

‘There’s always another job, and we’ll make better plans next time.’

‘Next time! You must be kidding!’

Nobby shrugged. ‘You’ll be looking for easy money again soon, and I’ll be in touch.’

‘Don’t bother,’ Kevin spat as he marched away.

Trevor Bardington still couldn’t sleep. Standing in the darkness of his room, he looked out of the window on to the three young men below him in the street. He recognised his landlord, Nobby Clark, and though the men seemed to be arguing, he wasn’t interested. His appetite was rising again, and try as he might he couldn’t fight it. How many times had he moved? How many different areas had he lived in? He’d lost count. So far he’d been lucky, very lucky, and had never been caught.

He turned away from the window and threw himself onto his bed. Once he had seen that face it was impossible to get it out of his mind – impossible to fight the desire. Now, as he had done so many times in the past, he began to plan.

Other than the young girl downstairs, this place was ideal, and if he used drugs again, there would be no noise. Of course, the time and place would be crucial, and it wouldn’t be easy. His brain turned. There had to be a way, there was always a way, and as an idea began to form, Trevor Bardington smiled. He’d love it, he knew he would. They all did, despite their protests.

When Pearl awoke on Monday morning, she knuckled her eyes before climbing tiredly out of bed. She hadn’t slept well. Trevor Bardington had started pacing again and it had been after one in the morning before he’d stopped.

Why did he spend hours walking back and forth across his room? Was he an insomniac? God, she hoped not. If she got a good night’s sleep, getting up at five forty-five in the morning wasn’t a problem, but if the noise continued it would be impossible.

She’d have to wait and see, but if the worst came to the worst, perhaps she could ask Nobby Clark for a different room. There were two empty, one on this landing and one above. She didn’t fancy being on the same floor as Mr Bardington, but the one further along on this level would be fine and not directly underneath the man. The only downside was that it looked over the rear of the building, with nothing but a yard and the back of a factory wall in view. With this room she enjoyed being able to look on to the High Street, seeing the hustle and bustle of the market. Tired of drawing faces, she had begun to sketch the scene. Of course, she still craved colour. How else could she bring the pictures alive? The colourful stalls with their brightly striped awnings, the fruit and vegetables piled high, the crowds bustling, red-faced from the heat. They needed colour, and she just
had
to buy some paint.

The breakfast rush was in full swing and, though tired from lack of sleep, Pearl was doing her best to keep an eye on Alice. So far she hadn’t cleared any of Pearl’s tables, but as they were so busy it was impossible to watch her all the time.

Frank Hanwell came in, his son, Eric, with him, and Pearl smiled as she went to serve them.

‘Hello, and what can I get you?’

‘My usual, and beans on toast for Eric.’

The boy grinned at Pearl and once again she was captivated by his face. If he’d been a girl, Eric would have been described as beautiful. Somehow, handsome didn’t fit, and seemed an inadequate description. With lovely emerald-green eyes, slightly slanted like a cat’s, flawless skin, with a dash of freckles, he had to Pearl, perfect features.

She grinned back at him. ‘One slice of toast, or two?’

‘Two, please, miss. I’m helping my dad on his stall today.’

‘Are you? That’s nice.’

‘Lucy’s a bit under the weather, and school doesn’t start again until September,’ Frank said by way of explanation. ‘I don’t know about help, though. Somehow I think Eric might be more of a hindrance.’ He leaned forward, the sting taken out of his words as he ruffled the boy’s dark hair.

Pearl wrote out the order and hurried to the kitchen, her tables now full, but as she returned to the dining room she was just in time to see a couple of her customer’s leaving. Alice left what she was doing and hurried to clear their table. Pearl kept her head low, but was watching from under her lashes when she saw Alice slip something into her apron pocket.

As if suddenly aware that she was being observed, Alice’s head spun around. Their eyes locked, but it was Alice who looked away first, her face slightly flushed as she picked up the rest of the plates, brushing past her to the kitchen.

Pearl waited until Alice returned to the dining room, surreptitiously watching her movements. Alice passed the counter, but didn’t put any money into the jar, and Pearl was sure then that Alice was taking her tips. But what could she do? She was too scared to confront Alice, and anyway, she’d deny it. Yet how could she offer proof?

‘What’s up, Pearl?’ Derek Lewis called.

She went to his table, her mind still turning. If someone else saw what Alice was up to, there was no way the girl could deny it. ‘Derek, can I talk to you later?’

He frowned. ‘You’re not going to tell me you can’t see me tonight, are you?’

‘No, of course not. It’s just something I may need a bit of help with.’

‘Oh, right. Well, anything I can do, you only have to say the word.’

‘Thanks, Derek.’

The rest of the day seemed to drag by. Pearl kept an eye on Alice, but she kept to her own tables. Then, at three fifteen, near the end of her shift, Kevin came down from the upstairs flat. He walked towards her, but instead of a threatening look, he was smiling.

‘Hello, love, how are you doing?’

Pearl stared at him in confusion. He had issued veiled threats at the boxing match, but now he was being pleasant. ‘I … I’m fine thanks.’

‘How’s it going with Derek?’

‘Er … we’re still good friends.’

‘If you were my girl, we’d be more than friends by now.’

‘Kevin!’

They both spun round to see Dolly’s head poking out of the kitchen door. ‘I suggest you let Pearl get on with her work.’

‘Yeah, all right, Mum,’ he said, but not before throwing Pearl a wink and whispering, ‘Would you like to be my girl, Pearl?’

He sauntered off, the café door closing behind him, Pearl left red-faced. His girl! Surely he didn’t mean it? No, of course he didn’t. Her mind was still grappling with the change in Kevin’s character when Dolly came marching out of the kitchen, heading towards her.

‘Your job is to wait on tables, Pearl, and not to flirt with my son.’

‘I … I wasn’t flirting with him. Honest,’ she protested, hands shaking.

‘I don’t want to see you chatting with Kevin again. You’re here to work and I suggest you remember that.’

‘Yes, Mrs Dolby.’

The woman threw her a dark look. ‘Finish clearing that table and you can go.’

Pearl vigorously rubbed the surface, relieved when Dolly went back to the kitchen. She rinsed out the cloth, took off her apron and, taking her bag from its usual place under the counter, murmured, ‘I’m off, Bernie. See you tomorrow.’

‘Bye, love, and take no notice of Dolly. Mind you, it might be safer to stay away from Kevin.’

‘Your son’s a bit of all right, Bernie,’ Alice chuckled, ‘and you can’t blame Pearl for having her eye on him.’

‘I … I haven’t got my eye on him,’ Pearl protested.

‘Oh, yeah, and pigs might fly,’ Alice said. ‘You fancy him, and it’s as plain as the nose on your face.’

A blush stained Pearl’s cheeks and she lowered her head.

‘Leave the girl alone, Alice,’ Bernie admonished.

Pearl threw him a grateful smile, saying a hurried goodbye as she left the café. Why did Alice have to stir it, and what if she said the same things to Dolly? God, she could get the sack. It was bad enough worrying that Alice was pinching her tips, but now she had to worry about losing her job.

Pearl stopped by Derek’s stall, watching as he served a customer, amazed that with hands so large and chunky he was able to handle the most delicate china without breaking it.

As the customer walked away he came straight to her side. ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’

‘It doesn’t matter now.’

‘Tell me anyway.’

Pearl couldn’t confide in him about Kevin, instead saying only, ‘I think Alice is pinching some of my tips.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘I could be wrong, but I doubt it. You see, I don’t get many tips now, even from my regulars. Sometimes Alice clears my tables and I think I saw her pocket a tip. I waited to see if she put in the jar, but she didn’t.’

‘The bitch! What did you say to her?’

‘How can I say anything until I’m a hundred per cent sure? And anyway, it’s my word against hers and she’s sure to deny it.’

‘Yeah, I see what you mean.’ He paused for a moment, but then smiled. ‘When I’m in the café, I’ll keep an eye out too. If we both catch her out, she won’t have a leg to stand on.’

‘Oh, thanks, Derek. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

Kevin passed, lifting his hand to wave at them both, but Pearl lowered her head. She had to prevent Dolly from thinking that she was flirting with Kevin, but how?

‘Is there something else worrying you?’ Derek asked. ‘You still look a bit down in the mouth.’

She raised her eyes, saw his concern, and in that moment, made up her mind. If she had a boyfriend, Dolly would know she wasn’t after Kevin and her job would be safe. Taking a deep breath, Pearl forced a smile. ‘I’m fine. It … it’s just that I was wondering if you’d still like me to be your girlfriend.’

‘Of course I would.’

‘Good, because I’d like that too.’

‘Pearl, are you sure?’

‘I’m sure.’

He grinned with delight. ‘Cor, wait till I tell Gran.’

‘She might not approve, Derek. She’ll think I’m too young for you.’

‘You’ll be seventeen soon, and I’m twenty-six. That makes only nine years between us. Anyway, Gran likes you and I think she’ll be dead chuffed.’

Another customer came to the stall, Derek saying hurriedly, ‘I’ll pick you up at seven. We’ll go for a nice meal to celebrate.’

‘All right,’ bye,’ Pearl said, wondering as she walked to her bedsit if she’d made the right decision. She was going to be Derek Lewis’s girlfriend, protected and safe, but what if one day he proposed? Could she face becoming his wife? She pictured his cosy terraced house, his lovely gran, and smiled. Yes, surely she could. They would be a family, and if a baby came along? At that thought Pearl’s steps faltered. When she worked in the laundry the women had often talked and joked about sex. Innocent though she was, she had soon found out from their ribald remarks how a baby was made, but could she bear to do
that
with Derek?

When Derek told Pearl that his gran wanted to see her, she went round to the house straight from work the next day, shaking with nerves.

At first Connie Lewis was a bit frosty, and deeply suspicious of Pearl’s motives. ‘I thought we agreed that you’re far too young for Derek,’ she said as they sat in her cosy kitchen.

‘I know, but I’ve grown very fond of him.’

‘Huh, you can be fond of a cat,’ she said, her eyes flicking to Marmalade. The huge ginger cat opened one eye, but seeing there was no food being offered, he closed it again. ‘Just what do you see in Derek? It ain’t his looks, that’s for sure.’

‘I know he isn’t handsome, but that doesn’t matter. There’s more to a man than looks. Derek is so kind, so caring, and I feel safe with him.’

‘Safe! What’s that supposed to mean? It sounds like you only want him for protection, but protection from what? Are you in trouble?’

‘No,’ Pearl said hurriedly. ‘Oh dear, I seem to be saying all the wrong things. Please, Connie, I’m just trying to explain that I don’t care what Derek looks like, it’s his ways that count. I just want to be with him, to become part of this family, and … and maybe one day there’ll be children.’

At last the ice began to melt, and a small smile played around the corners of Connie’s mouth. ‘Kids – that’d be nice, but you’re far too young to think about marriage yet.’

‘Yes, I know I’m jumping the gun, but I just wanted you to know how serious I am about Derek.’

Connie sat quietly for a moment, but then her eyes locked with Pearl’s. ‘All right, I’ll say no more. At the end of the day I just want Derek to be happy. I know I shouldn’t cross-examine you, but he’s never had a girlfriend before, his looks saw to that. You’re a pretty girl, and could probably do better, so you can’t blame me for being suspicious.’

‘I could never do better than Derek. He’s wonderful.’

At last it seemed that Pearl had said the right thing. Connie suddenly relaxed, a wide grin now on her face. ‘You’re right there. My Derek’s a diamond. He’ll be home soon so you might as well stay for dinner.’

‘Thanks, I’d love to,’ Pearl said, heaving a sigh of relief.