Rough Justice (34 page)

George tried a bit of bravado. ‘Don’t know what you’re talking about, mate.’

‘One, I am not your mate, and two, I do not like liars. You have not only been very unpleasant to a young lady, but the young lady concerned is now very poorly, and a friend of hers wants you to learn a lesson, young Georgie. And we are the
men who are going to teach it to you. Now listen carefully, George Flanagan, you are never again going to go anywhere near a certain young lady without her specific permission. All right?’

‘On my mother’s life, I truthfully do not know what you mean.’

‘Sorry George, but for your own sake I think you should admit that you do.’ The man stared at him. ‘Because you know exactly what you did to her, you slimy little bastard. Now keep still.’

The man slipped off his brass knuckles, slipped them in his pocket and then took hold of George by the lapels to stop him from moving – not that George was brave enough to have tried. The man then threw back his head and cracked George’s nose open with a sharp smack from his forehead.

George touched his face and then looked at his blood-covered hand. ‘What the hell was that for?’

‘Do you really need to ask?’ sneered the man, looking to his companion for support.

‘Ask what?’ said Lily as she stepped into the room. She was carrying a greaseproof-wrapped parcel of saveloys, faggots and pease pudding.

‘Lil, help me,’ moaned George, as the blood streamed down his face.

‘What’s going on here?’ she asked.

‘Nothing to do with you,’ said the bigger of the two, ‘now piss off.’

The one who had split George’s nose open wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, remembering what Bernie had told him about this whoreson and his sister. ‘Right. This is what’s
going to happen. You,’ he pointed at Lily, ‘are going to clear off for a couple of hours. Then you are going to come back here and clear up any mess. And first thing tomorrow, you will find somewhere new to stay and somewhere to pitch your stalls, because you are not – I repeat, not – going to live or work anywhere near here. And if there is ever so much as a whisper that you,’ he now jabbed his finger at George, ‘have come even close to upsetting a lady – any lady, ever again – then I will kill you. Got it?’

‘Why have I got to clear off?’ asked Lily.

‘Don’t act as stupid as him, love,’ said the man, shoving George so hard in the chest that he staggered backwards across the room until the wall stopped him.

‘Now clear off, you silly tart.’

‘But—’

‘Don’t let me lose my temper with you and all,’ said the man. ‘Now do as you’re told and get out.’ He snatched the parcel from her and threw it at George who was still cowering against the wall, covering him with food.

‘Think you can you manage a little drop of this soup for me, Nell?’ Sylvia put the tray on the bedside cabinet in what was now Nell’s new bedroom, upstairs in the Hope and Anchor. ‘Before the doctor pops back to check on you.’

‘Pops back? He’s already been here then? When? What time is it?’

‘It’s Tuesday afternoon. Four o’clock. You’ve been out like a light since yesterday. Your body must have needed the rest.’

‘Where are Tommy and Dolly?’

‘They’re fine. Now shall I help you sit up so you can have your soup?’

‘I’m not hungry.’

‘Try a few spoonfuls for me, eh? It’s right tasty. Ham and pea. And there’s some lovely crusty bread from the baker’s next door. You know how you love their stuff. Look at it, it’s all fluffy inside and spread with nice thick butter.’

‘I want to see Tommy and Dolly.’

‘Don’t worry about them. They’re in the kitchen busy gluing and drawing, making little Christmas cards and that. They know you’re not feeling well.’

‘They’ve been through too much, Sylv. It’s so
unfair. They’re so young, and the things they’ve had to put up with.’

‘And that’s a good reason to have some of this soup; it’ll get your strength up so the little ones won’t be scared when they see you all weak and pale.’

‘I’ve lost the baby, haven’t I?’

Sylvia sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed the fold of the already perfectly straight sheet down over the eiderdown. ‘I’m sorry, darling, but maybe it’s for the best, eh?’

‘But I didn’t want it to happen. I really didn’t. I wanted to have it.’

‘I know you did, sweetheart.’

‘I would have loved it and cared for it and protected it and have been a proper mum to it, no matter what.’

‘Please, don’t do this to yourself, Nell.’

A single tear ran down Nell’s cheek, and she closed her eyes. ‘I’m ever so sorry for all this trouble I’m causing you, Sylv.’

‘Don’t you dare even think about saying you’re sorry. After everything you’ve been through it’s everyone else who should be sorry – sorry for letting it all happen to you. I know I can hardly forgive myself for not stepping in sooner. But I promise you, you’re going to be all right from now on, Nell. You, Tommy and Dolly, the three of you, you’re all going to be safe here with me and Bernie. We’re not going to let anything bad happen to you ever again.’ Sylvia touched her lips to Nell’s forehead.
‘You’ve got my word on that.’

‘I wish I could believe you, but everything just keeps going wrong. Everything.’ Nell’s eyes suddenly flicked wide open. ‘Sylvia, that handbag you gave me? Where is it?’

‘Ssshh, Nell, don’t go getting yourself excited over a rotten old second-hand bag. It got a bit knocked about yesterday, but at least I know what to get you for Christmas.’

‘But it’s got things in it.’ Nell’s voice was urgent as she struggled to sit up. ‘Important things. What happened to it? Where’s it gone?’

‘Calm down, darling, or you’ll make yourself ill. Look, it’s in here.’ Sylvia opened the bedside cabinet and took out the now battered, scuffed and water-stained bag. ‘See?’

Nell clutched it to her. ‘Thank you. I thought I’d lost it.’

‘Florrie saw it lying in the road. She picked it up and gave it to me when she helped me bring you back here in the cab last night.’

‘I don’t remember any of that.’ Nell closed her eyes again.

‘No. You weren’t feeling very good.’ Sylvia didn’t understand what could be so important to Nell about the bag’s contents, but there was obviously something in there that mattered to her. Or maybe she was still in shock after what had happened. It amazed Sylvia just how much one person could take in her life. But even Nell would probably have given up years ago if it hadn’t been for the little ones.

‘Thank you, Sylv. Thank you so much. And I’ll have to thank Florrie as well.’

‘You don’t have to keep thanking everyone, sweetheart.’ Sylvia gently stroked the hair away from Nell’s face. ‘But I would like it if you’d do something for me.’

‘Anything.’

‘Have just a little drop of this soup, eh?’

It was Christmas Eve, and Nell and the children were climbing the familiar stairway to the top floor of Turnbury Buildings, Nell moving slowly, still feeling fragile.

‘We haven’t got to see the twins have we, Mum?’

‘No, Tommy, I was talking to Uncle Bernie before we came out and, guess what? He told me that they’ve moved away, so don’t you go fretting. You’re never going to have to see them again.’ What Nell didn’t say was that Bernie had also told her that something had happened to drive them away, but that it would be best if she didn’t ask what.

‘Good,’ said Tommy firmly. ‘Cos I hate them twins.’

‘Mummy said we’ve got to be kind,’ said Dolly.

‘I can’t help it, I still hate them,’ said Tommy.

‘That’s because you’re naughty.’

‘Will we have to come back here to live then, Mum?’

‘The flat’s not ours, Tom.’

Dolly’s little face darkened. ‘That’s good, because they could come back in the night and get us if we had to live here.’

‘Come on, you two, don’t start saying nasty things. We’re meant to be happy, because we’re bringing the presents you made for Mr and Mrs Lovell.’

‘Will they like them?’

‘Course they will, Dolly. You both worked really hard on them, and everyone always needs pot holders.’ She bent down and gave her daughter a hug. ‘And you know how often Mr Lovell puts that kettle of theirs on and off the stove. He must wear them out in no time.’

‘Will you look at what the cat dragged in.’ It was Ada, hanging about the top landing like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. ‘What are you doing here then?’

Nell smiled pleasantly. ‘Hello Ada, we’ve come to see our friends. How are you?’

‘Friends my eye.’ Ada almost vomited the words.

‘My dad used to say you could haunt houses for a living,’ said Tommy.

Ada’s eyes narrowed. ‘Did he now?’

It took a moment for Nell to trust herself to speak without laughing. ‘Tommy, Dolly, come along, let’s take these in to Mr and Mrs Lovell.’

As Nell rapped on Mary and Joe’s door, Ada stepped forward until she was standing up close behind her.

‘I know what happened to Stephen Flanagan,’ she taunted.

Horrified, Nell twisted around to face her. She knew that Ada had her nose in everything and
everywhere, but however did she find out? Nobody knew what had happened but her and Martin.

The door to number 57 opened and Mary stood there, beaming happily and leaning forward with her arms held wide to welcome the children. ‘What a lovely surprise.’

‘Hello, Mary,’ said Nell. ‘Good to see you. Would you do me a favour and take the children inside for me? I need to have a quick word with Ada.’

Mary looked at Ada suspiciously and then back at Nell. What was going on here? ‘Will you be all right, love?’

‘I’ll be fine. Go on you two, you go with Mrs Lovell, I won’t be long.’

Nell waited until Mary had closed the door – this definitely wasn’t a conversation for Martin’s mother’s ears.

‘You were saying, Ada?’

‘You’ve got bold.’

‘If you’ve got nothing to say . . .’ Nell turned away from her, wanting to hear more, but scared to be told the truth about what this woman knew.

Not willing to lose her audience, Ada quickly piped up. ‘Stephen must have thought that the law were onto him at last after all these years.’

That definitely wasn’t what Nell had been expecting to hear.

‘It’ll have been all the boozing he done that would’ve led to it. Made him lose his marbles at last. The amount he swallowed in his time was
enough to have driven a full-sized horse round the bend, let alone a man. But he was wrong; the law didn’t have a single idea what he’d done.’

Nell turned back to face her. ‘No idea he’d done what? What are you talking about?’

‘Flanagan’s wife, of course. From when we all lived down in the old terrace, before they pulled it down and moved us all up here.’

‘Ada, I don’t know about the law, but not for the first time since I’ve known you, it’s me who has no idea what you’re talking about.’

Ada sneered nastily, showing her wonky, stained teeth. ‘Surely you don’t think Violet just run off, do you? She was too scared of him to do that, although she talked about it often enough, when you’d see her down the market with yet another black eye.’

Nell blinked slowly. Where was this going? ‘So what did happen to her?’

‘He done her in, didn’t he?’

‘Are you saying Stephen killed his wife?’

‘Well, that’s what a lot of people round here reckoned at the time. And he must have thought that someone . . .’ She paused, considering her words, stretching out Nell’s agony. ‘That someone had gone to the law, cos they couldn’t stomach keeping it to themselves no longer. And that’ll be why he topped himself – rather than being caught and being hung. That man always was a coward as well as a bully. My Albert says he even saw him lifting Violet’s body onto a cart. Before it was proper daylight, it was. He had one
of his gippy bellies again, see. Too many dumplings the night before. He’s a greedy pig of a man, my Albert; always has been.’

‘Ada, you were saying about Stephen.’

‘That’s right. The man used to beat that woman regular. Like a gong. You of all people should know what he was like.’

‘But if Albert saw that, why didn’t you do something?’

‘Well . . . my Albert’s not got the best of eyesight.’ Ada folded her arms. ‘Anyway, what goes on in someone’s home is their business. And me of all people, well, I’d never interfere in what goes on between a man and his wife.’

She took her handkerchief out of her apron pocket and gave her nose a good blow, then inspected the results, making Nell shudder.

She shoved it back in her pocket. ‘Mary Lovell, now she was a bit different about it, because she
is
an interfering cow. Reckoned we should go to the law there and then if what Albert thought he saw was true. At the time it was all you’d hear out of her mouth. Was Albert sure? Did he really see him do it? Her Joe, cheeky sod, stopped her because he reckoned my Albert was exaggerating, that he’d not seen anything of the sort. But then when Violet never came back, other people started saying that they’d seen him tip her in the Thames. Not that I ever believed any of them did, mind. You know what people are like, they just wanna be part of the poppy show. And then we were all moved up here, a lot of the men
lost their jobs and Violet got forgotten.’ She looked Nell up and down. ‘It was then that Stephen Flanagan started moving all his fancy pieces in. Mind you, none of them lasted as long as you. None of them were silly enough.’

Nell stood there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Had Stephen Flanagan actually been a murderer? She had lived under the same roof as him with her children. If it was true, then he could have killed all three of them. Or was he simply a violent brute who terrified his wife so badly that she ran off and abandoned her own children? The thought made Nell want to weep.

Ada snapped her fingers in Nell’s face. ‘Oi! Are you listening to me?’

‘I’m sorry, Ada, go on, of course I am.’

‘So long as you are. Well, when the police kept coming round – after they’d dragged him out of the water – they realised from talking to me that I was the only one who could really help them.’ The little barrel of a woman puffed up proudly. ‘Only one with my eyes open, see.’