Vinny Butler laughed as his grandson tried to chase Fred around the garden. He’d mastered the art of walking, but not running yet.
‘Oops-a-daisy,’ Queenie said, picking the child up.
Oliver Butler held his great-granny’s face in his tubby hands. ‘Foo, Nana, foo.’
‘He’s only asking for grub again. No wonder he weighs a ton, the cheeky monkey,’ Queenie chuckled. She was still livid about her sister’s betrayal and harsh words, but was determined not to let the argument spoil her day.
‘Give us him ’ere, Nan. I got a whiff of something nasty. It’s either him or you’ve had the accident,’ Little Vinny chuckled.
‘I’ll put arsenic in your dinner, you, if you carry on,’ Queenie joked. She was genuinely proud of the way her grandson had turned out. He’d been a horror as a child and a teenager, causing her no end of grief, but meeting Sammi-Lou and becoming a father had been the making of him.
Vinny Butler sat next to Sammi-Lou. ‘Not long until he makes an honest woman of you now, eh?’
As Sammi-Lou Allen excitedly chatted about her forthcoming wedding, Vinny listened with a wide grin on his face. His son had been an embarrassment to him as a youngster, especially when he’d gone through that skinhead stage and knocked about with that weirdo Ben Bloggs. Thankfully the lad had changed beyond recognition. He now worked with Vinny in the Holborn club and had proved himself to be an asset to the business, with an astute brain on him.
It was as well for Little Vinny that neither his father nor his grandmother had any idea that he’d done more than act up a bit and run wild during his teenage years. And there was no way Sammi-Lou would be happily making wedding plans if she knew she was marrying a child killer. And God help Little Vinny if his father ever found out that the three-year-old he’d throttled to death was his own little sister.
Michael and Albie Butler were in the Royal Oak.
‘Why didn’t the boys come with us?’ Albie asked.
‘I couldn’t drag ’em away from the pool table, so I left ’em a tenner for a pizza. Keeps ’em out of trouble, that cabin I had built.’
Albie smiled. ‘I’m so glad you ain’t moving out of Barking, boy. I never said it when you put the house up for sale, but I wouldn’t arf’ve missed ya.’
Michael squeezed his old man’s hand. Unlike Vinny, he’d always been close to his father. Now sixty-six, Albie’s once thick hair had thinned a bit over the years, but it was still jet black. He kept himself smart, always wearing a suit, and despite everything he’d been through he hadn’t lost the cheeky twinkle in his eyes.
‘How’s Bella, son? You spoken to her lately?’
‘No, I left her alone after she said she needed some space. She rung me last week, but I didn’t call her back. Done me up like a kipper, she did. Vinny said she wouldn’t return from Italy and he was right. I don’t even believe her nan was dying. She obviously just got cold fucking feet.’
‘You don’t know that for sure and you shouldn’t listen to your brother. You know what Vinny’s like. When has he ever been in love, eh? Do what your heart tells you. Bella adored you; I could see that the night of the party. You need to call her back, see what she wanted.’
‘Bit late now. Got meself in a right pickle, I have. The boys’ nanny turned up at the club one night about a month back. I’d had a drink, she had virtually no clothes on, and … well, you know the rest.’
‘Oh dear. Katy’s a bit young for you, isn’t she?’
‘Twenty-one. Becoming a proper pest, she is. Keeps turning up at the club, staring at me with those puppy-dog eyes. She’s got it bad, and I’m never gonna feel anything for her. After Bella, I doubt I’ll ever feel anything for a bird again. More grief than they’re fucking worth, women.’
‘Mind she don’t trap you like Judy Preston did me. Can’t you tell her that I’m gonna help you out indoors and you don’t need her any more?’
‘Not that easy, Dad. The boys adore her. It’s been good for them to have a woman pottering about the house again. I’m just going to have to let her down gently, and hope she still wants to work for me.’ He shook his head ruefully. ‘My mistake, I let me dick do the thinking instead of me brain.’
Albie chuckled. ‘Like father, like son.’
Having given birth to three sons who’d made her so proud in life, Queenie was the first to admit her daughter was a terrible disappointment. Brenda had turned into an overweight lush and a crap mother, which was probably why Queenie had bonded so well with Jay Boy’s girlfriend. In Queenie’s eyes, Jilly was the daughter she’d never had.
‘Jilly wants your mum to give her away when we get wed,’ Jay Boy whispered in Vinny’s ear as they watched the two women chatting nineteen to the dozen in front of the telly.
Vinny looked at his pal in amazement. They had first met in Pentonville prison. They’d bonded immediately, and the chirpy Liverpudlian was now Vinny’s right-hand man at the club. ‘You’re kidding me. That will make my mum’s year.’
‘Straight up. Jilly’s dad is dead and she doesn’t get on with her own mum. She told me last night she wants your mum to do the honours.’
Vinny was about to tell his mum the good news when the doorbell rang and Queenie leapt up to answer it.
‘Daddy, Fred’s being rude. He’s got his dingle-dangle out again,’ Ava giggled, tugging her father’s arm.
Hearing a commotion in the hallway, Vinny ignored his daughter and dashed to his mother’s aid. ‘What’s up?’
‘Tell Vinny what you told me,’ Queenie ordered, ushering her daughter’s tearful children into the house.
‘Mum and Dave were drunk, and they were fighting. They smashed all the furniture up. Then Mum fell over when Dave hit her and we couldn’t wake her up. We were scared she was dead, so we ran to the phone box and called an ambulance. Then we got on the train and came here,’ eight-year-old Tommy explained.
‘Mum’s head was bleeding. We was worried the police would come and take us away,’ Tara added.
Vinny glanced at his mother. Both were thinking the same thing. Neither had any time for Brenda, but she was family. Flesh and blood counted for everything and so did keeping up appearances.
Michael Butler poured another Scotch and pressed play, then rewind, then play again on his answerphone. It was the message Bella had left him last week, and he’d listened to it over and over again.
He was trying to make up his mind whether to take his father’s advice and return the call when he was disturbed by a tap on his office door.
‘Katy’s here,’ said Gerry the bouncer, sticking his head round the door. ‘Said she needs to speak to you about Daniel and Lee.’
‘OK, send her in.’
The club was booming to the sound of Page Three bird Samantha Fox’s ‘Touch Me (I Want Your Body)’ as Katy walked in. Michael had no doubt that she wanted him to touch hers again. She was virtually fucking naked. ‘Where’s your mate?’ he asked.
‘She wasn’t well, so I came alone,’ Katy lied.
Well on his way to being slightly more than merry, Michael couldn’t help but take note of Katy’s pert breasts.
Aware of what the man of her dreams was staring at, Katy felt her confidence soar. ‘Aren’t you going to offer me a drink?’ she asked, sitting on his lap and rubbing his thigh.
Michael sighed as his erection grew. What was a man to do?
Unaware that their father was currently in an extremely compromising position with Katy Spencer, Daniel and Lee Butler were currently discussing