The Feud (44 page)

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Unaware of what was happening at home, Joey looked at his sister in total and utter disbelief. ‘You can’t get married! You’re only sixteen.’

Frankie smiled at Jed as he came back from the bar with a bottle of champagne and three glasses. ‘’Ere you go. Get this down your neck,’ Jed said, as he handed a glass to Joey.

Joey had always been frightened of his sister’s lover, so he chose his words very carefully. ‘I’m sorry, Jed, I’ve nothing against you, mate, but my parents are gonna go mental. It’s bad enough Frankie’s pregnant, but marriage – there’s no way my dad’s gonna let that happen.’

Jed didn’t seem worried in the slightest as he threw a loving arm around his wife-to-be. ‘It’s got fuck-all to do with your dad. If he don’t like it, it’s tough shit. Me and your sister wanna be together, and that’s all that matters,’ Jed said, smiling at him.

‘But if you say you’re getting married, Frankie, Mum and Dad will chuck you out,’ Joey pleaded. He was desperate to make her see sense.

‘Look, Joey, as much as I love you, I think I’m gonna have to move out anyway. Jed said I can live in his trailer with him on his dad’s land until he buys us somewhere of our own,’ Frankie told him.

Seeing her brother’s eyes well up, Frankie squeezed his hand. ‘Don’t get upset, Joey. I’ll only be five minutes away and you can come over whenever you want.’

‘Course you can,’ Jed chipped in. Frankie’s brother wasn’t his cup of tea. It was obvious the mush was as queer as a nine-bob note, but if Joey visiting made Frankie happy, then it was OK by him.

The thought of life indoors without Frankie was unbearable for Joey. ‘When are you thinking of moving out?’ he asked.

Frankie was adamant as she answered. ‘I’m gonna go home in the morning and tell Mum and Dad everything. If it all kicks off, which it’s bound to, then I’m going straight away. I’m sorry, Joey, but this is my life and if Mum and Dad can’t accept Jed or the baby, then I’m leaving tomorrow, for good.’

The following morning, Eddie woke up with a sore head, stiff neck and a mouth like a camel’s arse. He had spent the night at his salvage yard and had slept on the uncomfortable leather chair. Annoyed with himself for getting so drunk, he walked over to the sink, cupped some water in his hands and washed his face. He’d had the day from hell yesterday, but was now feeling guilty for taking it out on Jessica.

Spotting his car keys lying on the floor, Eddie turned the cabin upside down searching for his mobile. Gina would be ringing at some point today and he needed to find the bastard thing. With no joy, he ran out to his motor and was relieved to see it lying on the passenger seat. He tried to switch it on, but the bloody thing was dead. ‘You stupid fucking cunt,’ he said, cursing himself.

Still in a complete daze, Eddie nearly forgot to lock the Portakabin up, but remembered just in time. He needed to get home to sort things out with Jessica. Maybe Jimmy O’Hara had been winding him up, although he doubted it very much. Too cocksure of himself, O’Hara was, to be lying.

Eddie started the motor and glanced at his watch. Today would probably drag on forever, but at least by nightfall he should know the truth.

Jessica had lain awake all night and had got up at the crack of dawn. Neither Eddie nor Frankie had come home last night and she was worried sick about both of them. Not knowing what to do with herself, Jessica made Raymond a fry-up, then busied herself with the housework. In times of need, she always turned to her chores to help her; she found them therapeutic.

At 7 a.m., Jessica could stand the suspense no longer and gently tapped on Joey’s bedroom door. Her son had arrived home late last night and informed her that Frankie was staying at a friend’s house. Jess had tried to question him, begged him to talk to her, but Joey had burst into tears, then locked himself in his bedroom and refused to come back out.

‘Joey, it’s Mum. I desperately need to talk to you, love. It’s not about you, it’s about Frankie. She could be in a lot of trouble and I need your help to stop anything silly from happening.’

Joey got out of bed and unlocked his bedroom door. He was furious with Frankie for what she had done and was planning to do. He was also annoyed with her for leaving him in the shit to deal with the aftermath of her stupidity.

Noticing her son was all puffy-eyed, Jessica tenderly rubbed his arm. ‘Are you still upset over Dominic?’ she asked kindly.

Joey said nothing as he flopped back on his bed. Every time Dominic’s name was mentioned, it felt as if a dagger was being jabbed through his heart. He missed
him dreadfully and with all that had happened with Frankie, he needed to see him and be comforted by him, not talk about him.

Jessica cleared her throat. ‘I know about Frankie and Jimmy O’Hara’s son. Your dad knows as well and, as you can imagine, he’s none too pleased. For your sister’s sake, Joey, I need to know everything. Is it serious? Does she see him much? Are they sleeping together? Tell me all you can, Joey, it’s important that you do.’

Joey looked away from her. It was Frankie’s job to tell their mum, not his. ‘She’s coming back this morning, Mum. You can ask her for yourself.’

‘So, it is true, then? Jimmy O’Hara told your dad yesterday and I wasn’t sure if he was winding him up. What’s his name, Joey?’ Jessica asked softly. She had to bluff to get the truth out of him.

‘His name’s Jed. You should remember him, Mum, he’s the one that Dad stuck me in the boxing ring with when I was little. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m busy. I have to go somewhere myself. Anything else you need to know, Frankie will tell you. This is none of my business.’

Jessica sat with her mouth open. She hadn’t realised Jed was that terror of a child who had knocked her son out cold. ‘Are you going anywhere nice?’ she asked. She couldn’t think straight, this was all too much for her.

‘Nowhere special. Please, Mum, just leave me alone. I need to have a shower and get out of this house.’

With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Jessica closed Joey’s bedroom door and went downstairs.

Aware that his sister looked upset, Raymond hugged her. ‘Shall I see if I can find Eddie?’ he asked her.

About to answer, Jessica ran to the window as she heard a car pulling up outside.

‘Speak of the devil, eh, sis?’ Raymond joked, as he went outside to speak to his brother-in-law.

‘Is everything OK?’ Raymond asked him.

‘Not really, but I’ll know for definite later. Did you stay here with Jess last night?’ Eddie enquired.

Raymond nodded. ‘She was a bit upset and rang me. Listen, Ed, I know the score, Jess told me about Frankie and O’Hara’s boy. If anything kicks off and you need backup, I’m there for you, you know that.’

Eddie put his arm around Raymond’s shoulder. ‘Cheers, mate, much appreciated.’

Raymond laughed as Eddie lifted a massive bouquet out of his boot. ‘Fucking hell, they ain’t for me, are they?’

‘Get over yourself, you fucking tosser. Listen, Ray, can you do me a big favour? I’ve got a gut feeling today’s gonna be a bad day. I’ve got a bit of running around to do, but do you think you can stay here? I don’t wanna leave Jess and the kids on their own.’

Raymond immediately agreed. ‘Frankie ain’t here though, Ed. She never came home last night.’

Eddie felt his pulse start to quicken. ‘If I find out she’s in that pikey’s fucking caravan, I’ll kill him, then kill her,’ he told Raymond.

Aware that Eddie’s eyes had turned cloudy and angry, Raymond led Eddie back to the house. ‘Just calm down and go and see Jess. You going off your head ain’t gonna do her pregnancy any good, is it?’

Eddie handed Raymond his phone and he told him to put it on charge and make himself scarce for five minutes.

Jessica was in the front room and didn’t look up as her husband walked in.

‘Jess, I’m so sorry for having a go at you. None of this is your fault, I know it’s not. You know the old saying, “You always hurt the ones you love”? Well, I don’t mean
to, but I suppose because we’re so close I take my frustrations out on you.’

Jessica had never been one to carry on an argument. She had only ever done that once with Eddie, when he had shoved Joey into that boxing ring and she had gone back to her mother’s for a few days.

As Eddie knelt in front of her, Jessica smiled. ‘Look, I’m on me fucking hands and knees, begging your forgiveness. Don’t tell anyone, will ya? Got me reputation to think of, ain’t I?’

Jessica looked at the beautiful flowers and hugged Eddie as he sat down next to her. ‘I’ve been so worried about you. I thought you’d gone round the O’Haras and done something stupid. Please don’t drink that Scotch any more. I can smell it on your breath,’ she pleaded, burying her head in his neck.

Eddie stroked her long blonde hair. ‘I’m sorry, babe, and I swear I won’t touch another drop of Scotch. Raymond said Frankie never came home last night. Do you know where she was?’

‘Joey came back and said she stayed at her friend’s house. She was probably round Stacey’s,’Jessica answered, trying to smooth the situation over.

‘Listen, Jess. I promise you that whatever Frankie’s up to, I’ll try and deal with it in the nicest way I can, but if that don’t work, then I’m gonna have to go one step further. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

Jessica clung to her husband for dear life. ‘Yes, Eddie, I understand,’ she whispered.

Not too many miles away, in Upney, Stanley was in a deep sleep and totally oblivious of his wife prodding and poking him.

Annoyed that he was glued to that stinking armchair
of his and snoring like a pot-bellied pig, Joyce bent down so that her mouth was only an inch away from his ear. ‘Stanley’, she screamed as loudly as she could.

Stanley shot up in such shock that he lost his balance and fell head first out of the chair. ‘You stupid bloody woman. What did you do that for?’ he grumbled as he rubbed his right elbow.

Joyce couldn’t help but giggle. Stanley looked so funny lying on the carpet in a heap. ‘I want you to get yourself ready, Stanley. We need to drive over to our Jessica’s. Something’s not right, she’s got problems, I know she has. Our Raymond was over there last night and Jess barely spoke to me on the phone this morning.’

‘Probably something to do with that dodgy old man of hers. Ain’t got himself nicked, has he?’ Stanley muttered, standing up.

‘Now, don’t start all that. We’ve no idea what’s wrong yet. I know my Jess and she sounded to me like she’d been crying. For all we know, Stanley, it could be something to do with the baby,’ Joyce told him.

‘Shouldn’t we ask if it’s OK for us to visit? We can’t just turn up,’ Stanley said. Fortunately, he wasn’t as nosy as his wife.

‘No, because Jess’ll say no and then we’ll never find out what was wrong in the first place. Now go and get changed, quick as you like,’ Joyce said.

‘I’m all right. I’ll go like this,’ Stanley said miserably.

‘No, you bloody well won’t. Them trousers have got pigeon shit all over ’em. Go upstairs and put your nice grey ones on.’

Stanley tutted, but knew better than to argue. ‘What am I meant to say to Jock? I’m meant to be meeting him at eleven to fly our pigeons,’ he moaned.

Joyce shook her head furiously. ‘You and Jock can get
your cocks out any day. Now, chop-chop, Stanley. I’m not one to be kept waiting, you know that.’

‘Wicked old witch,’ Stanley spouted as he stomped up the stairs.

Back in Rainham, Frankie’s heart was beating nineteen to the dozen as she crouched down behind the big bush in her next-door neighbour’s front garden. ‘Move over a bit, Jed. Your legs are sticking out, someone will see you,’ she told her boyfriend.

Jed shook his head in disbelief. He loved his woman very much, but sometimes she had the brains of a rocking horse. ‘I’m telling you, Frankie, this is a stupid idea. Does it matter if your dad’s there? He’s gonna find out when your mum tells him, anyway. We should have done things my way, instead of sitting here like a pair of dinlos.’

Frankie said nothing. Jed had wanted to drive over to her parents, face them and tell them the news together, then load all her belongings onto his truck. Petrified of the fracas that was bound to happen, Frankie put her foot down. She had no doubt whatsoever that her dad would barricade her in the house, then smash both Jed and his new pick-up truck to smithereens.

Hearing the sound of an engine starting up, Frankie peered through the bushes just in time to see her dad’s Land Cruiser pull off the drive. ‘Right, me dad’s gone out. The only people in the house are me mum and possibly me Uncle Raymond. His car’s on the drive and I don’t think he was with me dad,’ she told Jed. She knew Joey was out, as she had seen him jump into a cab about half an hour ago.

‘Please let me come with you, Frankie. We’re getting married; your mother’s gonna think I’m a right div if
I don’t face her like a man,’ Jed pleaded, as Frankie stood up.

Frankie shook her head. ‘You don’t wanna come in while me Uncle Raymond’s there. He’s me father’s henchman, so he’s bound to kick off. I promise you, once the initial shock’s worn off, you can meet me mum. Today, though, I need to talk to her alone.’

Watching Frankie walk away, Jed made a decision. He didn’t like the sound of Uncle fucking Raymond and if Frankie weren’t back in half an hour, he was going in there, whether his girlfriend liked it or not.

As Frankie walked up the drive, her mind was a whirlwind of emotion. She felt guilty at letting her parents down, but her love for Jed was far too strong for her to put her parents first.

Frankie let herself in with her key.

‘There you are. Where have you been?’ her mum asked, obviously relieved to see her.

‘Mum, I need to talk to you,’ Frankie mumbled.

‘You OK?’ Raymond asked, poking his head into the hallway.

Frankie nodded. ‘Fine, thanks. I just need to talk to Mum in private.’

Knowing when he wasn’t wanted, Raymond retreated back into the lounge.

‘Come on, we’ll sit in the kitchen, I’ll shut the door,’ Jessica said. She knew by Frankie’s face that whatever she had to say was very serious and she was dreading hearing it.

Not usually one to eavesdrop, Raymond knew he had little choice. Eddie would want to know what was going on and, for all their sakes, he had to find out. Taking his shoes off, Raymond crept into the hallway and placed his ear against the door.